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

I’ve never seen a water pump shaft that stuck out that much, must have been set up for a thick multi groove pulley. Does it go into the fan with your stacked washer setup? If it does, it wouldn’t matter if the spacer had a nipple on it or not. I have seen aftermarket spacers without the nipple. A chunk of round aluminum bar, a drill press and a couple of bits and a little time you could have a custom spacer.

 

I had to machine a fan spacer a little as it was too thick.
If your spacer was a little thinner would the water pump centering pin go through the entire spacer and engage the center of the fan?

Also, I am not clear whether the spacer thickness is similar, or more, or less than the washer stack?

 

The spacer is thicker than the stack of washers by about 1/8"... roughly 2 washers, I think. I was gonna use it because I preferred the aluminum spacer to the washers and it had a tip to center the fan.

The tip of the shaft is half a washer from being flush with the front of the fan.
The back of the fan blades are about the thickness of a washer and a half from hitting the bottom pulley.
Fellas, it is close!!
But it works!
And... those dang radiator fins hurt!
If I drilled all the way thru the spacer I have, I believe the shaft would not quite reach the fan which could lead to immediate chaos!

 

I replaced another leaking brake line that came on the car. I also picked up and installed the variable proportioning valve and even painted the frame behind it before mounting the valve. I'm gonna make one last attempt with the master cylinder that came on the car before I start switching that item. My brake bleeding helper came down with a cold so I told him we will wait for now. I'll try to round up another helper to bleed the brakes.

 

When all else fails, you return to your first, and often prettiest!, brake bleeding helper.
My lovely wife volunteered to help me... again!! I've no idea of how many projects she has helped me with but it is a plenty. This is an old picture taken long ago of the first 29 Ford I built. The reflection is of a 28 Ford I also built... I built 2 of the 3 I bought at one time back in 1979. The old guy said I'll take $4,500 for all three. I said how much for one? He said I'll take $4,500 for all three. I said, "So, it's all or nothing?" He said, "I thought you would catch on." I've got a heck of a picture trail of the trip to get them from the mountains of VA. I'll look for them if y'all are interested. I know I have them somewhere... just like everything else!

So the brakes are bled on the cabrioster. I'm hoping they will work. I know I'm going to have to do some testing to get the rear brake proportioning valve dialed in... pun intended!!

I've got parts of 36 Ford dashes all over the floor along with a bunch of cussed out old brake lines that I took off the pickup.

Maybe I'll get to test them later today after some cleanup time.

 

Please do post up the trip photos

 

I drove it to the gas station and back!


I dialed in the rear brakes a little... still work to be done but it stops.
With no windshield, you REALLY feel the breeze!!
I stopped to show the car to some folks on the route. It was only after I stopped and talked for awhile that I realized I was right next door to the police station... and the two windows facing my car were windows to the offices of the Chief of Police and the assistant chief.
They didn't come out so I left soon after that.
Looks like I can return those master cylinders.
Now back to further work on the wiring and getting the headlights to work... again!

I am planning on some ice cream later today!

Thanks for your interest and help,
Happy Al

 

That looks like a pretty good match to the cowl of the 29 to me
Here's the view from the front. Thus far, it has gone pretty easily. The challenge will be to get the driver's side to match the passenger side.
I really am not too excited to change the dash as it will require new gauges and revisions to the just completed wiring. But, you know hot rodders! I doubt there are too many 29s running around with 36 Ford dashes; roadster pickups or otherwise! I'm thinking I'll have the only cabrioster with a 36 Ford dash. I have found a few cabriosters on the various threads on HAMB. I think they all look better than mine!
And they have much shorter beds!


Sorry I don't have any other angles on these two. Perhaps some of y'all have some pictures to contribute... we need to verify that they don't have 36 Ford dashes!

 

^Loving the Green one^^^

 

Most attractive brake bleed assistant that I've ever seen.

 

I took my bleed assistant to lunch yesterday... and we ended lunch with a chocolate hot fudge cake that had vanilla bean ice cream!
For some reason, she didn't want to go to lunch in the cabriolster! She didn't think she could hold the battery!

 

Here is another pic of the green one before it was green. But still front angle. I don't remember what dash it has.

 

I'm modifying the hand made battery box that came in my 32 Ford cabriolet... you remember that one that got me started on this Buick engine stuff?!!


I've got it just about ready to test for mounting under the cab on the passenger side... just about where I have it sitting inside the cab now!! I'm thinking I'm not going to cut an access hole in the cab. Some bolts are going to hold the steel battery box to the underside of the cab. I may run a bolt or two to the chassis as well. I'll keep ya posted... and add some pictures as soon as I clean the 60 some years of grime off the front of the box! Maybe add a little paint, too. The battery box likely served the cabriolet from maybe 1950 or earlier up until I removed it a few years ago. It did have an access from inside... a stock 1936 Ford battery box cover!

