1939 Plymouth oval track Jalopy

[zzrodder]

The frame horns are a big improvement, also the rest of your fab is hi-tech compared to what was going on before...[cl[P

 

[mikec4193]

Fiddling with the tin worms fest we have going on...

ran out of gas as soon as we got stuff all tacked in place...

still grinding tho...I am not a fan of MIG welding with out the help of some gas..

did go to the local oval track guy and hooked me up with some much needed steering parts...I was gonna try and cobble up some OEM stuff but not sure if it was gonna work out or not...

cut cut cut...scratch chin...ponder....ponder ponder ponder...

another bite...

MikeC

 

[mikec4193]

I was trying so hard to get more Mopar into this old heap but it was working out...I had bought a 1985 Monte Carlo rear end a couple months ago...it was a little too narrow so I went on the search for a Mopar rear end to balance things out...found a 1975 Plymouth Road Runner but it had sat outside for so long the backing plates were rotten and I could not find a pair to swap out...oh well...never knew much about Mopar's so back to the Monte Carlo rear end...

I had found a company out of Oregon selling 4 bar kits...I was gonna try and do a Tommy Ring one from scratch but my brain couldn't wrap it self around it...I found the kit and came with all the parts I needed to fit a 1928 to 1945 Mopar...darn thing is made in China...

Something about a pre-war coupe up on jack stands that makes me smile...reminds me of the Fridays I spent at the local oval track watching the crews working on their cars...

Here is the rear shackles they cut to fit the car...nice work for sure...

The rear end sat out side and the brake drums and the shoes were sorta rusted together...angle grinder to the rescue...

Way too many nights with a tape measure and scratching my chin wondering how to take a made in China 4 link kit and a 1985 Monte Carlo rear end fit into a 1939 Plymouth...

Took three tries to get it all set up...still not sure if anything will work...

My welding supply person ran out of gas for 2 weeks...so I brought out the ole buzz box...

I got this welder in 1980 from my parents as a Christmas gift as I had signed up for a 1 year long welding school class...

Gotta love 6013 rod...I forgot how to weld upside down...so thankful I was able to finally get some 75/25 Argon to help things along...

I even manage to cobble up a rear shock mount..I bought the kit from Johnny Law Hot Rod Shop..it was a generic kit for Mopars...so we made things fit...

We had "EZ-up" canopy take a dump a couple years back...I saved the frame...that and I got pieces of a display from my part job at Home Depot...lots of cuttin and fittin and it looks like we are getting it done...

I almost forgot..I bought a used bucket seat from a fellow at work...trying now to figure out mounts for it...

2" spacers always make things look better don't you think??

 

[mikec4193]

It has been a struggle...I built a really cool radiator mount and a heavy duty modified style hood for it...

made the frame from that old racking I got from my part job...

I couldnt stop there...

I don't have any eye for stance at all...I think I do but in the end...I don't have a clue...

So I made an executive decision and I cut all the brackets I have built off...and yanked the old 6 banger out again....

It was a sad day for sure....

The motor was not even straight in the chassis...

Gotta love painters tape...

I keep wanting to build all my own junk on this heap but it is not working out for me...I try and then I end up buying pre-fab kits to make all the parts work...ordered these last week...

https://welderseries.ecwid.com/Engine-Mount-Kit-Gen-3-Chevy-Inline-6-194-230-250-292-p136034114

I am debating about getting a hanging pedal assembly from one of the big box speed shops too...it is way easier than spending money on old junk that wont work...

baby steps kids...

 

[Torchie]

Stay strong.
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[mikec4193]

Had sometime Sunday to do some more damage assessment...

rear trunk gutter was looking a little thin in spots...

cut cut cut....grind grind grind....tack tack tack...repeat...

It is a lumpy old stock car...should work for it...still scratching my chin on the rear deck lid....they are made of un-obtainium so I will be trying to save the one that someone before me fabricated...she is a humble piece with barn door hinges on it...should be fun I hope...

 

[Torchie]

[P [P [P [P
Torchie

 

[mikec4193]

So the temps are so hot outside...so what should I do?...we can weld and cut more rusty metal...

Rear end...was a little thin in places...

I did grind and weld a couple of times...still not sure where the pic is of this patch...

The old heap came with these cool not so old but still had patina barn type hinges...

Dragged this poor excuse for a deck lid into the garage...someone before me put rivets into some aluminum diamond plate...and called it good...I thought I had a better plan...

Had some 3/8" steel brake line let over from an old project...

Many many clamps later...

It still looks like a deck lid too...

love the old shop broom stick deck lid holder upper...

Look Mom...all that old stuff and a bunch of sweat drops...and a bunch of welding wire...

We have a poor excuse for a deck lid...but I kinda like it...

Grind on everyone...

 

[mikec4193]

Still cobbing away on this old heap...I wanted this to be old school and I wanted to fabricate as much as I could and I finally caved on that thought...I bought a pair of motor mounts from the fine folks at Hortons in Canada...

