I grew up in the ‘golden age’ of 60’s Hot Rodding. The Gasser Wars, Big Daddy Roth, Von Dutch pinstriping, Fender Dump Headers, and Skulls and Bones. A lot of times it was how big a motor can be shoved into how stripped down a crate we could assemble! How to make all this questionable experience come together without having total chaos? Well, of course you know it didn’t! For the ’38, the only surviving frame pieces are the main side rails and the front cross member. Frame is now narrowed 12 inches just behind the cab and wheel tubs blended into the bed to allow application of decent meat.
A heavy wall square tube X center member and other support bracing was designed and constructed-no more broken motor mounts when meeting potholes. The frame rails are boxed, and the motor mounts are moved back 12 inches from stock for better weight distribution. More gussets and braces, with a driveshaft loop and exhaust pipe reliefs included in the cross bracing. A completely new firewall would be necessary, folded around an explosion proof bell housing.
The front axle is a 1937 Ford ‘smiling’ tube with cross steering. The wishbones are only split 8 inches and set on double hiem joints. A Posie spring is used with Ride Tech adjustable shocks. Steering is assisted by a Ford LTD power box. The rear layout has 36-inch Chris Alston Ladder Bars with Coil Overs and adjustable shocks, steadied by a 36-inch panhard bar rather than a track bar. The Ladder mounts are welded onto 1960’s Halibrand Engineering steel axel tubes. The original center was a Halibrand V8 quick change with heavy duty axels and bearings. Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes all with SS lines were applied, with the front using Wilwood hubs and spindles. An E-Brake works the Wilwood drum emergency brakes on each rear axel.
The beast is on its feet, at least as soon as I find the right rims and tires. For the ‘stock’ look I desired, I took the 1938 6X4 Artillery rims to a master machinist, and the wheels re-emerged as 16X8 front and 16X12 rear, absolute perfect balance and alignment! The rebuilt rims were originally dressed with 12 inch Hoosier Pro Street Radials rear, and Goodyear F1 radials in front. Now, let us find something fun to properly power all these rolling parts and pieces. A bored and stroked mill with a roller cam and roller rockers is next!
