Thread: What do I tell the machine shop for a standard rebuild?

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If the engine is good, don't spend the money or the time to rebuild it. Swap to carb and run it as is. If you are building the 32 Hiboy style with no fenders, you could pull the engine back out easily over a winter if it actually does need rebuilding. Clean it up and run it. Get the car running and driving first. Keep in mind you may need a shorter water pump and a rear sump oil pan for the Ford engine.

I have never built a 32, so I am not the guy to answer all your questions. But I can say, yes the doors will need to be adjusted on practically any roadster from that era. The bodies are not stiff enough to hold their shape independent of the chassis.

You need to decide what body manufacturer you will be wanting. Or, ask for recommendations from the folks on this site that have built 32's. Not all bodies are made the same. As with any car project, start with the best you can afford. Getting a body that fits well and has slick gel coat will go a looong way toward making body and paint easier and cheaper. Also, get the body with doors and trunk hinged and latched (at least I would for my first build).

If it's going to be a fiberglass body, then you should be able to get it with the firewall mods in place (if any are needed for the Ford engine). You need to call the body manufacturer and find out what their lead time on supplying a body actually is. Might be days, weeks or months.

The same goes for the chassis. If you are going with TCI (I think you said that in the other thread), give them a call. Tell them what you want to do. They will most likely be able to weld in the motor mounts while building the chassis.

I recommend using everything from them if this is your first build. They have been doing this for years and know what works for their frames. By using their complete package, if you have trouble, you can call them for support. If you do it piece meal and have an issue, who you gonna' call? Getting a Stage 3 chassis package will cost more, but like getting the best body you can afford, it will make your job much quicker and easier.

If I was doing this, I would want the engine and transmission actually together as a package so that I could tell TCI what the length is. That way they can get the trans mount in the right place.

I would also want to have the body, hood, radiator shell and radiator, in addition to the chassis before starting any construction. Also, you will need a way to lift the body on and off the chassis or have several strong friends that will come over when you need to do it. The body needs to be well supported, too, or it can get distorted just sitting around.

And don't forget about crating and shipping charges. All the big parts will need to be shipped freight, unless you plan on going after them.

Edit: If you have any big car shows in your area that your chassis and body vendor will be at, check to see if they can bring your body and/or chassis to the show. I've seen that done and it saves on shipping.