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Projects A tale of two cities 1948 Ford build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ritzy1, May 27, 2016.

  1. topher5150
    Joined: Feb 10, 2017
    Posts: 3,338

    topher5150
    Member

    Did you ever get the sway bar figured out? Which hole on the perch bolt do you have facing forward?
     
  2. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Kind of kicked that can down the road. While attending a Goodguys event in Phoenix, I spoke to Ridetech about it and they recommended a company called Speedway Engineering. I think their stuff, or something similar, is what I will end up using. The sway bar will eventually attach to the front hole of the perch bolt.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  3. gonzo
    Joined: Dec 24, 2003
    Posts: 1,876

    gonzo
    Member

    Definitely the right decision to do a simple patch job on the floors and get some shake down miles on it. Car looks great.
     
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  4. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Been a while since I've posted any updates, so here goes . . .

    Decided I'd try to get the inner door panels off to replace the anti-rattlers. It was a challenge getting to the pins that hold the handles on, but a couple of thread searches on Ford-specific forums helped me find the solution. Found that some previous owner had used a nail as a replacement for one of the pins, and that added to the removal fun. Ended up getting 6 replacement escutcheons and pins from Joe's Antique Auto. Also, found that one of the window cranks was non-stock. Will need to get new matching ones.

    20190622_094311.jpg

    The original sound deadening looks like it will be fun to remove too . . .

    20190623_170341.jpg

    Will be rebuilding all of the door hardware and replacing the glass. Reinstalling the staples that secure the anti-rattlers will be a challenge, and in the essence of time last week, I decided to do that once the car's back home. Put the garnish molding back in place for the ride back.

    Here's a shot of the floorboard area with the new seals in place and the under-floor wiring and MC remote-fill lines secured in place.

    20190630_082552.jpg

    I got fed up with trying to get Velcro to stick to the original firewall insulation and replaced it with Insul-Tek from Juliano's. Got some tabs from Lowe's that worked perfect to secure it to the firewall through the original holes. Now the Velcro I'm using to hold the Dakota Digital gauge controller and the rest of the electronics actually stays in place! On the floorboard itself, I used Noico 80 mil sound deadening I got from Amazon and ended up covering the entire floor with the Insul-Tek. Happy with the result.

    20190703_143046.jpg 20190703_152152.jpg

    Forgot to take a picture with the new front floor mat and rear carpet installed before I reinstalled the front seat.
     
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  5. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Got far enough along so that it moves under it's own power and stops. Time to move it back to Boston so it's easier for me to finish all of the little things that are preventing me from actually driving it . . .

    20190703_210048.jpg
     
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  6. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    OK, time for another update. Got it back to Boston and dropped it at Freeman's Garage (https://americanboyracer.com/) to have them sort out the issue with the engine running poorly. They found that there were two open vacuum ports in the intake that I missed. Once they found that, they were able to properly set the idle screws, etc. They ended up putting my .041 jets back in and changed to #69 power valves. Now it finally runs like it should!

    Got it registered and was able to drive it home from the garage!

    Back home.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2020
  7. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Next up was tailpipes and muffler hangers. Turned out that due to the way I had to plumb the rear brakes, there was no way to run tailpipes to the back bumper like I wanted. The next best option was subtle side exits in front of the rear wheels. They still had to make a lot of bends to get that to work, but I am happy with the way it came out. I really like the sound of the Flowmaster 50 Series mufflers. They are quiet at idle and at a constant RPM, but when you step on it, they get quite a bit louder. Just what I wanted.

    Here are a few shots of how I plumbed the rear brakes and how the shop plumbed the exhaust . . .

    20190720_100620.jpg 20190720_153149.jpg 20190720_100440.jpg 20190720_101226.jpg

    Finished the exhaust at 5, ran to pick up my wife and drove to the bi-weekly cruise at Bass Pro Shop in Foxboro, MA. There were easily 500 cars there. We got some nice comments about the car, even though it's still incomplete.

    66585263_10157090148712559_2978465205941436416_n.jpg
     
  8. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    Very nice!

    Why didn’t you use the Explorer rearend? I’ve got a disc/posi 8.8 out of a 1998 Explorer I was considering using in a ‘48.
     
