Chassis -- Motor Mounts and Pedals

On June 22nd, I received a phone call from Deron Shady informing me that the rear cross member of the frame was pretty much gone from rust.  This frame member passes directly over the gas tank and is under a body panel that provides little clearance.  Leaves and other debris would get lodged in the narrow confines on either surface of the frame and moisture would get trapped there, causing rust.  In this case, the rust had become very destructive.  Deron wondered if I might be able to find a replacement cross member.

I held out little hope that night as I e-mailed every possible source I could imagine and as I put Internet ads out on several sites - hot rod, antique car, early Mopar, etc.  On Wednesday, June 24th, I received an e-mail from a fellow named Andrew Edler with whom I had done business before (He does eBay business as RUSTMAN.).  He had modified a frame a few years earlier in a way that had eliminated the rear frame member, and fortunately for me, he saved the piece I needed.  A few days later, it was in my hands.  Ain't the Internet amazing?!

There are several items that need to be crafted from scratch when building a hot rod.  On this car, the motor mounts that supported the original 4-cylinder engine and tiny 3-speed transmission are far different from those needed for a V-8 engine and a modern 5-speed transmission.  The clutch linkage has to be designed and fabricated that ties the original clutch pedal to the new clutch.  Likewise, a master cylinder has to be acquired that will meet the needs of the car and fit within the limited space available, considering exhaust headers, starter location, available mounting surfaces, steering mechanism, etc.  Then a linkage has to be designed tying the original brake pedal to the new master cylinder.  And finally, a tranverse fixture has to be designed to keep the engine and transmission from twisting too much as torque is applied to the drive shaft.  On the original 4-cylinder setup, this was accomplished by a leaf spring that extended from the bottom of the transmission to a snubber on the passenger-side frame rail.  Below are pictures of the fabrications that Deron Shady devised for each of these challenges.

Motor Mounts:

Front Motor Mount

Click on image to enlarge.

Rear Motor Mounts (connecting saddle passes under transmission)

Clutch Linkage:

Master Cylinder and Brake Linkage:

Torsion Stabilizer:

Looking toward front on passenger's side:                                              Looking toward rear, underneath engine: