Projects I Just Bought a Hot Rod Model A Roadster That Was Built In 1959...

Thanks man! Speaking of old hot rods, are you still working on that drag pickup???

 

Mike, what about these lug nuts that you were asking Tuck about? Found them on eBay from the listing:
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Have one to sell? Sell now
Details about 20PC 1/2X20 CHROME MAG WHEEL LUG NUTS .75" SHANK | CRAGAR 1/2X20

 

Hey those may work for me! U.S. made too. Crazy!

I'll have to take some measurements. I hadn't really looked into it yet other than to scrape a couple together to mount the wheels on my brake lathe to see if they are reasonably true.

Thanks Mike!

 

-4* here in WNY today. Just finished reading the entire thread. Time well spent.
Wonderful to see a 'Rod" from my era preserved with such attention detail. "make no changes only improvements"
That sweet machine ended up just where it deserved to be, with someone who would recognize the history and be concerned enough to ensure that it would be passed forward.
Thank You....

Bob

 

When does Lanyard get to “test it for stress factors”?


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First, we're all looking forward to seeing the new rubber mounted, hoping that the inside door handle doesn't fall off this time around on the next drive(chuckle)...

 

Thanks for the kind words Bob!

Not until the salt washes away now unfortunately!

Yes I've got to dig some '46 Lincoln wheels I've got out of the chicken coupe and get them cleaned up. I need to figure out a way to secure those door handles, ha! He shaved the outside handles so these won't attach as stock. I'm thinking I may file a groove in the square stock for an o-ring to help them grip the square hole with some friction.

 

Great car. I wanted to finish reading so I could chime in but it was the best thread so I had to make it last. Great work Lannie and Mike. The proportions and stance of the car are just right. What is the length from cowl to grill shell relative to stock? Is the wheelbase extended by that amount?
You mentioned "new Grosse ball valves"for the carbs. I have been running these for over 25 years with an electric pump unregulated for much of that time. I have talked to carb experts. One said to get rid of them. The other said they were good when Ansel Grosse made them and then still good when his son took over but the grandson couldn't keep it together and now they are gone. I am freshening my Rochester 2GCs and hate to give them up so have sonic cleaned and reinstalled. Does anyone sell new Grosse Valves now?
I bought a real nice alcohol resistant fuel pump rebuild kit from Hal Houghton (Classic Preservation Coalition}. He might be able to provide one for your SW pump.
I have been getting NORS parts off the shelf at Eastside Auto Parts on Kansas Ave. in KCK. I think the owner is the daughter of Harry Bratt who had Eastside in KCMo in the 60s. They still have inventory . Barney and Chrystal will let you look through old books to find parts that can fit when you don't have the "application."
Those headers are a work of art. How were the curves formed? Were they torch welded?
I can't wait to see it live.
Pat

 

Hey Pat, if I remember correctly the wheelbase is 116" (same as I made my truck oddly) which is 13" over stock I believe. I have not measured the engine compartment. I agree that he nailed the proportions!

That's interesting on the Grosse valves as I had only heard good things. The carb seems to be acting better now so I will leave the stock needles. I need to get the other carbs hooked up and see how they act.

Thanks for the info on Hal and also Eastside Auto Parts. I have been hearing about them for years but don't think I've ever been?

Hopefully @Lanyard can answer your query on the headers. They are extremely well done as far as I'm concerned!

 

Imagine if they would have made the chrome drop off.


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i have been disappointed in gross jets a few times......i stopped using them.

 

The inside door handles was a project I never dealt with. In fact I lost two, and I believe there was only one, when you picked the car up Mike. Things really got put on the back burner, when We moved to Kansas City with new job. I only had a single car garage,and so the car just kept getting moved around in storage, which took a “tole” on it. I never lost my dream to get it running again though. So now my dream remains through the works of Mike.

 

An airman at Schilling Air Force Base in Salina helped me by building these headers. They were a problem getting on, so I made a screw jack, to separate the pipes to line up with the studs on the heads. I never could find the jack to give you Mike.

 

My three sons have enjoyed keeping up on this post, as they have families and no time to take on the project when I decided to sell. It was always my dream to pick them up at school in it, and even take my grandkids for a ride in the rumble seat. My youngest Son asked me when he watched the video of Mike take it on the road for the first spin. “Did it sound like that Dad, when you drove it”?

