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Hot Rods 1928 Ford Roadster Build Thread.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 28A, May 6, 2009.

  1. Finally an update..

    I decided to reposition the pedals, and also heated and bent the pedals to get them into a position that i was more happy with. Straightening them also meant that the pedal housing was further back and closer to the chassis rails and crossmember.

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    After spending a few afternoons just looking at it and trying to work out how the hell i was going to mount them.. i decided to just start by making a plate that matched the mounting side of the pedal mount.

    I wasn't really keen after thinking about it of reproducting the rear end of the crossmember on the front like what Striper had suggested, it seemed like it would take up a bit too much space, space that i don't have particulaly much of.

    So this is what i came up with. I'm not entirely happy overall with the visual aspect of it and i couldn't wrap my head around making it look anymore pretty but it is certainly solid so should be fine.

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    Then after making a template i came up with this..

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    After folding it and tacking it all together i ended up with this little housing.

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    So thats where i'm at with the pedals.. I also got parts of my cowl repaired.

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  2. Sorry for lack of update fellas.

    Not much of an update but i got the car rolling! So its a pretty big accomplishment even though its not much work as such.

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    Also some cool things i picked up on ebay.

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    I really can't wait for 2 weeks when my old man comes back from the states with all of my parts. Gonna be an epic early Christmas for me :D
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2011
  3. Deu55
    Joined: May 31, 2009
    Posts: 758

    Deu55
    Member

    Good work Nick looking good you have some nice eBay buys...keep at it..


    Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
     
  4. Yay for progress!

    Picked this shell up cheap yesterday, and also scored a complete set of rear juice brakes with all the hard to find handbrake bits.

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    Today..

    I got this done.. Repaired the lower sections by tig welding the cracks up, and then file finishing them. I still need to fix the rust at the bottom, but this is just my mock up grill not my good one.. so i probably won't bother for now.

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    I also repaired where someone had cut the lower inch off one of my aluminium windscreen posts, so made up some repair sections and tig'd them in and metal finished the post. I was planning on chopping them 4" as well but the heat and my flu got the better of me and i decided to call it a day.
     
  5. Some more updates.. got my aluminium posts chopped 4" after having to repair the bottom where some knob cut 20mm of the bottom of the post off for some unknown dumbass reason.

    I should of taken photos of the repaired section and also a before pic but well.. i was too busy actually working on them and i forgot. I'm sure you all know what windscreen posts look like. They are now welded and i just have to metal finish them, and then i'll run em around the corner to the powdercoaters to soak in their acid tank for 20 mins or so to clean them.

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    And heres a pic of a cool horn i got. Mind you, this wasn't cheap..

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  6. Another update.. got my posts all finished up for now. I welded them on Tuesday and started finishing them but then had enough with my flu and all so went home.. So i got them finished today. So heres two pics of them finished and sanded with 120 grit i think it is, mind you i spent FOREVER getting them nice and smooth..

    And the other pic is after i got em out of the powdercoaters acid tank. So very handy knowing the local businesses on a personal level. Chucked em in, had a yarn for an hour or so this arvo (they knocked off and were just hangin around being friday) and then i pulled them out of the acid, dunked them in the water to wash them off and then gave them a brush to get rid of any residue and dunked them a few more times and they came out nice and clean. I kind of prefer this "raw" look, you can see where theres a weld and where the new aluminium is on the bottom where i had to repair it. I plan to leave them like this. Theres a few scratches still and other little marks as well, but i think it gives it a kind of "old authenticity" so to speak. They were very old aftermarket cast ones anyway, not anything new.

    I found they kind of looked "too perfect" if that makes sense when they were simply sanded. Not what i'm after.

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    Yes, i will drill the holes in the one that is undrilled. I just haven't gotten to that. I have to dremel out some of the back side because they don't sit low enough on the A pillar to bolt in properly.
     
  7. Yay. While this looks like it was a simple task, anyone who knows a torque tube car and moreso a Model A knows that this was indeed a bitch of a job. To make it worse.. the Model A rear gearbox mounts are the worst design i've ever seen. I believe the chassis is supposed to be spread apart to fit the engine and box, my frame likely isn't going to want to do that.. so i sectioned out 4mm from one of the mounts to get it to fit.

    I'm considering making new mounts because its fucking bullshit trying to fit the engine and box in.

    Anyway its in for now.

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  8. Here is the pictures of my parts. I've got everything except my Moto-Vox horn and my $260 worth of stuff from snyders. Pro-Tip.. don't use Fedex, they are fucking shit. USPS got everything even from California to Florida in a few days, Fedex can't even get shit from Ohio to Florida (like 4 states difference..) in a week even when you choose priority overnight. Hopeless.

