Projects 1940 American Bantam Woody Convertible Build

The Plymouth export lenses also came in. Here are a few photos of the lens on the fender. I finally have most of the bits I want for building the car.

WP_20150410_010 by rg171352 posted Apr 13, 2015 at 10:40 AM

WP_20150410_003 by rg171352 posted Apr 13, 2015 at 10:40 AM

WP_20150410_009 by rg171352 posted Apr 13, 2015 at 10:40 AM

WP_20150410_005 by rg171352 posted Apr 13, 2015 at 10:40 AM

I think these are the lenses I'll end up using on the car when its finished.

Now that I'm basically finished buying parts which I will need many months from now, I'm ready to concentrate more on the build itself. The next photos I'll be posting are of the tear down of the frame. As of this point, I have the transmission, drive shaft, and some of the brake cables off of the car. Unfortunately, I learned that the cast bracket that supports the transmission and radius rods on my frame is cracked and bent. I found a more stout bracket on a 1940 frame I will be trying to buy for parts. (I guess the parts chase never ends.) More on this soon.

 

Cant see the pics.

 

I think I fixed it. All of the links went to my album which was private. Please let me know if it works.

 

Everything from post #56 and after.

 

Thank you. Please reload and try again, they should be working now.

 

Since my last post, I've made some good progress in deconstructing the chassis. As it sits, there is no front end. Three brake cables have been entirely removed. One is being held prisoner by a stubborn clevis pin on the brake actuator lever attached to the brake bar.

With the rear end of the rolling chassis in tact, I decided to stand it on its end and beat the clevis pin hoping it would come free. My impatience got me back in three ways; the pin did not budge, I bent the cast brake bracket, the frame fell over and nearly crushed the wheel on my 63 Schwinn. Note to self, NEVER balance a chassis on brake drum studs and a jack stand; even if it does seems stable.

WP_20150415_003 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150415_002 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

I have decided to leave the last brake cable alone until I have the rear end and spring out of the frame so it will be much more mobile. So far, I have the U- bolts free, the rear shackles are off of the springs and the friction shocks have been freed from the rear. To make matters better, I've only broken one bolt so far. There are only a few left on the chassis, so I am taking this to be a major victory at this point. My next step is to remove the rear entirely and work on getting the springs out. Finally, I will remove the friction shocks.

WP_20150415_004 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_005 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_006(1) by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_008 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_010 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_011 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_012(1) by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

WP_20150417_014 by rg171352 posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

Left with the frame, the brake actuator bar, and parking brake assembly, I can turn my focus to getting the parking brake free and working on getting the brake bar out. It looks like two tapered pins hold in the two levers (according to an ABS member who may be one of the only people to remove this bar in his restoration) and some more pins hold the other levers on the bar. Once I can get it out, I can begin imagining how I'll rebush it so the passenger side isn't as sloppy. Hopefully, then I can either straighten the brake lever or find a new one to replace it. Then of course, I need to make sure the frame is straight.

So much to do, and an unknown quantity of time. It occurred to me, I have no idea where I'll be a year from now with this project. Hopefully the chassis will be at least finished and the body will be coming together. Here's to 2016!

 

Glad for your progress, but still no pictures. Instead, just text.

For example, the first picture in your latest post appears as:

WP_20150415_003 by rg171352posted Apr 18, 2015 at 8:14 AM

I'm not having this problem with any other HAMB threads.

 

I tried to view it as a guest and had no problems. I embedded the photos from an album. It was initially a private album which made it so I couldn't see any photos as a guest. Once I changed the privacy settings to public it seemed to remedy the problem. I have found that the photos do load kind of slowly, but they all seem to be there.

I'll fiddle around with it some more and see if I can fix it. Thank you for the update and I'm sorry they aren't showing up for you.

 

The U bolts came out amazingly easily, although one was missing about a 1/2 inch from one side. With the U bolts loose and the shocks disconnected from the rear, it seemed I was quickly nearing my goal of an empty frame.

WP_20150417_013 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:38 PM

WP_20150417_016 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:38 PM

WP_20150417_023 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:40 PM

WP_20150418_001 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:40 PM

WP_20150418_002 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:40 PM

The rear shackles came off fairly easily and made me realize I should probably prop my frame up a little better than I had it already. I'm very curious how much a bare Bantam frame actually weighs.

