Hot Rods Modified Murray - Race to the road! Progress in Review!

Congrats, the best thing I ever did was marry my wife. She supports me totally in my work and wants to get the rod done even faster that I'll be able.

 

Thanks again, guys! Just one thankful guy! Cool thing is, we're both super creative people, so we push each other on our ideas and goals. Life is good...

...Still trying to figure out how to get more time and money, though. HAHA!

 

Not ta toot your own horn or anything....

 

Thanks for pointing that out, Jeffy Cakes! Haha!

 

Hahahaha!!!!! I'm not going to let you slide buddy, keeping you on your toes!!!!


On another note, I'm stoked for you to get back on the horse. What's the next step? Body work?

 

Yeah! On to business here!! I don't want to pollute this thread with personal life stuff... Sorry!

I have my list of things to do! It's BIIIIG!!! But it's just a bunch of small tasks. I really need to get the body finished up ASAP and I'm also going to get focused on some stamping dies I need to machine for some of the grille parts I need to make. Just one task at a time! The holidays have been all about family this year. So it's important I spend that time while I can. Plus, hot rod building continues to show it's price tag! GAH!

 

Okay! Our home is pretty much put back together and we're pretty much ready for family to start rolling in for the holidays this weekend, so I had some time on Sunday to get into the shop and get dirty. WOW! I REALLLLLLY missed working!!! Felt so good to get back on it!!

I didn't have a ton of time, but had enough to just about get the chop seems all straightened out on the passenger side door.





I found that some small 1/8" round stock fit the gap just the way I wanted to sink the welds for smoothing. The reason for the gaps is because I wasn't satisfied with how large the gap was between the top of the door and the drip rail. So it was raised.



And the finished product... Little more to do to make sure the chop is not apparent, but 95% there.



Then on to the top of the door. The reason for these gaps was because I didn't like the shape of the top of the door after it was put back together with the filler piece from the chop. I left it tacked. Never finished it. So I finally got it knocked out...

Tacked



Welded and smoothed....



Door is taking shape! The front of the door needed the chop gap filled and also some cuts had to be made to line the top and bottom up again. Still have to finish that part. I will post that up when I finish it.

So here's how I left things. Gettin' there! Spent a lot of time redoing some of the old seams and making sure things were flat. LOTS of hand filing!! But super close now...



Will be awhile before I get to really work again, since the holidays are approaching and family will be rolling in. Burn-out is GONE and the desire to work is in full force now! WOOHOO! Just need more time...

 

Nice work Mr.McRad!!! The seams look incredible.

 

Always good to read one of your updates! Have a Merry Christmas! Bob

 

Thanks guys! And back at ya' Bob!

Pretty soon I'm going to have to get back on the lower rear panels!

 

Scooter...........your work is bitchen,you can be proud of what you have done!

 

Okay! I finally have another update!

The holidays are over, family has left, and I'm finally getting back to business with this thing. Parts have been showing up again! Won't be long before I have all the major parts that I need sitting here in front of me! WOOHOO!

Okay! The passenger side door is about 95% done now! Have to finish the inside bottom, do a little shrinking on the patch panel, and fix the alignment and door gap a bit. But the worst is over...

Here's progress on the door.

Where I left off from last time...







After modifications and reshaping of the door post...







Next I need to get the garnish molding roughed in...







My favorite detail!



Welded up, but far from finished!




In addition to all this fun stuff, one of the parts that showed up was the 5" Tachometer from Classic Instruments! Nice piece and pretty close to the early Stewart Warner "small block" gauges. I'm pretty happy with it! Makes that SW speedometer look small! HAHA!



Next I spent the rest of my weekend getting some Holley 94's finished up! I spent hours and hours and hours reading on pros and cons of straight and progressively linked 6x2 setups. I now have BOTH sets of linkages and decided that I would try going with a 6x2 progressive setup for this little 331. If it sucks then I'll switch back to straight linkage. But this is where I'm going to start.

Soooo.... I had to convert four of the carbs to secondaries. Basically it just meant I had to block off the power valve, double check the butterflies seat correctly, jet accordingly (.003" less than the primary carbs), and close off the idle circuits in the base. Easy cheesy! I learned that I will probably have to fatten up one of the circuits in the spray bars as well, but i'm going to start here. OH YEAH! And some chrome scoops came from O'Brien Truckers! There will be very little chrome and polished goodies on this car, but the scoops just had to be some of those items....



And here's how they look all lined up!



Progress!! And I'm more motivated then I've been in probably a year!! Pretty stoked!!

Got so excited I just started shooting pictures...

 

That's awsome Scott. Great to hear you have the fire back. I will be expecting weekly updates from now on.

 

I'm hoping to provide them, too! At least a little something every week, if possible!

 

Scooter... you going to LSR?

Looking good bub!!

 

Oh yeah! Over the holidays, I picked up a lathe as well. Chris Casny was clearing room in his shop, so the 1949 POWR-KRAFT (made by Logan for Montgomery Ward) has a new home. I've been going through it and getting it set up. It will be a HUGE help around here! There were several things I was going to improvise on because I didn't have access to a lathe. Now I can make those items and not have to improvise.

Big thanks to Chris for being patient with me while I got through the holidays!

Starting to look like a machine shop in here!!

 

Thanks man! I really doubt I'm going to make it to LSR. Getting married in March and still have to finish this thing up so I can have it on the road this year. I gotta' stay focused. Very possible that it may be in the cards for next year, though...

 

a vert mill and lathe.....lucky

 

Fly into tulsa and you can ride with me!

 

Careful what you suggest! HAHA!

 

Hey I'm totall serious!! I gotta have a mechanic on board with me!!

 

Yay Scootie Tang is back!!!! Fucking love it brother!!! I can't wait to ride in that thing and scream like a little girl!!!!

 

Hahaha!

 

Are you going to have that coupe on the road before I get this thing on the road?? You ARE, aren't you!!

 

Scott..............you never told me this{getting married} ....where? and when??

 

I know it don't look like it, but you gotta have FAITH!!

It's going to paint next month and I still have to chop it, finsih the door skins, and fix the belt lines! it should be ready!!!

I plan on driving it to LSR... Seriously there's an open invitation if you wanna ride along. We don't have room in our vacation rental but we can find you a place somewhere!! you may have to pay couch rent?

 

Plus Holly would love LSR for a honeymoon right?

 

Heck we could throw her or JJ in with Mike in his 52 GMC he's following me!!

 

Yep! Beginning of March... Sorry Randy! I mentioned it at breakfast one morning, but I think that was a day you were under the knife. Sorry buddy! Erik called me last night too and was like, "Dude! Congratulations! When did this come about!?" HAHA!

Couldn't be happier about the decision! She's my rock, for sure!

 

Thanks man! It's appreciated!!

And yes, I have faith in you and the T!