32 Ford "tweaks" and a few mods
 

I hesitate to post this up since it's CLEARLY not a PT build or style car... But I figured it's a car - so maybe some are interested. So here it is.

Some of you already know that I bought a 32 Ford a week or so ago.... No, I wasn't in the market for one. I saw this car when I was in Sun Valley for the weekend and bought it...

So after living with it for a few days -- it needs to be modified a bit.... :D

It is a 383 stroker - carbed - T56 6 speed - 8" Ford rear - Kugel Komponents IRS front end with their cast stainless arms... It's Ferrari Rosso Red. I like the car - but it just isn't quite right in a couple areas so I'll attempt to bring those few missteps in line.

Here's a couple pics of how it is now:


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...2fordred01.gif


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...2fordred02.gif


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...2fordred09.gif


And here is the first napkin sketch:

It's at SAR (Steve's Auto Restoration) now and they'll start work ASAP. The plan is to do a Kugel Winters Quick Change with the cast stainless arms to match the front - change the steering wheel to a four spoke - change the wheels to the Schott Velocitys with knock off caps - ditch the 6 speed for a TKO 600 FIVE speed (with 3:90 gears) - loose the hood sides - Lake style exhaust - 8 stack EFI - change the headlight mounts...

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...32roadster.jpg

This is the Kugel Winters Champ Quick Change:

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...image001-1.jpg

Here's the wheel - so far - that we're thinking about using:


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ity_3bar_2.jpg

Very Nice
 

I can't wait to see what you do with it. It looks like one heck of a nice starting point.

Yeah.... I would agree to say that list is perfect.
We have similar "street rod " taste.
Just the right amount of "tweaking" ! :thumbsup:

nice! all the visual changes your making are all the things that first jumped out to me as being "ugly" on the car right now especially those side engine covers with the louvers... i hate those.and you know i LOVE stacks!!!! should look real bad azz when done.

I think changes will be wesome there Greg and the wheels are perfect choice for that car! Can not wait to see finished. Brandon

Great! Glad you guys like the ideas...

I didn't want to repaint the whole car -- it has a whopping 600 miles on it... and the paint and bodywork is flawless... but I thought the wheels and stance sucked.... and I just can't do "carbs" --- and the 6 speed would never get into 6th - even with 4:88's -- which would make the rest of the gears suck... so why bother! LOL

The interior will get "square weave" carpet... and the dash will be re-done and higher quality. The engine turned bit is some kind of cheapazz plastic wannabe stuff... and I wanted a small console for my coffee cup... so we'll do a key fob style push button starter in the console... and Steve restores old style heaters so we'll add one of those - even though they're mostly useless in a roadster. :rolleyes:


I'm thinking the new license plate should be: REDEUCE

I like it and those wheels are perfect I think.

But not sure why swapping out the T56 for the TKO? just because of 6th? or you want that shorter first gear?

so when the car is done it will look some thing like this, without hood sides. I know yours is a high boy and the pic i attached isn't,

Are you going to run Lakester headers? or a lake side pipe like the 32 attached?

Very cool car Greg! Have fun with it!

Nice car Greg. It will be cool to be see the "tweaks" that you bring to it. Looks like a great starting point for sure. Really nice car.
Good luck and enjoy!:thumbsup: :cheers:

Looks like a nice start and the concept is spot on.

It's going to be sweet! Yes, please use those wheels! :yes:
Any idea how long it will be at Steve's?

Dave --

These POS run real tall tires -- 29 inchers -- so the effective gear is higher than the numerical number... So the car just would never see 6th gear. I'd have to run a 4.62 to use 6th.... and any gear ratio above a 4.11 is a "race gear" -- thus noisy with howl etc. Plus that gear would destroy the 1st gear in the car... you'd be shifting in the first 10 feet.

I think the T56 that's in there now is the .50 OD... at least that's what it drives like -- And of course this is all subject to change depending on what we find when we start breaking the car down.

Bob --

I think we're talking LAKESTER like the header shown... I don't like the lake side pipe - or as we used to call them -- ANKLE BURNERS

I think the look is "updated dry lakes roadster" -- so smooth - sans door hinges and trim on the grill shell etc -- but with a hint of tradition.

Tony --- the Kugel rear end is a month out.... and I would imagine that plus more for the wheels etc - so if we started tomorrow it would be December. I'm thinking they'll get started (once we settle on all the final details) about the time we hit SEMA or before.

Greg, I really believe the car deserves a set of wheels that you personally design.

Impress us enough so that someday we may want to order a set of Weld wheels. :unibrow:

Skippers


That's been done before.... unfortunately for that particular Greg Weld... he was bankrupt and then passed away... fortunately I'm neither of those!

:rofl:

If I designed a wheel for the car - I'd have to spend the night at a Holiday Inn Express -- and then maybe I could come up with a chrome reverse wheel with a baby moon and wide whites... Oh wait! Then it would look like Brizios 55!

EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA
:captain:

Insulting 2 hot rod icons in one post.. you did impress me. :thumbsup:



:lol:

:unibrow: :D

Next time you are coming down look me up....I would love to go to SAR with ya...never been there!

Awesome!

