I have always wanted to build a late 50's early 60's style chopped and channeled HOT ROD... So to be different I decided build a none Ford / anti Ford car. ( I have nothing against Fords I just wanted a challenge) From head light to tail light not one item is Ford...
I surf the HAMB quit often and stumbled across an add for a near complete 1931 Durant 614 missing the seat and deck lid. It just happened to be located two hours from were I live in Sonora Ca. My buddy Terry and I drug her home.
After a few Photo Shop sessions I came up with this...and yes I plan to run the very unique original hood and sides .
Two items I will be keeping the Durant 614 door handles and hood sides...I would like to find the matching inside handles
Next it was time to take it apart and catalog all the parts I had no need for
I traded the wire wheels for a deck lid. and the finders, engine and all the suspension was sold to various people restoring Durant's....
The roof , floor and inner structure from the doors back was wood.... I started by rebuilding the inter structure with 1"X1" and 1/2"X1/2" square tubing with a 3 and 1/2 inch channel in mind...
After the floor structure was determined and laid out I decided to start on the frame using 2" X 4" 120 wall box tubing was used for the rails and 2"X3" Was used for the kick over the rear axel. 2"X2" Was used at the front and rear as cross members
This part was fun.....I hand formed this transmission tunnel ...with a lil oaky ingenuity
In order to run the early 40's six lug Chevy wheels I reversed the rear wheels so they would clear the body. (the body is roughly 3" inches wider than a 1931 Model A ) A quick mock up to see how everything will lines up....(one of many)
more mock up with the hood
The front end setup is a 1933 Desoto Front axle with
1953 Chevy truck Spindle, hubs and Brakes, suspended by Posies quarter elliptic
adjustable springs, Home made adjustable radius rods ...
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The rear end is out of a 1960's Chevy truck , Four link
and coil over springs... 
The original dash was nice but I had something else in mind..... I shortened and reshaped a 1936 Chevy truck dash to fit and used a GMC military gauges insert ( My Stewart Warner gauges slid right in) Or I might use the old Durant dash with the gauges mounted in the middle... Im still playing with ideas here....
Custom Gas tank I bought off E-bay
Cool Flip top gas cap I scored off an old drag racing boat...
The clutch and brake pedals and duel master cylinder setup is out of a 1963 Chevy truck, I shortened the assembly and bent the pedal arms to fit
ring box is out of a 1963 Chevy Truck, Pitman arm is 1964 Impala
The seat Is out of a 90's Dodge mini van.. It fit perfect after some modifications to the bottom frame to clear the drive shaft tunnel
Toyota land cruiser Radiator saved me some big bux
1958 283
4" inch Chop ( Special Thanks To Terry And Stormin Norman For all the help )
Added a K-member with a new trans cross member and made room for the exhaust
Fire wall needed some work and it came out better than I anticipated.
Straight exhaust installed and I mean straight the only bent is the one coming out of the manifolds and no mufflers .....
After starring at the front end for a few hours I came to the conclusion it needed a pan hard bar..
Soon this thing will be blown apart and the frame and suspension parts will be powder coated gloss black...
After some long nights of sanding grinding and more sanding the frame prepped and ready for powder coating.
Here's Tony in my garage finishing up the powder coating .............................................................just kidding.....lol
Applied Coating in Lodi did the coating and was nice enough to let me and my buddy Stormin Norman hang out and see how its done...
After some detailed media blasting and hand sanding all the parts and frame were cleaned with acetone and ready for coating
Here is James in the coating booth
The picture above is what the coating looks like before going in the oven and the one below is after baking at 400 degrees
BIG thanks to: Terry for the help and motivation to get this thing coated. I am more than happy with the results!!!
After about 4 to 6 hours it was all done and ready to take home!!! I owe a big thanks to James at Applied Coating in Lodi Ca (209) 367-1167 for an excellent job and same day service!!!!
This is what I have been waiting for ..........time to put the chassis together.
The suspension, steering and break lines are installed
Next the motor, trans and drive line will be painted and installed
1958, Chevy 283 with a early 60's Offy intake and Rochester 2 Jet carburetors
4 speed with Hurst shifter...
I have gone as far as I can go with the chassis. I will spend the next few weeks finishing up the floor and underside of the body..
Test fit one last time.....
Pulled the body off one last time for KBS coating and rubberized under coating...
The body is bolted down !!!
I put together this steering column using some polished 2inch stainless exhaust tubing, Corvair steering wheel & polished turn signal housing
The dash is just about done....
this page is under construction see the rest at http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109145