 

Lanny, your posts on this thread are always very special - keep them coming as all us here will always enjoy them. Salivating at the time when we get to see the new rubber installed on the BB - more so when the snow clears and the long cruises begin!

 

Thanks for the info on the headers @Lanyard. No worries on the jack. My PORTA-power did the job!

As far as the family is concerned I understand the time thing, especially if it's not really your "thing." I pretty much think about these cars constantly, ha! I do not consider it a hobby. It is a sickness! I currently have four active projects (with more parts and dreams for at least three others in the mix!) There are just not enough hours in the day/monies in the bank unfortunately.

This is how my Merc (my family has owned it since I was 10 years old old so) sat for about the last 20 years. I was finally at a place in my life where we had the room to bring it home and get it going again.


It's now running/ driving again but I must admit that I've been so busy with everything else that I haven't had much time with it this last year. Hopefully I can get it reliable enough to drag the BB to some events with it this year like you use to do with your '57!


We will have to get your family together for some joyrides this year once this weather breaks!

 

Same place ? Blue

 

It’s not. We have one in Lawrence, Kansas. Not sure what the history of it is. I should research it some day (when I have time, ha!)

 

Wow cool . Does the old rt.66 run through there ? Maybe a chain . This one is in Az. Stayed there on the way back from SEMA this year on old66.

 

@JOYFLEA it does not. Rt 66 only catches a tiny bit of the SE corner or Kansas (about 150 miles away from us.) I've always wondered how many of those types of motels were around.

 

It’s been super cold here (like everywhere else) and hard to get motivated to work in my heatless shop out on the prarie (boo hoo!) but I sacked up and got a bit done last weekend. It pretty much took me all weekend to get this adapter made to get the scavenger pipes hooked up with some semblance of symmetry. I have a little clean up to do on the welds (the tig did not like my flux cored tack welds!) and hopefully it will be warm enough this weekend to squirt a little paint on them for permanent installation.

 

Mufflers are overrated...
One of the best threads on the Hamb in a long time.

 

Hey Mike ,you talked me into keeping my points. I just got a new Echlin set and cap and rotor. But I'm confused about wires. I am thinking a high grade but OEM replacement coil and I'd like to find some 7 mms with the ends on. Is" spiral wound" good?
Pat

 

That a Boy! Bearing the winter cold (here in FL it's dipping in the 40's and I'm freezing) to get the deed done! Nice job on the adapters for the scavenger pipes - what type of paint will you be using and - are you painting part or the complete exhaust system?

Holy Bejeeesus Mike - 64,000 views already on your thread and it's not even a FEATURED one! I have 6,400 being a FEATURED thread and you're clearly kicking my ass! Kind of surprising that Ryan (our Administrator) didn't choose this one...

 

Ha! I know but I really wanted to make the scavengers functional plus I figured it would be more dramatic when I pulled the plugs on the headers Milner style!

Hi Pat. I bought some bulk "Belden 7mm high temperature metallic cable" from NAPA to make my wires because I wanted to re-use the funky red ends I had where I could. I think it is considered solid core (it is stranded wire) but I don't really know for sure? I think spiral wound is the more modern wire safe for use with electronic ignition but I am not positive? I apologize. Maybe someone will chime in who knows for sure???

I'm over this cold, ha! Thanks! I don't think I'll get very fancy with the paint. Probably just a cold galvanized paint to match the Brockmans. I will just leave the aged chrome on the tailpipes for authenticity!

I'm not sure how the "featured" thing works? I think it is based on number of views in a certain amount of time but I'm not sure? I think it was featured when I first started it but it must have tapered off?

 

Ok, guys, this story just got better. I grew up in KC and still have close friends there, a couple of them are"car guys"
My wife and I are down in AZ for the winter, and had close friends coming in last night to soak up a little sunshine for a week. (and hit Barrett Jackson, Silver, etc..).
Their flight was delayed; I had a couple of hours to kill, so I was able to read through this entire thread. When they arrived, I still had it open on my computer, with a picture of the car on the screen. He immediately exclaimed "hey, that's Lanny Mong's car! I worked with him at Hallmark! She said " I recognize it too, he stored that car in my Mom's chicken barn for years! Lanny will know who they are.... ;-)

Really like this thread and the car story, it's great to know the provenance and the future of a great old-school build.

 

So COOL that some people out of the blue recognize an original hot rod from back in the day, unmolested and a survivor...