Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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I am a big believer in aluminum radiators. I read somewhere that aluminum cools 40% better than brass and I'm inclined to believe it. A few years ago, when I was still racing stock cars, we had trouble cooling the radical small block in our sportsman Camaro. We were using a big 4-row radiator out of a Cutlass deisel. We tried different size restrictor washers, different water pumps, different fans, different shrouds. Nothing seemed to work satisfactorily. At the end of a 25 lap feature the temp would be 240+. We finally put in a Howe aluminum radiator... and we had to put a thermostat in the car to get it hot enough to run right!

As usual, nice looking work, Don. Yor attention to detail is inspiring.

I'm enjoying the knowledge i'm gaining in the builds here . There has been great help in questions answered on my build . I do look at life in there is allways more ways to skin a cat and one way to milk a cow .

My hat is off to Don and Jim first frame builders i have seen and have me considering one on next car if oppurtunity comes along .

Actually hat is of to all the pro buliders here who have shared there expertise and knowledge with us. They have gave us this with out asking for anything in return and there is nothing better in mankind then a Hot Rodder who shares.

Don,
I like the aluminun to , but I think you might have a cooling problem with that solid panel on the engine side. LOL

Originally Posted by BradC

Don,
I like the aluminun to , but I think you might have a cooling problem with that solid panel on the engine side. LOL

Louvers.


I have to cut the hole for the fan, but I am going to let "steady hand Dan" do it. If I cut it I would end up with something other than a round hole.


Don

For a change I actually got some work done according to the timeframe I had hoped to hit. The plan was for the final welding to be done by Sunday PM so that I could take the frame to the sandblaster on Monday AM, and we actually got it done this weekend. However, there is a little change in the plans.....but for the better.

I started off Saturday morning by grinding the places where Dan was going to do the welding for me. I wanted to have as much prepared as possible so that I wouldn't take too much of his only day off. We had a discussion on here recently about those Norton and 3M sanding discs that look like a rice cake, and someone mentioned that they also make them for a 4 inch angle grinder. When I went to Home Depot they actually had them there, so I bought a handfull.

I started to grind only the spots where we were going to weld, but the grinder was doing such a great job I just kept going. Within a couple of hours I had the entire frame down to nice shiny metal, and when Dan showed up he felt it would not even have to go to the sandblasters. I agree. After all, it is all new metal, and only had surface rust from us handling it and our high Florida humidity, so there were no pits to remove. That saves me a couple of hundred bucks for the sandblaster, although I still have to take the rear axle and some springs and things there.

We finally dug in, and about 10 hours later every bracket was finally welded on, and he also finished capping up the front crossmember. All I have to do now is do some more grinding to dress up the welds, use some body filler on some low spots and welds, and I can shoot the first coats of epoxy primer on the entire frame. The plan is to have it ready to shoot next Sunday, when there is no traffic in the industrial park, and I might even get some color put on it then.

Here are some shots of the frame after the grinding and welding were done. The last picture is the battery box. I still have to weld that little L shaped bracket onto the box itself, and drill and tap the frame so that part can be bolted on and unbolted.

Don

Today I started mounting the tail and license plate lights, and Dan gave me a hand, because the brackets for the lights needed some tweaking to get them in perfect alignment with each other. We also got the transmission cooler installed to see how it laid, and it is in exactly the spot I wanted it for airflow and clearing the engine oil pan.

So, that is is for any frame welding. Every bracket is done, and I can now get this thing painted. I think I smell the finish line coming.


Don

Oh, this picture shows how we capped the front crossmember to make it look more finished and also be a lot stronger.

I couldn't hardly get out of bed this morning. All that grinding and flipping the frame around a million times to do the welding really was a workout. (However, I don't mind it ONE BIT........this is a major hurdle to cross. )

Don

forgot the picture

Huh, try again. Sorry, computer was a little slow posting........double post.

Man!! You're gettin' close to the end.

I made a "to do" list for my car the other day. I'll be lucky to have it done before the end of the year! Yeah, I'm a little slow.

You lucky dog, you'll be ridin' this summer!

Mike

Looking real good don, looks like you will be done in no time. Tonight i decided the merc is not coming out of the garage again until all the body work is done and its painted. im tired of doing work over from it not being painted , so now its crunch time for us both.

Don we are getting to old to be down on our hands and knee's bent over doing all that work. Your going to have do like I do raise it up about 30 to 36 inchs, it gets easy'r on the back.
Brad

Thanks guys. Yeah Brad, I'm glad Advil came out with the large economy twin-pack. Been eating them like candy lately. Actually, this exercise was exactly what I needed to do. For 3 years I have been tethered to a desk and was gaining weight and getting out of shape. Since I have been "between jobs" (nice way of saying unemployed) I have been getting lots of exercise and notice a little more slack in my waistband. Blood pressure is down too.

Only thing I miss is that paycheck showing up in my checking account every Thursday.

Don

Don,
I am getting ready to finish mount the radiator in my '32 and I noticed you didn't use the "stock" style mounting bolts (bolt w/spring) and wonder if the rad. mount's need them? I have a alum. BeCool rad. and not sure.
Jim

The way you are doing it is the correct way, with a spring to relieve some of the stress on the mounts. I may do it that way too, but if the spring shows up too much on mine I may just run some rubber pads under each one and not torque the mounting bolts too tight. It all depends on how my grille shell clears the mount and if I have room for a spring.

I had my '27 radiator mounted only with the rubber pad/bolt routine, and I did develop some stressing on the lower mount after a few years of use.

Very good point you bring up.


Don