My boy's first car. He chose a shoebox ford

Hey all, we've got a bit of young hot rodder energy and excitement to share here. We spotted this 51 tudor custom sitting in a field along a highway near home with a for sale sign in the window.

My boy, 14 years of age fell in love with it immediately.

It's got a bone stock 8BA flatty in it that runs really nice, no leaks, holds coolant etc. Still running 6 volts... Well look at it, it's your basic roughish field find.

So anyways, I'm having a lot of fun watching the kid flip through stacks of my old rod & custom magazines and old speedway catalogs circling lake pipes, headers, twin carb intakes, 97 rebuild kits, dropped uprights, drop spindles, brake conversion kits, pictures of sweet pleated interiors, WWW whites, spider caps.. lowering blocks.. Lol!!

The kid's a natural! He loves the flat head... He's just wild about the whole thing.

He's been searching online for pictures of shoebox fords with "the look".

I guess it's time to turn him loose on the holy grail of 50's customs, I'll show him a few shoeboxes off the HAMB tonight.

I bought the car a little early so we can take our time on it, father son project.

When we get rolling with it I suppose I can post status reports here.

Here's Nathan's 51 the day we first spotted it along side the road.










I'm sure it was the sweet interior that really won the boy's heart.

I know Nate would love to see a few member's shoebox fords for inspiration. We'll both be researching proven lowering methods for drivers, upgrades for brakes and steering, flat head pointers etc.

We actually already have been learning what we can and I have some awesome posts by members here bookmarked for reference.

 

Dad: Nice job raising a potential gear head!!!!!!! Haha, proud of ya!!!!!

 

Sounds like a great project for you and your son! Some day I hope to get to do something like this with my nephews, nieces and one day my kids.

 

Oh you two are going to have soooo much fun - good luck and welcome to the club.

 

Thats great! Me and my dad started my project when i was 14 so it would be ready when i get my license. Well i get my license in about 2 weeks and the truck has been on the road for about a month.

It is a GREAT learning experience!!

Now show him the HAMB!!

 

Ha! Hey that's great D-man313! Be safe out there now!!

Nothing is cooler than a father/son-daughter build for a first car but it doesn't always turn out completely awesome I know too well. I did a build on a 65 mustang (non hamb-ish, sorry) but it was beautiful, tight handling, awesome brakes, all safety first sort of stuff with 3 point seat belts etc... and the car was a beauty besides.

It didn't quite survive it's first summer. She piled it into a very large farm truck one dark night about a year ago and totaled it. She was not hurt, thank god. And insurance took care of us for the loss of the car. But the car and the work put into it is gone for ever short of our photos and memories. An accident can happen in a new car too but I'm just saying, it stings a little worse when it's one you and your dad built together.

This one still stings.





So be careful out there kid! :grin:

I'm sure you will be though!!

Like I said, a wreck can happen in any rig, but it stings worse when it's "special"

Drive defensively, protect your truck. :grin:

 

Bludice, is the car in your avatar yours? Very cool!

 

What a cool find! Congrats on the project. That should keep him out of some trouble......haha.

 

Don't forget Rikster's great site! (Mother Lode!!!)
http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/

Check out the Barris cars first, then the other shoebox Fords!

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_...like/ford_custom_cars/49-51_ford_custom_cars/

 

lol! well, it won't be fast... so I got that goin for me, which is nice...

 

Wow thanks for those links, literally days of inspirational viewing there.

Wow.

 

ya i dont know what i would do if my truck got wrecked It sucks that you put all the hard work in your mustang and it got wrecked. Ive learned that if i brake something on the truck, that i will know how to fix it.

 

Enough soap box safety preaching.

What have you got for a truck? Got a link for a post that might show the truck?

 

Wish my dad had done stuff like this, lucky kid. Leave it it primer or have some spare paint handy, it will get a few hits being his first car. Good luck to the pair fo you and enjoy the build, what a great thing to do with your son and he'll remember it all his life, well until he gets into meeting girls, then your all history!!

 

He's got a sharp eye for the girls already so maybe we should get started early before he loses his mind completely lol!

 

Great find! Keep us updated. Shoebox builds never get old to me.

 

Great start. You got a lot more than I got with my 51. you guys are gonna have fun with the build. John

 

Can't go wrong with a shoebox.

 

Nice starter! I would love to do the same, since I'm only 15, I'd like an A, but I'll take any Ford 1928-1958...my problem is....$$$$

 

Make sure you do something so the car can be seen at nite. I almost died in mine. Not tryen to scare any one.Just tryen to show you how serious it is.

 

Oh yes - and a ton of fun.

 

Old soul, that's nasty!

Don't apologize for talkin safety, I'm all about it and it's appreciated.

 

Awesome!

It's a bit early for tech questions but.. I have a 51 8RT kickin around here at home, complete engine in an F1.

That's where we'll pillage a second carb & spare parts from.

That 8RT wasn't a 4" crank from the factory was it??? (I'm thinking 3.75 but just asking for chits & giggles)

 

Me and my boy surveying the prize.





You can tell I don't care for this sort of thing, much...



At the "field find" purchase site, note the chain. We are towing the car with a tractor over to the trailer for the ride home.



A little further forward and we are loaded.



First wheel stand with the shoebox..... Actually we were rolling it backwards down the trailer ramps.



The wife said she wanted to hear it run. I said the hell with that, I want to drive it!

So we scrounged a 6 volt battery out of one of my old tractors, plopped it in there (possitive ground... didn't know that till now) and after a little priming and rigging a remote 1 gallon fuel can inside the fender we were making flathead noises and rollin in style.

 

That's great. Me and my dad worked on a 68 camaro. You cant go wrong teaching your son about it. I'm only 17 and got a model t. Not safe but I know to be safe and never do anything stupid. Its not your son you gotta worry about it's the other morons on the road. But I'm glad were getting more early rodders! Have fun but dont get him too addicted because I'm in class on hamb instead of listening to the teacher. Hehe

 

one word SWEET !!!

 

Btw lovin your pictures and lil story. Such a blast starting an driving an old car that has sat for so long. I had a lot of fun when I got my car. Good luck with it.

 

Way to go. More old iron saved and on the road again. Welcome to the club! My 50 is in my avatar. Feel free to contact me if you want info on shoebox parts etc . Have fun with it ... Let the addiction begin!

 

Thanks guys, and thanks hombres ruin I'm sure we will have to PM with questions as we get into this. I've seen your car on the HAMB while doing searches on shoebox fords here. Sofa king!

It's so-fa-king cool!!

 

Make sure you check out the shoeboxford.com web site. Lots of good information and ideas there. Great bunch of guys.