Projects Shade tree Model A speedster kind of thing

Your a true gentlemen! Sacrificing for the sake of others. Maybe you can get a back rub from the wife

 

I found an old pair of saddlebags pretty cheap. One of the advantages of my tendency to jump around on projects is that it gives me time to look for deals and think on things. Hurrying can get expensive, in my experience. Anyway, I cut the stitching out of the middle of the strap and riveted a spacer piece in there so they would drape over my rear bodywork. That little strap goes under the gas cap of extra security at high speeds. Haha. They aren't too big, but I can at least carry a quart of oil and a few tools and spares now. The port side one kind of covers my little tank valve access hole, but oh well.

 

I've decided I don't like those saddlebags in that spot. I'm pondering my options, but to me they just ruin the kind of clean, simple look I had going on back there. I have an idea about how I can still use them, because I really do need the space, if only for emergency tools and such. I'll post my eventual solution.

 

No room up inside the cowl area?

 

Hmmm what would those bootleggers have done?......maybe you can make a compartment under the seat.

 

...how about a somewhat low profile box in this area to house a quart of oil on its side and other important items.
You could have it with a hinged rectangular lid and extend the top fwd and match the curvature of the seat back both sides.

You could have a matching longer low profile box 1/2" below your filler cover on the driver side as well. The length is governed by your offset seating...you can paint it your signature grey and even throw period decals or hand striped with hand done lettering as well...just thinking out loud...

You on the road yet?...you must be getting the itch with the warming weather...​

 

Have you considered removable boxes with locking lids? Sort of like hard bags on a motorcycle? And you could make them much wider, to almost match the width of the front seats? Gary

 

I like stogys idea. Can you make a kool shape with your wood strip process? I think if you made storage that flowed with the rest of the tail would look Killer.

 

IMO...… The lower bracing for the floor looks a little more industrial than the rest of the body...
maybe make / find a metal box that would have the same width gap between the skin and the braces side and rear … sort of gives the bracing the look of being designed to be there...

 

Love the project, On some early speedsters I've seen a leather tool bag attached below the radiator.
You might consider 1/2 of the saddlebag(s) for that, just a thought.

 

This is what I'm leaning toward. The one on the back is just clamped in, the inside one is sitting on a couple of old VW coils. I get what you are saying, Sloppy, but I'm kind of reserving those little shelves to strap a couple of old suitcases or backpacks to for my first road trip. Hahaaa

 

That looks good, seems like it was planned rather than an afterthought.

 

Hahahaaaa, Leonard. This whole thing is just a series of afterthoughts and adjustments. Car design on the fly.

We had a bunch of bad weather this morning, so I spent some time inside making these little doohickeys to hold my hood straps under a bit of tension. They are going to be bolted to the metal hood panels where the straps were screwed to the old wooden hood. The straps go in the back, buckles in the front (the other half of each is attached to the car and radiator shell). That way the left over strap, after it's buckled, doesn't face forward anywhere and flap in the wind. I was running out of 3/16" rod, so I split and bent the ends for the front, rather than using that cute little hook. I wish I had done that all around, I like the way the buckles fetch up against the bracket. The spring tries to pull the hooks around the corner. Won't matter when they're buckled, though. I hope that long-winded description and the pictures make it clear. Won't be able to get them attached today, so you'll have to use your imagination.

 

Just a quick'n dirty vision of what I was envisioning for a wooden and/or metal addition that is low profile and could be introduced on both sides to carry tools and perhaps a quart of oil lying on side...

Your innovation to simplicity is inspiring...

and as the others have added the split bag location is looks good and vintage suitcases sounds fitting as heck...​

 

Have you considered skinning your body in aluminum? I think it might really put it over the top with brass riveted panels......just a thought

 

I like your new saddle bag placement. The hood strap hardware is killer!

 

Looks great, I also like the happy soldier.

 

One thing that makes these interesting is the randomness of what we are seeing in that it was not planned...as in what was a Helmet appears as a Helmet of sorts in its repurposed function as a air cleaner cover which also looks a smiling character...This actually happens a fair bit in automobiles...and it brings a smile to ones face many a time.

AND the curious Owl...



Credit to Photographer @rwrj, Owner

​

 

Got some paint on the hood and mounted the saddlebags this morning. When the paint cures fully, I'll knock some of the shine off with a Scotchbrite pad so the evidence of my inexpert metalsmithing is hidden a bit. I guess I just wouldn't be me if I didn't end up with extra holes in the damn hood. Ha. Don't ask.

 

If you put a rivet in each hole, they will immediately look like they have a job. Cool build.

 

Ha ha! Damn holes! Shit happens I guess. Like fabber said throw a few rivets in. It will be just fine.

 

I have been looking for a speedometer that fits this thing for a while now. By fits, I mean it has to be small, and it has to be old enough to not stand out. Found this on the auction site. The seller claims that it is from the '20s, but I'm not sure. Looks old enough for me, though.



Install was pretty straightforward. Used the faceplate as a template, drilled some holes, a little sawing and rasping, easy money, really. It's just a tight friction fit right now, but I may just leave it like that. I still have to get a cable that fits.







I know a speedometer might seem silly in something like this, but I wanted one.

 

The tail section looks similar to the "speedster" I want to replicate. Here are a few pics of his you might like showing his saddle and tool bag. Google Richard Scaldweld GN JAP for more pics.

 

Sure would like to see pics of the whole car.

 

That Scaldwell car was the inspiration for the rear part of mine, and I give him full credit. It's a hell of a piece of work.

That's from back in page 6, when I first started building the back end.

 

Lol. Ok. I'll have to start from the beginning.

 

It's a pretty long read, and rambles a bit. Haha. I've been following your thread with a lot of interest.

 

Lol. Just finished going through it all. Awesome. Love the can do attitude. Been recovering from some minor surgery the last couple weeks. Spending too much time on HAMB and the Barn, but should be good by week's end.

 

I needed a better gas cap. The old Triumph Spitfire thing wasn't air tight, and I couldn't figure out a good way to attach or modify the pot metal base of it, so I made this thing:




I turned the cap and base from some bronze bar stock. Had to cut that stuff with a hacksaw, took a bit of time. I can't overstate the value of a new, high quality, sharp blade. The ears on the base are silver soldered, I hope they hold up. The rest is made from good old cold rolled 1/4" sheet. I don't know when this style cap was invented, probably after the time period I'm shooting for, but oh well. I just slapped it together to make sure the geometry was right. My intention was to take it back apart and polish it up some. I'm not a fan of fake patina, but I kind of like the old, beat up look it has, so I don't know what to do yet. Anyway, here's a little video: