Projects Drdave accidentally buys a Model A. Now what?

Not a ton to report, but I did finish the back seat the other day. Really pleased with how it turned out and will be much nicer to ride in that the rotten stuff that was on there. Still waiting on the cover for the front seat frame to come back from Mac’s, hopefully have it back soon so I can finish the front seat and get back to driving it.

 

Look's good, Dave.

 

That has a fold down center armrest doesn't it? Looking for a good set of those springs. Bob

 

I drove mine around on a milk crate for awhile. A Deputy followed me down my driveway one day after I had been out getting gas. He proceeded to ask me what the procedure was for my YOM plate then noticed I was sitting on a milk crate. He said "You can't drive that way". I told him, well you just followed me 5 miles from the gas station.

 

Yes, has the armrest in the middle. I got blessed, the springs in mine were nearly like brand new under the old covers and cotton, except for an area in the back seat where the top leaked and the cushions held water. Nothing a wire brush and some rustoleum couldn’t handle though, thank goodness!!

 

Wait, did you leave anything together? What are you cruising? Lol

 

LOL. The Merc is still together and running fine and dandy. When all the quarantine stuff hit, I figured I wasn't driving any place anyhow, so got the motor out of the Chevy and figured I'd just "knock out" recovering the A seats "quick." Well, of course, it didn't work out that way and plenty of other honey do's got thrown in there.

 

Seats turned out great!

 

Glad to hear I'm progressing almost as fast as you! Really like the seats.

 

Well you’ve got til next summer to get it back on the road for me to take it for a ride

 

I'll see what I can do. LOL

 

So your saying I should bring my own? Lol

 

LOL. We should be good. Talked to Mac's today and the cover for the front seat frame should be here by the first of the week. Surely I can finish the front seat before next year. Plus, got some big projects coming up on the lake house this winter, so I really don't plan on taking anything more apart for a while once I get these seats back in and the engine back in the 50.

 

My intention with the interior has been to redo the seats, but leave the rest until I took the doors apart to rebuild the window stuff and paint the car, since the door and side panels are nailed on and I didn't want them stuck on there or try to get that back apart to do the door stuff. Then I got to thinking, wonder if I could drill the wood and use those plastic bristle clips rather than nails and be able to have removable door panels. I was talking with Aaron Lawrence (Fast Al's Upholstery in Dewey, OK) about this and he said he drills the wood to flush mount washers and uses metal clips which hold up better than the plastic bristle ones. So, over the course of the last week, I've pulled an @Tim and snuck in a little time here and there to get the first door panel on. Here's how I did it in case anyone else is interested:

I picked up a couple boxes of Chrysler trim clips and some 1/4 washers that had the right size hole to fit the clips.


Next I went around the door frame and with a blade drill bit, cut holes the depth to the washers so they would be flush, drilled out the centers big enough for the clips and countersunk holes for screws.



Laid the washers in place and marked them to grind some matching countersinks and then screwed them in place. Wish I had slotted screws, but no one will see them, so eh.




Here's the whole set in place. Can not believe how great a shape the inside of these doors and the wood is after 90 years.

 

To transfer the hole locations to the door panel, I used that stickie tac mess for hanging posters in your dorm room. Stuck blops on the door panel in the area where the holes would be and then put the door panel in place and pressed against the hole locations to get an imprint of the correct spots.


I took an ice pick and poked through the stickie tac and into the panel enough to put marks, then I could hold the clip in place and make a mark where the hole in the door panel needed to be.




Using a sharp knife, I CAREFULLY cut through board without cutting into the mohair on the front. I made the opening a little longer than the clip so I had some room to adjust it's position if necessary.




Slick as snot. Everything lined up great, it holds well and now I can enjoy fresh door panels now and pop them off to redo the window stuff and paint later. I am leaving the little trim sections that get stapled in around the windows, windlace, headliner, etc. until later, though. A vast improvement over the worn, stained and faded 90 year old originals.

 

Very clever! I just got new clips for my door panels as I’d used the brissle plastic trees as well. Worked fantastic for Masonite panels but once I added the upholstery they just do t hold for shit along the back door jamb area and come lose constantly.

they are fine on the quarters so I think it’s just the flex in the doors?

either way I got some 34 ford push clips in the mail yesterday from macs and other than the pain in the ass of taking the door panels apart, replacing the hardware and re stretching and fitting the fabric imtheu should go right in. Praying the existing hole size is correct but maybe I’ll be a washer magician like you if they aren’t lol

 

I'm super pleased with how well this worked out. I highly recommend the metal clips over the plastic and glad Aaron steered me in the right direction and saved me from myself. LOL

 

That is outstanding. Great idea.

if you ever decide to try the plastic clips - this is the one (right end of pic) I have used in many cars with wood. W&E numbers.

 

Excellent Jake, thanks! Saved that photo to my reference file....very helpful!!

 

Car turned out killer man... Got me thinking of a dropped axle on mine now...

 

Thanks! I'm really liking the look and am itching to get back driving it. Haven't had any time to work on it lately with putting a new engine in my '50 Chevy. Still have to finish covering the front seat carriage so I can get that all back in....then its ready to drive while I finish the rest of the interior.

 

@drdave Saw the way you did your door clips. H ad to do a 31 Chevy so I used this. Drilled the large hole a bit bigger to accept the metal clip. Used the 2 smaller holes for a counter sink screws. No need to recess the strap into the door. Just cut them into lengths and screw them on. Worked pretty good. I did end up using my countersink bit to waller out the little holes a bit.

 

Well that’s super cool right there Jim!! Thanks for the tip!!!!

 

How`s the Merc coming ?

 

Just put new brakes on the front and still just driving it....the only runner I have at the moment (well, except for the '56 T-Bird we just bought Monday.... ). Chevy is still in process finishing up the motor and the A, well, we just discussed is waiting on the front seat to be finished.

 

I keep thinking about trying to get you to let me drive the A next time we are down but then I’d be afraid the title of the thread would read “Timm just accidentally bought a model A”

 

Ahhh a Tbird- now I am REALLY jealous! In pretty good shape?


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Doc, your collection of rides leaves me envious, but I find myself in a similar 'boat'.
The sedan is enviable, so nice when found...but your decision to 'nut & bolt rod it' has eclipsed everyone's fears... Rear spring was a great example of the 'T' spring choice in an 'A', and the fitting of the dropped axle w/'32 spindles/hangers/short shock links was smooth...Also, nice work on the tapering the steering arm 'just enough'!
My ongoing projects are mainly '27 T's, (roadster & touring) I don't need any lessons on the running gear 'tricks', but it was nice for everyone to see them applied properly.
Bravo! I'd say the current outcome is just what the Dr. ordered.

 

Thanks Mike! Sure appreciate the kind words. With the A my thoughts got to be not to screw it up so if/when I sell it if someone really wants it stock it can go right back no problem....but really...with the stance it's ended up with, who would want to change that back? LOL

Bwahahaha!!! It will be ready to drive the next time you are here. Promise.

Yes, actually. We got called to an estate sale by a friend to look at a night stand my wife has been on the hunt for. Car ended up being out front and no one bit at the asking price and, like all estate sales, they were accepting offers. A friend of ours was running the sale and told us the owner was ready to be done and was about to accept the last offer and he told me what we would have to pay......welllllllllll below market, so we bit. Turns out it was a ground up resto in '85 by another dentist in town and was his baby. It needs a good deep cleaning and eventually could stand a fresh coat of paint after nearly 40 years, but it's a driver and all set to go. I've promised not to cut this one.....lol

 

Dang Dave, you catch all the breaks!