    I could of sworn i bought more parts too.. but going over my paypal history it seems i have everything. Weird. I really wish i had made a list of everything as i bought it. Whoops.

    Anyway.. the pics. I have added prices (where i can remember them) to show how bloody cheap stuff is over in the states. Its unreal. Probably a good thing i don't live there..

    My SouthWind heater. - $30. This thing is MUCH bigger than i was expecting.

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    Supposedly Guide headlights. I believe they are because they have the hole in the top for the indicator, and look about right. - Got these for the cost of shipping, $10. Seller didn't know what they were, mis titled the ad and no one bid on them.

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    S & M Emergency Foglight - $37

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    Maine 1928 license plate. I bought this just because it was cheap at $12, and i thought it was really neat.

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    Some old Ford spoon pedals. Paid $10 for these. They are for sale! They have Ford on the side of them.

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    My Spoon pedal i'll be using. I think its around a '37 or '40 or something. Paid $20 for this. Yes, $20.

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    Ridgy Didge '32 tail light with bracket. $10. Needs a good restoration but as far as condition, mint.

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    Original Lynx - Eye glass lenses. $14. Even came in cool '40s looking cardboard packets.

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    Original Aluminium KONG oil filter adapter for a Model A. Paid i think $20 for this. Has the two oil lines and also has an anodized grub screw in another hole, i assume for an oil pressure gauge.

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    '36 Plymouth Trunk Hinges. A bit dear at $50. I love them though.

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    '41 Plymouth Trunk Handle and Brake light. $15.

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    Oval Rear Mirror from Chris on the HAMB. This was i think $35.

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    Model A Speedo. I have a MUCH better stainless surround in my gauge panel, thankfully. I think i paid $27 or something for this.. thereabouts anyway. I know these go for a bloody fortune in good condition. This one is real good, just needs a clean up.

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    '35 Ford Column Drop. I think i paid $25 for this.

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    A '40 Ford V8 badge. Was like $4 or something. I thought it was neat.

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    A NOS '41 Ford Horn button. $20. Has the wire all the way from the back of the horn and everything. Mint as.

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    28/29 Grill shell. This is my US one. $53. Its like brand new. No dents, no rust, no wavey bits on the bottom like my other shell. Doesn't have a crank hole cover but eh. Could always steal the one off my other shell.

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    Thats it as far as the US parts go, except for my Horn which i'll post a pic when i get that. Pretty spewin it didn't make it in time but oh well.

    I also have a shitload of Snyders parts.. door hinges, bolt sets for just about everything, heaps of resto parts that i need. Still waiting on them..
     
  9. Also guys, one of the headlights is missing the clips that hold the bulb in. Anyone have spares or know where you can buy them new?
     
  10. Dad was unpacking and found these in one of his suitcases. I completely forgot about these.

    The Model A reproduction gas gauge nuts are chrome, mine are primed.. these ones either haven't been chromed yet or are actually made of brass. I'm not really sure. They will polish up really nice though and be something different from the usual. I paid $4 for them.

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  11. Deu55
    Joined: May 31, 2009
    Posts: 758

    Deu55
    Member

    Wow cool parts,will look good on the roadster.How did ya dad enjoy the states?


    Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
     
  12. striper
    Joined: Mar 22, 2005
    Posts: 4,498

    striper
    Member

    It's Christmas



    Ditto on USPS. I use them for everything. Never had a problem.
     
  13. Rod,

    I'm super stoked on the parts. Already have pulled the front off the speedo and cleaned the glass and replaced with my better stainless trim bit.. and man, it works mint too. Good score!

    I've also started restoring my '32 tail light. Do any of you guys know if we can run a single rear tail light in the middle? I thought it'd be neat to run a '32 light off the bottom lower panel (the crossmember bit, not the panel under the deck lid) and then also run the plymouth brake light / deck lid handle as a 2nd light.

    Striper,

    It sure is mate. Heaps of good stuff. I wish i had the horn and my snyders parts though :( Also, i have no idea how to put the headlights together. Not the slightest idea at all.

    USPS have been excellent with all my parts, the one time someone uses FedEx and they fuck it up. It can't be that hard to ship a box to Florida from Ohio in a few days, when USPS can go Cali to Florida in the same amount of time.
     
  14. Heres an update, the tail light and headlights is from last week because i couldn't update as our internet got capped and went slow. The rest is from today.

    So here is my original '32 Ford tail light. I have a pickup bracket with this, which suits me perfect as it'll be easy as to mount it to the sides of my rear quarters when the time comes.

