Projects My '32 5 Window Project - Done and Cruising!!!

No pictures tonight.

The car is 95% wired! Finish up the horn, gas gauge sending unit and a bulkhead fitting for the gauges and we're ready to fire it up! Think we have the black box figured out that replaces the steering colums turn signal controls. Cooked one of my turn signal momentary switches today playing with color settings so will have to get a replacement for that. Have to take a few things back to Speedway next week so that works well.

Doctor said things are looking good. Was up there Wednesday for another infusion. No bad side effects, everything seems to be falling in line so far. Sick of driving 100 miles to Des Moines every other Wednesday but I guess it beat the alternative. Swung by alchemy's place on the way home to give him the body cart and frame rotisserie. Got some good cookies in return. That worked great for me!

Hopefully I can post some pics of the thing running tomorrow!!!! That's the goal.
SPark

 

Thanks so much for the rotisserie and cart. They will be put to good use on future 32’s in my garage. My projects seem to progress at a glacial pace compared to yours though.

 

Started it today with the key! Choke was way rich so that got adjusted.

First time putting any water in it (50/50). Thermostat housing leaked. It is an old cast iron Ford piece. Took it back off, filed the surface and it had a 1/2" long low spot. Filed until it was uniform. Put it all back together and it fixed that issue.

Neutral safety switch works, lights all work (turn signals aren't hooked up yet), alternator is alting. Pretty happy with how everything worked so far.

We would run it a few minutes, run thru the gears, check the tranny fluid, shut it off and add more fluid (pretty tight area to get in to work). It's filled to the correct level finally. About the 5th time the cooling system burped and shot water/antifreeze everywhere. About a quart and a half on the floor, and pretty much covered the front half of the car. What fun cleaning that mess up.

After that little fiasco it ran perfect but was pretty rich, seems to be cooling well and sounds great. Jetted it down some more to try to clean it up. At least it doesn't run you out of the building now. Getting closer. Going to play with some more timing, think it's a little retarded still.

The best part of it all was I turned the defroster on and can feel air coming out of the vent system I created! It actually works!!!!

Next up is put the dash back in to make sure all the gauges are working now. Didn't want to have it in the way when the smoke leaked out of the wires.

Also going to pull the back brakes apart and adjust them up. Takes 3 good pumps to get rear brake but nothing is leaking and they are just the way they were shipped. Pretty loose. Also need to get the emergency brake cables in and working so they need to come back apart anyway.

Good day all in all. Nothing blew up, nothing burned, no strange noises, little coolant on the floor but nothing drastic happened. Hope to have it driving by the end of the week. Monday and Tuesday are taken by other commitments. Might get a little done tomorrow then Wednesday we hit it hard.

SPark

 

We need to have you on hand when we start cars up here for the first time.

 

Didn’t take a lot of pictures until I had the major pieces created, tacked together and the guts removed. Needed a place to hold my turn signal buttons, USB ports and power port. Also had to be easy to get to. Created a pedestal that bolts to the front of the seat base. Travels forward and back with the seat and still lets the shifter and emergency brake work as normal.

Basically started with some 1-7/8” header tubing. Used 3 - 90° bends. Hell of a time getting them tacked and keeping things square. Worst looking tack welds I've ever made. Shouldn't even show them. Ended up getting a few good tacks and grinding all the garbage off back to clean tubing and starting over on them. Came out much better and not a lot of grinding needed to smooth things up. Didn't get a picture, but I cut the guts out between the outer tubes and plated the front and back (that ugliness in the bottom of a stub of tubing is all gone and the inside is finished with a burr so it's ice and smooth with nothing sharp to cut wires). Welded a threaded top flange on that accepts the aluminum top plate that holds all the switches and ports. Still a lot of finish work to do but it’s getting there.

SPark

 

I looked at photos before reading description. I thought it was cup holders until I got to the last photo.
Project is coming along!

Phil

 

I have never used a power port in my cars. I charge overnight. Cup holder I use whenever I'm in the car for more than an hour.

Phil

 

My Garmon plugs into a power port. My phone charges with USB or power port. I charge in the car all the time, all my vehicles have them.
SPark

 

Got the emergency brakes working! Pretty tight, not much room to run cables and the adjusters without hitting crossmembers. Did a lot of measuring before mounting the brake lever and it actually paid off. Less than an eighth inch between the tensioning block and a crossmember. Perfect! Only problem was I had to pull the right side exhaust back off to get up behind it to mount the adjuster block and get some clamps on the cables. Band clamps for the win.

Got the 3rd brake light working. Still need to crimp one wire but still working on making the garnish molding and 3rd brake light removable for upholstery then being able to put it back in and hook up the wires after upholstery is done.

Horn works.

Also got the wipers working. New Age put a straw inside the A-Pillar so you could run wires up to the top of the windshield. Worked great!

These little details have taken the whole day! It was a short day, only 7 hours. Hoping to finish the turn signal switches and electric ports in my little pedestal tomorrow. Want to get everything working before I put the dash back in. That way all our hard work proven nd anything new is related to the dash wiring.

SPark

 

Everything is wired and working!

Steering shaft and all the joints have been Locktighted and tightened.

Tomorrow we set the caster and toe then take it for a test drive around the neighborhood.

