Art & Inspiration Two deals in one week... things definitely changing for me... and others!

Range with 11 gallon tank will be less than 250 unless the mpg is more than 22.

Phil

 

The Sedan Deliv has consistently gotten 25-26 MPG on the highway. With no odometer, the only way I have figured MPG was on long distance runs, Top off tank, know the distance I have traveled, and top off the tank again. This, of course, doesn't take into consideration a lower MPG "around town". I "guesstimated" the avg would be around 22 MPG for highway+town driving. (242 miles)...and rounded up to 250

 

New shocks installed and should make remarkable difference in the ride.
I was on-line with the parts gal yesterday and somehow we stumbled onto a site where we put in compressed length and extended length. We had some trouble getting it to take some of our numbers but we finally got it to search and it came up with only one shock number. Yep, just one! I told her that must be what we needed so order a pair. Came in this morning and they are nearly perfect as far as the ends for mounting. I did have to swap out the top cushions and caps from the old shocks as the old mounts used a larger hole that was already on the car. I also had to do a bit more tweaking by adding a few washers but it looks like it will be fine.
My luck has really changed if that one shock listed does in fact do the trick!
Now, if we can just get that gas tank thing fixed.
Major parts are on order.
Opportunites!

 

Nice Al. the more I think about it, there is a pretty good chance that the shorter shocks will cure that rear end "slam". That was a great idea.

But yellow???? If you are interested, I just happen to know a guy with some extra green paint......

 

I first realized there was a problem with the length of the shock when I removed the bottom mounting bolt and tried to compress the shock enough to move it to the side and give more clearance for removing the gas tank. I couldn't compress it but a very small amount so put a small jack under the shock to compress it and the jack essentially started lifting the car!
Anyway, you can see that the original shock was WAY too long.
I hope to test drive it later today.
I probably won't drive it too far with the gas tank removed!
Before all of y'all start waiting for a call to come get me... I'll share that I've rigged up a temporary solution to address the "opportunity" of finding a way to drive the car with the original, leaking tank removed.
Last night I cleaned up the original gas tank mounting area and painted it to help prevent any rust in the future.

 

First, a couple pictures of my amateur cleanup and paint.
This is a nice shot of the delivery after my neighbor and his son towed me the rest of the way home after I had pushed it a block or so!
It seems I got ahead of myself about having overcome the opportunity to solve driving the car without the original gas tank!
It seems my pal that brought me a boat tank and fuel line to use got the wrong fuel line whose connection is NOT compatible with this particular tank. It took me almost a quarter mile to realize that!
Anyway, it is back home and on the lift again. My pal feels bad about the mistake and will likely show up pretty soon with the correct fuel line... just another opportunity!
At least I think our plan is good but we need a bit more practice at that execution thing!
Back to the garage.
Tired Al
PS I did find out that the car is really easy to push and readily rolls.

 

That's a lot of "firsts" for the little Ford. I'm starting to feel really bad.

It's never been towed before...or even been on a rollback. And despite my questionable gas gauges, never ran out of gas. Although a faulty temp tank doesn't really count.

It also appears to have never had the correct rear shocks

As a matter of fact, was only "dead along the road" once. Fried a condenser back when I had the points distributor in it, Took a couple minutes to figure out, and of course I had a spare...and was on my way

 

I like the boat tank idea. When I first got my car going before I had ran new fuel lines and cleaned the tank, I bought a 2 gallon gas jug at Walmart, drilled a hole through the handle and slid a hard hard line through it, connected the rubber line, mounted my electric pump on the inner fender, sat the jug in the cavity between the radiator and grill, and drove it down the road.

 

While waiting on my pal to bring the correct boat gas line(I hope!!), I decided to tackle another "opportunity." Jack told me the hold worked sometimes and I found that to be correct... if you could find the one sweet spot where it would work. Somehow during the trip to the frontend folks I think the steering wheel was removed and re-indexed. I say that because I found a part of the little plastic part that holds the spring loaded horn contact laying in the car on the floor and I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before as I had already spent considerable time laying there while sorting out the wiring and changing some of the gauges.
Anyway, I bought a new wheel and adaptor for the car and decided to research changing the wheel and fixing the horn at the same time.
You can see at about 4 o'clock of the steering shaft the broken off plastic piece and the metal contact under it that goes down the column and makes the horn blow.