 

Not pretty but I think it will work.

 

There is beauty in function, Al. And that looks very functional.

 

Just another idea
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1932-ford-battery-floor-cover-paypal-accepted.1245277/

 

Al, has there ever been a time that you went ANYWHERE and you didn't end up having ice cream?

 

That is the most that will show and I may be able to reduce that by half but too pooped to carry on today!
Gotta go get a new battery. I'm not going to this much trouble to put an old battery in it.
New battery is the same as used in the 36 Fordy... because it is shorter... and has 800 CCA!!

 

I think I would want an access from the top to the battery in case you ever need to pull a cable off in an emergency.

 

^^I'm with you about possibly needing to unhook the battery in an emergency. I build battery disconnect switches into all cars for that very reason. BTW, pulling a cable off in an emergency could be very dangerous if the battery were to explode... happened to a pal of mine!! Don't get near battery if an emergency and you don't know the cause.
Safety first! We can build more cars and trucks.

 

......................Excellent advice!

 

Attacked the repurposed battery box again this morning and raised it about an inch.

Above is the before.

This is the after. A lot of fitting and refitting but I eventually got it about as tight as I could get it. I'm going to drop bolts in from top and secure with thin nuts underneath and then mount the battery box. That way the box can be removed from underneath without having to disrupt the interior.
I also got the new battery this morning. It is 7.25" tall and y'all know how tall 32 rails are so you know the battery is tucked up there pretty close. I'm hoping the battery won't hit the slight step down for the original floor.
I touched up the paint job after I further tweaked the battery box to fit in its new tucked up position and am waiting for the paint to dry. Now to reroute the battery cables and figure out where to put the battery disconnect switch.
Opportunities! At some point I'm going to have to also secure that new two piece floor that keeps getting slipped around!

 

Forgot to mention that I rigged up a cable to work the manual choke... should help with the initial startups... I hope!

 

I need to do that to my 32’s battery box. What is the group number for that battery? Thanks!

 

Group 78 battery. 7.25" high, 10" long, I think 7" wide. Side terminals. 800CCA 78EXT at Oreilly with 3 yr free replacement.
AC Delco makes very similar battery for less money... if you can find one!!

BTW, I got the battery disconnect switch installed. I advise you to look under cab BEFORE you start enlarging an existing hole to house the switch!! Don't ask!

 

Sounds like an (oops)ortunity?

 

^^^Priceless!!
That is really a good one!!

 

New battery is in and wired and used a battery disconnect switch.
To say it is close quarters under the little pickup is an understatement!

How's that for a clean slate?!
Tired Al

 

Another test drive around the neighborhood and tested the brakes which seem to be pretty close. Also got headlights back working but there is some kind of electrical feedback getting to the high beam line when low beams are on... likely tied into the grounding somewhere. I'm looking and checking but haven't found it yet.
I noticed both transmission lines leaking slightly so I managed to tighten them just a little... hope that does it.
Then I remembered that nearly all of the self flared brake lines had to be replaced! I'm hoping the transmission lines weren't self flared.
It was cool to start it with the new battery and use the new linkage for the manual choke... I think it helped. It will take me awhile to figure out when and how much to use the manual choke.
Went to my pile of speedometer cables and, lo and behold!, every single one was for the early Ford!!
I sure thought I had a new conventional speedometer cable on hand but then I remembered the 36 Ford cabriolet that went to hotrodjack33! I installed a GPS speedometer on that car and I remember there being some issues at first but the fine folks that made it helped be get it working and I have no clue about how we did it!

 

I added a second identical spring to the brake pedal return and was able to eliminate the redneck brake pedal return bungee cord!
I think it is ironic that the inside of the chassis is getting painted while the outside stays in primer.
Now I'm trying to decide what to do about the bed. I think one a foot shorter would do it but not sure and still would have to fabricate something at the front of the bed to make it seem to flow from the back of the sloped cab.
I'm thinking of just doing a quickie flatbed out of plywood as a temporary solution while I do more research as to what is available and how I might use the Brookville bed that came with the truck.
Running around with nothing behind the cab just looks too weird to me. Heck, I guess we could come up with some kind of roadster deck/travel trunk to make it look like a car versus a truck. I wonder what the dimensions are on the turtledeck of a T? Likely too narrow for the 32 frame which is pretty much 40" on the nose outside to outside from the cab to the end.
Opportunities!
Anybody got any ideas or examples they've seen or made that you could share?
Thanks.