It’s getting real!!!

SPark

 

Go Man Go !!!

 

Been driving around today! First was a couple 20 block loops while we checked it out. Pulled back in and tightened up all the suspension again. Next was a little 5 mile highway trip plus some around town driving. Better each trip. Swapped jets, power valve and bumped the timing again and it keeps liking the changes. Took it on a gas and parts run around town then went over all the suspension bolts again. Found nothing loose that time. Took it on a 10 mile drive out of town to a friend’s shop and it kept up with traffic just great on the open road. 10 miles back to town and cruised around for 15 minutes or so. Drives great. Brakes are bedding in, steering is smooth and feels like power (doesn’t have power steering). Took some videos but I can’t load them here. Can’t even get the longer one on Facebook. We’ll work on that.

Feels great to actually drive it!! Now to get the dash in it and wrap up a few loose ends.

SPark

 

Iowa style '32 upholstery.

 

Yours is looking great! It is a good feeling to drive it. Not just another million hours of fine tuning. SPark

 

The wife got a few pictures of the first drive.

SPark

 

Looks like you nailed it, sits just right!

Rich

 

Congrats! It looks even better on the road than it did in your shop when I stopped in last week......and it was looking great then!

I don't think I ever said "Thanks" for letting me come by to look over a few things on your car for my own education, but I did appreciate the opportunity.

Enjoy!

Lynn

 

Was glad to do it. The more we share the better this hobby is. Had a great time. Start a build thread on yours, I want to look over your shoulder!
SPark

 

@LM14 Congratulations on this Milestone...I'm pretty sure there's a heck of a grin on your face right now...

Very happy for you...I know you have many things still to do but thanks for sharing the adventure to date and positive thoughts your way...

 

@LM14 great day looks GOOD.

 

Stuck the dash in today. All the dash lights and gauges work.....except the speedometer. It doesn’t move off zero. Will spend tomorrow afternoon tracking that down.

Put the real steering wheel on and got it all centered correctly. Horn even works!

All the glass back in and the inner door handles are on, so it’s a little more tolerable.

Only issue other than the speedometer is the left front brake. The rotor has a little runout and it makes the outer pad move around a bit. Sounds like a rock in the tire. Click, click, click. Going to get that rotor turned and see if it fixes the issue.

Probably around 100 miles on it this weekend. Very happy with the way it rides and drives.

SPark

 

Speedometer is fixed! Works nice and smooth. Had 4” of snow last night so it’s not calibrated yet.

With that working I finished up the defroster grates. Fit perfectly.

Made some small tabs to bolt the plug wire separators to. That should keep them in place nicely.

Garnish moldings are ready for paint.

Was supposed to go to the glass shop this morning but didn’t want to fight the snow. Sounds like they got a little more than we did. Might try tomorrow or Saturday. Need to get the driver side door window replaced and adjust the passenger side.

Got the hood corner rubber bumpers on. Almost decided to skip them and smooth the area up but in the end it helps the “look” to have them there.

Got the battery box vented and the back window drain in place. Crossing a lot of little things off the list.

Meeting with the upholsterer tomorrow to look at the color samples they got in. Hoping to order hides tomorrow.

Met with the cardiologist yesterday morning and got off the Xarelto. Hate that crap. My Echocardiogram and EKG looked great. Got an infusion yesterday afternoon and that went fairly smooth until the lady across from me had a reaction and they coded her. Moved several of us from the area, it didn’t look good. Kind of brings things back into perspective. Scary stuff.

Progress on all fronts for me. Pretty happy with things overall.

SPark

 

Looking great! I'm taking notes - Ha!!

 

Is all your glass and fuzzies coming out for paint? It would be WAY easier to do, and no taped edges to worry about.

 

Everything but the back glass will be removed and there is plenty of room to cleanly tape that window without tape edge issues.

Also looked into the fuzzies across the top of the door windows as you suggested since mine has none. Have an easy to execute plan for those now.

Had it out today calibrating the speedometer and doing a little driving. Calibrated great and matches my Garmon perfectly. Put 35 miles on it in 32-35* temps and stayed toasty warm. The biggest leak is round the windshield right now. Getting ready to remove he windshield frame again and add a little material in the upper radiuses where the windshield frame has too much gap for the body. Gasket leaves about 1/8" gap between the gasket nd the body in those 2 corners.

It goes to the glass shop Sunday to get the cracked door glass replaced Monday (4" of snow messed up my previous appointment).

Meeting with the Treasurer today to try to set up my state inspection! Once that's done it's back to the paint shop for the final time!

SPark

 

Who'd ya use to cut the glass? I assume they put the windshield glass into the frame for you? Are you happy with their work? I need a windshield made for my '32 and don't want to turn my windshield frame over to just anybody.

 

My car came with all new glass from New Age Motorsports. Nothing is permanently mounted yet. Still have to get my windshield frame chromed this winter. Will report back on the guy that is cutting, installing and adjusting the door glass next week.

Upholstery and carpet colors are decided!

SPark

 

I like it,can't wait to see the finished interior.Nice choice of colors . Ken

 

Making great progress! Looking forward to the upholstery updates.

 

Steve, hope you are doing ok. Any updates?

Phil