Projects Modified Murray - The Last Build Thread

looks so good they aught to make a "hot wheels" car just like it !
but wait ! they do....
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can someone post a good pix of a hot wheels called "mod rod" ?
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thanks ...
been giving a hot wheels car to the 4 year old when i see the family walking up the street...
he loves bone shaker [they look close]... he will like it...

 

Ha! Thanks!

Is this the one you speak of? I think someone might have posted this earlier. Definitely hadn't seen it until then. Definitely a coincidence.

 

I dunno Scott, I think someone stole your ideas...

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I did, and I still keep it on display in my kitchen and enjoy it every day. Someone at Hot Wheels likes to design cars with wheelbases like this. I have several more now like it. One is a vaguely Cadillac like body narrowed and sectioned into almost an altered cab with the front of what would have been the fenders turned into a grill shell. "FANGULA" I believe.

 

This car crossed my mind today, glad to see it got painted!

 

Hard to believe it's been a couple years, has the car progressed any ?

 

Uh oh. Someone told me this got bumped. Oh boy… well… ya’ see… ummm… sort of?? There has been a little progress. Most of it has been plumbing related. Brakes lines, adjusting the brakes, and clutch lines up to the master cylinders. Redid spark plug wires and a few small details. Let me see if I can post some pics from my phone.
All in all, it’s been slow going and the brakes lines out back have a fitting I just can’t seem to get seated. More than anything, it’s the usual excuses. Life and time, kids, and home renovations. I’ve even sold some parts and projects to help simplify life. I don’t know what the future holds for this car, at this rate.

 

Hopefully none of these are repeats of old progress. I’m having troubles viewing this ol’ thread on a mobile device.

In summary, all brake lines are setup and run, clutch lines run, hydraulic throwout bearing and clutch setup, and driveline put back together. I had to machine a pilot bearing adapter for the tale end of the crank, and a couple other small things.

Biggest things left on the list are finishing up the paint without damaging it, fix brake line issues, run fuel lines, make some updates to the carb linkage, I still need a drive shaft, and I have a fitment issue with the left rear shock that I wasn’t expecting. OH! Wiring and glass. Interior. Tuning. And I will probably set it on fire or sell it before then. Hahaha

 

Keep going man, you’ve busted your ass on this and would love to see it done!!!

 

Mcrad, miss your stuff around here immensely .What you have done for the Hemi World spreading knowledge to the Universe did not go unnoticed. Now ,Get Back ,get your Mojo workin.

 

Here are how my projects go:
"This is going to be great"
"This is going to take longer than I thought"
"This sucks. Why do I do this"
"I'm selling this"
"That doesn't look too bad"
"I'm glad I did that"

 

Life really caught up to me on this one. Some of the things that fall in the "distractions" category have been good for my creative soul and some of them have been completely unplanned and necessary (kids, home renovations, career changes, care-taker to two other antique cars from the family, the list is long), but the Murray waits. Paint was brutal for me. I just don't really enjoy paint work so it takes me way longer and I really HAVE to WANT to work on that stuff. Thankfully a good friend of mine, Cassie, who loves paint finish work (or she did until she started helping, probably! HA!) volunteered to help and keep me on-path. I really do honestly feel like all of this would be over by now if I had a better place to work. I feel so blessed that I had the opportunity to work in that shop space in Huntington, thanks to my friend Mark, (MAW here on the HAMB) who opened his business space for me to work. There's a lot to take away from those experiences, and the huge contrast of my current space constraints and trying to build a car (or ANYTHING) without the proper room, time, and resources to do so. The "lessons learned" from building this car FARRRR outweigh the build itself, rather or not it ever even gets finished. I could stop right now, roll it off a cliff, and I would still be way ahead on life lessons, skills learned, people met along the way, tastes in cars and build style, wants, needs, etc., etc...

I bet there are people reading this thread, like, "this guys has been at this for like 15 years?! I've never even heard of this guy on InstaFace. The car is weird. And why aren't his welds perfect?! Why would anyone build a car without owning a Yoder or a Pullmax??! #whatthewhat". Social media has taken a bit of the fun out of building cars. Hopefully this place still has a good core following of people with a bit more soul than that, because the roots run deep.

