Since I'm going to try and document this as I go, I'm going to start a new thread with an accurate subject line. I've done the 60's car thing more than once and I've been itching to do something from the 30's. Been trolling this forum for awhile and deciding what I wanted to do. Got a good deal on a 1930 Ford truck and I'm going to jump in. The truck has great running gear. A nice custom frame, dropped front end with disc brakes, a good Chevy rear setup, a fresh 350 (boring) and a turbo 400 tranny. That's the good news. The bad news: the cab was created from a sedan, panel truck or something. When the back was fabbed up they did stretch it about 6" (I like that, I'm 6'.) It had a horrible homemade roof, plywood, bondo and textured paint. Its been channeled slightly and has a nicely done sheet metal floor. The bed is fairly nice condition, but needs the bed floor rethought and redone. Overall the cab back and roof are the major eyesores. Here are a few images I posted previously of the cab corners and roof. Been thinking about what I'd like to do with the roof and cab overall. Someone on here gave me some good advice. "Drive it for a year, then decide what all you want to do to it." I thought about that. But after walking around it and driving it for a month there was no way I could drive it with that eyesore of a roof and cab. So, I whacked the roof. My initial plans for the truck are pretty simple. New paint, probably a nice olive satin. No chrome, just olive with black trim and some basic striping. Steelies powder coated to match the body color, rally caps and some whitewalls. Already got the rallys from Wheel Vintiques, (they were on clearance even, $260 delivered) 15x6" for the front and 15x8" for the back. Basically take it all apart and redo it with some of the great ideas/material I've gotten from reading here. Now that the homemade junk is removed from the roof, I can see whats left. Been toying with what I'd like to do with it in my mind. I'm planning on putting the radius corners back on the cab if I can find a nice cab back (I'd like the beltline) or if I have to I'll have them fabbed here in town and weld them in. Obviously I can replace it with a stock roof as an option. The roof will require some metalwork even if I go stock since the cabs been stretched. So as long as I'm fabbing metal I've been thinking about the possibilities. I could go with a flat t-like roof. (not to crazy about it but probably the easiest option.) I have an idea floating in my head that I haven't seen done and I'll try and describe. I'd really like some feed back. I'm thinking about designing a canvas removable roof. This opening would be much larger than just the opening that the original wood bows filled. Basically removing all the metal that currently sticks up to high above the doors, windshield and cab back. Putting a slight roll on all the remaining edges of the opening as well as behind the visor. I'd create some roof bows that have an aviation sort of feel. The bows would be either an I-beam or rectangular tube that's been lighten (for effect) by water-jetting ovals through it. Then I'd just have our local convertible guy craft me a nice canvas top with either snaps or those groove type attachments that hold on jeep tops. I actually think the chrome snaps would give it a little more old-school look. Additionally I think it would need some attachment points inside to hold it firmly against the roof when your driving, simple ties for around the middle bows. I think each bow may need to be progressively a little higher from front to back , but didn't want to draw it again. So, ever seen it done? Think it'll work? Look good or worse than what I started with? Thanks, and sorry for the long post. I'll take pictures as I go when I get further into it.
I've been working on fabricating the metal bows for my roof. No pictures of them yet, I've made a jig to bend the 1"x1/8" flat stock the hard way (bending the width.) Haven't bent them yet but tested some scrap and it looked good to me. Was scrounging at the salvage yard yesterday for curved panels for above the door at the roof line. Found a hood from a 1990 Saab. Paid $30 for it and it has a nice smooth radius on each side. I've measured it and when it's cut down I think it will make a perfect transition from the top of the door to the flat part of the roof. Its a smoother curve on the edge than any roof top I've seen (other than a real one.) I'll take pictures as I cut it down and fit it to body panels. Sorry for the poor picture this time, but I used my phone's camera. Just an update.
Tonight I started chopping up the hood I bought. Tacked the rounded pieces that go over the doors on the roof in place. Fitting them was actually pretty easy, they will lay flatter when I weld my roof bows in. I'm liking the new lower roof profile.
Both radius pieces welded up and ground down. These drilled mounts will bolt to and support the steel roof bows in my concept pictures above.
Tonight I needed to finish the edge of the radius above the doors. I wasn't sure how wide I wanted them and I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this roof fabrication. So they were welded in place with no rolled edge or bead. What I ended up doing was tacking a 1/4" piece of flat steel every 2" on the edge and then grinding it off and leading in the gaps. Then I ground it all off smooth again. This gives me a rigid edge and lets the edge follow the lines ( the rake) of the bows I'm fabricating. Before I quit for the night I bent one bow and mocked it into place with vice grips so I could get an idea of what they would look like. I haven't added the round edges or drilled the holes in the bows yet (see mockups above.) This allowed me to get a look at my new roof line at the highest point (the back.) There are no bows in the front yet so it will come down lower when I make them. But I already know I like the lines compared to the old ones. I've removed about 4" from the back of the cab's height and leveled out the rake a bunch.
