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

You use the same CAD program that I do ( Cardboard Aided Design)
Looks nice and strong!

 

More progress on transmission tunnel. Cardboard turned into steel. Tack welded into place.

 

Almost didn't post these pictures today as you can't see much visible progress for 4 hours work.

 

Hey buddy, don't worry about it. You are doing what you need to do. Just keep knocking out something everyday, no matter how small, and the pieces will fall in place.
Keep it up! Good job.

 

Thanks JRS50 for the encouragement. That's exactly what I have been trying to do, work on it 2-4 hours a day. I just can't believe how much time I'm spending on the transmission tunnel.

Practicing my stitch welding techniques in preparation on doing some bodywork repairs. Stitch welding 16GA seems to be going pretty good. One more pass to go. Cut first template to fill in the gap to the firewall.

 

I hope your out in the shop enjoying this cool front. I'm just south of you and the heat and humidity has made it hard to motivate.

 

Unfortunately, I took the day off from working on the A to do chores. One of the benefits of living in the south is I have to power wash my deck twice a year to clean off mildew etc. Have to do the north side of the house and garage every other year.

Got the deck finished today (started on Monday) and the front walkway. Also did the overdue weedwacking. Figure if my shoulders are going to hurt I might as well hurt all at once. Plan to get back on the A in the morning after about an hour of more power washing on the north side of the garage.

 

More chores done. Decided rather than stand on my head working on the remaining portion of the floor, I would remove the under dash framework that holds the brakes and steering. Had to come out for finish welding, grinding, rust removal and painting anyway. Sure gives great access from the top of the cowl.


Since the framework had picked up a bunch of flash rust. I decided to finish welding and get it in primer. Decided it will be painted a light gray. Picture does not reflect the actual primer color. Much lighter.


Hopefully, that will stop the rust.

 

Like this color?

 

No, I don't like that color. Picture makes it look darker than it really is. Will try to get a better picture today. But, this is just primer I had on the shelf in the garage. Top coat I plan to be much lighter gray. I decided I didn't want white which would show dirt, but want it lite to help see under the dash when working.

 

Did not get a better pic of the color. Will try again tomorrow.

Got some work done on the firewall to floor connection. Started CAD work on filling the gap.

 

Got the first piece of thee gap filler converted from cardboard to steel, cut, fitted, and screwed in place. Got caught in the garage with a 4 inch downpour outside. Thank God our recycling (milk jug) was in the garage.


Was going to make one piece for this and the cardboard template, but didn't have a piece of 16ga wide enough.

 

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. No up to 8 inches of rain since yesterday. Driveway flooded. Drain can not drain because the drain field for the drawdown drains is full. Had to get out a portable pump.


Back on topic, got a couple of gap fill pieces cut. Had to quit because I need to weld and I can't see. Helmet fogs up with the 100% humidity. I will either splice together 2 pieces of 16ga or go to Tractor Supply and pay $19.99 for a 12x24 piece.

 

Some progress today before my face shield fogged up. Still raining, now up to 9.75 inches. Got left side of gap fill tack welded in place.

 

More progress today. Pulled out tunnel and stitch welded left side gap fill. Trimmed right side and put it back in place. Surprise, surprise! It went back in without any problems (no warping).


Got the right side trimmed and ready to tack weld. Still very humid. Our rain total is now at 10.1 inches since Friday. I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel (no pun intended) and it is not an on coming train. May be able to say the floor is done by the end of the week.

 

Great progress today. Finally cleared up and a high of 66. Worked in garage till almost 4pm. Total rainfall since Friday 11.8 inches.

Got passenger side gap fill tacked. Pulled out tunnel and finished welding this piece in. Pulled firewall out and joined it up with the tunnel on the work table. Finish welding all exiting seams and ground smooth. Running out of 2 inch reloc flap disks. More on the way. Cut and tacked last big gap fill piece.



Tomorrow have to fill in the small hole left and fit around the transmission dipstick cover.

 

Well it took a few days to get where I was planning for the next day when last I posted. Was not feeling chipper for a couple of days and then the bionic woman Shanghai me yesterday to dump flower pots and plant Mums and other fall chores.

Worked on transmission tunnel and rest of front floor out on the work cart. Tunnel is just about done. A bit more grinding now that I got my 2 inch flap disks delivered today. Blue tape marks places I need to fill some gaps better.


Plan for the week is to get it finished, primed, and back in the car.

 

Keep at it. I don't post comments very often, I usually just read threads I am interested in without bothering to log in. But I wanted you to know it makes my day when you have a new post to show your progress. I am a big fan of the "Puddle Jumper" - but this week I am very jealous of all your rain.

What's that old song... "It never rains in California" ... ? Unfortunately, that is all too true these past few years...

 

I was feeling real great about progress this week till I read what I posted for the goals for the week. Transmission tunnel is done, primed, painted, but NOT back in car.

First, underdash framework now has a much more pleasing color.


Trans tunnel primed in the rotten color.


And painted.


Goal for next week is to get all of the floor primed, painted, and back in car, if the weather cooperates. They are forecasting for the rain to return. Wish I could send some to you Parnell. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

Before I finished painting the floor and bulkhead, I finally tackled attaching the top of the bulkhead to the body. I got a strip of 1/4 x 1 steel last spring, but never did anything with it. Drilled and tapped 8 holes (1/2-20) in the bar. I wanted to besure the holes in the bulkhead and bar aligned, so I started by drilling an 1/8 inch hole in each sandwiched together. Then opened the holes up to tap size in the bar and 9/32 in the bulkhead. Drilled extra holes in the bar to plug weld it to the body.

Bolted the bulkhead to the bar with 5/16 long button head screws I ordered from McMaster Carr.

