Projects My new project...Survivor channeled Deuce Roadster

Hello...
If you were at the Louisville swap meet this weekend, then you probably saw this car. If you were like most, you may of walked right by it because of the model A windshield & the front end on the car. My wife & I looked it over Friday morning and thought it was kind of cool & a decent deal...but I am not a big channeled Deuce guy so I didn't take it too seriously.
Saturday about lunch time we were wondering through the swap meet again and the price had been dropped drastically...enough to reel me in for a serious look. I peeked under the carpet at the channel & immediately I see the original sill plates below the frame. Sure enough, I climbed under it & the original subrails from the wheel well forward are intact & perfect. Once I really got to looking at it, I was amazed at how solid it was.
The car was initially built in the late 40's in Connecticut. In 55, a brand new 265 sbc & 3 speed overdrive tranny was installed. It has an open drive banjo, and it has been z'd in the rear. I have pics of it in a magazine dated 1959. The guy that I bought the car from helped to install that motor in 55, and eventually bought the car for his son.The car has been in storage for the last 42 years. The car runs well and only seems to need some TLC to be drivable.
I don't know what I am going to do with it yet. This is one of the most intact and well preserved survivors I have ever found. However, I am not a huge fan of east coast build styles, and I prefer Highboys to channeled cars. That being said, I have the seat out of it now trying to figure out how to make my 6'3" frame fit...no luck so far. Any suggestions, I am listening.
Funny thing is, I went to Louisville to buy a set of subrails for my rough roadster project. Enjoy the pics, and if anyone knows anymore info on the car, I would love to hear it.
Sam

 

The front of the car looks goofy because it has 40 Ford split bones on it, putting the axle about 5" behind the original location. The k-member is mostly intact though, so a 32 wishbone will fix that. The hood is also 6" longer than an original Deuce hood. If it stays channeled, I will have to have a shorter radiator built for it so that I can bring the grill back to where it should be.

 

It also has a 40 deluxe dash...

 

Typical of East Coast builds. Body channeled so the cockpit fits like a low profile bathtub...
'35-'48 front axle setback that rivals later model Big Rigs...(narrow street maneuvering in New England townships?)

No offense implied, just some good natured West Coast humor...We know youse guys started it all!

Actually, it shows some intelligence, the sub frame being intact! Like the original builder maybe wanted to make it possible to 'restore height' some day...

Wish they were all like this. I've been resto-ing sub frames in previously channeled cars for 55 years.

 

I dig it.
If it was me I wouldn't change much. Not all hotrods need to be a "perfect 10" to be really cool.

 

That roadster kicks ass, please don't un-channel it or take that east coast look away, its so refreshing to see a car without rubber rake, black paint and all that 2010 hip stuff.
Can you post a pic of it from the magazine you mentioned.

The hood sides ring a bell..........
All my reading material is packed away or I would be going through it now

 

I'll scan the Magazine tomorrow & post it. Also, my wife took alot of pics when I unloaded it so I'll get her to post some tomorrow when she gets in from work.

By the way, I am not opposed to keeping it channeled...I just need to fit in the car. Although it has swinging pedals from something else adapted in it, I think a set of ansen style pedals mounted high up on the firewall may get it drivable. That being said, I want to enjoy driving it so if I can't get somewhat comfortable than up she'll go...

 

The seat base looks pretty thick in that pic, has it got a seat riser you could take out? can you strap the springs down to get you sitting lower? how much lower do you think you need to go to be comfortable?
So many questions I want to help you solve this problem without changing it.

 

Well, I fit pretty good sitting on the bare floor without a seat in it at all. No riser at all in the car. I got the seat back moved rearward about 3" from where it was, so I can lay down in it a little bit more but my head is still above the windshield...
Sam

 

I love it, I would just make some very minor changes and drive it. You know you want to sell it to me, lol. Have fun with it!

 

I like it a lot. I think I would narrow that front nerf bar quite a bit and paint the white fenders body color, but aside from that leave it alone. The Olds caps and interior fit the look really well IMO.

Very nice score.

Don

 

Looks very funky 50's. I have to admit, the front end needs to come forward. Perhaps the nerf bars off or forward to fit further forward front wheels. Cool car though, sounds like a clean build and a nice bit of history having a magazine picture!

 

That thing is awesome.. God I love survivors..

