Hot Rods 32 cabriolet that was in same Spokane family 75 years now DRIVING with 425 GS Buick engine!!

Oh yeah, if you'll look; you can see ample evidence that this particular gas tank has been worked on in the past.

 

Did you 'bribe' them with an offer of ice cream?! Sounds like you're having Fun tinkering.

 

Love the oil pressure gauge . Perfect for a banger, any leads on the availability of a similar one these days?

 

^^^ Mike's "A" Ford-able model a parts has them for sale for $59.95 and they look just like mine.
Here's the link... I hope!
www.mikes-afordable.com/product/A6602.html
In other news, I finished installing the gas gauge today. The bad news is I'm not sure it is reading correctly.

In my zeal to get everything tight, I think I might have rotated the gas sending unit such that it is contacting one or more baffles in the tank!
I'll add some gas later and see what happens.
I might have to retrace a few steps... and make sure I don't make the same mistake again... I prefer to make new mistakes!
While under the car, I realized one bottom side of the trans was making contact with the cross member. I didn't think to take pictures but I used and angle grinder to give the transmission more wiggle room.
Here's what the gauge situation looks like now in the car:

One of the next stops is the upholstery man to do some seat repair... they aren't torn so much as they are coming apart at the seams. Some character is fine but a continual fine brown dust from the undersides of the seats on the black carpet is getting old.
Might be a good time for ice cream... if the dang rain holds off!

 

Braxton's has the oil gauge also.

Charlie Stephens

 

Thanks, Charlie, for the added parts source... and cheaper price!

 

I just hope the cheaper price means lower quality but I doubt there is more than one source.

Charlie Stephens

 

I'm pleased to report that the ice cream continues to be excellent downtown.
I'm also pleased to report that the gas gauge seems to working pretty well. I added 5 gallons of gas and moved the needle to here:

Looking in the tank it seems well on the way to being full.
I don't expect it to be right on the money because after very carefully getting each measurement on the money and also compensating for the thickness of the adapter, at the last minute I had to bend the float rod some to an angle that did not hit the inside of the tank. So I know that will be off some but I'm pleased. I'm sure Charlie will chime in with the capacity of a stock tank as I don't know... 12 gallons maybe?
All in all, it was a good day.
I checked the car when I got back home and it continues to roll freely. More research is required on why that RF disc started dragging the other day... and doesn't seem to be now.
I plan to replace all the rubber hoses anyway so I'll start that process soon.

BTW, my upholstery guy told me today my 32 3w is almost ready to come home!! I had to go discuss the final design of the access panels to get to the battery in the trunk if necessary... it has an electric trunk. I may add remote access terminals later but I'm just not a fan. I never thought I'd have two steel 32 Fords... heck, I never thought I'd have any! Buying that gasser a while back got me started on 32s. I still miss my gasser. That car had attitude!

 

The instruction book that came with the car says 14 gallons gas capacity. How about mounting your battery under the floor? It was under the drivers side on a stock '32 but I moved mine to the passenger side when I installed my hydraulic brakes. There might have been other under floor options if todays smaller batteries were available when I did mine many years ago.

Charlie Stephens

 

I knew Charlie would know!
Thanks.
My battery is under the floor, too, and it got moved to the passenger side as well but he put mine in a metal box.
Under my car is still a disaster and many of the wires are no longer used. I'm likely going to completely rewire it before too long but want to get all the essentials up and working well first.
Next on my list will likely be the dang new carburetor... wants to sputter under any load unless I pull the choke a bit. A friend tells me I have a vacuum leak. The old carb had two gaskets so I might need to revisit that issue.
I'm sure glad I spotted that trans riding on the crossmember... if that trans had broken or split I would have had a mess! Opportunities!
Speaking of opportunities, I want to take this car to the upholsterer but to get there I have to go across a bridge that is 5 miles long! No place to hide on that thing either. I think I'm going to work some more on the carburetor and the brakes before I go sailing across the bridge.
Rather than be bold; I might just remove the seats and take them to him.
I'd really like to drive it over... maybe later after know more about the carb issue and the one time (so far!) brake issue.

 

I removed the carburetor and added a second manifold gasket... like it had when I removed the original carb. In the process, I realized the studs holding the carb down might not be as tight as they could be. I added Loctite to the one stud that came out instead of just having the nut come off and jam nuts to the bottom of both studs. I also traced the threads with a die on the stud that didn't seem to want to cooperate.
Carburetor is back on and hopefully sealed. Will have to see if that allows it to run without having to use the choke a little. Test ride later today... I hope!

The guess was that we are leaking air somewhere and thus requiring use of the choke to compensate some.

