35 Ford Coupe

[FRANK BASILE]

Here we go Brett . 1973 . The marriage of a small block Chev into the coupe . My dad giving me a hand

[FRANK BASILE]

[imghttps://s18.postimg.org/jukdxvqzd/Image_18.jpg][/img]And some more Brett . One photo is 1972 with "stock livery" . One photo is interior with powerglide ,this was replaced soon after with a 3 speed Chev manual box and Hurst shifter, Holden V8 Clutch and Studebaker bell housing . The steel flywheel was made in Castlemaine . Column shaft is 48 Ford with 48 steering box .Top half of shaft is 63 Falcon . The outer column housing is 63 Falcon ,my dad spun an adaptor to mate the larger diameter column at the box.[visible in engine photo] The other shot is the Chev fitted via front plate to the original flathead points on the cross member using Cortina donut mounts

[35coupe]

Superb Frank.

That front engine plate is now with Tony Richards... think he was going to use it in the Forty.

[FRANK BASILE]

Another versatility of the SBC Brett . That ability to front mount . Louis Chevrolet must have fore seen that one day Hot Rodders would use his product in Fords . . Solves clearance problems , downside if any was the need to go electric fuel pump from memory with that plate ,a re design could solve that little matter . Just reminded me now , I used a "Toronto" pump and it became troublesome , fitted a Jag pump and it would have the vehicle starving when floored up a long hill , they do not like restriction . The Chev Rochester carby on the 283 use a porous bronze filter behind the fuel inlet. It was new when the carb got a make over with the engine build ,I ditched it anyway and used a different filter ,no more problems

[Twin Spinner]

Just wondering, were those SBC front mounts available back in the 70's as a kit, I remember a fella at a mine in the NT that had a stock standard looking 48 Mercury with a 307 bolted to the old 3 on the tree gearbox.

[Oldcol]

Yes,they are called saddle mounts and were first offered in the USA by Hurst as a generic front mount. I started making them here in '75 specifically to fit the early Fords.

[Twin Spinner]

Thanks Col, He may have gotten a kit from you as I remember he was from Melbourne and doing a working trip around Australia in the old merc.

[FRANK BASILE]

The particular unit in the 35 was home built . It was oxy cut from sheet steel plate using a pattern published in an American Hot Rod magazine with all dimensions including bolt hole spacing .

[coolmint 35]

I believe that Brett known as 35 coupe on here is rebuilding Dominics coupe. Was talking to him at one of the Eagles run at Dandy RSL.

[FRANK BASILE]

I believe that Brett known as 35 coupe on here is rebuilding Dominics coupe. Was talking to him at one of the Eagles run at Dandy RSL.

Hi John . Photos on my prev posts taken 1972/3 -75 on this thread is the coupe Brett is now re building . I swapped it for a restored 1934 Ford late 75 ,the guy who got it then traded it to a car yard . It changed hands to Alan McDonald , before Dominic got it . Dominic did the later top chop ? Along the way someone had colour changed it light metallic green [late 70,s] .
Prev history had this vehicle as a resto from Les Mathieson sold to Geoff Moffitt who sold it to me circa 71 as a three way deal where I sold a 32 Roadster . It was rolling body on chassis disassembled front clip ,no engine or trans when I got it.

[Oldcol]

The car was still the russet colour that Les had painted it at the time Al Mc.D had it , as Frank said it was at a car yard in Bulleen (Vic) and Al spotted it and worked out a straight trade for his Wild Violet XA V8 ,4 speed GS wagon..... I remember going there with him to pick it up, we thought it was a pisser of a deal ....remembering that at that time the XA was relatively valueless due to the fuel shortage scare that saw anything with a V8 being reduced in value to near scrap prices.....now that same Falcon with it's list of rare options would be a hi-buck car, but not then. The Coupe wasn't in all that good shape mechanically,particularly the engine which was a stinker (literally)....but it did run and Al being a bit of a tightarse wasn't about to spend anything on rebuilding an engine, so it got pressed into daily duties as the Falcon replacement.
We used to often go into the city in it around midnight Friday to pick up the Age hot off the presses , but the fumes were pretty hard on the nose...back window was always wound down and sometimes even the deck lid was left open to get some airflow . I can't remember what Al did with it, he moved on to horses (dunno why) and sold off most of his cars and we lost touch. It's possible that Domenic was the next owner, certainly it was he that sliced the roof ( to my horror) and painted it green. It did look pretty slick though,just seemed a shame to cut up such a mint body.....eventually it got sold again and Brett's father Greg bought it. It was pretty shitty underneath and for a few years Greg brought bits and pieces along to my workshop to do repairs on.....now Brett has taken over the project with serious progress being made at last, so hopefully we'll see it up and happening before too long.

[FRANK BASILE]

And I got a bit peeved that it ended up in a car yard when I saw the guy again ,name escapes me at the moment , If I knew he was going to do that later on whilst he still had it ,I would have offered the reverse swap back for something to trade . He did give the coupe a hiding , I remember also that he dented the lower roof on the section between the rear window and the rear qtr window . Col must have been scanning the "Veteran &Vintage cars for sale" column in what was known as "ICPOTA" .

[35coupe]

All good history here.

When the car was in Dominic's hands it the 283 was retired for a 307 / Muncie aned tank fairlane rear end.

I believe he sold it to Mark Fenton ~81. My Dad bought it from Mark, when it was running the 350 sbc. Drivenline in the car was excellent by then... chassis not so much... based on the 'adventures' my Dad recalls having...

He drove it was his daily from 83 on, and retired it in 86 as tje frame was literally falling apart.

[FRANK BASILE]

Wonder why the rear end swap Brett . I had already fitted a 9" from a 64 Galaxy into it . Track difference?
"

[35coupe]

Wonder why the rear end swap Brett . I had already fitted a 9" from a 64 Galaxy into it . Track difference?
"

Maybe? That an ratio? 3.00:1