What's wrong with this picture

[kennyrodg]

Hi Folks,
I didn't want to post these pics in my build thread as the car don't look right at the moment.
I'm trying to mock everything up before I start welding it all in place. The only thing fixed at the moment is the placement of the rear axle, the chassis is pretty much at ride height.
I'm struggling to figure out what I need to do to get "The Look". I don't want a really long bed but then to my eyes the front looks too long. There's an original x-member in there and the front axle will be mounted with a suicide perch/spring over. Wheels are 16's at the back and 15's at the front, could it be that the front wheel/tyre combo is too small as well? The grill shell needs lowering an inch too.
Any comments will be very much appreciated as I've been looking at it all day and can't get my head round it.
Heeeeeeeeeeeelp.

Thanks for looking.

 

[440shorty]

hmmm

The cab could be farther back on the frame.

I love your choice of engine - Oldsmobile!

440shorty

 

[kennyrodg]

Cheers shorty,
You have a good eye !!
That's my mock up motor in there at the moment. I've got a running 350 Olds tucked away and a Turbo 400 but I'm rebuilding a 64 330 that's going in there eventually....... when funds allow and parts become available.
I appreciate your suggestion but I tried moving the cab back and to my eye made the front look worse.

 

[rainman]

I agree with Shorty, slide it all back and shorten the wheelbase!!

 

[Oldrodder43]

Looks good to me! What is the cab? What is the chassis? Thanks for sharing. perley

 

[kennyrodg]

Thanks again guys.
The body is a 1933 Austin 12 shortened from 4 door sedan and the chassis is a 1929 Austin Heavy 12.

 

[pistolpete]

Just my 2 cents... I think the rear axle needs to come forward. If you are looking to keep it as a short box how short are you looking for. The way it is now, your looking at a 5-6ft box or there abouts? I think the front end looks good, and the tire size is proportional.

I am a little biased as I really like the low trucks with the back wheels almost rubbing the cab with a long front end...

 

[Sam_Fear]

I'm kinda with pistolpete. The cab needs to go back or the rear wheels forward to get 'the look'. If you're going more for a salt flats look, shorten up the rear. If you're going for a drag race look then push the cab, motor, and grill back.

It would also help to roll it outside so you can get a good look at it (and pictures) from a distance without the background clutter.

 

[justsomeguy]

The cab looks too "centered" in the frame to me. I like the front half and would probably shorten the frame to bring the rearend forward. Just my two cents on it.

 

[kennyrodg]

My first big problem is that I spent a good bit of time making front locating points for the ladder bars, that's why I'm kinda stuck when it comes to moving the rear axle forward. I think my only option to shorten the frame would be at the front. I could move everything rearwards but then I'd be looking at a new front cross member etc etc.[S

 

[justsomeguy]

How about right under the cab? From the pics you have posted, it looks like the foor or so behind the cab is pretty free. Am I missing something?

 

[kennyrodg]

Here's a couple of pics to show try and show you guys the ladder bar mounts and the chassis. There's a fairly hefty K member in there too.

I appreciate the help guys, thanks.

 

[justsomeguy]

You got any interior room to channel the floor over the ladder bars? You could almost make a "shelf" for seat to bolt to that would be over the ladder bar mounts. Space out your firewall/motor/fan/shroud/grill and you'll be good to go. I think about six to eight inches would do, no? You could also build a bit of a fan shroud to absorb some front end room.

 

[Mike S.]

I think the front end length, cab location and wheel/tire combo looks pretty good but the rear end does look a little too long, but not by much. Have you tried mocking up some bedsides out of cardboard? You might be surprised how much that helps with visualizing scale and such. Just my $0.02.

 

[GJunktionMike]

If you are going linked and/or baged. with bobber bed leave the cab and front alone and cut of the back of the frame. if you are worried about a long front end, look at my 51. LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGG

 

[38fordtruck]

im with mike throw some cardboard up for a bed and see how it looks and if you don't like how looks then you just lost some time and a little cardboard

 

[roddguy1]

Ok, here is my two cents worth. To my eye a common mistake made with proportioning a hot rod is leaving the engine to far forward of the the firewall. This instantly creats an excesively long looking front end. I think professional car designers knew this back in the day, and that's one of the reasons they would keep the engine tucked up against the fire wall. The wheel and tire size looks right to me, and the rear axel looks about the right distance from the cab right now. I say move your cab forward untill the firwall is no more than and inch back of where the engine and trans bolt together. Whatever that distance works out to be, remove that much from the frame behind the cab keeping the same distance of the rear axle in relation to the cab as you see in these pictures now. That should do it.

 

[kennyrodg]

Thanks again guys,
I'll get a bed mocked up tmrw and report back.
Roddguy1, I have a buddy from the UK who lives in Kitchener or thereabouts, Smax Smith, dya know him ??
Cheers.

 

[uponone]

i dont post here much...but....i think stance is almost perfect.....a box that is too short looks dumb....maybe a few inches less than the length of the cab looks best.... and i think your motor can come back and then front axle can come back the same distance
leave the cab where it is

 

[screwshiney]

BAM!!! Crude but you get the idea. I think it looks alright the way it is. With the room you have between the cab and the tire you can build a battery box to blend in there.