Project $ 3 K Is Underway

Hey streetrod, I forgot your other question about the source of the tranny. I am not good on computers, so I can't post a click on link, but here is an item number, and if you put that in it will pull up one of thier transmission auctions, then you can go to "sellers store" and pull up everything they have on ebay at the moment.

Item number: 260027589799

I really like these guys, and if you look at the feedback (2216) and a positive 100 %, it really speaks volumes. I really don't know how they do it for the price, but as I mentioned, this is the 3rd one I have bought from them. They use only real heavy duty parts like clutches, and modify some internals that they have found need modifications to work properly and hold up. Even this base 350 I bought is rated for 500 HP.

I have no vested interest in telling people about them, aside from the fact rodders like to tell other rodders where a good deal can be found. Even when you factor in the shipping of $ 85.00 to $ 135.00, it is still a great deal.

The junkyard wanted $ 175.00, and I had to pull it out myself. So for $ 275.00 more I got a totally rebuilt and built tranny, with torque convertor. I couldn't pass it up.

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennyW

I was thinking of what you said about the extras. If you think about it, even if someone buys a new car, they usually end up putting on like vent shields, different tires and wheels, maybe a spoiler, and a possible engine add on. (turbo). :LOL: The reason I mention that is because of the extra's you used. Just a thought. :)

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Denny, good thought, and true. I plan to drive this car as much as I drove my '27, so I just wanted it to have a few frills that moved it up a notch or two on the fun scale plus make it a little nicer.

I didn't get the undercoating and tinted glass though.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:


Don

How DO YOU DO THAT STUFF??? You always amaze me how easy it is for you to pull up these things and get them posted. It's a big deal for me just to get this thing turned on.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:


Don

Windows XP. The system is ok, it is the operator that is deficient.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:

Don

Thanks Denny. Well, think I'll head over to the shop and actually do some car work instead of sitting here on my butt all day.

Don

Thanks again Denny. Yep, I do want to learn more about how to run this computer and do some of the neat tricks you guys do on it. I will try that program you gave me.


I mentioned I was starting on the driveshaft loops yesterday. Today I went over and did some more work on them. Didn't get a whole lot done as I had a little flu bug last week and still don't have all my strength back. I figure I will go over tomorrow since I am off for Labor Day and , well, labor.:LOL: :LOL: We hot rodders must like pain, because we could be cooking some hot dogs or fishing, but instead we use holidays to work on stuff made out of steel.:confused:


Today I bent up the hoops that are going to surround my driveshaft. They are going to serve two purposes. First of all, I am sharing space with a driveshaft spinning at 2-3000 rpms going down the road. If the driveshaft decides to break (I've had it happen) I want it contained by more than a fiberglass floor. Secondly, the hoops will help form the shape of my driveshaft tunnel. I will lay fiberglass up over the hoops and form them into the plywood floor.

Here are what the finished hoops that I bent up look like.


They are made from 3/8 inch x 2 inch flat stock that I bent up.

Good idea, don't need that driveshaft wacking you in the bean haulin' down the road at 100mph. Actually at any speed!

To shape them, I looked around the shop and found a pulley off of a water pump that was exactly the right diameter to form them around. I clamped it and a piece of angle iron to the welding table, heated the flat stock with a torch until it was cherry red, and slowly kept bending it around the pulley. I had to do a little hammering with a sledge to get it to the exact shape, and when I was done I had to use my floor jack to open up the legs just slightly, to tweak the sides exactly parallel to each other.

Here are pictures of the pulley jig I made and the bent up pieces before they were trimmed to the right size.

Finally, I am using 2 x 2 wide, 1/4 inch thick angle iron pieces (2 of them) to act as supports for the hoops. Angle iron sometimes has an air of being "shade tree" in a car build, but in this case it was just what I needed to shape the tunnel. To make them look better, I rounded the corners. The reason I am using angle is that it will give me a support for the plywood floor to butt up against, and the other wall of the angle iron will hold the hoop and form the tunnel.

I will weld the angle iron pieces to the crossmembers, and weld the hoops to the angle iron. For the bottom I am going to make up 2 flat steel plates to go across the bottom and bolt on, so I can remove them to remove the driveshaft when I need to do so.

Here is a picture of the mocked up hoops and angle iron supports. I purposefully made the hoops high for plenty of driveshaft travel when the car hits bumps, plus the tunnel will make a nice armrest after it is carpeted and/ or upholstered.

Thanks for looking,


Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennyW

OK Don. Since you have xp, it's already on your system.
You go to start, all programs, Remote Assistance.

