1932 Pontiac Six build

[Rattiac]

Next item on the list .

The Roof.    (2-27-2011)

And now Im gonna start on the roof cuz thats the next bad section of wood that needs to be fixed. Plus I dont want a rusty nail to fall on my head.
I made a template of the curve the roof has then started knocking out wood.

My boss gave me some scrap bends left over from 3rd seats that we build. They work out about perfect. In the front they were dead on.

In the back I'll have to decrease the bend a bit to work.


I also got some parts shopping done . Wait till ya see what I brought home.

.

[logride]

It's looking good!  What's the other classic Chevy in your picture?

[sixball]

Thanks for posting this. Replacing the wood is what worries me the most about my build and it is just a little roadster that has almost all of the wood to use for patterns and measurements. I know that once I start it will become more clear. Your explanation and pictures are a big help. Your work is pretty darn good too!

[Rattiac]

Oh, That's my '80 Chevette . A few years ago I put a 231 V6, TH350, 8" ford rear in it . It made a fun and fast daily driver for a few years.

Well Im glad this may help someone out. Most of this I figured out by myself but following the K.I.S.S. method seemed to be the way to go. I wished I had known about this site sooner. I felt like a black sheep surrounded by ford's and whatnot.

[Rattiac]

Back to the roof.

Here's the hoop all welded up.

The wood arches I made for the bends.

I finnally got the roof (hoop) bent up . Tried heating it up but wouldnt stay bent . So my boss and I bent it up cold (on a table). Clamped down one side then started bending every 6 inches +- Till it matched up with the patterns

Front section without wood. There are some steel gussets in the corners. Also tied into the steel
brackets on the sides.

[Rattiac]

I set it in and found I needed to tweek it in some places.
Also had to bend some archs from side to side , So I placed one end under a tire from my other car and used a 2x4 block of wood then stepped on the other end. (using wood is more forgiving and produces a more round bend)

[Rattiac]

Roof Done.

Did a quick tune up on the lil-mig and its all welded up.
I tied it into the existing metal braces also.

I put a "soft-top channel" (from a Wrangler) in the front for a rag top that I can roll up.



.

[Rattiac]

What I brought home..  (5-22-2011)

Parts Shopping :
Found this Walker Radiator in the local classifieds for $350. Its for a ford but it was the right width and only an inch short on the height. It was new condition. The guy that owned it thought it was too heavy for his racey T-bucket.

After looking all winter for a S-10   10-bolt w/3.73's and 59" width , I gave up and found this Ford 8.8 rear w/3.73 limited-slip for $150 . Its a 93 ranger rear with a 58.5 width (WMS) .

I learned form my last build and chose an axle I wasnt gonna have to dump a ton of dough into to get it adapted.

A local speed shop switched the bolt pattern for only $ 70 . Great guys.
He said it was one of the easiest rears to work with . No machining/welding required , just drilling.


Just checking measurements. Looking good.
The original spring perches were almost dead on , too bad there on the wrong side .
Oh well. Pick up some new one's this week.


.

[Rattiac]

Rear-End  (7-5-2011)

Preped up the Ford 8.8 to install .
(torched and ground off all the old mounts , beveled the spring pads , and so on.)


Out with the old............

In with the new.

Gonna adapt some new bumpstops to the old bracket.


.

[Rattiac]

Rear

To adapt the old shocks (ride-control)
I cut the orginal bracket off as close to the bushings as possible then got a sway-bar bushing kit , some 3" length bolts and welded the shock-rod to the top of the bolts.
(see red bushings)
Mounts up just like stock.

Talk about a perfect width .
Within a 1/2" to the edge of the running board.
(Pontiac wide-track now)

[logride]

Great job on the roof surround! I'm interested on seeing how the sliding top works that is a great idea.

I used a 4.3 in the 27 because of the short engine compartment. Originally I wanted to buy a Cosworth Vega engine for it that a good friend of mine has. They look so cool with the aftermarket side drafts and the big tube SS header coming out the other side. It would be great for a open wheel lakes style car

In the end I'm so happy with the V6 700r4 combo. Plenty of power like you had in your chevette

Good score on the radiator. Money well spent.

[ghost28]

Really nice work. On the forged spindles what were they from and how hard was it to get them to fit the  73 camaro parts?

[woodremover]

when trying to put a slight bend in steel ,such as your roof bracket's
heat the steel on one side and cool it in water .It will bend gently and keep it's shape

[EDNY]

Isn't that top hose on the Walker radiator on the GM side....

[Rattiac]

Ghost;
The spindles were from Speedway and the rotors fit perfectly. I'll post more on the brakes in the next few days.

Wood;
Thanks for the good info.

EDNY;
I think so. It worked well .