Projects built lots of cars, but never a 32 roadster...

I'm not sure its a casting, but so what! I was inspired by your earlier modification, if I recall correctly, and modified mine in a similar fashion, sans the bolt down the middle. Im far from an expert tig welder but it welded beautifully and cleaned up and polished well so you never know it was messed about with. Sorry yours didn't work out like that but I think you should probably only pass judgement on the finish when fully polished. Might save you a chroming job. As an alternative it would look good and have a more original vibe if painted. Just a thought.

Chris

 

Paint it black...that's a GREAT idea! Thanks

 

OK - ran into a few roadblocks (I suppose these are common pitfalls, but any help is well appreciated)...
- My driver's door is now unexplainably stuck shut. Door gaps are good though. Need to get it open - maybe unbolt the body to relax things?
- Door bumpers are definitely too thick, doors are hard to shut - should I shave them with a grinder?
- Have a Walker radiator & small block Chevy with a breather - can't find a reasonable upper radiator hose/water-neck combination.

 

Try upper hose:
NAPA 7209
Gates 20046
Gates 20607

Lower hose:
NAPA 7286
Gates 20225
Gates 20242

Hope this helps.

 

It's very common to shave the rubber door bumpers for a good fit. I have a belt sander with some 40 grit on it, and hold the bumpers up to that. It makes a satiny finish and is rather smooth.

 

FWIW, I use 1990 Cadillac water outlets with mid 60’s 327 corvette upper rad hose.

 

Those are great suggestions and I think you guys for sending me those part numbers... I'm going to give it a try, but I think I'm going to regret installing that breather tube on my intake manifold

 

@SDS it looks perfect on there!

 

Uh, sorry...what looks perfect on there?

 

The breather tube.

 

Thanks...Unfortunately, it's in the way of all the waterneck/hose combos that everyone haa suggested. Envisioned myself removing it in the near future

On a bizarre note, I ordered 2 of those radiator hoses from Amazon at 11AM today...they showed up on my doorstep at 3 ! Crazy

 

Thanks to "wildest" for sending photos of his behind-the-seat cross-bracing. Besides his car making my heart race, the pix were great reference...



Tied the top into the body using one of the bolts that hold the seam together

 

I did one almost exactly the same. Welded.

 

Had to reorient the water neck on the engine in my 66 Suburban, this is an OEM Chevy cast iron water neck that came on many 60's hi-perf small blocks.
I whittled out two 3/8" aluminum plates and rotated everything to satisfy the radiator hose hookup then had my buddy TIG weld them on the inside

.

 

My thermostat housing is pretty much straight to the front. The oil fill tube was pie cut to clear the alternator.

 

Thanks, I'm trying that next... anyone have a part number of a similar neck?

 

I hope you fixed that twisted, flattened fuel line.

 

You could swap the neck and filler from side to side.

 

Made the dash struts this morning - the plates on the firewall bolt on with the bolts that hold the radiator struts. There's a quarter inch plate over the steering column drop ...

 

Have been dragging around a sheet of 1/8" aluminum for 15 years, moved quite a few times
Finally found a use for it, rear firewall mounted to the cross-bracing. Left 3/16" - 1/4 inch gap all the way around to allow the body to flex. 3/16" pop rivets every 4 inches into the cross-bracing.

 

Getting to the mountain of "little things"...

Almost done with the seat mounting - used slides from Speedway on my ghetto S10 seat


Got a column collar from Drake - they're on clearance sale right now. Welded to a plate, mounts to a square hole in firewall. The snout goes on the engine bay side of the firewall and really makes the column solid

 

I have seen a few bodies with a turn buckle from the cross bracing up to the door post to keep that area aligned. Maybe on the Bass build?

 

That's an interesting idea...it's pretty unbelievable how much what I did stiffened the body - noticeable difference when you shut the doors, much more solid

 

The Brookville screw -
Talked to Brookville's shop guy yesterday. To remedy the "not so tight" cowl to firewall for I have, they suggest clamping it from the center out and then drill/insert a #10 screw 1/2" below the belt line bead. I don't really want a visible screw there, but if it works, it's certainly an easier fix than alternate methods. The hood will hide the screw heads.
Haven't drilled the hole yet, but put tape over the seam and clamped it... definitely moved 1/8-3/16" downhill.

 

Well, I got screwed.
Started with a #10 screw on each side, 1/2" below the belt line bead. That helped, but didn't solve the problem.
So, then I decided to put another screw in where the real problem is on top. That really about fixed the problem.
Now, I have to beat the lip up a little bit to get the rope higher in a few spots and everything will be good.
Right now, I have the cardboard strips (I mentioned previously) underneath the rope in a few spots.

 

Sounds like you’re an track to beat this problem!

 

We'll see...after measuring about 50 times (and finding out that custom hood sides are about 3 months ETA from Rootlieb) I went ahead and ordered a set of stock sides. Hope I can make them work - if so, everything is off to painting & powder coating.

 

Scott,
Have you started the paperwork to get it on the road? With NJ and covid it took me almost 1 year to get my title, just saying.

 

Have not, but in NH we have "hot rod registrations". You don't even need a VIN# somehow - have to take it to a licensed salvage yard and get them to confirm it's road worthy and then you're GTG. Probably a good idea to get the process started, but I believe the first step is the salvage yard.

 

Seriously?! The complete opposite of here then.