Brad's 52 Hornet Sedan Build Thread

segajeep

Holy Poop! Those are some sexy bits of metal. You'll be sure to make one or two extra( along with your crank trigger ignition stuff)

[Deleted User]

I like the litle access panel you added for the fuel sending unit,
Roger

Snailslayer

I can get some extra intake flanges if you want one or 2 or 10. But you have to promise you will share your fuel and ignition maps with me once your dialed in, if you want to be the guineau pig we could work a deal :P . The EDIS stuff is readily available from ebay - I bought mine from Atomicjawbreaker or some such seller for like $70. Boost Engineering also has EDIS stuff to buy, and they carry the Megajolt lite jr to run it also ( but megajolt or megasquirt cost more $$).

Im glad you like the access panel idea. I got the idea after changing a fuel pump in a compact foreign car that had one, and then a GM vehicle which had no access panel, necessitaing draining the tank, dropping the fuel tank and brackets/ wiring etc which is way more work than it should be. Chalk one up for some forethought!

segajeep

I'm a loong way from having the car running (the motor is still siezed) But instead of pissing with the original carb and the lame stock exhaust, I want to go straight to EFI. I was considering a Clifford intake and a FAST 4 barrel replacement kit. Then when I saw your intake I thought of triple Webers or a triple version of CB's Weber look alike EFI. What I like about FAST is that it's plug and play and it learns as you drive.

I was referring to the custom stiff you'll need for EDIS (Pullet etc.) I have limited access to fab equipment otherwise I'd make it myself.

Snailslayer

Ive never heard of FAST, I'll have to check it out. Im going to Go with Megasquirt as my brainbox. My understanding is that Megasquirt also has a self learning mode and the newer tuning software "tunerstudio" is pretty good. Megasquirt has a written manual and there is a support forum as well as others online that are pretty fluent with it, so thats why i chose that route. More learning to do, but thats what winter is for!

I think im going with 3 CB 40mm IDF throttle bodies for my setup. I asked CB about running thier new new quicktune ECU and they said it can only be used for 4 cylinder acvw engines for whatever reason. And they have thier own crank trigger ignition setup. So, CB ECU is out.

The only fab stuff for the Ford EDIS is a bracket to mount the VR sensor, and mounting the crank 36-1 wheel to the balancer. the rest is just wiring.

Redline Weber and many other companies have ECUs and systems so i guess it comes down to preference. I considered the 4bbl with clifford intake and headers setup as well, but decided im going the hard way. You will still have to weld bungs in the manifold and other fab work. ITB vs single TB is a long debate. I have a good idea for throttle linkage for the Hornet. Ive messed with Webers on my VW so i wasnt as scared to try to run multicarb setup and did it just because. Id likr to try a triple weber IDF setup some time, when im ready to invest in a helacious amount of jets for tuning them LOL

vmike

I rarely post on a topic, but this one speaks to me. I've been fabricating an EFI for my pacemaker project as well. My plan is to use an Edmunds dual two barrel manifold with a pair of TBI units from one of those mid 80s Corvette/Camero/Firebird dual throttle body manifolds. I have the ECU/harness/sensors/distributor that mated with the TBIs. I'm also considering the possibility of the megasquirt, since I have a couple I've not yet played with. I do have as well a ford EDIS I was planning to use. This is fun stuff, I thought I was the only oddball. Most of the rodders I know cringe at the mention of electronics on an engine.

mike

faustmb

I'll be following this too. I would like to have an EFI 308 in my truck. Haven't got into it at all yet, but I was figuring a homebrew deal. Good to know there are other working on it.

Snailslayer

Glad Im not the only one playing with it either. If you get your EDIS up and running, Ib be interested in pics of your set and timing maps. Ill post my findings as i get to that point. As we progress, we should start a dedicated 308 EFI thread and/ or EDIS thread as ell.

I think you may be farther ahead welding in bungs for port injection instead of the Dual TBI in the edmunds manifold. Thatll be a sweet looking setup if you keep the twin h aircleaners. If I ever get this one up and running, I think the next one will be Supercharged EFI. but I gotta get some tuning under my belt first. walk, then run!

Snailslayer

Stripped the hood, front fenders and doors off the hornet. removed the glass from the doors and the rear quarter glass. I also removed the stainless from the car, successfully! By using a paint scraper from home depot, a plastic scraper and hammer, curved pick and 3 beers, it was all one. The GM rust inhibitor is some badass stuff. Its 3x better than PB blaster. I blasted the trim and the door hinges. everything came off without a hitch except 2 hinge screws I had to drill out.

Snailslayer

Here are some scanned pictures of the rust repair that the fabricator took along the way.










and heres the flanges mocked up on the 308. they need a little tweakingto get the whers to seat properly, but that will be done same time as the welding. I have a header flange to help secure them down, not shown in the pic.

[Deleted User]

Very impressive and nice clean work. Thanks for sharing and posting for us to look at. Bob P

bent metal

More pictures please. Interesting project!

The transition from square to round, which I see you haven't finished yet. What is the length of that?

