Hot Rods Day Dreaming...

[Ryan]

I'd be willing to bet that just about every car guy grew up as a serious day dreamer. I've always felt that it was somehow in our DNA. How else could a 12 year old be so deeply invested in automobiles? And since a 12 year old can't drive, all he can ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[squash]

magnesium kidneys..... he would be proud!

[Malcolm]

Man, I love those two T-birds! I could see design cues (especially the wheels) carried over to your '38... I bet it'd look killer with some "Doane" styling!


Not sure if you're considering new or old wheels, but have you checked out these?

http://www.realrodderswheels.biz/



Malcolm

[Mr48chev]

Works for me. I'd swap out the things that are obviously totally non traditional and probably keep the chassis as if it works well. Plus keeping it comfortable enough to jump in and make the long hauls.

And if we have all been day dreamers since we were 12 and discovered those cool car magazines that means we really didn't and don't have A.D.D. after all doesn't it.

[Jarzenhotrods]

I read about that TBird in the recent issue of TRJ. Pretty neat if you ask me.
You should save yourself the grief and build a Custom out of the 38!!!!!

[Tman]

Yup, Doane Spencer "style" with a hint of hammer of the gods race inspiration..............I am totally with you there. And daydreaming about the Tudor here at work, the BLACK Tudor.

[sodbuster]

With ALL of your resources in Austin, have you thought about a "bolt" in roll cage and spec-ing the coupe for Bonneville for a "door slammer"? I know/have seen that you have a HECK of a motor in that coupe & I bet thru friends down there in Texas you could have your self a Bonneville car for next August.

Just a thought.........

Chris Nelson
Kansas

Oh yea, a couple of "old" posts.........Hmmm.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...nneville+coupe

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...nneville+coupe

[plan9]

i wouldnt sell either.... i bet you cam dangerously close. "Gee, with that money i can buy a nice roadster!".

tilt steering, contemporary suspension and airbags would bug me too. the drive line, not at all.

sodbuster - thats a good idea.

[kisam]

Uh oh - 12 year olds aren't supposed to drive? I'm a bad Mom (or maybe a good one)!

[Harrison]

The steering, bags, driveline, etc.... that bug you about the '38 are some of the same parts that have made it a bullet-proof driver for 15 years. Your Tudor & Coupe are nice but there's a lot to be said for being able to hop in, hit the key, & go - as far as you want, as fast as you want - without worrry.

If it were mine I'd buy a Limeworks steering column & steering wheel. I'd keep the entire chassis & drivetrain & install a set of wheels & new black guts from Fat Lucky. I'd chrome the rollcage, column & garnish moldings.

Dark gray magnesium Kidney Beans would be absolutely sinister....

JH

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by sodbuster

With ALL of your resources in Austin, have you thought about a "bolt" in roll cage and spec-ing the coupe for Bonneville for a "door slammer"? I know/have seen that you have a HECK of a motor in that coupe & I bet thru friends down there in Texas you could have your self a Bonneville car for next August.

Just a thought.........

Chris Nelson
Kansas

I'm definitely going to put a roll bar in it, but I don't know if I want to go down the competitive route with this car. I have... ahhh hemm... another long-term project going down that road.

Originally Posted by plan9

i wouldnt sell either.... i bet you cam dangerously close. "Gee, with that money i can buy a nice roadster!".

tilt steering, contemporary suspension and airbags would bug me too. the drive line, not at all.

sodbuster - thats a good idea.

I have been thinking a lot about roadsters lately... a '29 on deuce rails... and I've been thinking about 37/38 cabriolets done up westergard style as well... I'm sick. But I can't sell this thing.

If I'm honest with myself, the contemporary suspension and airbags do bother me, but at the same time I spent so much love on that thing and got so much help setting it up from so many special folks. The Mustang II was actually fabbed with the help of the crew chief from my race team. We bought the bags from a truck supply place as "AirRide" didn't exist yet. The 9" came from my first race car. Just so much stuff like that on the chassis...

