1932 Ford 1932 Ford Frame Chassis Hot Rod Flathead Traditional florida
Clarke Hot Rods
05.12.2010
A Timeless Hot Rod Chassis – Updated
Categories: Project Updates

100_4731

It seems like lately the hot rod hobby is being inundated with all these “period correct” rules and regulations, and our shop is no different. We get so caught up in building cars that represent and “era” or even a specific year “1948″, that we lose sight of what is really important: build a hot rod that is fast, basic, dependable, and drivable. We used to have a saying around here that we build cars you drive 80 in the left lane….and this is one of those cars.

We were asked to build this chassis for Bobby Lynch with a pretty simple request and a long leash – Bobby wanted a nice tight car, with a killer stance, big ‘n littles, stick axles front and rear, chrome and polish everything, a big-inch flatmotor, and 3 pedals. Here is the start of that – our standard 106″ chassis, chrome I-beam, chrome ‘pins, 9″ on four bars….more to follow….

01.18.2010
Baer’s New 5window Project
Categories: Project Updates

We have done a few projects for Shawn Baer over the years – you have all seen the sanitary little ‘31 on deuce rails from a few years back – well Baer is back to the table for another project. This time is is a flathead Ford powered ‘32 5w, 3speed, closed drive, ‘40 rear, unsplit bone, ‘40 brakes, etc. We are doing some out of the box things to dress the frame up a bit – We aren’t boxing the frame, only small sections near the crossmember to tighten those areas up a bit, and will follow up with some rivets for good measure. We’ve pancaked a ‘37 rear crossmember since this car will not be running a Quick-change, and a few more trick touches down the road – stay tuned….

.

12.24.2009
Some Random Pics of Hot Rod Fun in Daytona Beach…
Categories: Events
12.24.2009
Chip Foose’s P32 Roadster
Categories: Cars

I was just sitting here on Christmas Eve clearing out some old pics and videos – and ran across this one of Chip moving his roadster from one side of the shop to the other. We were just standing there in the shop last June, and he needed to make some room – I just barely got my camera out and on in time to catch the moment -

12.22.2009
A Doane Spencer Style ‘32 Chassis for Barry Hilderbrand – UPDATED 12/22
Categories: Project Updates, Tech Articles

chassis-shot-2-dsrIn the last few years, the guys up at the Rolling Bones shop in New York have taken an old idea and worked it back into style. The ‘Bones guys took the Doane Spencer ‘32 front suspension setup, and put their own spin on it, and have put some really great looking hot rods on the street in the last few years. The basic idea that Spencer had was to place the spring behind the axle, and mount the spring perches to the wishbones. This lowers the front of the car dramatically, without dropping the axle. The axle is pushed forward just slightly, lengthening the wheelbase, but keeping the axle behind the chin of the grille shell. The front frame horns are pinched  about 10″ from the cowl, allowing the frame rails to follow the bottom of the hood sides, and disappearing into the grille shell at the front.

Here are some early shots of the Hilderbrand’s frame going together in our shop -

08.07.2009
How-To: 1932 Ford Front Mainleaf Reversing
Categories: Tech Articles

Yesterday at the shop we reversed the main leaf for the front of Joe Malki’s ForDor – this is pretty simple tech, and is the fastest, cheapest way to get a couple inches of lower on your Early Ford.

Step one is to obviously dis-assemble the spring back, clamp it, take hte bolt out, and slowing back the clamp off. Next we like to lay the spring on the floor, and draw the arc of the spring out with some chalk. Next, mark the spring in 1 1/2″ increments from one end to the other, and the top of the leaf. I fogot to snap a picture of this, but basically starting from the hole in the center, make a mark ever 1 1/2″ down the spring until you get about 2″ from the rolled portion at the end.

From here we go to the press, and place to blocks 5″ apart, and press each mark that we made on the spring 5 times each. We bring the press down until it makes contact on the leaf, then give it five hits with the press, and move to the next mark. Continue back and forth along the lenght of the spring until it is prefectly straight. This may take a few passes. Don’t get impatient and try to do 6-7 hits per mark, as you may kink the leaf, by trying to bend too much at a time in one location.

Once you get it straight, continue the process in the same direction, until you have the correct arch going in the opposite direction. Re-assemble the spring and enjoy your new ride height!

07.01.2009
Joe Mialki’s A-V8 Chassis Underway –
Categories: Project Updates
Model A Front Crossmember

This is a new project, a ‘32 frame, with the pinchwork for a model A body. Instead of pinching the frame drastically, we re-contour the rails themselves, before any boxing or cross members are added. This chassis will be receiving a ‘31 coupe body, with a 59A flathead, 3 speed, closed drive with a Rodsville quickchange – Read more »

07.01.2009
New Deuce ForDor Project
Categories: Cars

My friend Joe called me up Saturday morning, needing my help to pick up a car. I had no pick plans for my day, and it was 100 degrees out, so I said lets go.

Turns out Joe was going to pick up this ForDor – super complete, very nice original sedan.  Aluminum oil pan, nice fenders with no bead brakes, etc. The plan is to build it slide in a hotter 59A motor, lincoln brakes, reverse the main leaves, and drive it…

06.20.2009
Friday Swap Meet – SoCal Open House – Party @ Walden Speed
Categories: LA Roadster Show 2009

100_3368Friday started out with another dose of pure insanity – the LA Roadster Show Swap Meet has no assigned swap meet spots – the entire deal is first come first serve. The guy who was 4th in line was there at noon on Wednesday. That’s right 48 hours before the gates open. The gates opened at 10am, so I wandered out there around 9:30 – parked my roadster to the side and walked throught the rows to find Max and Bob – They got in line at 3am, and rolled in the gate at 10:30. Since my roadster is for sale, I planned to park it in the swap area over the weekend, and figured that I should park it inside the show Friday.

The LA Roadsters club has some basic rules – the car must be finished, with nice paint and upholstery. When the LA Roadsters club started the show, the idea was to make hot rodders appear more friendly to the public, and not a bunch of trouble making kids – so they only wanted nice respectable cars in the show. This is basically the only rules they enforce.

The most interesting part of the show – It is free – if you have a roadster, you and your car get in free.

I ran around the swap meet taking some pics and buying some stuff – I tried to buy only small things given the limited space in Max’s trailer, and the fact that I am 2500 miles from home. This is the best early Ford swap meet I have ever attended – by far. So many stocker ’32’s for sale – a slick fresh roadster right out of a garage – coupes – sedans…Kinmont brakes…awesome. Read more »

06.19.2009
Thursday – Limeworks Open House – More Canyon Runs
Categories: LA Roadster Show 2009

100_3291Since the weather is so awesome here, we’ve been leaving the balcony door open at night for the cool fresh air instead of running the air conditioning.  The light coming in usually wakes me up, but I slept a little later this morning since I was out late racing in Huntington Wed night. Instead the sound of a rumbling flathead woke me up around 7:30….Hot Rods had begun invading the hotel parking lot. I got up and wandered down to breakfast and checked out what we had in the lot – a few guys had arrived from Missouri – driving – two roadsters and a 3w coupe, the Lesky’s of Ionia Rod Shop also arrived with the green roadster.

The big event on today’s agenda was LimeWorks Open house and lunch. This is only the second year they have done this, and it had more than doubled in size – it was advertised as being 11 to 2, but Steve told me people were there at 8am – and when we left at 4, there were new cars arriving. So much for a lunch event, it turned out to be an all day event. I guess that is a testament to the the many customers they have, and people that have Read more »