Perley in Maine, USA is building a very nice
Essex coupe with a 1969 Chevy Camaro 'banger.

 

Perley writes: I had a Model A frame given me, but it was badly twisted and rotted and holey in the rear sections. The front was not TOO bad, so I cut it off at the firewall. I test built the rear out of spruce 2 x 4. After getting about what I wanted for fit and all, I bought some 2 x 4 square tube. This I cut per my wood mock-up and then hooked to the front model A portion.

The front axle is from a '49 Ford F1 truck, for which I bought a Speedway conversion kit with disc brakes. I then made batwings out of 1/4" plate, and radius rods from 1/2" black pipe. These were fitted with modified rod coupling nuts set in the ends of the pipe and welded. Then added heim joint rod ends to rear and clevis rod ends to the front.

The rear end is out of an 80's chevy S-10 blazer (4 wheel drive). The engine is from a 1969 Chevy Camaro. The tranny is a 5 speed borg-warner from a chevy S-10 pickup truck. I put new rear brakes, drums, bearings and seals on the rear axle.

I split the manifold ('cuz folks said they sound cool with glasspack mufflers). So cut an outlet from an old set of headers, trimmed to fit and welded it on. I made a flat plate to insert in the manifold in a slot I cut for it. This seperates the front three cylinders from the rear three. Then cut pipe and used prebent fittings from Advance Auto Supply and welded up the dual exhaust.

Rear suspension is coil spring with shocks fitted through these coils. The front spring is from a mobile home, it has some leafs removed. I am currently in the process of installing a steering column from a Ford ranger pickup truck. A friend gave me a whole wiring harness from a like truck.

The body is bolted on temporarily. I need to get metal for the floorboards. I haven't touched the body yet. It is rusty, has some holes (I welded in about 50 holes in the firewall), needs newer doors OR repairs to the doors I have. One is from a '29, the other from a '27/8. And I need to do something for a roof. Of course it has NO glass in it, so that's another project, maybe another year? The radiator surround/grille shell is from a 29/30 Model A with a radiator from a 65-66 Mustang.

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