I'm afraid if I ditched it, that 25 years from now I would hate myself for it. So, I'm gonna keep the chassis pretty much as is... with some minor changes. And despite what I think of the aura, this chassis does perform pretty amazingly - handles, stops, and goes wonderfully.

I am gonna put a limeworks column in it with an old bell 4-spoke that I have. I'm gonna redo much of the interior as well. As for under the hood, the big SBC might be getting a bit tired, but I am holding on to it as long as I can. That said, I am gonna change a lot of stuff under the hood. One of the things that kills me is the big ass chrome power booster I mounted on the firewall. That's gonna go... What was I thinking?

There's a lot of little things really... I guess I grew up and left my car behind... But I still love the young, dumb, and stupid me. When finished, this car really was a pretty big accomplishment for me. I never thought I could do it... and I did... that means something.

[Tman]

Don't feel bad Ryan. I have had the 54 sitting for a couple summers now. Small issue that I just have not been back to fix.

[onedge]

this too will pass? i hope..when ever I hear stories / ideas like this, I always say leave it build another, does it really need new tires, then you can change the wheels for the better, it's together leave it. It's a wonderful ride. But then again you can pull it off too, so good luck.

[Hitchhiker]

I like this car. I like that it's not traditional underneath. It's like a fully automatic machine gun that looks like a revolver.

[Gotgas]

Actually, I always thought you nailed it with that car. I wouldn't change a thing.

But then, Doane wasn't known for keeping a car one certain way... or letting it sit on its ass for a year. lol

[Deadbird]

Never really thought that 38 needed anything. But I can understand where you're going here. Should be very cool.

[BISHOP]

They say our taste in things changes about every ten years, not completely, just aesthetics. Some of what we thought was cool ten years ago tends to look different. I bet its alot about the look of your car that has you wanting to change it.

Just change the wheels and tires for now, I bet that will make ya happy.

[SUHRsc]

Build a roadster....or a custom....

let this one sit...think about it more.....

To me the Doane Spencer vibe doesn't fit with a '38 Coupe... why would he have used a car like that? Doane was what we all hate to admit... a REAL hot rodder... always on to bigger and better...
During the time that magnesium wheels were available, I'm sure a '38 coupe wasn't near the top of his totem pole of cars to build... hence a T-bird...

Personally I'd buy a stocker chassis, swap the body and leave this chassis sit... its a big job but you can always just swap it back again someday if you wanted....

You can leave this current chassis dissassembled in your attic or loft.. a reminder of the good times and lessons learned... but be happy driving around in what will actually make you happy...
I think its the memories that are making you happy... the chassis is just a reminder of those memories.... its not a memory on its own and its not making any more if your always wishing it was something else... all its doing is discounting the good memories already stored away...

I know these are 39's(close enough)...but this is more what I can see sitting beside the coupe and sedan (and roadster and cabriolet)

[-Brent-]

I like the honesty of this entry, Ryan. This is exactly why I shelved my A coupe.

[Francisco Plumbero]

Just as you revere the Hot Rod and it has it's place in history the street rod has it's place as well. Just as there are hot rods that are done poorly and hot rods that are done well there are street rods that follow the same cues. A well done car from either of these genres is time less. You yourself know that there are advantages and disadvantages to automobiles from each of these eras. Your forum is definitely a treasure to the hotrod but at the same time you can and have appreciated the performance and virtues of a car that many would consider OT. I only have the one truck, this is because to me a car is like a mistress, they have needs, they need love, there is only so much of a guy to go around, when you say that the car is family it establishes that there is a love for the car, and it's a nice tight looking street rod, in ten years the trend may be to covet the well built sanitary street rod as well as the time less hotrod. As long as you keep a sanitary eye towards detail you will be fine, the crowd you hang with will keep you within the boundaries of good taste and timelessness if you stray, you won't. What ever you decide it will be top shelf, just have fun and follow your emotions for the car, try not to kill off the karma that jars the memories of your life with the car. You will know what not to change, pay attention to what stirs you. Most importantly, enjoy the process.