I’ve been so busy I just haven’t had a chance to get back into the barn and stuff to get this out into daylight to take better pics and get some of it out of there. Here are some better pictures of the cowl and a few new pieces I found in there. I also assume the correct windshield stanchions are not in there.I dug around and didn’t find them. I found some kind of roughly cast aluminum pieces so that’s probably all that’s there with it. There were 2 door skins that must be either NOS or aftermarket, 1 is damaged 2 sets of fenders and running boards but I don’t think they’re anything different or special about them. I also pulled an aluminum Flat head flywheel out of there. I think is either a spare or it is off the Ardun. It’s gonna be a long slow process getting all this stuff sorted out and much of it I’m sorry to say is ruined. It was in a flood years ago and now has a large family of Raccoons sharing the same storage space. Here are a few pics maybe @continentaljohn or @alchemy or some of the others that know this stuff would like to chime in. There are a few better pics of the cowl, grille shell flywheel and the cast stanchions. Thanks for your input and help. I’m not sure if you can tell if it’s actually RPU or a Drive-Away cowl? It does have the holes for the windshield Stancions? I’m not sure how you tell the difference or if it even matters. See pics below Thanks Mike o it’s taken so long but I’ve just been swamped and just now getting around to digging it out. Here are some better pictures. I also assume the correct windshield stanchions are not with it as I found some kind of roughly cast aluminum pieces. There were 2 door skins that must be either NOS or aftermarket, 1 is damaged 2 sets of fenders and running boards but I don’t think they’re anything different or special about them. I also pulled an aluminum Flat head flywheel I think is either a spare or is off the Ardun. It’s gonna be a long slow process getting all this stuff sorted out and much of it I’m sorry to say is ruined. It was in a flood years ago and now has a large family of Raccoons sharing the same storage space. Here are a few pics maybe @continentaljohn or @alchemy or some of the others that know this stuff would like to chime in . There are a few better pics of the cowl, grille shell flywheel and the cast stanchions. Thanks for your input and help. See pics below
The cowl is 33-34, but was used on a school bus instead of a RPU. It's missing the drilled holes on top of the cowl for the windshield. But that's the only difference. The grille is a 34 truck. The windshield posts are repro 26-27 roadster. Not really close to the 33 RPU. Show us the doors, I'm really curious if they are 33 RPU.
Thanks Alchemy, There are no complete doors just the 2 door skins. The door skins appear to be new but one of them has some rust damage on the bottom. They looked to be correct though. They looked like they matched with the belt line of the cowl and didn’t have the extra lip like the closed cab has. I haven’t dug them out yet either. In a different location is a rolling chassis with an Ford dropped axle with a closed cab that’s had the top cut off it and a decent looking pick up bed but no doors that I’ve found (yet). I didn’t look to see what chassis it had under it. If I were to try to build a RPU with this cowl what would be available to buy for doors and cab? It’s not likely to find actual RPU stuff.
Cowls are out there, but doors and rear panels are non-existent. You'd need to have them custom made if you want them to look real. Walden in California makes real looking parts. A regular pickup subrail is a good start for the RPU, and a rear panel from a closed cab could also be a donor for an RPU. The jamb and top roll would need a lot of special fab. Please show the door skins you have. Ford's doors had a skin nailed over a wood frame, with just simple tin plates over the jambs. After the wood rots away is sounds like what you describe.
Didn't remember that. Somewhere brother Mike has pics of the Roy Lewis 34 and of the Gene Hetland 32 that we can check. I do remember the back side tin and the shapes for the latch and dovetail.
I didn’t realize this either. These “skins” look like the full outside door skin without any of the structure, hinges or latch parts. I just assumed they had normal door structure like a model A. I really don’t know anything about these things. anyone know anything about the aluminum flywheel? I’ve seen a couple on the web but they didn’t have the steel wear insert. I don’t think it’s off the Ardun but maybe or may be a spare for it? I saw one on eBay for 1499.00 but it now price but it didn’t have the insert.
Once the alum flywheel is installed it doesn't matter what brand it is. Paying $1499 for an old Albro is crazy. I'll sell you a new in the box Ram, with a starter ring on it already, for $100 under list price at Speedway Motors. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ram-...-8BA-0-Balance-112-Tooth-Flywheel,414199.html
Here’s what the wood looks like and the front edge of a door showing the exposed wood. The wood should be black and these are model a roadster door hinges
Thanks! That’s great info. I’m going back out today hopefully I’ll try to get the door parts. There is some wood with some of it it looks like it’s from a wood kit for something. But it may be ruined. It’s all scattered about inside the shed it’s all in. This stuff hasn’t seen light since the 80’s I’m guessing. I’ll try to gather all the roadster/truck stuff up and see what’s all there today while I’m there. Im going to move the Ardun /Dragster to a safer place today.
I was finally able to evict the Raccoon families and get the rest of the stuff out of there, here’s what was in there that was still salvageable. I don’t claim to know this stuff very well but here’s what I think, It looks like there are 2 doors there less hinges. I don’t think they are the RPU doors? Maybe from something else other than a RPU ? It looks like there are 2 sets of each wood structures. One of the door skins has some bad rust damage but it’s certainly repairable.The other is really very nice. The rear fenders appear to be 34 truck maybe, I’m not sure what the other fenders are model A maybe? I believe the splash apron and running boards are also 34 truck, same with the tailgate and hoods I’ll post up the pictures maybe you guys will know for sure @continentaljohn or @alchemy any thoughts?
@Russco Hi Mike you have a roadster pickup doors and bits congratulations did you get the back panel? . That would be a great beach hopper hotrod
There’s a guy that has 6 of them and local too. He will not sell anything but will let you look touch and measure what you may need. Also I did ask him about sand casting the front post and he would let me do it .
Your door skins look like repros since the edge wasn't rolled around, but too bad they've been stored poorly. Call up Walden and have him make you another, as well as the back panel. You are half way there!
Your skins look like mine (minus the rust hole), which I believe were made by Scott Knight decades ago. The tins with the cutouts for the latches might be original. They have some additional holes beyond what mine have, and the shape of the dovetail cutout is more complex. Some of the wood looks like RPU but some of the other bits don't. I'm guessing it's someone's attempt at making wood for the doors. The hood is '34. The un-cut rear fenders and running boards look to be '33/34. Tailgate is '31-34. Brad Brown (Brad's Woodshop) in Friday Harbor, WA makes really nice wood for the doors. It's expensive ($1600/pr), though. Walden has patterns to do the metal. The cab in Uncle Buck's photos was built in Nebraska. I don't have the shop name handy at the moment, though; he might still remember or be able to find out.
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