Beautiful work! I remember seeing spy pictures of your roadster on Perich brothers blog a few years ago and being floored by its transformation. Thank you for going into detail on how you're performing each step. It really is a great service for the rest of us. http://perichbrothers.blogspot.com/2013/09/transformation-of-pat-lash-roadster.html
You guys are exactly right. You just have to start doing it! You're gonna mess up some metal, I do all the time. Every time you mess up you know what not to do next time. I didn't come from a mechanical background. My dad didn't even change his own oil! I got into paint and body at 18 because I found out how much it would cost me to have my VW painted. I can't stand to pay someone for something I think I can do myself. You learn fast if the desire is there. Any decent bodyman can show you the basics of how to move metal around. The rest is up to you. If you like 3003 try 1100. It's so soft you can leave bite marks in that stuff!
I've always liked this car from when I saw it in Paso before we got run out of town. There was never anything ratty about it. The workmanship is top notch. To see you continuing the work is great. I'm an inline guy and that;s what first drew me to it. The quality kept bringing me back.
Awesome work Pat!!!! Ive dug this roadster since way back at Paso! Loved the craftsmanship and attention to detail that you put into this and Im glad that your getting the attention you deserve! And like you and others have said, just get out there and do something on your projects. An hour a day and try what you don't think your capable of, its called learning. Thats how I did it...just go for it!
I put the car on stands up high to finish the bellypan in the rear. I took some photos of my rear suspension and torque arm. Rear spring mount in the middle position. Fuel tank is 2 oxygen tanks welded together, about 9.5 gal. Funny story, I was going thru tech at Fontana for Antique Nats and the guy says "what's up with the tank?" I told him it's a ww2 era oxygen tank out of a bomber, stainless and wrapped with banding so it won't explode. He says " A lot of those B17's blew up you know." Luckily I passed.
Working on my rear roll pan I ran into an issue. I rolled the roll pan over pipe and put a wide break where it will attach to the body. The back of the body has a slight curve towards the edges. I don't have a deep throat Shrinker so I had to tuck shrink. Two small pry bars welded together. Twist then hammer and dolly flat again. Took a couple of rounds to get the curve. I hammered it flat and got a good fit. Not the easiest way to do it. But it works!
Love it man, got a shot of your tucking fork where we can see the whole thing? I always enjoy seeing tools made in the shop for the job at hand
Wow! What a great rebuild you have underway, love all those details. Thanks for posting all the old photos you are using to research fine details. Bob
What a great build thread and updates on your own car. Please keep us up to date on all the changes. I hope to see this car in person someday. So many details.
Time for a update. So I get to race at TROG! I'm pretty stoked on that! Got a corner of the rear bellypan done today. pounded with the teardrop mallet in the middle then move to the wood block with a flat mallet to hammer flat the edges. still a ways to go. The logical way to make this would have been to use paper template to see where to shrink the edges and pound out the center on the sandbag. For some reason I just stretched it completely by doming the whole thing. As a result I had to use this shrinking hammer a little to knock down some pregnant areas. i didn't notice it until after I welded it together that there's a step between the wheel well and the corner. I cut a curve in the pan and welded in a stepped piece.
I've always wondered about that. My doors had outside handles and the wheel wells had ribs. A buddy of mine that's 85 and a model a restorer said he'd seen other possibly early 29's with the taillight bracket on the body. It stays for now. I might mount a club plaque off it!
Someone on Ford Barn would know when Ford stopped using that style bracket, I've seen 3-4 different styles depending on what body style you have. I plan on reverse bending one I have to make a right side one for the Steelback. Bob
Made some progress over the past 2 weeks. Finished the bellypan. Finished enough until paint time anyway! Starting on my new shortblock that I hope to have swapped before TROG. I don't want the flathead V-8s too beat me too bad! New .080 over Ross Pistons. Small pop up and recess for my 2.02 intake valves. .990 pins. I drilled the crank for a balancer bolt before I get it polished. I have to borrow my buddies lathe this week to narrow my GMC rods. My South Bend has a 13" swing and rod is 7" center to center so no go.
Hi Pat, bellypan looks great in the photo's, by chance do you have a 'side profile' shot at all, with all the car in view? Great to see the car evolve, love where you're taking it, looking forward to seeing photo's of it at speed on the sand. Cheers, Drewfus
Not yet. But I'll pull it outside and get a 20 footer. The pan is pretty level until the rear area when it tapers up just before the rear axle.
Great work. Nice pistons. Are you building a 235 or 261? What all are you doing? Very few Flattys will be a problem.
Nice. What compression ratio are you aiming for and what head mods have you done? That pop up doesn't look like enough to compensate for the valve recess. Your car will be too slick for the flatheads.
I saw it at Paso too, some tennis shoe M.F. in slacks was telling all that would listen that "This with the six, and the pipes, it's what you call a 'Rat Rod'. The real hot rods had V8s!" I was less than polite as I set him straight.
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