Projects I Just Bought a Hot Rod Model A Roadster That Was Built In 1959...

I bought a new battery and ground cable (missing for some reason?) and hooked it up last weekend to see what kind of shape the electrical system was in. The head/ taillights work and more importantly the starter/ignition.

Hopefully this link will work...
https://instagram.com/p/BZ9wwopA2V7/

Pretty exciting! The mechanical oil pressure gauge pumped up to 40 psi. I was hoping to see some oil at the rockers but from what I'm reading the early olds engines don't put much oil on the top end. I may borrow a friends pressure oiler and give it a shot this weekend.



I bought some wire and ends and made up some new spark plug wires using what I could of the old spark plug boots. A few of them were cooked but a friendly Instagram friend sent some matching replacements for me.







I put the intake back on and made some block off gaskets for the end carbs for now. I'll get it running on the center and then re tune it as I add the two end carbs individually.

Now I have to figure out a gas tank. I may use a temporary boat tank that I have just so I can see if thing will run or not!

Stay tuned!

 

Getting close! This is such an awesome chapter in this cars history....

 

I’ll be in town tonight let me know if you go cutting donuts in the farm yard!

 

*nostrebor maniacally rubs hands together in anticipation!

 

I am the original owner of the Bachelor Button roadster. I can't tell you how interesting this article and comments have been to me. This was one of the hardest things for me to give up, after saving it so many years, and then deciding my age was catching up, and I could no longer work on it. I am so happy that cactus1 got the car, because I think he will keep it just as I liked it. I was thrilled to hear some comments on it, even though it is not a sparkling show car; I built it with the knowledge and resources I had at that time, and loved every bit of it.

 

I took the generator off the Bachelor Button in I believe 1961, and put the alternator on, because I thought they were cool. So I know it was one of the early models

 

This is absolutely priceless...
Welcome to The Hamb Lanny!!

 

Whoa! Hey @Lanyard! I was hoping you’d get a chance to check out the ressurection of your roadster! Welcome to the HAMB! Please feel free to correct, add to, or annotate anything in this thread. I want the info to be as accurate as possible!

 

I am the original owner of the Bachelor Button roadster. I can't tell you how interesting this article and comments have been to me. This was one of the hardest things for me to give up, after saving it so many years, and then deciding my age was catching up, and I could no longer work on it. I am so happy that cactus1 got the car, because I think he will keep it just as I liked it. I was thrilled to hear some comments on it, even though it is not a sparkling show car; I built it with the knowledge and resources I had at that time, and loved every bit of it.

The hair stands up on the back of my neck when The H.A.M.B. does this, Thank you Cactus and Lanyard.
Oz

 

Wow! input form the original builder, just priceless! Welcome to the family Lanny.

 

Love seeing it an that its getting some love. I clicked on this post,as my own high school hot rod, I built n still drive was first made to run in 1959 also. So had to see the cool going on here.

 

Thanks Mike for all the updates, and pictures of the surgery you,are doing to the BB. One mistake I made that should be corrected; I made copper brake lines, instead of steel.

 

This is goin' great!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This is me on the right with some of my Flinstones car club friends, when the roadster was white.

 

I'm having a ball working on the old girl Lanny! I do plan to replace the copper lines with a copper clad steel product like I used on my truck eventually. It will have the same look as the original stuff but is not prone to work-hardening like copper will. I'd like to get it moving in its original state first though!

So great! That's one of the best pics of the bunch! You are 18 or so there??

 

Lanny, you and your car couldn't have found a better caretaker!

Welcome to the HAMB, I love hearing from guys like you who paved the way for future generations.

 

I want to second T&A Flatheads comment. Lanny you did good, you found the exact correct steward for the car, it is in very good hands. Welcome to the HAMB Lanny I hope you stay around and keep those comments coming.

 

Such a rad story.. can't wait to see more!


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Very awsome photo,takes me back a lot,enjoying it. I airbrushed shirt's kind of like that back in late 50s an early 60s in Florida shows as "The Bat". That rod is super an looks like a great club too. We had only 6 members in our own first neighborhood car club,mid 50s,but I joined two other clubs as well,big part of the car fun!

 

I can't even begin to tell you how special it is to have a genuine hot rodder from way back in the day, join the HAMB to share your stories on a hot rod you built in 1959... With the car that STILL exists today - but in the very best hands of keeping her preserved with the new owner and hitting the streets once again soon enough! Welcome to the HAMB Lanyard! Most of us here on the HAMB were not living in the 50's and 60's, born after the "golden age of hot rodding". So we do our best interpreting our vision of what a hot rod should look like, trying our best to keep our cars traditional and as period as possible. Most of us can only reference the period look from old hot rod magazines, other info from an older generation, etc. This is coolness going way beyond...

 

This has been a sad day for me. I just got a facebook message from a friends sister that my best friend had died overnight. He was my boyhood friend that was building a 48 Ford sedan at the same time I was building the roadster. We would spend weekends combing abandoned junkyards all over central Kansas looking for parts for our builds. There were no speedshops in those days, unless you lived on the coast. So you had to make do with what you could find. My first trans. adapter was torch cut out of a flat piece of steel. Makes you appreciate all the things available to build a car today. We would work night after night in our seperate garages, and then meet up around midnight at a truck shop for a burger and a cup of coffee before going home for a few hours sleep before going to work in the morning.

 

Condolences to the Family and You and affected Friends of the loss of your Bud...never easy.

 

Really sorry for the loss of your friend Lanyard.

Sent from my SM-G955U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks guys! It means a lot!

So sorry to hear of the loss of your friend Lanny. Let me know if there is anything you need.

 

Lanny, You have my heart felt sorrow for your loss, always a trial losing a friend. keep those memories and story's close I believe you will find relief in them.

 

My condolences Lanny, I know how hard it is losing your best friend!