Projects Dads 34 Build Resto after a 60 year absence!

Right you are Corndog. South Bend IN. Only 30 miles from where Uncle Larry sold it. Gone from Bourbon for 60 years and it only traveled 30 miles! The owner died last spring and the family didn't know much about it. In fact I scrolled by it 3 or 4 times before I noticed the home made lovers on the hood and that struck a nerve. Glad I gave it a second look.

 

So thanks to advice from this board, the brakes came apart without incident. Most of the front axle assembly has come apart without using heat. Monumental since this car was last touched 64 years ago. Now I need help once again identifying the year of the front axle. Here are pics of the wheel cylinders and front brakes. The brake shoes are 1 3/4" wide. The bolt pattern for the wheels is 5 1/2". Can you buy new wheel cylinders or do you HAVE to rebuild the old ones??? With these new pics. Can I figure out what brakes to order???

 

As said before, 1940 Ford brakes. Buy your parts from a place like VanPelts who sells the good stuff, not Chinese junk. http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/chassis-partsprices-pg2.htm

 

Got it. Thank you!

 

Cool project with great history.

In another thread we were talking about identifying the grille used on the car in the early photographs, there was some question as to whether it was a '34 Ford truck grille or a '32 truck grille with the '34 molding added, but seeing the picture with the trophies in it I can see that it's much deeper than a '32 grille, that is a 1934 Ford truck grille for sure, sometimes referred to as a "commercial" grille.

 

Thanks to Vanpelts and a little free time things are starting to go back together. Also purchased a 56' 324 Olds Rocket. Need a 3/8 adapter plate to go from the back of the Olds to a 39' Ford trans. If anyone has one for sale drop me a pm. Now I'm starting on the year end. Got one hub pulled with a 3 leg puller. Progress is being made!

 

Looking good

 

Very cool car. Good luck with the restoration. I run an early Olds in my gasser & my street rod. If you need info/parts suggest calling Ross Racing Engines in Niles Ohio 330 544 4466.
ps. Did this car ever race at Avilla drag Strip?

 

Thanks for your help! It could possibly have raced at Avilla but it would have been between 1958-62. I know it raced at Osceola and raced most weekends at Bunker Hill. Are there any old timers around that have pictures from Avilla. I would be very interested in knowing. Bunker Hill is searching for me.

 

Two people I knew that raced at Avilla unfortunately have passed away, my cousin Dave Costanza, black 65' Corvette fuel altered who was from Ashley and Phil Carpenter from Auburn who raced a 68' Mustang Super/Stock and a 68' Torino Super/stock. I believe Bunker Hill has a web site. Maybe you could get some info there.

 

Progress on the found 34' plus I acquired a 55' Olds 342 mill. View attachment 5602266 View attachment 5602266

 

Very cool

 

Love the olds. Good on you for putting in a bit of extra effort than just getting a generic cheap engine like most modern street rods.

 

Oh man, cool story, cool car, and glad you got it back. Following

 

Front ends done, more or less, brakes are in, waiting on radiator & grill shell. This weeks project is rebuilding the rear end & torque tube which will hopefully be reinstalled by weeks end. Have all new bearings, brakes, wheel cylinders etc. (Thx VanPelts) & rear end is tore down. If all goes well the engine/trans will get mocked up and freshly sandblasted body will go back on next week. Hoping for lots of progress. I'm feeling ambitious!

 

Banjo rear is rebuilt with new bearings throughout and then reinstalled. Back wheels & tires are rollers only. 55 Olds/Ford manual 3 speed installed. Progress is being made!

 

34' Chevy coupe body was sandblasted & re-installed with new rubber mounts. Starting to look like a car again. Door fit is next then off to the body shop. These cars are easy to work on, I love it. More progress is being made!

 

Plans to cut the top?

 

No Rocky, not going to chop. I know it looks a little frumpy by todays standards but I’m going for the original 58’ look when Dad put the car together. Look back to the original pics. at the start of the thread.

 

TOO COOL ! ! ! Especially that you're restoring it to what your Dad created.
Honoring him and the car. That's something special.
Besides, it's great to see how the work was done, and how it turned out, the real olde school way.
Helps to appreciate how far hot rodding has come in less than 100 years.

 

Any updates?