Hot Rods 1934 Ford Pickup build aka "Hot Garbage"

They real question is....

Do I really need another build thread?

Maybe. Maybe not. But it helps me stay focused on what I am doing, if I put my thoughts "on paper". So here we are.

This story starts with an adventure. I will warn you, this was stupid of me. But I did it and as far as I know, no one got hurt. It starts like this;

I bought a 34 BB many years ago. It was a complete, minus engine, 157 inch wheelbase truck. Due to circumstances beyond my control and my "fuck it" attitude. We loaded this thing front first. Which may have been fine with an engine up front to counterbalance things. But with the engine MIA and that big old honking rear end out back things were less than ideally balanced on my trailer. After loading I promptly pull out of the place I bought it, and onto highway 16 and attempt to accelerate to about 35 mph at which point the truck starts violently fish tailing all over the highway. 1 pair of shorts later and I was limited to a top speed of about 25 mph on the drive home. I turned a 2 hour drive into about 5. I know most of ya'll are smart enough not to get caught up in something like that, but while I am not dumb. I do enjoy doing dumb shit....so here we are.

so I got it home, promptly pulled the cab, cut apart everything I didn't need with a Sawzall and scrapped the frame and suspension. Which in itself, was kinda a funny story, considerably I lived in Seattle at the time... Luckily my neighbors loved me.

Here is the sheet metal



Great patina, right? FYI that is original red paint under 1 repaint. Original v8 truck too.

At this point I set it aside, and started looking for a chassis...which took several years. I didn't try to hard. Obviously. But I did finally acquire a full roller. This in itself was an adventure that included getting lost in Oregon and loosing the poor steering wheel at 60 mph..

Unfortunately the frame was full of rust and Bondo, but I was still young and dumb, so I spent a lot of time welding up the frame. It's strong and well done. But not to my current standards...more on that later...

Anyways. Then life happens. I moved the shop like 5 times in 5 years. Blah blah blah...sometime last year I found a nic3 bed that kinda matched, and now here we are.

I just painted the frame this last week.



I have a nice dropped axle and unsplit wishbone. It's getting a flathead v8 and rebuilt 39 transmission. Juice brakes. Etc....very basic build. Patina is staying.(I know, how dumb am I) It will probably get some fenders.

I was originally building this as a replacement for my black truck. We'll see how much I like it. I've got enough cool, but lesser model A's and trucks and stuff that I think when I finish them, I could sell off a few and probably get a Henry 32-36 roadster or something of similar value. Not really sure what I'll do. But I like building them as much as I like driving them. So here you guys are. Hope you guys enjoy this thread. I've got some pretty major motivation going since Pat Ganahl passed away. I'm working on everything at once. Lot's going on, but the Fire is lit and we're building steam!

 

Fire it up Hitchhiker - let’s see this one go - love the story and twuck - got me eye on this build - Bubba luvs twucks

 

If anyone has any tips for installing 32-34 spring shackle bushings in the perches, I'd love to hear your advice....otherwise I'll start trying to monkey fuck it here this afternoon...

 

Tuning in!

 

Did this a long time ago but iirc, this seemed to help: heat the spring and freeze the new bushing. Maybe I’m too late?

 

Great vision. Always love to watch these being built.

 

Please forgive the screenshot. Here is the truck the day it came home.

Funny enough this reminded me that I had bought 4 32-34 truck cabs in 3 days...at this point I've had like 10+ of these cabs/trucks and never built one.

 

I was over thinking this....


Anyways...I went over to my wall of drawers. This is where I keep the small shit.


Went to the shackle drawer



And pulled some out(note: I had a one rear in this picture)



Having all this junk sitting ready to use is pretty handy.

On to the install.

I was kinda expecting a KR Wilson type tool for this. But the old vice and socket trick did it. I did have a little issue with one not going all the way in, but press made short work of that issue.

First off, which maybe this is obvious. Don't try to do it like this. You'll push the guts right out...


Not actually speaking from experience here.

I did use a off topic 14mm socket and and Taiwan made 3/4 for my press...









So there we go, 2 perches on a lunch break.

I also grabbed a couple springs out of my stash....made a damn mess too, as they were on the bottom.





The black one is the original spring from the chassis but its kinda mangled. So I'm gonna go with the rustier one and clean it up.

Thanks for tuning in guys.

 

" Perfection cannot be rushed "

 

Wow - Dude - nothing slack about you but yer looks - if the pics of yer small stuff stash is that big - WOW - really like yer thinking and ingenuity
Rock on Hitchhiker

 

I have gathered parts for my 34 also. I bought new frame rails from American Stamping. The chassis I have is passenger car so I need to know where to drill holes for the front cab mount. Can you tell me?

