Projects Dagel's 29 Model A SDN from junk and castoffs

I LOVE THESE BRAKES! For some reason I thought they were just an aluminum cap, now they're on my list.

Any idea if anybody still makes those adapters?

This is really shaping up to be a nice build!

 

The man I got them from was sanfordsotherson he is here on hamb.
The thread why not Buick brums.
Here is a link
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/buick-drums-so-why-not-use-the-hubs.91081/

I don't know if he has done another run you need to ask they ran around$70 when I got mine and few years ago.
They use national bearings outer bearing set #A-3, inter berring set# A-5 and seal #331301N. All are of the shelf at orriles auto parts around$40 for both sides.

 

King pins and bushing replaced backing plates drums and new bearing greased.
And my frount rims

The frount halftime is restarting to looking like something.

 

Crossmember all most done
Done for today where is my beer

 

Got all the top done but the drive shaft loops






Looks like a lot of structure but l hate flex.
Bottem side will get roll pan.
Pulled engine back out to flip it over and finish welding.and cleaning up weld splater.

 

Well I am wasting time due to mud dobbers. Thought ever hole was plugged on the engine.
I went to turn it over by hand it felt funny then a clunk.mud fibers nest hitting bottom of oil pan.


The only place I missed was the down draft tube,I figured the filter would be enough wrong.
Now tore it all the way back down pulled rings,piston pin and been cleaning all the assembly lub of everything.
Making sure there was no dirt left.
Those dark gray ares on the power forged pistons there from the box probley got wet setting on a shelf for 60 years.

 

Everthing but rocker shafts has now been cleaned.



Temp put it together so I could paint it ford red.
I like seeing unpainted gaskets and black bolts on my engines.easier to convince someone it was act rebuilt and not just wash and sprayed.
This one got everything and then some.



Thought the bell housing wouldn't look better in cast aluminium.
Let the heat bake the paint tonight and put it back together sat.

 

Time to put the Y-Block back together

First up I use Lucas assembly lube.



If you have never done a yblock before here some interest facts. There all solid lifters. The lifters look like Ford was playing a joke. The lifter is the first thing you install it goes on from the bottom.


Looks stupid




It slides in


First 4 in


My cam .C120 supposed to be a NASCAR grind in 57-58


Here is the cam in place with out it the lifter will fall out


I use King bearings crank is.010 on rods.030 on the mains

When there turned make sure the filit cut is still there



And of course spend the exter to shamfer the oil holes

There a lot of part on the cam first a thrust washer tq bolt to 18# then a sleeve followers by the cam gear. A counter weigh The fuel pump excerenta .another spacer washer and then the bolt


Here is some total screwed up the dots on the cam and crank gear face the driver side. There are 12 pin between them see them in purple


Here is some thing else to watch 1head gasket goes face up 1 face down look at the left Conner top see how the gasket is round well that backwards the gasket need to be turned over on the driver side so there is a conere at the frount on doth sides



Here you can see the head gasket corner near the valley pan on both sides. If 1 is round like the rear it is on wrong it will probably overheat.


Alway use new valve springs I also us aluminium retainer to drop some valve train weight


I mark everything with paint to verify its done this one purple on bolts and retainers



As any thing is tighten the last time it gets marked no guising around here

 

Yblocks why do they have to be so different


Bottem done

Marked the balance every 90 deg to help adj valves


Another od thing there a rear main cap and a rear seal cap.

Timing cover done using the pump with the filter built in.


Here is a hint when the timing marks are set per the books. Basic at 3 position with 12 link between then drop the distributor in on# 6 cly.
To adj valves turn crank 1 tune that # 1 cly set the valves #1 rotate crank clock wise 1/4 ture (that's why I mark the balancer) adj valves for next cly in firing order repeat.

I used a msd distubator so I will have lots of spark



This should kook mean coming downs the road.



Engine is ready.

 

Very nice work indeed. I love scratch built cars from orphaned parts. GO FOR IT!

 

Simpel alternator mount. One of those high dollar generators that is an alt would look better lol

 

Nice work, thanks for posting. Looking forward to what's next!

 

Well tomarow I'm off for vacation be back here in 3-4 weeks.
Got my tool box loaded and running the back roads looking for old wreking along the way

 

Nice - enjoy the time away - happy hunting

 

well vacation is over now back to the 100 degree Texas heat. me and Glen sat and looked at it and it was just to high for our taste so since the Speedway wish bones are set up for a spring hanger I decided to use it.

flipped the frame over and looks like I might be able to nonce the frame horns and kept them.