I grew up working on street rods with my Dad...somewhere there's a great picture of my brother and I standing on milk crates to reach over the fender of his 39 chevy (I'm 38 now). He's still got that 39 plus a 32 3-window with an 8-71 blown big block, which is definitely a fun ride.

Anyway, nice car!

Jason

DUDE!! :rofl:

Next trip down -- I think I have to wheelbarrow a buttload of cash -- So I could use your help!!

BTW -- You do know I do everything "mid week" what with not having a job and all...:D

That's funny. Greg called me when he was dropping it off at Steve's to come take a look at it. It was like 3pm. I had to remind him that I'm a working stiff. I did offer to meet him for lunch the next day but he had to get back up to Washington.

I'm actually doing some work for Steve's so I'll get to see the car as it progresses.

Dave ---

So here's a quicky comparison of the tranny / gear change reasoning.

With the TKO 600 FIVE speed -- the OD is .64 - so using a 3:90 gear - and a 275/60/17 tire (30" diameter) I'd be in 5th gear cruising at 2000 rpms at 71 MPH

If I kept the T56 SIX speed -- that same RPM and rear gear would have me cruising at 80

Rear would need to be a 4:56 to get me to 69 MPH using the T56

In a "normal" car -- with "normal" size tires -- this wouldn't be the case - but the tall rear tires used on "highboys" really creates it's own situation with gearing.

As an example - lets assume the same as above - but substitute a 26" diameter tire

The Five speed/3:90/2000RPM would be 62 MPH
The SIX speed/3:90/2000RPM would be 69.5 MPH

So the SIX speed T56 is great for a PT car etc that doesn't use such tall tires.

And yes -- it will be for sale - it's painted Ferrari Rosso Red -- :D

If I can swing it I would like to hang with ya....never know, this week I had two days off mid-week.

Well --

Finally got the full color rendering for the final design including all of the tweaks and design changes. :woot:


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...Ford/Hot32.jpg

I bet they are a blast to cruise. I agree with Dave. Keep the T56 and just don't use 6th gear. Isn't 5th in a t56 a reasonable overdrive?

Todd --

Like most things - there's more to it than just "leave it in and not use it"... I'm having the motor set back from where it is. Since the shifter position is already really crappy -- right next to the seat - which makes a very awkward shifter position and the throw is just all wrong.... It would be into the seat frame once the setback is changed. The TKO 600 allows me to move the shifter to a proper location. So the change, fixes more than just the gearing issue.

80 in one of these -- just isn't something you're going to do much of. Trust me. These drive way different than a 69 Camaro. I don't like my Nomad UNTIL I'm hitting 75 plus... but in a roadster -- 80 is just beating the stuffing out of you. 70 feels like you're flying... It's more like being in a Go Kart.

Todd --

Using the info I posted before.

2000 RPMS/3:90/30" tire -- 5th in the T56 (.74 5th gear) is 61 MPH

So you can start to see -- it's just a bit "goofy"... I just don't do "goofy". The whole body is coming off the car -- motor set back -- rear cut out and new goes in - so why not just do it right the first time.

I just don't like the shifting of a TKO vs. a T56. I'd at least send it out to have it blue printed and worked over. :D

I do have a soft spot for 32's

LOL --- I know you do!

You bought that Blue 3 window coupe with the flames and the red interior - that I was GOING to bid on (Hot August Nights) -- til you told me "I'm going to buy that". My heart sunk...

Hey! Stacked was from up "here".... I remember it well. Killer killer car!

:cheers:

Stacked is a cool car! How much is it tubbed...love the look! :thumbsup:

So your setting the motor back that means a whole new fire wall.
wow this project really changed. So your going to end up painting the whole car then?

Very nice!:wow:

Nope.... just going back a pinch - ditching the HEI big cap distributor. That's not set in stone yet - but that was a 'fix' for the header interference / hood side issue. It might not HAVE to be done now that we're ditching the hood sides. BUT
it depends on the new fan shroud etc. It's no big deal to whack the mounts and move them back just a bit if we want to.

Greg,

I can't believe I missed this thread. Nice purchase. While I agree with all that you are doing, I am a bit disappointed! :( SAR does fantastic work, but why is this not being done in the shed? You are more than capable of doing all this. Plus if it was in the shed, we could get update shots daily! After all you gotta remember it is all about US! :rofl: Keep us updated, love 32's!

Chad,

First = Thanks!

It was totally a "whim".

Now --- yes I'm more than capable of doing this in the shed. However.... there is a few things that enter into the decision to have the tweaks done.

#1 -- I have a busy winter for whatever reason -- it's just "full" -- more so than normal.

#2 -- I want to be driving this by MAY

#3 -- The Shed is occupied right now...

#4 -- I just really don't feel like doing it. :D

#5 -- This way I can really say -- the car was built by SAR

#6 -- I know nothing about them -- what they're supposed to be etc so I have to defer to better judgement i.e., The pros at SAR. Steve knows these cars.

#7 -- I would only be "saving" the labor... and this is not that big of a deal in the scheme of things. I'd still have to purchase all the parts.

#8 -- After doing the work - I'd still have to have the chassis painted - so this way I'm saving the paint jail and the excuses. I only have to spank one shop IF it's delayed for some reason.

#9 -- Did I mention that I just don't feel like it? :D