I then mounted the bulkhead in place and tack welded along the top edge of the bar. Then removed the bulkhead and filled the plug welds.


I completed 2 of the 3 goals for the week. Everything for the floor, firewall, and bulkhead is primered and painted. Weather did not cooperate this week. still more rain and humid so paint is not drying very fast. Decided I'm going to let it cure for a few more days before trying to install it back into the A.


I also cleaned up and primered the floor framework. Have not decided what color it will be, but that can wait a year or more till I pull the body off the frame to paint everything.


Goals for next week? Not going to make them. I know I have fall chores to do and the bionic woman has a doctor's appointment, the first of many as she is getting her other hip replaced (already has one hip and 2 shoulders).

 

Decided paint had cured enough so started installation of the floor today. Got the floor, firewall, and bulkhead reinstalled except the drivers side toeboard.


Bulkhead


Firewall and toeboard

 

Really feel like I made visible progress. Painted floor, firewall, and bulkhead all installed.



Took care of a little detail before reinstalling the steering. Drilled, tapped, and installed a zerk fitting to lub the steering shaft.


Did notice a problem before installing the trans tunnel. No clearance between one ear of the trans bellhousing and the bottom of the firewall. Was OK before I put the 1/4 bar to tap for the screws holding the tunnel in place.


Will either notch the bar where that ear is or lower the back of the trans a bit or both.
Next up is to reinstall the underdash framework, brake pedal and steering box. Then do the bulkhead wings.

I made up several to do lists in categories:

To Start Engine
To Move
To Drive
To Finish

 

Underdash framework and steering reinstalled.

 

It was fall chore week so minimal work on the A. Cleaning out flower beds, planting tulips, trimming trees, and bushes. Did get some things done.

Got the brake pedal fabricated and installed. Installed master cylinder and filled with brake fluid. Had to wait a day to get the bionic woman to help me bleed the brakes. Found about 10 leaks where flair fittings needed to be tightened more.

Made a mount and installed gas pedal. Still have to fab a Linkage to the carb. Also need to remove and paint gas pedal mount and brake pedal arm.

 

Got Linkage from gas pedal to carb fabbed and painted. Also got brake pedal arm and gas pedal mount painted. Didn't get pic before teardown to paint.


Got a bunch of items on the engine start To Do List completed.

Done
Brake Pedal
Heater port blocking plugs
Therm housing
Carb gasket
Dist gasket
Fuel pump blocking plate
Intake ports blocking plugs
Gas pedal
Linkage




Realized I never published my To Do List. It keeps growing.

Next
Weld dash brackets
Bulkhead ears

Start Engine
Radiator
Radiator support rods
Radiator mounts
EGR Blocking Plate
Trans cooler lines
Trans filter
Trans gasket
Trans fluid
Change engine oil & filter
Hookup starter
Hookup fuel line to carb
Dash
Gauges
Ign Switch
Radiator hoses
Antifreeze
Alternator
Fan, alt, water pump belt
Flush gas tank
Gas
Exhaust manifolds?

Move
Driveshaft
Rear end grease
Exhaust?

Drive
Shocks front
Shocks rear
Battery
Wiring
Light switch
Tail lights
Headlights
Turn signals
Lic bracket and light
Tires
Glass
Trans ear clearance
Exhaust?

Finish
Pull off body
Finish welding body framework
Paint frame
Bed cover
Chop

Will be offline for a bit. Bionic woman gets another hip tomorrow.

 

So it’s not a static display for Your yard then . I’m enjoying your build thread . Looking forward to seeing pictures of it on the road

 

First, bionic woman is home after having her hip replaced. Everything went very smoothly.

While I was waiting in the hospital yesterday, Radiator for the A was delivered. Looks pretty good. Only surprise was the Trans cooler connections are 1/8 inch npt, not 1/4 I expected.


Tried sitting it in place and it is way to high. With a 7 inch zee in the front section of the frame and a 4 inch channel, the Radiator on top of the front crossmember just won't work.


Tried sitting it in front of crossmember. Height looks good, BUT!



But lower Radiator hose connection is between bottom of spring and front axle. I need some suggestions.



(Sorry that pic is hard to see)

I have a few options I have thought of:

1 Fab some sort of 90 degree to bring the hose up over the crossmember.
2 Re arch the spring to gain clearance
3 Use a metal tube pinched to an oval under the spring

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

Thanks for all the likes, but what I really need is suggestions.

I thought of a 4th idea
4. Find someone who can TIG weld aluminum and relocate the bottom radiator outlet

I'm going to fab some temp brackets to mount it in front of the crossmember so I can study it more.

Didn't get much done yesterday. Got the painted brake pedal arm installed and adjusted. Found another brake fluid leak which dripped down on the toe board where the towel wasn't covering it. Fitting tightened, but it got the paint. Oh well, something had already fallen and put a big scratch in it.



Got the gas pedal bracket and linkage to carb installed.



I'm really tiered of looking at the aqua blue paint on the engine but decided not to do anything about it till after everything is running and I tear it all down to paint the frame, underbody, etc.

 

Not getting any suggestions. I'm going to open a thread on the main forum to get seen by those not following this build thread.

On a positive note, I got one more item checked off on my "start" to do list. Cut out a piece of 1/4 inch plate to fab a block off plate for the EGR ports on the intake manifold. Need to paint it yet.



Not that I expect an answer, but does anyone know what the capacitor looking thing is to the left? I have no idea what it was plugged into.

I did fab a couple of brackets to hold the radiator in front of the crossmember and experimented with an old piece of radiator hose.



Height is good, but radiator is way to far forward and hose is still touching the crossmember.

With the hose going straight back, it doesn't look so bad, but I have to get more clearance around the hose.



Clearance problem

 

might be some thing to help with radio interferance - just a guess
cool truck nice work!