A little visible progress, but a lot of parts fabricating. Chopped the back window out and moved it down 7". Tacked it up. Completed and bolted in the new supports for the roof. The existing wood was good so I made brackets to join the new supports to the existing corner supports. Completed making one roof bow. It took a while to get it fitting perfectly as far as height and level. The next two should be easier. But I like the way it looked when I test fit it.
Thanks for the encouraging words all. Having never done a traditional hot rod I can say I've been having a blast. When working on the muscle cars I've owned they've always been to nice to chop on and modify much. Deciding what to do and how to do it is the bomb. doug
Finished fabbing the roof bows and bolted them in. Still need to tack the curved section of the roof to the bows. A close-up inside. Leaving tomorrow for a week of ice-climbing in Ouray Colorado with my son. More updates in a week or so . . .
Back from our climbing trip and back to work on the the truck. Cut out and bolted up for a first fit the metal panel over the windshield. I need to take it to a friends tomorrow and use his brake to make the bend that will fill the section between the radius'ed pieces over the door. Need to roll the inside edge for strength and appearance. More tomorrow night probably. As a side note, here's my son (sr. in high school) on one of the ice climbs we did last week. Thats a frozen waterwall and he's about 130' up it. I'm on the other end of the rope belaying him, but grabbed a quick picture with one hand. He's not a gearhead but he still makes me proud.
Basically have the whole roof put together and welded up. I'm ready to work all the dents, dings and ripples out. I'm pretty happy with how it looks. I wish it had even been lower but with my height its about as low as I could go with hunching over to drive. On a side note. Spent this afternoon in the E.R. getting a piece of metal dug out of my eye. They couldn't get it, so tomorrow I'm off to the eye doctor to get it done there. Lifted my safety googles up and blew something off to see it better, whammo right in the eye. Stupid. Keep the safety googles on!
Your concept/design of the roof is in a whole different league, then the previous one. Nice vision, nice follow through.
i like your vision of the roof, compared to the previous owner's... looking great so far. speaking of vision and looking: sorry to hear about the metal in the eye. sucks. been there, done that a couple times. hope they don't have to use the spiny magnet dremel roto-tool thing... freaked me the hell out. (sure felt a lot better once the metal was out, though )
Been busy with the truck but haven't posted in awhile, mostly because its hard to see the progress. Finished the fabrication of the roof and bows and started the final bodywork. Framed the interior of the cab in steel (you've seen it before.) Pounded out dents and ripples, and applied filler, sanded it all in a first pass and I'm pretty happy with the overall look. I hope to finish the bodywork for the cab in the next week and prime it in the following week I painted the wheels a couple of weeks ago, took them in today and had the tires mounted. Yes, I used radial tires. Couldn't stand the thought of paying extra for bias ply, please don't hate on me. 15x6 in the front 15x8 on the rear. Overall, I do like the stance. If I had it to again I would have the rear wheels an inch or so taller than now. First picture is before, second picture is after with the new wheels and tires
much better!!!!!!!! <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
DirtyWoody after looking at your build thread I stand humbled. Pulling an engine and front end in the snow . . . wow.
Damn it Barnes, I only wish we didn't live halfway across the country from each other, I wanna play too.... anyway it's looking awesome. Just jettisoning that crappy '80s rolling stock was such a transformation. I gotta give you a call... Drek
The roof is basically done and ready for final prep before paint. I'd been thinking about what I wanted to do with the dash/gauges, I knew the cowl was coming out for paint anyway. So I got it loose and set in the floor, drank a few cool ones and thought about what I wanted to do with it. I'd seen a thread on here where the builder cut out the old gauge and sight glass area, then filled it in and put the gauges right in the tank. I liked the look of that but . . . I'm getting old and lazy and really wanted to be able the wire up and work on the gauges without having to lay on my back and work from underneath. I started by whacking out enough of the front of the tank to hold four gauges and a speedo. Then I took a flat sheet of steel cut it out in the same pattern but about an inch larger, cut the holes for the gauges and then heated, bent and welded a 1/2" piece of steel stock to the edge. Before I primed it I welded steel spacers to the back so that when its bolted up it will sit about an 1/8" off the top of the dash and about an 1/2" off at the bottom. This put it at a better angle to view the gauges. I drilled 5 mounting holes in the old tank and used stainless hex heads to attach it. I cut access points in the lower part of the old tank to able to reach the nuts that will hold the hexhead bolts. The thing I like is that I can remove the whole panel by removing the five bolts then, wire, repair or replace the gauges while sitting on the seat. I also fabbed a bracket to hold my steering column that bolts to the bottom of the tank. That's it for weekend progress.
I didn't really look at this until one of my friends asked how big that panel was. It does look huge in pics but it actually is scaled nicely in real life. I might have made it and inch shorter where it slopes out to the ends if I made it again.
here's the video of you, me and tall alex crusin in the 31 ford, this video is full of jackassery... enjoy! <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PP8vfT44GbI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Haha yeah. I filmed it with my phone. Sorry for the poor camera skills. Its a bumpy ride lol. I wanna get a good video outside the car.. next time I see steve i'll make a better vid!
The Jalopy Journal
