Hot Rods '29 cabriolet build, better late than never

...getting painted, starting reassembly

 

The steering wheel is ready for installation with the hub now painted.


The front sheet metal is painted and installed. I can hardly wait for the body to be finished, so assembly can continue.

 

Your steering wheel is AMAZING. Gary

 

Wow, great build.

Rich

 

Your attention to detail on this car is outstanding, Russ.

 

I dropped in on Kenny March, who is painting my car, to see the progress. Color is on everything! Next week I will get the cowl back and have more to assemble.

 

I got the cowl back from the painter and started some reassembly

the middle panel was installed and fastened with SS nuts and bolts.


The data plate and Briggs Body Number plate were reinstalled after polishing the SS fasteners.


Radiator support bar fasteners were attached.




Dynamat was installed, and next I will install the inner support structure, wiring board and heater.
putting some of this stuff together when the cowl in on a table is a lot easier than doing it laying on my back and in a twisted position. ...more pics will follow as I get more done.

 

I started bolting things in, looks a bit cluttered at the moment. Having had the car in a shake down mode makes it easier to reassemble without drilling holes here and there for mounting unanticipated bits.

 

All the switch panels are mounted. Not much more can be done on the cowl until the body is all mounted on the frame.

 

Wow those panels are works of art all by themselves.

 

Replace your screws with brass slot head machine screws that you put in a 1/4" drill and grind/file off the slot......you can also file the diameter of the head smaller if needed. They will look like a rivet, and install with a nut and a dab of loctite. If later you have to remove them just grind off from the back and start over.

 

a boner, that is almost exactly how I finally did them! I used 6-32 SS slot heads, put them in a drill, spun them, and shaped them over a spinning disk of a disk/belt combo sander, cutting them down to rivet head size. Then, I gave them a light polish, still mounted in the drill.

Earlier, I had looked for and had found some proper sized rivets, but my headlight holes were too large for the rivets to expand to. Thus, I had to go back to using the cut down screws. That is how I finally came up with the process like you described.

 

Is it a 29 or a 30 cabriolet...cause it look like a 1930-31...

 

1929. The later (1930-31) ones had a removable gas tank which functioned as the top of the cowl. The 1929 cowl is a single piece, the original gas tank dropped down from being mounted inside the cowl.

 

slowly making progress, hope to get the cowl and back half of the body bolted down next week.


I just love this color; it changes so much as the lighting changes. ...just a bit of clouds overhead here.

 

Outstanding work Russ. Love the steering wheel and wood grain dash. Your attention to detail is exceptional. Please post some pictures and info on your engine. Thanks

 

Thanks.


An older pic of the motor. I don't know as much as I wish about the motor. It has some issues but hopefully none that cause a failure in the short term. I got it in a running car I purchased. It is a nearly new rebuild with a Lion head,Weber carb, and FSI ignition. I changed the one wire alternator to a standard three wire and moved the oil filter to the firewall. It apparently has insert bearings, sleeved cylinders, full oil pressure, and a better cam. I am short on the details. A year and a half ago, I blew a head gasket and during repair found the sleeves were sitting low, but I have not had further problems with the motor since putting it back in service. I hope to start getting some real miles on it once the car is back on the road. Probably not 500 miles yet, only 200 after I got the speedometer hooked up.

 

That paint is awesome.

 

I got the body tied back together and sitting on the frame.

Now I have to get all the body alignment spacers in place and it all tightly bolted down.

 

Great build/story. That dashbord knocks me out.

 

What is that body color GM Nocturne Blue?

 

Rand Man, the color is a slight variant from the original 1929 color, Andalusite Blue. See Post #31 or so. I had four color formulas sprayed out with slight variations in the formula. From those, I came up with the fifth formula. Paint is PPG envirobase. I pulled both black and violet out of the formula and replace them with a blue; but it is still very close to the original color, just not as black.

Here is a pic of it in full sun at noon today:

still a pretty dark color.

 

Looking good. Loving that blue colour.

 

It's been sometimes since I was up to date with this, and what a cool ride catching up.
Outstanding work on the dash, and wheel.
The paint is fantastic.
Beautiful work sir..

 

The body is now bolted down with all the spacers in place, most of the wiring is in place, and the steering column is mounted on the box.

Next week I will start on the hood reassembly. ...lots of tiny rivets to set, and trying to not chip the paint.

Progress seems slow, but finishing and final assembly requires shortening bolts to the exact length needed and cutting wires to remove excessive length, and polishing SS nuts and bolts that were previously plain.

 

Extremely nice work and attention to detail.

 

I had an easier than expected time getting all the hood clips and handles riveted without chipping any paint.














Next, hinge pins and mounting it. Tomorrow.

 

Attention to detail? YES.

 

I spent the day finishing assembly of the hood and placing it on the car

the hinge loops needed to be cleared of excess paint


...and carefully put together before slipping in the SS hinge rod


The hood top was placed on first,


...then the sides.


Slowly, it is starting to look more like a real car.

Still a bunch more careful fitting needed on the hood.

 

Wow, wow. Gonna be gorgeous.