Hot Rods Is this a Brookville roadster pickup? Update: NO. Now building 1929 roadbriolet/cabrioster pickup

@Hamtown Al I like what you did with the car front end on your '36 pick up but that is a '37 and later cab. Noted by the 2 piece windshield. '35 and '36 cabs had the single windshield. So is it titled as a '37 car or? Just curious as to how you got it registered. The new Roadster pick up is neat also.

 

^^The cab and the rest of the truck, except for the 36 car parts, is a 1940 Ford pickup and it is titled as such. I just adapted it to use the 36 car front clip, and the taillights, and the bumpers, and the dash with the correct waterfall, and... I forget the rest!
I'm glad you like it.
I tell folks it is a 1936 Ford Super Deluxe pickup.
It has an Australian Ford engine, too.

It ain't that pretty but I like it.
For the rpu, we calculated the needed driveshaft to be 36.625" and the one that came with the car looks to be 37.5"
Hopefully that will work but I'm going with whatever my driveshaft magician recommends.
Opportunities!!

 

No major issues sounds pretty good on that little A. I'd have to wonder how they missed those spacers but may have been an "I'll do it when I take it apart to paint it" thing.

That truck flat rocks, so sneaky I'd say a not of people never figure it out.

 

I do have a lot of fun with the 36 Fordy.
Another development is I found this on the side of the transmission. It is the neat little switch that is on the side of the Buick turbo 400s that makes it a switch pitch transmission!! If it works, it will be the same as the one in my 32 cabriolet that has the 425 Buick in it. I love that transmission and was disappointed that the seller thought it was a regular turbo 400. He had not ever seen the SP switch. He knows what they look like now!

If it works I will be one,
Very Happy Al!!

 

Yay. It's home.
425 with the switch pitch 400.
In a 2000 lb hot rod.

 

^^Rickybop, you exaggerate. The 32 cabriolet has the 425 with two fours and switch pitch.
The new roadbrio pickup has the much smaller 401 engine.
Your are correct that it should be awesome and the title says 2,505 pounds but I think that include a couple fat guys in the truck!
BTW, I checked the tag on the side of the transmission and it is a 1966 switch pitch transmission.
Should be fun to drive... when I get it sorted out!!

 

I had a huge aircraft carrier sized 1964 four-door Buick LeSabre. 401 and the switch pitch 400. Even in that car... BIG difference when you switch the pitch!

 

I don't know if he's still doing it, but there was a guy producing torque converters for those transmissions with almost any low/high pitch you could want.

 

there was a company called PAE Enterprises that went out of business about ten years ago. they built transmissions and converters for buicks. i have(had? the car is in pieces now) a PAE3000 converter in my 63 riv. 3000 high stall, stock low stall. it turned a stock 401/stock tranny in that riv into a monster off the line. i don't know who, if anyone is doing switch pitch converters now.

on edit, it's actually a 4000 stall converter. yeah, that's a lot of converter for a low rpm torque monster!

 

Ray,
Put that sucker back together!! We need all the monster Buicks we can find!
For the record(as I understand it) the switch pitch changes stall speed from 1,800 up to 2,800 rpm which just happens to be the max torque RPM of the big Buick engines.

On another note, I found my first big "aw shucks!"

The flexplate is bent big time! It happened sometime in the last week. The flexplate hit something that was pretty solid to bend it that much and it seemed like it might have contacted a dip in the center of the frame, too.
We're trying to figure out how it happened and I'm also trying to figure out how to fix it.
What have I been saying?
Opportunites!!
Is it possible to change the flexplate without removing the trans? I recall that the torque converter slides back into the transmission some before it is pulled forward to bolt to the flexplate. I'm wondering if there is enough room to slide the flexplate out between them. I know it would be a very slow process but I ain't working very long at a time anyway. I'm thinking would be easier than removing the transmission or pulling the engine and trans as a unit.
Opportunities!
I think I've got another flexplate somewhere among my treasures... now to find it!

Note: I revised this post after Rickybop was very tactful in pointing out that it was the flexplate, not a flywheel, that was bent. Duh! I wonder what else I'm misnaming these days?! At least I recognized it was a flexplate... after he told me!

