Projects KIWI 1939 COUPE DU JOUR - Runnin from Johnny Law!

You are a clever bugga !!! Have a great Christmas Wade and family. JW

 

Wow, that's really living up to your name woodbox.

 

Yup!

 

Engine mounts in the front fabricated and tacked in today. A day at the beach tomorrow if the weather holds out.
I set the engine well back to leave plenty of room for electric fan and possible 3" drive belt for the future. With the chassis so low and the jag rear sitting high I have had to set the crankshaft level to achieve the correct drive shaft angles. This will put the gearbox high into the body, but I was going to have to cut the floor any way. This also means no problems with things dragging on the ground. Looking good for mounting alternator and power steer pump. I will probably run twin groove lower pulley to separate belts for them both.

 

That treemendous bellhousing wood be good with some twig welding. Project moving along nicely though , following this one.

 

I couldn't think how I was going to join the bits together......I was stumped!
A quick phone call to the local branch of BOC gasses, he suggested stick welding it, using some cellulose rods to give a good root run first!

 

Hi Wade, I was a late starter on your Roadster build thread so I have subscribed to this one early so I don't miss the fun. I do admire your plans for this Coupe and especially the how low it will sit. Thanks for taking the time to post the updates.

 

Yesterday I started to make a centre crossmember to tie the k member to the side rails and to each other. Now that I know where the trans will be situated, the brake M/C and the exhaust placement I can finalize the centre member. I have a piece of 125mm x 50mm (5" x 2") RHS left over from another chassis project, and will be using this to make the member from. One side is pretty much sorted and reshaped for clearances required for M/C. I had to halt things for a couple of day to fit in a shift at work, so cleaned the shop last night ready for next week.....next year actually! I was a little dissapointed to say the least when heating some bits yesterday to bend and shape them........damn oxy bottle ran dry! ARGH!!! nobody is open when I am around until the new year! Never mind.....nothing a bit of cold bending with a soft face shot filled hammer won't sort.
Have a great new year one and all.........thanks for following along.......see you in 2015
Cheers.

 

Wood bellhousing? Nothing will stand in your way!

 

Hope you took your sunscreen to the beach. Its been plenty hot down my way, so it'll be even hotter up your way.
Cars coming along nicely, I'm surprised you run outer gas. Your normally well organised, but I guess you can be forgiven, as its the holidays

 

A busy break this week. Day one off to waterhole for a swim with the kids, day 2 the lakes for some fun behind a very fast boat on inflatable toys with the kids, today the black swamp run with 200 hot rods......tomorrow I'm not sure if I will be able to move!

 

Take the day off JW

 

Yeah I took the day off and filled a bunch of holes in the centre of the K member, that I felt would be under undue stress with the changes I have made to the chassis and the new RHS cross member going in to tie the rails together.
Two days at work this week then off for 12 and away to the beach for a week, then down to Kumeu for NZs biggest swapmeet and car display. I will be in the NZHRA Tent flogging T shirts and stuff for the weekend.

 

The trans mount turned up in the post yesterday. I have it bolted to the new cross member ready to weld in after I remove the existing wishbone anchor plate.
I forgot to mention that while I am at the Kumeu event next week, we will be selling lottery tickets for the 1936 Fordor.

Somebody will get to drive away in this cool family hot rod at the end of the lottery!! I will be buying some tickets for the family.

 

Nice 36, hope it goes to someone that will look after it....... JW

 

Looking forward to getting a ticket or two for that '36... I'd sure look after it if I won

Glen.

 

I had some luck at the Kumeu swapmeet. First up was a pressed steel bell housing/scattersheild for 2 hundred then latter a 327 long block 40thou over bore for 6 hundy. Both home now and on the bench ready to play tomorrow.

 

How did you fit those items in your T ? JW

 

What else do you have in there?
Mine doesn't bubble away?

 

Just top quality Northland Rain water!

The scatter shield fit in the roadster and the long block was squeezed on the Warrens trailer for the journey home.

 

Ok. Thought it could be acid rain...

 

My brother in law found some Morris truck guards under the deck of his house....here it is before the Molasses bath..... and again in couple of weeks of bathing.

Today I pulled the parts out and water blasted the molasses goo off the parts. The black patch on the guard is where it was sitting on the bottom of the tank which inhibited activity and has stayed rusty.



Blasted, dipped into a solution of baking soda and water, then drying in the sun. Minimal flash-rusting.

