Poboyross's Model A Build: "Faux'dster"

That door looks pretty dang good. Really similar to a roadster's door now.. That body line around the quarters look great too. Lucky's doing some nice work over there.

 

Yeah, Lucky's work is looking great. We had a speed bump with the windshield. We thought that a 28/29 would work fine, but once the door posts were modified to handle the stanchions, it was discovered that the 30/31 standard roadster windshield frame was the one that would work. It's going back in the mail as we speak to be exchanged.

In the mean time....here's where I fired up the 305 that I picked up about 2 years ago for this build. I discovered it had an after market cam in it that allowed for using a mechanical fuel pump (the 88 and up engines didn't have the lobe, as they used an electrical pump). Yay for me.

Here's a video of it...forgive the shakiness....I was one-handing the camera as I was firing it off....

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Whoa!!! I just found this thread! Looks like another nice coupster coming together!!! And I like the door treatment!

 

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[QUTE]Yeah, Lucky's work is looking great. We had a speed bump with the windshield. We thought that a 28/29 would work fine, but once the door posts were modified to handle the stanchions, it was discovered that the 30/31 standard roadster windshield frame was the one that would work. It's going back in the mail as we speak to be exchanged.[/QUOTE]

What was the issue with the 28/29 roadster windshield? Can you post a pic of the windshield posts installed?

 

What was the issue with the 28/29 roadster windshield? Can you post a pic of the windshield posts installed?[/QUOTE]

I don't have any pics of it mocked up....and I've already sent it back. Turns out that the Speedway 28/29 roadster windshield frame is too narrow by up to 4" for the stock coupe cowl. The 30/31 is wider and will work with a little customizing to work with the 28/29 stanchions.

 

Another update:

Lucky is dropping off the car back at my place tomorrow...a big whopping half mile from his place to mine! With the next little one due at Christmas, I'm trying to get as much of the heavy lifting done as possible before she gets here. There's still stuff to finish up like the inner door panels and latches. I just had Lucky tack weld everything and I'll finish sewing it up. On to pics:

The cage to hold the BMW 2002 manual steering box:



Pitman arm (going to have to lengthen it or make a custom one):



Body shots:







Lucky has really busted his tail on this amidst all the other more legit projects he's masterfully crafting over there. I'm glad he made the time to work on my bucket, I'm really happy with his work.

When I get it back, I think first thing is to get the body squared up and bolted down. I have to move the cowl mounting bracket back 4 inches along with the front cowl bolt holes that go through the wood blocks and into the top of the frame. Then I'm going to test fit the engine and see where my shifter needs to be, then start in on the dash and finish up the pitman arm/raise the steering hoop. Life is insanely busy with both me and my wife having full time jobs, having my son who's a toddler under 2 (need I say more?), and my wife also being 8 months pregnant. Time is slim....going to have to try to manage what time I have "mo bettah".

 

So...finally got her back in my garage. You can see the blue tape on the stanchions, going to chop them 2" to lower that windshield. Going to drop the motor/trans in to see if I need to move those existing motor mounts or not, too.

 

Looking good man!

 

WOW! You have made some progress! Can you take some pictures of how the windshield posts are attatched? with the doors open and closed?

I would love to know how Lucky recreated that body line.

 

I'll try to do that next time I'm out there....


In the mean time, here's where I'm at...I got the MC and pedal installed, front body frame mounts removed to move them back to match how much body length was removed, got the motor/trans put back in along with new firewall rod brackets and built some custom length radiator support rods....also probably going with the existing exhaust manifolds I've got and run some pipes around the bottom of the frame and down the outsides of the rails at some point.

 

Looks great!

any more updates?

 

Small update....got the windshield stanchions chopped (but not cleaned up yet). Got the motor running now that its in the car (somehow got the spark plug cables out of order on the dizzy). Rolled it out into the sun to take a few pics and reorder the garage:

 

the proportions on that thing look great!

 

Looks great, I think I'm the only guy on here who thinks that coupesters are cool

 

Looks awesome! What brand is the radiator?

 

Thanks!

Ha! I think there's an increasing number of us on here who feel the same way!

Hey! Good to hear from you. Yours is looking really nice too!

The radiator is an "AutoRad" radiator....its actually made for a 32 grill shell, as its slightly too narrow for the 30 shell...thus I have to fab some mounts to hold the two together. Picked it up off of Lucky.

