Model A roadster is a roller *updated 12/10/09*

maybe chris should just have his legs shortened

 

It's not like he hasn't had this problem before.

 

Yes, that is my knees above the doors on Bob's T.

 

Nope, thats coming up soon. I gotta figure it out as I go, remember I've never done any of this shit so it's all trial and error.

 

Ok, I think I have the seat/steering wheel thing figured out. After much tweaking and trials, heres what I came up with. If I move the column up slightly and the steering wheel out slightly I get quite a bit more room. I cannot use my 32 column drop, but thats not the end of the world.
Then I started looking at the seat. These roadsters have this goofy shelf built into the floor. The seat bottom butts up against it and the seat back sits on it. It pretty much makes it impossible to move the seat. So, tonight I ground all the rivets out and removed the shelf. Now I can move the seat back a little, and that seemed to do the trick. It's still pretty cramped, but no matter what I do I will face that. So, I think I will just take this formula and fine tune it.

 

I took about 2" out of it. It was still angled, but not near as bad.

 

Problem solved! Order up a Flaming River adjustable tilt column!
O-So-Purty! Plus it is polished it will work great with that shifter!

 

You should look at a 34 ford passenger car column drop. It might work perfectly for you.

 

Chris, looks real good. Have you tried compressing the springs on the seat with wire ties, you might get another inch or so of room out of it? If that works and doesn't ruin the comfort of the seat you could tie them down with something more permanent.

 

Looks Awesome Chris!

 

I was reading my favorite book tonite"Cool Cars and Square Roll Bars" and it shows a channneled A roadster with a 40 wheel described as cutdown to 15" using a '50 Jeep rim. I don't know exactly how you would do that but I'll look at my '48 jeep tomorrow and see if any light bulb comes on.

 

Alright, tonight I got some good progress going. I went to the junkyard today and found a bitchin lil column drop. I lucked out that the angle and drop is exactly what I need, plus it looks good too. I think it is a 30's Chev, but not sure.

I fiddled with the seat and steering wheel a lot, and got it were I can get in and out with ease and sit and work the pedals no problem...all good things.
The only bummer of the night is that cool 39 shifter I had plated...well it won't work because in reverse it slams right in the steering wheel...something I did not think about. So, I put the plated one in the coupe, it looks so bitchin in there with the chrome dash and garnish moldings! I took another shifter and heat/bent it to shape. Have a little more tweaking to do, but will probably polish and plate this one as well.

 

I want to see a shot of the chromed shifter in the coupe. Nice work btw.

 

Looks great. I like that you've got yards around where you can grab odds and ends like that, very cool.

 

You have a 48 Jeep???

 

Heres a pretty crappy pic. Between it being really dirty inside and dark out I guess you can get the idea. I'm hoping my upholstery friend gets a chance to finish the interior this winter.

 

How did you weld this up? I have tig'ed several of these boxes together and because of the cast iron in the early box flange they crack.

 

Looks like its going to be a nice roadster. '28-'29s are the only ones I really like.

Keep the progress pictures coming.

 

My stock 39, curved, chrome shifter (not in the photo) and 40 style wheel get along fine together. I got in and out, drank TONS of beer, shifted gears, steered back and forth and generally hung out in my RPU cab before finalizing where the 40 style wheel would sit. I did not want to cut my seat riser up or otherwise disrupt my stock body so I took the seat apart and ended up with about 3" of foam on top of the plywood seat base (no springs). I fit fine in there but after about an hour or 3/4 cans of beer it gets a bit confined. Great work on the AV8 Chris and FAST...

 

Nice work Chris.
Subscribed.

 

We used a model A bushing and an F1 bushing in mine (diffrent OD's). Had an old school and PRO friend weld it who has all kinds of welding equiptment, he chose a stick machine and welded the shit out of it, both parallel along the chamfer and perpendicular across the chamfer. He was reluctant about the whole deal but after welding it and fitting the sector was very happy with the whole piece.

 

The Jeep rim idea looks like it would be a tough way to go. HAhhah, If next time you come over you see the '48 Jeep thats been here all along does that make it a "barnfind"? People are going to think you are slipping. It could have been a '32 coupe.

 

Awesome!!! I am glad you able to keep the bench and the coupe is getting some chrome (no more though hahaha). I need to get some stuff chrome for my '35 and that shifter would have looked nice hahaha!!!

Keep chipping away homie.

 

I havn't welded it yet, but thanks for the heads up!

 

looking great .....

 

Great job!

 

Now that Sh!t is FUNNY!

 

Ok, tonight was another good one. I drilled holes on the bottom of the dash and mounted steering column. Fits great.

I also made my throttle pedal. It was a lot easier then I thought, and worked pretty slick. I belive this is an F-1 pickup 6 cylinder throttle pedal assembly. I started by taking it apart. I had to cut the throttle pedal end off to get it apart, but thats ok becaue I won't use it. Pretty simple, figure out were you want the pedal and shorten to that spec. I had to drill a hole in the firewall for the shaft to go through, then make it elong quite a bit as the shaft goes right into a 45 degree angle. Then just drill the two holes for the bolts that hold the pedal to the firewall and your done! Clears the breather no problem! I still have to heat and bend the arm that will run the carbs, then just drill a hole in the spoon and shaft for a roll pin.

 

do you ever sleep..lol

 

Nice! You make this stuff look easy. At the rate you're going and with the warm weather we've been having you should driving that thing before the official end of winter!