Projects My first build. 1929/31 model A

What size tires you going with

Sent from my HTC One using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks everyone!

Firestone Classic in 5,50-16 and 7,50-16.

Got two wheels done yesterday

 

Looking good Tobbe. I'll be following along with ya.
-Pat

 

Nice project you have going.... Did you buy the French flathead from military truck?

Earl

 

Thanks!

No flathead yet. Spent too much money on parts, shipping, customs and taxes so I have to lay low for a while. There is something about that military flathead that makes me think twice. It's $3500 and the seller doesn't know if it runs as it should. The engine is on a pallet so it will be a bit of a project to start it up.

Every time I start to work on the car it lasts for about ten minutes, then I realize that I'm missing something and I have to order parts again. It's tough to be a newbie!

Dropped of the new front spring, the perches and shackles at my trusted machine shop. He's going to press fit and ream bushings (because I forgot to order bushings) and replace the grease fittings on the shackles (damaged and low quality) so everything has a nice and precise fit.

Will try to go thru the parts bin during the weekend and see what's missing. Right now I know I need to get a key to lock the lower shock mount to the perch, and new nuts for the perches. The Ford nut is tapered and the shock mount is plain. Stuff I forgot to order

 

Only way to get to "know" is as your doing. Put one or two together and it starts to get easier.
I'd need to really think hard on buying a motor on crate that owner doesn't known if it runs "right". Me--I'd pass on buying it (unless owner would take much lower "builder price") and keep looking.

Earl

 

You're right! That's basically the way I learned my trade as a BMW mechanic. At first it was a hobby and then became my business. Trial and error gives knowledge!

 

Score! Picked up a DuVall kit today. It's probably for a '32 but with some welding and grinding I should be able to make it fit anyway.

 

Nice score, should be close enough that you can easily "make it fit".

 

Bronze bushings done!


Industrial grade grease fittings


Hope to get some time during the weekend to test fit the front end.

 

Some work has been done.

For some reason the front cross member was too wide for the clamps. After some checking I decided to heat the front and back of the cross member and use a ball point hammer to "adjust" it a bit. Worked fine! Had to adjust the clamps to make them fit the plate under the spring as well. Now I just need a spacer underneath the spring since its one or two leafs thinner than the original.

Unboxed the new backing plates. Thought they would be assembled and painted as on the picture in the catalog, but no.
Doesn't matter since I had to weld in the spacer to make them fit my spindles. The enclosed spacer was a piston ring, which worked just fine .

The weld is a bit high but it will be ground flush. Hard to get it low and smooth with a MIG welder...

 

great start, will be following.

 

Got some more work done today. The other backing plate is now done, and I test fitted the plates, hubs and drums to see what it looks like. Nice to see some progress and I love the look of those drums! Thinking of finding some clear cote for them instead of black paint.
I will soon split the engine to evaluate the condition of the internal parts, I have found another engine block that can be used as a good base for a rebuild. I also need to reverse the eyes on the rear spring and finish the rear end of the chassis, but first I need to mock up the engine and transmission to fit the x-member and the new pedal box.

 

Missed your getting engine. One in picture with front end/brakes it? Is brake kit from Speedway as early post has several boxes with Speedway on them and tires on pallet. They are good looking drums-Lincoln type?

Looking good and your making nice progress!
Earl

 

Cool project A French Flathead is a really good choice. But you need to do some changes. Pan, Waterpumps, distributor. There have been reports of lifter failure. And as you probably know, Hot Rods is all about speed too When you start with a Flathead, it's really easy to get bitten by the sickness Flathead parts is easy to come by, there are good dealers both in Norway and Sweden. Don't hesitate to contact me We have all been a first-timer

/K

.......................................
Taildragger&fenderless

 

I will use this as a mock up drive train and when that's done I'll use the block as a table stand in the office. Scroll back in this thread and you'll understand why

Yes, the kit is bought from Speedway but was made by MT car products according to the instructions in the box. I'm not sure if it's the Lincoln type drums, but they have three fins. They are very nice in finish and fitment, so I'm very happy I made the decision to buy the kit!

I've been too busy at work for a long time, but it felt really good to spend a whole day working on the build and just ignoring the boring stuff

 

Yes, I thought so too but I can't make myself pay $3800 for an engine that I don't know if it's running or not. Prices seem to be over the top, even for projects. $2000 for an engine that needs a complete overhaul and the seller can't guarantee that the block isn't cracked and he lives 350 miles away. Now I found a block that's supposed to be crack free but a bracket is damaged so it needs some welding. The $200 the seller is asking for seems fair and that will probably be a good start for me.

You're probably right about speed. I'll start with getting the roadster roadworthy and register it here in Sweden, then I expect everything to take a turn for the extreme. Better handling, more power etc

Thanks, I'll get in touch with you when it's motor time!

