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I'm sorry I'm a little late to the party, but whoa! what a cool ride it is going to be!
My uncle has a '33 Dodge with a Pontiac Straight 8 flathead. He had to move the cab back 14" and cut the bed down to fit the truck's frame.
It is amazing to me to watch people at shows trip over $50-$100k trailer queens to come see and take pics with his truck. The rest of the truck is an abomination (not my style), but the motor is sweet. It is as reliable as the day is long also. He regularly drives it from OKC to Dallas for the Goodguys show and swap meets.
His Pontiac is cool, but your Packard is cooler! Good luck and keep up the good work!
It's tough to get any free time to work on the thing but I've managed a little bit of progress.
Since my last posting I managed to pick up a set of complete 40 Ford front hubs and backing plates which will allow me to convert my wide 5 hubs to hydraulic brakes. I also did a bit of repair and clean up on my Model A front x-member. I notched the frame rails and welded the x-member in place and bolted the front axle on. Now I can decide how to build a center x-member and wishbone mount.
I had pretty much decided to fab up a parallel rear leaf spring set up for this roadster but that all changed this morning. I managed to pick up a destroyed 40 Ford truck frame and suspension complete with engine and trans. The frame is toast, the crank on the engine will turn a little bit then stops (stuck valve probably) and the tranny is stuck in gear. Someone used a torch to cut the front spindles off the front axle. The main thing I needed was the rear axle and suspension. I paid the guy $175 for the thing and hauled it home. So now I'm going to go with a transverse spring in the rear. This also give me the hydraulic brakes for the rear axle. All I'll have to do is swap on my wide 5 drums onto this axle....woohooo
Sounds like a plan! Plus now some extra parts.....
Speaking of, would you have an extra cross steer pitman arm you would part with? I'm on the hunt for one.
Scott,
I just might.
My original 38 Ford front axle is complete with the steering box. I can't recall if this 40 frame still has the steering box on it but I'm betting that it does. If so, all I need is one of them.
I'll get it checked out sometime this weekend and get back to you
Thanks Keith
I'm sure hoping to have a rolling chassis by the end of the year (Hmmm, I think I've said that for the last couple of years)
I should have the donor frame cut apart this weekend and be able to at least roll the rear axle under the frame to eyeball how to fab a rear x-member.
I had one of those rare days where I had a few hours of free time and it was a gorgeous sunny October afternoon.
I had my buddy bring the trailer full of 40 Ford chassis over to the house. We disconnected the torque tube from the trans and cut the rear axle loose. Then pulled the engine from the frame and dropped the front suspension. I'll put the engine/trans on Craigslist when I get a chance. I have to strip a few more things from the frame rails and then I can haul it to scrap.
I rolled the axle under my frame to get an idea of how it'll look. I couldn't resist dragging the body around and setting in on the rails along with my grill shell.
Woohooo! I'm loving it!
Now I need to hang engine and trans in place so I can rough in some engine mounts. that will tell where the body has to sit, which will tell me where the bed needs to sit. Once the bed is set in place it will dictate where the rear axle needs to be. THEN....I can fabricate a rear X-member......whew, a lot of work ahead!
(oops, I'm not sure whey the pics are sideways, they are just fine on my computer)
Bobby
Looking good Bobby! What's that grille shell off of?
Here's a little inspiration for you......ya, it's a model A, but has that highboy jalopy look with the wide 5's
Scott,
Yep, that's the look I'm going for. Wide 5's and not slammed to the ground.
The grill shell is from a Star (made by Durant). I think its mid 20's. I picked it up at a swap meet a few years ago for $100. I liked it because the styling is similar to Packard.
I sent you a PM about the pitman arm. Send me your email address and I can send you some pics
I little bit more progress. Man, this is a slow process.
I had a little bit of time a week or so ago so I decided to use my mock-up engine and swing it between the frame rails to see if I could figure out where the body needs to live. I was able to get a general idea but since my mock-up engine doesn't have a water pump and fan on it I couldn't completely nail it down. I think I know how far back the engine mounts need to be but I still have to figure out how high the engine needs to sit.
I had things sitting in the driveway and apparently someone at the city isn't a big fan of hot rods. I guess I'm well on the way to being a true hot-rodder as I'm already a public nuisance....LOL
I had to move everything around to the back yard for a bit...ugh.
Recently in our area the city commissioned, for $ 500,000.00 Cdn, an "art piece" constructed of 6 vertical steel beams with horizontal girders randomly attached to them. This did not sit well with the local citizens, many who are struggling through poor economic times.
You may have to claim "artist status" (you have my vote) and argue for your right to artistic freedom; against the "repressive bureaucracy".
The project is taking shape; and good luck with it.
07-08-2017, 03:45 AM
), but the motor is sweet. It is as reliable as the day is long also. He regularly drives it from OKC to Dallas for the Goodguys show and swap meets. 
