Projects 1934 3 window HighBoy Build Begins

Please find attached pictures of Dustin's paint effort on the front backing plate with polished ribs. The hubs will be sent out for polishing. Additionally, please find several plumbing update photo's from Josh. He said that working with the alloy lines was
"amazing" and that the product looks "killer"
Tomorrow is front end install!
Regards,
George

 

As always, looking good! I love looking at pictures of neatly run brake and fuel lines. Some make the task of forming the lines look so easy wen I know it isn't. These are exciting times!

 

David,
Thank you for looking in on the build. I really appreciate your and others continued interest. As such, here is a picture of the progress from Josh on the front end today. Please take note of the old school "filled" axle ends. IE: Welded up solid a LONG time ago.
Regards,
George

 

Jesus this thing is turning out the be a thing of beauty. What are your plans for it. So many guys love the build part then turn around sell it and start another.

 

Loudbang...
Plans are to:
1. finish it
2. show it
3. drive it.

I have too much emotional investment along with stressing over details to ever sell this one.
I do have at least two more projects left in me. One of them has been requested by my wife.( early chevy truck , resto mod with auto /air for Sunday morning breakfast rides) and the other one is my desire to have a 46/48 Ford Sportsman Convertible. Ahhhh, wide whites and wood,..... just thinking about it makes me smile! But hold those thoughts...need to finish this one first!!!!

regards,
George

 

Josh fought the installation of the brake set up all day today. I am going up in the morning to visit and will get the details of the issues he encountered. In the meantime, please find attached pictures. I really do want matching backing plates for my Ford 9 inch rear end. I spoke with Alan Johnson today and he is planning on making these to match the front. He has a lot on his plate right now and is not sure when he will be able to tackle it. I can always update later but am hopeful to have them in the next few months.
regards,
George

 

Rex and I played a little this morning with the "Kinmont styled" brake covers. The lugs were not installed straight on the hubs and therefore the brake covers would not slide on. We will have to attempt to straighten things out or swap for a new hub. The attached picture gives you an idea of how things will work together. The cover will be polished on the "toothed" edge and the balance painted Pozzi Blue( body color). If you look closely, you will see that the cover is actually touching the inside front of the wheel.
I am not going to tell on someone that drilled the holes out too big instead of using a ream or number drill. ahem... SCRATCH ONE COVER! Not a big deal. Ill order a replacement after SEMA.

There is still a lot of effort to get all the front end actually installed versus just hung loosely.

Regards,
George

 

Bill Chapman at Diamondback forwarded some in process shots for me this afternoon. Please find the attached inprocess picture and a close up as well. After this is cleaned up, the tires will be "smoothed" front and back and then be on the way back to me for mounting.

Regards,
George

 

Here's a little more progress. Josh achieved the motor / tranny install today. I still can't believe how much effort I put into these valve covers and have chosen not to use them. yikes! I am looking forward to exchanging for the Mickey Thomson's.

Josh added the starter and powered it to insure proper alignment to the flex plate.
Nice job Josh!

Please note the motor mount..... It is NOT rubber but machined steel and painted to look like rubber. SOLID mounts were desired due to concern with the flex and the side pipes. I am hoping we didn't screw this up. smile

NO A/C , NO Power Steering ... Just an Alternator that will hang low and out of sight. This will make this bad girl CLEAN!!!

Regards,
George

 

I'm telling you, there needs to be a drooling smiley face. haha That right there is art, pure and simple. thanks for posting the updates!

 

Here's a small update...JOSH DREW THE SHORT STRAW THIS MORNING and has the task for polishing the filter tops, sanding between the ribs and then shooting them with semi gloss black.
One down and seven to go...

Maybe i can get him to give us a good picture later in the day after the completed effort. smile

Thank you Josh.

George

 

Here's more on the assembly process. The alternator bracket had to be modified to get the alternator up off the frame. 5 down and 3 more filter tops to go.

Regards,
George

 

Moving over to the body..... Current pain is the roof and sanding , sanding and more sanding....
I love the louvers, but they are a bit of a pickle for Dustin and Fred. Seeing the big hammer, slapper and dolly makes feel a little squeemish. grin.

Getting closer to first pass primer.

Regards,
George

 

What brand / kind of filler are they skim coating the body with? Assuming this is all over an etching primer?


