Projects SURVIVOR;Working on my hotrod 28A from 1959,rebuild

Thanks,adds to enjoymint knowing a few others get some ideas that can help them!
For my 71st B-day,my son got me a chrome one wire GM alt.,so I took off the 6wire not chrome Ford alt and remot reg.,I did a small mod to the bracket for fitting GM and looks good now,lots less wiring.

 

Started trying to do the wood lip around the rear of cockpit,so it will both hold snaps for top and the upholstery under it. I looked at some Oak to do it with,but cost was 3x what popluer was,,going to stain it anyway to kind of match steeringwheel ,dash and rear rack.

 

Thinking about what to do for upholstery?Kind of stuff I do when I'm out of parts for a time!
If you can make your self a drawing.
Trying to think ahead some on what to do helps on my old rod. This time,I know I will not put it back all black like it was=too hot to set on in Florida sun,but back then the black vinyl was a free-B from Nuwt.
Anyway I'm painting rod the same way ,all hi gloss black,with the yellow motor.
Thinking black and yellow upholstery to match. But this time, were we're sitting mostly yellow with black outer framing.
Here's how I'm working out my ideas. I first make my self a drawing with just out lines shown in fairly plan photo,no detail and copy that a few times so I can then add detail a few other ways.
I only did 1/2 the detail here cuz I got lazy after trying to do too much on the first drawing in next post.,but same design both sides with black sbout 5 or 6in. panel down center
I'm liking #2 drawing cuz door an side panel match seat best,both have two yellow roll-n-plates panels. Rug all black.

 

Here is the first drawing with detail idea and two others I didn't like of door panel types ,was not right some how on door panels for me,so did the one above in that post. The seat did look good to me,so kept that design.
Sure saves time playing by drawing vs doing.

 

Did some work on dash top rail,it's wood insted of metal to both make it custom and hopefully a better fit plus I'm to cheep to get one,I no longer have the old metal one ,seems now days the're all made of gold anyway if trying to buy one.
I still have a lip I need to add along the top to make windshield fit close. It should look nice after I stain and varinsh it to kind of match steering wheel and rear cockpit lip. Been thinking about woodburning some dragon art on this,but haven't done art I like yet. Maybe not?

 

Dana, man like wow! Is there no limit to your talent! great sketches, timber and metal worker your talent leaves me in awe
RodL

 

Thanks much "Rodl",I been having fun doing this stuff for a long time,enjoy the notes.

 

I picked up some new stiff foam for the bottom of seat and cut it to size,I had some not as stiff I'm using for the back,got both fitted to my home made frame work for seat,the back of seat flips forword ,was always a good storage behind it, a few tools,fixaflat now,tire plug kit,fireEXt,jumper cables ,small bag of nuts N boltsand other handy stuff. Sat in her for a time to test and make zooom zoom sounds ,feels real good. Now when I get a time and space freed up, I'll be able to start on upholstery. But got to get back to wiring and body work. If it will stop raining here in Miami.

 

Dana, The interior drawings look great !!! I vote for the first drawing in Post # 124. It will probably be the easiest to do and the theme carries itself well from seat to side panels.
Do you ever stop and do Tee-Shirts anymore ??? Jeff

 

Yup,I too like the first drawing best. At some point later on I'll also build a folding top for her this time,never got passed just building the top bows back in the day,when it was a new rod.

Jeff,
I only do airbrush monster car shirts now if some one asked me. Being old "The Bat" out of hell,is a lot slower at it and a little less smooth then back in the late 50's n early 60s,so yes I've done a few lately too ,but I can count those on my hands in the last few years. This shirt was about a year or so back below,Bob was in the Navy,so I put in some little things you can look for other then just the cool car.

 

Final fit an sanding on dash topper and rear cockpit rail done,added walnut stain a few min.s ago and let that dry tell tomorrow, then the shiny varnish,coming out good so far.
Removed the plastic temp oil line 4 starting up with out a dash,now got the copper oil gauge line installed,plus added temp gauge in to dash. A bolt or more a day.

 

OK got the stain and varnish on the wood parts,good enough for me. Will have to remove for shiny high gloss black body paint coming soon.
The walnut stain came fairly close to matching the steering wheel that J.J. gave me. I also redid the wood slats on folding rack,so when I do have that on,it will all tie together well.

 

Love it, looks great!

 

Got the temperary add on folding rack wood slats to match fairly close to other wood now ,some better then before,it was more red,maybe later after getting the rod running again I'll try harder to darken rack even more.. Tryed out wife folded wheelchair on it,wheels fit right into holes like it was made to fit just acxtently / I"m liking it some at lest.

 

the wood looks real nice!

 

Thanks gang.! Small update,I been playing again with wiring,hiding the headlight wires inside the frame, now the headlights are working,both high and low beam,dash lights working too,so next comes the tail lights/brake and park,got the brake light switch mounted to get started on them. Maybe later I'll ad some turnsig's too,if I find some small sexy lights I like for that.

 

My son,Lance let me use his 23 Ford roadster hot rod that he and I built for him a few years back. I had some fun taking his "Pandora" to the Holloween ShowBOO,the TV crew car guys were there and ask for a interview with Lance's rod,so here ya go, it's about mid way;
http://vimeo.com/77224012

 

^ Dana... you sure are enjoying your face time there! Was it a Hamm's beer keg then? Gary

Sorry for the earlier goof up.

 

Hey Dana, you were as good if not better than some hams I've seen in front of camera - Goodonyamate
Now I've seen the keg/tank I know what you were talking about in respect to straps for your build
Best regards, RodL

 

Yup,I'm a old cured ham! For TV they took about 20 min. of interview and just used what they like for time fit on there show. Its kind fun,but there is no cut,take two,you just wing it!!one time.
Hay,maybe I can ham it up when I get my own old rod done again too!!!

 

Very Kool! IMO the best part is, that it was yours, from 59. Myself and everybody in "hobby" has a memorey of a car that we wish we would have "saved". hindsite-perfect, foresite-not so much. John

 

Dana, The T-Shirt looked pretty good. You Rod is continuing to come along just fine.
Can't wait to see the black shiny stuff next to all of the wood you have stained and varnished.
Been out in the garage getting the 36 down to bare metal. Looks like two paint jobs since new in 36. Found some bondo but No Rust so far..................... Jeff

 

thanks for checking in gang.
Getting ready for paint now;
This smoothing out part I'm doing was a lot EZer with young arms to sand with, boring stuff right now,filler /sand, filler ,sand,seems like never ending,my arms are too old 4 this shit, and lots more to go, it will be shiny.
Cuz it was and will be again highgloss black ,it needs to be even smoother then like 4 red or some other lighter color.

 

Feeling a bit happyer today,its starting to look smoother after four days of sand n fill fun,almost there,shiny soon!

 

Well done, Dana! The interview and the T.

 

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all ya hotrodders

 

Took a brake from painting my own rod,we went to the show in Miami Springs with my son Lance n his 23T,about 100+ cars came. Photo was taken by Mark who owns the hotred highboy 32,beside next with Lances 23T blue n Rosh's 23T red beside us.

 

Finely got the high gloss black back on my old gal ,after a few weeks of sanding and filling,needs some buffing out yet,but pretty good anyway being painted in my back yard,even got a buddy hotrodder John Fenner to come over and help do some spraying,man its nice to have help

 

Looking good!!!

 

Thanks!
Playing with putting some parts back on this week,should be doing some buffing next week.
I'll start on doing my upholstery soon,I got by the shop and picked up the vinyl,black n some yellow.