27 Ford Tudor

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Oldphart

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
63
Location
Mira Loma, CA
I traded a '73 CJ5 for this over a year ago. Life got in the way for awhile but it finally came up on my dance card and I've started work. Unfortunately most of what I thought I had for a relatively quick build I don't. I'm not always good at taking pictures but plan to post them here as I go and look forward to getting advice and input from the group.

At this point I have the body off and plan to install a four link in the rear this week.
 

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Yesterday after staring at my rear suspension or I should say lack of rear suspension for awhile trying to include Old Iron's advice on the geometry and get it straight in my mind I made a list of the metal I needed to get started. List in hand I hopped in the truck and headed for my favorite steel store only to find them closed for the holiday. Good for them but bad for me.

When I got home I decided to assemble the engine partly because I have all the pieces for that and partly because those pieces were kinda in my way because I had been piling them on my work table as they arrived and as I pulled them from various nooks and crannies of my shop. It's a boring 350 SBC that we pulled out of my son's truck maybe 15 years ago. It ran OK but he picked up a crate motor that he wanted to use instead. I wanted to make sure it's condition was what I thought I remembered. It's been under a bench in the back of my shop for a long time. I disassembled it down to basically a long block. I cleaned it up and looked at the bearings etc then put it back together with some newer parts and some older stuff I had sitting around. I also painted it thinking I shouldn't since it's going in a ratrod but couldn't help myself. I wasn't going to post pictures of it because it's just another SBC but looking at the other build threads it occurred to me that they were a journal of sorts and I wanted to make this one as complete as I could.

Happy New Year All.
 

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I wasn't going to post pictures of it because it's just another SBC but looking at the other build threads it occurred to me that they were a journal of sorts and I wanted to make this one as complete as I could.

Happy New Year All.

Nothing wrong with a SBC! They're plentiful, cheap and a staple for hot rodders and rat rodders alike. I love them!

Toad
 
Nothing wrong with a SBC! They're plentiful, cheap and a staple for hot rodders and rat rodders alike. I love them!

Toad

When I was putting the GTO together it seemed like every time I'd see an advertisement that said "as low as" the part was for a SBC. Meanwhile the comparable Pontiac part (if available) was 3X the price.

Love SBC's but you have to admit they're kinda like belly buttons.
 
I like the engine to be painted in any vehicle.
Looks like you had a set of 462 double humps squirreled away for this build :cool:
Hoarder [ddd
 
So I finally have something to show for all the time I spent on my rear suspension. I started with a poorly done three link set up and eventually got that all cut out and a triangulated four link installed with all the right angles and dimensions (I hope). It seems to work well anyway. Thanks again Old Iron for putting me on the right track.

I also made the frame section which will have the upper shock mounts and a place to attach the trailer hitch. For the moment it's just tacked together and temporarily in place until I put the body back on to make sure it fits.

In retrospect I might have been better off to scrap the existing frame and start from scratch especially since the front suspension needs to be redone too.

Still haven't figured out how to get the link to work so the pictures are in the post so I'll just attach a few.
 

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When I was putting the GTO together it seemed like every time I'd see an advertisement that said "as low as" the part was for a SBC. Meanwhile the comparable Pontiac part (if available) was 3X the price.

Love SBC's but you have to admit they're kinda like belly buttons.

My buddy had a 1st gen Firebird & the Poncho motor in it was always giving him problems & like you said... parts for that thing were outrageous!!!

Glad to see you making progress! [cl

BoB
 
Tired of working on the frame I decided to set up the rear differential because I could sit down to do that. I've never done it before but found a great series of youtube videos. So it was watch a little work a little and it took me all day but I think I got it right.

Rear%20Diff1_zpslf935sdu.jpg


I couldn't find anyone who had a dial type inch pound torque wrench so I guessed but it eventually marked OK so I'm thinking it's good to go.

Rear%20Diff2_zpsyyfl4dls.jpg


I also started piecing the front axle together. I got it cheap but completely disassembled and with some parts missing so it's a bit of a puzzle. Today I got as far as getting the spindles reamed and kingpins in.