 

Forgot to mention that I started looking into installing the conversion kit I bought for the cowl lights late Thursday. The kit had no instructions but we wouldn't read them anyway, right? From the parts it looked like you had to remove and then replace a very tiny rivet in the center of the back of the cowl light. That didn't appeal to me so I started looking a possible alternatives. After removing the supposed mounting bracket attached to the socket that held the new bulb and wiring, I managed to open up the original bulb housing and insert the new housing right in it and it stayed. A test of the light said it worked for both elements.
If there is any interest, I'll try to take some pictures when I do the other side. I was so intrigued by the prospect that this quick shortcut might work that I didn't even think of taking any pictures. Sorry.

 

Added sealant to the one inlet plug and then went for a test drive. I don't think the sealant or the additional manifold gasket or the work to ensure the carb studs were secure made any difference.
The good news is it drove great as long as the choke was pulled out a little.
Almost 10 miles of rolling down the highway with the top down on a beautiful day. Actually, the top stays down unless I get caught in the rain.
The long highway run also gave me a chance to check on the, so far, one time brake issue on the RF. Right after completing the highway speed run I used my heat detector gun to determine that both front discs were about the same with the passenger side maybe a bit cooler. I am pleased that the brakes seem to be fine at the moment but I still plan to replace the rubber hoses not too long down the line.
I didn't stop at the ice cream shop today... but I thought about it!

 

Sounds like it might be running a little lean. Larger jet might cure it.

 

^^ Thanks for the tip. I'll look into it with some fellows that know much more about such things.
I've been lucky in that most of the time when putting new carbs on they work just fine or I had a pal that could tweak it to do the job. I'm been so preoccupied with the other stuff until now. There is still plenty to be done but I feel like the exercise today helped eliminate some of the potential causes... now we move onto looking for others.
Jet size sounds like a good one. Thanks again.

 

Another rainy day so decided to convert the other cowl light to also be a turn signal.
This is the remainder of the kit intended to do the other cowl light. Note that I have already removed the metal arm from the back of the light socked. Also note the contents of the bag contain additional screws, nuts, washers, as well as a couple rivets. Half of what's in the bag would have already been used it I had converted the first cowl light in the manner intended.

The light before work began.
Inside the light after removing the lens w/reflector.
After removing the bulb, I opened up the socket a bit and removed the original contents of the socket as well as all wiring.
Then I fed both wires through the cowl and pushed the new socket back inside the original socket after I opened up the original socket with needle nose pliers.
Note that I pushed the new socket back into the original socket until the leading edge of both sockets were even.

This is the back of the original reflector before updating to the new reflector. Those look to be original clips holding the reflector.

Not the clearest of pictures but thought y'all might want to see the differences.

The new reflector mounted with the new clips.
As completed.

Nothing in the bag was used.
I was very pleased to have managed this without getting into all the hassles and frustrations of trying to utilize the other screws, nuts, and rivets.
I hope this might save some of you a good deal of time should you want to do the same.
BTW, a test showed both elements to work.
This concludes the public service announcement.

 

Took the 32 out for ice cream.


Test drove it with the choke in and it seems to not mind it for some reason like it was.
All I did was change the cowl light sockets...honest!

I didn't even hook them up!

 

So what is the plan when the temps drop?
Is there a great chili place in town?

 

Believe it or not; the ice cream store has great chili, with cornbread, in the winter!

 

I might put the top up then!

 

Last week there was a festival in town.

Of course, I also went down to the ice cream shop and parked next to the circa 1750 county clerk's office and courthouse.

And today I was back at the ice cream shop to discover that the chili is back on the menu!!

This picture was taken from one of the benches in front of the ice cream shop.
The home in the background used to house a dentist office in the basement and Lord knows what other businesses over its long existence dating from the late 1700s... yep, 1700s!!

Car has been running great. Getting many smiles per mile!

 

Smithfield, right? Lookin' mighty nice, Al.

 

Yep; it is Smithfield, VA. Come visit the town for some great ham biscuits and maybe some ice cream.

 

Al, the wife and I visit every so often. Where's that ice cream place you're always going to?

 

After making the left onto Main street, the old courthouse and clerk's office will be on the right and the ice cream shop will be in the next block on the right... right next to the Public Restrooms.
Ask about their 5 "combo" meals for about $10 that INCLUDES an ice cream!

 

Will definitely check it out the next time we're there. Thanks, Carp.

 

Man oh man. If that modern car wasn't there, it'd be hard to tell if that was a modern picture or not. (yeah yeah, picture quality aside). Great shot!

 

Bought two 65 Rivieras. The Gran Sport has this 425 CI engine. The other has a 401.
Think it would be an adequate upgrade in horsepower?
Might leave the banger but this would look wicked... and BE wicked, too!!
401 runs pretty good but said 425 ran... when parked! Years ago.

 

Damn hot rodders! Can't leave anything alone. (Winter project?!)

 

Great early morning reading on a Saturday,impressive attack on all the “ opportunities “
that presented themselves on the 32 Al, Enjoy!