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Jason,
It is "Rage Extreme" body filler with blue hardener by Evercoat on bare metal. (Self leveling, no pin holes) If you go back and look at the frame effort, you will see that the self etching primer does go on the bare metal that does not have body filler. (Then the whole thing is primed again). I wasn't sure why Dustin chose this method vs etching primer over all the bare metal first? HMMMM...I didn't want to seem UN-informed, so do what I did...go to the Evercoat website and click on their FAQ tab. It specifically addresses that this product has been designed to adhere to CLEAN bare metal. Additionally, it addresses that it can ALSO be used over self etching primer. So, your choice! I do not know how much is sales hype or fact, but it is supposed to be really good product.
Dustin does this for a living and I have seen his work so I am very comfortable with his decision to take this route. I'll see if I can get him to post his comments with regards to his experience using this methodology.
Regards,
George

 

He is right as a craftsman. Over paint is nice with a DD or collision repair but there have been cases of the paint and filler separating because there wasn't enough "tooth" in the paint to hold them together. Nice clean "prepared" metal is the best.

 

Christmas came early with today's UPS delivery in Loveland. The coupe came with an original Henry grill that was in very good mechanical condition. The plating had long since worn down to a dull brass finish in most of the perimeter. There were a few bent bars , but all in all , a very good grill. The issue was that it needed plating and not just any plating. It needed all the visible areas. Plating these is not an easy task to do "well".

The grill was shipped out to the same plating company as all the rest of the parts that had already been returned. There had been a follow up discussion with them about the need to get each nook , cranny and crevis plated as we were looking for as near to perfection as possible.

Well..... Such a relief, as well as great excitment... to see that they succeeded!

I have to give a big shout out and CUDOS to "Ogden Chrome" in none other than Ogden ,Utah. Thank you for a job well done.

I received the following text from Josh: " It's perfect! It looks great,this company kicks ass! It's going to be so good looking! Can't wait to put it on."

That's a pretty positive reference! smile

Regards,
George

 

Wow!!!!

 

nice attention to detail ...

 

Thank you Jfreakofkorn,
Seeing you're from a good place to get fresh beignets makes me want to visit NewOrleans. Here's an update from Josh's effort on my now finished and detailed out air filters.

regards,
George

 

Coming along swell. Great car, lovely details.

 

Thank you Jordan,
See if you like the almost there red line progress? The first attempt had the red line a little too far to the outside. Bill Chapman at Diamond Back had his team take it off and re-do with the red line placed a little more to the inside. This one is much preferred over the first one. Additionally, please note that the lettering has now been buffed off. Now for the other three tires! smile
Regards,
George

 

they look great!!
rex

 

red lines... just one more "detail" that makes this build "special"

 

Pictures are worth a thousand words! I can't wait to get my red line tires mounted on polished wheels and up to Loveland for swapping out with the current set. Looking great Josh.
Regards,
George




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And the air cleaner tops are done. I bet his fingertips are sore this morning.

 

Sure looks clean...

 

Where should I start?
1.Diamondback tires has gotten all four tires through the first and middle part of the process which includes the preparation for and the addition of the red lines. The rears are 100% complete and the fronts were scheduled today for going to the "finish" process for cutting the red line to the desired width and smoothing the tires before final buffing. Shipping of the tires back is anticipated this Friday for receipt by the end of next week. If at all possible, I will get them mounted and up to Loveland Saturday week. It isn't holding a thing up, but it would be a "nice to have" completion item off the check list.

2. Dustin and Fred have completed the bodywork and it is actually in the booth getting a coat of of polyester primer as i write this. Depending on drying time, it might be out of the booth as early as this afternoon. If not,.... tomorrow morning.

3. Josh has plumbed the tranny cooler lines as well as added the emergency brake set up from Lokar. He has also installed the vacuum pick up from each of the 8 stacks. Hmmmm, why have we done that? We do not have a PCV valve, we do not have a disty with vacuum advance and we do not have a power brake booster. Geezem , Josh and I just discused and laughed as what we have here is "a failure to communicate". He will pull the vacuum collector "spider" out and cap the lines. At least it will be much cleaner. smile.
How embarrassing that we have worked together for a year and totally missed this discussion. Oh well, minor matter and you have to be able to laugh at yourself.

4. Josh is waiting on the back ordered aluminum shocks as well as radiator mounts that are due in.

All in all , the chassis is nearing assembly completion. Josh still needs to have a drive shaft made, plumb high side fuel and return fuel lines to the EFI rails, polish and paint the brake cover hubs. etc. , etc. ... Down to the last of the details.

I am most looking forward to seeing the radiator and grill hung. Adding head lights, horns and radiator side panel sheetmetal along with the missing shocks and the front of the coupe will be able to start showing a little of it's personality.

The wet sanding and body final prep after primer is all slated for completion with COLOR by next week. There is only about 2 months to go before she has to be fully completed and on her way to Pomona.

Wish us luck.

Regards,
George

 

I don't see a power brake booster attached to the master.

 

That's because we "messed up". I have re written the post above and was hoping to not have an observant HAMB'ER find it before I did. ( Good catch.) I hadn't noticed the absense of the power booster I took for granted and Josh hadn't noticed he was installing a vacuum collector assembly for nothing.
...you just have to laugh!
The vacuum spider is coming out and the lines will be capped.