Projects Father/Son 29 RPU - first build

Hey Folks,

Been way too long to start this. After sitting on an A chassis to build our first Father Son project for more time than I thought we finally got to work.

I planned on starting earlier this year once I heard the 2nd Annual ROG was going to happen. If I have enough back together by then maybe I'll just town the pile down and put it on display.

So today we took a Model A chassis and turned it into a pile of parts and hit a major milestone. My sons first engine removal at age 10!

I start off by putting him to work removing the clam shell and motor mount bolts.

 

We ran into a couple issues removing the banger. Radius ball cap bolts just spun so I got out the cutoff wheel.

Then one of the bolts in the rear mount would not budge and was starting to round off. Took the sawzall to that. Mounts where toast anyways.

With all the mounts disconnected and armed with a 4 foot piece of chain, couple grade 8 7/16 bolts and washers and out trusty engine hoist we began the pull

 

During the removal process the wife was video taping so no pics on an engine in midair but we bring you the "We are men and have removed engine sitting on dolly" pic.

At this point why stop so lets keep going.

 

always good to have some extra muscle and supervision when doing a Cool project

 

After a lunch break time to move onto the removing the front end. We found lots of very shadey shade tree mechanic work.

Square nuts used as spacers on the U Bolts, Bent U bolts and a loose as a goose front cross member. and front spring that looked like it was ready to let loose any moment. Put some big C Clamps on pronto.

At that point I sent my son out of the garage just in case the spring let loose. Snapped the head of the thru bolt off and used the drift and hammer to remove it. Loosened up clamps slowly and it all just fell apart, off to the scrap pile with it.

 

Cool..looks like a killer project! I love working in the garage with my son and daughter and they are only 3 and 5...can't wait till they can really start to help! You and he will cherish those memories for a lifetime! By the way what exactly are your plans for the build?

 

Ok on to the rear end. Things no so bad back here. U bolts and nuts need replacing but hey so would you after 80-90 years

Rolled out the rear, it's junk but I have another one in good shape that needs to be freshened up.

So that's were we currently stand. Hopefully I can put in a couple hours each night after work on front and rear axles. Going to get after cleaning up the frame this weekend.

 

Current plan is a "Jalopy Build" Nothing fancy or too high dollar. Just something we can bomb around in and have fun. Though my son keeps saying, "Dad we need to put a flathead in there, we need something with power and that sounds good" Hahahaha

Extra muscle is right, he is a Black Belt in Tae Kwan Do and can run circles around me

 

Got a few minutes this evening and removed the rear spring. The rear spring expander was money well spent and made the job super easy.

For safety sake this was just a Father job and the Son part of the team stayed indoors.

This rear is pretty much junk, axle key ways wore out, bearing surface not even close to round, and axles egged out opening in axle housing. Brakes well there shot to.

I will be saving the spring, torque tube and drive shaft and maybe the center, I think it is an early one without the support gusset.

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Love father/son builds...reminds me of the days wrenching on dad's '37 Chev.

Good stuff, what are the long-term plans?

 

Bring them up right,,make it fun. HRP

 

Finally getting back at it. Damn life always seems to get in the way.

Replacement front cross member in. Bolted in for now but will be welded along with a few cracks in rear cross member and new frame horns.

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Love to see the father and son builds also !!

 

Realized I haven't posted updates in a while, not that we have gotten too far but got a few things done.

The rear end assembly has been sitting on stands since we tore down the chassis and it is completely whooped with the exception of the torque tube. So I handed my helper some wrenches and had him get his hands dirty.

Also found one good rear bone and one rotted out, thought they where both shot so I was ahead. Picked up a nice pair at Hershey as I was leaving so problem solved.

We also pulled the drive shaft to keep as a spare or sell/trade for more parts.

 

I had another banjo rear laying around I got a set of brakes off of that had a hole in the axle tube but had good internals so we tore into that one and packed them away for spares/sell/swap

Tried to remove the drive shaft on this one but the bearing is so rusted in there it just bent the puller. Wasn't going to waste anymore time on it and heaved the rest into the scrap pile.

Thought I had more pics but come to think of it my hands where covered in nasty old gear oil so I guess I didn't take any.

 

When I replaced the front crossmember I lined up the three holes on either side and bolted it in.

The new/old replacement is the early style where the motor bolts directly to it. The motor in our chassis had the early style front cover so I figured I would go that route.

I picked up a set of good rear mounts at Hershey and began thinking hmmm if that front cross member is not in the correct location I may be in trouble when it comes time to drop in the motor.

So time to mock up the motor in the chassis before I have the front cross member permanently attached.

I found that the only two holes that line up are the rear holes that connect to the lower lip of the frame. So she is bolted in now in the correct location.

 

Drilled some new holes in the cross member in the sides and bolted with graded 8 shouldered bolts.

