'36 Chevy Sedan "The PackRat Rod"

[RimSpoke]

I cut-down and re-welded the interior surround for the rear window today. This was the last piece I needed before making patterns for all of the glass:

I also cut about 3" out of the hydraulic shock links and made some new rubber bushings for the pins:

Freeing the original lower shock mounts from their threaded studs and welding one to the top of each radius rod

allowed me to finish the front suspension:

 

[RimSpoke]

The rear window interior surround support structure needed a little help so I rebuilt the bottom half over the last couple of days ago and then gave the glue a chance to dry:

Today I solicited some help putting the back window in. It's obviously a cut-to-fit installation and we finally got it to where we wanted after the third re-trim/sanding and a lunch break

Truth be told it would not have been accomplished without his help.

 

[RimSpoke]

Afterwards he stuck around and helped me make some patterns for the sides and I went to work on those:

The light reflecting on the inside makes the opposite side look yellow in the pictures

but a shot from the other side shows it's the same orange:

The battery is disconnected because I still have some minor welding left to do so there's no interior light for nighttime fotos. The lamp helps for a through-the-windshield shot of the completed three. The doors, wing windows, and windshield will all be clear autoglass.

 

[RimSpoke]

Windshields

I made a cardboard pattern and pulled-out the old glass cutting saw to cut the windshields. There was a very slight difference between the two sides, but not so much that I wasn't able to use the same pattern for both without concern.

An edge view shows the laminated safety glass:

My cardboard pattern didn't allow for the full thickness of the glass and once installed, the gap a the center "v" for the division bar was too small. I had to take them back out after the first time and trim the length for the division bar. Anything worth doing is worth doing twice.

Here's the final fitting:

and one with the division bar going in:

 

[I-R-POPS]

NICE!!! And you didn't even crack it?

 

[RimSpoke]

Link to yesterday's shakedown run:

 

[Old Iron]

That had to be a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RimSpoke]

You know it was!

One of my sons came out to help, giving a third hand as I soldered a couple of dash wires. He had no idea when we started filling the diff that it would be going out. He just stayed-on... fluid, wheels, jump-start because of sitting, "Hey, let's go!"

Carb needs some tinkering, vacuum advance could use some attention, little things like that... but all-in-all what a blast!

' took it back out 3 more times that day and again the next!

 

[kenny c]

that's great

 

[smallfoot]

Nice work on the glass work and good to see it on the road...

 

[MercuryMac]

I've been waiting for this moment.
How to go.

 

[RimSpoke]

Thanks Mac!!

Not much new this last week, but I was looking back at fabricating the front bumper and radius rods and put together a quick something that I thought I'd share.

 

[bob w]

Nicw video production and fabrication skills, RS. Thanks for posting.

 

[RimSpoke]

Our Loss is His Gain

It's been a few months since I've posted anything on the '36.

With the car up and running, we were getting everything lined-up to have it
sent to SC as planned when the call came from my brother's wife, asking not
to send it. The news wasn't good, so out I went instead... a couple of times.

In the time between these posts, he's gone.

The car got pushed to the back yard. Other activities took priority.

It's now been a few months of doing not much auto related but thoughts
have since begun to turn to "what to do with this thing?" Crush it? Part it
out?

Although we started building it for ourselves, some of the turns it's
taken since we offered it up result in a look that's not exactly what I'd be
going for.

Lots of thought. Lots of consideration. Here we are now:

Out came the 235:

In went the 292:

The black & orange isn't for me but changing the orange chassis and
running gear would require another body-off. With two up-and-coming
drivers needing vehicles I'm not about to spend that kind of time on myself.

What color goes with an orange frame? Cream.

Stay tuned.

 

[smallfoot]

My condolences on the loss of your brother!

 

[jfg455]

Sorry to hear about your brother. If you need anything for the 292 I have one here that is locked up. You can have anything off it you need.

 

[35 PROG]

love it

I love this build I am so glad to see it is getting finished. I'm sorry about your brother. Please finish it and let those boys drive the wheels off it with ya. You just can't beat the memories.

 

[Old Iron]

Just now read the post about your brother I'm sorry.
The orange frame does limit color choices. How about root-beer.