Cheers Geoff. The raked pillars always look a bit awkward to me, just like they have been cut and welded, so I did these vertical. I do plan to put some holes up the side of this one, as they do look a bit 'solid'. Also plan on getting chrome done if I can find a reliable place here. I'm thinking of making one of them raked 'Duval' screens at some stage, just another experiment. It'll be a fair bit of work though.
Glad you like it. While I'm working offshore I have my wife running round trying to get some papers and title for the car. She has to earn her keep somehow.
The wife failed miserably at getting papers for it, and last time home I hardly touched it as we went for a trip to England. The overheating wasn't cured by taking off the front grill, so either it needs a bigger fan, or I need to set the ignition timing properly, or both... Or maybe the shroud is too close to the rad, not letting air through the whole rad area. Anyway, I'm back offshore now, so nothing happening for another four weeks.....
So, despite getting sick, despite the crappy monsoon season, despite being offshore half the time, I finally got round to attacking this overheating problem. I set the timing dead on, but found this distributor won't give more than 12 degrees mechanical advance no matter how high you rev it, so I set it to 12 degrees at idle. I also fitted the vacuum advance to manifold suction. It made no difference, still overheated. So, I pulled off the stainless 'shroud' and electric fan and fitted a huge Chevy mechanical fan direct to the water pump. This made a bit of a difference: it took longer to reach 240 degrees...... Then I got serious, pulled all the rad off, and made a big shroud out of sheet steel. it took but a day to make, and some gas welding, and lots of careful measurement, and I put it on without paint just to see if it actually worked before I invested any more time in it. I warmed it up in the drive and it sat at 160, so all looked good. Then I went for a fifteen minute drive around the area, slow driving, built up area, and it rose to about 180 and stayed there. Then it stopped. After stripping and cleaning the carb again due to the crap fuel drying out and clogging it all up, I went for another 20 minute drive, then left it idling in the driveway for 15 minutes. It sits at a steady 180-190 at the highest. Seeing as it has a 180f thermostat in I think that is about as good as it gets. (The shroud does actually blank about 20% of the rad off as I never took it to the bottom corners, so that could be another mod I do when I pull it out for paint, just a bit more metalwork, but it might gain a small advantage) Next thing is to get some paint on it, fit the rad cowl and go driving again. And then get some papers for it!
Glad you have gotten it to the point where you can at least drive it! Good luck with the paperwork, and take some more pictures. I'd love to see what you figure out for the windshield, too. Brad Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
I'm thinking of some poly carb sheet, with a couple dozen small fasteners round the edge, aeroplane style. And I may cut and shut the uprights to angle it back a few degrees, not sure yet.
Finally been out on the open road, took it to a car local show, and had a cruise about on the way. Only problem is a bit of noise from the rear end, something in the main housing is some odd 'wooshing' noise as it rotates. Probably bearings. I changed the axle bearings, they were shot, but never did the main diff bearings. I told people it is not finished, still in primer, but everybody says it looks great as it is, leave it just like that. Just to make the first day out day extra special, I lost the keys....had to go out and buy another ignition switch.
Not sure whose boys they are actually, some guy gave me the pic. The local cops got in on the scene too next day. Bad news is the oil pressure has dropped right off, 20 at idle, doesn't seem to go up or down when you rev it. We got carried away after the show and took the cars out down the titty bars street, laid some rubber, probably trashed the motor but had a good time. Couple of people reckon it is the gauge blocked or faulty, and there is no rattling noise from the motor, so I'll check it out today.
My my, the time has flown by. Not a lot done to the car, just decided to paint it last week, and it is currently being slathered with red. And flake, i want flake on it, but due to local shortages of the sparkly stuff I'm experimenting with kids glitter. Everything i see on the interweb tells me it can't possibly work, but I've sprayed some mixed in acrylic clear coat and it seems to come out okay. I have an HVLP gun with a 1.4 nozzle, and the flake/glitter is small enough to spray. I changed to a darker red after the first couple of coats, as this one turned to bright orange in the sunlight. Not too desirable. Got my plywood seats covered, finally. Cost all of $50.