Among my stash of treasures I found this old sleeve saved from a steering wheel many years ago... possibly 1973 if it came from a 60 Chevrolet. Doesn't matter as I figured I could use it to make the horn work. As it happened, the new adaptor would let the plastic horn sleeve slide all the way through it. The old adaptor, so kindly furnished by Jack, did not allow the horn sleeve to slide all the way through.
I rigged it up to have a spring loaded contact that fit over the end of the spring at the bottom; followed by the spring, then to the contact end of the wire that came with the new adaptor whose other end would slide onto a metal tap on one of the pieces that made up the horn button. This whole series was threaded up through the plastic horn sleeve so it wouldn't be grounded and blow the horn.
As every hot rodder knows, the parts supplied and found elsewhere don't always fit into our concocted solutions as found. I ran into that in a number of steps on this project and I'll share one of them. The new wheel did not have a hole large enough for the "Big Al Built" horn sleeve as you can see above. You can see the top of the horn sleeve with the horn contact wire protruding on the right. I whipped out my trusty graduated hole drill bit and expanded the hole until the horn sleeve would come through the steering wheel as shown below.
What I am not showing you but you can see is needed is that the newly expanded hole will also have to be ground out on the bottom to allow the wheel to rotated counter clockwise so the bolts will align with the holes in the adaptor. Another opportunity.
Anyway, I proceed to finish putting it all together; blowing the horn accidentally several times in the process when the wire coming through the horn sleeve would contact metal.
Worked perfectly when completed but would sometimes blow if had the steering column locked with the ignition key.
I tested it and researched what might be causing that but didn't really see what was causing it. After researching the issue for awhile, I hit the horn button to make sure it still worked... and it did not!
I decided to stop on the horn project before something got broken or thrown around the shop.
Also, my pal showed up almost on queue with another boat line that he believes to be the correct one for the boat tank. He really felt bad about having made the error... seems he gave me the ENGINE end of the line instead of the tank end. It was an honest mistake and I told him it didn't bother me at all... heck, I needed some exercise doing a "rollback" with the little Ford.
Anyway, we switched out the hoses and I might make another attempt at a LONGER test ride today. I will say that for the short ride I did get; the ride did seem softer in the rear.
More later.
Working Al

 

Hey Al, I feel your pain. I probably had the column apart half a dozen times trying to get the horn to work better. Take it apart, everything tests fine. Put it back together...and no difference. That was the 2nd style wheel & adapter I had on the car because the first wheel did the same thing I finally resigned myself to living with the horn "sweet spot".

I'm sure the shop probably DID remove the steering wheel to reposition it. I intentionally had it mounted 90 degrees off so I could reach through it to hit the turn signal lever

Also, BEFORE YOU COMMIT to that steering wheel... get in the car, shut the door and make sure your knuckles clear the window riser handle. The wheel you have now looks like the first one I had on the car...didn't work that well. That is why it had that smaller diameter (and ugly) wheel on it...to save knuckles.

 

I had already noticed the proximity of the steering wheel to the door and the dash and was very careful in picking a new wheel that it was as small or smaller than the one in it. The new steering wheel is a tiny bit smaller in diameter than the one that came on the car... only an eighth to a quarter inch even though the box said 13.5" diameter.
In my hunt for the reason behind the horn not working; I found a blown fuse and replaced it and suddenly the dome lights worked!! I thought I remembered them working when the car was delivered but they quit shortly after arrival and I hadn't pursued finding the reason. Jack did a good job of putting a few lights in the rear cargo area as well...good thinking.
I also hooked up the replacement boat gas tank hose and hope to test it tomorrow.
Here's a look at the clearance between the door and the steering wheel with my hand holding the steering wheel:

 

That wheel looks GREAT...a whole lot better than the one I supplied you with

On another note, when we did the trade, I had no idea you would be posting all the changes you were making to the car. Having built & owned for many years, I have a real "connection" to the little Ford. I wasn't really sure how I would feel about seeing someone make a bunch of changes to it. Yeah I know it's not mine anymore...but still...it was kind of my baby.

I'm realizing that my Sedan Deliv.is EXACTLY where is should be...in Hamtown Al's hands. It could have gone to anyone, someone who would beat the crap out of it...or forgotten in some garage to die from neglect...but instead it went to a REAL hotrodder!

When it left my possession, it was a pretty good car, and when it leaves Al's possession, off to it's next owner, it will be an even a better car! Every change and improvement you make puts a smile on my face. What more could a guy ask for?
For that Al, I thank you

Jack

 

Above are the gauges as I got the car. Below are the gauges today after I installed the new gas gauge. Now all Bosch... including the tach that is not in the picture.

Now, if I just had a gas tank!!
Opportunites!!

 

I’m pleased to report a much longer and uneventful test drive.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I think it needs an apple green pinstripe along the body reveal!

 

See? Like I said...he just keeps making it better and better I think Al is gonna make it so nice,that he ends up deciding to keep it

 

I just finished my test drive when some pals stopped by in another 32.
Picture will have to be later as dang thing is having a problem loading.
Anyway, he relayed the story of him telling his wife when they were first married that he wanted to buy a 32. She asked him why he particularly wanted a 32? He replied he wanted one because they were rare. She told him they can't be that rare as all of his pals had at least one!
He did buy the first of many 32s but he knew that she knew way more than he first thought... we men are always so clever... we think!
First picture with both cars would not load for some reason. This second picture of my pal's 32 did load and I wanted to share it. Car was originally built in the 1950s and has always been treasured and stored out of the weather. My pal was very pleased to recently take over stewardship of the car. He played a key role in getting the car back on the road with the previous owner after it had sat for many, many years. Thanks to him; the previous owner did get to finally ride in the car and enjoy it as his own for awhile before his passing and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I think my pal that did the work, along with the rest of us, thoroughly enjoyed watching the previous owner so enjoy the car! Really a cool thing to witness.

