Projects Kurt’s Puddle Jumper - 1930 Model A Extended-Cab Pickup Build

Found thread tools and edited the thread title.

If I don't hear anything soon, I'm going to shorten the bed by 4 more inches.

 

Wow! Interesting project! I like the bed at the length you have it and think raising it as you plan will get both body lines lined up well.

 

Don't chop the bed too short. It just kills the proportions.

Get your stance, tires and wheels worked out before you make a decision.

Neat car.

 

I have not cut any more off the bed yet. Been working on how to mount it on the zee’d frame in the rear.

Let’s hear some more opinions on the bed length please.

 

I don’t have room to mount the bed over any frame, so I decided to hang it from a couple of 2 x 2 frame extension rails. Its never going to carry much anyhow.

Got it just about to the right height. A little more adjustment.

 

Not much to show for a full weeks work. Got pickup bed mounting done. Need to get some 1 ½ square tube to space it down correctly. Bed is mounted with 8 bolts of 3/8 by 8 inches. Need to order some grade 8 as local TS stops at 6 inches for grade 8.

Took yesterday off to watch the Army/Navy game. I’m bummed, ex Navy.

Spent the whole day today getting the old hinges off of the rusted out section under the tailgate. Not efficient use of time since I could get new ones for about $25.

 

Got the structure under the tailgate rebuilt and hinges mounted. Tailgate works better than my DD GMC Sierra. Now I need to take the bed back off and turn it over and repair the cancer at the foot of the stake beds.

But that will have to wait till next year. Off to see the kids and grandkids (or grand adults).

Everyone on the H.A.M.B. have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

 

Cool. I'm liking it. Keep posting your pics with the tech ideas, they're great.
I may have missed it, but I really like profile with full fenders? Maybe takes a lot of engineering, but are you putting fenders back on?

 

Thanks for the interest. No, my plan is fenderless. By chance, yesterday I took pictures of the fenders in preparation to posting them for sale.

The roadster from my youth that is my inspiration had bobbed rear fenders but my friend removed them to run motorcycle fenders. I always liked the look of the bobbed fenders from the rear. I don't like the look of the front fenders.

 

FWIW, I think that rear wheel well transition from body to bed is so much cooler with a fender over rear tire. It's going to take some metalworking skills to make it transition, but some sort of rear fender seems to make a smoother line.
Looking real cool so far

 

Bam, I agree it will be difficult. I haven't figured out what to do yet, but if I was not up for a challenge, I would have not started this project in my 70's.

 

Looks great with the bed as you have it! While I generally prefer fenderless, I do like them on pickups. I also like the idea of bobbed rears & none or motorcycle style fronts. But it’s your vision.

Happy New Years!

 

brEad, since I doubt I can much trying to sell the rear fenders, I may try bobbing them to see how it looks. However, that has to wait as I'm up in the north woods of MN at my daughters cabin. -30 this morning.

 

This is exactly correct

 

Yep. 0° F is bad,here in KS. I guess u just feed the Fire & get some good HAMB tech for a week until it warms up.

 

Well it took 2.5 months, but I finally got back out in the garage to work on the Model A. As seems to always be the case now, came back from MN after the New Year sick. Don’t think it was the flu, but really got me down and took 4 weeks to shake.

I then had unexpected work to do on the daily drivers and installed security cameras on the house.

So Friday I got out to the garage and unpacked my Christmas presents. My daughter gave me the patch panels and I bought myself a new die grinder. I had had enough of the cheap HF grinders that would bog down and stop. What little I have tried with the IR it only stops when the air runs out.



Saturday, got back to work on the front body mounts. I had cut and drilled the angle portion back before I got diverted on the bed. Had to cut and fit extensions to make the angles into L’s and weld them on. Now ready to weld them onto the existing angle and the remains of the subframe under the cowl.



Not much accomplished, but at least I’m back to work.

 

Just read the whole thread and enjoyed it all.
Looks like you know what you are doing and it's fun to see your vision coming together.
I can't wait to see what it will look like when done. I like different and the added box will definitely be a eye grabber and bring lots of fun questions! Thanks for sharing.

 

Bugguts, thanks for the encouraging words Will get back to work this PM.

 

keep going..looking good..!!
you from Pa,i asked because you mentioned The Dutchman.!!

 

Yes, I was born and lived in Reading, later West Lawn. Worked in Philly for 5 years before moving to MN. Lived there till I retired and moved to TN.

 

ok cool,im from Reading ,live down in oley

 

Hard to believe but it is over 2 years since I last posted on the H.A.M.B. I’m still alive, but life again got in the way. A couple more surgeries for the bionic woman and heart problems and prostate cancer got in the way.

I only worked on the Model A once in these 2 years. An emergency repair when the left front tire of my DD ran into the left front tire on the Model A. Twisted the front axel sideways.

Admittedly, I did not have the u bolts tightened down and the wishbones were only wired to the frame. I was waiting till I had an engine in place to set the front ride height so the wishbones would be level. Welded up some temporary wishbone mounts and got things straightened out.