 

Before going down to Carlisle for the car show, I wanted to get started on the Riviera body. Unfortunately the windshield frame was destroyed in transit, but hopefully I will be able to fix it. I can't tell you how relieved I am that I was able to get one in great shape (Thank you again Steve!).

Here you can see the Riv sitting on its pallet which it rode from California to New York with some evidence of spring in the background.

WP_20150421_021 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:40 PM

The doors really didn't want to come off, but the pins eventually relented and I began to explore how to take the body apart. The floor was completely separated from the perimeter of the body except for where it was patched by the passenger side door.

WP_20150421_023 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150421_024 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150421_025 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150421_027 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

It turns out there is actually a very heavy piece of metal spanning from the wheel house to the front body mount with a couple of mounts to support the floor. These pieces are so strong that in moving the body by lifting at the top of the cowl and the back of the tub, it didn't bend at all. These are the braces I need for the sportsman project. With them in place, I won't have to worry about any lack of support in the wooden body.

WP_20150421_026 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

Now, I just have to figure out how to get all of these supports out of the body. That may take a little more thought than I envisioned initially. However, I'll be paying close attention to make sure I install them just as firmly.

 

My plan was to use the weight of the frame and the rear to make the removal of certain stuck bolts somewhat easier. Once I was sure all of the friction shock parts, U-bolts and shackle bolts were loose, I began taking it all apart.

WP_20150418_002 by rg171352 posted Apr 29, 2015 at 9:40 PM

As you can see by the frame teetering, I didn't have it supported very well. I thought I had both jack stands in the right place, but I was mistaken. Thankfully this Bantam is light.

WP_20150426_001 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150426_002 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150426_003 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150426_004 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM

WP_20150426_005 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

Now, the springs needed to come out. The last time I had to take springs out of a car it was a 1961 Comet, and their bushings caused their fair share of frustration. I was surprised that the rear had no bushing at all, but I presume that is what the grease-able shackle bolts are for to some extent. At first, I tried to take the front bolt off in the same way as the rear, noticing that the bolts looked identical. That process called for removing a cotter pin, undoing the castelated nut, and then unscrewing the bolt from a threaded mount.

WP_20150429_007 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

I tried to get the castelated nut off. My drop light needed a recharge and it looked dirty in the back. After I realized what I was actually dealing with.

WP_20150429_009 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

That's right, the nut was welded on. I'm glad I didn't waste all of my time completely stripping the nut. I only stripped it a little bit. Once it was free, I didn't realize what this contraption below was at first, until I tried to turn the bolt from the grease fitting end. It rocked a bit, but I saw very little movement. The small screw held a retainer in place to prevent the mounting bolt from undoing itself.

WP_20150429_008 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_010 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_011 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_012 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_013 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_014 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

WP_20150429_015 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:17 AM

Finally, Success!

WP_20150429_016 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

Now I had to rinse and repeat on the other side.

WP_20150429_017 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_018 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_019 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

The friction shock arms appeared to be a little daunting as they consisted of two piece of metal riveted together which sandwich a bracket on the frame and two friction discs. A bolt, two retaining plates, a spring and a nut hold it all together and make it adjustable. I was afraid that prying would have been necessary at first, until I actually thought about it and realized that removing the bolt would make my life tremendously easier, and wouldn't ruin any parts. Note, these bolts actually have a small key way/ groove cut into them which allows for certain retainers to fit in only one direction. Make sure the groove is cleaned properly for easier removal.

WP_20150429_021 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_022 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_023 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_024 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_025 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

With both assemblies removed, the final things to remove from the rear of the frame were exhaust pipe hangars. I was afraid that they would get in the way when propping up the frame in order to see if it was straight and true for my build. These photos aren't too interesting, but they'll show you where correct Bantam tailpipe hangars are located and what they look like on pre-1940 cars. In 1940 the exhaust actually exited before the passenger side tire. I don't know if that was an effort to achieve sportiness, or to save .05 on the cost of the exhaust system. I'm going to say it was for performance purposes.

WP_20150429_026 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:18 AM

WP_20150429_027 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

WP_20150429_028 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

WP_20150429_029 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

WP_20150429_030 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

Finally, I have a frame with a bare rear end and some wood which I'll use to support the frame in analyzing its current condition.

WP_20150429_032 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

[When I'm ready to put the car back together, I will probably need to go through this thread backwards]​

​

 

Carved Lacewood is gorgeous.-rick

 

Is anybody else seeing those pictures in the newest posts? This is the only thread that I can't see the pics, and it's killing me! I love the idea of this build!