Once everything was all mocked up, we tore it back down and now I need to find some time to get the frame welded up.

 

Looking good and on a build like this, it's definitely more about the journey than the final product. How many little dudes in his class can say that they are working on a Model A Ford...with their Dad??!

Little by little, Bro...Pretty soon, you will be looking back at these pictures and you will be stunned at how far along the build is and how big your boy is!! I LOVE IT!! Keep after it!!!!!!!

 

So what is the origin story here?? Interesting to see an RHD Model A turning up in Joisey!

 

Thanks Bugsy, he is definitely the only boy in his class working on a Model A. He keeps wanting to drop in a flathead for more power!

Hey Bruce, Car was originally a 29 RHD Phaeton, picked it up from a fellow HMAB'er who put the body on another chassis.

As the story goes it came from Argentina, made it's way to Cali then over to the East Coast over the years then ended up in my garage.

A lot of hard miles were put on her and since the RHD specific steering column, accelerator assembly and intake/exhaust manifolds are missing I decided to convert it to LHD. I have all the parts to rebuild it as LHD.

My luck I'll score a RHD Phaeton body and have to convert it all back

 

Banger first...then flattie!! Baby steps for the boy...baby steps!!!

 

Hahahaha, exactly what I keep telling him. First build keep it simple and cheap, have some fun with it for a while. Then we sell it and step it up.

 

Yo Tom we need an update.

 

Yes we do and I wish I had more to report. I picked up a few parts at Hershey and just recently a cool home made down draft intake and carb.

I'm a fair weather mechanic and with no heat in the garage progress has been slow. Just need to get off ass and take the frame to get welded.

 

One word "Salamander" solves all the heating problems... Actually I use one of those Big Buddy propane heaters worked good during Sandy too.

Could of at least bolted the carb to the intake and then on the motor. Just strap the frame onto the roof of the stang. Excuses, excuses. Just jealous I got nothing to work on (Or do I ?)

 

Well with the long weekend coming up hopefully we will have some updates to post soon.

Making a scrap run tomorrow for some Beer and Ice Cream money Then hope to get some parts cleaned up and painted.

Also currently shopping for a small name brand MiG Welder been researching and watching all the instructional videos. Figure if we don't do it all we really didn't build it. Plus we will learn a new skill set.

Have great weekend everyone

 

After a bunch of yard work and BBQ'n my Son and I spent some time in the garage.

We started disassembling the front axle.



My son took the drums of



Flexing those muscles


We discovered no brake shoes. Sorta makes sense since later model kingpins are installed.



Drums are the sheet metal originals not sure of there is any saving them. Backing plates are in great shape though. We got those removed next

Then onto removing the spindles. Of course we had to drill both locking pins before the air hammer could remove them.

King pins are good and stuck, hosed them down with some deep creep and will try them in a day or two.

I have picked up some goodies over the winter to use in the build.

Home made updraft intake made into a down draft with 94 two barrel carb. Very cool lake pipe header from Ebay came from Cali. It's designed for an overhead conversion, no intake ports. Probably just be a wall hanger for now. I can just imagine it on some early hot rod out on the lakes.



Last but not least a 34 ? Front axle.



Of course I just learned/realized that the A wishbone won't work with it. Since I have all the parts to rebuild the A front end and a reversed eye spring maybe I'll save this for a future project.

At this point it was time to clean up and do a little more BBQ'n with the family.

 

AFT

Don't use the stamped drums they're to thin to dissipate heat for stop and go. New cast ones, at least for the front, are pretty cheap. Guy on the Fordbarn sells em.




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This is a great father son project that both of you will always remember! very cool cant wait to see it all done good luck !

 

Added a new tool to the "Shop" and put a couple more hours in this weekend.

Need a Shop Press for a while, was looking for a used American made unit but after coming up empty I bit the bullet and bought the new "Gray" model from Harbor Freight. So far so good.



The plan was to remove the King pins and replace the broken spring perch. Wire wheel up the wish bone and axle and give it a couple coats of black and get it ready for rebuild. But as with many projects all did not go as plan.

King Pins would not budge not even with heat. So stuck it in the press



Applied some heat and force and my Son finished driving them out with a BFH, Viola! King pin out, spindle off.



With both sides done time to move to remove and replace of the broken spring perch.
I applied some heat to the perch nut, shot it with some WD40 and put some muscle into it and was rewarded with the perch rotating. Hmm ok this seems good as the perch should come out nice and easy.

Then I noticed slop in the axle and wishbone. Ok at this point I figure perch bolts are shot. Got the perch nut off again my son got out the BFH and drift pin and knocked out the first perch. The second Perch just fell out.

We were rewarded with a front axle with egged out perch holes. Probably no sense trying to fix it?

I have another front axle that has bits of the perch still stuck in it and now that I have a press I can get them out. But that's a project for next weekend.