Front%20Axle2_zpswebauwtu.jpg


Progress.
 
Well, I'm back to a rolling chassis with the new and improved rear suspension. It's not pretty and I'm kinda glad it'll be hidden under the body but it's strong and it works well. I got this car as someone else's failed project which included a nonfunctional three link set up. I decided to add on the the existing frame rather than just cut it out and start over. In hindsight that was a mistake.

shocks%201-27-17_zpsj1wqfj64.jpg


rear%20sus%20complete%201-27-17_zpsvyzd5rtt.jpg


I set the body on it and everything fits but there's some floorboard framework that will interfere with suspension travel and there's no room for the trans when it goes in. I decided to learn from my rear suspension adventure and cut it out so I can start over.

body%20on1-26-17_zpsuaamn4gt.jpg


Everything in this project seems to take 10X as long as I expect it to. Partly because I'm not in a hurry but mostly because I'm not sure what I'm doing and spend a lot of time figuring that out. I'm not new to "building" cars and bikes but this is a whole different adventure.
 
It is always good to learn and do new things. Helps keep us fresh.:D
I hear you on the Frame as many times it is easier(And faster) just to startover rather then fix some ones mistakes.
Looking good.[cl
[P[P[P
Torchie
 
Felt like progress yesterday when put the body back on and installed the engine and trans so I rolled it outside for a Kodak moment. Nothing is bolted down I'm just test fitting but still felt good.

mockupb%202-2-17_zpssnse2495.jpg


My $100 Ebay headers fit better than I expected.

mock%20up%202-2-17_zpsfzfh10ee.jpg


Later today I plan to start work on swapping the front axle for the complete one I bought..

I need to find a source for negative offset wheels for the back. Anybody?

I have 4" between the body and the inside of the plywood rollers. I'm not sure I'm thinking right but assuming a 7" wide rim and a tire the same height as the rollers I'm thinking I need a minimum negative offset of an inch which would give me about an inch clearance. Have I got it right?
 
Felt like progress yesterday when put the body back on and installed the engine and trans so I rolled it outside for a Kodak moment. Nothing is bolted down I'm just test fitting but still felt good.

mockupb%202-2-17_zpssnse2495.jpg


My $100 Ebay headers fit better than I expected.

mock%20up%202-2-17_zpsfzfh10ee.jpg


Later today I plan to start work on swapping the front axle for the complete one I bought..

I need to find a source for negative offset wheels for the back. Anybody?

I have 4" between the body and the inside of the plywood rollers. I'm not sure I'm thinking right but assuming a 7" wide rim and a tire the same height as the rollers I'm thinking I need a minimum negative offset of an inch which would give me about an inch clearance. Have I got it right?
Spacers are always an option.
 
It doesn't show it but I've worked on this quite a bit since I last posted just nothing really photo worthy. There still isn't really but I'm gonna post a couple pictures anyway.
I got the new front axle assy in place. I made and installed the front shock towers, steering arms, and panhard bar. I'm waiting on an 11/16-18 tap so I can cut the tierod to length. I still need to come up with a way to connect the cowl steering but that's down the road.
My next objective is to mount the radiator and some sort of front bumper to protect it.

front%20axle%202-18-17_zpsrxhsaaro.jpg


front%20view%202-18-17_zpsnyaydkje.jpg


Inch by inch.
 
Do you have any better pictures of that front crossmember? Something looks odd about it .. kind of like its a piece of plate instead of some tubing or a channel. Optical illusion??

I like the line and stance of the car .. it's going to be a looker when you're done.
 
Do you have any better pictures of that front crossmember? Something looks odd about it .. kind of like its a piece of plate instead of some tubing or a channel. Optical illusion??

I like the line and stance of the car .. it's going to be a looker when you're done.

Good eye. The cross member does look like flat plate in the pictures. It's actually angle iron with 3/8" wall.
 

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