Projects The Buntline Special A/Modified Roadster Build

Got more work done on the front end today. I started by notching the front crossmember so I could put the tube in it that holds the front axle on. Used a 1 1/4 hole saw (tube has a 1 1/4 OD) and made two holes than took the cut off wheel and connected the two holes, and then tacked the tube in place. At the moment the axle is set up with 15 degrees of castor, I will back it off to 12 degrees which is what it orginally ran. The axle will look more right when it has some weight on it and the leaf spring is compressed.



Notched crossmember with tube in it.







15 degrees of castor

 

Looking good Matt,... I see your going to replicate the front suspension exactly how the actual Buntline Special was built,...

When I was talking to Bob Tamplin about Dudley Proctor's original Buntline Special,.. he said "the sound of that engine at top end sounded so sweet,. it brought tears to your eyes",.. A remarkable car ! Keep up the good work.

( Good hidden candid shot of Clyde in there )

 

Hi Matt
I have a pair of American 12 spokes spindle mount wheels that I would sell to you . Let me know if you need them.
James

 

I finally finished drilling the rear end plates today. I also took the rear end and put it 110inches from the front axle so I can see what it is going to look like and make sure everything is in the right spot. And everything is looking great. Tommorrow I am going to cut the 2x4 that is going to go on the rear end and notch it and tack the plates on. I also found out I wasn't alone in the barn Walked in the back to grab a part for mock up and saw a racoon on top of the shelf the part was on and it was sleeping Scared the heck out of me (Harms way can vouch)! We're going to trap it and handle it tonight. He/she almost looks sad Maybe I can train it and keep it as a shop pet



Its hard to tell, but the rear end is sitting in about the spot where it will be mounted (110inches) (Dad in the background, Clyde on the side)


New Racoon friend

 

Got a question, since this is going to be your first car... are you going to be an exact copy of the race car or build something that is streetable (with a radiator?)

Cool build.

 

Soooo,....

Mattbee saunters into the back room real nonchalant like to grab a tie rod,... And then, so totally out of character for this young man I hear a really shaky voice yell out "HOLY CRAP !!!!!!" And like a flash of lightning he comes flying out of the back room, slams the door,... latches the hasp,... and moves a stool in front of the door .

He describes a 70 or 80 pound wild and most likely rabid Raccoon, the likes of which this old world has never seen,... It was wearing Camo Fatigues with A "Born to breed" tattoo on it's chest,... It was also wearing sunglasses and was carrying M-16 and a .45,.... I think it must have flipped him off and threatened to kill him,...... Ol' Matt came out of that room so fast he left all his color in there to fend for itself ! Cause he was white as a ghost!.

All this leads me to beleive that this kid could be a really great drag racer based on his reaction time..... Matt and Clyde wanted me to go back there and shoot it,... But I was only armed with a .380,.... I was worried I was out gunned ! (beside the pesky lil' ordnance in that town about discharging firearms in a residential area)......

​

 

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know Clyde went to go see it yesterday and he was talking to it (I'm a little worried about him) and it wasn't scared or in any hurry. We will see what its like in the live trap. I just hope there arn't more I was worried it was going to do what the racoon in the second picture is doing

 

I am going for a exact (as exact as I can get) copy of the car.

 

good work, and you guys have a way with words.

 

Keep up the good work Matt!
Glad to see a young one with such enthusiasm.

 

I got one side of the rear ends mounts cut and notched. I cut the other one. I am going to notch the other one at school tommorrow. I am also going to tack the plates on the ends tommorrow.

 

I got the rearend mounted today!!!!!! I spent the day tacking the rearend mounts correctly, I had them tacked on before but they were messed up (the drive shaft pointed down instead of straight out) on the rearend. Then lined everything up and after some cutting on the rearend mounts and some banging with a hammer I had everything ready to tack the rearend on the framerails! I am so excited. I put the torque tube on the rearend and jacked the engine up to the hight where it will sit and pushed it to where it is going to sit. It is really coming along! Next step is motor mounts!!!

Buntline Special frame kit

 

Looks good Matt !,... you should be proud,.... Do you still need the other Banjo rear ?.. Keep up the good work my friend.

 

I figured I would post this on my thread. I am trying to find a adapter for the back of my in/out box. the torque tube mounts to it. The one I have on the back has a different bolt pattern than the clamps for the torque tube, the torque tube also does not fit in the adapter I have. I will post a picture of the adapter as soon as I find it. The adapter also has ears on the side of it for a trans mount.