I bought the wrong pair but it was close enough to get the ole motor back in the frame rails...had to move it back father...ended up being about 12" farther South than it would have sat in the stock Camaro/Nova front clip...

Wanted see how low the heap sits...the only thing I had was an old Maxwell House 1 lb can...my floor jack fit under it so I am happy...too low in my opinion is just asking for trouble....

Hope I room to fit all three pedals...

Had to spring for a hydraulic clutch set-up...never set one of these up before...chin scratching at it best...

So right in the middle of this project...my 10-15 year old welder took a dump...

never dies when it should...still tweaking on the new one...

waiting for new pedals but still plenty cutting and chopping going on...

While I waiting for the new welder to show up....I put wheels on it and rolled it outside...

I bought wheels from the fine folks at Vintques...as with everything in this post Covid world...lead times are months...hoping to have them before I move to Kansas but we will see...

 

[bob w]

Man, you have done a crap-ton of work to that coupe. Looks like it is coming out just fine. Keep at it my friend. Yes, it's tough to fit three pedals in these old cars with the engine set back a bit.

 

[smallfoot]

Where there's a will, there's a way...

 

[Old Iron]

Headway is headway
Coming along good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[soltz]

Looks good [cl
Ever get the parts [S

 

[mikec4193]

Man, you have done a crap-ton of work to that coupe. Looks like it is coming out just fine. Keep at it my friend. Yes, it's tough to fit three pedals in these old cars with the engine set back a bit.

Hey Bob...stuff is happening at the ranch now...

Had to do some hodge podge garage stuff again...previous owner had installed a rather thin flat firewall and I took one look at these pedals and I said...I don't think so...so I found some crusty 16 gauge...

how's it go again???...cut cut cut...grind grind grind...tac tac tac...repeat...

add $500 for pedals and ....look mom...

It is official we have "Speedway Motors" parts in the house...

boys and girls...we have pedals...3 of them and a steering wheel too...

In rust we trust....

fighting with fitting my feet in to reach the gas pedal now....

much chin scratching to follow....

MikeC

 

[skull]

sweet

love love the race car vibe-looks good----

mine

http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/search.php?searchid=17858967

 

[mikec4193]

Hey Skull....thanks for the compliment...that means a lot...I love your vintage stock car build on here...

Had to drop off a driveshaft at a Jeep 4x place about and hour from me...that was last week and what do you know..I got the call it was ready...I was crossing my fingers if it was going to fit with my hodge podge crooked tape measure...but as the pic shows...it fits...

Still fiddling with the whole pedal thing...lots of chin scratching...I dont have big feet and I had to keep cutting and chopping to get stuff to fit...

I found this under the floor that I cut out of the trunk...might be the start of the hood...first hood looked hideous...

how's it go???....cut cut cut...tac tac tac...grind grind grind...repeat...

MikeC

 

[mikec4193]

So I had this sheet of really really thin sheet metal I got from a fellow who was putting inner skins in his oval track car...so like 26/28 gauge stuff...it was rusty...and now I finally had a spot for it...

time to make old stock car hood...sorta..

I had pieces of galvanized wire fence strands left...so I made my radius from the old clutch plate from the 6 cylinder motor I put in this heap...

in progress still...

Still not sure about it but I think it looks better than the first one I cobbled up on it....

Next on the docket...gotta a neighborhood fellow who rebuilds carbs...this is the stock 1974 Chevy Nova carb that came on the motor...so why not keep it on the motor...those engineering folks at GM know a heck of a lot more than this country bumpkin does....

My first race car that I drove that I owned was 6 cylinder Camaro...I know I did something with a carb but not sure what I did...this will work just fine...

MikeC

 

[mikec4193]

So as I have said before...most of the heavy lifting is over...but still a ton of stuff to do...I believe the front clip is a first gen Camaro or early Nova...since the motor came out of a 1974 Nova...I am buying parts from Rock Auto for a 1974 Nova and everything so far fits...

the old brakes did not look too bad...so I saved the shoes but replaced everything else...

I am not sure who invented this new fangled copper/nickel lines but I love them...if we had this stuff back in my earlier years...I bet I would still have my old Datsun trucks...

I work with a guy who is rebuilding an early Ford and we are talking plumbing of stuff and he says "hey have you ever used "weldable nuts"???"...I didn't have a clue...Google to the rescue and Grainger had a box of a 100...

So now I can actually hang plumbing again...

Made me smile for sure...

I knew I was crazy for keeping the old hand built trunk lid but those not so old barn door hinges actually make getting in and out of this heap and not getting banged on the head...

One bite at a time...

 

[bob w]

Nice progress. I like the way you write about it too.

 

[forbigpicture]

mikec, Just sharing what I think I know (ha)... I think you have an early 67-68 front clip with the steering box behind the cross-member later models it was(is) in front. The track width with the drum brakes are a little narrower too, but yes most all the parts interchange if memory serves me right??? Looks like you have it going your way now ....

[cl[cl[cl

[P[P