Hot Rods 1930 Model A Pick-up Build A.K.A. No Talent Zilch Builds the "Captain"

I've always been more of a "customs" guy than a "hot rod" guy. They to me are the yin to the yang inside the microcosm of our culture. Always had respect for true period hot rods, but for some reason, owning a hot rod seemed out of reach for me. Just like ever other obsessive gearhead of like mind, I doodled them all my life, merely as a dream.
Speaking of doodles, I drew this is 2005 while I was living in Denver

Funny how life works sometimes...

I recently hit a really big speed bump in life that made me rethink what my plans were and are. I needed something to reinvigorate me and occupy my mind away from the shit storm that I walked into.

I had a 2 '62 Cadillacs. Both four doors. One was my parts car, the other a complete car in need of TLC an alot of time and focus. I was unfortunately over them both. So, knowing a secret stash of miscellaneous parts at a friends, I offered up a trade. One complete '62 Caddy for a hacked up Model A pickup cab and a twisted Model A frame. Other bits and pieces included, like a rusted to hell 5 window coupe roof. My friend, luckily for me, agreed. He thinks he got the much better side of the deal, and honestly was just happy that I would be taking on the project to save the old truck cab.

The Model A cab in question was some long lost attempt by someone in the 1960's to make a roadster pickup. It seems they didn't get very far...

In my mind, I now have a great starting point. Hell just having a Model A ford anything immediately pulled me out of mental muck I was swimming in.

Heres what I have...

One 30/31 Model A Roadster Pickup Cab

One 30/31 Model A 5 Window (beat and rusted chunk of shit) top




One twisted up Model A Frame


Moved them to my shop...



and played around with what I had...


The Body was channeled and the frame horns chopped off and set up to have a scary ass suicide front axle. The welds where atrocious.

So based on my simple and basic drawing, I had a direction. The final plan is to extend the cab into the length of the 5 window top, as a "removable hard top" similar to a T-bird. Suicided axle, split wishbones, and E&J Headlights. Capped wheels and whites. Late 50's style and angry. I want to do burn outs. plain and simple.

A '54 331 Cadillac Motor and Trans will power the project.


I picked up a 39?-41 front axle, bones, and brakes, from a friend for a C note.


I planned to use the rear section of my parts car '62 cadillac as a base for the frame, including the rearend, and front and back wheels.


Magically, while talking hot rods with a guy who was a club member of the local "Conquistadors" Car Club of Sheridan back in the day, the subject of tires was brought up. He offered to give me a nearly new set of tires for the project. I ended up giving him 20 bucks for these (five) beauties.


As you can see, I will run some '56 Cadillac caps all the way around.


So I started mocking things. I torn apart the front axle, and cut the bones,

...mounted the back tires, and came up with a plan for the frame. I understand that the use of the Cadillac rear frame section is a strange choice, but I decided that if I had it in 1962, i might do the same thing. I hope to keep everything to the 58-62 time frame with the end goal, again, being a show car that rips shitties when necessary.

I quickly decided that I could use the front part of the Model A frame and add steel to connect to the Cad section.


Mocking up this part, tons of measuring, and planning the ride height that would allow me to drive around Wyoming with out worrying about ripped something off.


Well at this point the twists and bends in the A frame where to much to please my impatience and I opted to build to completely fresh rails and model the front horns after the exact shape of the Model rails. Here they are, cut and upside.


basic shots that self explain what I did.






A whole lot of welding and grinding and work, and I had a shiny set of frame points


I measured a million times and set the height of the rails and the rear section. I trimmed a couple things and the two became one. Not to mention clearing up the middle part of what was to become the X in the frame.


At this point I was exactly three weeks away from the day I brought the parts to my shop.

More to come...

 

What is the wheelbase on that sucker?

Is it the same as a normal Model A frame?

 

I was moving along good, all the while thinking of color choices and designs. Into my mind popped a name. "Captain" in honor of my Grandfathers rank in the military during WWII, and also the man from whom I inherited my nickname "Stutz". It all feel into place... a nice kobalt blue, with white and cream. Dressed up sharp like an Army Air force Captain should be.

Anyway...

The frame is simple and attractive, and should meet my needs as well as preventing unnecessary wallet hemorrhage.

One Dog Power


I created some cross members to strengthen the frame, and apparently was to busy to take a better picture.


I pile of metal...