Two of my daughters have pushed me to get back to work, so I have now purchased front brakes, steering, shocks and some steel. I will post progress as it happens. Took an hour today to uncover it from all the junk it had become the resting place for. (Where do you store tarps in your garage? The roof of the A seems such an easy place to put them).

To get some more room in the garage, I cut my frame table in half to have just a 5 foot heavy duty work table. Got a sheet of plywood for it and used the remains of the sheet to make a temporary cover for the pickup bed since I know things will get stacked there again.

 

A bit cooler in the garage Saturday morning, so got started on the new front spindles and hubs. The Speedway instructions say to remove the inner race that comes installed and replace with the one provided. I could not set or measure a difference after popping one out. Spent an hour on the phone without an explanation so I had to press a new race in. Broke out my old homemade hydraulic press.

The instructions also say to install a spacer on the inside of the spindle. It says either press on, or heat to 400 degrees for 20 minutes and it will slip on. Being lazy, I tried the heating process. Carried them out to the garage on a cookie sheet, picked one up with pliers and slipped it right on. Tried it on the 2nd one and it went on part way and stuck. Messed around for over 2 hours trying to setup the press to remove it and start over. Finally reworked my press setup and tried pressing it on all the way. That worked. Maybe someday I will have enough setup tools for the press.

Other morale of the story is if doing the heating thing, leave the 2nd in the oven till you are done with the first. It was less then 2 minutes but must of cooled enough to not slip on.

 

OK, this post will probably get me banished from this forum. Sunday got to work installing left front spindle and kingpin. First time using a feeler gauge in a long long time. Everything went to together perfect. Realized I did not take a picture at this point before adding forum banishing material.

Continued on and installed brake hub and disk. I had to use an old spindle nut since I screwed up the threads while trying to get the spacer back off yesterday. Have a die on the way to cleanup the threads.

Proceeded to install the brakes though they won't be used for a long time yet.

Finally, installed the wheel, tire, and hubcap. Have had the hubcaps for 3-4 years but they would not fit on the wheels with the old Model A hubs.

One side finished. Had to mow the lawn, so right side in a few days.

 

Right front spindle, king pin, brake disk, and brakes installed. Tie rod installed and toe set by eye for now.



Next up is to install front shocks. Mocked up a shock, but it looks like the shock mount will be not much higher than the frame rail. Hard to tell without any weight on the front end.



I figure if I leave an inch downward and 3 inches upward travel it should be right when I have an engine in it.

 

Glad to see you back on this build. It is such an unusual look. Looking good!

 

Weekly lack of progress report.

Little work on Model A this week. Still too hot other than 7-9am and I don't get moving till 8am. Cleaning up surface rust that accumulated on everything in the last 2 years it sat untouched. A lot of Gibbs and ScotchBrite pads. Wish I would have at least reapplied 2 years ago.

 

No excuse today, low 70s in the garage and the humidity dropped a bit. Got busy with the Gibbs. 3 year old ubolts that didn't have enough Gibbs on them. Forgot to take a picture before half done.

I completed the ladder bars 2 years ago. Should have painted them or liberally Gibbs them. Have a lot of cleanup to do.

Retrieved the tank from the attic to get going cutting it up. Had to have a look see first. Was searching the HAMB for suggestions on where to cut the tank and found suggestions that whole tanks are worth $$$. Brookville wants $325 for just the cowl top. Don't believe anyone is going to give me $325 for an old tank. However, speak now or forever hold your piece if you want it.
Searched the attic for the coffee can of hardware including the tank clamps and column collar. Spent 45 minutes and can't find it. This 77 year old mind can't remember where I store things.

 

Another cooler morning in the garage. Got the garage cleaned up a bit and got going on the rust on the ladder bars. Cleaned up pretty good without taking them out. Liberally applied Gibbs.

Question! What do you have to do to prepare to paint over metal that is soaked in Gibbs?

 

Searching for the missing cowl-top clamps and other hardware, I came across the original steering stop nuts. I also came across this thread on the H.A.M.B on Steering-stops:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/steering-stops.1190022/

In this thread, Anothercarguy says "I'm not sure this advice is correct. I've always installed them with the nut stop on the rear side. With the spindle turned to full lock, the stop nut rests in a depressed circle on the rear side of the spindle.". I noticed mine have the nut on the front side.

I checked today, and the holes in the axle appear to be tapered so the pin will not fit in with the threads facing backwards. I found on MAFCA "The front axle has no front and back side. It can go either way. That is why FORD script is printed on the front right side and left rear side of the axle, no matter which way it is installed. Your problem is that someone has just put the spindle locking bolt in backwards. It can also go in from either side, but should be inserted from the front. "

I checked with a caliper and verified the hole in the back of the axle (as it is currently installed) is larger. Did not take an actual measurement.

Question: Do I need to remove the axle and turn it around? The one steering-stop I installed (other needs replacing due to stripped threads) does contact the back of the spindle at full lock.

No answers on the Gibbs & Paint question?