37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[406Rich]

Here`s a quick lift

[randyr]

Here`s a quick lift

This cherry picker is more like the article I saw except they had tied a strap to each end of the 4x4 and lifted it from above. I'm not sure how much my body weighs without doors, fenders, decklid, etc but I'm sure it's within range of the picker's capabilities. The trick would be finding the right place to lift it that would balance the body. Also with this method I couldn't just roll the chassis out from under the body. I'd have to roll the cherry picker instead.

Mike, your setup looks good, too. My firewall/floorboard is all welded up so I couldn't run boards all the way through like you did.

Rich, I haven't quite pictured the description of how you lifted yours. Any pics of it?

Thanks for the help guys!

[35fordcoupe]

Everything looks just like it does in a GTO. What a great fit in your '37! If you don't mind the big side bolster look I highly reccommend GTO front seats (they look a little more full than the rear seats). It wouldn't be unreasonable to say the seats are my favorite part of my car, but I personally don't like the look for my '35 and I know you were talking about front seats with integrated belts.

I went backwards this weekend. I was planning to move the car from my parents lake house closer to home now that summer is over, but the rear wheels on there are too small to clear the brakes (bought cheap rollers, but they ended up not being 5x4.75) so I had to take the rear brakes off. Then I was trying to push the grommet onto the booster for the check valve from the access panel in the floor above and I (actually my dad...I'll gladly not take the blame for this one ) pushed it through into the booster. No luck fishing for it so the booster had to come out...first three nuts no problem, but the fourth one was much more of a problem . the brace for the pedal assembly blocks it everyway I could get to it. So I ended up putting a wrench straight onto the nut and turning a mm at a time using an ice pick and screwdriver on the closed end to turn it. I have no idea how I got that nut on to begin with, but I did with nothing changed since. It took two hours to remove the booster, but its out. I also found that one of the studs on the booster is stripped so I have to clean that up and get everything back in. At least I have a day off tomorrow to catch up

[randyr]

Everything looks just like it does in a GTO. What a great fit in your '37! If you don't mind the big side bolster look I highly reccommend GTO front seats (they look a little more full than the rear seats). It wouldn't be unreasonable to say the seats are my favorite part of my car, but I personally don't like the look for my '35 and I know you were talking about front seats with integrated belts.

Hey, thanks, Robert. Yes, the GTO front seats are really nice but I think they're a little big for both our cars plus they have "GTO" written on them...lol! The Beemer convertible seats I have in mind are a bit smaller but still similar design to the back seat. The built in seatbelt/harness will save me the hassle of fabricating a plate somewhere near the door post to hold the belt plus it won't obstruct access to the back seat. I don't know why I have all this concern for the backseat when it'll probably hardly ever get used!

Sorry about the booster woes. That kinda sucks! I'm sure it's nice to get the car closer to home so you can work on it. Look forward to seeing more pics as you progress.

[34_40]

Mike, your setup looks good, too. My firewall/floorboard is all welded up so I couldn't run boards all the way through like you did.

You don't need to run boards! Anyplace that has structure from floor to a higher / highest point should be capable of carrying the body load. Add an eyebolt or "D" ring or suitable hoisting point and your good to go! If you can add lift points and spread the load it'll work even better. That's why I used the 2x4's Just wanted to spread the load as much as possible.

I couldn't bring myself to ever raise a body by the doors / roof. Just a "personal demon" ,

The way 406 Rich did his truck body is pretty cool but for me, I'd build more structure to get as close the "A" & "B" posts, again, just a "personal demon"....

[randyr]

I couldn't bring myself to ever raise a body by the doors / roof. Just a "personal demon" ,

The way 406 Rich did his truck body is pretty cool but for me, I'd build more structure to get as close the "A" & "B" posts, again, just a "personal demon"....

I agree. Someone posted on here a year or so ago that they lifted their car thru the door openings and it buckled the roof! Another guy with a 37 sedan put a beam through the rear side window openings close to the B pillar because it was stronger there. He had no problems. The idea still scares me a little though. That would really suck to bend the roof!

When my dad & I first built this car years ago, we raised the front high enough to slide a 2x4 under the front mounting points and then the same on the rear. The 2x4's extended about 2ft out from each side of the car. we jacked it up one end at a time and placed stacks of concrete blocks under the ends of the 2x4's then rolled the chassis out from under it. Maybe I'll just repeat that process....

[34_40]

I agree. Someone posted on here a year or so ago that they lifted their car thru the door openings and it buckled the roof! Another guy with a 37 sedan put a beam through the rear side window openings close to the B pillar because it was stronger there. He had no problems. The idea still scares me a little though. That would really suck to bend the roof!

