hi, I start a new thread about my lakester project. I'm French, and in France we haven't any dry lake and appropriate flat track. So, this project is "for the fun", it's build with a realy small budget, no rules and no SCTA directives... the begining: a home made quick change with a banjo rear end. My daughter help me for the rear cap master conception! my friend Hispano, make the foundry complete
the second parts, the gear box. I use a Ford vedette 3 speed gear box (french popular ford of the 50's). It have the good bolt patern for the french flat, but the problem is the very long exit shaft! This gear box is too long for my configuration. So I shotened it about 10inches!
now, I can assembled the rear end to the gear box and the gear box to the french flat (4.2L) and begining the frame ford A I-beam and steering box with 2 modern axial rod home made bomber seat front floor and pedals
Hispano help me again for the cast aluminium steering wheel beautiful, but too tall! it's a vintage boat steering wheel I cut it and adjust it to my configuration finish with bondo, it's themaster and will be casted again
Now, I finalise all the details like the brake and fuel line, the shifter, cooling system and more. here, it is totaly operational. disassembling for the paint job primer
You just might be my new Hero... talk about building your own car. Awesome build so far, can't wait to see the body.
the french flat is checked and painted re-assembling dash board and electricity complete rolling chassis
2012 december, 2 friends of the south France come at my work shop, and one (Youks) shoot the lakester. With those picture, Etienne "Empire32" make a cool article about my lakester in the best hot rod french magazine, POWERGLIDE!
now, the body conception. I make an inspiration of the fantastic Miller streamliner. all aluminium, of course less than 2inches floor clearence let's go to Bonneville!!!!! oh, shit! I can't cross the Atlantic with my truck!!!!!
Great looking fab work! Is your line of work fabrication on early cars? See some others in background of pictures ("shop sign" last photo?). Take it one of cars in background is your 28 roadster build. Earl
I have a modern vehicule mechanic work shop, My job is to repair some Renault and other modern vehicule. but slowly, I try to develop the hot rod and vintage car construction job. so, in the back ground, you can see my roadster project and my Model A truck. the other, like the Buick 50 are customer's project.
This thread makes me feel inadequate....or at least major humble. What nice work out of main stream hot rods USA. Very, very nice.
Socre blue that is some fine work from our brother in France. I was in Paris and stopped by a guys repair shop he had an old Citroen he was hot rodding you have great talent . Thanks for posting your build The French guys are proud too
SPEECHLESS!!! You've got some major skills going on there. Thanks for posting and keep coming with the final details on this one. Frank
awesome build. as i was reading it, i thought to myself, someone should tell etienne about it so he could shoot it for the magazine.
I'm getting out of this hobby before I have no dignity left....that work makes me splode. GREAT WORK!
The Jalopy Journal