 

We can find out together! I haven't mounted the cab yet. But I'll try and figure that out for ya.

 

So after work I tipped the cab over and started wire brushing the bottom of the cab.




This is what I have to use on the bottom. I was gonna brush paint it. @ClarkH since you're the shop rustoleum expert, should I be using that red primer you used on your frame underneath?



Anyways, I stopped there and switched over to my prewar roadster build.

 

Had the same thing happen to me bringing home a project except it was Hwy 3, not 16. Truck was loaded front first except I didn't account for the engine and 2 large tires in the bed. Trailer was going across both lanes at 55mph. Of course the trailer brakes didn't work so the only option was to try and drive out of it. I was able to save it and as soon as I was straightened out a guy in a mustang came up beside us honking. Apparently the tires that were in the (36" off road tires) back got flung out. One was in the median almost into oncoming traffic and the other was just out of the right lane. both about a 1/4 mile back. That experience really woke me up to making sure things were loaded properly, tied down well, and everything was working how it should.

 

Hit it with Ospho first. Then primer/paint. Or go POR 15, like I am on the underside of my '29 cab.

 

My rolling chassis is 34 coupe. I have 2 cabs with most of the floor gone but lots of measuring and a friend with a brake, I have all the pieces ready to assemble. I want to assemble the floor and cowl on the frame. Gotta find out where the front cab mount holes are.

 

Thanks for posting!

 

I knew all along there was something about you I liked. Your more like Myself than I knew. Multiple projects at one time and very little completed. Always thinking the next one will take less time and work so I'll have something Fun to kick around in while getting back to the others another day. I also was at Tootle when we lost Pat. Those kinds of things always let us know our time could be shorter than we think. Kind of a reality check. About the only good thing that can come out of an event like that. Yes, I know I have more projects than I can finish in this life so it's time to focus in on something. Problem is there all equally important to me, so I never know actually what is going to get worked on is any given day. Like you I enjoy the building almost more than the Driving. Keep up the good work, looks like fun to me.

 

I would thoroughly wire brush the entire bottom, go with OSPHO, then the rustoleum rusty metal primer and then the satin black. That’s how I did my coupe. I’ve done the POR15 method on another it car , but think the above rustoleum method is just as good and less messy and less hazardous fumes.

 

I went and grabbed some rusty metal primer and OSPHO at lunch yesterday. Spent another 2 hours after working cleaning it up. I think I should be ready for paint this evening.

 

I finished cleaning up the metal. And I spent way to long straightening the subrails tonight. I've got some cracks to weld up and then I'll hit it with OSPHO and paint it. I also dug out ome mineral spirits, I had to thin out the paint per @ClarkH suggestion. I've spent way more time cleaning this stuff up than I thought I would.

Just for a little change of pace, I cut out all the old dash wiring, cleaned up the old mud dabber nests and got the original gas pedal unstuck. I also soaked the cowl vent in Kroil. I've got to get that thing unstuck.

I emailed Brad's WoodShop about some cab mounting wood. So hopefully I hear back soon. One of those things I should have done forever ago.

I need to dig out the engine soon and clean up the transmission I'm going to use. I think I'll slide those in before I put the cab on.

All in all a productive night! I'd post pictures but it looks almost exactly the same as it did before. Should look better once I get some paint on it. I have a little bit of rust repair to do. But I may do that at a later date.

I'm assuming there would be the body cloth type stuff on the frame rails?

 

Man, I remember when you hauled all those '32-'34 cabs home. As I recall, they were all advertised as being Model A.

 

That was just the 600 dollar 1932 BB I pulled out of Bellingham

 

I've been collecting them for awhile. Time to get them built! I like hopping back and forth, that way I can think about my current obstacle, while maintaining forward progress on something. It's a sickness I tell ya!

 

Today I welded up the cracks and hit the underside with OSPHO. Again no pictures, not very interesting. I have about 7-8 hours into cleaning the subframe up so far.

I'm supposed to give the OSPHO 24hrs to dry, so I'll probably switch to assembling the front end tomorrow at lunch and try and get it sitting on the axles. Should be able to paint the bottom of the cab after work. I'm really excited to get the body sitting on the frame.

 

I'll take a measurement tomorrow morning for you.

 

I'm the same way, working on a customer project, thinking about my Coupe, gathering parts for my 57 Convert and wishing I could drive my A Roadster. For sure, it's a sickness! Hope I never get over it.