38 Fiat Topolino build

[maddog]

Just a little teaser update.

No photos yet, nener nener nener

Steady progress daily.
Scored the coilovers for the rear (last major component)
Frame rails steped and bent.
Tacked some of it together today.
Tomorrow, slowly working my way over the rear end keeping the radiator in mind.

Photos as soon as it looks like something, maybe a day or two.

 

[maddog]

Here is what I have so far.
2x4x,120 wall tubing. I tapered the front piece and then took a pie cut out of it to create a bend making the front of the frame much narrower. I am keeping the rails parallel from the firewall back. A good size kick just in front of the rear axle gets it up and over and gives it 5" clear above the rear end tubes. I cant see it needing more than that. I am working on that rear section now and next is the cross members. Since the body will lift off leaving the entire car functional underneath it, the cross member under the trans will be welded in, not removable. The engine and trans will allways come out from the top. A bit of x bracing and that should be enough to hold things together.

I am thinking of about 10 degres of caster thinking that will help the short wheel base from being too twitchy.

Rear will be parallel ladder bars, coilovers, panhard. Simple for now and fits easily where there is space. I know the parallel bar is not the best, but it should get the car out of the shop and thats the first goal. I can change things later if it doesnt work out.

Any thoughts, suggestions, would be welcomed, remember I have never made a hotrod frame before.

 

[maddog]

More pics.

 

[22dodge]

Looks Good..

Looks to be coming along nicely, Maddog.
Thanks for the update, looking forward to seeing more....

"No photos yet, nener nener nener"

Lets try to avoid this in the future... '22

 

[Bonehead]

I really like the tapered front end of the frame. Works well with what you have. Sounds like your plan is well thought out, been planning long?

 

[maddog]

I got the two side rails cut and tacked together.
Tomorrow I will put them back in the car and work on the cross members.

 

[maddog]

I really like the tapered front end of the frame. Works well with what you have. Sounds like your plan is well thought out, been planning long?

You funny guy.
Been planning long.
At least I am finally moving.

 

[cycledog]

Gonna be on the road by Christmas by the looks of things. Very nice

 

[maddog]

Gonna be on the road by Christmas by the looks of things. Very nice

From one dog to another, thats what I was thinking but I didnt want to say it out loud.

 

[maddog]

I mocked up a transmission and rear end on the table with the frame.
The drive shaft is very short.
I have some drive shaft and pinion angle questions to ask, but I will do that on the regular forum. I cant be the only one with these questions.

Maybe some more tomorrow.

 

[maddog]

Well I've been busy boys and girls. Frame in and out of the car several times. Got the shocks, radiator and a few other things situated. Cut the tacks loose from the last pictures, widened the main rails at the back and narrowed the kick a couple inches. Got the makings of a front cross member at the proper angle to hold the spring and work with the 10 degrees of caster I want.

I will be picking up my seats tomorrow that I bought a few months ago 4 hours north of me. I hadnt wanted to spend the gas but now I am at the point of establishing the exact location of the triangulated 4 link (I think thats what I will be using) for the rear end and the upper links kinda want to be into the space I had allocated for the back edge of the seats. So I gotta have them. I think it will all work out.

I spent a few hours on the Speedway website with a couple hundred burning a hole in my Paypal account yesterday. I managed to spend $25 on the bushing kit for the rear bars. I looked at the rod ends, the brackets all the other little goodies and said NO. I just dont want one of those "catalog rods". I dont know what you call it, but I just dont want people looking at my car and saying "Oh look, he used that kit from Speedway", or "Thats a Speedway bracket isnt it?" I see it and hear it all the time.
Soooo, I dug through my material rack and had everything I needed.
Some 1 1/4 chromoly, some 1 1/4 solid round bar, and some 1 3/8 .120 wall tubing. A few hours later, a little milling and a little lathe-ing and presto, I have the makings of the rear bars.

I think I will use the large hyme joints for the tail end of the front wishbones. I got them from an old ho trodder friend of mine, he said they were originally purchased for the landing gear on some fighter plane. I think that'll be good enough for me.

 

[maddog]

Another of the rear links.

This is kinda funny.
I am on the lathe, turning the rod ends and one of my friends stops by from my car club.

She says, "What are you doing?"
I say "making the bars for the rear of the car"
She says "Speedway has those and they are cheap"

Thats when she got the lecture that concluded with "... my stuff is way better than speedway and its made in USA"

She has a model A on 32 rails and her builder has stalled. She said to me "I didnt know you could do all this stuff, maybe I should have you build my car"

I love it when a plan comes together.

 

[bob w]

There's a guy near me that builds a hot rod a year for sale. I always know his new offering because of all the Speedway parts he uses. It is a lot more satisfying to build as much as you can. And, you're right, your home made parts are better.

 

[35Mastr]

I mocked up a transmission and rear end on the table with the frame.
The drive shaft is very short.
I have some drive shaft and pinion angle questions to ask, but I will do that on the regular forum. I cant be the only one with these questions.

Maybe some more tomorrow.

Jim,Why did you use a spacer on those front stacked rails.Isnt that going to be a weak link between the twther than that you look like you been planning for a while.Nice work.I see it in pic #221

 

[maddog]

I am going to plate the sides and box the front and back. When you see it done, you wont think "weak link" it will probably be "holy cow". I needed more than just a clean stack. needed another inch or so and some taper. I did all that with the spacer and may change it again (before plating and boxing) as the whole car progresses.

 

[Twisted Minis]

Nice looking work.

I like the way your weld in bungs look.

 

[maddog]

Nice looking work.

I like the way your weld in bungs look.

Dont ever talk about my bungs like that!!

 

[Coffinmaker]

Those seats..!!

i hope you didnt throw out those BEAUTIFUL seats you first had in there..those were AWESOME...!!! OK...Put them on EBAY..I will buy em..hehehehehe...

 

[maddog]

I didnt throw them away, but they are gone and I spent the money.
Those brown leather ones were nice, but I thought they were the wrong style.
Or were you talking about those white plastic chairs?

Here are the new seats, a little dirty in the photos but they cleaned up nice.
They are old but in very good shape.

I mocked them up on the chassis and there is ample room for everything, feet, head, suspension. They are gonna work just fine.

They seem to be made of steel. They are a little on the heavy side but extremly well built and strong.

 

[FlatBroke]

Maddog,
Looks like you are rocking along real good on this one...