Page 41 - Issue 36

VIN in hand, Jac chopped the top, sliced off the nose, and hung
the body over a frame jig he made just for this project. For being a
50-plus year old body it was in pretty good shape. There was one
spot behind the driver’s door with a half-inch of Bondo. According
to Jac, the metal underneath “looked like it was beat out with an
ice pick and a ball peen hammer by a fifth-grader.” Luckily, his
neighbor Victor works on aircraft sheetmetal for a living and was
able to smooth out the previous attempt at bodywork.

The frame design was a big deal since he plans on running in
the 9’s in the quarter mile. It’s all .120” wall mild steel and built to
certify at 8.50’s. Length gives stability and with a wheelbase of
147” he should be pretty damned stable. A bulletproof Ford 9-inch
with a Detroit Locker and 3.90’s puts the power to the 30” x 13.00”
Mickey Thompsons. Air bags, 50/50 shocks, and home-brewed
ladder bars complete the rear. It’s super simple
up front with a dropped straight axle
and 90/10 shocks. All sheetmetal is
16 gauge which again, is heavier
than required.

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