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Chassis and Body - First Fitting

Chassis & Body Fitment
From the February, 2009 issue of Kit Car
By D. Brian Smith
Chassis And Body Fitment
A few years have passed since... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
A few years have passed since the Smith men first turned wrenches together (see editorial). Dad, brother Kevin, and I performed a first fitting with the DreamSmith '34 Ford roadster pickup. Read on to find out how tailor-made this 555hp hot rod is.
Chassis And Body Fitment
With the body sitting pretty... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
With the body sitting pretty on the all-independent Kugel Komponents suspension chassis, we're ready to do the next project on the DreamSmith '34 Ford roadster pickup. See how we did by reading to the finish.
Chassis And Body Fitment
When we first put the Steve's... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
When we first put the Steve's Auto Restorations '34 Ford roadster pickup body on the SAC Hot Rod Products chassis, we realized the Tremec TKO-600 transmission was too long to fit within the opening for the transmission in the cab floor. By placing the shifter where it goes on the TKO-600 trans, Kevin began to mark cut lines on the floor.
Chassis And Body Fitment
We put Kevin to work in the... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
We put Kevin to work in the garage anytime he visits us from Detroit. He navigated his way along the cut lines of the pickup floor with a Bosch jigsaw, once we'd placed the body on 4x4s atop the SAC chassis.
Chassis And Body Fitment
Dad convinced us that if we... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
Dad convinced us that if we didn't cut the floor even with the to-be-modified transmission cover, two catchall shelves would accumulate mud and water from the road beneath the truck. Father knows best; Kevin commenced drawing new cut lines in the floorpan.
Chassis And Body Fitment
Notice we've taped closed... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
Notice we've taped closed the Tremec TKO-600 shifter opening with duct tape. Also, Kevin wore goofy looking safety glasses. Metal shavings are the last thing you want in your transmission or your eyes.
Chassis And Body Fitment
He removed the sheetmetal... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
He removed the sheetmetal with the Bosch jigsaw.
Chassis And Body Fitment
By following a reinforcement... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
By following a reinforcement ridge in the cab floor, he finished the cut line.
Chassis And Body Fitment
Once my little brother was... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
Once my little brother was done with the cutting, Sr. Smith filed the cut edges smooth with a metal hand file.
Chassis And Body Fitment
Wielding the metal file, Dad... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
Wielding the metal file, Dad smoothed the cut edges.
Chassis And Body Fitment
We used paint thinner to take... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
We used paint thinner to take off the old gasket material after removing the duct tape from the TKO-600 shift plate platform.
Chassis And Body Fitment
Upon aligning the SAR '34... 
   
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Chassis And Body Fitment
Upon aligning the SAR '34 Ford roadster pickup body on the SAC frame, we learned how well constructed both the chassis and the body are. All we had to do to achieve correct body-to-frame fitment was to enlarge the inside of all six of the inside cab body-mounting holes. Kevin marked the holes with a Sharpie and a magic marker.

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Chassis And Body Fitment  Chassis And Body Fitment
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