Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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PROGRESS REPORT # 2

Went over to the shop today and began working on the front spring perch for the $ 3K Bucket. The frame I got on Ebay isn't a Total Perfomance, as advertised, but I am still OK with it. The side rails are fine, and are actually 2 X 3 heavy wall tubing instead of the more common 1.5 X 3 thin 1/8 inch stuff. This is 3/16" so it is a little heavier.

Problem is the front and rear perches are ugly, and I want the car to sit super low, so I have to modify the front by reworking the existing perch, and I am going to Z the rear portion of the frame to drop it about 12 inches there.

To get the front low, I decided to mount the front end suicide style, with the cross spring mounted to early Ford wishbones, so that the axle, a 4 inch dropped SuperBell I beam will stick out in front of the frame by about 10 inches or so. And, to get the front even lower, I am going to mount the spring to the top of the perch, rather than the more common method of putting it under the perch. I think it will also give it somewhat of an early Lakes car look.

The first picture shows the perch as I got the frame. I decided it was way too long, so I shortened it by about 2 inches. I wanted a neat cut, so I put a cut off blade in my circular saw, and cut the snout off. The area with blue tape on it.

Once that was done, I reshaped the sides of the perch to give it a little better profile, and cut the bottom of the perch out for access to the nuts I am going to put on the new perch bolts. To reinforce the top of the perch, I made as 1/4 thick steel plate and slipped it into the underside of the top plate, and will weld this to the sides of the perch for additional strength.

I then made a new top plate to hold the spring down to the perch, and am going to add some little gussets to it, with holes drilled in them for looks. I will use grade 8 bolts on everything on the suspension.

Tomorrow I am going to order the correct length front spring from Speedway (31 inches eye to eye) and when that comes I will fab up some mounts and gussets for the lower part of the wishbone, which will also act as a mount for the spring and both front shocks.

So far I am still at $ 900.00, because I spent no money today. Just used some pieces of scrap steel from the bin.

I'll post more when the spring shows up, probably later this week.

Don

And finally, this is how it ended up. We are also going to reweld and reinforce every existing weld on the frame. I just don't like the way they did it.

Here is an update on the coupe I mentioned.

All this, new Walker Radiator, SS headlight bar, new saddle tanks, a new set of B-ville fenders(complete kit), sitting on a TCI perimeter frame.

$4k

Good shopping !!! Love coupes, but they are starting to go through the ceiling. Nice stance, too.


Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Nice stance, too.

Did we really pull off the look of a roller that well?

Its all sitting on jackstands.....haha

Thanks.

I gotta buy some of them low jackstands, mine sit way too high when I have them mocked up to look like they really run.

Don