History The Clem Waske 29 Roadster #265B

My all time favorite piece of guidance... "go that way really fast, if something gets in your way, turn"

 

Well my old a** body hurts like hell today, but I did get something done.
Thanx to Runnin Shine and Ford Mike, we have a K-Member on the way,
Here's a couple of pix. Another piece of the pie added to the meal. Heck, I better lose some weight...

 

Well thanx to 1-Shot, this is on it way this afternoon : I couldn't do this build w/o your guys help.
Thanx it makes this whole thing coming together a little easier, like pals helping pals back when these cars were being built back in the early days.

 

The ways of hot rodding haven't changed, the hood just got bigger. Lol

 

That's a great statement!!!!
I love my "hood"!!!!! Cut some rear plate off today. Looking them over the welder was a darn good arc welder as this plate is really welded to those rails.

I don't think that it ever would've broke off or cracked...

 

Hey Kevin what other parts do you have. What steering are you going to use and what front end set up, do you have brakes and wheels I see that you have the motor and transmission set ups are your going to run a cyclone quick change. Let us all know what other parts you might need help finding. Trog is coming quick.

 

I haven't got a chance to look into the steering yet, not sure if I have any??? I was going to look above the 34 Woody,Ones up there. I think that steering is actually a 34????
I know that I need a column mast with bell if I'm to use a 40 style wheel. If Doc furnishes a Sprint Car wheel, Then I'll use a piece if exhaust tubing.

I have a dropped axle=Mor-Drop, Keith Tardell donated it as well a a good core block a few years back.

Not sure about the spindles and brakes, but I may have a set around that was slated for another project that just may end yo on that axle.

Wheels, it's gotta have Kelsey's so Im going to need 3 more as I have one @ the house where I was raised. I think that I have some period correct used tires around.

I have the CYCLONE QC. In the den all apart as it hasn't been built yet. I need two good rear axles/nuts with useable keyways, I better get cracking on that.....

I know that I don't have rear backing plates,brakes, drums,e-brake - cable or wheel cylinders.

Now I'm going to need a chopped radiator, Will look in the yard to see I can have one made or perhaps come across one???? (Bruce, Ghost Parts are your specialty) !
That's it for now.

 

I know if you read page 3 on this adventure, then you saw those pesky arc welded rear radius rod brackets that had been hot wrenched off sometime in its past life. Well I knew that I couldn't use them and they were pretty unsightly so I attempted to grind those off after Cook's couldn't bring themselves to put that type of heat to this 84 year old frame, so I figured that I'd hit it later.
So today's later.
I finally got all but one of those plates off of the inner rails.
If this was a paying job I'd been fired for trying to be so concerned about saving the outer rails from warping or becoming compromised.

Like a knucklehead, I left my phone @ my place and didn't have access to a camera, so no pix right now.

When I get the last one off I'll take more progress pix, it'll be nothing exciting though .

 

I just walked in from being in Alhambra all day that's where the chassis will go together (Look at the primer shots of the body and you'll know why it's not here being worked on).
In short, Oscar and I do all of our builds there, it just is easier to walk around-besides that, That area has a lot of Hot Rod History as Oscar's brother in law was the late Bill Burke and lot of stuff was built over there long before I came around.
Anyhow, it was a somewhat productive day. Victory has been achieved!!!! All of the added in plate that was Hot Wrenched onto the frame oh so many years ago...Whoever did it didn't want them coming off ever.....

So it is now all removed, just now un-obstructed rails that I need to add a K-Member to. Looking over the frame I'm bound and determined to take in what someone basically just said "hell, I won't use that!!! I want a brand new set of ASC's". I on the other hand see that anything can be saved-even if it's 3/4 of the way demolished = (the broiler).

I'd have to say that this was 3/4's almost finding it's way to the scrap pile.
When I got Clem's A body I had all kinds of things going thru my head.

At one point I had it sitting on a A styled aluminum frame that "BOYD" gave me after whacking the hinges off of one of my 28/29 a Closed Cabs without ever telling me about it= (found out when picked up the cab).

There were no front-rear cross-members in that frame that was originally intended for Aluma-Truck. I don't really ever think that I seriously considered the use of that frame, especially with it being a non-ferrous alloy. so onto the Ford A Frame in the pix where it's mocked up. It sat like that for awhile.

