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Projects UK based 1950 Shoebox kustom roof chop

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by tfox1950, Apr 30, 2018.

  1. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Hi guys

    Been a long time lurker on these forums, looking for inspiration for builds both current and future.
    I have had for a year now a 1950 Ford Tudor with a flathead v8 and 3 speed overdrive transmission which came in from Arizona, though was originally from New Mexico and came from a dealership in Santa Fe.

    I'll aim to upload some images and keep you updated as to where I am now and what I've managed to do so far, over in the UK as you can imagine its much harder to source parts, and what you can get will usually take quite a while to arrive, so a bit of creativity is needed at times!

    However so far I have taken a siezed flathead, stripped it and rebuilt it with 060 over bore, ported and polished inlet and exhaust runners, new rings, bearings and a rebuilt carb and got the car running and driving, with newly rebuilt brakes and am now starting the bodywork side of things.
     
  2. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    0026.jpg 0026.jpg 0030.jpg

    So this is the car as it arrived, nice bit of desert baked patina on the paintwork which is being maintained with boiled linseed oil
     
    sidewayzz69 likes this.
  3. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Wasnt long before i had to get the engine out, it was siezed solid and there wasnt any shifting it, on top of that the desert had destroyed all the wiring and most of the rubber bits so it all needed renewing

    0023.jpg 0020.jpg 0022.jpg 0021.jpg
    Out you come.... looking a bit worse for wear in the garage
     
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  4. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Started to strip the engine and clean and rebuild it, im sure most of you have seen an 8ba being rebuilt before so im not going to talk you through it all but some pics showing what i started with and where its at now, new bearings, new pistons, rings, couple of new valves and hand ported with a ramp relief.

    0051.jpg 0052.jpg 0086.jpg 0082.jpg 0097.jpg 0084.jpg 0103.jpg

    Power gen style alternator fitted

    0108.jpg

    All wired up and running nicely, idling at 650-700 to ensure my alternator charges correctly

    0151.jpg 0130.jpg
     
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  5. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Onto some bodywork, has quite a bit of lower body rot to chop out, rocker panels, floors towards the outside of the car, and some of the lower sections on the archs

    0111.jpg 0114.jpg 0120.jpg 0122.jpg 0134.jpg
    Not pro work, but its starting to get there, brakes have been rebuilt now and it has had its maiden voyage, as well as being lowered on blocks at the rear and chopped aerostars at the front.

    More to come as I tackle the rest of the bodywork and aim to get it back on the road by the summer
     
    KiWinUS and neilswheels like this.
  6. I'd say your on the right track. I know what it takes to get from where you started and where your at took some time. Now on to the hard stuff and knowing when to stop. Rust is a Dirty Dog and hides everywhere. Glad to see it on the road more or less. Your going to enjoy it when done. Here's my driver.
    The Wizzard
    20160624_160403.jpg
     
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  7. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Couple of before and afters. Slowly getting there with the external welding repairs. Will be bracing the body this weekend and replacing rockers and floor supports with ems panels Screenshot_20180430-182013.jpg IMG_20180501_212658_334.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    James D likes this.
  8. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Some more progress, if anyone is on the Shoebox facebook page you'll have already seen these, but for everyone else, I have rebuilt the A and B pillars, fitted the new front floor supports and the outer rockers and realigned the doors

    door1.jpg door2.jpg outermine.jpg outermine2.jpg outermine3.jpg
     
  9. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    All just tacked into place at the moment, hence there being no outer skin on the B pillar end, now its all in and solid I can fold up the inner rocker panels and stitch weld them in place, then fit the rear floor mount and then re-align the doors for hopefully the final time before fitting the floors, and then starting on the passenger side, which is in much better condition, this one had no inner or outer sill and the door sagged about 4 inches down when open. You can now use the open door as a jacking point to lift the entire car. Not that i'd recommend that, but its night and day in terms of solidity.
     
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  10. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    shoebox.jpg
    Finished up the rocker and the b pillar area, cut the rot out of the bottom of the door, and fitted the inner and outer front fender to check what i need to do to get panel gaps correct.

    Looks like i'll need to reshape the front of the rocker to move the edge back by about 4mm and unfold the front edge of the door skin at the bottom by about 4mm to get it to correctly follow the curve of the fender, so not much work at all, and its all coming together nicely.

    doorskin.jpg
     
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  11. edcodesign
    Joined: Mar 30, 2007
    Posts: 4,716

    edcodesign
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    image.jpeg
    Cool, here is a little inspiration, good luck !
     
