Projects black & white

JoeP. said:
Yup, off to bodywork finally. I have the dash fitted, doors gutted, and started some underhood work which will be finished by the body guy. I also thought the rear wheels could tuck underneath better, so I had the axle housing cut another 3/4" on each end so the car can sit lower if needed(it was much cheaper then buying another set of rear wheels). I'm fitting the car to a 29.5X10.5W tire, but will most likely be running the true 10.5 class with a 28X10.5. A couple hangups had me burned out on the project for awhile, but I have some quality people helping out and I'm getting excited to see the car closer to being painted.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear...I am familiar with the hang ups!

Couple questions: What BS are you running with the 12'' wheel? Do you know the housing length or the length axle to axle?

Any photos of the dash in it??

The other is easy...PM your phone number again...I lost it!

Thanks,
Keith
 
Pwraddr said:
Glad to hear...I am familiar with the hang ups!

Couple questions: What BS are you running with the 12'' wheel? Do you know the housing length or the length axle to axle?

Any photos of the dash in it??

The other is easy...PM your phone number again...I lost it!

Thanks,
Keith
Click to expand...

Keith- The axle housing was originally cut 2" shorter per side, and Dave told me to order a 12" wheel with 6" backspace. Even with the big tire, that left a full 1" gap between the inner wheel tub and the sidewall of the tire. I had a machinist buddy of mine cut another 3/4" of each end of the housing and axle shaft splines. It is easier to space the wheel out than in, if I should have any rubbing issues, and the tire is very close to the lower control arm now so I may still need to use a spacer. I would have found another wheel with 6.5" backspace had I known. I never did get a total width measurement, and will have to wait until I can get over to where the car is now to check. I'll need to measure anyway, since the wrong length axle shafts had been installed and I need to buy another pair... If you decide to cut your housing I'll have a brand new set of 35 spline Strange axles for an 8.8 with 9" ends for sale soon. They will fit a housing cut 2.5" to 3" per side.

I didn't get any photo's of the dash install yet, but I still have to finish the new cluster panel anyway. I plan to fab up a plate to hold the gauges in the car, so I can just remove the dash and leave the wiring/gauges in the car.

Let me know how your chassis repairs go, I may need a few updates to mine as well. I have heard nothing but good things about JR Racecraft in Ohio, and have plans to have him build the headers when I get to that point. He's done some very nice work for my bud J.R. Gibson and Mark Motsinger's drag radial cars!

Oh, and PM sent!

Thanks for the compliments
 
Last edited:
JoeP. said:
Keith- The axle housing was originally cut 2" shorter per side, and Dave told me to order a 12" wheel with 6" backspace. Even with the big tire, that left a full 1" gap between the inner wheel tub and the sidewall of the tire. I had a machinist buddy of mine cut another 3/4" of each end of the housing and axle shaft splines. It is easier to space the wheel out than in, if I should have any rubbing issues, and the tire is very close to the lower control arm now so I may still need to use a spacer. I would have found another wheel with 6.5" backspace had I known. I never did get a total width measurement, and will have to wait until I can get over to where the car is now to check. I'll need to measure anyway, since the wrong length axle shafts had been installed and I need to buy another pair... I you decide to cut your housing I'll have a brand new set of 35 spline Strange axles for an 8.8 with 9" ends for sale soon. They will fit a housing cut 2.5" to 3" per side.

I didn't get any photo's of the dash install yet, but I still have to finish the new cluster panel anyway. I plan to fab up a plate to hold the gauges in the car, so I can just remove the dash and leave the wiring/gauges in the car.

Let me know how your chassis repairs go, I may need a few updates to mine as well. I have heard nothing but good things about JR Racecraft in Ohio, and have plans to have him build the headers when I get to that point. He's done some very nice work for my bud J.R. Gibson and Mark Motsinger's drag radial cars!

Oh, and PM sent!

Thanks for the compliments
Click to expand...