Yeah! Thanks man! Maybe one day it will live in your neighborhood! HA

Thanks man! I really appreciate it! I haven't been around here, much lately. Just a time thing. I know I'll be posting more this year for this and other projects.

HAHA! Exactly!

 

I appreciate the honest take.

I understand. My coupe has sat for a year after some tremendous progress and I could be close to done if I chose it as the priority, however I chose family, business, health, traveling, etc.

Want to know what? That's "traditional"! So many of these incredible hot rods were put to the side, way back, because boys became men and took on life that didn't include the project. Sometimes they got sold off and others got stored "for later".

All that said Scott, I get the effort and soul and the worthy distractions. The Murray might not be everyone's flavor (or even yours at the moment (I see your IG stories, I have an idea of the cars inspiring you)) but often the styles and design and inspiration come back around.

 

Or one day I’ll live in yours! The ol lady and I are looking to leave SoCal for a change of everything.

 

Just saw this thread and have to tell you you've made my day! Really helps to hear others have outside issues that keep us from getting our projects done yet we don't give up! I'm going on 10 years with my Mercury and I'm retired so you'd think I'd be finished but between being in far worse shape than I thought it was when I bought it and life's little challenges I'm still not finished. Many thanks for posting and I really like what you've done. Hope you don't sell it, you're an inspiration!

 

Shucks Scott, now you've shamed me into working on my '37 this weekend. The crappy current SoCal weather has nothing to do with it.

 

Oh man! you said it, buddy! I've been following your life adventures, as well. Seems like there's been a lot of similarities along the way. House repairs/renovations, raising a family, supporting our spouse and ourselves in various life responsibilities, projects, and projects, and more... Yeah. Life. And yeah... those other interests are going to be the death of me, but man, I'm excited and have some fun stuff on the backburner while I work all this out. I REALLY need to build a shop soon, though. (another distraction)

You know how to get ahold of me! Let me know if you want any info on our region. I'll give you the honest take. There seems to be a lot of that "Leaving SoCal" thing going on. Always glad to give insite! It was the best choice we made, although I miss many things about SoCal.

Man, I have outside issues FOR SURE! HAHA! But yeah, I'm excited to one day write about the REAL LIFE battles I've faced with this project that hopefully someone can take something away from and NOT do some of the things I've done. I have a goal in mind for this car, and hopefully I can take it all the way to the finish line, but the clock is also ticking pretty hard and will most likely force me to sell to support other projects that are in the works. That's just another part of life that people don't like to talk about. Especially when we hate to admit a bit of defeat.

Get to work!!! A twin turbo 331 Hemi in a 37 dodge truck is what EVEYRONE wants to see!!!!

 

I didn't know we were supposed to actually finish these projects? My RPU was started on 2003 and you are farther along than me.

I feel you on paint work, I pulled the RPU apart to paint in 2011...and there she sits...

 

@abe lugo , fellow HAMBer is probably the one that designed that Hot Wheels, he has worked for them for years

 

Welcome back, again!

Don't feel bad. We got busy with elite baseball for the last few years with my son, then a divorce and I took up skiing again after 29 years! Life happens, make the most of it.

 

Keep on keepin on.....we all face all the challenges you face. Hell, my project took 8 years of building on the body in the back room of my buddy's body shop two days a week. Then another 1.5 years building the chassis in my teeny 1 car garage . Assembled it in the driveway on nice days and I even primered it all one color in the tiny garage and driveway. If you continue to build, it'll all come together one day.

 

HAHA! Finish them?? What fun would that be?!
So THAT'S where your RPU went! I've been following your busy world, also. Crazy how much we all have going on.

Yeesh... yeah. That's big life stuff!

Looks great Rocky! Well done!!

 

@scootermcrad get it running and driveable. Finished is relative.

After six years of building on my truck I set I final deadline, made it with about 1 hour to spare and have been loving it since.
It still doesn't have side glass, shifter boots, or rear nerf. The fuel filler seeps a bit,the carpet sucks,the windshield seals has an ear splitter no whistle, the brakes could be better, needs a new oil pump and the pushrods rattle on the heads.

But it does over 100mph and drives like a go-kart.

 

Love this car. I missed the t56 apparently, how is the shifter location in the car? I had an O/T car I drove around for awhile, hoping it would get totaled with an insurance check so I could rob the drivetrain lol.... That never happened but it was fun to think about. Anyway, keep up the good work!