Hi, new to the forum, need some advice

[Itoldyouso]

Pick up a Speedway Motors catalog, it will become your bible and answer a lot of questions too.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/?CID=1...FSVe7AodjicVzQ


Don

[NoQuarter#121]

Thanks those are the kind of resources I am looking for.

I know very little about hot rods... I'm a slow learner though, so I have that going for me.

I'll contact chassis engineering next week to figure out a route for the start of the build.

[Whiplash23T]

Welcome to the CHR site also from me down under. I too will want to follow along with your build and I like your plan so far with using the flatty but as Dave mentioned,there is other options out there to be considered,eg., I adore and would really want a nailhead with 6 carbs in the old style truck.
You don't really need to look to far for another web site as this one is the best in the world for knowledge and friendly advice.

[Bob Parmenter]

There are lots of us in the area that can give you some guidance. There are way more variables than have been discussed here so it will take some work for you to get the whole thing absorbed.

Just a couple things to consider. First there's what was actually done in the '50s and '60s and then there's what some people THINK was done. Most '36 pickups of that era were full fendered, not fenderless. That's not to say you shouldn't go the other way if that's what really winds your watch, just don't think of it as period representative, much less correct. The "bobber" thing that's fairly popular now is really more of a current day "interpretation" of what may have rarely been done in the past. But if that's what floats your boat...........

Like Pops said, the frame is pretty stout in stock configuration, and certainly strong enough for a built flatty as long as it's in good shape. Like Dave says, flat motors are pricey, and 175 rwhp is up there, you're talking roughly 220-250 at the flywheel. The T5 is a nice choice, and will require some frame center member mods as well as minor suspension mods at the least, more depending on your other choices.

The truck frame is essentially the same as the passenger car frame. If you want to view some of the alternatives discussed here you're welcome to get in touch with me (start with the private message feature if you wish, we can exchange phone #s) as I have both a MII front, Chassis Engineering rear (if I were doing it again today I'd make a different choice) on my '36 roadster, and a beam axle front, banjo rear both with the original style transverse springs, on my 3w coupe. Between the two I can walk you through the features, pros and cons, of either type suspension as well as any hybrid of the two. The old picture is worth a thousand words thing. As an example, rack and pinion is easy with an independant front, but a good cross steer is better for the beam arrangement.

There's not really a "one stop" hot rod shop to fill the description you made. It's like what you've probably already learned in your two wheel world. It's a network thing. One place is good for one thing, another for another. You're starting in a good place, asking questions, and setting a reasonable time frame (though 5 years seems to go by much quicker nowadays).

[Jack F]

#121,

Uncle Bob is right about how fast time flies. Available time and money usually play a big part in the equation. I know it does here. I am 6+ years on my rebuild and have a long way to go. BTW, I have solved the time old puzzle of why the older you get the faster the days, months and years go by, but you have to be old enough to understand it.

Jack.

[rumrumm]

Post a few photos when you get time. We'd like to see what you are starting with.

[stovens]

Welcome. I would recommend hooking up with hot rodders close to you. Bob is a wealth of info and has some nice rides in his garage, a trip to his neck of the woods could save you a few hundred hours of mistakes and dollars.

[R Pope]

I'm assuming your Dad put the hydraulic brakes on the truck, '36 had mechanicals. Sounds like a good start on a traditional rod.
How good are the fenders you have? If they are straight, maybe you should use them. Keep it simple on a first build, it will be running much sooner and the kid won't lose interest. A resto-rod type truck with juice drum brakes and a mild Flathead and a three-speed with closed drive is reliable as a brick and a good driver.