  9. My dad put a 98 Mountaineer 8.8 in his 41 ford. fit great.
     
  10. Where did you get the electric fan and shroud? I want one like that for my 41 ford.
    Thanks
    Matt
     
  11. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Matt, got it from Cooling Components (http://coolingcomponentsinc.us.com/portal/application-chart/). I used their single speed CI-1670. Works awesome so far with 185 degree thermostat control.
     
  12. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    I just didn't like the offset center section, so opted for the centered 8.8 from a Mustang GT.
     
  13. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    But otherwise the width was okay? I’m weighing my options, I have a 1957 Ford 9” which would been sweet but it’s missing the drums and has a 3.00 open diff, so the complete 8.8” seems like a better option.
     
  14. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    Thanks for the heads up, I’m strongly considering using it.
     
  15. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Plenty of people use those, I'm sure you'll be fine. As I noted earlier in the thread, I opted for custom backspaced wheels to get the look I was after. Plumbing the 4 wheel disk brakes really challenged me.
     
  16. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Finally got back to work on this thing. Since the weather was in the 60's this weekend I decided I'd replace the door locks, latch springs, dovetails and other door hardware that needed attention.

    The spring in the inside door handle proved to be the biggest challenge to replace. To get at it I needed to bend back the 4 tabs that hold the top and bottom components together.
    20200111_150248.jpg 20200111_150306.jpg 20200111_150647.jpg
    Cleaned up the components and wrestled the new spring into place while putting the two plates back together. The next challenge was to peen the four tabs back over while making sure the two plates were parallel so there was no binding of the mechanism. That took a few attempts to get it right. A little grease for lubrication, and I called it good.
    20200112_131250.jpg 20200112_131425.jpg
    Next up was the two springs in the door latch. When I removed it from the door I immediately noticed that the upper spring was broken. That could be why I had a droopy door handle. Soaked the latch overnight in parts cleaner while hoping that replacing the two springs in the latch would be easier than the last one. The biggest challenge with these is to get the latch situated against something solid to allow you wield the hammer and punch to open the tabs that hold the springs in place. It took some wrestling with needle nose pliers to get the old ones out and the new ones in. The upper one took two attempts to get the placement right. If you're doing this job, make sure you put the door handle in the latch before reinstalling it in the door to make sure it's working as it should. A little lubrication and I called it good.

    Once I had everything reinstalled in the door it all seemed to work much better than before. The handle still droops a bit, but I'm betting that's due to wear in the square hole that the door handle shaft goes into the latch and wear in the slot the mechanism slides back and forth on. That's it for the driver's side. Next up, passenger side.

    20200112_131913.jpg 20200112_141429.jpg

    Still finding mud dauber nests. No clue how they got inside the door!

    20200112_145727.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  17. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    So, after I reinstalled the rebuilt latch, I was still disappointed that the outside handle still drooped a hair. For the heck of it, I reached out to Fred at Southside Obsolete just to see if he might have some NOS units, and sure enough, he had a pair! You can see the difference between the NOS versions on the right and the originals on the left. I've pointed out with arrows the broken spring and wear areas that cause the outside handle to droop and have play. Now the handles line up with the door trim. Oh, and stumbled on repop door handles on sale on Mac's for $14.95 ea., so I had to get those too. Also got new door lock cylinders from Drake so that I could finally lock the doors (remember to specify that you want them keyed alike when ordering even though they don't volunteer that option).

    Door lock comparison.jpg 20200405_155448.jpg
     
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  18. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    So, after I took the front door glass out I noticed that the lock side retainers on both doors were broken. There was no way the new runs that sit in those would work to keep the windows from rattling. Took it to a custom body shop that told me it would be a day or two work to remove them from the doors, weld them up and then reinstall them-quote $600. I told him I'd get back to him (this is not a show car). I brought it back to the original shop I had gone to first, but he had been busy, and I needed to keep the project moving. I knew the owner had at least 4 versions of the '46 Ford, and he was able to fit me in on a rare day when the weather was decent (today) . He had one of his guys braze them up and didn't want to charge me (love this hobby, I gave him a $100 bill). Not perfect, but solid. Now I can move on to finish replacing the glass.

