Projects 1938 V8-60 Bantam Roadster Build Thread

I don't know where four months went, but it is time to post a few more progress photos. I have the mechanical systems and linkage complete, firewall and floors complete, wiring done, cooling system complete, and am close to getting the car making noise and moving on its own. I still need to bleed the brakes and lube everything but it is pretty much ready to go. I have been experimenting with colors, and have come up with the green/black scheme that I will use. Here are a few photos of all of that work.

 

The colors look good on the car, but please tell me the flex pipe exhaust is only temporary.

 

Just to get it running and serve as a pattern.

 

Nice green, color scheme looks good. Like how you matched the shifter knob
Are you going to do the rims green or black?

 

neat little car, and you`re doing it justice. brought back some childhood memories, when i was 6 or 7 years old i had a neighbor that would take the kids in the neighborhood for a ride in his Bantam. "tanks" for the memories!
tom

 

Rims in green. Tried one in black and I did not like how it looked against the fenders.

"Tanks" indeed, Tom! Here is a pdf that I will print out to put in the window when the car is parked at local cruises (thinking pretty far ahead, there). Most people don't get traditional hot rods so I am trying to help them. Anyway, "tanks!"

 

Greg, nice write-up, I enjoyed it.

 

I like your project, and I like your story about it.

 

Jerseyboy and 50Fraud, thanks for the comments. I rolled the roadster outside on last Friday, V-E Day, and the flag was up in front of the house. Probably no one got it except my wife, who was born in a DP camp right after the war when her parents came out of the camps, but that does not matter. That is why the car is as it is. Thanks again, guys.

 

Isn't this the car Donald Duck used to drive in the comic books? Anyway it looks like your doing a first class job of building it.

 

I LIKE the green and black !!!

 

That's right, he had great taste!

 

This brief clip was shot by a neighbor at the end of our street a few minutes ago on my first shakedown run. He is a Ford Flathead guy, so I ran up to his house on my initial road test. Everything worked fine on the shakeout run except for the accelerator pedal. It broke on the way back home so I idled part of the way back. One of the few new parts on the car and it broke, of course. Will replace it this afternoon with accelerator pedal and linkage from a '46 Jeep. That won't break! The V8-60 mounted to the Studebaker transmission with a Bantam bellhousing and a 1/4" steel plate adapter worked great, but not the darned Speedway accelerator pedal assembly. The Jeep pedal will require some fiddling, which is why I used a new one. That will teach me. Video quality not great but you get the idea. By the way, this V8-60 checked out at 85bhp on a dyno and it makes this 1238 pound car accelerate right smartly. That is what it weighed on the state scales with all its fluids and 1/2 tank of fuel. More pictures to come. I don't know how to embed a clip in a post so here is the You Tube url. https://youtu.be/UxdUEpoBBAI

 

He took a photo, too.

 

Greg, I am lovin it. Great to see shade tree enginuity is alive and well and living in Jax.

Lee

 

Second video clip from my neighbor. Hot rods do not come out of catalogs! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HMWWNGbrz7U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Congrats Greg looks great! I'll be curious to see how your radiators work out after a half hour of driving, I'm still having a hard time keeping mine cool. Great horsepower number!

 

Oh man that thing sounds good! I got a 33 roadster (you can find me here on the HAMB) Just about to take mine out for its first run in who knows how long. But I got the stock whimpy motor and all. Your car is making me jealous! Looks great thanks for sharing!

 

Looks great now! I think the shapes and sizes of the fenders and headlights turned out very well. You are planning to run a hood, aren't you?

 

Great project!

 

Hi Greg:
Love your Bantam. It is turning out great. So iconically British and period it makes one smile. Have fun driving it. Thanks. TEB

 

Will be running a hood. This was the first shakedown run, lots of stuff to do still, including the bodywork and paint on the center section of the body and the interior. Thanks for looking!

 

sounds soooooo good

 

Greg, Great video! Car keeps getting better and better. Great things do come in small packages.

 

Have made some slow progress. The car has 121 miles on it now and I have shaken out most of the bugs. Had the transmission and clutch out three times to sort out the combination of Ford, Bantam, and Studebaker parts and it finally works right. I am not much on additives, but I tried "Water Wetter" to see if it would help keep the V8-60 cooler, and, amazingly, it helped! Ran over to the beaches and back this morning and it stayed under 210 even in traffic. Should help in Florida summers. I am going to stop working on the bodywork for the time being and just enhoy driving the car through the winter. This is the longest time that I have taken to build a rod, couldn't be that I am getting older.

 

Looks pretty cute. Is it quick enough to be fun to drive?

 

It is surprisingly quick. Engine has been on a dyno at 85hp, which is pretty good for a 60, and the car weighs only 1170 pounds with half a tank of gas. Quick off the line and comfortable at 65. I am guessing a top end of 75 or so with the rear end that it has. Quick enough to be fun, like a Sprite or Midget. Handles surprisingly well, too.

 

Greg,
Looks Great! I love the leather strap and caps.

 

Hi Greg.First.Thanks for your service.God bless ya.Second.Great looking car.May it give you many years and miles of pleasure.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

This is the final post in this thread. I am driving the Bantam regularly and am happy with how it handles, its power, and how it looks. Like most self-built rods it will continue to be improved and modified over time, but it is essentially complete. Next project is in line, as you can see in the attached photo. Bantams keep coming out of the woodwork.