 

The frame has checked out as straight, and I will post more on that later on. However, I bit the bullet and bought a correct nice and 1940 frame which will have all of the correct mounting brackets for a 1940 Bantam with a 3-main engine and hydraulic shocks and which has already even been sand blasted. While I don't have to use those 40 specific parts on my car, I would at least like the option to use them in the future. The parts left Bozeman, MT yesterday and are currently in transit across the country. My fingers are crossed that the parts come across the country unscathed. Last time, there was some significant damage to the windshield frame on the body which they shipped. Hopefully, history will not repeat itself.

I don't have any photos of the packaged parts before the trip, but hopefully I have some on Monday when they get to New York. Until then, we'll get back to the build.

 

nice Schwinn speedster too!

 

Maverick Daddy- Thank you very much, I've been trying to keep it in decent shape after finding it abandoned at the curb on garbage day back in 2005. If the sky ever clears up it'll be on the road today.

 

Now that I have most of the bulky pieces off of my frame, the time has come to ensure that it is fairly true. When I first started this project, it seemed like more of a quest to find parts. I wasn't sure that I would be attempting to build something with high aspirations of perfection. In fact, I was thinking of just getting something together and using it. However, the more I have pondered this project I have realized that the dedication and hard work that certain portions of it will require would seemingly be undone by shoddy elsewhere. I'm in no rush to finish this, so I might as well do it right.

There are no frame specs out there to determine what a "straight" bantam frame should be. The first endeavor was to mount the frame on four corners with the two at either end being level. Using some wood provided for a flat mounting area so I wouldn't have to worry about my frame slipping off of the jack stand grips to skew my measurements.

Lifting this frame is not a hard feat, it's probably 75 lbs at best.

WP_20150429_037 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

WP_20150429_038 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:19 AM

WP_20150429_040 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:20 AM

Amazingly, three of the four mounting points were positioned well for leveling the frame. The front drivers side stand required a shim for which a small piece of junk mail filled the part quite well. Once I determined the wood itself was level, I placed the frame on it at similar points on each side. The frame made perfect contact at each point and the levels appeared to indicate relative trueness of the frame. I'm sure there are better ways to do this which would allow for more accurate results, but I'm satisfied with how this is working so far.

WP_20150429_041 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:20 AM

WP_20150429_042 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:20 AM

WP_20150429_043 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:20 AM

WP_20150429_044 by rg171352 posted Apr 30, 2015 at 8:20 AM

The other Bantam parts have now made it to Des Moines, IA.

 

Once it appeared there there was no twisting of the frame, I decided to see if the frame was pinched at all. Seeing the slight bends on the rear cross-member let me to believe there may be some issues in this regard. After realizing how hard it would be to do this with a standard tape measure and only one set of hands, I devised a better system.

First, I marked the frame with respect to fixed features found on each side using a heavy duty crayon. I marked off two measuring points on each side on the rear of the frame and one set of marks on the front. I then stretched out each of two very cheap harbor freight measuring tapes to hold them down to the frame using equally cheep harbor freight welding magnets. The magnets managed to hold the tape taut, but did pull a little bit when I exerted too much effort on the tape.

WP_20150504_006 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

WP_20150504_001 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

WP_20150504_002 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

WP_20150504_003 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

WP_20150504_008 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

WP_20150504_009 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM

Both of the diagonally strung tapes measured up at the same distance which really began quieting my fears that this frame may be bent. Finally, I took my very precise Lowes ruler and suspended it across the frame where the tapes intersected. Sure enough, they intersected at the center of the span at that portion of the frame.

WP_20150504_013 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150504_014 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

I'm sure I could have done better with a book indicating precise measurements for the frame and a fancy frame jig, but I am satisfied with the results. For all intents and purposes, this frame is straight. This should be a good foundation for my project. The next step will be to remove the parking brake hardware and then the shaft that actuates the brake cables.

Also, the FedEx parcel is in Peru, IL.

 

The package made it to NY, more on this later.

Knowing that this frame is straight led me on a quest to completely disassemble it. My next target is the brake shaft. As the Bantam utilized four wheel, cable operated, mechanical brakes, it utilized a shaft actuated by the pedal to apply a force on the cables. This shaft was also operable by the hand brake.

