These pics are for 'hot rod teacher'. I bought the car site unseen as a complete, stock 29 Model A roadster (minus the motor, trans and anything other than metal was gone) in the June of 2001. Price? $2500! We drove from the Bay Area to Phoenix and picked it up at Tommy (Checs CC) house on a 111 degree day, and fit the car in the bed of my F150 with it's fenders pulled off. The goal? Build a traditional highboy A roadster, and leave it on the original A rails. Mike Bishop made me feel better about my decision after I saw Bluey in his book! Nothing on the car would be from newer than 55'- except the rear axle, and that still bugs me. It needed patch panels, and a driver side door, but it was in pretty good shape overall. For the next year and a half I learned how to weld, boxing the chassis and attatching brackets. I hit classifieds, swap meets, Ebay, and Vern Tardels to find all the goodies I needed. The Cadillac 331 motor and trans was $500. The 30 Buick dash was $65. School bus seat was free! The list goes on... Motor: 55 Cad 331, Trans: Hydro with floorshift, split 36 rear bones, filled and dropped front axle, 40 Ford brakes, Ford truck 9" with 3:31 gears. I got the car built and running in a year and half, hitting it on nights and weekends- I got married in Oct. of 01, and my wife was so awesome and supportive as I finished the car up. Buddies from my club and the HAMB would come over when I needed help- or just good advice. Alright- I'll stop yackin'- Enjoy the pics.
Very very nice !!! If you had it to do over would you put it on duece rails ? I am undecided on mine . I go back and forth . Duece one day a the next !!!
Cool Car. So how long has it been going now? And Dirty you know you gotta have three pedals. What are you thinking?
The Hydro is still in the car for a few reasons: 1. It came with the Cad motor (read: FREE) 2. I can't kill it- shifts like a manual- hold it out in any gear, burn outs, etc. It won;t die!! No cooler either- so no plumbing needed. 3. I have an Offy Cad to Ford 4 speed adapter (T10)- So if I ever find the trans for the right price I'll put it in.
I'm still going back and forth-- A's do look better on 32 rails, but everybody does it- Something honest about the lil' ol A rails- and mine came with that body from the factory- I hate to separate them...
Jay, I too am in this A vs 32 delimma. My A-bone was on Deuce rails when it was a lakes car #265B in 47, When I got it, I just got the body had no idea of it's true lakes history, was told that she had be a runner. I had Thom Taylor due a side view concept and did it track nose style ala Bill Niekamp,Eddi Dye & Dick Flint. I rounded up a set of A-rails & did the mock up as a car that style. At one of our club meetings Eric Loe comes up to me with a lil suprise. He's been asking all of these old guys for their scrap books as he is writing a book on the early days of hot rodding. He went to pick up some pics from Jack Stecker who ran the early days of Rusetta with his brother Bill. amongst all of these photos, to which Eric studies real hard mind you, he sees a pic of these guys behind the SCTA timing tower that Bob Rufi built. One guy has an aviators helmet & goggles on,the other guys look to be helping him. Eric tells Jack that he knows where this car is, Jack tells him that he didn't know the driver but liked the car. Low & behold it is my car on deuce rails with bolt on split bones,35 wires & cut down 32 shell. This car had alot of work done to it so it is easily identifiable, the fact that it survived 6 more decades is remarkable considering what had been done to it. It could have easily been changed and lost forever. I now had Thom do another more colorful rendering of it still w/o it's deuce rails though. This car really is "sort of the one that I have wanted to do all of my life" so it has got to be right. The A rails are fine as is the 32's but I only have a left on @ the moment. What you have done with your car has helped me with my situation. to that I say "thanks". In fact most of the very early MUROC jobs were on A rails-thats why I did my brothers like that. You've got a real looker there so keep up the good work. We'll look for you @ the invitational if I get my radiator back in time=Lol! Kevin
I think your right about leaving the frame tangled to the body it came with out of Henry's shop. That sprinklers a little more goose bumps knowing they came together. Anyway, nice ride.
Damn. I forgot how fucked up that thng was when you got it. It sure came a long way. What color are you going to paint it?
Thank you!!! I appreciate it Jay... and by the way - I saw Cars yesterdday. I clapped and applauded your work!
The Jalopy Journal