 

You have the necessary opportunity to remove the transmission to change out the flexplate.

 

I think I remember you saying they had a little trouble unloading. It got hung up? I think you found where it got hung up.

 

Sucks!

 

The only people who should be allowed to transport vintage automobiles are those who love and care about them... and therefore pay enough attention and spend enough time and effort to do that.

 

^^Bummer for sure.
It got hung up while we were rolling it up onto the lift the second time because the two old guys pushing it had to stop for a break!
Note that we backed it onto the lift and the damage was done while it was being moved forward. Besides, the two old guys pushing didn't have enough horsepower to bend that flexplate! The first hard stop we encountered occurred when we ran out of slack cable while pushing it on the lift! That stop was hard and permanent... until David reeled us out some more slack. I think he finally unhooked it after we were a bit over halfway finished. I will say those big cheater slicks made pushing the car(by the tires!) much easier. AND I had a big wheel chock that I kept slipping along with my foot on each roll.
We could try to bend it back but I'm doubtful the results would be acceptable.
Opportunities!

 

Pulled onto the trailer with a winch? Flexplate got hung up on the high spot on the ramp going through the door. Tow strap got tighter, rotated the front shocks and bent the flexplate until it finally cleared the hump.

 

Opportunities. Sometimes things like this turn out to be blessings in disguise. An opportunity to investigate and find and fix things that you wouldn't have otherwise. Rear main seal, etc.

 

Rickybop, the shipper does love and care about our toys and has some himself. He loaded it into his single car trailer and didn't take it out until it was backed up to my garage. The big guys that I use most often load and reload and shift around the cars a bunch on occasion. Look at this big hoss that delivered my 32 cabriolet.

He unloaded all the cars above just so he could get to mine.
Wildest car moving vehicle setup I'd ever seen... and all run by the one guy driving the truck!

I'm pretty sure the shipper this time is more upset about this having happened than I am. He's been worrying about it and has called several times and will gladly accept responsibility if it somehow happened while in his care. Hopefully we'll track down how it got bent but the real focus has to be on getting it fixed... we can't change past events.
I'll be happy if the only damage to the freshly rebuilt transmission is a bent flexplate.
Like the rest of the world, I'd like to find the easiest way to do it.
Opportunities!

 

I was just running my mouth. I know stuff happens. And you've got a good positive attitude about everything and it'll be fine.

 

Here's the starting point on the interior:

Another angle:

Note the custom console with multiple components. Instead of mounting the fuse panel to the firewall and running the wires out the side of the panel, they added a small metal panel to mount the fuse panel and proceeded to drill TWO dang holes in that same panel to route all the wire through! Of course, many wires are now run and I do appreciate that effort but that cause me to cut, hack, bang, and cuss the panels until all were removed.

Here's an interim step with some panel components removed as well as the emergency brake that was taking up way too much room in the narrow cab... and it wasn't hooked to anything!

Here's the stopping point at the moment:

All the panels are gone and the fuse panel is still hooked up but now laying on the floor along with the tach which also had another hole drilled and wire run through it.
Opportunities!
But I got them out of the way.
There is still much to be done.
Note that I updated the thread title as I figured we may as well continue the thread with the build. Bitch and moan(not y'all!) if you don't like it and we can take another approach... maybe!!
How y'all like the roadbriolet tag in the description? I got the idea from y'all.
Thanks again for the continued interest and suggestions and related experiences as well.
Working Al

 

Cabrioster wouldn't be bad either.

 

No pictures because spent bunch of time tracing and relocating and/or disconnecting the wiring. If I'm gonna get into it, I'm gonna fix it like all the rest of my wiring. Routing wiring through big hole in center of top of firewall just is not my first choice. Also spent some time checking out the brake pedal arm and mount and clearance for full pedal travel.
Opportunities!!

I also updated the thread title to include JA Miller's proposed name for a roadster pickup with roll up windows.

 

Unless this had already happened before the
vehicle was loaded into your Shipper’s trailer …





Your Shipper did the damage.

Not only that - that Shipper had to have known
they bent the flex plate when they drove or
winched it onto or off off their trailer.