The shaft passes through two bronze bushed pivots riveted to the frame on either side and through the intersection of the cross-members. On either side there is an actuation lever connecting the shaft to two brake cables, one front and one rear. These levers are both pinned in place with a tapered pin. Between one of the pivots and the cross-member there are two other levers which are used to engage the shaft through either the brake pedal or the hand brake.

On 1939 models, the hand brake assembly was riveted to the frame and featured a pull up style handle just in front of the seat.

WP_20150504_017 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

On 1940 models, the handbrake was moved to under the dash board and utilized a cable which ran to a lever that then actuated one of the levers on the brake bar.

I have a 1939 frame and want to build a 1940 car. A lot of thought has gone into some of the details of what I want this car to be. However far I am from the completed project, I want to make sure I'm headed down the right path. I've been considering the proper choice for the hand brake which I believe I discussed above. So far, I have most of the parts to make either system work on this car except for one lever on the brake shaft. The one thing truly standing in my way of converting my frame to the 40 style is the brake shaft. I would firstly like to get it off so I can straighten the bent actuation levers on either end (my fault on both of those) and have the frame blasted so I can epoxy prime it to make sure the frame is as clean and protected as possible.

Without much clue of what to do, I called a couple of people to ask what they did to remove the brake shaft. Interestingly, I only spoke to one person who actually removed the bar from his car and he was very helpful in explaining some of the things he did to remove the assembly. At his advice, I sought out the small end of the pins holding in each of the levers and beat them out using a center punch and hammer. Proud that the hardest part of the job was nearly over, I began to try to remove one side lever.

WP_20150504_016 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150504_020 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150504_021 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150504_022 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150504_023 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:23 PM

WP_20150505_002 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:25 PM

WP_20150505_002(1) by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:25 PM

My thought was to utilize the levers to provide some leverage to free the piece by turning it around the shaft first. This was not successful, although I didn't try all that hard. Then I decided to soak it for a few days. Still no luck. Then I tried heating the lever with a torch. Still no luck, and hitting it with a hammer did little but annoy my neighbor. With the piece hot, I sprayed it with some penetrating oil and let it sit until the next day when I tried again. Again, nothing.

WP_20150505_026 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:26 PM

WP_20150508_006 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:26 PM

WP_20150508_007 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:26 PM

WP_20150508_008 by rg171352 posted May 14, 2015 at 3:26 PM

I'm at a loss, I want to do the best job possible on this car, and I'd hate to start taking short cuts this early on.

Enter the mystery package. After finding a man selling some Bantam literature on eBay, I emailed him and learned of a stash of Bantam parts he had picked up from the son of an old Bantam dealer. He had rears, front ends, miscellaneous parts, and a 1940 frame. This frame would have the shock mounts I want, the transmission mounts I need, the radius rod mount I need, and the frame side brake parts I need. Shipping a frame from Montana to New York is no small feat. So, I naturally asked if he would cut the parts from the frame that I needed. He told me the frame was good enough to use and he wouldn't cut anything. So, I bought the frame and other parts and have been tracking them through FedEx. The hope was to use his 1940 bare frame which had already been sandblasted and primed.

The frame didn't fare the trip too well and it wont be of much use at this point except for those brackets.

WP_20150519_009 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:25 PM

WP_20150519_003 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:25 PM

WP_20150519_013 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:25 PM

 

with tongue in cheek...Are you a young man??? looks like you spend more time on posting photos and
a short book to describe them,you could of had it half built by now..or you will be old,old man before its finished

 

Damaged in shipment sucks.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

wbrw32, Thank you for the thoughts and I generally agree with you regarding how some people spend more time talking than actually doing something. However, these posts are done in the down time when I am not/cannot work on my project. Also, the reason for the multitude of photos and information is to create an accessible store of knowledge (which I am still hoping to obtain) about the procedure of rebuilding one of these cars as there is very little of this material on the internet. If the project takes me a while, I'm okay with that, my goal is to build the best car I can and create an archive of material for people interested in trying some of the same things I do along the way.

Woodbutcher, I agree, I'll be uploading a couple photos of the shipment later. Thanks for the good wishes!

 

While I've been organizing my shop after a recent parts shopping spree, the weather has turned cold and wet again. For what I need to do on the frame before I can go further, I need to wait for the weather to break again. I need to grind the clevis pin out of the brake lever and drill out the remnant. Hopefully it won't give me too much resistance. Then, I need to grind the rivets off of the radius rod/ transmission mount so I can prepare to mount the new pieces from the new frame when I get it all apart. Once I get these pieces off of the frame, it will be ready to be blasted.

