My Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with the C.B. and optional rally fun pack

[youngrodder]

Very cool project. I love the look and the direction of this build.

Marc

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by jkk

Cool project love wagons

Thanks!

Originally Posted by oldman3

Sweet looking wagon, I'll get it line with the rest to tag along...Jim

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Clyde65

I’m in too! Love some vintage wagons!!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

I also love old wagons so I'm in for this build. It looks like a very solid start. Almost forgot to add, that vintage luggage is cool.

It will add a nice touch!

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Very cool project. I love the look and the direction of this build.

Marc

Hopefully it turns out like it looks in my head!

[BlueJeep]

So I finished up my holiday break with pulling the frame out from under the car. I had originally planned to blast it after I had everything mocked up, but it is sooooo nice to weld to a freshly cleaned frame so shifted gears and pulled it out. Hopefully next weekend it will warm up into the 20's, so I can get that done (some of you will be amused by the warming up to the 20's comment).

[BlueJeep]

I needed a way to be able to shove it in the corner while it waits, so this is the solution I chose. Worked really good, and feels stable.

I had some parts show up this week. Bought universal 4 link brackets off EBay thinking they would save some time (but still anticipating having to modify them). Also got my dropped spindles in to set the front end down to my desired ride height.

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Great project! The wagon looks amazingly solid, especially for one found in DM Iowa.
Anticipate you will have this one done in time for HRPT 2018?
Tagging along for the rest.

Doug, you'll appreciate my Tommasini-inspired stump in the background here, as well as the door skin leaning up against the compressor that Pat Brubaker helped me work on this past year.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

Doug, you'll appreciate my Tommasini-inspired stump in the background here, as well as the door skin leaning up against the compressor that Pat Brubaker helped me work on this past year.

Very much so. The stumps are handy for many purposes in the shop I've found. And door skins...skill and hours to get one right. Pat is really skilled and a good guy. Did you use one of Peter Tommasini's wheels? Very smooth....

[BlueJeep]

Yeah, Robert Anton brought his and Will Cronkite brought the go-kart slick we used for the curl at the bottom.

[BlueJeep]

Another good weekend of progress this past weekend. I had been hoping for nice weather to sandblast the frame. Well, it was sunny......but cold. It was pretty much 5* the whole time I was blasting. It was OK, but I did have to stop periodically to de-ice the lens of the helmet. Got it done! Used a big tarp and was able to recycle most of the media.

Once I got it home I didn't waste any time getting it slid back under the car and bolted up. I also got the Scott's front end (now with drop spindles) in place in the car. It will be so nice welding to clean metal now.

[BlueJeep]

To begin getting ready to tack the front suspension in for real, I needed to get the car set up with the rake I wanted and ride height. I put the 8.8 in and made some spacers to go between the axle and frame to hold the back of the car where I wanted it. I like the stance, it feels low, but is not nearly as low as my truck so it should be very practical for driving.

[BlueJeep]

Another eBay purchase showed up too, a rear hatch with the latch. My latch was broken, and there was another broken one that came with the car. There wasn't enough there to even see how it was supposed to work, so I was hoping to score a decent deal on a latch. This one is worn out/broken too, but at least it has all the pieces there so I can see how it is supposed to work. Still in the ideation phase, but may try to machine a new piece. I assume it was pot metal, and that's why they're all broken and good used ones sell for crazy money.

[BlueJeep]

And here we can see a little mischief in the back of the car. I ordered the wheels for the car, and the plan is to run 275's on the back. However, the tires I'll likely go with are available in a 305.....hmm.....

[Advanced Design]

Chris, did you happen to get a level, straight on side pic of entire car? I would like to see the rake you are going for.

I really like the approach you are using to get ride height and rake ...clean, logical.

305...I double dog dare you!

[mongocanfly]

that's gonna look killer....thumbs up

[NONHOG]

Great car! AMC on the wheel question?

[see ten]

Looks like you've got a great start on your project. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

We did a 54 Chevrolet two door sedan several years ago... You get a new respect for people building cars that don't have the aftermarket support of more popular cars/trucks

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Chris, did you happen to get a level, straight on side pic of entire car? I would like to see the rake you are going for.

I really like the approach you are using to get ride height and rake ...clean, logical.

305...I double dog dare you!

I've never really been one to take on dares. Pictures of entire car coming.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

that's gonna look killer....thumbs up

Thanks!

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Great car! AMC on the wheel question?

Very good, you win! 69 AMC SC/Rambler!

Originally Posted by see ten

Looks like you've got a great start on your project. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

We did a 54 Chevrolet two door sedan several years ago... You get a new respect for people building cars that don't have the aftermarket support of more popular cars/trucks

Yeah, definitely can't order this car out of a catalog like I could have with my truck.....

[BlueJeep]

I didn't work on the wagon much this weekend, but I did get some work done. Got some goodies in last week, and couldn't not see how they were going to look!

[BlueJeep]

So my builds are fairly structured, and I have a pretty good idea what needs to be done before the next step. The next one was getting the front suspension tacked in place. In order to do that, I had to fill in a 3/16" gap on either side of the Scott's crossmember. I took that opportunity to build some plates that would reinforce the side of the frame, and wrap slightly over the top to give it extra strength (thanks for the steel Jeff!).

Once I had everything where it needed to be and accounted for the rake, it was tacked in place. Then the front clip had to go back on so that I could visualize the ride height.

[BlueJeep]

OK, I like where this is going. Next step, cut the tacks holding the 8.8 in place and get rid of that. Once it was out of the way, I'd be able to slide the new wheels and tires in place and prepare to measure for the rear end width. This is also giving me a really good idea what the completed car will look like!

[BlueJeep]

The rear tires are 11.125" wide on 10" rims. It looks like I won't have to do as extensive of frame modifications as I was mentally preparing myself for. I can get by with removing the lip of the top hat frame, and that'll probably give me adequate clearance for the tires. I'm going to run a triangulated 4 link, so there really won't be any side-to-side movement. All I'll have to factor in is the movement when it is articulating, like when entering a steep driveway, etc. The other thing I'll be acutely aware of while building this is what it will take to get a rear tire off in the event of a flat, as the quarters suck up so much of the profile of the tire. Anyway, motivation is high being able to see it with the wheels and tires!

[oldman3]

Looks good...Jim

[72 tigger]

Very nice- like the way you work

[alsriv2]

Great job Blue...
Regarding the Rim size...what diameter did you go with? And how about the tire size to give you that 11.125 tread width?

[BlueJeep]

Thanks, it is a lot of fun!

Rear wheels are 20x10 and tires are 275/40R20 (and the 11.125" isn't tread width, it's section width)
Front wheels are 18x7 and tires are 225/45R18

Sidewall height works out to be pretty close with this arrangement, with the rear sidewalls being slightly taller. One of my motivations for doing the 20's in the rear over 18's was more clearance with the brakes for the ability to get the wheel off the axle, considering how low the wheel opening in the quarter panels is. I may still have to unbolt a coilover to get a tire off to change it, time will tell.

[BlueJeep]

In the past few weeks I had some more exciting parts arrive. My parents came down and delivered my front seat I had shipped to their place. It's a beauty, I know, but it has all the charm and character someone could ask for for a 64 year old car! I also got an axle in a box, very happy with the service and the product from Quick Performance!