 

No picture of the build itself, but spent most of the afternoon to tidy up in the man cave. Managed to hoist the body all the way up to the ceiling giving me lots of space to work on the chassis. The rear axle is now on stands and I'm going to start tear it down and replace the brakes and hubs.

 

Nice to have room to work on chassis and keep eye on the body.

Sure like the looks of those front brakes. Is rear axle same-rear backing plate for e-brake?

 

Yes, same drums with backing plates for e-brake. Everything is from MT car products but bought from Speedway Motors.

 

Got some work done tonight.

Started to split the banjo to test fit the backing plates. I released the nut and gave the drum a good blow with my heaviest hammer, but no luck. Had to use my torch and this puller to persuade it a bit. Couldn't release the shoes since the adjuster was really rusty on the outside. Brute force solved the problem!

 

When the drum came off, the stuff inside looked really good! A bit surprising since the outside looks like it came from Titanic..

Test fitting the backing plate to see how thick the spacer need to be. I figure 20 mm or 0,8" will be enough to clear the perch. Off to the machine shop tomorrow and have him make spacers both for the backing plate and between hub and drum. Then I need to find longer bolts for the hub, might be a bit of a challenge here in Sweden

Clearance Clarence!

 

So, it's been a long time since I posted, and even worked on the roadster. Busy days at work and absolutely no energy was cured by a road trip in California and a quick detour to Reno for the air races.

Got a drive in my friends '32 and introduced hot rods to my wife. Now she understands what I'm trying to build from that pile of rusted junk that cost me the equivalent of a really nice vacation. The good part was that she liked it!

The front end has been completed, everything is in place including brake shoes, shocks etc. I let the chassis meet the sun (well...) and cleaned the floor and rolled it back in again, this time with the rear end out. The banjo is stripped and the bungs for the spring shackles replaced. The lower leaf will be reversed and a couple of leafs will be removed. It seems like my rear spring is from a sedan since it has ten leafs, I was told the roadster only have eight. The plan for the weekend is to fit the banjo with spring and then install the engine with gearbox to locate the engine mounts. I also got the adapters for the backing plates and spacers for the hubs and they will go on the axle this coming weekend.

Pictures should have been included, but that didn't work out as I planned.

 

I reversed the balls in the steering arms

And shortened the pitman arm by 1,5"

Had to heat and bend the left hand steering arm to clear the shock

The front brakes are done

Getting some fresh air

Rear end out

Splitting the spring

Worn out

New bungs and shackles

Welded in place

Boxing in the frame step is done

Happy wife gets her first ride in a Ford '32 on her first visit to the U.S.

 

Day off so I went shopping at www.jocar.se, a Swedish company producing -32 roadster and coupe steel bodies. Nice to visit the shop and take a look at the projects in progress.


New super slide rear spring and new perches. The old spring cracked when it was turned and instead of finding a "new" leaf I decided to buy a new spring for safety reasons. The model A perches were too short to use with the lower shock mounts, and the adjustable ones didn't really fit with the steering rods.



Spring is in place and the rear end will be fitted to the frame tomorrow.

 

Rear end is bolted to the frame, backing plates are fitted with the spacers. For some reason the spacers for the drums seem to be too thin, so again I have a clearance issue.

Had to fine tune the holes in the crossmember to make the clamp fit

The clamp was a bit too wide to fit the bracket.

Nothing that couldn't be fixed with some heat from the torch

The rear axle with spring is now bolted to the frame

Tight fit but it should work

Spacer made by a machine shop

The drum that won't rotate when the wheel nuts are tightened. I will let the machine shop make a set of new spacers to get the clearance needed. Now I need to find longer studs for the hub, and I will probably need to order them from the U.S.

 

Found Moroso 3" long wheel studs with what I hope is the right knurl. Best of all is that they were in stock in Sweden and my local spare parts supplier will drop them off tomorrow!
Can't wait until I can put the brakes together and try to roll the chassis on the new Firestone rubber, it will be a milestone in my first hot rod build ever!

 

You're making great progress.
3" long Moroso wheel studs in stock is surprising given where you live. Like the kick on rear of frame. Did you follow the way it was done in Bishop/Tardel book?
Earl

 

Thanks! Feels good to be moving on with the build.

Yes, that book is invaluable to me since I had no clue on how to do this. The frame was cut 4" in front of the rear crossmember, and stepped one frame height.

A bit surprising, but we actually have the worlds biggest outdoor American car show. This year they had 22.000 cars during the three day long meet! Not bad for a country with only nine million people and a summer that's way too short . In other words, we like American cars and have lots of parts suppliers.

 

Nice Roadster project!

Majo