1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe Build (My dream car at a snail's pace in ultra-slow motion.)

Great project! As far as your 8ba in your 3-window, using truck water pumps moves your belts in and in the way of the top mount distributor. You could change your cam and front gears to a 59ab setup and run the front mount distributor. Then if you used 59ab heads you would have several mech fan possibilities ....

You might want to check in with Bubba’s and see if it’s possible to make a longer shaft top mount distributor that will work well, saving the need for a cam change and still have mech fan possibilities.

One final idea is to install a tensioner of some sort to move the belt in and away of the top mount distributor. I know there were several threads about using the front face of certain flathead generators as fan mounts but modified as a tensioner keeping it all more period.

Just some random thoughts for you to ponder....

 

Definitely some food for thought there Tom, I have most of the stuff required to play the way you suggest. I will be well armed when I get to that battle. Thanks for chiming in.

 

No worries - I know you will figure something out .....

 

Just saw this and it might be the answer you need to run a fan ....

Jim Linder of Bubba’s Ignition is now offering this little baby - the flat cap just might let the close in truck pump belts to pass so you can install an accessory fan off the generator mount in your 3-window ....

 

Well Surprise Surprise Surprise! Years have gone by again and I can't say I'm much closer to the road. One would think more progress would be possible with the current world wide pandemic looming overhead, but not so.

The issue has been motivation and a few health problems. A few months after my accident mentioned in a earlier post, I had a kidney stone. Then PTSD took a bite out of me, so much so I lost 70 pounds. That's Okay though I was 250 at the time, I had a pound or two to spare. Working hard to stay in shape by cycling. I lost two close friends to heart conditions and nearly lost a third. All were my only car friends and younger than I. That takes a while to overcome. The most recent friend to pass happened right at the start of the Covid shutdown, April, 2020, he was the one helping me with the finishing touches on the motor. Any way enough of the worst. I am still here and still dreaming.

Lack of room has also been an issue. I had to vacate some extra space I was renting so things have stacked up inside a bit.

What little progress I've made on the `35 is kind of all over the place. In the process of stripping the primer off I've had a chance to assess the roof damage from it's flip of ages past. Someone began that repair by torching out some of the inner door frame to allow access to the roof skin from behind. Most fortunately the pieces were saved, but work behind needs to commence and be finalized before they can be re-installed. Some of that repair requires plugging some holes in the skin the careless torch bearer made when cutting out the sub structure.





I've removed tons of filler from that area and smoothing has begun, but I think it is many hours away from "good Enough" to add a skim of filler and replace the lead at the roof seam over the right door. There are a lot of "walnuts" to smooth and shrink from some very dedicated dent roughing out, from an over zealous ball-peen body man. These walnuts aren't limited to just the roof by the way. There's been tuning of damage done on all panels. I have only used a ball-peen hammer for body work once. It was all I had for a hammer when I was 15. The liberal use on this car is very daunting, but there will be a finish line, pardon the pun.









The upside is; my car has all it's original fenders, doors, and rumble seat lid. I am determined to save them all, keeping as much of the original paint as possible. All I want is a presentable survivor at this point. I will plannish the walnuts out and patina what fresh paint has to be applied.

Other things done are reversing a pair of 50 Merc rims for the rear tires. Swapped out the front backing plates with each other. The flex hose to the wheel cylinders would have had to connect from the front otherwise. In that operation I found a broken spring so a couple new ones were ordered and received. Just last week I dug out the new brake shoes I intend to put in before the drums go back on. They were quite rusty from storage so they went into the bead blaster and got new paint afterwards.





The engine just needs an oil pan and pump to button up the bottom end. Then cam break in. I haven't decided if that will be in the car or not.

That is it in a nut shell. Ha ha. Thanks for the read. Now you are up to date on the slow mo snail `35. Until next time, be safe.

 

Nice to see an update as to your progress. As far as working at a snail's pace, the Model T cowl I got from you eons ago, has finally seen paint.

 

I really wish other things would stop getting in the way. At least the car isn't at a stand still. Thanks for checking in.

 

Thanks for the update. Glad you are seeing some forward progress. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friends as well. Lost my mom in August and that stuff can really take the wind out of your sail.

 

My condolences on your loss brEad. It is not easy getting back up on the horse sometimes.

 

Looks like some good progress. Sorry about your loss. That kind of thing can really slow you up. I lost a really close friend, at that same time. He was a car guy, and all round handyman, and we used to do lots of projects together. Used to kick start me many a time.
Re-group, and plug away.