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Projects Olds Rocket 324 in a 32 Ford; "trying to finish it thread"..

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by F&J, Dec 5, 2011.

  1. To get the juices flowing again, sometimes ya just have to take it out and play with it, so to speak.....
    Keep at it; you're on the home stretch!!
     
    falcongeorge likes this.
  2. so glad to see progress! looking good.
     
  3. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    That's what I told my wife!!:p
     
    36 ROKIT likes this.
  4. Love your cabrio!!!
     
  5. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    You are SO right. I can't tell you all how many times I have quit on this car...everything just seems to come out wrong, or needs redoing..

    I tell you what, when I got up to the end of the driveway the first time, I was not caring if a cop saw me(no registration or insurance).....but it was rush hour and I sat there jazzing it, waiting, and waiting, and had time to decide maybe I should NOT try it... But I'm glad I did. My son and I have driven it around our big lot many times in the last 5 years...but even a short blast on a real road just plain feels different :)

    Me too...but I have to finish my door windows before I register it, as I never finish anything "after". The whole point of a cabriolet is me having windows :)
    I was struggling today to find a way to put upper stops on the door glass frames, so that the window stops evenly when up, and still fit the rubber seals in the roof. The heat/humid is not helping my thinking...but I finally got it right on one door just now. Thank goodness a few brain cells still work.
     
  6. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Frank, you and George said. "It's not Rocket Science"... But it is. Olds Rocket science.
     
  7. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Pretty happy with the big Olds so far. My son and I spent many days years ago, getting the buggy springs just right and shocks that work with the soft springs for the ride we wanted. It rides super nice, because it is loose enough..
    ....So my son is sitting in the car not moving, and goosing the gas pedal...and he says he likes the way the car rocks side to side with all the heavy Olds rotating mass and iron flywheel. He said it feels like a race car torqueing up.. Lol ,, I'm not sure I should let him take it out for a day....he has a CDL that will get pulled for two years for horsing around.
     
  8. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I was actually thinking that after I posted!:p
     
  9. Frank, great to see it rolling again. You have done a great job with this period correct build no matter how long it took. I would agree that a 10 gallon tank will keep you at the filling station most of time!:):)
     
  10. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Reached a milestone this week... I dropped off all 4 window glass frames to have a "pro" cut the glass. This is the first thing I have ever farmed out on the entire build, did everything myself like blasting, paint. upholstery, dropping the axle, remachining drums, flywheel and even the pressure plate..etc etc

    I asked if they could avoid using that rubber sheet strip that needs to be pounded into the frames, and can you glue them in? He said he'd make spacers to hold the glass in center of the grooves, and then use black silicone to bed them in. He said " I'm getting pretty good at running a nice bead, so it will look good" LOL

    So while waiting for those, my son said get a real gas tank installed, but since I dred the gauge upgrades with modern guts, I said I wanted to do those next....but I started on both. :)

    I want to use this big tank. A friend guesstimated 20 gallon by rough dimensions when I saw it at a swap. It is teens? Cadillac. These were pressurized by a small air compressor on the motor I believe. It is nice inside, and still has the "tern" plating in there. You can see rust dust in there, but the plating is good.
    DSCN0658.JPG

    The wing nut filler cap and neck were the exact ones used at Bonneville so they could use a dash hand pump for pressure. Cool. But the T handle shutoff was frozen, I got that out, but wanted to remove the bolted pickup casting so I can see how the old gas gauge is fitted in there. That gauge is one you have to view at the tank, and I can't seem to snake it out yet.

    Only one bolt came out. The others did turn OK a half turn with heat, but all broke off. Using the mig welder and washer/nut welded, I got one out, still have 2 more stuck.

    I need to use a 70-ish Ford 30 OHM gas sender like this one, but all I find are Tiawan made.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.jpg

    I will keep the Cadillac sealed filler cap, and use the Cad fuel pickup line, but I will modify the Ford sender fuel line to be a vent hose to run outside of the trunk.

    The gauges are 46-48 Plymouth, and I am using a Techweek thread from Kevinsrodshop to use 70s Ford pickup gauge guts in them.

    I bumped that thread yesterday to find out how to wire the Ford amp gauge. Crazysteve said it is too difficult, and that he would use a voltmeter instead. I found a old 18 Wheeler gauge panel here, with a SW voltmeter, and will cut it apart and use the guts I hope. (I am showing the gas gauge because I have not removed the Amp gauge from the Ford cluster yet)
    DSCN0656.JPG

    DSCN0657.JPG
     
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  11. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    That tank is nice. I like the cap.
     
  12. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    GWhite uses that same Cadillac cap and neck on his 40s build, and someone posted a 40s drylake pic of a roadster using the same entire tank in the trunk.
    All of the brass parts were once nickel plated, too. It must have been a visible tank on the Cadillac.

