Thread: 1937 Dodge coupe

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Originally Posted by Matthyj

This is just my opinion on what I would do on your project:
Scrap the idea of reusing your old donor brakes, split open the piggy bank for those $30 rotors and the $40 each calipers.
Then get the weld on axle brackets from Speedway for $10 each, or if you have extra time fab your own, get some more $40 calipers and your rear is done.
As for the anti-loc brake feature, nice idea but if it doesn't work right you wasted a ton o'dough and labor. I kicked around the idea in the 90's when I built my roadster and didn't go with it after realizing its partially electonically controlled. I know its safer but we did have brakes for almost a 100 years without anti locks....
Last but not least, put the parts off your donor on ebay and reclaim most of what you just spent... And if or when you ever sell your rod the next owner will thank you the first time he ever has to buy a new part and thank you everytime he drives it for just using a ifs crossmember and not swapping a donor clip under it, you will actually add value to your ride and not bring it down in value when the future owner hears "stub swap" (I know nobody ever plans on resale including me)! Just my thoughts, with the availablity of aftermarket suspension parts this just isn't needed on most rods anymore, Tech is an expert in this as well as someothers on here but you would be making this thing way more difficult than what it needs to be it appears to me.

I hear what you're saying, Matthyj. That is why I have made myself crazy with these decisions. The end result of the back and forth indecision, is that I have sort of identified my "mission and vision statements" for the project. I have sort of settled on a "theme", if you will. The theme I am working on is creating a 1937 Dodge Bros business coupe, as if had been built in 2005 (the year of my donor car).

I fully appreciate that the use of aftermarket stuff simplifies the project dramatically, and probably adds value, as evidenced by my decision to go with some form of M2 front end. It makes me squirm a little though, as this is my project, and I hope to learn as much as possible from it, and make it unique to me. As for whether I need ABS or not, you're right, probably not. But I would argue that there is little or no cost to the ABS, if I can get it to work. There are lots of things on a modern car that are unnecessary, but that doesn't mean they are not worthwhile.
I am not sure where you find $40 calipers, but the existing ones on my donor are already paid for.

I greatly appreciate your taking time to contribute to the discussion. Please continue...

Originally Posted by Easyrider

I am not sure where you find $40 calipers, but the existing ones on my donor are already paid for.

Easyrider, GM metric calipers have sort of beome the "universal" caliper for mustang II swaps, I don't know if a person would really use Mustang II calipers as those where pretty light cars and the caliper wouldn't be suited to stop a heavier streetrod. The metric calipers came on GM products 1978 & up, the brtackets most Mustang II companies include are for this caliper, Speedway Motors has em for $29.99 for 2 3/8" bore new calipers Part # UP37799 in there Garage Sale for the left side, ebay has quite a few starting at the same cost brand new. The nice thing also about the gm's (besides parts availablity) is you can get different bore sizes to suite your ride depending on your rear calipers as well.
Like you mentioned make it your ride and if you want to reuse donor parts more power to you, but if you have a mustang II kit the available parts are dirt cheap and available anywhere and somebody else has already done the hard work (engineered). If you decide to reuse other parts I would take Tech up on his offer, nothing like experience in this game. I have worked weeks on parts just to scrap the whole idea because it either didn't look right or after I was done it really wasn't the best choice and it cost me more in the end, I admire your preserverence, if fabrication is your game (I love it) have at it But I am know expert and try to heavily practice the KISS principal myself, if for nothing else for later repairs and breakdowns. Have fun if I can be of any help, yell but I am sure Tech will get you lined out!