I happen to have a spare 331 Caddy motor that came out of a "hay picker upper". What better to mock up and create my motor mounts with.

Obviously, Im simplifying the shit out of all this...

Templates are the Bees Knees...


The surface will be smoothed and filled to the motor mounts can be accessed from below.




Next, the body needed to be positioned, since I had the motor mounts set level, square, and ect.


First I had to strength up the cab, to free the back piece for repositioning. Then I needed to trim the inside up to fit over the rails the 4 inches, that I planned to channel it.


Once I had it on the frame, exactly one month after I started, and two months after a cross roads in life... a car was born. or, at least the making of one.















...and with that. I wait for a few parts.

 

I have all that written down at my shop unfortunately, so I don't what to tell you incorrectly, but overall length will come in around 14 Feet. I think the wheel base is in the 130's

 

I'm diggin' it Stutz - good to see an actual build thread going on amongst all the recent drama threads.

 

Thanks Gator, to be honest I was slightly nervous about posting it, because of my choice on the frame. I want a traditional styled Hot Rod, and as a poor ol' Wyoming boy, this is how I can accomplish it. I also hate chassis 'things'.

On a side note. I want to keep with how I sketched it seven years ago... which retrospectively, I wish I had not drawn fucking E&J's for Headlights. Not that I don't love them... they are just spendy bastards.

 

Nice build I have a similare project started, I plan on making a boat tail bed for mine.

 

I'm planning a full bed, with slightly rounded corners like a mid fifties car style. Top secret taillight treatment to be revealed at a later date

 

This thing is going to be krazy cool !!!
Nice fast progress.
I gotta keep watching this come together.
Nice work !

 

Looking good Stutz. You just never know when a "plan" will come
together.

Just one thought.....that's a cool set of old tires and
definitely a good price. But just remember they are older, and may
not hold up under the intended use. Would hate for one to blow
or come apart during driving.

 

Thanks y'all, and I appreciate the advice about the tires. That would suck after all the work to be taken down by a tire!

 

Ive been waiting for this thread to pop up... Badass build for sure.

 

i like what youre doing.......

 

Thanks guys, I'll try and keep the thread updated often

 

So where's the pics of you sitting in the driver seat makin Zroom Zroom noises? Haha!! Ki kick ass job so far!

 

what's the rodding scene like there? I know some people that live there and some who moved away. Spent some time in Sheridan myself (ex-ol' lady was from there) ad like it a lot.

I like where this car is going, I too love the old show rods.

 

Better make the box big enough for the 1000 pounds of concrete block you will need on the rear to get those springs to work.

 

Nothing like a project to change focus.Keep up the good work!

 

Oh trust me that happened. It was hard to resist.

The scene in Sheridan isnt too huge, but the history here is deep.

Yeah, your probably right.

 

Yes sir. Anything where I can get my creative juices flowing and burn metal is like ten years of therapy roll into two minutes.

 

Your doodle reminded me of this:
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/1201rc_1930_ford_model_a_pickup/index.html

 

Man great build! I have a cousin up there in Wyoming. lives in Laramie. He says there are a lot of gear heads just not that many hot rodders. Ill be watching this build closely. I like how you started with a plan and intend to follow it through. I always end up changing half way in the build

 

Funny you should bring that up. I saw the Pics of it at GNRS this year and was blown away. It even has a cadillac engine. I would just be glad if mine turned out even slightly as beautiful as that! I'm hoping that my idea to do a removal hard top will set us apart

 

Thank you! thats funny you have a family member up in Wyoming... because I have loads family in College Station. My brother, 3 cousins, and a bunch of friends are all Aggies, and my Aunt and Uncle live in Bryan. I hope to make a trip down there at some point. Anyway, your cousin is right... lots of gearheads, but the true enthusiasts are few and far between. Especially in Laramie.

 

Here is a quick (& poorly done) AI image I build to illustrate the color/removable top. Feel free to laugh... I won't mind.

 

I like where you are going with this....pls post latch detail when you get that far.....

 

Cool build!

 

Cool project. Fun to see something done differently, and nicely. How much of the rear suspension is covered by the bed? Any mock-up pics of that area? I also like your top pics, the top blows away, and there is still another top there! Like a sharks tooth...

 

haha that gave me a good belly laugh. Working on the bed design as we speak (or type), it will cover all of the rear section.