With the weather turned bad and my shop being very comfortable, albeit dimly lit, I turned my attention to my dash board again. I know what you're thinking; 'Again with the dash board?' However, the dash is something I'd like to sort out. Until I can get to the frame and suspension, it is the best thing I can work on.

Lining up the stainless steel insert with my coupe dash, I identified where it interferes and took advantage of the fact the dash is so manageable. Turning it around, I mounted the stainless insert to the rear using a bolt, the ignition switch, and the headlight switch.

P1070867 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 8:44 PM

With it secured, I outlined in red where I would need to trim the gauge holes so my gauges will actually fit.

WP_20150530_012 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:25 PM

Then, I took a piece of scrap paper to get an idea of what the contour needed to be in order for the insert to fit. While I at first thought that these inserts were only utilized in roadster based cars, I found an example of a coupe with the insert this weekend. Here is a photo of a closed car with the insert:

WP_20150526_011 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:25 PM

Transferring the outline of the cut paper to a piece of stiff cardboard I realized how jagged my line actually was. Taking some sand paper, I smoothed out the curve of the cardboard to make sure the edge became a symmetrical single curve. Once the edge was to my liking, I tried it against the edge of the dash and transferred the line to the stainless steel dash insert.

WP_20150531_001 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:29 PM

WP_20150531_002 - Copy by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:29 PM

WP_20150531_003 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:29 PM

As you can see, I have a bit of cutting to do. Although stainless is great when it comes to its durability, that same quality can make working with it awful without the right tools. This piece was originally laser cut, however, I do not have such a facility at my disposal. Locally, there are a few laser cutting shops, but they require a solid edge drawing which I do not have. I've read that a slow speed band saw with an old blade put on backwards works well in friction cutting the stainless. However, that method comes with some drawbacks. After a lot of thought, I may be settling on a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel for removing the external material and a grinding bit for the internal edges. After removing sufficient material, I may try to finish it with a file in the hopes of mimicking the edge of the original. If this sounds like a good or bad method, please feel free to chime in.

 

After uploading my most recent photos, I realized I have filled up my media allotment about halfway and my project is barely started. I need to find some new way to host photos so I can still document most of the steps in building this car without running out of space to share the whole build. If anyone has some suggestions, please feel free to share them.

This week has been dedicated mostly to the gauges for my build. I've gathered enough parts to build a set of original 1940 Bantam gauges and to make up a custom set of gauges. The Bantam gauges were based off of the Hupmobile gauges on the cars built two years before Bantam reopened its factory. Although there were some differences, the two gauges have a high degree of functional interchangeability.

I don't want to clog the album with photos of rebuilding the gauges, but I will be posting a link to photos when I find a good host.

For the custom gauges, I am using a cast off triple gauge housing and a 1935 Hupmobile speedometer.

P1070863 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 8:44 PM

It is brand new and features a trip odometer. Unfortunately all of the grease dried up and it is completely seized. I've disassembled it entirely and lubed it up so it all works nicely. The key to really freeing it up is the removal of the brass bushing at the back of the speedometer where it interfaces with the cable.

WP_20150601_018 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:28 PM

WP_20150601_021 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:28 PM

Using a pair of needle nose pliers I was able to turn the bushing and eventually free it from the seized shaft. Once removed, it all came apart. Some cleaning and lubing allowed it to spin freely again. I've been trying to clean up the speedometer graphics so I can either have screens made for screen printing or perhaps new laser etched pieces made.

I have to trim the speedometer can from the new speedometer and the housing from the triple gauge so I can weld the two together. This is the project for later in the week. However, here is a preview of what the Bantam style face looks like with the Hupmobile instrument as compared with a stock bantam speedometer.

WP_20150602_004 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 3:29 PM

Here are a couple of photos of the instrument cluster I will be building to give the car another slightly custom flare. The end result will hopefully be similar to the gauge used in the Bantam Jeep, but as you can see there is a lot of work still needed. From the back it looks great, just not so much from the front:

P1070858 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 8:44 PM

P1070859 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 8:44 PM

P1070857 by rg171352 posted Jun 3, 2015 at 8:44 PM

While I am working on perfecting the graphics for the rest of the gauges, the instrument project is temporarily on hold besides some careful metal trimming and welding. When that finally happens, I'll post some more photos. The bezels are off being chromed, and I really hope they come out well. To say I'm afraid they wont be perfect is an understatement, most Bantam speedometer bezels seem to get ruined in the plating process. Also keeping me busy is the front end assembly. I'm currently sorting through my pieces to find the best to build the car from. Updates to follow.

