Projects My Build Journal by KiwiGlen

Never did like the Dukes of Hazard inspired paint either Jeremy.
I'd followed the build, and was enjoying it until the paint. Can't say as I'm fussed on the white chassis, but the body is way better now.

I think inch square tubing is a favourite, and I'm not exactly sure as to the rules with side intrusion bars, my truck is regoed as a 2010 LVVTA 29 Hudson, and has double skinned doors, but no bars, and was fully certed by Don Hoff in Christchurch.

Do you guys remember the bare metal 29 Chev, that Rocket built?
Its down here now, and painted blue. Volvobrynk saw it, and liked it. Anyway, the rear quarters were hand made, and they look great.
I don't know what metal skills you have Glen, but it can be done. Mine are crap, I owe it all to my metal shop teacher. He was an ass, who reckoned he could cut a cardboard box in half, with a cane. If your out there Mr Saw, your the reason I failed metal shop!
So, forget the glass, let's find Glen a steel cowl, and someone to wack up some roadster quarters. I'll donate some buggered 20 something Essex doors.

 

It was posted up by another HAMBer, as a cure too a set up that was only made up with springs.
Builder claimed it worked fine, I see if I can find pics of it, I don't know if it had a slider build in at the front mount, to improve on the arc. But it does look like it got two different arcs. But I don't know.
But so does the 1968-70 Volvo four link, but it does work. Just saying.
I'm not the one who knows it all, and I'm not a know-it-all




But I never build a set up like that.

 

I don't know it all either, but I do know what I know . In theory, that sketch would work better than the one I commented on.
Jeff, what a great idea and offer. JW

 

The 28 Chev Roadster I mentioned, has quarter ecliptics on all four corners. I'll see if I can get a link to my photo bucket album up, I've managed to do link thing a few times with others, but not sure what I'm doing right, haha, why do they call these phones, smart phones?
This ones as dumb as a plank.

 

http://s1109.photobucket.com/user/nedboc/library/skeetas roadster?sort=3&page=1

 

Looking good. That's such a nice roadster!

I really like it, 1/4 elliptic and all.

 

I tried finding the 28 Jeff, but all the pop ups locked up my lap top so I gave up.
Would really like to see it. JW

 

Try it again, its working OK for me on my cheap hand crank phone JW.
I couldn't sleep last night, so managed to sort link thing. I have detailed pics of springs toward end of album.
I can't seem to copy pics and put em up here, but if anyone can, they can go right ahead...

Jeremy, my Southern girls texting me, hope your ones happy today, mine aint.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I have all those pictures of quarter elliptics filed away for reference already, but it's good to see them again here, so thanks for posting.

I definitely remember the rocket roadster. Here is the quarter elliptics…





Here is the body…

Jeff, just how buggered are those Essex doors My metal working skills are not good. In fact, I have only had a welder for a couple of years and have only put together a few custom bicycles, but that should be good enough to tack stuff together. There's a '26 Dodge cowl on Trade Me for $350, but I just can't spring for that right now, and as I said... there's no big hurry. I'll just bide my time and keep planning things as much as I can.

Cheers,

Glen.

 

Now that's what I'm talking about: Nice simple quarter elliptic setup.
Rear is like mine: Spring on top, radius bar under. "cept mines an independent/swing axle setup so requires a swivelling shackle. I'll put some pics on my C Cab thread shortly.

 

That last one you posted looks good as it will all move about the same, I like it. JW

 

The photo bucket liked me that time, what a damn cool roadster but if that radiator shell is for that car its a 29-30 Chev. Love the colour. JW

 

I probably got it wrong, and it could be a 29. Same as the one I run on my Hudson.
Did you notice how they've used another top, and grafted it to the bottom?

Glen, I have to dig the doors out for better pics, and just don't have the energy right now, got other stuff happening that's causing a huge lack of sleep, and I'm nearly all tapped out.
Here's some crappy pics.

 

I missed that, either way its damn nice JW

 

The good old days, Dec 1978 and heading for home with a 29 Essex c0wle, Nash rear fenders and a 36 International grille surround. I went back a week later and got the sedan back and some 28 Dodge front fenders. I should have got a lot more. Will try and find an overview of the field.
This is what you need to find Glen. JW

 

Looks like the dude by the Transit vans swatin fly's.
Trailer looks kinda Hamb friendly, and I like the contents.
I bet there's still some old tin lurking around up your way, waiting to be found.