    I didn't know any of that when I spotted it.
    .
     
    falcongeorge likes this.
  13. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    I worked on putting modern guts in the gauges like Kevinsrodshop tech week thread shows. Crazy Steve answered my question on there, on how to wire the 70s Ford truck amp meter; him saying it would be tough to match the Ford resistances in a shunt type gauge. He suggested a voltmeter instead.

    In my junk I had a panel from an 18 wheeler I posted a pic earlier, with a SW voltmeter.

    I wanted something showing on the old Plymouth amp face, to remind me where 12v and 14v was on an "amp" face. I ended up cutting up the thin aluminum face of the SW, and grafting it to the back of the Ply clear see-through amp face. Fuzzy pic but it shows what was left of the SW face in foreground.
    DSCN0660.JPG

    epoxy is used to bond the old face to the Ford or SW gauge "can".... Just like Kevin does.
    DSCN0659.JPG
    not shown is the new square steel mounting plate with the two terminal lug holes in the proper place, to make the gauge centered in the Plymouth cluster. You can see the old rusty ones there.
    .
     
    falcongeorge and tb33anda3rd like this.
  14. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    I think I spend too much time on odd things.. :) When I bought that Plymouth cluster at a swap, I did not know what car it fit. My elderly friend told me it was 47 Plymouth, but he also followed by saying: : "That's the ones where the speedo needle changes color, the faster you go". WTH.. :)

    Hard to show all the pieces that make it change color, but in this pic foreground you can see a pointed tin tray painted with luminescent? white paint, and that pointed clear prism fits into it. One dash light bulb sits right near that prism. It funnels and magnifies the light to a very tiny beam that shines on the round clear plastic hub of the needle. On the sides of the hub, are three bands of see-through color, and those were faded badly.

    I used whatever I had for a see-though type paint a couple years ago. I tried repainting the flaked up white with flat white yesterday. I tried it at night with poor results. I could kinda see the base of the needle change color.

    Last night a brain storm hit. I had found a hardware store "mailbox stick on number" outside last week, something leftover from my son's boat numbers. Hey, I don't throw stuff away, so I figured to try cutting the super reflective white from that unused sticker to reline that tin tray...hoping it would work a bit better..
    DSCN0661.JPG

    DSCN0663.JPG

    I just now tried it in the dark trunk of the car where the battery is, with shop lights off. I had to LOL when I spun the needle higher....the needle does change color, but the whole darn speedo graphics of numbers and lines, all REALLY change colors.

    I was thinking Cheech and Chong....."OH, WOW, man"

    Forgot to explain the colors: Green is low speeds, Yellow is in the 50s, and Red is faster.

    still have to repaint the speedo black backround and detail everything...but it's pretty darn cool

    .
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2016
    falcongeorge, greaser, Paul and 2 others like this.
  15. wow, i did not know they did that. i want to see it in person........but a video would be fine too.;)
     
    falcongeorge likes this.
  16. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    I don't have a phone or a video camera....but honestly, it caught me off guard when I spun the needle in the dark. I was NOT expecting the whole dang thing to light up..

    Speedo is walled off so the other 4 gauges stay white.


    I like purple and blues, so maybe I should....., naw.. I need to stay focused :)
    .
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  17. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Colour code it with the car Frank!
     
  18. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    My son took me to the Milltown hot rod show in Sturbridge Mass yesterday. I have not been to a show or swap in 2-3 years. Maybe he wanted to go, or maybe get me motivated to finish the car.

    I didn't bring much money as I thought I was done needing things, but I found a scruffy pair of chrome BLC 904 with the tiny percolator lens at the top. Never saw these at a swap before, so I offered what $ I had in my pocket and a deal was done.

    They were all clouded chrome with some rust blisters, but the blisters cleaned up OK, and were on opposite sides, so I put the bad side inwards on both :)

    I never liked the really longer conehead shaped, painted BLCs I had, and these are not deep dish and they look more like what I recall decades ago. My son tried to talk me out of buying them, because he liked the others, but as soon as we got home he wanted to go hold one next to the car. Lol
    DSCN0669.JPG

    Glass shop finished on Wed, so I've been installing. Also paint inside doors, add sound deadener tar/foil stuff from Home Depot, then go find my door panels in storage. I had cut the thin curved stainless panel trim from 37 Ford hood trim, but now had to "finish" the cut ends like a "capped" trim is. I can't hold the torch and silver solder steady anymore! "golden years"

    The old upholstery glue came undone, and got smeared on this panel, but everything needs a good cleaning anyways.
    DSCN0668.JPG

    Having trouble with the NOS Trico dual wiper kit that converts one vacuum wiper to twin blades. I guess I never figured it all out when there was no windshield glass. The glass is One Dollar height in center, as a friend tried that. I have no dollar to try. :(
    DSCN0664.JPG
    It was too hot/humid to work, but I told myself if I do something today, I get to drive it outside for pics. It still runs..

    .
     