 

Since the last post, I've been mostly working on trimming the stainless steel insert and the speedometer housing. It's amazing how tough it is cutting stainless steel. I chose a Dremel tool with a diamond cutting wheel on it. It took about 4 days of work for a total of probably 3 hours of cutting to come up with this:

WP_20150614_017(1) by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150614_027 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150615_003 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150615_004 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

I used a carbide bit to remove the excess and smooth out many of the rough edges and to finish removing material around the gauge openings.

It is finally trimmed and fits, but as you can see, it needs some final trimming and filing.

WP_20150616_024 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150616_026 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

The dremel cut off wheel was also useful in cutting apart the speedometer can from the Hupmobile gauge for modifying it into a bantam gauge. Now I have to cut the used Bantam gauge can and carefully piece the two parts together.

WP_20150616_020 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150616_021 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

WP_20150616_023 by rg171352 posted Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54 AM

 

I've been a bit of a delinquent with regard to updating this thread lately. However, the progress from June 18th to the present will be documented soon. When it comes to posting, something else has been on my mind for a while, but the right words haven't been forth coming.

A while back, a friend passed away; a real parts man with a great eye for mixing paint. For as long as I remember, he always stood at his post behind the parts counter in just the right place so he'd manage to remain invisible to the vast majority of the customers coming in for a single quart of oil or a candy bar. Hidden in the small space between abrasive wheels and decades old paint chips was a larger than life personality with a wicked sense of humor that made driving halfway across the county, let alone up through four states, for even the smallest part worthwhile. Although, he was always a fixture in my life; I really got to know him a lot more when I bought a 1961 Comet that he had walked away from buying weeks before I found it.

I actually thought the man behind the counter wasn't all that fond of me in the beginning, but, like plenty of other times, I was wrong. Knowing what kind of project I had gotten myself into, he made sure to help however he could. Before the Comet, I was usually the spectator when my Dad was buying parts. For years, my Dad had made sure to extol the virtues of this special individual, his prowess for locating even the hardest to find parts and mixing the most breathtaking paint imaginable.

Sharing an interest in the Comet, he helped pick out the color combination for the exterior which is the only way I can imagine the car at this point. Right now, I am posting this beneath a 61 Comet dealer model which he had given me in a box marked "valuable core" before I had to move out of town for work a couple of years ago. It was a very generous gift from a man easily overlooked by too many.

When Hemming's Muscle Machines printed an article on a 1964 Nova Gasser my Dad had built, we made sure that the mastermind behind the paint got the credit he deserved. Being called a pigmentologist in the nationally circulated magazine made him smile, knowing that for once, the world knew of his skill set. About a year after the article ran, his health had caught up to him and he retired his post. He was actually on the phone when my Dad and I went to pick up my 1933 American Austin in Boston; telling us about his progress on his 63 Oldsmobile. There is more that can be said, but I really just wanted to post this on the internet where his legacy will live on forever with a group that can understand the loss of someone like him.

Although some new customers may have seen him as just a guy behind the counter, those of us of a certain mindset could appreciate him for the genius he was. At the very least, buying parts just isn't the same, but I'm thankful I had the chance to know him while I did.

Thank you Dan, for everything.

 

And your photos are not showing up again...just red Xs

 

This seems to be a common issue. I will have to figure something out with regard to this. Thank you for letting me know.

 

Success with one bracket!

In order to start assembling the parts I have to build my chassis with the best parts available, I needed to take off the original transmission mount which has the dual purpose of supporting the radius rods. At some point, someone must have run the car into something and bent the cast piece causing a small crack. After grinding the rivets, and center punching them, my drill bits made very slow work of drilling each one out. Amazingly, I actually was on center when I drilled and didn't screw up either the frame or the bracket. Now, when I am ready, I can install a much more robust piece that allows for a greater range of motion than the earlier part.

Now, in order to keep going, I need to get the one remaining clevis pin out of the brake lever. Hardened steel was certainly a different beast in the 30's.

 

Bantam's are cool .
So .... are you "restoring" this or making a Hot Rod?