Thread: Opinions wanted regarding '36 Ford Slantback

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Taking perfectly good stock cars and making rods of them is what we do...........
About 10 years ago I just missed a similar situation, though it was a '35. Same body, standard model, black, though it was original down to interior and paint except for one reshot fender, supposedly only 48k miles.
What you do depends on what you plan for it. If it'll be a distance cruiser, normal street rod kind of deal, your plan sounds typical. If you just want a local putt around car I'd give it an altitude change, big 'n littles, a throaty dual exhaust. Add hydraulic brakes, during which you decide whether to use the wide 5 wheels, or switch to the more common 5 1/2" bolt circle. Play with contrasting wheel colors, remove the bulky spare from the rear (hide the holes by moving the license plate mount)........and enjoy. The stock rear ratio is probably too low for much more than 50-55 without really wrapping it up, and probably overheating. Speed parts for those 21 stud engines are much more difficult to find than the later engines, so you'd have to figure what you could live with there. The stock frames are plenty good if in decent condition, look for rust through at the body brackets and where the X member ties into the outer rails. Places like SAC, Chassis engineering, and Speedway, among others, sell plenty of suspension and brake kits to make updating a breeze. The sbc fits just right without firewall mods, though could be just a bit tight for a mechanical fan depending on the rad you use (it's the lean back toward the top that gets you).