 

Ok,maby i sound like a asshole and its your car BUT,if its at survivor and untouched dont change a thing.
Keep it as is,i mean how many of these old survivors are still oute there.
I Think it would be a real shame to change it.
If you want a roadster but in different style build another,dont tear this one up.

But,its yor can now and you can do what you like to it.

 

That car is a time warp. I wouldn't change a thing except paint the fenders and maybe put a deuce windshield on it. Here's a local one that's real similar to yours.

 

Agreed!

 

Sam,congratulations on your newest acquisition.

It's obvious that a lot of people at the Nationals saw the car and the interest in it must have been lacking for the owner to drop the price drastically and you were able to see what others had missed.

A I'm sure a lot of guys will try to persuade you to leave it as is,,maybe they will step up and offer you enough to let is go but I doubt that will happen.

I have seen what you have built in the past and the attention to detail is evident in all your cars.

As for leaving it as is,yeah it's got some history and it's definitely got the old east coast style but it's really not a famous car by a well known builder.

If you were not so damn tall like me the car might fit but trying to stick your 6'3" frame in a channeled roadster and be comfortable ain't gonna to work. HRP

 

Wow,
That one pictured above could be it's sister. And, yes, it is an absolute time warp. I spent most of the night going through old books & found many similar to it. I am really having a hard time figuring out what to do. What makes it even harder is that for the time, the build quality seems pretty high. Right now, it is a running & drivable car. Just not too comfortable of one. If I start taking it apart, it might very well snow ball into something else.
My initial plan was to just clean it up a bit. Take off the nerf bars, as well as the fenders. All that stuff I can unbolt & would be totally unharmed in the removal. I am going to put a 32 wishbone back in it to stretch the wheel base back out, & put a deuce windshield back on it. I might go so far as to shorten or replace the hood & put a chopped deuce shell back on it. I think a set of ansen style pedals would get it easier to drive...
But I still look like a gorilla riding a tricycle sitting in it.

 

Randy...
Since it is so complete and such a time warp, I feel guilty about changing it. However, it was sitting at the biggest show of the year for (I think) a way low price for a running deuce. And it is a very nice body...where am I going to find another?
Sam

 

I can visualize you looking like my pal Alex"The knuckle draggin' Neanderthal"

Looks like a piss ant hauling a bale of hay! HRP

 

HE LOOKS.....HE SCORES!!!!!

I looked at that, and passed. Should have looked again Saturday.

Hey, I'll take the rough one off your hands so you will have more room.

 

Danny...
That's about it. I took it around the block when I unloaded it and my wife just giggled. She said I looked cute...

 

It wouldn't work with the bench bottom cushion but I had a friend in Texas with a similarly channeled deuce cabriolet that was probably built about the same time that had the bottom part of the seat cushions sunk in tubs built into the floor board so it had real seat cushions but you sat down in the car like you were supposed to. Perry was way over six foot and could drive the car but I'm not sure how much leg room he had.

I think I'd build new seats for your roadster that let you sit comfortable and drive comfortable that could be removed and replaced with the original seats if you ever decided to sell it. something low and thin and trimmed out to match the rest of the interior.

That car is exactly what I remember seeing in those little East Coast magazines in the late 50's and early 60's though. I'm wondering if they swapped the front ends as an easy way to get juice brakes and lower the car just a bit or what the main reasoning for swapping the whole front axle over was at the time. Carry over from the dirt tracks maybe?

 

Thanks HRP, laughed my ass off, nice way to start the week off.

 

This one still has a deuce heavy axle in it...I am assuming they done it to lower the car.

 

The spring-ahead was used a lot here in my area (where that car is from). They did that to get hyd brakes as well as a much lower ride height. It is period perfect for the book; "Cool Cars, Square Rollbars", which is a history of Notheast rodding in the very early days.

I just picked up a rough spring-ahead Northeast 50s rod this weekend, and I thought I never would be able to find one I could afford.

maybe take a bit of time before doing anything, as maybe you can find a trade for what you want, or get some PMs of people wanting it the way it is?

 

That thing is bitchin!!!

 

That is a nice score, love the channel. The few changes you're talking about make a lot of sense.

 

HRP-that's Great! Hahahaha

 

You saw the potential and the value in that old rod and scooped it! Good score!
Look forward to seeing how you go with it.