Hey Joe,

Sorry to hear about your woes on the project. I know what you mean though as I went through the same.

My rear was built by Mark Williams (8.8) so I have a complete blueprint of everything, narrowed 2.25 per side. Let me know if you need any measurements for comparison and I will email it to you.

I am really anxious to see how the dash turned out so keep me posted!

Regarding the wheels, if you want to get a different size let me know and if they fit mine I will buy them....after all those are what I want!

Regarding the stuff I need redone on the chassis I will have Todd finish it from Reiters. My old buddy Paul Wiley (races NMRA Real Street) highly recommended him. It is just funny how I wind up paying for the stuff twice! :thumbsup:

I would really like to keep the money in Michigan if I can. Got the headers built in Indy, but wish I would have tried someone else here in MI.

Ok...enough typing see ya!
 
Pwraddr said:
Hey Joe,

Who is doing your body and paint work?
Click to expand...

I was lucky enough to enlist the same guy's who helped me on the red coupe. One guy was a bodyman, the other a painter at the Ford dealership I work at, but both have moved on to other jobs now and are working on my junk at home after hours.
 
JoeP. said:
I was lucky enough to enlist the same guy's who helped me on the red coupe. One guy was a bodyman, the other a painter at the Ford dealership I work at, but both have moved on to other jobs now and are working on my junk at home after hours.
Click to expand...

Think they would be interested in another when yours is done?
 
i like those wheels too, but after reading all the horror stories about American's customer service and quality control......i decided against them.

looks like you got a clean set though
 
It's kind of confusing because there are different length housings, but on both my cars the bearing ends are almost touching the lower control arm mount. With it set up like that, a 12" wheel fits with a 6.5"bs and a 10" with a 4.5" bs. Small spacers are necessary to keep the tire away from the lower with the offset lower arms.


JoeP. said:
Keith- The axle housing was originally cut 2" shorter per side, and Dave told me to order a 12" wheel with 6" backspace. Even with the big tire, that left a full 1" gap between the inner wheel tub and the sidewall of the tire. I had a machinist buddy of mine cut another 3/4" of each end of the housing and axle shaft splines. It is easier to space the wheel out than in, if I should have any rubbing issues, and the tire is very close to the lower control arm now so I may still need to use a spacer. I would have found another wheel with 6.5" backspace had I known. I never did get a total width measurement, and will have to wait until I can get over to where the car is now to check. I'll need to measure anyway, since the wrong length axle shafts had been installed and I need to buy another pair... If you decide to cut your housing I'll have a brand new set of 35 spline Strange axles for an 8.8 with 9" ends for sale soon. They will fit a housing cut 2.5" to 3" per side.
Click to expand...
 
That's how I have the housing ends set up now too, they are right up next to the lower control arm brackets. We went a step further and chucked the housing ends up in a lathe and machined a step into them, so they fit inside the axle tubes another 1/4" for a little extra clearance. Those ends are HARD, and they tore up a few cutting bits in the process, but the end result is pretty nice and the W's really tuck under well now. I do have offset lower control arms, but they may also get modified for a little more offset so a spacer may not be required. Thanks for the compliments!
 
I haven't posted any progress pics in a long time, so here's a few I found of the metal work, before I sent the car out for bodywork. The 1/4's have been stretched and easily fit the 29.5X10.5w's. This took the most time, since we ended up trimming/moving the lower toque box reinforcement plate (in front of the tire) forward, and fabbed up new sheetmetal for much of the original stock outer wheelwell tub to completely smooth the inside of the tubs, making it easy to scrape off old rubber inside the wheelwell and eliminating the large gap that used to exist between the stock outer tub and new inner tubs. We closed the fuel door opening, trimmed the trunklid hinges to clear the new mini-tubs, and smoothed the engine bay. Hopefully there will be new pictures soon with the paint work started.

P1010111.jpg

P1010110.jpg

P1010107.jpg

P1010108.jpg

P1010109.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top