Poboyross's Model A Build: "Faux'dster"

One thing I did find....via Mythbusters:

http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/05/mythbusters_breaking_glass_a_r.html

Shop-Vac Jet Engine

Myth: A guy was cleaning his pool and heard an explosion. He went to his neighbor's house -- his neighbor was using a shop-vac to get the sediment off the bottom of the gas tank in his boat. The fumes went through the shop-vac and turned it into a turbine engine.
Test 1: Shop-Vac + Gas Can

They put a small amount of gas in a gas can so that it was mostly full of fumes. They hooked it up to a shop-vac for five minutes to see if they could get an explosion.
No explosion. It turns out that the shop-vac that they had chosen, like most new shop-vacs, has a safety feature: the motor is isolated from the tank and air running through the tank, so the motor can't spark the fumes.
Test 2: Short-circuited shop-vac + Gas Can

By accident, they short-circuited their shop-vac parts, sending sparks everywhere. Happy with this discovery, they decide to rig a worst-case shop-vac: short-circuit and a hole drilled through to allow the spark to reach the fumes. They also added more gas to the gas can.
No explosion.

 

Myth Busters are fun TV but they sure aren't scientists. These links are actual accounts of people who attempted to mix shop vacs with gasoline and were able to prove that electric motors and gasoline fumes do actually ignite.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/65-year-old_springfield_man_su.html

http://chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/pcsp_worker_starts_fire_after_tr.htm

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=38358

 

I don't want to continue off track and get into a debate about it. There are hundreds of factors that would go into any potential for explosion. The foremost of which is the generation of the shop vac. The big point for me is that I did my best to confirm that the tank had been free of fuel for at least a decade or two. Given the choices I had, just straight cutting into the tank with no precautions wasnt an option. I made efforts to mitigate the situation based on Murphy's Law and figured the shop vac popping off 10ft away was better than the remote possibility of the tank going up.

 

I like what you are up to on the Faux'ster project. I also like your enthusiasm (sp?) at trying new things. Keep it up!

Side note: does that fall under "Felonious use of a bullet proof vest" laws? Humm... I guess only if the mods to the car come out wrong!

 

LOL! Well, if there had been gas fumes in the air, then it would have been HIGH crimes and misdemeanors!

 

So, you're STILL claiming to be alive?

 

Maybe I doth protest too much?

Yeah, I'm still here...I finished cutting out the bottom of the tank night before last, gotta go back and clean up the cut before I cut the whole thing in half....I need to get an updated tetanus shot!

 

*Minor* update.....

A real nice fellah down in Manhattan Beach had a 3rd row bench seat from a 90's Caravan, picked it up for $20. Put it in place in the car to get it out of the way (my garage is packed out XP) and I know I have to take all the mechanics off the bottom, but it's nice to see it in there.

Also got one of the backing plates all decked out in new parts from Joblot.

 

So....I just discovered that Wilcap makes an adapter to run a PG behind a flatty....I'm getting SOOOOOO tempted to try and run that instead of the 305 SBC. I know....illogical when it comes to gas concerns, but damn....that flatty looks so lonely on a dolly in the corner!

 

You don't have to jump at any particular time. The engines are very close to interchangeable dimensionally. This must be a '49-53 since it will take a GM trans, and you will note the flange similarity...one common adapter was just a 1/4" plate with both sets of holes drilled. That gives you a measuring point. You have the longer front stack on a '49-53 and your Chevy is even longer if stock 305 unless you went to pre-68 pump and stuff. Front mount the Chevy with a Hurst mount instead of using the sidemounts and even that becomes flathead ready.

 

So I schlepped out to the garage today and started the process of widening the gas tank. I bolted all the parts down and went about welding in two short strips on top to hold it together. My welding technique is improving slowly but surely. I don't believe I'm going to finish buttoning up the tank until I get the doors cut down and fitted. Also got to get that 50-51 Kaiser gauge cluster I want to use and figure out how much to cut out for that thing, too.

Also of note is something my dad made me. It's the last part I'm going to out on the car when I finish it, the shift knob. My dad handmade the base out of black walnut hardwood that was harvested on our family land a week before I was born 33 years ago. The coin needs no explanation. My dad is also into knots and such, and hand wove the sheathing.

 

Before you fit the Kaiser cluster, look at the Hollywood
( http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...&highlight=stewart+warner+hollywood&showall=1 )
I saved one for this car...it's nearly empty but takes any normal size aftermarket gauges.
Sitting right here in the basement...

 

Oh!!!! Man, with everything going on, that had TOTALLY slipped my mind. Send that baby on out! I *really* appreciate that, Bruce! I can send you a FedEx pre-paid label if you PM me your address.

