Projects Another Av8 build thread!

Well tonight I got the chop to its final height, 5" in the back, and about 6-6 1/2" in front. I just kinda leaned it until it looked right.... Its a little less radical than I wanted, but I gotta be able to fit in it, and I'm 6'2"
sorry no up-to-date photos....
Joe

 

Whoa. Didn't see this thread until just now. You rule. This is a most excellent build! And you're 16. And stuck on an island. I've got nothing but respect for you, dude.. I wish I could be like "Yeah.. Roadster" one day then "Naw, coupe" the next. You've got one of each.

Keep them pictures coming. I'm digging this build thread. Subscribing.

 

thanks! I can't really change my mind any more, the roadster's outside covered and beat-up, and the coupe is inside getting chopped!
Anyways its really cool to be chopping a car after seeing it done so many times on here, its really fun!

 

Haha. I bet. I think you made the right call on the coupe.. My mom pressured me to have a roll bar too but it's my car.. I don't care. I'm just going to wait until she tries buying a new Camaro convertible or something and nag her about that roll bar.

What's your plan of attack for leaning the A-posts back? It would be easier if you had a '32-'34 windshield "surround" to graft in like Bass or Kevin Lee's coupe (which you posted a picture of earlier).

 

well I have tabs on a mid-'40s chevy coupe near me, I'm thinking of using that windshield, it might be kinda cool because it has a slight v-shape, kinda like a duvall, but on a closed windshield. I've never seen one on a model a coupe before............ AND like you said I live on island a population of about 175,000, and I know most the car people, so not much of a chance of finding a '32 or '34 windshield!
Joe

 

Hm.. IMO, I don't see that working. You could make it a flat piece by cutting the windshield lip in the center then flattening it and cutting it to size for the A. A lot of work, but if hot rodding was easy, everyone would do it. V-butt windshields look good on late '30's and newer because the rest of the body compliments it. No offense but with an A, you're trying to make a V-butt windshield work with a less curvy body. A bodies are more square than the later cars, so they look better with flat windshields. However, I've seen A roadsters with later V-butt windshields (from a shoebox Ford, no less) grafted into them and thought they looked pretty cool, so.. Who knows? Maybe with a heavy chop, it'll look cool in an unique way. The only problem I see is making it work with the top of the A cowl which curves down at the sides.. That'll be an interesting challenge to tackle.

If you have a vision for it and think you can make it work, then by any means, prove me wrong! It's hard to be original when it comes to hot rods but not impossible.

 

Great build going here. You've got the skill and imagination to have a great ride when finished.
One thing I would like to see is to get that body mounted to the frame before too much more welding. You've already done quite a bit and the cross bracing for the chop is minimal at best.
You've got a nice 32 frame right there. You can still use the dolly, just slip the frame on it and mount the body.
Keeping things square and plumb is a big plus when you go to fit-up the doors and deck lid. Here's a couple of pics of a current project to demonstrate.

 

I definitely see what you're saying dude, and I agree to some extent, but I'm at least try to make this work..... and if it looks like sh!t, its no big deal I'll just try to find another(probably import one from the mainland). I did a drawing at one point of a sorta pre-war style coupe, made into a 3w, with a sorta v'd windshield..... I'll try to scan it in

thanks man!
I didn't want to put on the frame yet, because the sub-rails aren't notched yet so the body would sag in the middle...... and I figured since a model A frame is flat, the body-dolly would actually be the best. I might be wrong though... I don't know....
Joe

Heres some photos from this morning

 

Ha! One of the projects I want to tackle in the future is a 3W A coupe with a '32-'34 windshield as well. Heavy chop. Great minds think alike, eh?

I'll be keeping an eye on this to see how the windshield comes out.

 

Here's the drawing with the v'd windshield, I realize now that it has a lot of other mods, but just looking at the windshield area, I think it looks pretty cool... but it might not look good in "real life"
Joe

 

The roof kind of has that "Golden Submarine" feel to it.. You never know. You might be able to pull it off. It's your call.

 

Haha yeah like minds think greatly!

 

Here's a cardboard mock-up of the leaned back windshield... looks cool! It does have a center strip, but there's not much if any "v" to it.
Joe

 

That looks cool in a weird way. I like it.

 

yeah, I think its gonna be a good bit different when its done......

 

What about making it a post car also? Go pretty wild with it. (not all the other stuff though..)

 

You mean a hardtop?

 

wow.... that thing IS wild, and thats an interesting idea.... not sure if it really fits the style I'm going for with the car... something to think about though

Joe

 

Well I was out of town for a while, and I just got back yesterday. Sorry for the lack of updates.
I did however work on the pass. side rear corner of the roof, right behind the side window. I had to make vertical relief cuts to make the top/bottom of the roof match, and I started tacking it back together.... I'll post photos when I'm farther along.

cheers,
Joe

 

Doh... yeah. post-less? heh...

 

Oh, that reminds me. I found this in an old thread. Not a coupe but an interesting modification.

 

Theres some pretty unique ideas over here. Definitely like what I see. I'll be following this closely.

 

yeah I think Westergard built that car, not quite sure.... I think it's pretty cool though!

thanks!

 

Yeah that's the Westergard roadster. Did they ever fix the rear damage? I see the top was replaced.

 

do you mean the gas tank? I think they left it pretty much as is...

 

yup, why fix an original top but not an original gas tank. The tank looks so bad.

 

well I think the reason they left the tank is the damage was from being push-started many times at the lakes...... so it has history, like a timing tag........

 

Hey guys(and girls), I have been waiting on some things, and been kinda busy working..... so I haven't been working on the car much.
When I moved Cali to Hawaii I decided not to bring my oxyacetylene tanks, just my torches with the intention of renting bottles over here...... And of course soon after my I arrival I find out they "don't do that here"........ugh!
So last time I was in Cali I crated them up and shipped 'em out!.....And they showed up on my doorstep(shop-doorstep?) a couple of days ago!


I worked pretty much all day yesterday on the car.... working on the passenger side A pillar. I decided to just modify the stock model A pillar, instead of using like a '32 windshield or something..... They're very square when viewed atop, so I decided to change that!

here's some pics!

 

round two....

 

ugh well they aren't really in order, haha sorry