Projects Not worth saving... 1929 Model A Roadster AV8 Hotrod (build thread!?)

I'm in the process of turning this:



into something more like this:



Yes that's the same body, and it is BEAT up!

I've never ground-up built a hotrod by myself before, though I've finished builds and had a (large) hand in some complete builds done by a local rod shop.

This body is wasted, and bringing it back is going to really challenge my sheetmetal skills (which are mostly non-existent).

Also, I'm building my first flathead V8 for this little roadster at the same time. It should be a fun little AV8 when all is said and done. Perhaps I'll post more pics as I go...

Thanks,
Casey

 

Please do,like it so far.

 

More pictures when you get it unloaded.

 

It's unloaded. That's the mock-up pic above. I just ordered $1500 worth of patch panels today from Bratton's, so I'll post some more pics when I start setting her up.

 

Casey...the sub rails stacked in first pic look pretty substantial. Sand blast 'em and use some of that Argon on the extra holes. Do 'em right there on the bench, one at a time.
Follow a couple of threads on the '28-9 roadster bodies during patching AND attaching to sub rails.

Slow, careful cutting and matching up of patch panels (and misc. 'strips' of A-K 20 gauge steel) will match up nicer than you thought. Butt weld, careful tacks. You knew that...

Just 'doing it' takes some bravery, only just at first. The whole car looks dismal, but it's like...eating an elephant. True.
I'd love that project...Typical California guy's street A-V8, 1942-1946...

 

You've got to get some light behind those subrails to see how shot they are, but they're replaceable. I agree with your sentiment that is, I'll learn as I go...

 

Second glance tells the story... I have some T sub rails that are like that...good 'patterns'.

 

Take your time and plan ahead- it's like playing chess!
Good luck, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

 

Will be expecting hourly pics !

 

Hahaha. Maybe not quite hourly (that nine to five is a killer).

Yes, I was thinking that way. I'm going to have to do some digging for the body "rebuilding" threads that you mentioned above. I haven't come across any yet, but that will be something to satisfy my insomnia a little bit later.

 

Your story sounds very familiar. . . . My first too. You can do it!

 

Go for it! Looking good so far!

 

hear that these projects only take 15 minutes ( likely thousands of 15 minute time blocks)

 

Interested to see how this turns out. Keep plugging away at it. A little bit of progress each day makes a difference. Good luck.

 

Go man, go

 

I am on for the ride on this build.....Plus I am looking for a 28 - 31 roadster body to do the same only on a 32 frame as I have that already.

 

Looks like a fun project to me - go for it! If you need any help on the flatty, just ping me - be happy to help anybody who is a 'first timer'. LOL

 

Subscribed,found a roadster body with a bottom so bad that you could not do more than one patch with out loosening the bottom half.
Still decideing whether purchase or not.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

If you decide to pass on it pm me the info please....my neighbors just moved here from Sask maybe I can arrange transport

 

Always nice to see another A build. Look forward to more updates. Bob

 

Lends a whole new meaning of the phrase, "You get an A for effort." In this case, a great A-V8! And you WILL give the effort. We can hear that loud and clear. Hot yam!

 

The subrails on my '30 Roadster are from three different cars. I used a new piece of MDF on the table and traced the largest section, then fitted the other pieces. Crossmembers were a lot easier to replace than repair. Bob

 

Hey guys! I apologize that the updates are slow to come on this thread. I wanted to have more to show before I posted again...

This past week was a bit like Christmas. Two HUGE boxes of patch panels showed up from Brattons; basically the entire bottom 5" of the car. I also got another big box from POR-15; I don't think there's enough metal in my quarter panels to grind all the rust away, and so eventually the insides will likely get a coat of this stuff after all the patch panels and bodywork are done. I got one of their tank restorer kits too. My tank still holds fuel, believe it or not, and I've had good luck with their tank kits for motorcycles, so I figured that was probably worth doing.



On my day off I built a really nice table to lay the body out on. I used a 3/4" sheet of hardwood ply on a 2x6 frame so it's square, flat, and sturdy. I figure once I plot out the body mount locations, I can anchor the subrails to the table, and if I'm diligent in moving my tacks around, I can get the body built without much movement/warpage.



Using Wescott's blueprints, I plotted out the first 6 body mount holes and set my cowl up on the table. Not even close! I decided to dig a little further, and so I went and measured both of the Model A frames I could get to out in my yard, and found every dimension on both frames to be off +/- an inch from the blueprint...so I guess they're more of a suggestion.

I ended up painstakingly measuring the frame that's going to eventually live under this body, and the next free evening I get I'd like to get out there to plot out the correct holes on my table and start laying out my subrails.



In the interest of hopefully making this thread useful to any who'd find it, I'm also including this image, pirated from another HAMB thread by @Brendan1959 and @Flatred53, and updated by yours truly to fractional measurements. I have NOT compared any of these measurements to what's left of my own subrails, yet, but will post my findings when I do. Hopefully between two A frames, one blueprint, this photo, and a wasted pair of subrails I can figure out where, approximately, things should go as I lay out this body...

Wish me luck, HAMB-fans!

 

Not all body types use the same mount holes in the frame, four door bodies use some holes, pick-up body use other holes, roadsters may use another set of holes. I would guess that the frames are drilled to accept any body but may not be. Wish I could be of more help and able to tell you what holes should line up but I'm at work now and don't have the book with me.

 

Here is the info I was able to get http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/model-a-subframes-floor-pans.756448/ my car is in deep storage so I haven't been able to get started yet....

 

this fella Carter was extremely helpful unfortunately some of his photos have disappeared from my thread if they're not available on his build thread maybe we can ask him to repost them http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/carters-29-roadster-build-thread.680005/

 

Hello Casey

I still got this old subframe, just let me know if you need some more measurements.

 

Wow!!! That's not much you're starting with. This is going to be good, post lots of updates

 

Great thread keep the updates coming.

 

Ok, so, I didn't accomplish as much as I set out to today, but I guess that's often the way it goes...

One of the biggest hurdles was going about just how I was going to get the subframe assembled and square without really having a whole lot to go off of. Studying the subrail picture I posted earlier, and the remnants of my mangled subrails, I came up with some more "correct" numbers, and I will post those when I can update the image, but, basically, using my centerline, I screwed 2x4's to my "body jig" table to set the rails up against, and then locked the rails in tight with some strategically placed 2x4's along the outside.

Once I had the rails situated, I flipped them over (guess what, they're not exactly mirror images of each other), locked them back into the "jig", and went about cutting and shaping the cross rails to the subrails.







Tomorrow (hopefully), I can flip everything back over, lock it down, and set the cross rails in place final final. When I get that done, I'll fix the graphic and post all my measurements...and hopefully when it comes time to hang all my body panels they'll actually be right!

Stay tuned...