 

Just shoot me you address. You'll need to make an insert...buy a cookie sheet, read the posts on engine turning. It has one of the big gauges, don't remember which, and is currently homeless.

 

SMALL update. Had to get the car back together for several reasons...one of which was to reorganize the garage and I needed room. The other is that the car might be going over to Lucky's shop in a few weeks. I know the front end sits a couple inches lower when the motor is in, but I might consider going to a mono leaf spring or some such to drop it even more. Might also see about z'ing the rear. Anyway. Got a HELL of a deal on an engine hoist at Pep Boys and a MEGA HELL of a deal on a floor model rolling 6 drawer chest at Lowe's...HALF off! Now my garage is a lot more orderly.

 

cool car

 

Question...I just noticed that when standing in front of my car, looking down the frame rails, the both have a slight twist outward from the center of the car of about 3-5 degrees. The twist on each rail begins behind the front crossmember and ends about midway of the door. In other words, the top of each rail is rotated outward. No engine in the car yet, btw. Should I be worried?

 

original motor was the "middle" crossmember so when it was bolted in place held the frame rails square.

 

Ok, so what I'm looking at is within some realm of normal? Think the motor will bring it back true? I just thought it was weird that the rails are mirrors of each other with the twist degrees and beginning/end points of the twist.

 

are you running the banger?

 

Nah, running a v8. Rails were partially boxed.

 

that is why x members are needed.

 

Yeah, it's got a SoCal K member welded in...reckon it's stuck that way now :/

 

Digging it so far. Keep the progress postings coming.

 

Mild update. Opened up the radiator holes, got it mounted, temporarily hung the grill shell, tossed on some tape to get an idea of the potential hood line. Right now I'm examining the proportions. The photos make the rear look a little odd, maybe it's the camera, looks better in person. The engine should drop the front by an inch or so. If not I may look into a lower spring up front.

 

My folks came out to visit and play with their grandson, so what better time to co-opt my dad into helping figure out the math on cutting down these doors. It's only tacked together at the moment, but we ended up taking out 4 1/8" out of the length. I think we may need to take out b/t 1/4" and 1/2" more to make it fit, but that's a beast for another day. I also need to get the wood blocks in there to get the body level and straight before doing anything else. The 4 1/8" cut out was the minimum needed to be cut out, to leave wiggle room for when everything is squared up. I'm beginning to like the proportions now that the tacked up door is on there. Cutting off the top of the door above the belt line and thinning the door from inside out to match roadster thickness will finish off the effect, and the wood trim around the back of the cab will even out the top of the doorline.

 

Cool progress. What do you have planned for the windshield? Take lots of pics when you thin the doors. The windshield and doors are what makes or breaks these cars in my opinion.

 

Planning on using chopped 28/29 roadster stanchions, but lately I've been looking at something Hallock-ish. Saw someone on here who used (I think) 27 ford roadster stanchions that mount on the gas tank area, made a hallock-like windshield out of them. Still not sure where I'll go at the moment.

SO...the car is over at Lucky's garage now, work should commence this week on the body work. I'll update with photos soon.

Side question...what are the thoughts about 270 Super Red Ram Hemis? Early Hemis in general? I know I should go with one of the two engines I've got (305 SBC or 8BA), but lately I've been jonesing for a Hemi...and it won't go away!

 

UPDATE TIME!

So the car has been over at Lucky's for the past week or so and a lot of great progress has been made. Lucky's work is impeccable and his suggestions to improve the body lines are always right on the mark. At the moment, things are just being tacked together, and will be fully welded later on after everything is finalized.

Here's a shot of what he's been doing on the passenger side. We got a rear panel (above the decklid) repop for a 28/29 roadster and he cut/tacked that in across the top. He then fabricated the bead line that would usually run around the rest of the cab. He has also started modifying the cowl to accept roadster windshield stanchions.













Here's a couple shots of what's going on with the doors. To avoid the 3"+ shelf that is often seen when you cut down the door tops of a coupe to make it a roadster, Lucky has chopped, narrowed, and thinned the doors down to have more of the roadster proportion. I wanted the doors to be a few inches longer than actual roadster doors, because I didn't want to always have problems heaving my 6'3" 212lb self through tiny doors all the time....because really, what's the use in having a coupester if you can't enjoy a little more room and ease of access?









Here are a couple of wide shots of where it stands:















It's looking like it should all come together sometime next week. So I should have some more updated shots then. The cowl steering should be mocked up, doors will be opening/closing, windshield mounted, etc, hopefully.

 

Wow, serious progress. Please post as many pics as you can of the windshield stantions and the doors.