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  19. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I am starting to sound like a broken record here, man that is PERFECT. I agree 100% on the new headlights. It just keeps getting better and better.
    Cars like this SHOULD be the poster child for the hamb, instead its black highboys with no hoods, red wire wheels, and dumbass big headlights...:rolleyes:
    Man, that cowl antenna is so right...
     
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  20. YEAH!..... what he said.
     
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  21. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Yes, the old ones bugged me for years.

    But I was sitting on the back steps watching the color changing near evening, and it really needs some front nerfs or something, right?
    DSCN0670.JPG
     
  22. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Nerfs! HELL YES!
     
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  23. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    This old coupe had a cowl antenna once. The holes were brazed up, so braze is a long time before mig. I did what Tommy did, when he found brazed holes in his 32 roadster cowl; drill them in the exact same spot. I got real lucky at my favorite old time parts warehouse when I asked if he had any "old" cowl antennas. He came out with only three, and I about choked as one was the translucent red round ball tip. I don't know what is was for, as now mounted on the car, the ball reaches 10 feet off the ground!

    This old coupe also had a brazed up driver side spotlight hole in the A pillar, down low.

    We all need to get over it. You can't force people, or big buck shops, to like the old ways. It's not just for old guys, as there are quite a few younger guys who get into it, deeper than I do.

    One thing is, mine is not an old build. It was an old rod, but almost no traces of what is was or had. I seek out the old builds at shows, and the owners are on you like bees on a flower. They seem so excited to show old pics, or show some features....it's like nobody had even asked about their car, that day.

    .
     
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  24. greaser
    Joined: Apr 30, 2006
    Posts: 866

    greaser
    Member

    Wow! Love it when you tease us with more pictures, Frank. This little Deuce is one of my all time favorites. I can't wait to see it out and about.
     
  25. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    i dont think i ever will. Its funny, when I was a Deuce Days, I was looking at a very high profile car, its famous with a capitol F, lots of magazine coverage, ect. It has almost all the current "hamb traditional" boxes checked. I walked around it a couple times, fit and finish were absolutely perfect, lots of spiffy metal work and fabrication, could not find fault with any of the workmanship on it. Bottom line, for all of that, when I backed off across the street and looked at it, it was an ugly car.
    yea, I know, I just dont "get it". New clothes, or just a fat naked guy??
     
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  26. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    And on the flip side of this. Talked to two guys at Deuce Days that were in old cars with history. One is a local car that got magazine coverage back when, and has evolved as time passed. Most " hard-core traditional hot rodders" would pass by it like it had leprosy. Sbc, hpc coated headers, 4 bar, polished alternator, polished modern tork thrusts, ect. I know the car well' but have never actually met the owner. So this guy about my age comes out and opens the trunk. I ask him politely, "did you buy this car recently?" He immediately knew what was going through my mind and laughed and said " No, I'm Jims son." I said "man, we are standing in front of a lot of history here" We had a nice talk.
    The other one was a little different, I had never seen the car before, but I KNEW it was an OLD build. Again, SBC, alternator, and a four bar. We started talking, it was chopped in Barris' shop in 1952, and had a mint Gaylord interior. Its like being a mason or something, no rings, no secret handshakes, but we can always recognize each other when we start to talk, even if we are strangers.
     
  27. Frank, the car is dam near perfect! Great score on the lights and nerfs would be the icing on the cake!
     
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  28. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Frank, how did you do the running board covers? Just sew a hidden seam along the lower edge and glue them on? I GOTTA have white running boards for my car, but to do them in t&r seems too ostentatious.
     
  29. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    I did not take pics of install.
    They are home built 18ga steel. At the outer edge of metal that is rolled downwards at a radius, the 1/2" folded metal "edging-seam" is under/(backside) of the board edge. Somewhat like a VW bug board. (the Bug has the metal edge seam folded outwards instead, and that metal edge was hidden by a chrome strip)

    That's where I should have done the VW trick to hold that long edge of vinyl: VW made the board with the seam partly open, and they slipped the rubber mat under the metal edge seam and folded the seam tight, to hold the long edge of mat. I thought modern "fresh can" of DAP contact cement would hold forever, with that long edge of vinyl folded under 2", and glued to the underside. (it was glued and clamped with long thick straight edges for a week!) The board on driver side is upholstery shop grade vinyl, and that seam is holding. The passenger side board is Marine vinyl from Jo-Ann stores, and the seam completely peeled in 4 months. No idea how to rebond it yet.

    I did not fold-under the other 3 edges of vinyl. They are flush cut at the top edges of the board, and those trimmed edges are hidden under the 3 sides of fender welt. That still looks fine.

    I also glued the entire flat surface of the vinyl, but with me sitting or kneeling on the boards during interior work, there are loose spots showing now. (I'll need to recover the boards at some point, but not until I find a better bonding solution.)

    My first old 50s full fender car 45 years ago had black with white piping sewn, and T&R in the center, but I don't recall the details of where the stitching was.

    .
     

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