Projects Timm builds a model A

Quick little update got 99% of the bits and pieces I was still needing to swap the new rear axle and suspension home. Still need rear shocks but they are coming. Also got a fresh turned for the car. The one on it I had Pork and Beaner narrow for me as a mock up for ever ago. It’s worked fine but it was never intended to be a real tie rod so I’ll probably prime and paint this and put it on next chance I see.

I also am pretty dang close to final fit checks and welding for the trans/ wishbone cross member. I’m waiting on a buddy to modify the bracket I have to fit a wish bone ball and then I’ll get it on there and check it at as well.

once it’s all on the money I’ll get the end flanges set. Everything cleaned up and welded solid.

This things pretty small. That t86 is pretty short and using the tail end mounting location puts it pretty for forward in the rails. I want to say after accounting for boxing plates and their placement this is only 27” wide over all.

Feeling good.

 

Man this month is blazing by. I havn’t really touched the car at all recently. I’ve been cleaning and re organizing the shop, working on the daily, and tearing the roadster apart to stick on shelves so I can tear apart a donor car in that spot here in a couple weeks.

should have the bandwidth to get back to this in the next couple weeks.

 

A clean shop? What is that? All the progress I made a while back has disappeared again. Only difference is my lathe is torn apart in the middle of it.

 

Slips away fast doesn’t it?
I think my open floor space will be gone shortly and replaced with tubs full of citric acid and rusty parts.

 

Then at least our shops will smell the same.

 

I haven't done it, but reading here tells me you DO NOT do the derusting inside with other stuff.
You might want to keep the tubs outside and away from your good stuff.

 

I’ve done the citric acid inside and haven't ever had any ill effects. And I’ve never read of any in regard to it being inside etc. it’s food grade people eat it.

 

Yes, food grade citric acid. I have tasted it. The strength I use for rust removal stings if you have a cut and would probably remove the enamel from your teeth. When done you can dump it on the ground. The biggest problem of using it inside is that a leak could screw with a concrete floor. You can also clean faucets and shower heads, windows or anything with lime deposits. It isn't good on grease like the citrus hand cleaners. ?? It won't hurt most paint.

 

Yeah doesn’t seem to touch plating or paint which is how I discovered some crusty stuff was actually
chromed before it was gross! Also doesn’t mess with oil/grease at all. I like Dawn dish soap for that stuff

 

It may be tough on nickel? I think I read that somewhere. Someone also said it doesn't hurt decals.

 

I figure the stuff I’m working with is typically so rough that if the acid made it any worse I’d never notice lol

 

Can confirm, I have a sloped driveway with a nice permanent rust stain from my citric acid bath of Model T parts. I plan on doing an epoxy floor inside the garage once the car is done, so not the end of the world. Not sure what to do about the driveway.

 

I used a tin foil turkey pan to do a license plate once and it leaked and left a nice rust streak across the driveway. Now I use five gallon buckets or thick tubs exclusively, how ever I did get the rust stain off by power washing the driveway

 

I just had a leak in my standing batch tub. It was a large plastic tote. Don't know if it was just old or the citric acid got to it. It had been in there a year or so.

 

Sometimes I just chalk it up to “shit happens”

got the cross member welded up! I’ll grab some pictures when I get it home

 

Little sneak peak until I can go pick it up. Had a friend weld it up nice and stout. you could build hot rods with out friends but it seems like you’d be missing out on a lot doing it that way.

Also grabbed some shocks for the rear of the car!

next on the que is get the parts car home for the roadster project and then get this crossmember prepped, primed, painted and bolted to the car. I’m really looking forward to this drivetrain being held in place with something other than stands

Then we are onto ladder bars which should go pretty quick comparatively. I’m jonesing to see this thing outside again… and sweep under the car lol

 

Alright quick status update. Got the parts car for the roadster in and back out, still fussing with some of those parts and some 46’ stuff but with the school year about to begin I should have considerably more garage time available soon.

Model A plan is currently to get the trans cross member painted and bolted to the car. Shouldn’t be a big deal. Clean the frame rails, clean the cross member, paint the cross member, trim some small boxing plates to bolt the cross member to, punch holes in them, weld nuts on them, put it all together and tack to the frame.

Remove comical towers of jacks, stands, wood blocks etc. easy peasy right lol.

after that is sorted I’ll move onto to swapping the rear axle and installing the ladder bars.

I think the biggest time investment there is going to be measuring where all of this is going to land on the rear axle.

I packaged it as minimalistic as I could come up with but it’s still going to be a spring hanger, ladder bars mounts, shock and pan hard bar clearance all between a pretty narrow rear axle.

keep ya posted

 

Oh, and my wife and I took turns driving Dr. Dave’s model A last week! Was fun and a great test to see if she even likes driving something like this. The 4 door has impossibly short doors ( front to back) but I squeezed in with less trouble that the last time I sat in it lol.

 

What did she think?

 

@05snopro440 well I taught her how to drive a stick the first time she sat in it, and on her drive the throttle stuck to the floor…..

So she turned to me and said, yeah sort it out and I could drive this to work and back pretty easy every day. Ask him how much he wants for it. Lol

 

You have a keeper!

 

Excellent.

 

Throttle schmottle….40mph on a narrow driveway around a curved through a covered bridge…what’s the problem?!

 

I knew it was stuck before she mentioned it lol. I just leaned over and pulled it up haha.