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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 10:54:47 GMT -5
alright, this spring/summer i quickly threw together my 58 imperial 4 door sedan for a couple of the local fair derbies. i cut myself short on time and money, but still got it together good enough to go out and have some fun. i have had a few guys on here asking for pics/tips, so rather than send multiple pm's, i figured i'd throw this topic together... i cant afford to buy all the cool guy parts, so keep that in mind when viewing this topic. the rules for the shows (same promoter) are mild weld, although the inspection isnt very thorough and some of the cars were very built/loaded/cheated. Nonetheless, i am making this topic to share pics of my build, my experiences, and tips on building one of these full framers...
let me start by saying these cars are very heavy, i believe around 3 ton. i only ran a 305/350 combo in mine this past season. that gutless engine along with the 4:11 gears in the corporate 14bolt, left me being a sitting duck for all the newer fords with built engines and crazy gears. i was forced to drive defensively rather than me being the instigator, which wasn't much fun. i did learn a lot though, so i guess thats good...
here are some brief tips of mine for these cars:
-the bodies/sheetmetal are weak
i would recommend adding as many body bolts as possible, as well as strapping all body seams inside and out. i believe if i could redo the rear body setup of mine, i would have wedged it and welded/strapped the smashed down fins to the top of the trunk lid. i then would have made new body bolts/allthread go through the frame and wedged rear body...
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:27:03 GMT -5
-the frames on these cars are awesome, but could use some attention in key areas
The factory seam welds on mine left a lot to be desired. They weren't consistantly spaced, and the quality was on the poor side. So if it is within your rules, i would recommend seam welding. For the back of the frame, although it is boxed and small in size, it is pretty stout. I put a very good dimple in mine right behind the leaf mounts, but it is starting to go up where the frame y's off for the rear bumper. These frames also lack a large crossmember/tray over the rear end, so if it is within your rules i would suggest welding such in. For the front of these...yea they're pretty f'n awesome. I could only fathom it bending a-arms forward. With that in mind, i closed the small y at the front frame rails/horns, and also welded the top frame seams from the factory shock location forward. These 2 things along with the 2"x2" 1/4" wall homemade bumper shocks left me feeling more confident about the front end.
-front suspenion and steering are a little weak
The factory steering components are more on the weak side. I would highly suggest reinforcing the tie rods and centerlink if within your rules. I didnt reinforce the center link and highly regret it. After i tried driving onto the back of a majorly wedged towncar, both my front wheels were going opposite directions because the centerlink bent hardcore into a banana shape. While building the car, my factory p/s steering box decided to lock up on me. With only a couple days until the derby, i didnt have the time or knowledge to rebuild/repair it. We replaced the factory steering box with one off a 1st gen camaro. It took some work and figuring, but i was very satisfied with the results. I could steer the car with one finger easily.
The factory front suspension looked good and heavy, but i was unsure of finding brakes for it and dont care much for front drums. I switched out the front suspension with items from a metric gm. Luckily one of my great sponsors (Advance Auto) took care of me and i lucked up on new brake parts.
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:35:18 GMT -5
-a good cage is a must
The frame rails of these cars set quite a distance in from the outside edges of the body. Due to the lack of body strength, the lower sides of the car will bend inward towards the frame. I highly, HIGHLY suggest a well built, well thought out cage. Gussets, kickers, and a gas tank protector help majorly.
-doghouse is junk
The front fenders aren't very tough, and the core support is a big disappointment. I would suggest reinforcing all these pieces if within the rules. If not, then maybe switch out to parts that are better.
With all that being said, i will wrap this up by saying it was a blast pulling into the pits with this old gal. Everyone stopped and dropped what they were doing to stare at the car. The compliments were endless everytime i ran the car. If it weren't for the help of my family, wife, and a few close friends, i wouldn't have gotten to run the car. I can't thank them all enough. I am planning on having it ready to go again next summer, with a new front doghouse, wedged ass end, some kickers, and a lot more power and gear.... NOW TIME FOR THE PICS...
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:37:49 GMT -5
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:39:58 GMT -5
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:43:47 GMT -5
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:47:27 GMT -5
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:50:26 GMT -5
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 11:53:03 GMT -5
the body got beat up pretty good, but its nothing a porta power, bobcat, a welder, and some strapping/kickers wont fix... ;D the frame hasnt bent at all anywhere except where the driver side of the rear bumper is going up...  |
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Post by lowrollinjosh on Oct 12, 2012 21:13:45 GMT -5
Dang almost 150 views and no comments???  |
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Post by muletool on Oct 12, 2012 23:19:16 GMT -5
That car looks pretty damn sweet. Would love to pull into a show with that on the trailer.
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Post by chevyimperial on Oct 13, 2012 7:41:28 GMT -5
Why did you chop the front stabilizer bar up and weld it back on?
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Post by ibendcars on Oct 13, 2012 9:14:38 GMT -5
Comments?
More pics of wife ;D
Oh comments on the car
Looks like a lot of welding and holy bumper building. If it fits your rules then right on.
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Post by derbydriver666 on Oct 13, 2012 10:11:49 GMT -5
holy bumper building and 2ft of squaretubing for brackets  |
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2012 10:25:42 GMT -5
holy bumper building and 2ft of squaretubing for brackets Exactly wat I was thinking,lol 121 |
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