Scratch built 33-ish roadster

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zzrodder

It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
3,847
Location
The Sunny Okanagan B.C. Canada
At the risk of being a post ho, I thought I'd do a post-build thread on a car I built a few years back. Not a rat rod (surprise!) but another shiny car.
Starting with a donor car, a 73 Caddy Sedan Deville with a nice running 472. Pulled the engine, trans and tilt column but little else - it was still heavy enough for the scrapper to give me $50.00 to haul it off.
Some boneyard seats from a Nissan Sentra, American 200S wheels and Firestone tires, after placing the pieces on the floor, a plan is developing [S[S
 

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Frame construction - main rails made from 2x2 stacked on 2x4 to create a 2x6 rail, kickup made from 2x4 and 2x2. The 9" rearend came from a 61 Galaxie, not as narrow as the 57-59, but it still has that nice round pumpkin shape. Mounted with my own 4 link bars that use Energy Suspension bushings that fit 70's Chev rear leaf spring ends - they come 6 per pack so I buy 2 packs to have spares to use for engine mounts. Firestone air bags mounted to the lower bars ahead of the diff for more lift, 70's Chevy pickup rear shocks for lifted suspensions that give longer travel. Center crossmember structure is 1 1/2" round tube, tranny cooler mounted under the driveshaft.
 

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ZZ, do you have a part number for those Chevy leaf spring bushings?

Yep, Energy Suspension PN 3.2106G - probably just use the 2106 number.


Great job on the frame! what are you going to make the body out of? I almost have my scratch built dodge done, nice to see others making the leap.....lol

Thanks! The body will be made by building a framework or skeleton out of 1x1 and 1x2 tubing, skinned with 20 ga. steel. Love your Dodge, it's really turning out great.
 
Made the front frame horns and attached them to the main rails. The frame horns are made from 1/8" plate on the sides and 2x1/4" flat bar bent around them and dovetailed into the main rails so there isn't just one straight vertical weld. I made each frame horn, ground out all the welds then grafted them on. Waiting on a complete Magnum 4" drop tube axle and hairpins to give the wheels something to mount to...
I decided to try my hand at some aluminum welding and start building the tunnel ram manifold for the Caddy 472. Since it's a 'dry' manifold, construction is fairly simple. 1/2" plate for the flanges and 2x2" tube for the runners - the ports are taller than 2" so I split the tubing and welded a strip in each pipe to make rectangular tubes that match the port shape.
To mount the Caddy, I bent a piece of 1 1/2" tube for a crossmember, made ears to bolt to the block and used a couple of the spare urethane Chev spring bushings as mounts on pedestals to the crossmember.
 

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Front end installed using Firestone bags hidden inside the crossmember. I welded bag mounts made of stainless 1/4" plate to the rear of the axle, Panhard bar is behind the axle.
 

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Looks great. Guessing theres chrome under the cool green tape[S side note on air bag connection' mine are indvidually plumed, blow a front bag the other day and found i can get home on 3 bags but not 2 :eek: to low
 
Beautiful work as always. [cl

Question zz: What's the steering box?

Just your garden variety Vega box.

.

Looks great. Guessing theres chrome under the cool green tape[S side note on air bag connection' mine are indvidually plumed, blow a front bag the other day and found i can get home on 3 bags but not 2 :eek: to low

Yeah, I splurged on a full chrome front end - something I learned about taping it up and leaving it on for a few months - it was a nightmare getting it off! The paper tape absorbs moisture and the glue comes off it and stays stuck to the part when you try to pull it off. :mad:
Those air lines were just tied together temporarily for testing. I tried a setup once on a car with the fronts tied to one valve and the rear to another - very scary ride around corners! The air pushes from the outside bag to the inside one when cornering causing the car to tilt wildly in the wrong direction!
 
Thought I had more pics of the basic body framework but I guess I was more into fabricating than picture taking...
Started with the floor structure first, made of the usual 1x2 and 1x1 tubing then moved onto door openings and firewall frame, then the rear body framing. The tubing was all bent using a basic hydraulic jack type bender, slow but effective. Did some bead rolling on the floor panels, also some on the firewall. Also made the gas tank and mounted it under the trunk floor. I bent up some 1 1/2" tube to make the top edge of the cowl and for the rear cockpit surround.
 

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Doors made and hinged with simple jobber tool box hinges welded right to the body and doors so they can just lift right off like a Jeep. Most of the sheet metal welded on and got a grille shell made. My BDS scoop arrived so I mocked it up with a chunk of wood to get an idea how it will look. Also mounted the 34 Ford commercial headlights lowdown on small tabs off the frame.
 

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Some outside pics give a better look at the body. I set the panels in 1/4" from the 1" tube framing to create the look of a reveal or body line. Lots of welding for sure but it gives a more factory look. Sizing up tail lights, I printed pics of Pontiac lights and taped them on to find placement I liked. Upper sections of the rear quarters were made in sections hammered out on a sandbag then welded in. Door framing is 1x2" square with round tube tops to match the tubing used on the top of the cowl and rear of the cab.These pics show the car sitting at ride height, when aired out, it lays frame below the cowl.:)
 

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