Projects Basketcase old hotrod roadster

It's too cool it needs to be built.

 

So a quick update, pulled it out of the shed this weekend and spent a little time on it.
Carefully cut the welds holding the doors closed and freed up the hinges. Found these

Robertson screws! Suggesting it is infact a Canadian built car.
Also grabbed a pic of the pedal setup


And I figured out some previous colors the car has been.
Originally a ford green, then black with what appears to be a bright purple rear end! Then black and finally the red you see today

 

Cool you were able to get the doors open again. I look forward to seeing this one come together some day.

 

Absolutely beautiful

 

That Brake and Clutch pedal mess looks to have started out 53-54 Ford car parts.

 

The Robertson screws Don't necessarily indicate Canadian manufacture. Ford used these back then.

 

About that Northeast rust, did you forget that the metal was thicker back then?! This is a project for the truly faithful, but it would be a shame to lose that dash. Carry on, gentlemen ( Love the mock up shot)!

 

Although I should be focusing on my other projects... I went to a swap meet and picked a couple more parts for this a little while ago.

Also spent some more time going over all the body parts I have and figured out a direction I want to take this project.

Cut out some more "braces" and the other door welds..
I'm fairly confident in saying this was a Canadian built hot rod now. As I found a few more little tell tales and 'made in Canada' marks

Snapped a couple of random pics along the way

 

That solid cowl sure brings the body together...Are ya thinkin' Highboy, Joe?

 

Not this one.
It looks to have been channeled around 3 inches in its previous life so more than likely going to go the same route again

 

Very good look to that car. It's only missing the bottom 1/4, plenty to work with .
I'd be tempted to neutralize the rust and shoot piss thin over reduced red over it for an almost transparent protective coating. May not be enough there to do so.

Looking forward to the build.

 

Another unexpected update!
I stumbled upon a super cheap 'stuck" Canadian 8ba on marketplace and couldn't resist it.
Loaded it up, dragged it home and thought I would just quickly take a peek before I put it into storage.
5 mins later I have a nice and free flathead! With pretty decent compression results. Turns out the trans was locked not the motor.

I already have an f1 crossmember and pedals, 39 trans, 40 rear end and almost enough parts to cobble together a rolling frame

 

And He Scores!

 

It's all coming together! Good to see.

 

It looks like the Motor is sitting flat on the Pan on the ground in your last photo. As an Old Silver Back I feel like I should mention this again. In most cases the oil pick-up is between 1/2" and 3/4" off the bottom. Some are less. We never know how much build up of Sludge is already there. Now bounce or even sit it abruptly on the Ground a couple times before you got your hands on it and that space can actually become Nothing. Even just pushed up enough to push the Sludge into the screen and you have oil blockage. This can happen without leaving any visual damage to the pan on the outside. An actual cart style motor stand or just wood blocks under the pan rail to the block is a really good idea. We never know how things are handled before we get them. It's always a shame to loose a good motor to something that simple.
Best of luck and keep up the good work.

 

Thanks for the info!
I didn't realize how close the pickup was. I will be pulling the pan to de sludge before any attempt to start is made.

 

Picked up a couple more peices to the puzzle over the weekend.
Couldn't say no as they were just down the road! I actually have all the main components to start assembling a rolling frame now...

 

I like the V-8 rear end. I'm sure you know the spring behind axle center line means a little work to a Model A frame to keep the tires in the wheelhouse of the body or moving the Body back. That's if your going to use an A Frame.

 

The rear end was virtually free so that's the one I'm using haha.
I was planning on flipping the axle bells and running the spring in front. That way when I 'z' the frame it'll be a little less work overall. I hope...

 

What a great start. Ive been there, its rewarding. Happy wrenching.

 

Not too much to update here. Apart from the body now resides in my basement while I continue gathering parts for the build

 

can't kid a kidder...I know you have 2 bodies lol!

 

The guard fish are keeping a watchful eye!

Cool project, are you swapping the dash from the other cowl?

 

I'm probably going to use the red cowl. Feels wrong putting it back to stock after all those years

 

The dash suggests it was a street car at one point. A lot of work to put that dash in a race car. If you are on Facebook try posting pics of it on my Canadian Hot Rod History page. Lots of knowledgeable Ontario guys on there.

 

I would have thought the same it is very crudely fitted but a windshield would have covered the ugly spots..
It was definitely wired reasonably nice at one point too.
I did post it up on that page a little while ago with no luck yet. Seems the history to this one may be lost forever

 

The under dash picture with pedals shows what looks like a '49-'53 Chrysler Products 6 volt regulator, makes me wonder if it had an early hemi in it..

 

I have my suspicions about this too..
You are correct about the regulator, 6 volt chrysler and made in Canada.
The cuts in the firewall appear to line up With early hemi distributor, 6 volt electrical it does make sense.
Unfortunately budget is a factor on this one. So unless I find the history it's getting a flathead. Well at least to begin with...

 

I dig all early engines, flatheads too
Couldn't have been too many hemi powered, channeled red '28-'29 Ford roadsters with that dash running around Ontario back in the day, I'll bet somebody remembers it.

 

that's what I was angling at