The hoops look good. Did you bend them around something(other than a regular bender), like another pipe ? OOps, I didn't wait long enough, sorry.

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Yeah, I'm kind of slow at posting. No problem. Oh, and thanks for the info on the program already being in there. I'll play with it.


Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brickman

Good idea, don't need that driveshaft wacking you in the bean haulin' down the road at 100mph. Actually at any speed!

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No, you are right. I had one break on my Mustang bracket car one time, and my two sons were sitting in the back on the aluminum interior with pillows under them (they were about 8 or 9) When it broke it sounded like a bomb went off, but luckily the driveshaft loop contained it.

My kids haven't been right since.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: I wonder why they are motorheads too???:confused: :confused: :confused:


Don

Don,
I don't mean to disrupt the flow of your thread but I believe you might need to revise your debit accounting.

If I'm not mistaken, you purchased the body and frame as a combination.
Once you found the frame unusable for your intentions, you purchased materials to create a new one.

I therefore submit to you the following;
"Under the HotRod Builders Assessment Act of 1984, any project budget overruns in materials due to faulty, improper fitments, or brain flatulence may be deducted from the build at fair market value..."

Can I also deduct alimony?:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:


Actually, I did just sell some parts off of the build that I didn't use, like I got $ 135.oo for the T bucket bed on Ebay. Interesting thought Tom. The frame became a base for our metal brake, so that should count for something.


I like your thinking. You must work for the Law Firm of Dewey, Cheetum, and Howe.:D :D :D :LOL:


By the way, cool comment about the DNA being twisted too tight. (Inbreeding)


Don

I too like that law, that would cut my build cost in half if I can drop the cost of learning!

Today was actually a pretty productive day. I just got in, and it is Midnight, and I started about 12 noon, so to say I am a little tired is an understatement. But I really got some work done today.

The first thing I did was finish up the driveshaft hoops. I welded the hoops to the angle iron supports, and made two plates for the bottom. The bottom plates are held on with grade 8 3/8 bolts, and when I need to service the driveshaft I can remove them and drop it out of the bottom. Finally I got the whole assembly welded to the crossmembers. Man, this thing weighs like 30 lbs, so it should add some strength to the frame also.

Here are some shots of the final assembly and after it was welded in place.


Don

After that I began work on the underdash steel support framework, which also supports the windshield. I decided to tie the windshield into the 1 x 1 bar that runs under the dash, and to do that I welded a couple of flat stock "ears" on either side of the crosspiece, made out of 1/4 inch thick stock. These ears are shaped like the inside of the body, right up under the dash.

I drilled and tapped these plates for 3 bolts on each side, which match 3 holes I drilled in the windshield post I built out of flat plate. When the bolts are torqued down the windshield is supported by the steel skeleton, not by fiberglass.

After I got the dash support made my Kid offered to weld the windshield posts to the plates I had made up, so we built a jig to hold everything straight and did the final welding on the windshield posts. So, for all practical purposes, the windshield is done. We got so involved working on the jig and making the posts fit that I didn't take any pictures of that phase, but here are some pictures of the final windshield mounting.

I also went to Autozone and picked up a 68 Mustang master cylinder for a car with manual drum brakes, so this week I can start making up the brake pedal and master cylinder mount.

Thanks for looking. Time for a shower and late night dinner. :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:


Don

Car is really coming together. Looks to be completed way before Thanksgiving.

Looking forward to see you and the car (completed, of course) at the Turkey Run. As of now it appears that we will be at the B-W la Playa at Belaire Plaza, W - Sun.

Great looking drive shaft hoops. Wish I had that metal fabricating talent. I need three hoops for my car. One for the driveshaft and one each for the half shafts. Unlikely problems could occur, but my luck this year has been in the negative numbers, and I am no risk taker. Gettting the hoops not a problem, betting them mounted another story.:eek:

I don't know what happens when they list on Ebay, but sometimes there is just no reserve on a tranny, and other times there is. Perhaps they list so many that the forget, or maybe on some units the begiining bid is what they are happy to take.

Whatever, it's amazing that they can sell a transmission for this money, and if they didn't have that 100% feedback rating I would be suspicious. But this is # 3 for me, and the only place I will ever shop for one.


Yeah, I'm really trying for Daytona, but I am sort of doubtful. My real goal is to get my Kids '29 there. Poor kid missed last year, and he has thousands of hours in it. I really only care if he gets his there. If I have to divert some money to help him get his done, I would rather do that.

We'll stay in touch to see where you are and where we will be staying, and hotroddaddy has that great idea about us CHR guys and gals meeting somewhere.

