Thread: Lethal Weapon, Project A-Bucket

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I too am watching this post, as well as others. I am learning much about front and rear suspensions.

Jack.

Great detail work, especially on the steering arm!!!! Most everything can be worked a tad "out of the box" to cure that seen one, seen em all deal that so many cars suffer from!!!! Nice work!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Great detail work, especially on the steering arm!!!! Most everything can be worked a tad "out of the box" to cure that seen one, seen em all deal that so many cars suffer from!!!! Nice work!

I am trying to do some different things to this one, even if it's little stuff so it won't look like the 200 other one's I've seen. Although its hard to have a new idea............ I was checking out your 57, not much body left on it now is there............. I love the gassers, had a 55 once BBC, girlfriend, (now wife) conned me into getting rid of it. Didn't have the axle under it, but pulled the front bumper and put a chrome spreader bar in it to give it that gasser look. Those were the days.........................

You ever have one that seams to fight you at every turn. This one sure has. Trouble finding pistons, parts store ordered wrong bearing, steering arms too short causing almost zero turning radius, and it goes on............

Well engine finally assembled. I got some super-bell steering arms, they are about 1 3/8 longer than stock, so now I have clearance and good turning radius. Did have to shorten side steering arm. I noticed that when shocks were fully extended that arm hit shock body. took care of that. Got the gas tank cut out of the cowl, and the cowl dissembled. Oh the brake drums were wrong. Solution was to make 3/16 spacer plates to go between spindle and backing plate. This accomplished 2 things, one got the backing plate closer to drum so shoes will be fully inside drums. Also beefed up spindle. They are not very thick where steering arms mount. Stock were welded to spindles, or rather forged as one piece with spindles. And this was originally a cross steer axle. So this should give sufficient thickness where steering arms mount to spindle. Sort of played with carbs. Installed secondary bases on outboard carbs and checked to see how to mount progressive linkage. Will have to dissemble carbs, tops don't seal well to bowl. And I'm going to put accelerator pumps in them that will tolerate this ethanol gas. They have leather ones now. I guess that about it. As always I'll be glad to furnish more details on anything you see here, just ask.

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Here's the rest of the pics. Sorry if I am short on the descriptions. After trying to figure out the changes to this place, I'm really low on patience..............

But anyway here they are. They are not posted in order, that's just the way they posted. Maybe by next time I will have figured out how to make this site do what I want.....................

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Oh I did notice one pic. I had to notch the driver side frame rail, so I would be able to get exhaust pipe on that manifold. It doesn't really show in that pic, but I angled the notch, so very little was cut from the bottom of the frame rail. I also used .250 wall pipe here so it should be very strong. I may plate the bottom of the frame rail for a little extra though.

Are you going to try to run four pipes off those Fenton's or do a two into one on each side?

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Are you going to try to run four pipes off those Fenton's or do a two into one on each side?

The plan is 4 pipes. But if this gets titled as year titled, ie 2011, it will have to have cats to pass emissions. In that case I'll make a flange at that point, just behind trans x member, do a 2 into 1 into cat, and single out each side. Reason for flange, after inspection, bolt on 2 out each side. I hope though to get titled as 28 or 29. I am really curious to see how it sounds. I don't know if it will have unique sound, or just sound like a sbc. I know the 180 deg headers that they run on modifieds have a real unique sound.

Well a little update, if this will coperate. I find I am paying the price for a couple of items I just had to have. The Fenton manifolds, and the 60 GMC master cyl. I have gone thru several variations on steering box mounting angle and location. First to get the steering to actually work, and to get clearence for my feet. This is the third variation, it seams like it will work. One area that I messed up on my other rod is the foot well. It is so narrow you have to brake with your left foot. It is possible to brake with right foot, but you have to have your left foot back. It's not a problem for me years of driving stock cars I'm used to braking with left. But since I want to teach my daughter to drive in this one I want the pedals to be fairly normal in relation to each other. This should work with just a slight bit more tewaking of the brake pedal. I also will make a heel pad on the side of the tunnel so right foot will be further away from brake pedal. The pedal support and master cyl mount is attached to a hoop, and the firewall just is sandwitched between. I also made a plate to change the angle of the master cyl, in relation to firewall. This got the cyl fairly level and moved the lid from under the lip where the cowl top attaches.

