Thread: Everybody that is currently building a car...

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Hi,

I am a newbie but making progress on a total build up of a replica '29 Ford roadster. I just completed attaching the four bar front and rear ends from TCI and the frame is painted with front 4" Magnum axle and econo disk brakes. The rear is an 8" Maverick rear with 2.79:1 ratio for mileage. I have a rebuilt TH350 with a B&M shift kit and stock converter. I am planning to use a short duration cam in a SBC 350 to try to get low speed torque AND 20 mpg. I am retired but trying to finish the car while I am in reasonably good health. One question came up recently when I found that the TCI bolts for the four bar use nyloc nuts instead of lock washers and there is very little extra thread even after the nuts are pulled up as tight as I can get them. The nuts at the axle ends are only half thickness and I am worried they will back off. I saw a picture of a four bar rear that came apart on a rod run in STREET RODDER a while back, so I have used a cold chisel to nick the exposed threads to make it harder for the nuts to back off. My thought is that after I get the necessary wheel alignment I should tack weld the nuts to the bolts? What do you think? In particular when I attach the bracket for the front Panhard bar to the batwing, there is very little thread left over on the two bolts that hold the right two bars. Comments/suggestions?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally posted by Don Shillady
Hi,

I saw a picture of a four bar rear that came apart on a rod run in STREET RODDER a while back, so I have used a cold chisel to nick the exposed threads to make it harder for the nuts to back off. My thought is that after I get the necessary wheel alignment I should tack weld the nuts to the bolts? What do you think? In particular when I attach the bracket for the front Panhard bar to the batwing, there is very little thread left over on the two bolts that hold the right two bars. Comments/suggestions?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

You could buy crown nuts and drill a cotter pin hoie through the bolt in the same way a front wheel spindle nut is locked. That way you can still get it apart if you need to.

Richard/Tech1,
Well so far I have only tried Lowes Hardware, but they did not have matching diameter bolts in longer lengths. I tried to find the extra strength machine cap screws with the fine thread without success. Since I see a TCI advertisement on this site perhaps someone could convince them to provide bolts with just 1/4" more length. Maybe they are trying to make the bolts look nice for show cars but for the street I would like to see more thread or even castle nuts and cotter pins. I plan to call TCI Tuesday morning when they open and ask for longer bolts or at least a source where I can buy them. I wrote to this forum just to check to see if I am out of line wanting more thread for safety, and now maybe it is clear that you too think it is a marginal situation. I could (with considerable care and effort) drill through the large rear nuts and add my own cotter pins, BUT the half thickness nuts would need more care than I can imagine to drill through. I have already called TCI twice about the need for an outer washer on the rear four bar where it attaches to the frame and they said the bolt head was larger diameter than the sleeve which holds the urethane bushings, but when I went back to my garage, the bolt easily passed through the sleeve so that in reality the only thing holding the rear four bars laterally is the (split two piece) urethane bushing. In that case there was enough thread length to add a flat washer larger than the bushing sleeve and still get about two threads exposed on the other side (which I then nicked with the cold chisel). I realize there is a long distance between my garage in Va and TCI in California, but I think there is a safety issue here that I want to fix on my car at least. I will gladly buy the better bolts if I can find a source, but maybe TCI needs to think about this too.

Don Shillady

P.S. Edit (a neat feature!) I realized later that Total Cost Involved (TCI) is NOT the same as Total Performance, oops!

I've welded all the side molding holes and mirror holes up on my 69 C10. I.ve blocked out the bed and have sprayed it with epoxy primer. Hope to finish the paint by June 25.
I've also have gotten new door gaskets , peep mirrors, a new grill, new headlight mounting hardware, a stainless steel cowl trash guard and a set of 17 x 8 Edelbrock wheels.
It's killing me seeing all the new parts laying around and nothing to do with them until I finish the paint.

Sounds like you have a great start already Don, I would love to see it. As usual, you can count on good help from the guyd here Huh? Thats why I love this site soo much.

F.N.G., I know how you feel. I have to say my '48 is a ways down the ladder as far as getting funds every week but like you I manage a little everyweek and it is slowly getting done.

You have done a great job so far Bullet, very clean. I like all the detail you have done to the chasis, excellant.

Have any pic's of your studdy Hot Rod Angel?

