Projects I'm off to find my '30 Roadster in the Basement.

The goal this weekend is to organize the basement and find all the bits to my '30 Roadster body. Found the body in 1962 when I was 11, sold it around 1976 got it back 25 years later, and it really hasn't changed much since. Wish me luck.

 

its like a gearhead where's waldo lol

 

Bob,
Really happy to see you started this thread! Your luck seems to be the same as mine. I can leave something sit forever, and it NEVER finishes itself

Looking forward to your updates

Dan

 

Thanks Dan, reading your build history got me started on mine. Spent two hours down there, half filled a trash can, got boxes for copper, aluminum and steel scrap, tools and future eBay items. There is a 6x6 feet of open concrete floor space now. Once I have the area clean, i start on the projects history. Bob

 

Good luck! Now get busy man!

 

Ok, that 6x6 section of floor got covered by more stuff I moved around. I did selloff $100.00 worth of unwanted odds and ends, so that is progress. Almost have the subrail setup table uncovered. Sure would be nice to have the cowl frame blasted and in primer with the Brookville cowl sides attached by Christmas.

 

Good luck!
Subscribed

 

Bob slow down.

 

I see the cowl band!!!

 

Keep the updates coming!!

 

sweet jig saw puzzle.

 

You have a 30 roadster in your basement....that thought made me smile
I'm looking forward to the build picks. What are your plans for it running gear wise?

 

looks like you took it apart when you were young............ now you have to remember how to put it back together......... seems like I have had the same problem with projects...

 

There is an 8 foot slider so it isn't trapped in there. There have been at least 6 different plans for this project over the years, but I've finally got it built in my head. I've had many of the parts so long that it has become a tribute car for all the people I've known over the years. First saw the body in a garage just down the street from were my Dad found his roadster one Sunday on the way home from church. The guy I sold the body to told me about the Christmas party I met my wife at. The 354 HEMI came from a friend that was Best Man at our wedding. I'm working for the friend that I bought the drivers door from in 1977. Every part has a story, and working on or just looking at things brings back a lot of good memories. I once had the '32 Ford chassis from the first Hot Rod I ever saw under construction, really wish I hadn't parted with it. If I cant find another original I'll use a repo. I want the car to be year perfect for a 1962 build. Have everything finished in my head, only the wheels and tires are an unknown.

 

Wow, a roadster in the basement, makes me wish I had a basement! Anxious to see what you do!

 

Thank you! Watching your '36 build is one of the main reasons I've got myself motivated to get this project moving along. Thanks for the help.

 

Well, if you ever need a hand let me know....I'm just down the road in
Redding.

Pete

 

That '32 Ford grille incert has been hanging on my wall since 1961. I'd bought my first issue of Hot Rod in June, and built a few AMT models to know what parts were. When I spotted it hanging in a friends garage I had to have it. Back then 10 year olds didn't have money, so Peter came over to my house to look for something to accept as a trade. Dad had just washed the both floormats out of the new '61 Ford, they were sitting on sawhorses and all dryed off. That was the deal maker, he took one and I took the other and we bicycled back to get the '32 incert. That night at dinner Dad asked how my day went. I had to admit that without asking I'd swapped his month old floormats for a '32 Ford grille incert.................Turned out Dad didn't like the one piece mats since they didn't fit nicely over the tranmission and he had replaced them with 4 small ones. He liked the grille, and told me he always wanted a '32 3Window.

 

after you're done in the basement, come over and help me in the garage, I could use a second set of eyes for all my "treasures" from my truck....it may leave the garage with fewer parts than it left from the factory for no other reason that I lost them

good luck, keep us posted

 

........Boy......You sure have one hell of a basement........thanks for the cool thread.......keep us posted

 

Thanks, glad you think so, should have more stuff cleared out this weekend, and progress on the firewall.

 

just a quick question
what is 20lbs of teal?
lol
i am jelious that your wife will let you weld in the basement, by the way
tk

 

Good eye! I've got 20 pound boxes of "Sea Glass" in different colors, it is used for artwork projects. It is a slow seller. Got it from a friend that I've known since 1968 when he cleaned out his shop. If someone buys the stuff I'll have more Roadster part storage room. The fire hydrant to the right of it is one I restored, and it is a keeper. My wife is the Greatest!

 

In 1958 my mother was not to pleased at all when I marched thru her kitchen with the frame for my 32 roadster on the way to the cellar.
The city fire dept. was amazed when they inspected my house for fire hazzards and found a complete 32 Ford assembled in a cellar.
My father was getting qiute interested in how I was going to get it out.
It all worked out well though, as I still have it.
Of course, it is outside now as I found it difficult to drive it indoors.
Ps, my mother WAS quite upset when I did the welding though.

 

Having spent 45 years of my life in the NE, I'm well accquainted with basements and what you can do with them when the need arrises. This is going to be a really cool thread - looking forward to your progress ....

I used to do alot of woodworking, staining, varnishing and such in the basement and if you vent your basement right with fans to assist, you'd be surprised how little filters up into the house ....

 

hey bob, find me a deuce grille shell while you're down there

 

My friend George Hull that supplied the 354 HEMI built his first T Bucket in his Mom's basement. He had to unplug the kitchen stove to plug in the welder, this caused some late dinners.

 

Bob didn't your basement blow up once?

 

Yes, yes it did I'll post a photo of the crushed tool box when the oil burner blew up. I was standing next to it and would have been cut in half at the waist if I'd been there two minutes longer.

 

All the junk is off the subframe alignment table! When I found the body it had been channeled, and the doors were welded closed. Some time in the 1970's a good cowl and passenger door was swapped out for the old pieces. I had main rails that went from the cowl to just past the door openings. Using the good cowl subframe that was still attached for a base I screwed it to the table after squaring it up to the table. Traced the inner and outer edges, and body mount holes. This allowed me to place the main rails on the table, and square them up. Note the 1/4 plywood blocks on the inner edge to keep them level. The missing rear section came from the estate of Dick Greene, a guy I'd known since the early 1960's. He was the first guy I knew with a vintage Dirt Track race car, this really impressed me and lead to my Ford Four Banger collecting. The rear section was measured and cut to fit the main rails. The body will go on a '32 Ford chassis and I'll be using the kick up subrail sections Vaphead makes, but I need to have a dead stock body set up first. Once the body is in primer the kickups will go in.