29 pickup build, is it possible?

Shipping the doors and cowl is a very good idea and one that i hadn't considered it would definately make for a better looking cab. thanks

 

Sounds like one hell of a tall order , but good luck !

Before you start though , talk to these people , an A cab might not be as far out of reach financially ;

Originals Hotrod Supply , had a cab for sale end of last year for £750 , based in Sheffield and very friendly guys

www.randrhotrodimports.co.uk , Loads of early bodies and parts , I got a rough A coupe body from them for a grand this year

www.nsra.org.uk look on the classified forum , a guy called 29pu has a body at the right money

You'll still get plenty of welding and fabrication practice , don't worry

 

Well rookieoftheyear...seems that most think you are insane to undertake such a task.....well then i must be as well ....as in doing much the same thing....but only a RPU......the idea of the scale model works well ....thats what i did ...to get all the measurments...the cowl tophalf is basically a eliptical to eliptical development not that hard if you draw it out....a few curves go back the other way....but obtainable with an english wheel and a bit of slaphammering ...just the same as the doorskins ......there are a few good posts on here about doing doorskin repairs.....it's no real drama ...if you have the gear...i machined up my own wheels so i could get the door swages right ...and built my own e wheel....following posts on this site ...and "metalshapers".....you should check that one out as well...some of those guys are awesome with what they have done.....like you i dont live in the U.S......i can relate to the posts about saying .."just buy a body" etc......but those people dont realise that "tin" just aint around in our countrys like it is in theres....sure we can import...but at a cost ....and well if you have a bit of time ...and the skills ...why not build it .....it gives a grerat amount of satisfaction and teachs you skills that will be handy in life

Split Bones
----------------
"you can always use a bigger hammer"

 

Split Bones

Lets see your handy work. Put some picks up. I'd like to see that.

 

Split Bone :

I'd love to see what you're doing!

And the other guy whom everyone is thinking is crazy -

I think I scale model would work just fine - PLUS - it doesn't have to be exact - as long as it looks friggin cool - who cares of it's not exact. this it your chance to make it slimmer/wider/rounder/straighter/shorter/longer . . . etc.

Get the scale model - and hell - maybe get a dremel and chop it up how you want - add cardboard and crap to modify it - and then get to work.

I wouldn't worry about making it a perfect replica - as it won't be, being handbuilt.

 

As far as Pics go ...i dont own a camera....and well have no intention of buying one....as $$$ are real tight...and any spare i end up with go towards the project....however ...I have come to a disision that i should be keeping a record of what im doing .....for hints for others ....and for others to tell me where i could have improved ...as im damn sure i have made a heap of mistakes....but hey thats how ya learn.....so as soon as a decent camera comes up at a decent price...i'll take some pics no problem.....buy the way...i checked out the "Brookville" site...to have a look at the pricing of there products....a rpu body would cost me...in my dollars...$5300..(thats $300 more than what i have as a budjet for my whole project)..then i would have to ship it to N.Z. ....and heavens knows how much that would be ......so i will keep plodding on with the mistakes im making

 

this is not too encouraging,

so i've had a re-think and thought about a simple rat rod t-bucket - a turtle deck for simplicity and slammed to the floor.
what du all think?

 

building the body yourself? also just a tip but be very careful when using the term rat rod

 

Be careful?

 

Rookie.......DON' T GIVE UP...!!

 

why not just make a personalised car all together, why make a ford from scratch when you can make an 29ish pickup body out of your own design

then it will always be 100% accurate instead of almost an ford...

 

Have you torn into this project yet? or still in the planning stages?

 

These cars are cool.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61410&highlight=lunar

I'm sure you could find a few interesting "cheap" donor cars in your country.

 

yeah man some people have copped a flaming for it

 

I like this idea.

Build one out of a vauxhall or an anglia. That will be original.

 

were still in the planning stages? with various random dimensions that are ready to be put into cad form.

building a completly different car would be great but i don't think i'd ever be happy with it, i guess i just like the originals to much!

 

Forgive me if this has already been said. I didnt see it scanning through the replys. but..

I dont think the picture you attached is of a model a. It looks like a 32-34 pickup.

If thats the look you want then maybe you should get the deminsions of the 32-34 cabs and not model a's. The 32-34's are a bit wider then the model a's and they also have a solid roof. Also I believe that on the model a's the cowl is also the gas tank. The 32-34 has the cowl vent.

 

couldn't you find a '20's bentley, morris, alfa or morgan etc and rat rod it out?
Your engineering could than go into the chassis instead of the sheetmetal.


the english were also known for early cycle-cars, almost like a spindly modified. it would be easy and quick to build, and fun to drive.

tp aka zibo

http://www.historic-racing.com/sand-1.gif

 

did you get dimensions and if so would you care to share them as i am allso building the same

 

I have considered doing this exact same project. I bought the model, drew a scaled drawing, even had it chalked out on the garage floor.

I figured it would be a fun and creative project, a chance to "make something" artistically, and it'd be relatively cheap since I'm just buying sheets of steel.

I abandoned the idea after realizing that it would be a TON of work, and all I'd be doing is replicating something that is already available. Sadly, the better of a replication it is, the less remarkable it will be.

Still considering doing a 60's show car custom style total fab though.

Go for it!

 

I working on this...kind of a '25 TT. Built from an old cowl and 1x1 and 1x2 tubing.

 

i`m turning a 29 model-a 2 door sedan cowl and doors into a closed cab pickup, the sedan doors are a little shorter then truck doors but that will just give it a chopped look, if you look at a 28/29 cowl it's very simple, rpu doors would not be to hard to make. before i`m done i'll have patterns to make all parts for a closed cab pickup.

 

budd
Do you have any pictures of your project, or is it still in the planning stage? It would also mean that you would have longer doors too unless I'm mistaken, wouldn't it?.

 

rookieoftheyear
Check out www.the-antidote.com for some ideas, and they are in on your side of the world. Unfortunately I don't think the site has been updated for some time, but it should help steer you in the right direction. Best of luck with your project.
Michael

 

Bones is just being shy here is a link to some of his work

http://s105.photobucket.com/albums/m240/SplitBones/?start=0

 

Check out this site. It's not working right now but when it comes back up its very informative!!

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php?action=view&journalid=53981

good luck
Tim

 

There are quite a few steel 29A pickups in the U.K. so i would give a shout on the NSRA forum, I'm sure there will be many that will be able to help, Link here http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/index.php

 

while I applaud your enthusiasm, unless you do a PERFECT job, many of the guys on here would be able to spot it as a home built body from a mile away. And your home built body will never be worth anywhere near as much as an original.

And given that you are an engineering student, and not a bodywork student, why not concentrate on building a kick arse chassis and then spend the time you are planning on taking to build a repo body, on working overtime and a) learning your trade better and b) getting the extra $$ to buy the “original” body that you state you like.

In 5 years you will be a better engineer (work every Sat and you’ll have 6 years experience in 5 years!) and have a kick arse original body A p/u.

 

I really like this A pu (I like everything these guys do) http://www.thecheatersgang.com/py.htm http://www.thecheatersgang.com/PYnew.htm

 

Check with Brookville Roadster, and see if they still sell all the panels to build an "A" roadster P.U.BODY unassembled (I know they used to for sure......Keith Tardel put one together). If they still do, it would be a lot cheaper, and it would be easier and cheaper to ship. It would still be a lot of work to put it together, but you would be light years ahead of building one totaly from scratch.