Take care.

Don

Don
I think I paid DOUBLE that to have mine redone. a few years ago and had to buy the converter extra.

Yeah, considering the u-pick yard wanted $175 and I had to do the work, it was a no-brainer.

I don't know if you guys are like me, but when I am bidding on something on Ebay, I start to get the shakes as the seconds tick down. Kind of like a gambler, I guess. At 20 seconds I zap in my bid and try to steal the item. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I swear alot.:( :( :( :(


Don

I used to do that but lost as many as I won. Now I just put in the max I'll pay if I get it good if I don't Well I wouldn't have paid any more any way. It would be neat to be able to see how many are watching like the seller can do probably make you more nervous.

Don,
the car is really looking good, and im gland you decided to go with the new tranny. keep up the nice work..

Harmon

Thanks Harmon. I think it will be so much easier in the long run.

Last night at about 3:30 AM I woke up and had an idea how I am going to do my shifter. I have no idea if I was dreaming about it , or what, but the idea is actually pretty sound. I made a drawing before I went back to sleep so that I wouldn't forget it. Now I just have to round up the pieces.

WIsh I would wake up with the winning lottery numbers, but no luck.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:


Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Thanks Harmon. I think it will be so much easier in the long run.

Last night at about 3:30 AM I woke up and had an idea how I am going to do my shifter. I have no idea if I was dreaming about it , or what, but the idea is actually pretty sound. I made a drawing before I went back to sleep so that I wouldn't forget it. Now I just have to round up the pieces.

WIsh I would wake up with the winning lottery numbers, but no luck.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:


Don

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Don,
on that note i figured out what im going to do with my shifter also ( old school race look it will match my grill and and the visor)

Harmon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CHEVYBOY

Don,
on that note i figured out what im going to do with my shifter also ( old school race look it will match my grill and and the visor)

Harmon

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Ok Harmon, don't keep us in suspense. What have you decided to make it out of? Have you worked out the details yet???


I went over and started to work on my shifter tonight. I didn't get a whole lot done because it took quite a bit of digging around in all of my hidden stash of leftover parts and stuff to find some components to build it. Once I had some of the most important parts I began to make the main brace that will bolt the shifter assembly to the transmission.

I can't take full credit for this part of the buiild. I pirated part of it from the way Lokar and Gennie do theirs, and part of it from a gallery on CHR. I wish I could remember whose gallery it was, because I'd like to thank him, but I liked the ideas in his shifter.

I bent up the main support out of 1/4 inch x 2 strap iron, and used the same pulley idea I used to bend up the driveshaft hoops. However, the contour of the trans is different than the other ones, so I dug out a bigger pulley to give me a bigger radius.

Here is how I bent up the flat stock after heating it with the torch.

After a little bending and then putting some reverse bends in the ends, I rounded the corners and drilled two holes that will locate the hoop into the two depressions so thoughfully supplied by Chevy on their 350's. I am going to tap some threads into there so I can thread a bolt into a bushing. Then I will add another plate to the top of the hoop and fasten that to the other hole Chevy has back there. Once this mount is done I can start to build the actual shifter mechanism.

Here is how the hoop came out, and how it looks mocked up on my dummy transmission.

Finally, I dug one of my shifter handles out. I have been saving this chrome one for a special car, and this is it. I paid $ 20.00 for it on Ebay. I cut the bottom off, as I only want the shifter, and will weld this to the rest of the shifter mechanism I am going to build.

Well. it feels good to be home at a decent hour tonight (11 oclock instead of 12) so after a shower and dinner I might actually get enough sleep tonight. I keep falling asleep at my desk at work. Maybe I should build a sleeping spot under my desk like George Costanza.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:


Here is the shifter I cut in half.

Thanks for looking,


Don

Are you really going to have that big a tunnel to cover a bracket that size? I'm just wondering if a floor mount might not be more space conscious. Every inch counts on one of these as you know.

Good question, I don't really know yet. Once I get the real tranny here I can mock it up and see. But this bracket actually hugs the contour of the 350 pretty close, sitting about 1/2 inch away from the case all the way around.

But I think it will be ok, especially since I only have to make room for 2 pedals now. The fiberglass trans tunnel will also hug the transmission pretty closely, as I only need a little room for slight movement of the transmission within the tunnel.

I think the bulk of the shifter will be at the top of the transmission, so it shouldn't take too much passenger room away. But yeah, great question.

By the way Bob, thanks for the email with info on your brake setup. very helpful and my Son appreciated it. Wilson Welding makes a really nice brake setup.