Layed out a line



and turned glen lose I just did not have the hart to cut the



few minutes later and now there gone

put some of it back together

set frame where it would work

final height 6" between frame and ground at the front, 8" at rear , 5" at pan

I figure it will still drop 1-2"more when done should be just right for me anyway. now I have to dig out the sedan body everything changes around . decided to put it on this frame and take the old frame cowl, door and title and see if it will sell

 

I have went round and round on this and the decision has been made I will put my 2 door SDN body on the frame spent 2 100 deg days digging it out and getting it this far



spent 2 more days getting the shop cleaned
so we could get it on the lift


some bolts were easy some meet the torch



strapped it to the lift and pulled it


body now free and frame ready to pull



frame is now ready to go or is it . I think I will cut the rear cross member and reuse it and the spring on the new frame (the old frame is ruff cracked and twisted) so part yeay

 

the Body and frame are now 1 almost time to decide what type rear suspension I will use.



now its time to figure all the little stuff out

on this lift I can keep everything in place weld it to the lift so nothing moves like a frame table but easers to work under


with the 4x4 tubing in I will wind up with 5" at rear of frame to ground and 4" at the fount
I made sure there was plenty of room from the rear of the engine to the fire wall some like them close I prefer 4-6" myself and since the frame is custom easy to do.



the 3 sp over drive trans will be column shift on custom tilt column

 

Can you say nose blead


guise it time to cut some sheet metal and make some 2"tubs so it will set down some space the wheels out from the body mie will be tucked in to the fender 2"

 

Here is one of the reason I like thinking about cutting before I do it last night I thought I had my mark right to cut the fenders after thinking about it ?



Iand cooling off I realized I did not figure the rubber on the front tire


new cut line is 5" lower then yearerday


not sure If we will use the original rear cross member and spring but there worth money so we will hold on to them for now


it still amaze me how much tension is on these rear springs

 

You look at it and look and finely all you can do is just cut it.
wheel wells are cut right or wrong that's where the tire will be .
got the rear seat pan out next some bracing and figuring out what type suspension it will have in the back.


the picture that's taped to the body is close to what I am looking for as far as ride height.


wheel well is cut out 1/2 " larger then the tire and there is 2" from top of tire to the body when it will be at ride height.

the mess made from a simple job


nice big hole to fill in

for being 90 years old not a lot of rust


some wont like this but the drag link is going in front of the radiator it wont fit be hind it or under the frame . It is what it is looks like I will be able to reattach the frame horns using a pc of heavy wall 3x3 c channel pointing down.

 

My 2 cents - I tried running the tie rod in front of the axle on my 40 tonner - way too much tire scrubbing. I could not get the Ackerman angle anywhere close. Ideally you should have a straight line from the center of the rear axle thru the king pin to the steering arm hole if the tie rod is in front, or from the center of the rear axle thru the steering arm hole to the king pin if the tie rod is behind the axle. Ended up using dropped steering arms from Speedway (behind the axle) and put the tie rod on the bottom of the steering arms. Works great.

 

Sometimes you have no choice stock and drop arms at the rear hit eather the frame or fan. Mounted on the front up high is THE only place they will clear Everthing so that's where they have to go.

 

say what you my but the chines bead roller does work 16 ga.


rolling some beads to take out the flex.


both sides done

out side welded up



inside welded up total of 16 foot of welds in 100 deg temp with leathers hood and glove I do not know how some one can weld all day long this was just 3 hr and I'm beet

trial fit everything looks good now need a copal braces in the car so I can cut the window support out and slide the new tub in place then trim and weld. more hot weather fun

 

well that's 10 hours invested in the driver side wheel well its about 80% welded so far wish it was 50 deg instead of 100 with70% humidity



left the lip welded from inside the car then cut the lip off





the back coner is taking the most time trying to get it to look like it was this way from the factory the lower frount of the fender will be another hard spot to make look right.


here you can see where the filler is need on the front of the fender that's next

 

I'm anxious to see more of this build...

 

L7 it's a daily prosses
Lower Conner is filled


Passenger side tub ready to go in.

 

passenger side same as the driver side



First you got to get the fit tight lots of grinding



here is a good fit ready to weld


welding under way



leave the lip on and cut it off when done



about 70% done

 

Glen came by to day so I put him to work blasting and painting some old Buick rims.



I sure do like the Scat blast cabinet I got several years ago as big as it is I wish it was even larger.



They look Orange but there actually Red.



Got about 85 % of the right rear wheel well done the back corners eat up the most time.


got some body damage to fix on the driver side but both corners look the same got 20 hrs in the rear tubs so fare guise I am getting slow in my old age of 56. LOL

 

another hot humid day in Texas the passenger side rear tub is in still need some dolly work but its in.

now time for some floor work.


I needed some u shaped pc to go over the axle along the body connect to the new sub frame . had a choice bend some 2" band iron or straighten some 5" DOM tubing I had the tubing but no band iron so tubing it is. cut it 2" wide



a little heat and I have a start to the sub frame for the body , it will be made out of 1x2,1x3,1x4 rec tubing. I will build it just above what is there now and remove the old as I go. should drop the body 3" over the frame.

 

Very cool!! I'm always impressed with the skills the guys on this website have!!