Projects A Speedster Comes Out of the Weeds—Build Thread

"Color is in early discussion. My wife favors green with mustard wheels."

Green with mustard wheels might be good.

 

How about a cut down 32 La Salle grill shell?

 

It was designed to have some funky motorcycle sidecar fenders attached, but yeah, it didn't work for me either. The thing was made of galvanized steel stretched over a wood framework. In some of my pictures you can see the pitting lines it left on the tail.

You make an excellent point about the chrome. I'm going to stop worrying about it and just paint them. Also, I'm glad this has inspired you. Dreaming and hunting for parts is half the fun.

Hi Volvobrynk. To coin an American phrase, "Close, but no cigar." The hood top is different. Beautiful car though!

Sure, just hand her more ammunition.

 

Thanks for the feedback on radiator shells, everyone.

I remember the thread where you IDed that Auburn shell. Very cool find! A bit too grand for my application, I think, but I like it.

They do look nice with Whippet shells. Probably not a good fit with the hood, unfortunately. I did consider a Whippet Overland Shell, which is larger.

I like it! And it would be a tip-of-the-hat to the car's Chevy roots (although I'd probably remove the badge). You say the dimensions are similar? This and the commercial shell are now on my swap meet watch list.

Funny, this obvious solution never occurred to me. Perhaps I subconsciously knew they'd be as rare as hen's teeth. But maybe one will fall out of the sky someday.[/QUOTE]

 

Glad to see the hood still fits so well, I would have thought it'd be massively too long, but it actually looks right at home. I'm on board with a commercial A shell, plus they're regular mild steel so if you decide it's too plain it's pretty easy to modify. You could add a center bar like the Auburn grille pictured, ect.

Although if you cut the little emblem dip out of the Chevy shell and added one of those Model A mesh screen inserts to it, it would be almost a dead ringer for the LaSalle grille, with the big round button in the bottom center and the thin stainless outer design.

 

Think of it...'International Cowl. The gift that kept on giving.'

 

So here’s a little more information on the mockup.



There’s several things going on here to make that long hood fit. The cowl band has been moved back, and the hood actually overlaps the cowl about four inches. Weird, but it works. A drawback is that I’m pretty sure the rear vent door on either side won’t be able to open.

The radiator is moved forward 4 inches and down 4 inches. A benefit of doing this thread retroactively is that I can kind of gloss over my missteps. So I won’t show the three pairs of failed support brackets I made and threw away before I finally got it right.



With the radiator lowered, the upper hose interferes with the fan. I’m going to see if I can get away running without one. If not, I’ll find a solution. (I promise, no electric fan.) I also need an adaptor box to get the lower hose up over the front cross-member. I hope to do this soon—I think it’s been long enough that Ron at Greenwood Radiator won’t hide when he sees me drive into the parking lot.



In this mockup, the rear fenders are sitting on hockey pucks. I’m still kind of torn between fenderless and fendered. These are not the fenders the car came with—I got these at the Portland Swap Meet. I was told they’re off an early ‘30s trike. I also have a spare tire ring I could cut up for the front.

Here’s a picture of the fenders the car came with.



These are asymmetrical—the inside is lower than the outside—so I assume they came off a trike or sidecar. They’re kind of neat, but I don’t like the way they wrap around so much. For me, the look is too “heavy.” I want to see the tires.

 

Did you take pics of it mocked up with the original fenders? They're really pretty on their own, curious to know what they'd look like on the car.

 

I agree that those fenders are too "heavy." I like the yellow ones better; they cover the tires without overpowering the car.

 

Yellow ones all the way! Gary

 

http://cooper-smithing-co.myshopify.com/

 

There is something about them old fenders that looks right and there is something that looks wrong.

I think that two off the heavy with a larger inner arc, that would ligth them up and a pair of yellow ones in front will give the best era vibe.

But a mock up will tell you.

 

While you're at the radiator shop, have Ron move the inlet to the "corner" of the tank (just above where the tank meets the core). Your choice: left or right. Yes, you'll lose a bit of coolant volume at the very top of the tank but having room for the fan will make finishing the 4th of July parade much easier. You can make the inlet tube transition from round to oval for a great fit.

I really like this build.

vic

 

How about just have the upper radiator outlet come out straight back?

 

Great project! Since you are just across the mountains from me I hope to see the car someday. Maybe at the East- West Flathead Run that takes place in Monitor WA. each September......

