I traded for this thing and I went from I can fix a few things to make it sound to it’s completely coming apart. IMG]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190403/352b06ef847615298e69b77101a29a5c.jpg[/IMG] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Not from the courthouse. But doors don’t shut good so thought I could tinker with the body mounts a bit and found the floor is plywood. Instead of patch panels someone just sculpted them out of bondo. Firewall is fiberglass and the clutch isn’t working correctly. Front window? Ha well if you open it it falls out Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm reworking one that falls into the same general category of "not quite as good as advertised". Mine is totally apart, body off and being resurrected one piece at a time...and there are a lot of messed up pieces. Your new coupe has a really good "look" to it so I'm sure that once the fixes are completed that it'll be a really great car! Good luck!
All easily fixable. May have to do some re-welding and probably a little re-engineering but otherwise, looks like a great car! BTW, what's up with that steering box (or lack of)?
I bought my truck knowing it had some issues. The PO/builder said the wiring was "not pretty but everything works". In reality it was way beyond "not pretty" and everything did not work. I rewired it. Now it is "not pretty" (not a real priority) and everything does work (definitely a priority).
If you aren't happy with it, rebuild, pull the body off, and go through the chassis, the motor, put everything right, remount the body, take 4-5" out of the top, rewire , good to go!!
Do you have another rod to drive this season? Because if not I'd leave the major bodywork til Winter. You can probably solve the door problem with shims. Sounds like you need a new windshield hinge or a new upper for your frame or both. The steering is cause for concern. It looks like it is hanging out at or below scrub line there. The geometry does not look correct to me either. Though, I bet if the box was reversed and the pitman was on top, you would be close to spot on or at least better off. From: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cowl-steering-geometry-questions.119053/#post-1365143
Yeah I wanna lower the ass a bit but like everything mostly about it. But it’s coming apart anyway. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It rather looks like an early/mid 70's build in several respects. The plywood floor was somewhat standard hot rod material then and that steering box bracket screams mid 70's with the stick weld job and no trimming or grinding. Add in the car being at least partially built with bondo rather than replacing metal and you have a mid 70's back yard built hot rod that looks great from 50 ft but needs a redo. Even the chrome bones attest to that. Not a mess or hack job that can't be fixed though.
I agree it is probably a old build. It always amaze's me how creative some folks can get with Bondo. If they would just use those talents in a more constructive way tthe sky would be the limit for some of them. I bought a 1955 Chevy sedan delivery a few years ago. It was the most awful color there is yellow, so I had to repaint that. In the sanding process I found some bondo in the passenger side door. Got to digging that crap out and man that door was made out of Bondo. bondo and screen wire. Model A's came with wood floors, that's just a fact of life, I think that years ago folks got to building or rebuilding a car and just replaced a lot of that wood with wood. There is also not a thing wrong with wood floors in a model A , as long as it is in good shape. In the end it's your car if you "Think" it needs to come apart that is all the reason you need. Good luck with it and let us know how it comes along...
If the windshield frame assembly fall down to the cowl when hinged out, it may be the mounting screws that secure the hinge and assembly to the wooden header that spans the body above the windshield. That was an issue with the 31 coupe I have.
Yeah I found that the sun visor is fiberglass! Not happy about that. Pretty sure the body is a UFO! I’ll have it apart soon. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Those angles and the quality of the workmanship shown scare me, not to mention what you've already found since. Start with the real important safety issues; brakes, steering and suspension and go from there. Make lists, frame and body; prioritise things and then methodically work through them one by one.
floor is mostly duck tape and plywood, miscellaneous size wood screws of all types of heads. Quarter panels is sculpted out of filler. And that’s so far. Got a new frame to start with and yes everything will be gone thru and done right Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
atleast two humans were involved because I’m finding nuts on the bottom of these screws? All sizes are used. Like they just had a coffee can of scrounge. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The bigger the glob, the better the job school of welding. I'm the authority, by any means, but... Its gonna be real nice when your done.
All thread is ready rod, or fully threaded bar. We see some taking up space in the subrail thingy welded inside the quarter panel.
Hahaha oh ok! I thought maybe I sent a reply to half a million H.A.M.B. members or something dumb like that. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sometimes it is better to buy a basket case. You can see what you have. When I was in law school, I worked for a contractor who had bought several “restored classics”. He wanted me to put a access hole in floor for battery in a 40 convertible. I started cutting. The passenger floor was tarpaper and chicken wire coated with tar and painted. The frame on a 36 convertable was bent to the point the front cap would not fit. They looked great until you got into them. They both ended up being pulled down and using good stuff to go back and getting rid of junk. Both ended up nice after frame off builds
Cool coupe! I feel your pain. My 32 sedan had ALL kinds of caveman engineering that took twice the time that I had anticipated to correct and make safe. Stay the course. Turn the big jobs into several small ones, and the victories will be easier.
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