Projects 1930 Sportster, shortened cockpit, tilted post cowl, door caps.

Definitely digging this one. I'm following. Always like seeing your projects.

 

Are you cutting up firewood to bar-b-que ? LOL

 

$1.50 a can flat black so I can step back and see if I like it...
I cut a 7" section from a '30-'31 closed car cowl bar... trimmed the curved section off from the bottom... It now fits flush against the center of the coupester's cowl bar, I black duct taped the coupester's cowl bar so I wouldn't weld the dash to the cowl... drilled a 5/16" hole and screwed the 7" section to the cowl... welded between the underside of the dash and the topside of the cowl bar scrap...
this really helps align the dash for fitting the edges...gussets underneath to come...
... this should work to help install any dash in a '30-'31 model A...
View attachment 3772673
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should work well while I fab the corners and leading edge... View attachment 3772675

 

What column are you running. Just watch your fitment.

 

early ford column, ? box...

 

I am finding this to be very interesting, especially the slant back pillars.

 

If you are going to slant the posts back you may need a '31 slant windshield filler panel...[between the w/s and the tank]... 1/2" taller than a '30...
It let henry tilt the w/s frame flush against the new filler panel without having to make a new w/s frame... just henry saving money.

 

Got to fix the '40 dash...
Replace someone's boogared patch... cut out the nasty... 1/2" conduit with a 6" radius bend...

To get the leading edge of the '40 dash right I used a 15" length of hockey stick, I held my angle finder against the stick, ran the stick along the header, keeping the angle at 90* and marking the base every 1" along the top of the '40 dash...
...
bent a 5" section of 1/2" conduit to the max my bender will bend 6" radius...
found where it best fit, cut a strip of steel to weld under it...


ground...

View attachment 3774346

 

welded a strip across the leading edge, trimmed it to match the edge's arch... grind...
got to make the edges match the cowl...

 

used '40 standard dash... hmmm, looks better than the one I just cut up .

 

then again this one has been trimmed to fit, and is wearing a little jewelry. View attachment 3778856

 

Friday fun... fit some 1.5" x 1.5" 90* angle 18 gauge steel as door jams... wanted to add a little rigidity to the doors... 1 jam left... lunch time...
before ;
.cut...

. View attachment 3779380 View attachment 3779381

 

Went to a buddy's shop today,
we bent some u channels, some z sections and some rear subfloor rails...
.
u channels

. z sections... for easy channel job...

.subrail... note the vertical strip, you can spread it towards the wheel well for welding...or you can cut it vertically and lay it out flat, then trim it to weld the lower quarter skin to...
.may be awhile before I get to these...

 

Been watching ebay and the hamb for a cheap '40 glovebox door, nope...
today I found a '40 deluxe door and a '47 hinge, HANGING ON A NAIL IN THE GARAGE, and at EYE LEVEL mind you... '40 to '48 cars use the same g/b hinge...
plotted the '40 glovebox door skin...
hemmed, run through a slip roller,
has some issues, but with 4 wire ties it will fill the hole. makes the naked dash look much better.

 

Got a '40 dash from a hamber..... thanks bruce...
the right side was rusty, had bought a box of '40 dash scraps when a buddy passed ...
yeh baby, had a right side dash end in it... no top but much better than what I had... welded it in this AM. ...

.

View attachment 3785192 View attachment 3785189 View attachment 3785190 View attachment 3785193
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Cheap azz '40 ashtray doors, take a 2 liter plastic bottle that you can see through, cut a 6" diameter chunk from the compound curved section...
lay it over the ashyrays, find the best fit, trace looking through the plastic... cut them out...
lay the templates onto the A headlight where it fits best... mark 'em...
cut them out with a wizzer, sand / file to fit...
.
rusted steel inner trim...
doors marked


.doors cut out.
cheap and easy, ashtrays won't be functional, so I won't be adding knobs...
.
check that, I may run a couple stainless acorn nuts to resemble knobs but you can't get a hold on them so the glue should keep them there..

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with the chrome instrument, clock bezels and these ashtray doors I may need to wear shades ...
.

 

buddy thinning out parts... got [2] '39 car dashboards, one had a funky cluster, anyone recognize it ? thanks.
backside.
added a '40 cluster.

 

I would say International truck Smitty circa 1940+

 

thanks V...
I bought a pair of '35 tudor door patches, used the upward curve at the front of the panel on my '30 coupe's cowl ,
bought tudor as after I use the front 14" or so... what is left will patch a coupe door ...
welded ;
sanded primed ;

 

Sanded the stainless glovebox doors and taped them in for a couple pix...
the dash with taped in g/b doors.

 

I'm following this. Looks interesting.

Sent from my SM-G935F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

gonna run a standard '40 cluster but will mount a '71 F100 speedometer...
with modern white on black, 80* sweep, electrical gauges...
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left the gauge mounting surface and cut out above and below the speedometer...
.
cut the F100 speedometer housing down to 6" ...
.
A buddy cut these out with a water jet and garnet dust at work...
they are '40 standard construction but have deluxe gauge / speedo pattern...
couldn't find a replacement 180* sweep like the '40 standard, but I found that the '71 F100 could be made to fit the deluxe cluster... using 10 to 90 mph...
Also lets me run deluxe gauges in a standard cluster [ no thick chrome or tan plastic...]

 

'40 housing with the 1971 F100 speedometer... only 10 to 90 mph show... needle goes out of sight on each end .
View attachment 3797268 View attachment 3797268 View attachment 3797270
note the plastic speedo housing overlaps the '40 housing to bolt them together... 2 bolts

.underside slides into the '40 housing... 2 screws...

 

'40 standard cluster, '40 deluxe guts, home made standard style facade with deluxe holes,
,
the F100 speedometer in the '40 housing... F100's odometer lines up with the '40's tripper...
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'40 standard cluster in a '39 closed car dash,
.
home made glovebox door skin,

. home made panel to replace the ashtray / lighter panels...

View attachment 3798062

 

Feb is here... time for me to get back at the coupe... wanna ride this spring.... coupester is on hold...

 

Get at it Smitty! Spring is right around the corner...........somewhere

 

gotta box some wood and ship it a little west...

 

Very nice work!!

 

broke out my last '40 dash... pic.
modifying it to bolt in a model A closed car... pic.
and trade it for tax money...
.

 

a buddy is going to show up with some interior parts for the coupe this weekend, he needs some stock mustang springs rumor has it