 

Cark, if you are interested in a Chevy grill, the commercial grills are plain steel (not stainless), and they are the same dimensions as the passenger car grill shells. In my opinion, painted is the way to go. Awesome work and thanks for the post. Gary

 

That car is really coming along even though I can see that it has taken you a while to get there. It's going to be quite a head turner that fits well in not only the hot rod world but other vintage car events.

 

Thanks for the feedback on fenders, guys. I think the yellow ones are the way to go. Bob, that's some really nice work in that link you provided; not quite in my current budget, though. Down the road I'll post some pictures in its various configurations, just so everyone can see. (The fenders are buried in a shed right now.)

 

[Insert sound of Clark slapping a hand to his forehead] Damn! Of course! I was so focused on the issue of the lower hose that the idea of changing the upper inlet never occured to me. Thanks guys!

 

I was going to suggest cutting down the maroon fenders a bit, I think the yellow ones look too light/spindly and Marion ones too heavy.

 

Thanks Gary. Based on everyone's feedback, I'm convinced a commercial shell is the way to go. That painted shell look "right" in this picture of your speedster. Plus, the flat top mimics the look of originals for these cars, and they can be tweaked for fit. It's amazing how many ideas you guys have given me in just a few days.

 

Yeah, this project has moved slowly. Like I said at the outset, I started with only some basic skills and had to teach myself a lot of stuff along the way. Even now, people are presenting me with obvious solutions that hadn't occurred to me. The East-West Flathead Run has been a goal of mine for several years. I've bought a few parts from Chris over the years, and keep telling him this is the year. I now publicly make it a New Year's Resolution for 2016.

 

Good we can drive together!

 

I am in the yellow fender group.... but as the other fenders came with the car, I also agree that cutting them down to visually lighten them would be cool. It would fit with trying to keep as much of the original build, just with a more aesthetic eye.
For someone who claims to have little skills, you have done a stellar job of saving this car, preserving the good, yet making it "yours". That in itself is a skill a lot of guys never learn.
Well done, and carry on.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

2NDCHANCE got it "Right" !!! Chevy Truck Grilles (31-33) are stamped steel and same dimensions as the Chevy Car Grilles. You can cut and modify them and weld them back up with Your Mig. Same year Car Grilles are stamped brass, then chromed (or nickel) The 32 truck grille is the same stamping as a 31 car and the 33 truck grille is the same stamping as the 32 car. I have had both in the past 10 years. Hope this helps................ Great Build....................
Jeff

 

You better listen to the wife on colors.

 

With that long hood a straight 8 would look awesome in the future.

 

Before I did the trunk floor, I spent a lot of time looking at HAMB threads by very talented people showing how they form body panels. As always, I came away with a lot of good information and an inferiority complex. But I pressed on.

The original trunk floor was so far gone when removed that it wouldn’t even serve as a template. So I made one out of cardboard, transferred it to plywood and cut my form. Then I cut out the sheet metal, clamped everything together and made some relief cuts around the perimeter. Then I commenced hammering.







I made the panel from 16-gauge, which I realize is overkill. But I didn’t want it to oilcan. Plus, the body is made from something between 18- and 16-gauge all around. This probably explains why it survived so long in its damp storage environment. Having blown my share of holes practicing on 20-gauge, I knew welding 16-gauge to 16-gauge would be easier for me. (And now, if I decide to store it in the bushes for a few decades, the next owner will have more to work with. )



The panel was too stout for my DIY English wheel (stump and Maglite), so I used a shot bag and mallet to put the curve in it. My first try was close, but about a quarter of an inch too small. I made a new form and did better on the second. Here it is in place—obviously some tweaking left to do, but you get the idea.

 

Just got back from a family get together in VA, and BAM- hit with 5 pages of progress on one of my all-time favorite HAMB finds!

SO glad to see you digging into the Mercury project AND how much progress you've made- keep up the great work, Clark

 

Just stumbled across this thread Clark.............what a fantastic find and follow through on your part.

A couple thoughts on the fender thing. If the mock up above with the minimalist look (exposed frame, no splash shields etc.) is the ultimate objective, then the thin fenders are spot on. If you'll be going for splash shields and perhaps running boards or step plates then a more substantial fender would be more proportional. Whichever, before possibly cutting up those fenders that came with it you might want to try to find out what they are originally from. Agreed, they have the look of Servi Car/side car/trike pieces and if you contacted some MC collectors you might get a quick/accurate I.D. (say that guy Dale on Velocity with the museum as an example). Similar ones I've seen would imply you've got perhaps a grand (or more) worth of tin there..........good trade bait or funding builders there.

Looking forward to more updates..............like your vision.