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Ok there is pic of trans tunnel. Also scored a free mini van seat. It is perfect narrower at bottom and as you can see fits the back well. As another bonus it has built in booster seat and belts behind the cushion, you just pull down and ready for the grand kids. Also may have been a pic of the steering wheel. It's a 58 Brookwood. It fits the bell on the 47 column like it was made for it.

I was trying to do a good update. But Since I can't figure out how to post the pics correctly, But I'm pissed at this junk now. And I just noticed all the f...ing adds. I may move this to another site, or I may cool down and continue. If so I'll let anyone interested know where to find it................

Ok I guess I'm gonna have to figure this junk out. So here's an update. Made a frame work for subfloor from 1" 14ga box.

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Next I reworked my $125 Woodward Fab bead roller. I added a couple of pieces of 3/8" bar stock to back and a piece of ford I beam axle to the back bone to prevent flex. I saved a couple of wheels off a discarded wheel chair and it made a perfect drive wheel. It is easily opperated with one hand and I can guide with my right hand. I fabed a piece of heavy angle and added some feet on the other side so I can clamp to my work table or bench. I don't have the room to make a dedicated stand, besides I don't know how much I'll use it anyhow. Also after these pics I took the crank that it came with and made it into the tension adjustment handle. I had to replace this bolt after several uses. It was metric, and loosly fit threads, and was starting to gall. I resized it to a 7/16" bolt and also welded a grade 8 nut to give the bolt more threads to spread load on. Works great now.

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I rolled some beads in the floor pannels and used the step dies to make flanges so I could lap pannels. I didn't have a piece big enough to do one whole side so I pieced it. I hope I can get by without buying another whole 4 x 10 sheet of metal. They came out pretty good. The one crooked bead on the passenger side is where my daughter took a stab at it. Hey most 14 year old girls would be in painting their nails or somthing.............

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Next was a removable trans tunnel. This is not my strong suit, as observed by my patched forward tunnel section. I took an empty freon jug and sliced it and added a section to lenthen it and bent some flanges, rolled a bead down each side and screwed it down. Those really sharp will note that there is an extra set of holes in the passenger side...........opps............. measured three times and still hit the wrong side of the framework.......... oh well. Just a little more welding.......


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Well here's the door I wasn't gonna have. Used MG roadster hinges and std bear jaw latch. Works good. Will weld 3/16" rod to edges to get my 1/8" door gaps.

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I went with a pass side only door, and a 3/4 door so as not to touch the lower DOM side bar. This bar is right a bumper height. I hope it will look ok. But what the F. I'm getting too old to climb in. What was I thinking............

Next little bit was hinge brackets for the tailgate. Got them made and tail gate hung. I think I'm gonna cut the heads off the bolts and weld them into the lower hinge. I used the stock holes but the bolts are really too close to the sides. The bolts are barely turnable. Also it would look cleaner if no bolts showed on the lower hinge brackets............ What do you think?

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Also, side note. As you might notice in the bed is a pedal car. I'm redoing for my Grandson, Bubba. His birthday is the 15, and he will be 5. I completly rebuilt steering and drive, and put those no flat 10" tires on it. It had plastic wheels and steering linkage. Now the axle stubs are made from 47 Ford F1 steering shaft. It has ball bearing in the steering column. Heim joints for tie rods, donated from a junior dragster, and it's all adjustable and greasable........... 33 was my last car number.

And lastly for today, mounted radiator and grill shell. Now I know someone is gonna give me crap for the low shell. But thats what I think I want. It's not as low as the Graffiti coupe, or The kookie car. But I like that look and wanted somthing different. We shall see when it's done if it stays that way. I purpously used a glass shell, easy to put the pieces back together if i don't like it when it's done.

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