When my dad & I first built this car years ago, we raised the front high enough to slide a 2x4 under the front mounting points and then the same on the rear. The 2x4's extended about 2ft out from each side of the car. we jacked it up one end at a time and placed stacks of concrete blocks under the ends of the 2x4's then rolled the chassis out from under it. Maybe I'll just repeat that process....

See that, great minds think alike! I watched a roof buckle by lifting in the center of the doors. I just couldn't do mine that way!

And your Dad's idea is basically the same as mine! Span the vehicle with cribbing and hoist away. I just worked overhead, He / You guys worked from below or under the wood cribbing.

[randyr]

See that, great minds think alike! I watched a roof buckle by lifting in the center of the doors. I just couldn't do mine that way!

And your Dad's idea is basically the same as mine! Span the vehicle with cribbing and hoist away. I just worked overhead, He / You guys worked from below or under the wood cribbing.

Except our "wood cribbing" went side to side where yours was end to end on the car. It seemed to work fine with that body structure. I wouldn't have dared to crawl inside the body without extra support in the middle though.

[34_40]

Except our "wood cribbing" went side to side where yours was end to end on the car. It seemed to work fine with that body structure. I wouldn't have dared to crawl inside the body without extra support in the middle though.

Actually, if you look close, you'll notice I did both! At the back I spanned across and picked up the bracing from floor to body almost "C" pillar! At the front I came under the firewall and tied together into the "a" pillars.
You can easily do the same!

[35fordcoupe]

I agree. Someone posted on here a year or so ago that they lifted their car thru the door openings and it buckled the roof!

If I remember right that person forgot two bolts in the front holding the body on and lifted the frame a couple inches before noticing. It pushed the drip rails up a bit, but at least the doors were open. I don't remember who it was though

yea the front GTO seats probably wouldn't allow for a console, they are a bit tall too and of course they do have 'GTO' stitched in. Very comfortable though...much better than the 4th gen camaro seats I am using, but they work, look nice and they are manual so no wiring!

[randyr]

If I remember right that person forgot two bolts in the front holding the body on and lifted the frame a couple inches before noticing. It pushed the drip rails up a bit, but at least the doors were open. I don't remember who it was though

yea the front GTO seats probably wouldn't allow for a console, they are a bit tall too and of course they do have 'GTO' stitched in. Very comfortable though...much better than the 4th gen camaro seats I am using, but they work, look nice and they are manual so no wiring!

Oh, man, sorry for the painful memory!!! I forgot who it was but I knew I had read it here. But that "guy" whoever he was, did a great service reminding us all to really be careful how we lift the bodies off our cars...

[35fordcoupe]

I'm not so sure if there would have been a problem if he had unbolted the body all the way, but you can't ever be too careful. I know he lifted from the bottom after that though . Just make sure you don't forget the two bolts in the front two corners nicely hidden by the brackets at the bottom of the firewall. I think that guy was just thinking the body was rusted on a bit and needed a second to pull off the frame..

[406Rich]

This cherry picker is more like the article I saw except they had tied a strap to each end of the 4x4 and lifted it from above. I'm not sure how much my body weighs without doors, fenders, decklid, etc but I'm sure it's within range of the picker's capabilities. The trick would be finding the right place to lift it that would balance the body. Also with this method I couldn't just roll the chassis out from under the body. I'd have to roll the cherry picker instead.

Mike, your setup looks good, too. My firewall/floorboard is all welded up so I couldn't run boards all the way through like you did.

Rich, I haven't quite pictured the description of how you lifted yours. Any pics of it?

Thanks for the help guys!

Sorry Randy no pics, I`m assuming your rafters run parallel with your garage length, just visualize two verticle posts, bolted to the upper rafters on either side of the body, an area where you can center your car under, with a 4x4 rectangular steel tube sitting on top of the verticle fir posts, block and tackle in the middle with two load straps running from front to back looped thru the clevis on the block and tackle, the load will center itself when lifting, roll the chassis out. The posts will carry the load not your rafters, all the rafters will do is keep it centered.

[randyr]

I'm not 100% sure if I'll use these armrests or not but I ripped all the previous 80's style upholstery off my side panels and fitted the GTO armrest on just to see if I want to develop the idea further......I'm soooo far away from actually putting the interior in this thing but these are the planning stages, right?

[randyr]

So here's a new question for you guys: I bought one of the gas cap kits as shown in the pics. I've seen installations where a rectangular hole is cut in the fender and the whole unit is welded in. Since the curvature doesn't exactly match my fender, I thought it might be easier to fit the lid to the existing hole in my fender, then remove the sheetmetal from the top of the box and weld the rest of the unit under my fender. If I do that, what's the best way to trim out the whole in my fender so it's the perfect size?