    Anyway, since i'm not using the license plate lense from the tail light i decided to fill it.

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    Here is it filled. Not perfect but im reasonably happy with it, since you don't exactly look underneath the light anyway.

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    Heres the top side of it.

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    And with one of my NOS glass lenses.

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    The underside..

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    I also got my headlights mounted last week. I used original Model A headlight bar ends to make the mounts. I'm still kind of unsure on them, but its not really finished just yet. I want to add a bar between them to hang the number plate off (kind of a 40's era thing from what i've seen in the old photos). I think for what they do, they will be fine though.

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    Heres my work from today, started fabbing a master cylinder mount. This took longer to draw up the chassis rail and crossmember and mark out where the middle big hole and two side holes would be from my measurements and design it than it did to make it. Nevertheless.. its coming along cool. Should be all finished by tomorrow arvo.

    So after cutting and tracing my template / design.. i came up with this. The left side is pretty because it attaches to the boxing plates, the other side slips inside the C of the middle crossmember.

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    Then i added this part..

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    Close up of the mounting holes. The middle one was "drilled" with a 40mm hole saw, and then a few loops of a die grinder got it to the right ID. I guessed it would be 40mm but i think it turns out to be 41/42mm.

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    With the master cylinder bolted..

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    And the back side.

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    I plan to run a 20mm flat strip on the top too, just like the bottom to give it an I beam appearance, although will be notching from about 10mm to the left side all the way to the far right before it goes up to clear for the lid handle thingy. It will only be notched on the master cylinder side, not the front side. I'm pretty happy with how it looks so far.

    So thats it for now. Feel free to comment, cause i like comments and stuff.
     
  15. Another update from this arvo. I got the mount finished and tacked into the chassis.

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    Notched to make room for the lid handle holder thingy when it is opened.

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    In the rails..

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    Also why doesn't anyone comment anymore :(
     
  16. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member

    looking good ...from my experience the big hole on the master mount was never a tight fit , just the bolt centers are critical. probably why the odd center hole size. all the best with her.
     
  17. 1. why on earth are you making another bracket when you could have just discretly modified the original crossmember and bolted it straight to that.....less is more.

    2. start saving your $ now and get that front axle dropped.

    3. as for comments etc, I feel you need to appreciate that there are times when one should refrain from commenting and let your actions do the talking.....
     
  18. BCT,

    I've made it so it just slips in nice and snug. Not tight but not loose either.

    Drewfus,

    1. I found this to be a nice easy way to do it, i also chose to make it on a seperate mount to mount it a little bit away from the crossmember for easy of filling it up and accessing it as opposed to having it tight up against the crossmember.

    I did consider having it mount off the center crossmember originally but then changed my mind.

    2. I would like to do that. I would like to reverse the spring eyes as well. I know theres a bloke local to me who does it for very cheap. I've also got a '48 front spring which seems to have the same hole center distance from eye to eye as a model a rear spring, within a few mm.. so i'm hoping i can run that to lower the rear end a few inches hopefully as it is a lot flatter and drop the front / reverse eye to get the front down a bit more.
     
  19. spence-d
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 216

    spence-d
    Member

    Hey Nick! -it's really starting to look like something now!!

    busy time for ppl atm- maybe that's why your not getting so many comments...I have hardly been on here lately - so busy :(

    I think wait till everything is put together before modifying springs etc...
    great job on those w/screen posts too! - i need to make the exact same repairs to mine...I got both sets from the same guy so i assume he modified them for the same reason for the same car - but what that reason could be i haven't the slightest idea!!

    i think maybe slightly lower for the headlight position....but again I would prob wait also till you see how she sits with everything in place....

    nice parts haul.....I've got some BLC headlights for mine....I'm just planning to use some off the shelf sealed beams in them....
     
  20. Mark H
    Joined: May 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,461

    Mark H
    Member
    from Scotland

    Hi Nick.
    Great progress and some nice parts scores too.
    I've used a simillar set-up for mounting my head lamps.Had to move them in a touch as the tyres hit them on full lock.Might not be an issue for you at the moment but,may be when you drop the axle.
    Mark.
     
  21. Fellas,

    Not much of an update as over the xmas break i didn't do anything on it, and haven't done too much on it at work since as we've been flat out so far. I have gotten some stuff though.

    Firstly i picked up some brookville subrails, the subrail cross bits, rear quarters, top and bottom panels, rain gutter kit and some of their door hinges. I'm still waiting on what they call the heavy duty rear crossmember, and the bottom part of the rain gutter kit. I've got my subrails fully welded and finished and mostly installed just have to line them up in the correct spot with a bit of adjusting.