Snailslayer

Bent Metal,
The flanges are machined aluminum. total thickness is 3/4". each step is 1/4".
the transition will be hand finished (as you noted) after the intake runners are welded in place. I machined a 2" OD round step for a runner locator as teh pipe or tubing will be either 2" OD or a little less depending on the tube/ pipe used.

the 2" OD Outer step is offset to the outside edge to allow more clearance for the TIG welder to get in there. there is 1/4" gap in the middle of the 2 runners. The step where the manifold hold downs are are machined at 3/8" thick, to match the header flange thickness for a nice tight seal.

I hope this makes sense. Question: At what angle is the engine tilted upward? the stock carb flanges are tilted so the carbs are perpendicular to the ground. I sould mimic this in my triple setup for maximum hood clearance and to keep the carb floats level (should I run carbs someday). thanks

Snailslayer

Heres a bump to my thread. This is my inspiration model as I cant photoshop. Im trying to pic a color to paint it to go with the back 17" rims with black wall tires. this is kind of the stance ill be going for. No resin rims available so I guess paper cutouts will have to do for now

More updates coming...

Snailslayer

More progress. removed dash, gauges and front glass. The body manual is decieving sometimes as to the work it takes to remove such items. Heater valve, hoses and fan removed also. getting closer.

If anybody has a core 52 marbled face speedo or clock face, PM me. only need the face with numbers, no guts or housing.

54SuperWasp

Keep up posting Volksheime, nice work! Michel

lsfirth

I know what you mean about some things not being easy to disassemble. My dash was a real bugger to get out!

BTW...thanks for the check for the hubs....you didn't need to do that, but I won't turn down beer money :-)

Keep up the great work!

Lee

Snailslayer

Thanks for the parts Lee, hopefully they work out as well as they do in my head

little progress except for parts accumulation.

For some extra spring motivation, i bought some automotive paint and had them put it in a rattle can for me to paint a Mobieus model. My goal was to match the horn Button. note on the horn buttons, one has a lighter orange hue. I was going for that one but got the other.
I was hard core 2 tone (roof & visor one color) but dont know what to paint the roof... copper, ivory, tan, bronze pearl etc etc., or to leave the roof this bronze, and paint the body a meduim complimentary shade. cars look lower and better with a darker roof, generally speaking so this is why im torn. Im a long ways away from paint.

I mocked it up with some wide whites with stock wheels and hubcaps, and a poor paper cutout of the 17" rims i want to run with blackwalls (scaled the are pictured at 19-20 inch) car should be lowered about 3-4" all the way around.

I have some bare metal foinl on order to chrome out the side and window trim to see how the total package will look. The colors really growing on me, i think the stepdowns look so very classy and sleek in dark metallic colors, but damn they are hard to keep clean.

any comments welcome... or anybody photoshop savy and willing can save me some money on paint and paint stripper!

lsfirth

Hey Brad...that rootbeer brown looks great! Now that you mention it, the darker metalics do look good on the stepdowns. I think an ivory top would go nice with this color of brown. I've been thinking about a Hotrodz satin silver for mine....maybe with a black top. But that's a long ways off....

Those Mobieus models are sweet....I might have to pic one up just for inspiration!

Keep up the great work!

Lee

Snailslayer

Lee,
Hes a link to an ebay auction that has a 48/49 coupe resin body with appropriate trim. $48 starting bid and you still need a donor mobieus model. Might be better off finding a diecast one and just spraying it, and cutting the suspension down too I guess. Silver with a black top would look good. Maybe a metallic charcoal grey roof with some silver flakes in it... little flakes, not like a Ranger Bass Boat.


ebay.com/itm/1948-HUDSON-2-DR-COUPE-1-24-1-25-RESIN-MODEL-/230783169478?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35bbbfb3c6

Snailslayer

finally got a local gal to do some photoshopping for some inspiration. Im printing them al out 8x10, hanging them up and see which color combo grows on me the most. Everybody likes pics, so here are some. and a bump to the hotrod side of the forum.

Green is what i started with
Grey is lowered 1.5" or so with 17s on the front
rest
The rims are 17", front down about 4", rear down

ski4life65

I like last two.....

essexcoupe3131

complete black top down to the chrome line and silver below would look cool

DocHornet

I love all those combinations EXCEPT the green (*please no!) and the bright reds.. save those for the Ferraris and chose a nice subtle color that reflects the 50's

Just sayin'

Kdancy

Any updates on the project?

Snailslayer

no updates, the hudson project has stalled. I have been working on my other non hudson projects for the last year so the 52 has been parked in the shed. I think Im going to paint the exterior, put it back together with the new parts I have, new seals and such, and get it back on the road.

I still have my Weber IDF intake manifold pieces here ready to be mocked up and TIG'd. I made enough pieces for 10 manifolds so if anybody wants to do the same as me I have the pieces to do it.

I would really like to get it up and running on EDIS crank fire igntion and EFI on the 308, just to do it. I think the suspension/ brake mods I had planned for will have to wait and Ill go bone stock instead for sake of ease and short term headache savings.

thanks for checking back in Kdancy. I havent been on here in a while. If your fixing your frame, take good pics and document the process well for other newbies like me. And everybody loves pics so post up!