 

Psshh.. Thanks! You're ahead of me by miles!

 

Lookin good!!!

 

Lookin Killer, I'm thinkin about building a coupester myself!!!

 

On another note, I'm trying to decide what to do about the exhaust. I don't believe I'd be able to do lake headers because of the cowl steering, and I've got block hugger headers on it now that came with the motor...SOOOOO...Do I just run the exhaust down, under, and out the back, or do I try and do something like the Bishop/Tardel roadster and have them run down the outside of the frame rails. I know that they fabbed the long tapered tubes that run down the sides, and that's not really feasible for me at the moment, so I'm kinda stuck as to what to do. Ideas?

 

Because I can't stand it, and because at different phases of a build I have to remind myself that the beast is alive but merely sleeping, I fired up the engine today for the first time since I put it in the car. Nevermind the choppiness....have a stretched out spring and no throttle cable attached. The neighbors will like me better when I get exhaust installed

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killer dude!!

 

You Suck!




because i dont have one of these


coming out nice man

 

Cowl steering & lakers will work I just takes a little pondering

 

Update: got some more seams welded up, got the front floor crossmember welded back together, and got the main part of the dash welded in...still have to modify the old garnish to fit. Unfortunately, in my rush, I forgot to clean all of the surface rust from the front face of the old lower window frame that its welded to :/. SO, I'm either goin to get under there with some rust encapsulation or do what I've been thinking of doing at the end and getting it acid dipped.




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Update:

It's been a good while since I did an update, life kind of took over. My son finally hit his terrible two's...and BOY ARE THEY TERRIBLE. He's a good kid, but he's definitely Dennis the Menace with tantrums. My father also had a major heart attack, but is recovering well after bypass surgery.

Before my dad's heart attack, literally....they were out here in CA visiting from TN the week before....my dad and I got my steering column cut down and mocked up in the car. I then mocked up a column drop to mount to the framework made behind the dash to hold the BMW 2002 steering box I'm using for my cowl steering. I also built a new center hub for the 1955 Buick wheel to mount to the 3 bolt pattern quick release hub.



I was able to just drill the center hub of the wooden steering wheel to mount to the hub.



I do realize that the column is likely too long and is pretty evident. The issue I'm running into is that I have the seat pretty far back to accommodate my 6'3" frame. I figured I'd leave it as-is, get it driving, and see how much more I want to cut...because once it's cut, its CUT.

While my folks were out, my dad and I also got the 1950 Ford trunk latches mounted.



I next tacked together a tie rod arm for the car, I'm going to have to change the tie rod end at the Pitman arm to a new one, as this OEM BMW one only has one axis of rotation. Since the Pitman is out slightly further than the steering arm at the wheel, it's binding as the arm rotates backwards. Using a real tie rod end instead will fix this.



IN SUMMATION I've also discovered that the framework that's welded into the cowl to hold the steering box DOES NOT have enough strength to have no movement when extreme pressures are put on the wheel (i.e. turning the wheel at a dead stop). I kind of figured this might be the case based on what others have done...SO, I'll be running tube from that framework in the upper cowl, down the inside surface of the cowl, and to the frame...much like the hoops you see folks doing for these setups.



My son isn't even 2.5 y/0 and he always asks to go work out in the garage on "daddy's car". He has a plastic battery powered drill and these two items, which he calls "his tools" that he walks around and "works on" and "fixes" daddy's car....he's awesome.



AHHHH....almost forgot! before ALL of this, I (very roughly) mocked up a shifter using one I got at Pep Boys. I used only a few parts from it, but it works well. I'll be adding detent slots into it so it doesn't slide into reverse!





That's it for now!!!

 

Looks great!! Keeping up with your progress.

I'm hoping to join the "coupester" gang this week.
Heading to SC to look at a body and frame package.

Awesome work!!

 

That looks like a Spectra brand shifter. Used one on a 350 A/T making a Lokar type mount. I also added one of Lokars neutral saftey switches. There is enough room in the upper right hand corner of shifter bracket on the drivers side to accept it. That was back in 2009, I bought mine at Auto Zone and the shifter was $34.00.

 

Glad to see your back at it. Best wishes to your pop. Todd


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nice dude