    I also picked up a MINT Model A windscreen frame for $115, came with mint glass and also the original finger pulls which i think are pretty neato.

    Last night i finally went and picked up my '39 Merc trans, complete top to bottom front to back. Scored that for $150. Very stoked. Now i just have to buy an adapter and away i go.

    Anyway, heres some pics.

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    Heres a picture of where me and a mate were assembling the subrails.

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  22. That box looks familiar :D

    Good score on those quaters - great condition!!
     
  23. Indeed it would for you mate, it was yours afterall! Very stoked on it, was not even close to what i was expecting!

    The quarters are from Brookville, you'd want them to be mint considering their brand new hahaha.

    Have fun with the $150 at Toowoomba swap on the weekend hey!
     
  24. Yeah i figured youy would be happy with it. Can you now imagine what the condition of the rest of the car is like :D
    I'm going to take the original suspension out to the Tmba Swap - if it sells it sells. If not I'll hang onto it.

    Brand new quaters definitly explains it LOL

    We are going to the states in Sept/October so I'll prolly keep the $$ from the gearbox aside to add to the spendings I'm putting aside for Pomona Swap :rolleyes:
     
  25. Hey Nick,
    Been a while.
    Hows the A progressing?
     
  26. Hey Steve! Seem to have forgotten about this thread actually haha. Its coming along good mate.. had it all rolling with the body all together a few weeks back and have now pulled it apart to put the flathead v8 and merc trans in, along with a couple other things. Heres some pics for ya.

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    Thats about where i'm up to at the moment haha.
     
  27. Sweet as - good to see ya still pugging away at it :)
    My merc has had its 1st inspection and working my way to the 2nd. Just need to finsh seatbelts, redo steering shafts (had the exhaust done and its coem in too close :() and mount rear seat.
     
  28. Thats awesome man! Have you got a thread on here? Or maybe some pics on facebook or something? Would love to have a gander. Did you end up using the flathead and rear end?
     
  29. No not on here, too many mod con's like A/C etc, bit too street rod for here LOL
    Its on ozrodders though under Another 1939 Merc. Also pics on FB, just need to become friends on there so you can see them :)
    Building a brand spanker 400 chevy for the merc (got a new dart block, scat crank, rods, ally heads etc), the flatty is going into the studebaker. The old suspension, diff, and spare running flatty i had laying around, my mate brought off me and its been fitted into a 35-40 chassis he has for a pickup project.
     
  30. Ahh i see haha. I wish my daily had air con.. jeeze may as well be driving an old car it isn't any different haha.

    I can't see much on ozrodders, been banned again lol. Signed up, put my model a engine and gearbox for sale.. got banned, quick as that. Oh well.

    Whats your last name i can't remember, i'll find ya on fb and have a gander for sure!

    That sounds like a good engine for it. My 21 stud flathead is going to get a rebuild eventually, just trying to find another single head, or another pair of quite rare '37 factory aluminium center water outlet heads.. i want it all very early looking.

    Picked up some original ribbed wheel trims last night and got a '37 axle thrown in for free.. so along with the hubcaps i've got this is going to be my wheel and trim / hubcap combo for the car.

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    At this stage and basically since i started the plan has always been to brush paint the body a semi gloss black, thinking of brush painting the wheels grill headlights and chassis rails for the same textured look throughout the car. Those wheels will be black, aluminium louvered bonnet (I built a louver press too recently, i'll throw a pic in of that as well!) and still undecided on the interior aspects.

    Will be running the 21 stud flatty, the '39 merc box i got off you and picked up a '48 mercury rear end.. woulda been cool to have a merc engine too for the full mercury driveline but oh well, can't win em all. Will be running '41 - '48 spindles, steering and what i think is a deluxe steering wheel (It has the full trim ring, gold center horn button and the little trims on the edge of the wheel).

    Will be making up a aluminium bonnet and boot lid too and louvering the shit outta that as well!

    Heres a pic of the press / louvers it punches.

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    Model A drilled wishbone makes for a good handle..

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    Picked up a '32 headlight bar to use for my headlight stands, always loved the look of these.

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    Heres the headlights, original Guide 682-C. Going to restore them and use the top marker light as an indicator.

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    Heres one of the engine mounts, made them like the Bishop - Tardel book says but as they make em to slot into an unboxed frame, i cut all the underneath out as mine is already boxed.. and left the top on for something to clamp to the frame, but also at a later date i might drill the top and put in faux rivets for a factory look.

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