Yeah that's the bad part of an axle that low. I like the axle and front crossmember to sit about even, but on this one I couldn't. Had I gone with a 6" drop axle, which would look better, my radius rods would be below the frame rails for sure, and I definitely wanted the look of the ones I'm using. It took a LOT of work to get it this low without safety issues.My experience with a tall vertical windshield is just what Meangreen says - a lot of buffeting as the air comes around it at higher speeds. After a long search I found a supplier that makes windwing brackets and sells a kit with the brackets and pre-cut Lexan wings. The wings did greatly reduce the buffeting but there is still some. Our next step may be a top but I would miss the open feel of the topless bucket. I agree with the comments on the stance - it looks great. You were smart to consider the scrub line when you designed and built the frame - the builder of my car didn't and there would be some damage to the the engine oil pan and some of the lower suspension parts if we had a flat in a front tire. I plan to change the front axle from a 6" drop to a 4" (or maybe less if I can find one). That would prevent the suspension from hitting the pavement but I would have to raise the engine to prevent damage to the pan and don't want to do that.
Bama bucket. Put some 20" wheels on it like a donk.
I was amazed at how many incidental, small issues that had to be addressed just when I thought the end was near. I had a list of things to do and it seemed every time I scratched one off, I wrote 1 or 2 more! But yes, the end does eventually come and the reward is awesome. And being particular and meticulous now will save much trouble later. People say I'm really anal, but when I drove the car for the first time it was nearly perfect. And the last motor I built started and ran with no issues. A buddy built the same engine (Mopar 440) and didn't take the proper measurements and precautions. He had it back out and apart 3 times at last count.5,000 little things? Is that all? By the time you're done it will seem more like 50,000. One good successful run to a cruise-in or rod run, though, and all that frustration will fade from memory...
Actually, building your car so low does lower the center of gravity. The engine has to remain at a practical height for ground clearance under the pan. It would likely be at that same height (or close to it) regardless of how the rest of the car is built, so dropping everything around it down lowers the static weight of all those things which lowers the overall center of gravity.
Ron, thanks for the suggestion to change to a bigger wheel - I should have thought of that myself. I also like Dale's contribution to the discussion about 24" or 28" - I will do some checking on the 'net to get the latest info about sizes and bigger is better in this case. I certainly wouldn't have any scrub line problems with 28s. I would go with them on the back too to get the proper stance . That DONK idea we discussed in Pigeon Forge seems to still be alive and well. I had hoped that Ron would build a prototype but I know he is busy with running his shop so I may have to run with the idea.
Dale, I will continue to follow the progress of your safe and well engineered build. I am always trying to learn how to do thinks right and your car is a good example.
All I can say is.........wowHere ya go this company is making 32s http://starrwheelgroup.com/chevy-camaro32-starr-569-bear/
The rental place around here is.....you guessed it........"Rent-a-Rim". How brain dead do you have to be to RENT rims fo yo bubble-top? (That's an Impala for those of you with no street cred....)Donk? I didn't know there was a name for those ignorant ugly things or where it came from, but I can probably come up with a couple of more appropriate acronyms... How about SLOOPPOS (stupid looking out of proportion piece of $#!t) or maybe IHUJ (ill-handling unsafe junk). The owners are IWNSOEs (idiots with no sense of esthetics)... I saw a store where you can "rent-to-own" those big stupid wheels and tires! The real sad part of that fad is sometimes the wheels and tires cost more than the vehicle they're bolted on is worth. Take away the $4,000 wheels and the $3,000 stereo and the remaining vehicle is worth maybe $800. What a joke!
