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Project: Roarin' '20's

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  • Project: Roarin' '20's

    Bought this 1929 Essex about 7 or 8 yrs ago. Was building up the funds for it until '06 when we bought our Chevelle Wagon, putting the Essex on the back burner. Finally starting to think more about it and would like to start working on it within the next year. Thinking about doing a resto rod type of build. Nothing crazy as I'll put some miles on it. Motorvation is likely to be a Pontiac 350 that I took out my LeMans backed up by a 200-4R with a 9" out back. Independent front suspension will keep the front wheels planted and set-up a lowered stance. Top will remain unchopped, the doors are suicide from the factory, and the fenders will stay on. I picked up some seats for it out of a Sebring Convt. as they have the seat belts built in and and tilt forward making access to the back seat easier.

    Suggestions and ideas are welcome as nothing is set in stone yet.











  • #2
    Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

    Didn't this car originally come with a flathead 6?

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    • #3
      Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

      neat car!

      I'd consider going more traditional if you are going for the resto-rod look....those seats are really out of place in there, for example. Also the front end--it's hard to make an independent suspension look right on a late 20s car, how about doing some tricks to lower it, find some big drum brakes that you can adapt, and put a bit shorter wheels/tires on it (15s)? The pontiac mill should be fine, although you might be able to put a big Six in it like a 300 ford or 292 chevy, and not lose too much performance.

      My fabulous web page

      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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      • #4
        Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

        That is a very, very sweet car! I love those original wooden wheels too. Are those the original seats in the rear? Pics! Also, I agree with Squirrel that it would look awesome to keep it as original looking as possible. I'm all for rodding it but so many neat elements are still there that I'd try to keep that look. Doesn't mean mods and upgrades can't be done!
        President, Wicked Rides Poland

        http://www.bangshift.com/forum/showt...eau-Club-Wagon

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        • #5
          Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

          That car is a real survivor! I have a photo of my Grandma in an Essex when she was a teen around the late thirties. Awesome.

          The Sebring seats are an excellent idea because of the integrated belts and the flip forward feature, but I have to agree that they look out of place. If you want shoulder belts, could you mount a small belt retractor on the B pillar from an older minivan or something similar? Alternatively, maybe the seats could be reupholstered in something that suits the car a little more.

          The rear suspension setup looks like it will be easy to work with, vs a transverse spring. Do you really need a 9"?

          The front suspension looks awesome as-is. You could drop the axle further, but I'd focus on adding decent brakes and freshening the steering and suspension. Do you have the front fenders?


          This is my favourite body style. Thanks for the pics.

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          • #6
            Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

            they are cool and almost the same as a chevy of the same years
            my parents had a 26 chevy and a camaro rear end bolts right in the front spindles can be reused and disk brakes with a bearing spacer and caliper bracket made I agree the seats look to new and I would leave the straight axle they work good when set up right but it is not mine
            bottom line have fun it is yours build it how you want it

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            • #7
              Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

              Are you planning a custom frame/chassis?

              I'd almost think that that would be simpler, and you could set it up for whatever you want, IFS, IRS, four-link, anything. Modifying that original Essex frame would be the same amount of work if not more, and even then you'd still have a spindly flexy Essex frame under it after its all modified.

              Plus you could sell the original roller chassis to a restorer, as it seems pretty complete.
              Yes, I'm a CarJunkie... How many times would YOU rebuild the same engine before getting a crate motor?




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              • #8
                Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

                Keep the front wheels and suspension. Slap some wider steel wheels with slicks/cheaters on the back. Lose the new seats and go with some sort of bench. Put some jewelry under the hood and show it off.

                Awesome car!
                1967 Chevelle 300 2 Door Post. No factory options. 250 ci inline six with lump-ported head, big valves, Offy intake and 500cfm Edelbrock carb.

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                • #9
                  Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

                  Oh man, cool story about a 29 Essex

                  In 1929 there was a mine explosion in Mather Pa, Mather mine #1 shaft killing many men to include my great grandfather and his brother. My grandfatehr was jsut a kid at the time. He showed me the funeral route to the cemetary and told me the very first car he ever rode in was the day of the funeral and it was in a 1929 Essex.

                  I will be following this build closely. I cannot wait to see what you do with it.
                  If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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                  • #10
                    Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

                    Thanks for all of the responses guys! Keep 'em coming, gives me some ideas and more to think about.

                    To answer some questions:
                    Yes, they did come with a flat six. It and the trans were sold to live life in another Essex up in Quebec, Canada.

                    The original seats are all there. The problem is that they have very short backs. I am 6' tall and would like something more supportive for longer trips. As the build progresses, I will look at how the Sebring seats fit. I will be able to get my money out of them if they don't "fit" the car.

                    Don't necessarily need a 9" rear, but it came with the car and makes finding parts much easier.

                    I do have the front fenders in the garage attic. I pulled the car out just to fill up the tires and clean out the bay it sits in (along with the lawn equipment/tools). It is now tucked back in until I can gather up some more funds to start the build. I have two other cars that hopefully won't need any more major work for awhile. There is a project thread for our wagon seen here: http://www.bangshift.com/forum/index.php?topic=19326.0 (Time for an update, too!)

                    As far as a custom chassis, the Essex chassis was beefier than the Fords of the era and was actually used by many racers at the time under their body of choice. I will most likely box the frame at the very least. There are several companies out there that make a front setup based on the Mustang II that will fit. That's what I have been considering. I'll look into what else can be done with the orig. axle.

                    Again, thanks a bunch! I'd love to hear more...

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                    • #11
                      Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

                      I would not box the frame unless you have a good reason to, such as adding mounts for something that will put a localized twisting load on it. Open channel frames are a good thing, as long as you follow the original design intent and mount stuff so it does not put much twisting load on the frame.

                      There's a lot you can do with an I beam front axle....might want to explore some of them before you give up on it. MII isn't the best answer for every old car.
                      My fabulous web page

                      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                      • #12
                        Re: Project: Roarin' '20's

                        There's that guy who split a Super Bell front Ibeam and made it look like a solid drop axle but actually had an IFS. Was in Hot Rod, red with a metric "hemi" with some sort of faux tunnel ram on it.
                        Central TEXAS Sleeper
                        USAF Physicist

                        ROA# 9790

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