Don


PS: Our fiberglass guy at work is hooking me up with 2 relatively new fiberglass products I am anxious to try. One is a biaxial sort of cloth that builds up layers very quickly and overlaps with almost no seam, so the strength is supposed to be 10 X what regular glass is. I am going to do the tunnel with this. Secondly, there is a new product that you glass to irregular shapes, like the sides of a T body, and it forms right in, and becomes an integrel part of the body. Boat builders are using it for everything now, like stringers, bulkheads,etc. These 2 products should eliminate a lot of the wood that is normally used in a T bucket, so I am happy to experiment with both.

Don,

How are you going to lay up the tunnel.

Ever use the Lost Foam method?

Hey Tom. Tell me about this method, I'm interested in learning new/better ways to do this stuff.


Don

Nice ride man! Is that a Speedway Motors body? I didn't even go back to read your first page, I read this all before and keeping up with it. I am wanting a 30's vehicle right now very badly and found an original 31 4 door sedan but was really wanting a pickup, 5 window coupe, roadster or T and I like the stance of your T a lot! I wanted to do a early 50's I guess it would be style with bomber seats, plane or bomber looking guages, brown interior and black paint with the spoked wheels, and NON white walled tires. I like the cheater slick look too but first want what I just explained. Anyways, great progress!

Thanks alot. Yeah, I think it is a Speedway. I bought it on Ebay, and it was advertised as a Total Performance body and frame, and it was only about 150 miles from here, so I bid and won it. When I picked it up it wasn't a TP, but the guy seemed legit that he honestly had been told that when he bought it ( he also bought it used) plus, it had never been cut or mounted, so I paid him. It is just the typical T fiberglass body, nothing fancy, and you still have to do all the finish work and wooding. My '27 body is a Speedway, and it was in daily use for years and never developed any stress cracks or problems, so I think they are a good value.

Don't discount the 4 door body, they can be built into a really cool rod. However, you must know up front that the entire subframe on a 4 door is WOOD. The tudors ( 2 doors) coupes, etc. all use steel for the most part. The bear is that the wood rots and you really have to use box tubing to build a suitable new subframe. The wood kits are like several thousand dollars, and are still wood, and will never be as strong or resistant to flex as steel.

As I have mentioned about 30 zillion times (sorry to be so boring) my Son is building a fordor, and he said he never realized how much work it would be to subframe it. He also bought a tudor that he is storing for the next build, and it requires a fraction of the work to get it strong. And, just in case I haven't personally bored you enough times with pictures of his fordor, here are a couple. I thought they may give you some idea of what is involved.

Thanks again for the nice words.


Don

PS: That interior shot is just the first stages of the resubframing. The entire body, including the door jams, roof, etc are now steel tubing. The body is just a sheet metal skin with no strength of it's own. The subframe is the real strength.

I PMed your son on The HAMB about that car. I would like to do mine like that but not THAT low, probably 4 inches higher but I like how the front end is stretched up forward like that and the chop. I want mine like that (this one has the fenders and I will hate to NOT use them but oh well) and in gloss black with bomber seats and gauges, etc. I am really into the whole WWII kind of deal like the bomber planes and was at first thining of painting it silver and then the interior like seats, gauges, etc like a bomber but not sure. First I have to see if I can get the car and if I like it enough when I see it tomarrow. If not then I will get me a roadster body or T like yours. Ever see that 29 RPU on Rod and Custom mag in that maroon looking color and brown interior, etc that is real low with the bed in the back? I LOVE that thing!
Can you send me some more pics of your sons car please? Thanks a lot!

Dans car is actually airbagged all around, so in those pictures it is sitting on the ground. His normal ride height will be about 4 inches higher. I think it will be a mindblower when he pulls into a cruise night and sits it on the ground. Also, the tank in the back looks like a nitros tank, so I bet a lot of people will think that's what it is.


I haven't seen that RP you are speaking about, but I can envision the look. Bet it is cool.

Good luck with your own plans.

Don

Here it is... Tell me what you think!

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/...adster_pickup/

Oh, that one? Yeah, it is super nice. There were some posts on here a while back. Seems it cost somewhere in the neighborhood of one million to build, and when it sold (I think on Barrett-Jackson) it only brought a fraction of the money the builder wanted. I forget the specifics.

But you are right, it really is a beautiful car. Too rich for my blood though.


Don

Yeah way too much money. I would love to have something like that but not all the chromed up chassis or nothing, just the stance and style with the old spoked wheels (which is what the 40's look I am guessing)?

Yeah, something along these lines.


Don