Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

I ordered my brakes and steering arms. I'll wait to see how things fit, before I order the tie rod. My measuring looks like a tie rod with conventional tie rod ends will clear the wishbones. Which is what I REALLY want to go with. I'll know Friday. If clearance is an issue, I'll use heims and spacers.

Hot dogs and potatoe chips for lunch the next week, but.....worth it!

 

Have you mentioned what the wheels will be ? JW

 

Good question, biggest fan. Keeping true to the name of this car.... "Black Dahlia", I'm using these....



Cragar Deluxe Black Smoothies with the center caps. Rock.....on, baby. All together now.....

 

I like those a lot and im starting to get a vision of the more completed build.JW

 

You have permission to get in my head......... here we go. Her name is, "Black Dahlia". Google it. She'll be all black, with a few bit's of chrome or stainless steel. Engine...all black. Valve covers, intake, block and carb......black. Red interior, maybe black. I'm undecided on that, but if it's red, it'll be a bench seat. If I go black, they'll be Kirkney vintage racing seats. I'm envisioning a stealth, kinda dry lake look or theme. Naw, screw that. Just black and fast. Stripped down. The only thing I want hanging off the exterior will be what's required by law.

14" windshield with a black frame. Flat black lake pipes. Gas tank... either polished stainless steel or flat black. Body color...... jeez, man....BLACK! This will be the Hot Rod Batman would have built...... and Robin would NEVER get the freakin' keys. Traditional? No. Although traditional themed seems to get a pass around here. Evil? Yea, kinda......IMO all hot rods should be black. True, black is a hard color to keep clean, but I'll love cleaning her. As long as she doesn't bite.

So, you may be asking yourself, why would someone name a car after one of the most infamous unsolved murders, in the history of Los Angeles, CA? (Now, Google image, "Black Dahlia") The same reason that the same person collects horror comics. Just freakin'.... different and the name sounded cool. Plus, the average person with knowledge of the murder will think I'm crazy. And I am...... but in a good way. As Norman Bate's said, "Why.... I'd never harm a fly."

When I get in the mood, I'll do a sketch and post it. Before I started playing with cars, I sketched and drew comics. It's a gift. Never went to art school. I've just always been able to put what's in my head, onto paper. My girl says, "I just found a different medium." When I got into the first build, that made sense. I draw, when I "feel it". Inspiration. I'll go a year or so and not render anything. Then, one day for an hour or so, I'll just start drawing. For the last 10 years, Hot Rods have inspired me and taking pen to paper hasn't. But I'll take a moment to do a sketch. No promises, but I will try.

There. Did you enjoy the trip?

Oh...... second choice for a name was, "The Hannibal Twin 8" from the film, "The Great Race". I am Professor Fate. But, I couldn't afford the lift kit and someone stole my cannon.



I have a really screwed up sense of humor. I'm the guy that every group has..... asshole? Maybe, but in a sarcastic, dark humor kind of way. You keep him around because you can't wait to hear or see what he's going to do next. And when someone needs help, he'll give the shirt off his back. It's a wonder Ryan hasn't banned me by now. Warned... but not banned.

 

I get the vision clearer now. My only thought of change (if you go that path) is the black gas tank as this will heat up in the sun and cause a lot of evaporation. There will be ways to minimise that but I dig the theme. Is it going to be gloss, satin or matt in finish? JW

 

Thanks for swaying me to polished stainless.(like I needed a push)The finish of the body is a kind of satin. The body is made by California Custom Roadster and their bodies are in black gelcoat. I've seen a few in person. Expensive, but the best T Bucket body made. I won't even have to paint it.

 

"Black Dahlia" Good name. Good Idea. "Charmed Chariot" I've recently started calling mine "Kandy Kolored Klown" I just got wrapped into the movie "Blue Velvet".

 

Cool. And you know what? Someone posted that there's a '36 roadster in Austin named, "Black Dahlia". I thought I was being original. LOL Guess there's more than one nut in the tree.

 

Gary, every time I see a pic of your car, it just drives me nuts. It captures what Norm's vision was. A cool looking ride that no one would ever really understand, but in the back of their mind, they'd love it for that same reason. In the world of t Buckets, your's truly is a "Rebel". The people who don't like T Buckets... are the one's who've never ridden in one.

 

Hey Fred thanks. How about "T"he Black Dahlia. I like the concept. Black on Black On Black with a sprinkling of chrome. Keep up the Good Build.
Gary

 

Hi Fred.Sounds like a swell build.Just a thought on the seat cover color.Being in the great state of Texas,I would opt for a different color than black for the seat covers unless you want to fry your ass every time you set down in the summer.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

In Texas, the smart roadster guys toss a white towel on the seat. Unless I have a female rider in shorts, then I "forget" the towel and watch 'em jump. Makes for some rough conversation and a massage later.

 

More cool build techniques. JW

 

As always this thread is the best enTerTainmenT on the HAMB

 

" Just when I think I`m out....you draw me back in...." Or something like that....

 

Keep that up and your not going to FIT in a T bucket!

 

But its an extended body. JW

 

Nice! (I'm definitely not the one who should have been making that comment, my waist size has grown considerably since I retired from the navy!)

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Thats the name of El Jefe's car. As in Steve from the Kontinentals that owns the Continental Club. I know other cars have also used this name but with a car as infamous as Steves I would feel weird using it. In fact, personally I wouldn't.

 

Having two cars called the same name in NZ would be an issue but in a country the size of the U.S. I don't see it being much of a problem and even less of one now that you are not going to use it. JW

 

He probably has it written on his car and that's cool. Hell, it's cool even if he doesn't. That's my name for mine and it won't get written on it any where. But if some one asks, I'll tell them. It's what I'll call her, when I refer to her. In fact, my last T, "Miss Behavin'", was named after a WW2 bomber and the only people who knew her by that name, we're people who had read my build thread. If we all felt bad about doing something that's been done before, there'd only be a few cars running around.

Name stands.

 

Good and very fitting. JW

 

For those of us who are doing "traditional" builds, it's ALL been done before. LOTS of times, or it wouldn't be "traditional."

 

Had two good things happen today. One, my supervisor let me work late, so that meant some great over time. Over time = car parts! The second was the two boxes of parts awaiting me, when I got home. I checked the manifest and everything was there. Is there anything better than handling new parts? So, tonight's midnight agenda will be cutting off and smoothing the outer bolt hole on the Ford steering arms and preparing the rotors to accept the new inner bearing races.

I mocked the Ford steering arms on the spindles and while a tie rod would clear, it'll be too close for my peace of mind. So I'll install a 3/4" spacer, when I install the tie rod and use heims instead of the conventional tie rod ends.

Not sure what the back ground music will be tonight. Maybe some "Pearl Jam"? Tomorrow, I'll mock things up for fit and pics.

 

Cool stuff, looking forward to tomorrows photo offerings. JW

 

Dug through my cassettes....... "Darkness On the Edge of Town". Springteen around 1978 at his best. Tonight's "Git her done" jam.

 

Great song, great album and Band, I have all his work up till he split with the E Street Band. I may just dig out my copy when having a session in the workshop. JW

 

Oh no not Heim Joints! Who would use HEIM JOINTS!
Glad your making progress. Wish I still had the energy to work overtime and then work on my rod if I ever did.
The Boss great build music. I think I mentioned before I played Best of Bob Seger for the roadsters last teardown.
Gary

 

Fred. Maybe this will work for your application.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/1948-64-Ford-Pickup-Tie-Rod-End-Drops,50152.html