Thanks guys. I decided to throw some flake at it, but the stuff is not exactly for sale on every street corner over here, soooooooo, I bought some glitter from a local store. After that I found some real flake in a paint store, and when I compared the 'flake' to the 'glitter', using a magnifying glass they both looked exactly the same. I've tested it in clear coat, soaking in thinner overnight, with no adverse effects. So, I mixed together some of each and threw it in some clear coat, gave the car a few layers. Busy laying on clear coats now, to build up some thickness, but it is looking pretty good when the sun hits it. The pic below was after a single coat of red, no flake in it yet. Now it has flake and 6 coats of clear. I think I am supposed to colour sand it next, but not sure whether just to hit it with some polishing compound. I don't want to fuck it up and go through to the glitter.
Took some piccies today, managed to capture a bit of my sparkle. Got the windscreen stanchions chromed, and the stainless frame polished. The chrome cost about $15 each, and you basically get what you pay for, it ain't great... My garage got prettied up to, some paint and flowers last month, courtesy of the wife.
More bling, I just finished assembling the screen this evening. The prices people pay for 'real' flake, I thought it might be worth trying this kiddies glitter stuff. I probably have a bucks worth of 'flake' in this job. Long term it will be interesting to see, but the car is not going to be parked in the sun every day, more like hidden under a car cover in the garage. Then again, it is my first ever car paint job, and I only ever used rattle cans on bikes
Paul - making the best of what you've got!! I like the windscreen set up - excellent for totally home made.
Wow, I remember this from back in 2010. Yourve done well. Liked the pic with the gun toten cops, hope you converted em into Hot Rodders. I'm keen to see this when its finished, I'll bet it'll be a standout there.
Met up with some local buddies and held a short cruise. I don't think there have been five real hot rods together ever before in the history of the Philippines.
I finally decided to make a roof for the car. First thing was to buy some 1" x 1/4" steel flat bar, about 30 feet, and some thinner stuff for reinforcement. The design was to look like a folding frame, but I decided to make it solid, but removable, it unbolts with four fasteners and lifts off, plus the fabric can be removed leaving just the frame on the car. I did intend to put another vertical bar in the rear corners, but somehow forgot it. It can be don later as it is still only in primer right now. I gave the upholsterer some piccies of what I was hoping he could do, but he is just a local guy and fixes sofas for a living most of the time. It turned out okay, but not 100% what I wanted. The material is very heavy vinyl and he busted about ten needled getting it done. He did say he wasn't too happy with it himself, and it would have been far easier and tidier if I'd opted for a Carson style top, with fixed covering. I had to get the seat cut down at the upholsterers as my head hit the roof, so now it is just 2" thick, and I still have to do the 'Milner stoop' to see properly.... The project took two days to cut and weld the steel and two more to get the sewing and stuff done. It cost about $200 altogether. I built it on the car, piece by piece, with very careful tacking and welding, so not to damage or set fire to anything
Nobody seems to read my drivel, or actually comments on it, but I'll still post occasionally just in case someone does accidentally open my thread. I decided to install a tunnel ram, just for a little visual hit. it went together fairly easily, just need some engineering to sort out the linkages and some clearance problems between the Holleys and the manifold top face. A round file cured that. The carbs are 600's and have had the secondaries fuel supply turned off, advice from a buddy, but I've not run it on the street yet so we'll see how it goes. Air filters are temporary, plan to fit a scoop of some sorts with filters inside. I had to remove my old HEI for clearance issues, so I fitted a Mallory Magnetic distributor and a big Accell coil. Today I fired it up, and it ran like a top! It even idled at 1000 rpm, after I timed it by ear. When I put the timing light on it was at 10 degrees static at idle! More luck than judgement though. Hope to drive it tomorrow, to see if all the stories are true about tunnel rams being terrible on the street....
I hadn't seen your progress in a long time. Excellent job of sorting everything out without a hot rod parts supplier anywhere near. Charlie
The Jalopy Journal