Then Eric Loe gives me a pic of the car as appeared in 1947...oh shoot! it was on a 32 chassis, where the heck am I going to find one of those, How am I going to be able to afford one???

Well of course years go by....& Zach Suhr and I were talking about seriously sending it out there, When I showed him the picture he said "that cars gotta look like that again!"

Keith Tardell and I talked about it and I know that I'm repeating myself here, but we were still on the fence regarding just what version to build, Clem's or mine????

As my luck would have it, Keith had a little change going on over at the shop and I went and retrieved my body in the back if my 77 Chevy Custom Deluxe Short Bed Fleetside. I believe Chris Swenson and I met over Billy Vinther's for I think his last LARS Saturday night get together??????
Well Chris and some pals went over with me a couple of blocks where I had the truck parked and he saw it then.

This body wore the same paint that Clem put on it back in the 40's albeit, it was way distressed not patina. It came out of the bed and back into the yard. Now the car still had to find a chassis. enter Mike K. And Mike G. Through a HAMB ad, Mike K. advertised a chassis that until recently had belonged to Mike G. I went out to Saugus to go take a look. It was indeed a chassis from a 32 Ford, was a roller on a 80's set of Enkie wheels.

It had both sets if horns, I decided that we'd own it. Then Mike K. took us up to the guys dad place who rebuilt the 32 back in the 80's. (What a great bunch of guys)!!!!

I was told that the chassis was in a magazine back in the early 90's and sure enough it was in Nov 93 SRM under a "RARE 32" Tudor Tub.

Ok, now my mind us spinning as I know that I've seen this car before,then I remember after we leave that I used to see this older guy driving a fendered version of this car DuVall W/S and all..... That guy was Dry Lakes and Bonneville Racer - Butch Carlton who piloted a 34 3W with the top whacked off like a roadster in its Blue/White guise, I think its # was either 34 or 64-The late Jack Kelly owned this car for a while in his signature "Secret Sauce" yellow that his tank wears currently.

Well Mike Gamel and his Pop changed up the car a bit and that's another version of what I remember seeing.
Thom Taylor is the one who really said"yup, I know that car!!!!"
I couldn't cut that piece of history up, What the heck am I going to do now???
I built that frame as 64c. It now is gloss black on Kelsey's with a 25 louver hood......

A few years later I'm at a friends place who's a "Wheeler Dealer" and his uncle has this body/frame, but they like body work, but not chassis work or distressed metal, if it would've been a virgin, they'd still have it. The more I looked at this frame, I knew that it didn't come from that 32 3W coupe……

They got the 32 up north, it's frame was pinched at the cowl, so that frame came out from under a 28-31 A model. At one point.

So it just happens to be exact same color that the body was. It has scars where all of the weird stuff that the body has in it, Even has the same welding later in its life after Clem. So I put a call into the guy that bought the body in 1972, He said a while back that the frame was sold out from under that A-bone and went to a guy that he thought was building a 32....

I can't confirm it yet, but I'm looking for telltale signs and more info, so if anyone knows this cars history after Clem or even any owner perhaps they can say where the frame went prior to 1972's sale to Jim Palmer. Very strange that they're both Washington Blue......

I welded up some holes, cracks and even missing pieces, I'm in need of much better grinding discs, stones,bits or the like. It sure makes the job much more enjoyable when ones able to work with great tools.
Here's the pix of the rails without any appendages
Not done yet, so bear with me, I'm burned out tonight will hit again on Tuesday. Happy 4 th HAMBers!!!!

 

Getting there Kevin! All it takes is time,oh yeah, and money

 

I hear that Dale, but more importantly it takes a great set of friends. If I didn't have Oscar to let me do all this stuff at his place, co-mingle our tools, store countless parts of mine there and then the many who read these posts, just as you did Bruce's and then hand carried in 41 Chevy tail lights into the LARS Swap and just gifted them to him.
You, Frank,Wyatt, Mark, Chuck, and Sam are those friends and even though we are not in the same locality, we are all connected by people & their cars.
I'm proud to call y'all friends. .

 

You trying to make us go all soppy inside
Couldn't think of a better place to direct those parts to.

Recreating history is a great challenge, and if we can help in any small way we can by donating even a small part, then we, as your friend @Cyclone Kevin , have done our bit to preserve hot rod history.