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  12. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,479

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    Crazy...That's almost exactly what my '50 looked like when we got it home. Baked to death green paint worn to the red underneath it. Looks like you have a great start to a great car.
     
  13. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    rearend.jpg Finished off the rear at the weekend, temporarily held the bumper in place to see where I want to chop it to narrow it a bit. Its not being re-chromed so i think i'll section it roughly inline with the body seam, bring it in by 3/4 inch and then do the same to the outer bumper bracket, seems to be the easiest way in my head of getting it done.
     
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  14. xgarfieldx
    Joined: Mar 28, 2008
    Posts: 67

    xgarfieldx
    Member

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  15. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    so I chopped out the passenger side rockers, and fitted new inners and outers, no pics of this at the moment, sure i'll find them someday though. Did some more work on the drivers side patching in the floor. Had no bead roller so hand formed some beads in the outer patch to roughly match the ones on the main floor pan. The seat is tipped back in this pic and the master cylinder covered in cardboard to protect from the paint, obviously the tranny cover plate and OD coverplate are also off.

    Importantly its all solid now to sit/stand on even if its not exactly a show winning look!
    rocker removal.jpg welding.jpg floor.jpg
     
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  16. gearheadwelder
    Joined: Jan 17, 2009
    Posts: 100

    gearheadwelder
    Member
    from CT.

    looks like your getting it done .
     
  17. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Bit of a photo dump of where ive got 2 last couple of weeks. I think they speak for themselves! 20180730_193343.jpeg IMG_20180801_122739_900.jpeg 20180802_114557.jpeg IMG_20180802_125939_733.jpeg 20180802_202634.jpeg 20180724_171359.jpeg IMG_20180723_211946_896.jpeg 20180723_191333.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  18. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

  19. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

  20. I hope your wiring doesn't look as scary as mine does but if so, I understand your remark about re-wiring. Where are you getting a new harness from? I am currently leaning towards Rebel Wire as they have a 6 Volt positive ground compatible harness.
     
  21. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    I have a local UK built harness, 12 circuit 12v negative ground to go in as i converted it to 12v earlier in the year.

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  22. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    All the front chrome is back on, some is a little dented but not too bad 20180813_153906.jpeg 20180813_161826.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    chryslerfan55 and warhorseracing like this.
  23. If you are patient, take your time, practice first on a junk piece of trim those dents can be worked out. If they are stainless then you can sand and buff out the scratches and you will never know it was dented. If actual chrome, well then you could work the dents then send it out to be re-chromed.
     
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  24. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    The chrome itself was much worse, came up great with some alluminium foil polishing, old chrome is great! The side trim i have taken the dents out with a body hammer, not bothered with the lower gravel trim yet as the bumper itself is pretty bent, need to take it down my mates blacksmith shop and give it a bit of forge and anvil time

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  25. My back one on my '51 was bent into the gravel pan, your '50 doesn't have one. I actually put it in my hydraulic press along with beating on it with a BFH and pressed a tear in it with the press:eek:. It was real bad pitted and I just wanted to straighten it out, paint it silver and drive the car:D. It will be replaced with a re-chromed one next Summer after I paint it in the Spring:cool:.
     
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  26. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Well here we are, final few days before shakedown, wiring up with a 12 circuit loom from a UK company called Down to earth electrics. 20180814_155821.jpeg IMG_20180814_161529_860.jpeg 20180814_155713.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  27. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    Wiring is coming along ok now.

    Car is fighting me as now the fuel system has developed a blockage, despite cleaning the tank feed pipe out off the car, so going to have to drain it again, blow the lines out, again and consider if im gonna run a replacement nylon line IMG_20180819_221145_411.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  28. tfox1950
    Joined: Jun 12, 2017
    Posts: 52

    tfox1950
    Member
    from Essex, UK

    All running and driving now and getting some miles on her.

    Hood now aligned, after having to remove hood frame and adjust, weld on some missing captive nuts, then adjust every adjustable bit, but its close enough.

    Made an additional hood safety catch out of an m10 bolt that passes through the slam panel and is hooked in underneath as i dont trust the origibal mechanism to hold it at speed Screenshot_20180823-182718_Instagram.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G930F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    dan c, chryslerfan55 and mrquickwhip like this.
  29. tfox1950 likes this.
  30. I did that on my '51 also, it has been said that Ford improved the hood latch by then but there is no secondary catch. Why not be safe than sorry? You have come a long way since your first post and the car looks great! I wish I could still be driving mine but until I get the chance to replace the entire harness it will stay parked.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.

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