What kind of engine did you put in your T Jim Sibley? I didn't want to use a 350 but they are so cheap to get I couldn't resist. I figure to get this one running to get the car on the road and then start to work on the 400 sb I would like to have.

Thank you all for responding, it is fun for me to hear from other builders. I hope that we can keep this thread going.

I know what you mean toolow69, I get something new for my car and I can't stand it untill I get it on the car. Did you just fill all the trim holes with a wire feed? I have a bunch of that to do on my '48 also. Today is starting on the rear end day, rebuilding my shackles and putting everything back under the car.

Originally posted by brickman
Have any pic's of your studdy Hot Rod Angel?

Sorry Brickman, no pics as of yet, but hopefully soon!
Yesterday we got the engine fired up...I know that doesn't sound like a huge accomplishment, but the engine we put in the Stude hadn't been fired in 3 or 4 years, and we weren't even sure if if was any good...
It was almost too perfect, kind of like those guys on that show that Spike has on Sunday mornings...you know the guys with the black & white checkered floor...where everything works right the first time around...
We just prepped the engine a bit, and it fired right up on the FIRST TRY!
Kinda Scary...but I can tell ya I've never been so happy to hear an engine turn over than I was yesterday !

Well just to let those that care know,
I am currently derusting my 49 plymouth. Moved it to my dad's garage as the city didn't approve of it sitting in my yard.
I have spent about 8 hours sanding it down to bare metal and primering each section as I go. Also spent some time ripping out the interior. Its starting to come along great. My mom was a little upset it was going to sit in their garage. but as I have been coming over to work on it she is coming around a little, She actually said a few kind words about the car, this is something she has never said in the 15 years I have been doing cars. LOL.
But I have found a few problems, the drivers fender is more messed up than I thought. Now that there is primer on it, you can really see the warping from the drivers door hitting it, as the door is not hung properly, and the warping from the dent, I really need to spend more time pounding that out after all is primered. I will post some pictures later when I actually remember to bring the camera when I work on it.

Work is progressing on the roadster pickup. All of the chassis (except steering box) is tacked together, and i just finished building and painting a new metal bed. If someone can explain how to do it, I would post some interesting "in progress" shots.

Originally posted by brianrupnow
If someone can explain how to do it, I would post some interesting "in progress" shots.

Anything for pictures. He HE Just scroll down until you see the BROWSE..... button, click on it and select a pic. from your H.D. to upload. Several formats work, but i have the best results with JPG.

Originally posted by pro70z28
Anything for pictures. He HE Just scroll down until you see the BROWSE..... button, click on it and select a pic. from your H.D. to upload. Several formats work, but i have the best results with JPG.

Ya, do what he said. Time's a wasting. I know you can do it!

Work has been progressing very well on the roadster pickup. Since bringing it home at the beginning of April, this year, I have installed a 4" dropped Super Bell and reversed eye spring, built and installed my own design of parallel 4-bar setup on the S10 pickup rearend, installed a horribly grungy looking Pontiac Bonneville 305 with Turbo 350. installed a Horton front 4-bar setup, and fabricated a new pickup bed.
The chassis is just tacked together for now, as I wanted to get the bed built and work out the correct proportions before welding everything solid. As any real Ford guy can tell, this is not a roadster pickup body. It is a sedan that has been shortened up severely, then chopped, to give an aproximation of a roadster pickup body. Yeah, I know, its not Brookville, but it didn't cost Brookville prices either. I can not take credit for the body, it was this way when I bought the project.

Severly isn't the word for it, but I'm sure some of us can stretch it back out for ya. Just kidding, it looks GREAT!

Nice lookin' project there. And, I'm not any kind of officianado on old cars or anything but I couldn't tell that it was originally a sedan.

High marks for the ingenuity on the rear setup. Most any man can whip out his wallet and buy a 4 bar but it takes someone with guts to make one themself.

Abe

I agree with that F.N.G., I am all for fabricating everything I can just because I love that part and it also IMHO makes the car just a little more different and your own. Brianrupnow, I think the Pick-up box looks great too and you can't be too far from welding the suspension in huh? Loooking Good!

Hot Rod Angel, YAAAAAHH!! Isn't that cool that it took off on the first try! Sounds like a great motor, find any seats yet? I will be looking forward to seeing some pics soon.

Joker 51 it's nice of your folks to lend a garage, even if they don't understand the addiction! Sounds like it won't be to awefull long before paint, keep on hammering man.