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Hot Rods 48 Austin A40 Pickup - Gasser ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Saxxon, Oct 26, 2016.

  1. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    I really like that truck and look but I'm also really partial to the C&O stance that's a little higher up and a lot more dangerous looking. I have the original box but it's a mess and the effort to save it may be more than the effort to make another one. At this point we'll start cutting and welding and maybe let the truck tell me what it wants... We'll start with the front end - because it's coming... and then we'll narrow the rear frame section to start the build on that end

    Anyone care to donate a sbc and glide to the cause ?? I'm sure someone has a 500 hp left over from a bygone era or project that they would love to see removed ... I'll even come get it...
     
    loudbang likes this.
  2. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Got it. I had noticed all the other trucks either had home made beds or had narrowed the original and added fenders. I am with you on the C&O, I like that truck!
     
  3. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    I just noticed this is right hand drive... Australian would be my guess
     
    loudbang likes this.
  4. Correct.;)
     
    loudbang likes this.
  5. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

  6. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Castlereagh drag strip,. yep down under (Sydney NSW)
     
    loudbang likes this.
  7. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Scoop angle is wrong on this black one.
     
  8. Blaise the Barbarian
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 26

    Blaise the Barbarian
    Member
    from Colgate UK

    looks fine to me and works well
     
  9. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,132

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I concur!
     
  10. L79_Acadian
    Joined: Oct 3, 2006
    Posts: 95

    L79_Acadian
    Member
    from canada

    [​IMG]
    Have some new Torque thrust D's for the front and a fiberglass front end to install too.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2017
    Saxxon and loudbang like this.
  11. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    A quick and somewhat useless update since I've done nothing to actually build the Austin.
    The decision to go with the 347/C4 or the drive-line out of the Ranger is on hold as my brother has an opportunity to sell the Ranger for more than I'm willing to pay of it. So for now I'm back to the boring and predictable sbc / glide option.

    We sold the engine and transmission to a very cool guy in Pembina ND. We made the exchange on the Canadian side at the duty free. He was very surprised how good of shape the engine was. Especially since I sold it to him for $150. He emailed me a few days ago that he got it running on a stand with very little effort and a couple of carb parts. I'm not at all surprised. That engine looked fresh. The engine is going into a 51 Austin Devon he's building for a daily driver for the summer months.

    I was selling misc parts including the seat. The picture I used showed the steering wheel and I was immediately inundated with requests to purchase the wheel ... apparently they are rare, and even more rare to have the semaphore switch. In the end I sold it locally to a guy who was also restoring yet another 51 Austin Devon. This time for his 16 yo daughter to drive to school. (That's so cool)
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
    loudbang likes this.
  12. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    JohnnyLawMotors - Rant !!

    Maybe it's just me, but when I buy something from e-Bay I do so with the assumption that the seller has the product and it ships in it's entirety upon confirmation of the sale. Apparently JohnnyLawMotors doesn't share this ideal.

    The majority of the front end kit shipped withing 5 days of the purchase. (Good with that) With the statement and invoice came a long list of back ordered parts. (Pardon??) A phone call to these folks did not turn up a delivery date for the whole list - just some. Long story short - they filled the entire order after 4 separate shipments including one shipment that saw them send me 1 of the 8 back ordered bolts (Yes - they shipped - one - bolt). This meant multiple trips to the border and an unhappy Customer. During this time I contacted them 3 times by phone and 3 emails. Each time they made a promise to call me back for whatever reason I needed a call back for (never did) and I requested they stockpile the parts and ship everything at the same time (never did).

    After 30 days I got a request to provide feedback to e-Bay. When my feedback wasn't favorable a representative of JohnnyLawMotors called me to ask why. So I told them: It's been 30+ days, my order is not yet complete. They didn't seem to think that was reason enough for a bad review. I even mentioned that back ordered parts may be an e-Bay violation and borderline mail fraud... that didn't go over well ... and they offered to have someone of authority call me to work something out (Surprise - they never did)

    It was 11 weeks before I got the last of the back ordered parts.
    • 4 trips to the border
    • 3 phone calls
    • 3 emails
    • 0 returned calls
    • 0 returned emails
    The parts and the kit are decent. Not unlike what I would have expected from Speedway. The price was great and even with the hassle I'm still thinking I'm coming out ahead. Just not happy with the Customer Service.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
    loudbang likes this.
  13. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    It's been a while since I posted here so here is the update. The truck is blown apart and being neglected at a friend's place while I campaign the Scout for the summer. The Scout has been running great lately and we finished the season with no major breakage. Which means no major spending on the Scout... which means a possibility of spending the money my wife doesn't know about on something else ... like the Austin...

    At the last event - Fall Fall Out 2 in Rock Falls - I was talking with a friend' of my brother who made the trip and mentioned he was parting out an ex-race car S-10. Long story short, I am buying the Competition Engineering rear sub frame, ladder bars, coil overs and a 8.8 diff for cheap. That settles the frame issue as I will now simply graft the sub frame to the front half of the Austin chassis. Not sure if I'm going to use the 8.8 but who knows ??

    I am officially NOT using the Ranger drive train as mentioned at the start. This thing has been sold and unsold twice to other people as my brother wheels and deals and I am simply tired of negotiating over it. That and the 347 has suddenly developed a death knock. At the moment the plan is a tried and true sbc and probably a glide but to be honest a decision on the engine / transmission is not on the radar so I'll see what comes along. An injected nitro burning inline 6 Studebaker Champion Flathead with a 3 speed La-Salle behind it is still as much a possibility as anything else.

    Next steps will be to set up the front suspension to confirm is not too wide, graft in the rear sub-frame (once I take delivery) and then start bending a roll cage to tie it all together. I'm hoping to do "something" with it in the next month. Guess we'll see when the sub-frame shows up and whether my wife finds the secret stash ...
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2017
    saltflats, porkshop and loudbang like this.
  14. L79_Acadian
    Joined: Oct 3, 2006
    Posts: 95

    L79_Acadian
    Member
    from canada

    Saxxon and loudbang like this.
  15. L79_Acadian
    Joined: Oct 3, 2006
    Posts: 95

    L79_Acadian
    Member
    from canada

  16. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,608

    earlymopar
    Member

    loudbang likes this.
  17. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    I like short wheelbase evil little cars and trucks so you got my attention on this build as I am building an even shorter 88 inch wheelbase Morris Minor 4 speed gasser for the southeast gassers with a high rpm 293 inch ford. 20170513_132731.jpg
     
  18. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    I sold the Austin to a guy who will do something very cool with it. I decided I simply did not want to do another ground up build. The new owner "Don" has taken possession of the little truck and already has a freshly built narrowed rear chassis that was supposed to go under an Austin A40 coupe

    Sorry folks...
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.

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