 

Hey Al.

What a great, heartwarming story. Kind of reminds us to take the time to really enjoy our family, friends AND cars while we are here.

I like to think that our cars, which will survive long after we're gone, are an important part of each one of our legacies.

 

Great posts by both of you fellows. I've often said, yes it's about the cars for sure, but it's really about the people. I can't begin to count the number of people that I've come to know through out mutual interest in cars. Some have been friends for decades, others I know only from here on the HAMB, but I consider them friends as well.

 

I think I might have uncovered some of Jack's secrets regarding long battery life.
First I found his lucky penny glued to the floor.

A little later I discovered a lucky dime glued to the floor.

However, it wasn't until I removed the battery it looks like he carefully put in there in February of 2007; yep, 2007!, that I got a real clue to his success.
Jack seems to have often run his battery partially submerged in water!!
BTW, I've looked and looked... hoping to find a lucky silver dollar glued to the floor!!
As to progress, the old metal battery box; a bit rusty on the inside, has been removed from below the floor to leave much more room for the new exhaust system. I'm working now to temporarily... I know... relocate the new battery behind the seats and hook it up to a battery cut-off switch as well.
Back to the garage.
PS Anybody looking for a good used battery? Such a deal...

 

OK Al, here's why there are coins glued to the floor...I learned that trick from my Dad.

In 1966 my dad bought a new Ford Bronco, By the mid 70s the body had rusted to death. It only had 30K miles on it so he bought a complete fiberglass replacement body. A couple weeks of evenings, some great bonding and lots of beers, we had the old Bronco up & running with the new body. When we were finished, there were about a dozen pre-drilled holes that we didn't use...so my dad grabbed a caulk gun, a tube of PL400 and proceed to glue change out of his pocket over the holes. My sister still has the Bronco and I believe the coins are still there. If it was good enough for my Dad, it's good enough for me

He's been gone for quite a few years now, but I still miss him like hell

 

Remember when pennies were actually copper and we used to put one or two pushed into the softness of old "tar top" batteries to act as sacrificial anodes. They would attract corrosion and help keep the terminals clean. Just an irrelevant, "old guy" musing from myself.

 

I completed the installation of the new battery and created some new cables to utilize the new battery cut-off switch. The new gas tank and related parts arrived yesterday. It looks like it will work.
Opportunities!
I think I've got the car able to drive it to the pipe shop that will also be installing the new gas tank after some requested tweaks.
Now to get the car in the schedule over at the pipe shop.

 

This is one of those Special threads, Thanks All.

 

I'm not sure it is so special but we are having fun and learning a few things as well... yeah, and we're poking a bit of fun at each other and ourselves now and then!
Hopefully, we might even help a fellow hot rodder or two along the way.
If nothing else, we might lighten someone's day with our reporting as well as our musings... let's strive to have Happy HAMBers!

 

There you go.

 

Like Al said. I don't know how special all this is...but WE BE HAVIN" FUN

Al and I have never met, but after many phone conversations (he's a blast to talk to) it became obvious from the start that we were "on the same page" .Just a couple of old hot rodders that enjoy life as much as we enjoy our cars. I think that's why the good natured bantering between us works so well

Seriously, I'm glad some of you folks have been enjoying this thread. Al's posts are always informative ,concise and entertaining...be careful or you might learn something...he's a pretty talented guy (except his wiring schematic drawing skills) My posts...well...are mostly explaining poor choices & questionable building techniques

And thanks to all you HAMBers for putting up with us. (me)

 

While I am not crazy about having the gas tank riding in the cabin with me; I'm hoping to get away with it until we can the car to the pipe shop week after next. I doubt I'll drive it much but finished putting plenty of gas in the boat tank tonight. I do want to take it on a longer test drive to better review the impact of installing the new shocks. After that it will probably sit until it goes to the shop. Since I cut the tailpipes off under the car in order to get the gas tank out; it gets more smelly in the car but it might be my imagination!
Stay tuned.
I ain't going fishing but I am, in a way, going boating!
PS Jack, I didn't give you a schematic; I gave you a layout of what fuse went to what... you had to follow the wires...
Your car had a nice fuse panel... and fuses in several things that you said your car doesn't have! Not a problem. It is so much better than many I've purchased or seen. I've often ended up trashing the complete wiring system in order to be certain of what I had. My systems might be home grown but at least I know them... and they work!

 

Sorry Al, Meant to say Fuse Panel

 

Jack, down South we've found that using one of these makes the horn blow much better.
If one is on the car I didn't find it. Part is ordered.