Love the history on this one and it's great to be able to talk to Jim. Make it SAFE to drive, clean/paint the chassis and wheels, long wheel base is good, do the interior, seats/dash/floor, drive it with the body as is. Maybe paint the body after you get the feel of the car....my .02...it's WAYYY COOOL!
You know that a car with that much "soul" will be just as great if you were to paint it. The car and you deserve the best. The car has survived all these years and you are it's new "caretaker", a fresh coat of paint and a little clean up won't change the "heart" of that great car! A plus is that it would finally be kind of done. Good Luck in what ever direction you go! KK
Marion 33 is by far one of my favorite cars of all time. running it for a year the way it is has been my plan but I love hearing every buddies ideas and opinions as well! You can't beat a nicely painted rod either I did the paint on this 36 a while ago and I think it's such a killer truck!
Paint is a funny thing, it can make a car look different, it can make it look better, or it can bring things out nobody needs to see! But if it was mine, a respray in charcoal or kobolt blue prime would put back where it belong, either where the original build left it or where the last own should have had it. A bad paint job in the right color does the car no favors! A professional quality primer paint job bring the car back to the first summer of driving and a bet it takes Jim back, migth even make both of your eyes a litle misty when you take him for a ride!
If it was mine and I absolutely had to paint it in would ask the original builder/owner what his plans were for paint and dons he intended
Sadly no it was owned by his shop teacher which I know was into hot rods. I have gone through the schools archives but nothing and the teacher has passed away. A couple of interesting things are it was maroon originally then a bronze then Washington blue then a lighter blue and then when Jim got it charcoal grey. When he sold it to my grandpa's neighbors the sanded it and rattle canned it in the 70's sadly they didn't do he car any favors lol. Jim lived in the avenues and as soon as it's running I am going to take a pic of the car infringement of its old garage! The houses have all been kept up and still looked old school. What I find interesting is how similar it is to my grandpa's some of you have probably seen these photos so sorry if you sick of them. But from 48-53 this is what my grandpa rolled in and talking with him he said there wasn't really any 32 channeled roadsters running a Round town just me at that time that he remembers. I would like to think that Jim was inspired by my grandpa's car. But who knows
Two year old is down for a nap and me and the wifey are hitting the top hard! I wish I could pull it apart and sew it on the machine but the tactics into the wood and pulling it out might destroy it so I am not chancing it
Thanks! I am 28 I got my first truck when I was 10 and had my 55 f100 on the road at 16 been upsest since then! Kind of a hot rod junkie lol
So here is the motor I will be building for the roadster. And a few goodies to go with it! Chris Nielson hooked me up with an old school Schneider 270f that was wrapped in some old newspaper not sure when it was made but pretty solid guy! And a harmony Collins dual coil. And some Evans heads! The block is a 59l factory relieved everything looks good on it so hoping no cracks in the valves
As far as I'm concerned you can't post too many pictures of this car or your progress in getting it back on it's feet again. It's a beautiful roadster!
WOW!!!!!What a find!! Leave the wheelbase, It's KILLER! Nobody would build one like it today, or ever even think of filling wheel wells! Love it! I don't know a whole lot about paint but I can tell you this: The more you do to it the more you make it yours and the less it remains where it is. It's a tough chioce only you can make. I have been struggling with the paint or not paint question for years. If it was mine, I would wax it and leave it for a while. No body could ever paint that car again to look like what it looks like now. And if it gets painted, it will be more like everybody elses! Your call! Awesome find!
I think my first reaction to seeing a car in fresh shiny paint is to ask myself the question "is it real or fiberglass". You don't have to ask yourself that question when you see that car now. At a car show, I would walk past a row of shiny cars to look at that one.
I have to agree with you there I built my model t and it was a pain to do all the met bracing and paint. Then I got done and everybody said it was a kit car. That has been my biggest fear with this car. So many repops out there don't want to have people wonder. At least for a while then once everybody gets to know her I will do some changing
Maybe if you restored the body to where it had a driver's door again (and wheel wells, etc.)... other than that, I doubt anyone (that has a clue) would think it was anything other than Henry steel. And, guess, what? Those that don't know still will make assumptions about your car (or mine or anyone's) because they just don't know. I like the commenter that said "the car will tell you what it wants." I say the same thing about home remodel projects.
I would leave the wheels where they are, that is part of the beauty of the car, I can't imagine why you wouldn't paint it though it was painted before it went to shit wasn't it? Cool project, I'll be watching and welcome to the HAMB.
It needs to be one color. Leaving it the way it is begs for empty shell casings pop riveted on randomly. We all need to quit blurring the line between hot rods and rats.
I have to say seeing your roadster with you car seat in it got me excited! I can't wait to take my little girl for a ride!
Hey Dog I've never been big on channeling a Deuce, but this is one cool car. Another thing; some people might be quick to find some spare used grille teeth to replace that missing one. I like it just as it is. Kinda looks like the guy that just got his tooth knocked out in the fight and got up and continued fighting. I would'nt touch that car, especially with fresh paint.
Ill add,they only look like an old hot rod once.Other than safety and reliability i would roll as is .
dumprat, Respectfully Sometimes a car is way more period if it's left as found. And I'm sure most of the guys around here know the diff between a r_t and an un-restored relic. Think of it this way: Every car has a story. Whoever has the job of caretaker (we never really own these cars) can do whatever the hell they want. Over time it will just add to the story. For example, buddy Geoff who built my car spent a lot of time removing house paint that covered my car as it rested for 50 years. He stopped when I bought it 11 years ago. I thought it should stay that way it was for a while. The while isn't over yet, but nobody ever said what a cool r-at r-od! They say wow was that car built in 1952? If all the body work was done and painted it wouldn't be any cooler. Neither would yours birdog! They used to say "what color are you going to paint it?" Now they say "how could you ever paint it?" Hey birdog, you got a lot of thinking to do!.... OR NOT!
Hey Birdog. It looks like a 40's built car with the filled wheel wells. It is an amazing survivor. Congratulations on scoring it.
The general public doesn't know the difference between a survivor and a pile of junk welded together into some bullshit art project. Too many TV shows use the rat name and nobody but traditional hot rod guys knows what is up. The terms "patina and barn find" have been way over used. Muscle car guys and street rod guys are like the general public and think rust and faded paint equals rat. Its your roadster and you can do what you want with it. I feel you should get it safe and driving and see where it takes you.