Well, I finally got the car in my avatar running and on the road. It's been about 7 years in the making but I'm ecstatic about it's first real run. I had some clutch issues recently that kept me tied for for the last month or two but I finally got that sorted out with some help from several HAMBers. I was running with open headers so it was hard to hear but I heard some noise coming from the right rear so the first voyage was not without at least one isuue to resolve. But, hey, that's hot rodding ... Here are some pics, the first ever outside - I'm missing my floorboards and front headlights and headlight bar as the weather was not looking too good and I wanted to get it out. It will have a 1-piece hood top and 40 std caps and rings along with the removable carson style top seen in the avatar - many thanks to jacksanddeuces for his help and advice!
great looking hot rod, you just gave me the incentive i needed to do exactly what you did to that body style. rich
Looks great. Mine was cut up much more and I am trying for roll up windows. I doubt I will build a folding top, so if you have any pics on the Carson, can you post?
Thanks gents - I appreciate the kudos. F&J - the top is made out of f-glass by the previous owner. I'm not sure what happened to the car, but it was a 5-window originally. I've skipped the rollup windows and will probably go with side curtains at some point. I do not have access to pics at the moment - but I'll post some tomorrow. Fuxl - the VA hot rod scene is alive - it just took me alot longer than I ever anticipated to get it to this point!!
If you ever get to the Colonial Williamsburg Rod Run I've been there 15 years now, most of which with my black 40 Ford Std coupe - looking forward to meeting up with ya on the road ...
Ha - this is a funny story. I had a buddy of mine weld up some of the major frame stuff as he has a much better welder than I. Anyway, he bought this color at the local Walmart to cover up the bare metal areas. The color kind of grew on me and I then did the whole car. Trouble is, I couldn't find it except in spray bomb and there are no auto paint supply houses around close by to color mathc it, my time is limited, work gets in the way, you get the picture. So, 20 cans of spray bomb later ... it's Krylon Satin something - I'll get it for you tonight. Funny again how all of a sudden this color has kind of caught on lately ....
Tom, Great job! Now I'm really sorry I didn't look you up when we were in the 'burg. My next project is a sport coupe-same look you have here basically. What seat did you use and how much did you take ot of the windshield posts? Glad it's on the road-guess all the trips to Carlisle were worth it! Richard
OK - here are some pics but I would like to send you a link to a webshots website that has all the pics of the car in its progress, including many shots of the top before and after. Please PM me with your email address. Some history .... The top was made in f-glass only and had sime funky latches to keep it down on the windshield posts. They didn't hold the top down and I did lose it when the car was on the trailer taking it home, from Minnesota, in a snowstorm. An adventure for sure. Anyway, the rear window was too big, it was flimsy, and I wasn't all that happy with how it "sat" on the car. I made some mods, added some oak wood around the windows to give it an area to adhere upholstery to and strengthen it, and I'm now using a 36 roadster rear window. I bought some flame retardent boat cover material and had it upholstered following what I saw roadster tops have in some of Don Montgomery's books of cars in the late 40s, early 50s. I did make a header out of aluminum angle iron and it's now bolted to the top of the windshield. I also raised the cut off door posts to meet the top to kind of finish it. It is by no means perfect but it does keep into the theme of the car which is a car that could have been built by a young rodder in the early 50s with limited funds, tools, and capabilities.
Richard - thanks and please let me know when you are around next time and we'll hook up. Yes, Carlisle does really help "fund" the projects! The seat is a 3rd seat out of a Dodge Caravan and it does fold down. I took 2 1/2" out of the middle of it and reused the foam from the seat as well. I also pinched it in the front to follow the taper of the 32 body better and adapted some Mustang seat tracks for movement. I then had it upholstered to match a stock 32 seat with the correct number of pleats, each being about the same width as a stocker. The material I got from the local Hancock fabric store where I usually get some really good deals on stuff - I'm in there more than the wife! I even have a discount card! Here are some pics ... I attached the old leather briefcase to hold my insurance data, maps, and other stuff that would just fly around and be hard to store. It's about 55 years old having been my father-in-laws - kind of fits period wise and although some may think it doesn't "match" the interior, you really do not see it until the seat is folded down. The windshield posts I actually had to lengthen back up to meet the top with pieces from a 4-door rear dorr posts - mine were originally cut off just above the top hinge.
+1 on the jealous side. I would love to be able to roll down the road with a sly grin. The car looks great!
Nice roadster! Love the color. It kinda reminds me of this one I saw at a club car show last weekend.
The Jalopy Journal
