Sheets & Giggles

[sc5080]

Sheets & Giggles - Nostalgia Altered Project

About a year ago I posted these pictures and asked for opinions on which way I should go with the build. As it was we were to busy with freshening the Scout and building the Prefect to start on my T.

 

[sc5080]

It has taken a while but I finally made a decision and the shop space came available. Here is the picture I took as inspiration for the build.

 

[sc5080]

Of course, the original frame that I had bought turned out to be to thin. We did a sonic check on it and it measured .114 thick. NHRA and IHRA minimum is .118 so that frame would never certify. That meant I had to try my hand at building a frame. First I cut some plates to reinforce the kick up and cut the rails out with the power hacksaw. Holes were drilled in so that I could put the plates on the inside and plug weld. Then we used the first side as a template for the second. The front and rear crossmembers were notched to cap the side rails.

 

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Spent some time setting the body on the frame and then decided to channel it over the rails.

 

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Then it was time to start figuring out how I wanted to mount the front axle. I bought the axle, spring and radius rods at a swap meet for $150 so I was determined to use it. Decided to make my own dropped perch and mount the spring over it.

 

[sc5080]

Parts ordered from Speedway arrived and I started to get the front end together. I am thinking that I will machine off the rotors and just run the hubs on the front. Fabricated the brackets to locate the radius rods and tacked them in to place.

 

[sc5080]

So that's where I am now. I guess I should mention the power train choices. I will start with "Engine 1.0", a very mild 355 SBC with hydraulic roller cam, dual quads and Patriot heads. "Engine 2.0" is a 383 SBC with GMC 671 blower and Enderle bug catcher injection, roller valve train and Brodix heads and will likely run on alcohol. "Engine 3.0" is the one my friends are trying to get me to run and comes from my dragster, a 451 Chrysler, 871 blower, Enderle bird catcher injection, Brodix heads and Crower roller cam on alcohol. This one makes about 1500 HP and would just be silly
The engine will be backed by a turbo 400 trans and Strange aluminum 9" with spool and gear ratios appropriate to the engine choice. Rear suspension will be coilovers and ladder bars.
I hope you guys will follow along and enjoy this project as much as I will. I am hoping it will be running in time for Meltdown 2015.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Welcome back. I'll be following and vote for the blown 383.

More of the Prefect, please.

.

 

[Old Iron]

Welcome back. I'll be following and vote for the blown 383.

More of the Prefect, please.

.

I go with the 383 too

 

[Skip]

Silly is good.

I don't know if I wasn't paying attention, but there seems to be an uptick in race cars on here lately.

 

[Saxxon]

You realize of course that we only want you to run the Blown Chrysler because it'll be funny as hell.. you know... sort of like a groin shot on YouTube or when a friend fails painfully doing something they shouldn't ...funny as hell for everyone else... !!

Good to see all the heavy work getting done quickly. Hopefully Meltdown doean't come to soon for you. It would be cool to have a third car from here in attendance

 

[Saxxon]

The Prefect is a race car. A ratty looking race car and we have no intention of replacing the rust and patina but it is a race car.

Don't know how well the HAMB is recieved on this board (well I hope) but here is the build thread on the Prefect. Just so we don't hijack sc5080's build thread.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/49-prefect-altered-style-build.637427/page-6

 

[bob w]

Nice work on the T Altered.

I saw the Prefect and Saxxon's Scout last summer at the Meltdown Drags. Very well built cars. Leaving the Prefect looking as is is a good idea. I talked to the owner a while and bought a Scout T shirt "for gas money so you guys could get home".

Lots of RRR members are also on the HAMB. Sometimes the attitude gets a little dicey over there, but lots of good stuff. The hard core over there don't like this site however. But we don't care. We have lots of fun here and no drama.

See you all at the 2015 Meltdown Drags.

 

[sc5080]

Thanks Bob. Having seen the posts of your projects I will take that as high praise indeed.

I had hoped to meet you at Meltdown and went looking for the "Silver Bullet". Wish I had been around when you were talking with Paul. Oh well, maybe next year.

 

[sc5080]

Small progress but got the spring perch and radius rod brackets welded up. Put the car on the ground for the first time to get an idea of how it would sit and see if my guessing was close. I think its going to work out ok. [cl Rear suspension parts have been ordered and should show up next week.

 

[sc5080]

Starting to work on narrowing the rear axle housing. When finished it will be 49" wide flange to flange. Center section is Strange aluminum with 4.57 Richmond gears and a spool. Bought it used from a local racer.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Excellent work....

You are killin it quickly....you'll be done and tested, race ready come spring at this rate....[cl [P

 

[sc5080]

As promised, the big brown truck was by today with my rear suspension parts all nicely gift wrapped by the shipper at Checkered Racing. The shocks I was able to buy from a local racer who had ordered the wrong length - got them for less than half price. These are Chris Alston VariShock coil-over double adjustable with 5" travel and 16" overall length. A much better shock than I would have bought otherwise. Hoping to have the car rolling around the shop by the end of the month.

 

[sc5080]

Started setting up the rear suspension. I tacked the ladder bar brackets to the axle after carefully measuring to make sure that the ladder bar mounts were parallel to the face of the housing. Then I slid the axles in and stuck it under the car to try figure what to do next.

 

[sc5080]

I decided that the first thing to do was figure out the shock mounts. With the axle under the car I realized I couldn't put the shocks inside the frame like I had planned. I tacked the shock mount brackets to the housing so that the springs would clear the frame and then started to figure out the upper shock mount. I didn't want the axle to be able to hit the frame, so I removed the springs and bottom out the shocks. I then lowered the frame down so that there was about 1/2" of clearance between the axle and the frame. Once this was established I found that the shocks I had purchased were a little to long so I would have to raise the upper mounts. The pictures below show what I came up with.