    20200316_103246.jpg 20200320_113909.jpg 20200428_164554.jpg 20200428_164636.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2020
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  19. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Finished rebuilding door hardware, glass anti-rattlers, vent seals and installed new door glass. A few more upgrades . . .

    Stereo system . . . Amp hung nicely from the original speaker studs. Hacked away at the original radio face plate until I could make it work. Need to revisit that as I'm not thrilled with how that turned out. Happy with how it sounds though.

    20200417_155306.jpg 20200417_161231.jpg 20200508_085231.jpg

    Fiberglass kick panels from Mac's used to install front speakers . . .

    20200508_085151.jpg

    Installed Cartouche trunk panels since mine never had any. Glued Juliano's Insultek to the panel that backs the seat to improve sound deadening a bit. Mounted speakers in rear deck. Installed rear Juliano's seatbelts. Got sick of having to prop the trunk up with a stick, so was able to source NOS trunk lid supports/springs from Southside Obsolete. Now the trunk stays up!

    20200502_091039.jpg 20200502_162026.jpg 20200503_104557.jpg 20200508_143322.jpg
     
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  20. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Saw an article in The V8 Times about someone who was making engine diapers, so I thought I'd give it a try. I cut out a square from an old double layer tarp big enough to hold a couple of layers of absorbent pads. My wife was kind enough to sew in some magnets, and it fit perfectly! So far it's worked to absorb the drips from that cotter pin in the pan below the flywheel. Even though everything in the motor is fresh, it still leaks and I'd rather not have to keep a drip pan under the car. After a couple hundreds miles, even at speeds above 75, it's still in place, and I haven't seen any more oil spots. Now, to resolve that coolant leak . . .

    20200328_142602.jpg 20200328_142842.jpg 20200328_142935.jpg
     
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  21. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    So, after I installed the new door glass, I still wasn't happy with the way the driver's side rolled up and down. I thought I'd ping Fred at Southside Obsolete again to see if he had any NOS window regulators, and sure enough, he had them for both the front doors and rear quarter windows! Pulled the moulding, window, handles and original regulators back out of each door. The first thing I realized was that the "new" NOS ones had a rubber bumper that my original driver side version was missing. That explained why it rattled! Reinstalled the NOS regulators after a thorough cleaning, and the rest of the components I'd pulled off the door. The new vent window seals can be a pain to position on the outside while reinstalling the window mouldings. The instructions from the maintenance manual mentioned adjusting the regulator stop at the bottom of the glass travel, but I'll be damned if I could find that. The next day, I realized it was missing from the driver's side NOS regulator, so I took the one from my original. Now the windows go up and down nice, stop at the right place, and don't rattle. Success! All this back and forth was made easier since I have the door panels off being re-upholstered.

    20200519_100822 v2.jpg
     
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  22. Thor1
    Joined: Jun 6, 2005
    Posts: 1,664

    Thor1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Ritzy1,

    May I ask if your source has any more of the NOS regulators, and if so, how much do they sell for? Both of the door regulators in my '47 Long Door Coupe need to be replaced. Trying to coax the windows up and down in my coupe is an exercise in patience that I just don't have...:mad::(

    Steve
     
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  23. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Steve, you can just send Fred an email to see. His email is [email protected]. He's also got a website: http://www.southsideobsolete.com/Southside_Obsolete/Welcome.html. Here's what to ask for: PNs 11A 7023200-A (RH) and 11A 7023201-A (LH). He charged me $70 each, plus shipping.

    As far as your window issues, have you checked/replaced the door glass retainers on the lock side and the run that's in the vent window bar? If either of those are damaged/out of adjustment, they can cause binding.
     
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  24. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Haven't posted any updates in a while, so here's a little one. Had a shop pull the upholstery off my warn out door panels and put them on the new ones I got from Mac's. They also put new carpet on the bottom of the panel. Much nicer! Now, my problem is getting the pins in the new door/window handles I got from Dennis Carpenter. Of course the holes don't line up correctly. I'll battle that in the spring when I get it back out of storage. IMG_0085.JPG
     
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  25. Ritzy1
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 273

    Ritzy1
    Member

    Here's a short video showing the Dakota Digital gauges in operation: .
     
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