32 Update...And .. Oil Pan clearance...............

[Dave]

Looking at the 32 tonite and man the pan is close to the ground. I bought a speedway aluminum pan and its about an inch deeper than a stock gm pan and the plug is in the bottom at the rear. Even more to hit! Looks like after the detroit show ill go back to a stock pan. Im also going to increase the rear tire size a bunch and that will give it more rake and help also. Michael put 60 series tires on the back and they look good but im going to go with 285 70 15 BFG's. Other than that im about ready. Dont look like ill get it pin striped before detroit but that can wait also. The other day when i drove it around the block nuttin hit and I added some bumpers to the doors tonite and im pretty sure ive got the rattles fixed there. I only spent 4 years getting the 34 quiet then I sold it..I sure hope the weather brakes soon I really want to go for a longer ride.. I aslo pretty much finished the total for the car and although ive spent every dime from the 34 and ive got a brand new car with no used parts to speak of other than the rearend which has been all rebuilt im still below 35,000 and im happy about that. Im also broke but im used to that also Its the little things that add up. 3M high strength 90 spray glue only 12.45 a can (we used 6 cans for the interior) If id have painted it my self I could have saved a bunch but looking at it outside in the sun saturday and sunday just made me smile(better than saying i got a woodie isnt it)
Dave

[Pope Downunder]

That's a shame.  How about one of those 'slam-gaurd' sumps?

Is it possible to put little wheel(s) under the 'guts' somewhere.  I've seen these devices mounted on the centre cross-member; and also seen some mounted inboard of the lower 4-bar pivot point.  If these are devised well they will be almost undetectable, and the car will 'ride' over humps etc. without a problem.  The sump may still be vunerable to isolated bumps, but this could save a lot of embarrasment just going in driveways, over speed-humps etc.

[Pep]

Looking at the 32 tonite and man the pan is close to the ground. I bought a speedway aluminum pan and its about an inch deeper than a stock gm pan and the plug is in the bottom at the rear. Even more to hit! Looks like after the detroit show ill go back to a stock pan. Im also going to increase the rear tire size a bunch and that will give it more rake and help also. Michael put 60 series tires on the back and they look good but im going to go with 285 70 15 BFG's. Other than that im about ready. Dont look like ill get it pin striped before detroit but that can wait also. The other day when i drove it around the block nuttin hit and I added some bumpers to the doors tonite and im pretty sure ive got the rattles fixed there. I only spent 4 years getting the 34 quiet then I sold it..I sure hope the weather brakes soon I really want to go for a longer ride.. I aslo pretty much finished the total for the car and although ive spent every dime from the 34 and ive got a brand new car with no used parts to speak of other than the rearend which has been all rebuilt im still below 35,000 and im happy about that. Im also broke but im used to that also Its the little things that add up. 3M high strength 90 spray glue only 12.45 a can (we used 6 cans for the interior) If id have painted it my self I could have saved a bunch but looking at it outside in the sun saturday and sunday just made me smile(better than saying i got a woodie isnt it)
Dave

After seeing a rod with its alloy pan shattered a couple of years back coming back from a run, I think I'll stick to a nice steel chrome pan..At least if that gets hit the crank will do its utmost to gets its clearance back

[C9]

How far off the ground is the oil pan sump?

I worried about the 455 Buick in my 32, first iteration of the car the sump was 7" off the ground.
Now it's 6" off.

I got curious when I was building it - after I'd measured the 7" - and measured my 72 Pinto - it had 6" oil sump clearance and I'd never had a problem with it.

The trans pan - a Derale with tubes and 1" deeper - is about 6" off the ground as well.
The lowest point in the car is the collectors at 5 1/2" off.
Never dragged them on speed bumps, driveways or the like.

I'll go along with the advice to run a steel pan on the street.
You may ding them, but they'll still hold oil in most cases.
Even if you did rip it open, repairs could be accomplished in most towns.

One place you want to watch it is at the gas stations with their fairly high manhole covers to the fill pipes.
Some of those - at least here in California - are high enough to rip something off a low car.

[Dave]

I wish I had 6 inches clearance.. Im going back to the stock pan after autorama and ill be putting bigger tires on the rear and possibly the front also. My frame uses stock gm mounts for the engine and the frame mounts come off the frame flat. If they had some upward angle it would have helped but it doesnt. I see a lot of frames built just like this one and they are driving them so im sure with the stock pan and tire change it will work just fine. The main thing right now is detroit next week then ive got time to play....
Dave

[Beck]

I never thought about the little wheel idea. I like it. How big do they use? Skateboard type? Rubber tires or just solid steel or aluminum? I need to get the front of my 32 down a lot more. I've got a TCI ifs under it. The coils seem way to long or stiff. It hasn't been on the road yet so I don't know how much it will settle. Not enough that's for sure.
Beck

That's a shame.  How about one of those 'slam-gaurd' sumps?

Is it possible to put little wheel(s) under the 'guts' somewhere.  I've seen these devices mounted on the centre cross-member; and also seen some mounted inboard of the lower 4-bar pivot point.  If these are devised well they will be almost undetectable, and the car will 'ride' over humps etc. without a problem.  The sump may still be vunerable to isolated bumps, but this could save a lot of embarrasment just going in driveways, over speed-humps etc.