That could have bent the transmission
output shaft and/or damaged the bearing.

Just because someone claims to be
“ a car guy “ - that doesn’t mean that have
experience in transporting low clearance
vehicles …..

You should not have to pay for their education.

You should hold the Shipper accountable
for the damage and have them pay for repairs.


Jim

Click Here To See Where I Am Today
What My Actual Customers Say Click Here
Click Here To See Vehicles I Have Hauled

 

I took the driveshaft parts that came with the car to my driveshaft magician and told him the length. He walked out to the 36 Fordy to see the pieces and asked if the really short piece that went into the transmission was what I wanted to use? I said yes. He said that's all I need.
It will cost more but it will be all new and right.
Anybody interested in some driveshaft pieces.. about 40" center to center? Such a deal...
I think we all have a driveshaft inventory... I found three more when I looked before I took off but all were too long and might have had other issues. We all should probably make a run to the scrapyard!
Opportunities!! Think of all the money we would get... not!!

 

I didn't get the camera at exactly the right angle for the picture but I assure you that I and the young man helping me looked at this in great detail and at every angle and while the flexplate may not be perfectly located where it originally was located; it is very, very close if not exactly where it was located.

The above is the before and here is the after: (I didn't y'all to have to try to scroll up and back!)

We had it straight down and then decided that the engine was slightly down at the rear. We continued to tweak and study and tweak and study until from all we could see and try to measure with levels and squares; we thought it was right and on the correct plane as the rest of the flexplate. I'm thinking it will work well enough to get the engine running and breakin the new cam. I really want to hear it run but do not want to rush into it.
Patience, Grasshopper.
On another front, the new flex fan should be arriving at the parts house today. I plan to change it to use a manual fan just like I put on my 32 cabriolet. That will allow us to better align the radiator and maybe relocate it closer to the engine... we will definitely be able to remove the slightly forward tilt on the radiator that was necessary with the electric fan... which is now in the not used pile.
Oppportunities!
Off to get the fan.
Working Al

 

Remember that our motto is that we would rather be lucky than good!

 

Picked up the fan and set it on the waterpump and turned it and it didn't hit anything... except the fan belts!
I'll space it out just a bit with a couple washers and it should clear... just like on the 32 cabriolet... I hope!
Couldn't get dang computer to upload dang picture!
More later... if I can figure picture thing out.
Opportunities!!

 

Finally! Don't know what caused the problem or exactly how I fixed it!!
After double checking, it seems the blades on this fan protrude to the rear more than the fan on the 32.
They said this Flex-o-lite fan is a crossover from the Imperial fan on the 32.
Might be another opportunity!
Gotta go chase some wires before I test the repair to the flexplate. Don't wanna burn it up!
I moved and cut a lot of wires... now to figure them all out and safely come up with a solution that I have some confidence will work and be safe.
Back to the garage.

 

I haven't absolutely decided but I think I'm gonna replace this $31.95 wiring kit that is somewhat already installed in the car. I can eliminate all the time running down the connected wires and eliminate most of the bulk of the wiring that will not be used anyway. Don't be surprised if it ends up like this setup I put on the 32 cabriolet.


I can still use most of the wiring that is already run and the wires are labeled... I just have to verify that each wire got used as labeled!
I don't know that it will be quicker but I will know what I have and have much more confidence in it.
On another note, the plan to put a manual fan on the engine and eliminate the electric fan has hit a snag in that the alternator mount and both pulleys on the 401 engine in the 29 are different than used on the 425 engine in the 32!
Opportunities!

Of course, life can't be all work and no play! I took management out for some ice cream yesterday on our way to the hardware store for some bolts and washers to mount the new fan on the 29... I hope!

 

Seven washers and it clears by the smallest amount!
Not sure I'm gonna have the courage to use this setup but I think it will work... boy is it close!!

See that tiny little gap between the fan blade and the bottom pulley? I'd like more but fan is at the end of waterpump tip.
It is a flex fan so I sure hope it flattens out at least a little when the the engine starts... else might get an unwanted "opportunity!"
Now back to wiring.
Going to dmv to get title and tags this afternoon... hope all goes well. I sure miss our old dmv where everybody knew my name!!