Ok folks,today i just had to get this thing rollin to test if the clutch pedal and some other stuff worked.. Hooked up the old brakelines and bleed the brakes. Got some stuff bolted together and put a battery in it. It fired right up. Took a SLOW spin around the "block" and i/the car got around alive. When i got back to the garage i noticed that the steering box was hooked up with just one bolt...... Took some pics ,first time outside the garage for a year.
Thanks! I want to built the "new" stuff so it doesent look over engineered. So it fits the car,dont wanna paint stuff up and spend alot of time grinding welds/metal to make the new pieces look super duper. This has never been a well built Magazine car just a Backyard Hot-Rod that some guy built with the skills/tools he had.
Got my dropped tie rods yesterday,tryed them out today. I dont have the right drag link yet but i had a shorter bit to try with,seems that everything clears even whith full steering right or left. Now i dont have to bend the steeringarms at all. Dont know how mush drop the axle has. Anyone know where i can find the "lockbolt" (dont know the name for it) thats on the draglink in the pic, domt wanna lock the tie rods with a nut.
I think you need to drink a beer, or three, just to watch that crazy-ass program. I know I do. Something like several Sierra Nevada Pale Ales.
Are you Neal East, from back in the days ? If not, I wonder where he is now. He (you) had some really nice roadsters. I remember one in particular parked in the sand on the cover of R & C, I believe.
That's killer! I love seeing them going overseas, one more great car that won't get destroyed when the shit finally hit's the fan here in the USA.
Started with the anti chatter rods yesterday. I drilled a hole in the original beam an i will mount them from the backside of the beam. For now its just mock up and i am going to weld a tube inside the beam to get some strength and the rod will go thrue it. I made a plate on the backside of the rod that i will bolt to the beam,it aint welded yet,just test fitting. A friend of mine helped with the turning and he put a nut on both sides in front of the rod so there is alittle adjustment space. Also left my spindles at a machineshop to get some new king pin bushings.
Just wondering what year and type pitman arm are you using. I have the same ford steering box on my coupe. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Thats a cool truck and you're doing a nice job of getting it in shape. That coil mount is a VW Bug accessory, http://www.piersideparts.net/CB2052.html
Its a F1 pitman arm thats shortened and we made a new mount in the draglink end to accept a modern tie rod.
Nice work. I like that you are keeping it as it was but just "fine tuning" to make it better engineered and safer. I like the trans cross member you did - good ideas elsewhere too! Well done. I'm sure it will drive much better too when all the good work is done.
Thanks,makes me really happy to get comments like this! (like your car) Right now im working on the exhaust system,its a tight fit on the drivers side because of the pedals. Sadly i had to use some modern "flex tube" that doesent fit the car at all but i think i will change them later.
Cheers, Yeah I know where you're coming from regards the exhausts. Still the old school exhaust flexi-pipe has been around on cars since the '20's & '30's so it won't look out of place anyway. Looks like you're already having a ball with this car - but wait till summer cruising time that's when there's real fun to be had!
I like everything on this rebuild except one - the pitman arm. the weld looks too stack of dimes/look at my neat welding/modern to my eyes. it must be possible to get a ford arm that will do the job, even if the taper needs redrilling half and half from the other side. the dead splines can be filed out to "clock the arm for correct alignment. if it really must be welded, the weld needs to be V'd out half depth from each side and welded really deeply. It would look heavier and more agricultural than the weld I am looking at. Just trying to emphasise the safety aspect. Mart.
Love this RPU, great mods too... Doing it justice without removing its history. Just nice improvements, great job.
Hope you relocate the fuel pump, its directly over top the solenoid and cable terminal - a leak might ruin your whole day.
Just put the pump there to get it running. If you look at some of the first pics in this thread you will see the old electric fuel pump. Its from a 50s Porsche, it aint running so i will rebuild it or get another.
That is a great little RPU!! Congrats on getting it and excellent job cleaning up some of the little things to make it a bit better. You do good work!!
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