Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

Damn nice garage find!


Between working my ass off on "endlessearth's" truck, and attending a weekend Chinese New Year party in which I was the only English speaking person out of fifty or so, it's been a long week! Hell, it just Wednesday and it's been a long week....

More soon gang!

 

I'm expecting you to drive it to LARS. So...you better get YOUR bucket in gear.

 

I'm enjoying the heck out of this thread, Chip. Keep it up!

 

Hell, I'd drive it to L.A. tomorrow! I'd probably have to change the oil before I left though...

Thanks Eric, good to see you on here, long time no see!

 

We already have out hotel reservations by the Ontario Airport. Should be a nice ride to the fairgrounds. Had my roadster out yesterday. Everything seems great. I just need to not fuck with it.

 

Chip I went back over the entire thread and I must of missed it. What transmission have you got in the bucket. Are you running a trans cooler for the Arizona heat, if so where have you got it mounted or is it in the radiator?

 

It has a 350 turbo hydro. The cooler is mounted almost flat against the floor, (again, previous owner stuff) but soon I'll be making some lines and routing it to the radiator. When I get that far I'll show you guys some cool tricks with shrink tube to secure lines. I have to get back to doing tech, but "Endlessearth's" truck has been kicking my ass for ALOT more time than it should have. I'm almost done though, so I can get back on my stuff before the next round. (A full fendered "T" touring for Roy...)

 

Shrink tube eh? You have me intrigued. Keep us in the loop regarding this full-fendered touring too, also intriguing.

 

Me? I've been wrapped up in some OT stuff (H-D's), minding the store and getting my new digs ready to move into. I'm downsizing my fleet of projects in a vain attempt to fit ten pounds of old rusty stinky stuff into a one pound sack.

Saw your old Plymouth sitting forlornly under a tarp and felt so bad I went out and fired mine up for the first time in a couple of years. Amazingly it came back to life after only a couple of cranks. Miracles do happen.

Anyhow...I wondered if there's anything I might have that would speed the resurrection of your coupe? I left all the old sheet metal in CA when I left, but still have a few odds and ends that might help. Let me know what you need.

BTW: I'm absolutely in love with Miss Judy. What a great attitude she has. You're a lucky guy!

 

Thanks Eric, but I'm all set on stuff for the coupe but a clear two uninterrupted weeks to get the deal done! I'm always too damn busy to work on my stuff too much, unfortunately.

It doesn't sound like much, but I have to reassemble the front clip on the car. The problem is, when ElPolacko and I built it, we dropped the front clip about an inch or so to help with it's sneaky shape... It also means every panel has to be sliced and diced a good bit to make it all fit. If I had it to do again it wouldn't be that way, but it sure looks good when it's all together.

Way glad to hear you still have yours!

 

Hey gang, I'm still here and should be wrapped with "endlessearth's" truck at weeks end. I wish I had snapped a pict of taking his truck's double jointed long bed driveshaft down to Dick's driveshaft this afternoon... It was about 7 feet long and most of it hanging out of the 'bucket! Comedic situations abound when you drive weird crap everywhere!

I had intended to sit down and write a another aesthetics/history piece, but Judy just called and told me she is bringing home a box of fried chicken right now.... She lives another day! Time to mix a rum and Coke and eat. If I can find some "ME" time tonight, I'll sit and do some writing and hopefully that will help me decide what my next move will be...

 

What, no photos of said drive shaft and Bucket cruising ? I think I have told you the story of the large pot plant tree thingy sit beside me in my Bucket travelling home with the seat belt helping holding it in place, that drew the stares from the people....

 

Ha! I re made the cruising with a driveshaft photos for ya! I had to stage it because sir Dick, he of Dick's driveshaft freed up the slip section of the trucks two piece driveshaft so it could come apart for easier transport home. Next time I load photos I'll throw it back up here....

 

Chip-
The heck with the driveshaft, tell me about the fried chicken!

 

We have a grocery store chain over here called Fry's that has a for real Broaster in every deli counter... Damn good stuff! One of my favorites though is over in Pomona, CA on Gary street a couple of blocks north of downtown. I want to say it's Gibson's or Gibby's or something like that. Left to my own devices, I'd be somewhere in the 350-400 lbs range on eating fried chicken alone... Well, that and Mexican food.

 

I think your talking about Donahoo's on Gary. Most well known chicken joint in Pomona.
Let me know when you'll be in town for LARS and I'll pick some (20 or 30 pieces) up.

 

Donahoos! I could see the sign in my minds eye, but I couldn't remember the name. Hell, I usually sack out at the motel six down the street (cheap, clean, and the manager hates me!) maybe I'll grab the chicken!

 

Ha! I stayed in a Motel 6 once. I'm 6' 1" and that was the worst bed in the world! Some of my body hung off the end... basically from my thighs down. Can't imagine what it must be like for you.

Not to mention the showers! Shower head at naval level and not enough room to turn around!

We have reservations at the Red Roof in San Dimas. We usually stay at the Comfort Suites but a group of friends got a room block there. See you in June!

