Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Without further ado, I present you with Version 2.0's rolling chassis.

So simple, but so many hours of work in this thing.

It's pretty crazy to think about how much of this car is made up of original Ford parts.

A couple more details.

And there you have it. Next up, we're tackling shocks, shock mounts/headlight bar. That'll be interesting because I'll be making a video about it for work. After that, we're going to finish all the chassis welding, figure out the pedals and rebuild the steering box. I can't wait to keep cranking on this thing when I'm back in town.

I'm off to Columbus in the morning for Goodguys' Summit Racing Nationals. As soon as I can, I'll post my Iowa recap, which involves hanging out with H.A.M.B.ers, old newspaper buildings, baseball games, bangers and mash, and driving a real-deal competition coupe from the 1950s.

Oh, and I'm still looking for front brake drums with hubs. Please hit me up if you have any!

 

I have a clean F-1 box that we've already town down and started cleaning up!

 

This could very well be the longest lull in this thread. I didn't intend for it to be that way, but I've been taking the past couple weeks to spend time with my family in Michigan. I've been relaxing, riding motorcycles, taking it easy and working on writing projects: some of which you'll be seeing in print in your favorite publications soon.

Being home is always fun, and this trip is no exception. On Thursday morning, I was able to do some estate sale hunting with my mom. Naturally, I picked up a few things for the roadster.
I finally sorted through the haul earlier tonight. Nuts, bolts, locks, tools and a handful of vintage photos from Knightsbridge Antique Mall for an upcoming article. The five ball was a gift from @BigJoeArt.

Of all the hardware, I'm most excited about my wingnuts. I still need three more, but these will be perfect for the caps on my lakes headers.

 

Full report and replies coming tomorrow, but I figured I'd give a quick update from today's hot rod fun.

My friends and I are launching a new grassroots journalism project this weekend, and we're having a release party Saturday night. I spent the afternoon building a backyard bar out of materials we had lying around the house. I kept things traditional with a little bit of homegrown hand-lettering.

When most of the city had gone to sleep, I took the roadster out for a spin. The exhaust is super quiet with the baffles in, so I decided I needed to make the most of it and log some night miles.
"San Francisco's summer is in full swing," I said to myself as I cut through the fog. The more I drove, the harder it became to see through the windshield. I had applied Rain-X awhile ago, but water continued to build up. It was right about then that I decided that I need a hand-operated windshield wiper. I plan to order one in the morning.

That's all for now!

 

Haha thank you! On a car like this, every piece has a story. Now to find three that are just like them...

But it did cost me a dime!

Ain't that the truth!

Growing up, I watched a lot of Detroit Red Wings hockey. Sometimes fans were called Wingnuts and had hats to prove it.

Me too. I had so much fun sorting through them.

Thank you for the rec! I'll have to swing by for sure.

Thanks Rocky!

 

Looking good! Mine should be arriving soon. Can't wait to put it into service.

Love the idea! Custom tools for custom cars!

 

Sidebar 415: Here'n There

I've been home for almost a week now, and I've driven my roadster nearly every day. Lately I've been using it for exactly what it was built for: transportation. We threw a 100th birthday party for our house on Saturday night, and I spent the better part of two days running around town gathering everything from dress clothes and groceries to nearly 100lbs of ice. Just for fun, I ran it without the baffles and man, I love how it sounds (for short blasts). It really echoes off the buildings.

One of my errands brought me to Office Depot to print the aforementioned journalism project, The Terrace Times. The Office Depot building itself is pretty interesting. Built in the 1890s, it was originally a railroad car barn. Once those days had passed, it was then occupied by a number of different car dealerships. Here it is as a Dodge dealership on the left in 1947.

I had realized that in the past two years, I had never parked in its upstairs garage. I like the white brick, and the large windows give it a gallery-like feel. I've always thought it would be an excellent car show venue.

Peace out, Office Depot.

 

This has been probably the busiest summer of my life. So many states. So many friends. So many hours in the car, on the plane, at the airport or somewhere in between. It means the world to me that I can get out there and catch up with so many folks from coast to coast, and I want to take a moment to highlight a couple of them right now. I plan to add more in the following weeks.

Lately I've been thinking back to my time in Des Moines, Iowa. Not long after I got to the Heartland Nationals, @corncobcoupe swung by the Ridetech booth to catch up. For those of you who travel a lot, you know how much it means to be greeted by an old friend halfway across the country. We got to hang out throughout the weekend, and I especially enjoyed seeing his immaculate Riviera.

By Sunday morning, the show was winding down. A little after 8 a.m., I saw what may have been a mirage rolling over the horizon. What? Much to my surprise, it was @tdog and his dad in the Omaha Coupe. I first met Tom Jr. and Sr. while working on a feature for DicE Magazine's Slot-Mag last year, and they are—without a shadow of a doubt—some of the most genuine people I've ever met.

I plan to write a full Jalopy Journal feature about the Secora family and their wild antics sooner rather than later. But that morning, Tom hit me with a question I couldn't answer fast enough. "Would you like to drive this thing?" he said, pointing to the heavily chopped, Olds-powered racecar. "Yes!"
With the overhead V8 and the '39 trans, I had an absolute riot cruising the fairgrounds. As I'm sure you can imagine, it was quite the view looking through the mail-slot windshield.

The King & I.

The powerplant.

And the office. This car has raced at the drags, Bonneville and at the Race of Gentlemen. Such an honor to get behind the wheel. Thanks again, Tom!

It's getting late, but I wanted to share these memories with you guys here on the build thread. There are plenty more, but those are stories for another day.

Thanks for reading!

 

Good seeing you Kid.
Thanks for the Riv pic.

GG Desmoines is a great time.
That Omaha Coupe is Bitchin'