Projects Drdave accidentally buys a Model A. Now what?

Hahaha!!

 

Here is the cap and plate(s). Don't think they have the plate by it self. On sale too! It uses the 3 trim screws to secure it to the trim and shell which I used on my '32 but I used just the plate on my '33 Plymouth.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/1932-Ford-Replacement-Radiator-Cap-Chrome-Finish,3039.html

Dave

 

Well golly, that's the cap I have. I'll have to go look in the box, maybe I already have the plate. I haven't looked at it in a while, so it could very well be there. Thanks!

 

@drdave LOL! Glad to help, I hope.

Dave

 

Well look what I found on the shelf tonight…



Lol. Guess I’m set after all.

 

Hot dog!

Dave

 

Well, almost two years to the day I pulled the seats out, I finally finished the front seat the other night.



I'm 95% happy with it, so I'll call that a win. The side seams on the frame cover are supposed to come around to the front of the frame and they came up short just a bit on both sides, but I was able to stretch it around enough to get it to fold over and reach the tack rail on the inside. Looks fine, but could have looked better. No matter where on the frame I put the cover (higher or lower, etc) It just would not line up. I stretched and stretched (on advice from my upholster aunt, I tried misting with water and warming with steam) but that's as close as I could get. Good enough for who it's for. LOL



Also, the upper outside corners on the top cushion (the "ears" still sticking up in my previous pics from Jan) were quite the booger to get to lay down right. I would have liked them to curve in at the very top a bit more to follow the curve of the outside bolster attached to the frame, they have no wrinkles and the way the edge of the cover was cut and finished off on the corner I just couldn't make it go where I wanted it to without a fold on top and that wasn't going to work for me.



In the end, I'm happy and should serve for another 90 years. A lot of life went though the originals as you can tell by the fade.



Now to reassemble the seat track and get the whole thing back in the car. Called the radiator shop the other day.....still no radiator after two months of waiting. Hopefully he'll have it done this week. Sadly, it's the only radiator shop left in the area and even still it's 45 minutes away, so I can't just drop in on my way home from work and pester him. LOL

 

Very Kool, ya did a great job. Cant wait to see it installed.

 

Thanks! Hopefully I'll get enough time coming up to get it in. I saw someone say the other day only twelve more weekends before the Custom Car Revival....and that made me think "Dadgum, that means only 8 more weekends before the SK and the A is a long way from being ready!" LOL Of course, Jim Jacobs could throw together a tub from left over parts in 26 days or some such thing....but he's Jake and I'm me. LOL

 

Seat looks great. Hope to see it installed soon!

 

Totally understand the frustration of something not doing what you want it to or going the way you want it to.
But I think it looks great and wouldn't be any the wiser had you not enlightened us.

 

OMG, that is a GREAT job. You should be very proud. Nice going!

 

Seats look great Doc, good to see you getting the seats all done. They sure look good.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

They're lookin' good to me! Looking forward to seeing it back together...

 

Thanks guys! Really looking forward to having it back on the road. Periodically, one of the ladies in the office will ask if the Model A will be showing back up any time soon. Hopefully….

 

Well, guess what? Just over 2 years after it was removed, the front seat has made it back in the car. It took some figurin' but I figured out how the seat track went back together and the order in which to put it and the seat back in. The sliders, brackets and adjuster screw all kinda weaves through each other and you can't just plop it in...so far as I have been able to figure out. I did end up struggling with the last two bolts on the back of the seat to the sliders that in the final analysis I should have done first. Oh well, live and learn. @Tim told me last night (after I got it all done) that when he has an order of bolts he needs to remember for assembly, he stamps the holes with the order the bolts go back in. Neat trick I wish I had known when I took it apart (but, it was all frozen up when I got it out, so it came out all wonky anyhow I guess), but I'll be stamping numbers on seat frame at the mounting holes so I don't forget for next time.



It's unreal to me that is 92 year old factory paint on that floor pan and that it is in such amazing shape. The seat track I cleaned up, repainted, and regreased of course.



And there she is, all back in place. Whew! Now if I didn't have the radiator all out and the 12 volt conversion finished, I'd be ready for a drive. LOL



And for anyone who would care, here's the seat belts mounted behind the bottom cushion to the seat carriage/frame. Technically, the bottom of the back seat cushion cover was/is supposed to be attached to that wood rail you see standing up just below the seat belts. I hog ringed the cover to the back of the spring instead so I didn't have to run the seat belts through the cover. As a quick reminder, since I showed it 2 years ago, the bolts are carriage bolts and washers welded to the back of the seat frame and are covered by the seat frame cover. Here's the back of the seat frame again before the padding and cover...



Next steps are to get the radiator back in now that I have it back from the shop to have the filler moved to the back side. Then fit the 32 grille shell and paint it. Adjust the old school dropped headlight bar to fit right, choose which headlights to put in, swap all my bulbs to 12 volt, mount the 32 bumpers and I think I'm back in bid'ness. New grand baby in the hood, though, so not sure if it will make the SK. Oh well, win some, lose some. LOL

 

Great job, this is going to be one fine “A”! Hope you can make it to SK.

 

Thank you! Yes, I will be making the SK, but the A might not, in which case we will be bringing the Chevy.

 

Shit at this rate I’ll be ready to take it for a spin the next Time I’m down

 

Maybe I’ll really have it ready this time…I lucked out last time when I said I’d have it ready (and didn’t ) and you ended up not coming this way. Haha

 

If it helps I have no for seeable plans to head to your neck of the woods any time very soon lol

 

That is most helpful! Thanks!! Lol

 

No problem
Lol

 

If you end up driving the Chevy, let me know, maybe we can drive up together. I enjoyed chasing you up to Dewey last year, but the drive back... not so much! lol

 

LOL! Me either Jim. Haha! I'll text ya....

 

Alllllmmmmoooooosssstttr but not quite fits….



Looks like I’ll need to trim a smidge off the bottom of the shell where it sits on the fenders…as most everyone says you need to, and lean the radiator back about 3/4 of an inch. I’ll paint it match of course, and I have a 32 swan radiator cap for it….starting to get the sweater I unraveled knitted back in place.

 

I've heard getting the headlight bar to clear the front of the '32 shell can be frustrating.

 

Im still confused on how one accidentally buys a car.

 

Heck, he accidentally bought a 56 T-bird at a garage sale too... I suppose I have accidentally bought a few good deals as well.

 

I understand that as well. I have an old dropped headlight bar I’m going to use, but it already needs a bit of tweaking, so when I get the courage to fire up the torch and do that, I’ll tweak it to clear the grille insert as well.

lol…well, it basically goes like this….bidding at the auction stopped, I couldn’t let it go that cheap, I raised my hand expecting to be countered, but wasn’t, so then I owned a car I never intended to buy. Haha

….and then there’s that…. Ha!!!!