You are exactly right. I put down the rice burners for a long time and those ring ding ding mufflers on their mamas Honda. Truth is that's all the kind of cars they have to play with and try to hot rod. they can't afford the old muscle cars anymore. Heck a LOT of us can't, so you make do with what you have if you truly are a car lover. Some people hate the rat rod style but I love it. I don't consider unsafe junk "Rat rods". To me Rat is making do with what you have, but if it's not safe it's junk. When my son brought home a civic and said "let's make a race car", I just laughed. First time he ate a mustang for lunch, I took a little notice. Basically I enjoy anyone's passion for cars, even if I don't like their TASTE in cars!To The rental place around here is.....you guessed it........"Rent-a-Rim". How brain dead do you have to be to RENT rims fo yo bubble-top? (That's an Impala for those of you with no street cred....)
Dale
To each his own-- can you remember when the Chicano s were building custom cars with outrageous paint jobs on LEAD SLEDS? It's all in the eye of the beholder. Can you remember when Total Performance had its orange Bucket with the 20" wheels on the rear? Can you remember borrowing your buddies wheels to change the look of your ride? Donks are just another way of getting attention by being "different" and saying "look" at ME. I just laugh and smile at the wasted money they've spent on something just for attention and not to better the ride. Not for me and a lot of others--but you can't say what will be the next trend coming as everything and everyone changes to the environment around them, and who's to say someone is changing because they have to with the new technology and availability of parts and pieces as well as dealing with Gov'mnt standards. Flying cars and autonomous cars ARE in the future whether we like it or not. Technology is advancing rapidly but the laws are slow in keeping up to move it along as MONEY and liability plays a BIG factor in how things play out. Just MY opinions only on DONKS and the future of HOT Cars.
You are exactly right. I put down the rice burners for a long time and those ring ding ding mufflers on their mamas Honda. Truth is that's all the kind of cars they have to play with and try to hot rod. they can't afford the old muscle cars anymore. Heck a LOT of us can't, so you make do with what you have if you truly are a car lover. Some people hate the rat rod style but I love it. I don't consider unsafe junk "Rat rods". To me Rat is making do with what you have, but if it's not safe it's junk. When my son brought home a civic and said "let's make a race car", I just laughed. First time he ate a mustang for lunch, I took a little notice. Basically I enjoy anyone's passion for cars, even if I don't like their TASTE in cars!
I can see all sides of it. On one hand I don't like rice burners or donks, or jumping beans and I would never rent anything like wheels. The truth is those guys are a lot like us trying to make something they think is cool and doing the best they know how to do and can afford. Hell, my first attempts at hot rods were not what I would call successful by my current taste and ability and I didn't have a cool ride to start with. I tried to improve what I could afford and I learned a lot doing it...Good and bad. My goal was to embarrass (impress) those guys that had the cool cars with a piece that I built with scrap yard parts because I didn't have the means to go buy a Mach 1 or Z 28. I hate the sound of the rice burners, but I must say some of them are fast as Hell. Technology is alive and well with the variable valve timing, turbos, ecm tuning, etc...and lets not even talk about fuel mileage. My 427 drinks enough to just about buy a rice burner...Lol. The hydraulics are very trick in the low riders; We have the same goals, just different methods, They use batteries and hydraulics, I use cubic inches and horsepower. We both try to get the wheels off of the ground! You don't have to like their cars to appreciate their passion for the hobby and visa versa...I recently had an eye opening conversation with my Nephew. I just assumed he was a typical jackass based on his taste in cars, clothes, music, etc, but he didn't have the experience or knowledge about the 60's and 70's cars. The guys he knew all had tuners and the like. After he realized what I was into (by taking a real ride with an old man) he had a new found love for things I like. Just my $.02 worth.You are exactly right. I put down the rice burners for a long time and those ring ding ding mufflers on their mamas Honda. Truth is that's all the kind of cars they have to play with and try to hot rod. they can't afford the old muscle cars anymore. Heck a LOT of us can't, so you make do with what you have if you truly are a car lover. Some people hate the rat rod style but I love it. I don't consider unsafe junk "Rat rods". To me Rat is making do with what you have, but if it's not safe it's junk. When my son brought home a civic and said "let's make a race car", I just laughed. First time he ate a mustang for lunch, I took a little notice. Basically I enjoy anyone's passion for cars, even if I don't like their TASTE in cars!