Anyone built a hot rod?

[neil30076]

Thinking about building a hot rod, probably based loosly on 27 - 32 ford or chevy.
Anyone here do this or have one, would like to hear experiences, problems, etc.

 

[az_max]

Thinking about building a hot rod, probably based loosly on 27 - 32 ford or chevy.
Anyone here do this or have one, would like to hear experiences, problems, etc.

I'm looking to build a rat rod from around the same years. flathead v8 or quad 4 with aftermarket FI (4 sidedraft 1 bbl throttle bodies). I want something that doesn't have the word 'boyd' on or associated with it.

Or how about a Rover 4.2, MSD ignition, aftermarket 4bbl intake and holley efi?

I'd like to build one off a new chassis, use old body. I have a line on an International Harvester body (approx '34) from a 2 ton truck. It has a nice patina of rust right now. Fenders are there but beat to hell, hood parts are there but grille and grille shell missing.

 

[kellymoe]

I myself have not built a hot rod but my dad has built several and fabricates custom parts for rods. Also, in Burbank where I live there are a number of hot rod shops.

I had a 40 Ford when I was 11 y/o that my brother and I had plans to build but never happened. I love the chopped roof 32, ever since I saw American Graffiti.

One of these days maybe I'll get around to building one but for now I have my rover to keep me busy.

 

[maxyedor]

I have built and helped build quite a few, they are a lot of fun because there are no rules, or stupid emissions requirements. So unlike building a Rover everthing is fair game to be modifies, hacked, welded, and generally made cooler. You're best bet is to try and find an all steel body as fiberglass sucks, and buy a brand new chassis(or build one) Then everything else is up to you.

The Rover V8 sounds pretty cool, I've always wanted to build a Rod with a 5.5 liter engine from an SL55.

 

[kellymoe]

I have built and helped build quite a few, they are a lot of fun because there are no rules, or stupid emissions requirements. So unlike building a Rover everthing is fair game to be modifies, hacked, welded, and generally made cooler. .

Wait a minute, you mean there are rules to modifying our Rovers? Besides emissions isn't everything else fair game? Rover Nazis be damned

 

[maxyedor]

Wait a minute, you mean there are rules to modifying our Rovers? Besides emissions isn't everything else fair game? Rover Nazis be damned

Well the emissions is the main thing for me, I hate how many stupid rules there are, if I want to take the engine out of a 2006 RRsupercharged and stick it in a Disco I legaly can't even if it runs cleaner than what's allready in there. Also the airbag Nazis will come get me if they find out I'm trying to buy some fake airbags (new dash parts and streering hub w/o bags) to replace my real ones.

 

[monkeyboy]

I know its "been done", but when we were kids, we stuck a '60 Chev 283 in a '36 pickup - '56 3.08 posi rear axle, M22, beer keg gas tank ... hey this was the '70's; gimme a break, we left the disco ball at home

They were both old enough that no body gave a hoot about emissions / safety / etc.

Find an old Merc - no, not Benz - V8, or a flathead. SHouldn't have any emission problems then, eh?

 

[kellymoe]

I know its "been done", but when we were kids, we stuck a '60 Chev 283 in a '36 pickup - '56 3.08 posi rear axle, M22, beer keg gas tank ... QUOTE]

Where did you mount the beer keg tank? The reason I ask is because my dad has a Model A Pick Up with a small tank mounted on the front bumper with a hand pump to pressurise the tank. He manufactures the hand fuel pumps. I'm going to mount a hand pump on my Defender as a fuel pump back up, since it's carburated it should work fine and keep me from getting stranded. I could just buy a spare fuel pump but whats the fun in that

 

[monkeyboy]

We built a pair of wooden "U" supports and set it in the bed just behind the cab.

I think we held it down with some loooong bits of redi-rod, the exposed portions covered with some kind of black vinyl tubing .... just thru bolted it to the bed.

Oh, the truck didn't have a bed when we got it, so we made a stake-sided wooden bed from some Ash - I'm sure it was significanlty cheaper, what, 35 years ago.

Man, who's getting old here???

I've got a photo here, I'll see if I can't scan it and send it to you tonight.

 

[Ronnie]

Thinking about building a hot rod, probably based loosly on 27 - 32 ford or chevy.
Anyone here do this or have one, would like to hear experiences, problems, etc.

I had a 31 Model A Ford, 5 window coupe, chopped top the whole bit. It would best be described as a beater but it sure was fun to drive. It was more for looks than speed although the looks weren't really there either. I never even painted it, just ran around primer grey. It was great when you met someone new and needed to right down a number, just write it right there on the car. The front end was a parallel leaf design from a 50s Chevy pick-up. It was stiff as hell. The rear was a ford 9" with an inverted leaf. Again much more heavy duty than it really needed to be but was very cheap. I ran a vega gas tank strapped to a wooden floor in the trunk. I ran a Chevy powertain; 327 block with 283 crank, 350 auto trans with a 60s mustang shifter just because I liked the way they looked. I ran a huge tunnel ram with a single 4 barrel on top. It would have run much better with a smaller single or dual plane but wouldn't have looked as good so looks won over function. I was going for the cheap 50s hot rod look; no hood, front or rear fenders, smaller tires in the front with fat tires in the back, etc. The only proplem I ever had was I was always running out of gas. When I put in the cut down 50s Oldsmobile dash, I never bothered hooking up the gas guage and I'd forget how far I'd driven since the last time I filled up. Soemtimes I'd go to fill up and could only put like $3 in it. Other times, I wouldn't put any gas in it and run out on the interstate. Unfortunately both the car and the pictures are long gone. I bought it way back in 1989 and sold it around 1995.