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Is that the the stuff that you had at your LARS site last year? If so, it was very good!

 

Damn, 8 days and no posts! I'm slipping!!! Grant's truck is being obstinate, so I'm still all in on that, but the end is near.

I went for a bit of a wild ride in the 'Bucket on Wednesday! I jumped into it to head out and grab some more parts having not driven it since Saturday evening. Clipped the wheel on, fired it off, backed it out and just kinda slide it into drive as it rolled and headed off down my little street. Got to the end of the street and went to make a right onto Central, and stepped on the brakes to slow up... And they went to the floor! Pumped again and the now dead pedal just laughed. I saw just enough space to tuck it into in the right lane in traffic (The only possible place to go, and about a car length and a half long!) and just flat went for it, fortunately sliding it a bit and scrubbing off some speed as I did. Did the same right turn on the next street up and let it roll to a stop on the long quite street. Sat there and shook for a moment, then quietly pushed it the rest of the block and a half home!!! I don't believe the commuter zombies on central even realized I was having a problem!!! Don't try this at home, I am a trained professional...

Turns out, the year old, super cheesy, Chinesey Speedway master cylinder had a massive bout of non-workability. I guess it was kinda like that old Monty Python gag about the blocks of flats put up by a Hypnotist/magician named Mysterio. They were lovely to live in and very solidly built as long as you believed they were real! If you didn't, they started to fall down until you believed again. Kinda like that! See, the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about what master cylinder I could slide in there that would make life a bit easier and provide better braking feel. That's when the old decided life wasn't worth living, and it would take me with it.

 

....So, long story short, it didn't kill me. But I had to do something about a master cylinder on the super quick so could get back to driving again. I went straight for one of my defaults, a '71 Maverick non-power, drum/drum master.

It has a number features to recommend it for this type of use. 1. Ford master cylinders from the early seventies were still equipped with in cylinder residual check valves when drum brakes are present. I can't tell you when they did away with them in favor of those in the combination valve or external, but knowing that little tidbit always makes plumbing a bit easier. 2. it's a 1" bore, which is a good size for a vehicle of this weight and size. 3. It is about as compact as a dual chamber cylinder is gonna get. 4. The reservoir bowls are the same size on the drum/drum version, and although I don't really know why, it makes my sense of symmetry happy.

With a bit of fiddling and some adaptors quickly sourced from my back yard/junk yard/I never throw anything away hell hole, it dropped right in and is a bit narrower than the Speedway G.M. knock off that it replaced, so the shifter's linkage has a bit more real estate to roam in. The Speedway unit was set up as an aftermarket disc/drum master, and it's lack of residual check valves were what contributed to the somewhat vague feel at the pedal that got me in this mess in the first place.

Now, as good as this Maverick unit is, I'm wishing that I had had the time to find a Ford drum/drum master that was 15/16" instead of the 1". Due to space constraints stemming from the original owners insistence on a left foot brake pedal, the brake pedal ratio is a bit compromised in my car. The pedal is pretty hard at the moment, and a slightly smaller bore would go along way to helping with a softer pedal. To that end, when I went down to my wholesaler yesterday I asked for an old hydraulics parts book with bore sizes listed, and I'll sit down for a bit and do some research so I can find one by application.

In the mean time, The Bucket of Ugly STOPS! Oh, soon it'll get a parking brake too... Cummon truck, stop screwing with me!!!

 

That could have been real ugly!

 

Hell yes it could have been! I have been meaning to get to an e-brake on this thing, but I just haven't had time to deal with it. I went out today and was looking at stuff in the back yard and realized I had a complete S-10 rear end with some very nice shielded, staggered length e-brake cables on it. Probably will get rolled into this deal soon.

 

Hell man, I would of had to make a " B " line to the bathroom to check for skid makes on the undies after an experience like that. Glad you had the shit under control real quick to save yourself and the car. One thing, when you add the E Brake, make sure you can reach it easily as mine is now on it's third shift as I found I had to unbuckle the seat belt to reach it stll and in an emergence that would never of helped. Mine is now mounted where I will have to alter the seat base but that is a small hassle compared to not being able to stiop in a hurry if something does happen like your little episode.

 

When I was building my T in the'80s my neighbor was restoring a WWII Jeep. He had just bought this nice little short Jeep E brake cable. I thought one like it would be perfect for my roadster and was. Just a heads up for others looking for one.

 

I am going to use one of the Disc units for the rear end, on the drive shaft, as my roadster has 4 wheel discs.

 

Jaguar masters are 15/16" hope that helps you.

 

Cool Langy, that's good to know.

 

For a 15/16" bore master cylinder you can use an easy to find Ford Pinto master cylinder.

Probably much easier to find than a jaguar MC.

1979 Pinto specs: CENTRIC PREMIUM BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER, NEW -- 15/16 in. bore diameter; This is a high quality OE replacement brake master cylinder.

I'm using one on the build of my 26 RPU.