Technical 1934 Ford Roadster build with info

Most of them are on my shop computer, but here are three from a year ago.

 

Wow, that's a serious project.

 

1960

 

Not any more serious than yours

 

The 1960 pic.... Nobody builds like that today. Part of it is that the entire build needs to be done the old ways, or it won't look right, like that one does.

Today, all we get to see oversize stock headlights and high end BMW interiors.

You will get shit for the truck shell, but that just proves my ongoing point that most people here on hamb, either have no clue of traditional, or don't want to see traditional.

 

@AngleDrive that car is perfect!!!

 

Oh damn. That 1960 shot is so sweet... That's perfect and I can't wait to see your progress on it.

Pete, your coupe is perfect and after seeing it in person a few times, I'm sure you will nail this one.

On a similar note pertaining to channeled roadsters, my 29' Chevy roadster project was an old build from Connecticut/Massachusetts in the 50's, unfortunately the only thing remaining from the original build is the crudely channeled cowl/dash and one door. I'm torn between returning it to a channeled east coast style car or unchanneled with full fenders.

 

Please don't unchannel I have a 30 Chev roadster pickup built 59-60 in the clubhouse of one of the oldest surviving car clubs near Boston, called the Spindles. It is Olds Rocket powered, channeled/chopped,40 Ford "spring ahead" dropped/drilled/chromed axle with custom hairpins, belly burner exhaust at top of shortened orig bed... rough, but I grabbed it to save Boston history. I'll get pics up later.

 

This chevy does not belong on Pete's 34 Ford thread, but it was part of his "local" Boston-Area history.

The car, the builder, and the clubhouse where it was built, all have a very colorful history. Club exists today as "the oldest car club that has always had it's own clubhouse", according to their website.

Club started around 57, and a local Juvenile Court Judge dealing with kids, gave them the option of incarceration, or joining the club to learn skills/stay out of trouble?

I have two 35mm Color Kodachrome slides showing this car with the Olds just installed, and another rod in the backround in the old barn/blacksmith building.

Was white body and bed. Frame, firewall and headlights, were dark copper color. Front tires are original, but I never got the rears, so I don't know what it had for size. Bed is shortened 30 Chevy pickup. Tailgate is stock Chevy with 54 Buick lights

This car is very unique: Spring ahead 40 Ford dropped/drilled/chromed axle, homemade hairpins for spring-ahead perches, rarely seen cross-steer box, side exhaust running to top rails of bedsides that had Harley mufflers notched into the flare-sides of bed. Grille unknown, but lower mount brackets seem 32-ish Ford. Chromed dash, chromed rollbar, fully boxed frame with ground and mouled seams up front, cowl/firewall was moulded to frame, see-through red fuel line used as wire loom for the headlights, 12" rear Z kick in bed, for the 49-50 Olds coil rear with Olds nascar type arms. Side antenna on passenger side rear cab, chopped/chromed W/S frame and posts. 56 Ford steering wheel.

One thing I need to "undo", that I planned on: This car frame sits level. I think the builder wanted a raked look, so he angle-channeled the cowl by lowering just the front at firewall by about 1.5". Then he lowered just the front end of bed that same 1.5".

I thought it looked sketchy, so I temporarily blocked up the firewall and front of bed, back to level channel. I have to put it back as built, just because I don't feel I should change anything.

I never got the original headers, so these don't fit as they are from my 32 ford. Later,I did get lucky to find an old set of Oldsmobile headers made by "Tubular Automotive from Massachusetts", that fit like they were made for this car.

 

Whoa.... That's cool! Great story and def a piece of local history.

 

Nice!!! I wish I had that much to start with, haha! That's a sweet RPU.

 

That blue roadster is killer!!!

 

Forgot to add pics of the doors.... Not so mint but def useable.

 

I have been watching this thread for a while, I am glad you were able to get a genuine roadster cowl.

Now with the cowl there shouldn't be much you need to modify other than the lower cowl sides. I don't see why you would need to modify the cowl feet unless the Oz floor structure is different to the US version which I doubt it would be. All the Australian bodies used the same grille, hood and sides as the US bodies, so the cowl would mount in the same location and be positioned at the same height. Whenever I have seen Oz bodies converted they use US patch panels which changes the bottom body line to follow the fender line and get rid of the ugly body spear (filler panel).

I don't know if this has helped but thought I would throw out an Aussie perspective.

Another vote for channelled.
A famous Aussie Hot Rod built in the 50s and was even featured in R&C in 1963
Darryl Harvey roadster








Also a few photos to show exactly where the body line deviates

 

US model.

 

As Jimmy B said the lower front cowl needs to be lowered at door edge. Also the inner jamb needs to be lengthened and curved to fit door. The bottom of the original US cowl wood has this feature. If you were to get a set of subrails and rocker panels it is an easy fix. If your doors are US they would be the correct height. Are you planning to use wood or metal for the inner structure of doors, cowl and quarters?

 

The current plan is: The inner door structure will be steel. The cowl wood is very nice, so I'll use it as is.

 

Just out of curiousity, why were the Aussie cowls built different? Was there a shortage of materials? were our manufacturing facilities that more advanced? Seems kind odd to slightly change pieces and parts that would down the line change lots of other parts.

 

Can't wait to see this come together Pete. Hopefully I get tagged in for a little shop time in Bangladesh !


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I have a whole lot of respect for you guys piecing together 34 roadsters. I have the same thing going for a 32, but mine isn't filled with wood like your guys'. Keeping everything straight and getting doors that actually close correctly has got to be a hugely monumental task. Not like you can just weld a little bit more on the inner (wood) framework.

 

Pete, your cowl feet are fine and do not need to be modified. You can make the lower cowl pillar out of wood and contour it so the jamb will work. There is an L bracket that the Aussie body doesn't use and it is easy to construct. It attaches to the A pillar and bolts to the chassis thru the floor pan. McPherson in Kansas is where I got my sub rails. I would suggest getting your rockers from Steve as they match his quarter panels. Not sure sure if anyone makes the lower cowl patches. The roadster is different than the coupes and sedans. I'll sort thru my pics tonight and see if I can add them to thread.

 

Angledrive

That would be killer

 

This is a shot of Steve Staysko's unchanneled car

You can see the angle bracket I am referring to and just make out the lower
A pillar wood as it curves into the rocker

 

Here is a good thread that explained the Australian roadster cowl

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzPKt8CQZZukaUp6VXAxV0ZPdHV3UlpVYXkxN1ZFanhRR2ZR/view?usp=sharing

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58077&showall=1






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I'm still collecting parts for this project, won't be too much longer now.

Iv decided to channel it a few inches.

 

Here is a good thread from fordbarn

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58077&showall=1




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Did you decide if you were going to use the SAR cowl top? I am interested in seeing that surgery. I just picked up a real nice closed car cowl that might need hacked to scratch my roadster itch.

 

The roadsters been on the back burner for a while now, kinda still collecting parts.

I think about that car often, drives me nuts.

 

I imagine it would.

 

What parts are you still looking for? Not that i have any but i can keep my eyeballs pealed as im putting a roadster together also.

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