Projects Adam's '30 Roadster Shed find! AV8 Build Thread

Moving the pedals up and over solved some problems but created others. There wasn't enough room for this upper bolt and the assembly hung off of the edge.


An old previously enjoyed pipe about to get a new lease on life.


I sandblasted the area and the piece of pipe.


Welded in place and a new hole drilled.


Time spent modifying it to made it look like it was never modified!

 

Nice garage, excellent fab work- you got it goin' , Brother!

 

building one similar. Post more pics.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

32 rails 289. Lincoln brakes


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks Mike!

 

Another roadster coming back to life. Looking good!

 

sorry to keep hijacking your thread, but I thought you would appreciate the Galaxie next to the roadster.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Great build! I'm not sure how I missed it but it's great. Keep at it, I love your Devil's in the details approach

 

Good taste in vehicles, Your Galaxie looks great....and I have a Ford truck too!

 

Keep the updates coming

 

the truck



Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I finally made the decision to step the rear frame. I wasn't sure I wanted to, but I talked myself into it!


I scribed a line on the frame 4-1/2" ahead of the rear crossmember.


Welded on some braces to prevent the rails from moving around.


Chopped off! No going back now!


Works out to be roughly a 2-1/2" Z in the frame

 

I saw this Model A frame rail on a scrap pile in a guys backyard some time ago. I thought later that I might have a use for it someday, so I went back and he wasn't home. I left $5 in his mailbox!


Adjustable stand. You can see the piece of aluminum under the stack of the wood at the back. By sliding it forward it tilted the crossmember to the right angle I needed. Not fancy but it did the job.


Using pieces of that old frame rail, I started to fill in the step.


Before weld prep and welding.


Welded and smoothed out.


Here is that rail with the required pieces removed. While it may look like I wasted material, but the bottom side was pitted more and there are holes in the top that I cut between.

 

Before pictures of the frame step.


After. This body is pretty rough, so when I start on the body repair, I'm going to step the sub rails too. I plan to use the original wood blocks back here.


Roughly 5/16" was trimmed from the ends of the crossmember.

 

Here is a problem that is often mentioned, but many people don't notice. Not all Model A frames are the same. This is a 1928 frame and I'm using a 1930 Body.


The pad that the radiator sits on, is flush with the top of the rail on 1928-29 frames. 1930-31 The pads are lower then the rail.


Instead of swapping frames or changing the front crossmember, I decided to modify what I had. I first measured the front to rear location of the mounting hole. In my case, it was 4-1/8" from the front of my V8 mounts to the centre of the slot.


I had scribed a line around where I needed to cut 1/2" down from the top of the frame rail.


I cut the pads off.


I had planned on making new filler pieces, but once I cut them open, I decided to take the off cuts, swap sides, then turn them upside down and backwards and reuse them. The mounting holes would then be in the wrong spot so I welded them up.


Welded and blended. I used the original pieces to take advantage of the radiused edge.


I dropped them 1/2". That will help with hood alignment, improve lower rad hose alignment, but likely won't help with the fan to top tank. The next mock up will show these.

 

Nice job

 

Tech tip of the day- frame dolly

I made this simple dolly from an axle and a tongue from a trailer that was laying in my neighbours yard. I've used it for years. I try to do as much cutting and grinding outside, so I can just slip this under and roll it out. The axle is positioned that when there is a body on it, the balance is right. Saves your back or having to bother somebody for help.

 

I went through my stash of wheels and came up with these 4 that look very similar and that are straight. They are all from different vehicles too! Two are 4" for the front, and two 4-1/2" for the rear.


I cleaned and painted the insides.


I was never a fan of the red, but they were like that when I bought them, and used them for mock up until I decided on colours. I decided that couldn't wait any longer.


Mock up again. I really like the new lower stance with the stepped frame and the new wheels.

 

Mock up again


With the new rad position, the hood fits too if I decide to run one.

 

There are many things to do on the car, but I thought putting on some headlights that are not held on with vicegrips would be fun.


I cut the ends from the 1930-31 headlight bar. I had ground the underside smooth, then clamped them to a piece of plate.


Makeshift height gauge to mark them. This is a handy tip, it makes things easier sometimes.


I cut them off, then made sure they were the same height. I put a grove in them to help locate the bar and help keep it from sliding around while I tacked the parts together.


A transfer punch is great for marking the center of a square hole with a round peg.


I smoothed the ends out too.


Welded together and bolted down. This is race mode.


Street mode!


I had some old carriage bolts that had a similar look to the rest of the grungy parts, so I shortened them to suit. They blend right in!

 

Great job so far man, that is looking real nice.

 

Such a great build! Awesome pics and work.

 

I took this wishbone from a 1941 Mercury and split it and cut the front spring mounts off of it way back in January 2011! (Picture from 2011)


Spring mounts gone (January 2011)


Gave them some shape! (January 2011)


They looked nice, but I never really liked that extra bulk on the top. Fast forward to yesterday, and I decided to do something about it.


They rusted a bit laying around over the last 6 years.....


Last time you will see them like this!

 

I set them up in the mill for some milling action. I installed the perch pin with the tapered nut and snugged it up. I alighned it close to some 1, 2, 3 blocks.


Dialed it in to zero running the spindle up and down.


On this axis, I could not just move the part in the vice to dial it in, so I had to tilt the head just a bit.


Picked up the hole and set the readout to zero.


.275" was taken off the top.


60 degree countersink


Thinned out!


Before and after


Both done





I'm headed outside right now for the next step!

 

I think that has a sleeker, less clunky look to it.

 

You did good, they look perfect. Frank

 

I like how your car is coming together and that milling work really impressive! Very nice work, Cheers Aaron.

Sent from my SM-G360G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks for all of the kind words! I'm glad people are watching the build, it helps with the motivation to get out and work on it!

 

I'm really having a tough time making a decision on how to do the front end in this thing.



This is the current setup. Just about a blank slate.

Option 1:


I thought about making mounts something like this. The wishbone would still be spilt, but tucked under the car.

Option 2:



Use a yoke from a Model A wishbone, heat and bend it to the proper angles, then make a mount from the F1 crossmember. With the '41 bones, they are higher then a 32-34 style so space is limited. I'd likely have to run the yoke upside down to make it work. I don't believe the tube size is the same where I need to cut the '41 bones back to get the yoke in. That opens up another issue.


It's going to get tight in there with the brake linkage, clutch shaft, exhaust, etc.


Since the crossmember hangs down so low, I thought about cutting two holes in it for the exhaust to go through it and I can keep it tucked up. Option one won't work that way since those mounts would be where I'd be cutting the holes.

Option 3:

Keep the bones split, mount them on the frame. That's the simplest, easiest, fastest way that helps some other issues, but we don't always choose that route!


I also thought about having the battery under the floor on the passenger side but I'm not sure on that yet. I plan to run 6v, so having the battery right near the starter could be a good thing!

 

IMO...
don't split the bones, when one front wheel is lower than the other three a split wishbone will bind at the perch pins...
tube axles are worse...