 

Whats all that welding on the rear? Looks like an octopus has had at it. I got a critter in my shop too, a squirrell that mooches peanuts. He's not tame and don't like to be touched.

 

When Dudley originaly ran the car he had lightning holes in the rear. The third owner after Dudley welded up all of the lightning holes. The critter in the barn is now gone. We let him go a long ways away. He was sleeping right by all of the posters!

 

Here is a picture of a in/out box with the adapter on it. The adapter is the piece on the very back with the ears coming off of it and 4 holes for bolts (where the torque tube bolts on). Once I find this piece I can make my motor mounts.

 

Hey Matt !......

Any more progress ?,..... What happened did you get attacked by a Raccoon ?

GET TO WORK !!!!!!

 

Not much new. I am going to pick up a piece for the in/out box from Todd on Sunday. I am hopefully going to be able to start doing motor mounts Sunday or Monday.

 

Answered in post #137

 

I got a little more done in the last two days. I decided that since I am still looking for the back piece for the in/out box, that I was going to start on the radius rods. The first step to that is for me to modify my batwings. I had a set of double blade batwings that fit my axle, so I decided to cut the blades off of those and make them single bladed. Last night I cut the blades off and ground all the welds down. Then spent this morning in the autoshop fileing them down so they are flat. The other thing I wanted to do to them was make it so the radius rods were 5inchs apart instead of 4inches apart like they were when I got them. So I sat down and made up a templet. I hopeing to work on the other batwing tommorrow and cut out the new blades.

Old blade at the top and the bracket at the bottom.

 

any updates? really cool build!

 

Matt,

It's Rainman. You remember... the dinner up in Detroit with the old guys. I was with Gene, the engine builder for the Buntline. And I know you remember the late night "dodge 'em" episode in the middle of the interstate. I just joined the HAMB and hope to get the '32 done next year. I'll be back up in a couple of months and hope to catch up with you and your Dad.

 

How did I miss this build? I may have a hook up for your in n out box adaptor. Wow...Just WOW!

 

Matt got a little distracted over the last few months while he was restoring a Juke Box and working on the Buntline at the same time..... Well I think it's safe to say, one of the HAMB's favorite 16 year old Traditional Hot Rodders will be back on the Buntline full time very soon....

This young man has all the ambition and drive that we all had at his age,.. And something very-very rare with today's kids,.... direction and integrity....
Sleep well guys,... Traditional Hot Rods will always be remembered as long as we have young guys like Matt to pass the torch to.......


( This was just a side project while working the recreation of the Buntline Spl.)

 

Hey Man, Hows it going! The late night tractor dodge'em episode was very exciting! So thats the 32 that you were hauling fenders for that night! Your 32 looks great! I like the wheels. When you come up next we will have to get together! Hopefully the Buntline will be more together by then and you can come and see it!

 

I started to make some new batwings today. The plan for the batwings has changed. Instead of making them out of a old double bladed set I had laying around. I am going to be making them out of a old set of wishbones but cutting the ends off, slotting them then welding a plate in. I have already cut the ends off and I drew up and new plate (wing) to put in. I started to cut one out with a torch. Now I just need to clean it up and cut the other one out. I hope to have some pictures tommorrow. The Jukebox was a side project and is just about ready to go home, where it will have the final pieces put in as I find them.

 

Awesome Matt. Looking forward to seeing the Buntline build in person. I don't think Gene will be coming with me but if he does, I'm sure he'd love to come by your place too. If you want me to, I'll try to convince him to come. I'll be hauling the '32 up for a little custom work by Barrie at Redline.

Tell your Dad hi for me.

 

Dad says hi! It would be great if we could get Gene to come up again! Dad and I are looking forward to when you come up!

 

I did some more work on the batwings today. I spent part of the day grinding and fileing them down. They are not as nice as I want them to be. The next thing I am going to do to them is make them "flow" with the piece of wishbone more (I don't like the way the bottom just drops straight off and the top could flow a little more as well) along with file out the high spots and make another one. I wish I could have had time to do more to it and cut out another one with the torch but the barn was 101 degrees and the fan just wasn't cutting it. I wa actually sitting in the other garage and there was a one gallon paint can sitting on top a shelve and the top just blew off! No joke! I will be going back on Monday to work on it some more. I can't wait until Monday!