Now you understand why I do the things I do - or say I am going to do.

 

BTW, here is how it looks with it's shorty shell.

Thanks Frank, you're a life saver!!!
I can't wait for the K-Member to get here!!!!!!! Then even more work begins.

 

Looking good Kevin. Keep at her buddy, and have a safe and happy forth. I'm working on the roadster all weekend and today I'm gonna install those tail lights dale gave me. Thanks to him and you for all the help and support, and it is nice for guys to help out to recreate history and help preserve history. Thanks to all for help and support. I got my eyes out for a chopped radiator.

 

The grill looks awesome btw. Me likey

 

I like Kevin. Are you going to run front horns?

 

No Dale,
They'll be stubs as I cut them exactly where what was there on the welds as "tow horns" as they were cut right there in the pix back then.
Do you have any ideas?

 

To me it looks like Clem had his 32 rails pinched starting all the way back in the cowl area. Not just squeezed in there to fit the 29 foot print but carried all the way forward to be more sleek.
Also not just in front of the steering box like my frame( "bones" style ). Any thoughts on what his steering set up was? If it is side steer off the frame and you pinch it before the box this entails all new flange position considerations.

 

I believe it was 32 ford side steering. I'm hoping to have a bunch of guys and of course family over for my 1st ever 4th of July picnic celebration. I've been in this house 20yrs, and it seems when you find a place that had enough garage space shop and concrete, tin just finds it's way to you.

So with those strong guys that are 1/2 my age, I'll rope em into getting the body from its "car locked" quarters around the V8 87 Regal, past Glenn's A-V8 30 Model A Coupe , then over the 40's era Wedgewood stove (it's great cond & 4 sale), through the 4' high gate into the neighbors driveway and into the bed of the "Miler's Dakota", then over to Alhambra, then I can see how it fits the frame. I knew there was a reason for throwing a 20th anniversary. .

 

Kevin this is what I use to grind welds out with, if I don't use a torch with a scarfing tip. The large thick one is great for knocking down welds it's a Norton and it seems to last longer than any other brands and usually cheapest. Can't wait to see the body on it. The Merka brand works good too, use them a lot. This is just my experience from being in body shops for 60+ years. Let's see some pictures of it all stacked together. Frank

 

Kevin, there is a welding site, www.WeldingTipsandTricks.com Jody has some really good info. There is sections on Tig. Mig. Arc. This is down and dirty Jody talks in layman terms and not over your head like some engineering person. He has been a welder all his life and is good at it. There is a welding class at a local college that the instructor (a friend of mine) that requires his students to watch. Jody discusses arc force, direction of travel, up hill overhead, lots of good shots of actual welding , it will help any one become a better welder. There is a new clip every week. Give him a look see. Frank

 

Kevin, like runninshine said, I think it was probably pinched, especially if it ever ran a nose. I think I would probably do that if you aren't going to have horns.

 

Kevin you are the current caretaker, do what you think best. Frank

 

Ok, this is what I did today.....
Trying to give it the CW265B look, may decide not to go with QC just to get this on the road a little faster .

Still trying to take these pix in. Glad the body is sitting on the frame. Looking at pix, no doubt that this frame was made for this sucker .

 

I just pee'ed alittle. That phase is a registered trademark copywriten and not to be used without the permission on Hubba Hubba inc. Wyatt are you feeling what I'm feeling..... I should of drive down and helped you Kevin I would of loved to be their to touch her body.... You even bought her a new pair of shoes.... It looks awesome. Hell not even the pop up canopy can keep the sun off her..... She's prurdeeee

 

No disrespect to the 32 Kev, but CW265B is gonna be the real head turner in your stable.

 

Thanx guys,
You should have seen the how many guys it took to get that body out of my back yard.
It was a truly over your head project to get it out. I wish someone would have photographed it.

I was so anxious to get it on the chassis to see if it would work,but I was busy earlier. I ended up going over in the afternoon so I was able to get a good look at how this car appeared back then.

 

The body looks fantastic - the wedge section of the upper portion, the filled wheel wells - great historic look from the Lakes' golden Era.
@Cyclone Kevin it looks like the tank has been flattened out where it originally attached to the panel that runs under the windshield.
Is this the case?

 

That looks fantastic! I love the whole look and stance. Beautiful man, just beautiful.
Aaron

 

Looks awesome!