Is there anywhere that sells a track nose with a grill to suit a Ford 30 A model roadster that maintains still being able to run a radiator! Aluminum, steel or fiberglass?
alittle inspiration http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=432856 you would be surprised what you could scab together from fenders and stuff...
Start with a Model A shell. You need it to establish the shape at the radiator. Make a plywood buck to suit your vision of shape. Fasten it to the shell. Take a good look at it to make sure it's what you want. Change it until you're sure. Decide the size, shape , and location of the opening -make a cardboard pattern and fasten to the buck (Tape, tacks, glue?). Cut strips of chipboard about 3" to 6" wide . Start with narrow ones at the top center-tape to the shell and wrap down over the buck and to the edge of the opening pattern. Move around the shell and down the sides using whatever width works best to fill in. Overlap as you go -tape in place. Go back and mark all the pieces so you can trim them to eliminate the overlap-you want butt joints. When you get done , you should have a chipboard replica of what you want. If any the joints have too abrupt a change in surface contour, replace the adjacent pieces with two narrower ones. It's not going to be perfectly smooth since none of the chipoard pieces have any compound curve but that's alright for now. If the overall shape pleases you, then duplicate all those pieces of chipboard in coldrolled 18 ga. steel. Make sure you've numbered eveything and marked the radiator shell so you can replace each piece of chipboard with its respective piece of steel. You'll be able to bend the steel readily-over your knee if necessary. Tape the first two pieces to the top center of the shell and make sure they meet the way your patterns did and end at the opening. Did I ask if you had a mig welder? If not you need to buy one or call a buddy who has one. All you need is a low output 110 V. machine with .023 wire in it. Start tacking-to the shell and to each other. When all the pieces are tacked together, then go back an tack again between all the original tacks. Keep repeating until it's pretty much welded solid. Grind the welds down and tunk any low spots with a hammer. Cover it with mud and start sanding. It won't look like a Steve Moal job but it WILL look a lot like the race car noses of the '50s.
Or go to the American Hot Rod Foundation site-click on "Photo gallery", "vehicles", then "roadsters". Look at the last photo on page 17.y
Wow, thanks for taking the time. Very helpful. I have built this not long ago, it's made up of about 10 different pieces, some jag, some Plymouth and some hand formed. I guess I could give a nose cone a shot. I doubt myself alot haha. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=668503
Brendan, if you need assistance in building a track nose I can help out. Some inspiration, track nose model A roadsters. Yes they are '28-'29 but they have the right proportions.
I've always thought about bolting two rear fenders together from a fat fender era car or truck, like the 49 to 54 Chevy truck. Cut them to whatever shape you want, then cut the grill opening into it. Does that make sense?
And, yet another concept: In the '40s & '50s when & where I grew up, mid '30s GM and Mopar radiator shells were stripped and sectioned. (Think '36 Chevy, '36-'38 Dodge/Plymouth). They were round and bulbous and when the factory grill went away, you were left with an oval opening. A lot of track roadsters sported these. Of course, back then you could find those cars in the salvage yards all day. Maybe you still can where you are.
We can build you a track nose in steel just have to know what design. At present we have a 30 roadster in the shop for about a month we could build it off of. Pm me if intrested but try & have a style or design in mind.
Ratty, There is a fellow up your way at Morayfield by the name of Howard Marks who is very much into speedway , particularly midgets . He produces a range of body panels including track noses . He might be able to help you. If you like, I can forward his contact details.
Funny to have this show up right now- I was just tossing the idea of a track nose around when I remodel my roadster. Blue car in the first two pictures is excellent- proportions look "right on" with that elongated sweep on the bottom edge. Some that I've seen look too "stubby" and the grille is too small. (In my mind anyway, which is a scary place).
For the hard top crowd... Gary http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wanted-pix-of-track-nosed-hard-tops.951551/
There was a green model A roadster that came out last year. Was called the "Dino Special" as it was part of a Sinclair garage collection. That had a glass track nose, that at the time I thought was well proportioned for an A. I will see if I can find the thread. Cheers, Stewart.
OK the original posting was by " The Dakota Kid". Sorry don't know how to embed threads on my iPad. I think the car was built by Lakes Rod and Custom, if somebody else built it ,I apologize. Check Dakota kids threads by him and its under Gribble open house. I really do like the track nose on the Dino Special. Cheers, Stewart.
If you are open to off the shelf fiberglass, check out the Speedway Sprint Style nose. It's dimensions are larger than the rest of the T oriented noses. Though pricey, they have an aluminum grille to fit the nose. I'm using a second hand Sprint Style nose and grille for my project.
Get what you can find and modify to suit. One for a T will work on an A well enough, I don't think that they are actually model specific.
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