Thread: Project '49 Shoebox.

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Thats going to be sweet, I really think that is cool when they chop the top and chop the front wings too, it's a hell of alot of work but looks "Kewler than Murphys hat!!"

Ya that one in the pic is nice but there is one on the other side of it that still has the bone white paint and had a 428 BBF in it. Everything is still around there in various hiding places, the good ol boys arn't real friendly and cameras are for sure a no-no. I snuck that shot while we where pulling out.

Brick, they might think you are a Revenuer or something if you start bringing that camera out ! Probably what that BBF is for.

Brad, ok, you asked for it. Here are some pictures of the door we hung tonight........well, not actually hung, but propped up in place.

The shipping damage from UPS was a big old oil can dent, but when Dan tapped the backside of the door with his fist it popped right out like it was never there. No wonder, these doors are about twice as thick as today's cars. We stripped the window channels out, removed the hinges, and cut the top off of the door so we could slide it into place to see how it looked. It is going to be a piece of cake to make it fit well, not too much to do to it at all.

It sure made it much easier starting with tudor doors rather than having to put a 6 inch piece into the fordor doors to make them the same. He is also going to use tudor quarter panels so that there will only be a small area to fill in. We took some pictures, the first one shows the difference in length between the fordor doors and the tudor ones. There are also some minor differences between the latch mechanisms on the '49 and '50 doors, but we can graft the correct latches onto the doors when the time comes.

Here is what we got done tonight, not a ton of progress, but progress no less. To be honest, we aren't near the stage where we need the doors yet, but we just had to get one on to see how it was going to look as a tudor.

Don

That looks real nice Don. I like it. You guys don't mess around. A month ago this one wasn't even on the drawing board. There's nothing like a little unexpected side project huh?

Yeah Bill, and some day we may even have one THAT RUNS! It is actually coming along pretty quickly considering that we have only had it for a couple of weeks or so now. It might be tough for Dan to figure which one to drive to Turkey Run next year. We will have to get some advice on how to chose from someone else who has multiple cars........like you.

Did you see the parts I scored from Paul (ratty 46)? I got his flathead, tranny, banjo rear end, and front end assembly that he is not using in redoing his '46. I have been dragging this picture around with me for 50 years, swearing I would clone this car someday. Guess where the parts are going to go. I love the look of this T and am going to do it pretty much as you see it in this picture.

Don

Boy those projects are stacking up! Should be a cool one when done!

I sat in a T similar to that once. It made ya feel like you were going to fall over the windshield at any minute! The vertical steering column was a pain to get your knees around, too... Still, it's a cool look. Is that a 5-gallon can for a gas tank on the back?

Anyway, it would sure be cool if you could find Larry Selmer (if he's still alive) and maybe get some more pics of the original. It would also be interesting to know what happened to the original car.

Dan is going to use 2-door quarters? I just assumed he would use the skins and window frames (modified) off the original rear doors. Are repops available? I'm anxious to see the door post installation. This could change my whole attitude about the usefulness of 4-door cars!

Yep, it sure looks like a 5 gallon laquer thinner can to me too. I bet you are right about the seating position, but I sure do like the stance of this thing. One thing I would do different is to slightly pie cut the frame right at the firewall so it bends downward a little there. That way you wouldn't have to slant channel the body as deeply as he did, yet get the same look.

I have googled Larry Selmer and looked on forum searches, but all I get is Selmer Tennessee and the drag race accident there a while back. I would love to know what happened to the original car too.

As for the sheetmetal on Dans car, he could use a lot of the original 4 door stuff back there, and probably will, but if he uses new quarters from a tudor it saves a lot of sheet metal work and turns it into more of a tudor in reality. He has to cut out that sail panel to get the roof to flow more smoothly, like a tudor, so in that area he will probably use some of the correct panels just to save some fabrication work.

Another thing we are kicking around is setting it on an entire S10 frame, rather than just subframing the original frame. That is still in the talking stages yet, but the reason we are thinking about it is that he has to build a whole new floor anyway because of the modifications he needs to make to let it drop to the ground, so it would be no problem to make the S10 frame fit. Dan also knows the S10 frame well because of airbagging so many of them.

The wheelbase on the extended cab should be close to the 114 inches of the Ford, and we can make it longer or shorter by just cutting the factory welds and sliding the rails in or out. GM just did it that way so they can use the same frame for all their different length trucks. Makes it pretty easy to stretch it out. But that is all just talk right now, and we will probably go back and forth before we make a final decision.

Don

Looking great, Don! I think the full S-10 frame is a great idea, given the circumstances. Probably save you a lot of time and $$ in the long run.

Hey Don
I was browsing ebay today and saw this tudor for sale. These things are gaining in value. Maybe you guys will start a new trend!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWDVW

Great looking project there, Don; I have a soft spot for Ford "boxes" - my first car was a '51 tudor, and I did it up smart for the times, for a poor boy's street driver. When I saw this after the roof was re-set, it reminds me of a Victoria roofline; that was probably the prettiest shoebox Ford ever, in my estimation. I had a pal back in the early sixties who had a '51 Vickie, but he preferred the '49 - '50 style, so he stuck some '50 front sheet metal on it, srtipped the chrome spears off of the taillights, and confused the snot out of a lot of people.

Don-That's the style T I always liked...............until I saw yours finished!
Ken

Falconvan, Thanks. Yeah, normally I am not a fan of frame swaps because the car sometimes comes out looking like a 4 x 4 when done and the tires don't fit in the wheelwells correctly. But in this case I think it does make sense, and we can stretch or shrink the wheelbase to the same 114 inches that the '49 has.

Steve, you are right, these are getting pricey, especially the tudor versions. We will have a lot of work in converting it from the fordor, but we work cheap.

Rrumbler, thanks. I bet people were confused by changing the '51 around like that. I had forgotten that Ford made some changes between the '49. '50' and '51 models until we started putting the '50 doors on this '49. The door handles are different and are lower on the door. Subtle little changes like that.

Ken, thanks. See, you've been a bad influence. I want a hot rod for every day of the week just like you.


We have moved back onto working on Dan's '29 again. He wants to get it out of the way so he can start in earnest on his '49. Today we put in 12 hours finishing up most of the welding on the frame. That baby is gaining weight let me tell you. We had to keep flipping it over so Dan could weld all the stuff on and I am really sore from the workout. We must have flipped it over 10 times and our gantry crane is tied up holding his body, so we had to do it manually each time. Has to weigh 400 lbs right now.

Here are some pictures of where we ended up tonight. All the little stuff is welded on like radiator mounts, engine mount, transmission mount, all three rear cross members, and we also got both nerf bars mounted. Next step is to build the steering box mount and get it back up on wheels to check clearances and all.

Don

Originally Posted by stovens

Hey Don
I was browsing ebay today and saw this tudor for sale. These things are gaining in value. Maybe you guys will start a new trend!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWDVW

If I had the money, and my wife would be out of town for a couple of days, that car would be mine. To many if''s, and she is watching what comes in, she is ok with the out going cars. That is a good deal.

Richard

Don, that frame looks great; you are putting out some quality work. I wish I had that kind of talent. Looks like fine art. Working with your sons, must be great.

Richard

Don,
That really looks good! Nice gusseting and detailing. When it is all done I think the extra weight is an asset. Your back doesn't think so though
Ken