I made up a solution of baking soda and water in a drum, 7kgs of cleaning grade soda from Binn Inn to 150ltr of water, to dip the parts in and neutralize. The baking soda and water makes carbonic acid (I think!) I dipped the parts or sprayed the bigger bits for about 20 mins.

I used an air gun to blow the majority of the water off the parts then set them onto a sheet of galvy to cook in the sun for a while.


I was amazed at how much paint actually came off with the blaster and molasses, The under seal on the back of the headlight bowl didn't budge, but a lot of other paint did come off. Even bolts etc that were still on the parts and rusted together are spotless and will come undone easily now. This was really just a trial with parts that I will not be using, but now I am happy to continue with the right bits for the car.

 

I lifted the set up block and trans out of the chassis. The plan was to mate the 327 to the scattersheild and the tremec. It turns out the pilot bearing hole in the end of the crank is 19/32 and the input shaft on the box is bigger. ....Bugger! Tomorrow I plan to make a hydraulic press to remove the pilot bush.

 

Today made a hydraulic press pin and removed the pilot bearing. Then I offered up the box to the bell housing.......the front bearing cover interferes with the opening in the bell housing! Now I will have to get that machined. I put the dial guage on the flywheel to check the opening for central placement. The spec's for the box call for no greater than 5 thou out. The opening in the bell housing is too small by 1/8" and about 20thou out too.
Might as well get it right while I am at it I suppose.

 

I took the opportunity while the engine and trans are out to finish up on the centre of the k member. First I clamped a brace across the centre, far enough away from the action to work and not get in the way. Out with the cut off wheel on the grinder and into a cloud of dust I went, to remove the bracket that held the wishbone ball end. Once this was out of the road and tidied up I set the trans mount into position and welded it in. While in a welding sort of mood I also set into position the first part of an RHS cross member I am adding to tie everything together and stiffen the chassis to improve the handling.

Yesterday while my boy was home from school, on a "work day" we pulled a load of window trim parts out of the molasses bath. They went in with paint and rust, came out with all the rust gone and the majority of the paint falling off. Mercury blasted the parts with the water blaster and I scraped the remaining paint then they all spent some time in the carbonic acid brew to neutralize. I let them dry off in the sun then a quick coat of etch prime to keep the rust monster at bay until I am ready to fit them.

 

Braced, far enough away to be useful, and not in the way.
Trans mount for the Tremec box just happens to be a standard chev glide/350 item. I had to clear out some space in the top flange for the casting on the gearbox.
The right hand portion of the new cross member, fabricated from RHS. I have to cut out the scallop marked on the outer end (marked in chalk) and insert a section of tube to allow for brake/fuel lines etc to hug the rail.

The new cross member is relieved to allow space for the master cylinder. The far side will be similar to make room for the exhaust a free run above the bottom edge of the rails. I want nothing hanging below the rails anywhere.

 

I was brousing on FB last night, a guy had posted a picture of a brand new 600cfm vac secondary Holley carb (polished). He stated that he had bought it and then changed his mind, so his loss was some-ones gain. He was asking for offers. I did a quick bit of google research and spoke to a mate in the trade, best deal was $475 - $600 locally. I thought I would be cheeky and offer $300..........he took it! I credited him the cash within minutes! He is dropping it off to my sister in-law this week. SCORE!

 

Score indeed !!JW

 

H

 

I feel bad for not having been on here for a while to update. Every time I try to use my phone to update it boots me off.
I recently spotted a posting on FB one afternoon for a 600cfm vacuum secondary Holley, still in its box. The guy had bought it and then changed his mind about using it for his project. He posted pictures of it and asked for offers. I did a quick bit of research as to how much they are going for, best deal I could see was 500 plus. I offered him $300........he took it! I couldn't send the funds quick enough. He dropped it at my sister in-laws place next day in Auckland! Woo hoo! It is a polished one too!
I also found a near new dizzy for $70.00, so grabbed that one too.

Yesterday I ordered my heads, cam, manifold etc. They arrive this week.
I have the block and bell housing away getting machined to fit the gearbox. So as soon as I have them all back in the shop I can start to sort out the headers and exhaust system.

While all these are arriving or away I have been doing a few woodwork jobs that have been backing up on the list. Keeping everyone else happy. Just one major one to go......a TARDIS bookshelf for number one daughter!
Pictures to follow.