 

I made the trailer at college in 75 with the front axle from my Prefect that I had wrecked, I rebuilt it in 84 (3'x 3') to carry V-8s. I still have 40 it years later
I do think there is still stuff around my part of the country buts its very hard to spot now.
I hope Glen stumbles across just what he needs at the right price and get this off the ground JW

PS; the guy swatting flies had just had a swim as from memory it was 34*C and just after this I wound the Willys off the clock at 85 mph !!!!!!

 

No worries... as I said, I'm in no big rush.

Yep... that'd do nicely.

So do I.

Wow, 1978 and you can remember the temperature that day... that's amazing. I can't even remember yesterday's temperture.

Glen.

 

Glen if your ring me on 0220 490129 on Friday night I can show you how to frame the body.
I am building a '29 Chev Pickup from what was left from the vintage guys build up of a 4 door.
I'm in Kerikeri and also am very familiar with Dans build of that roadster for Kevin.
Mike

 

Thanks, I will. I'm not sure who you are and you mention the names Dan and Kevin as if I might know them, but I'm terrible with names and remembering people. Are you all Kurbside members? Guess I'll find out later.

Glen.

 

Today I visited krazee here in Kerikeri. Nice bloke with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I learned a lot in my short visit and am feeling a bit more confident and enthused.

I'm still tossing up between roadster and pickup and krazee's pickup is quite inspiring. So here's some more pickup inspiration...






Glen.

 

I decided to start up my 3d software and (after spending some time remembering how to use it) do a bit of modeling. My preference would be to use an original chassis, but RHS might end up being used, so I did this quick basic design...





Then I modeled a shape to represent a roadster body...





Slow going as I am really rusty with this software.


Glen.

 

I'm an old school artist, so I just use pencil and paper. Usually lots of it!
Respect to anyone with the patience and discipline to use software, good on ya Glen!

 

It's funny how people do "it", I like to sit on a good chair, with a beer and flashlight, with Johnny Cash or Hank Williams on the stereo. And look at my progress, if they jive.

Works like charm for me, but that don't mean I don't appreciate the new ways!

 

My preference would be to just get some metal and some parts and start building... the way I do bicycles. But I don't have the money to buy the stuff just yet, at least, not all in one go. I have to save and get parts slowly... bike parts are usually free. So in the meantime, I can plan, whether on paper or on the computer... or just in my head.

Glen.

 

Glen, im liking your vision and renderings and I was thinking that there are a lot of tourers that were cut down into pickups etc. You may find something like that that you could use and fab whats missing. Here my RPU, you could peace together a project in this style if a pickup is the direction you wish to go.
Jeremy

 

Make the frame rails follow the outside edge of the body.....then you can drop the seats BELOW the top of the frame rails.....between the torquetube and the frame rails. Do this instead of a belly pan. Sit in hot rod, not on it.

Take a length of 2"x 4" wood, about 3 feet long, cut some evenly spaced slits almost through the 2", but not quite all the way through. Space the cuts 3" apart. Make 10 of these cuts. Now take the cut board, and squeeze the saw cuts closed. The curved board you end up with is what you can expect if you do the same thing to 2"x 4" rectangular tube, cutting through just the three sides, and V-out and weld the slits shut. That is how you can make the tube frame rail follow the shape of the body side. Vary the 3 inch dimension to increase or decrease the radius of the curve. The distortion of the uncut side of the tube will be invisible to the naked eye if you use a saw with a .050 kerf or less.

 

Thanks. Yes, that's exactly what I had in mind for the chassis. I used that method of bending steel to curve the down tube of a bike frame I did a while back…



I do want to sit down low in it not on it as you say, so will definitely contour the frame rails to the body shape to enable lower seats.

Thanks again for your interest and advice.

Glen.

 

With the seats positioned where the normal rear radius rods would go , you have to change up things. You can install a 3 bar plus pan hard bar rear suspension. Bottom bars from bottom of rear end to bottom of frame rails......and upper bar goes next to driveshaft, going from rear end ( pumpkin area) to transmission crossmember in the driveshaft tunnel. That gives you the space to lower the seats between the frame rails!

 

At the moment, I am leaning more towards the quarter elliptic rear setup like the one shown in post #39 above. This would give plenty of space to lower the seats between the chassis rails. I'm also still considering the original semi elliptic parallel setup of the '36 Chev if I can get an old Chev or some other chassis to use. Good to hear different ideas though, so thanks.

Glen.