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Hot Rods The "Whatever" project

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Dave G in Gansevoort, Sep 28, 2020.

  1. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Great idea! I was thinking down, but that would hide the qc. Seeing it sells it.
     
  2. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Anyone want to see a picture? Well I don't care what you want, you're getting just one anyway.
    DSCN1685.JPG I got a box of goodies yesterday from Speedway. Mostly hard parts, but these taillights also. Had to get them mounted, so I could see if my choice works. As always, opinions are welcomed, but I guess I'm committed to them now.

    Also got kingpins, bearing spacers, and assorted other stuff. Not picture material yet. And no one wants to see pictures of that stuff, either in in the boxes or on the car. Just let it be said for the record that it actually took longer to lay out the holes thru the turtle deck for the taillights than to install the other stuff...

    I'm getting old
     
    Ragged Edge, Tman, brEad and 2 others like this.
  3. GearheadsQCE
    Joined: Mar 23, 2011
    Posts: 3,375

    GearheadsQCE
    Alliance Vendor

    Actually Dave,
    I was looking forward to a king pin picture!
     
  4. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    New or used? 37-41 or 42-48? Really old 32-34? No Chevies, sorry! I'll try harder next time...
     
    brEad likes this.
  5. ratrodrodder
    Joined: Feb 19, 2008
    Posts: 380

    ratrodrodder
    Member
    from Boston

    Anything in a Studebaker flavor? I'm trying to fill my bingo card.... :D
     
  6. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Not even a Hay Binder!
     
  7. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Researching all things electrical, like wiring harnesses, gauges, lights, and other assorted things that are too easy to let the smoke out of. Trying to decide brands of gauges to get, SW, Autometer, or ??? I've always used SW in the past, but the last time I bought a new gauge of any sort was in the 90s. So experience with one brand or another is helpful. I'm using electrical gauges except for the tach, and possibly the speedometer. That one is tba pending the results of mixing and matching parts of 2 T5s or going back to the T10. I even know what fuel level sending unit is going to be used.

    And I've looked at both Painless wiring and American Autowire for harnesses and the like. American Autowire has a nice system that has everything I think the whatever project is going to need. I didn't see a similar system from Painless, so I'll need to call them and see what they say. However if websites are any indication of the company, then American Autowire would win hands down. Opinions?

    So far the only electrical bits actually in the garage are the new taillights and the Austin Mini ignition/directional/horn/high-low switch assembly on the steering column. Which should be easy to integrate into either company's wiring harnesses.

    And I know, Lucas Prince of Darkness electrical systems. In my experience, the only trouble spot in reality is the bullet connectors that were used. They just run the wires thru the end holes in the male part of the connectors, fold the wires over, and plug them in. Works fine until it gets wet and starts to corrode. However that's also brilliant, as they did leave extra wire length. So you just cut it back a little bit, polish up the bullet, and put it back together. In reality the wiring lasted longer than the British water soluble steel that the inexpensive lines of cars were made from...

    I'm open to suggestions and opinions as always, and I haven't bought anything else except for the taillights, so now is the time to talk me out of something stupid I'm about to do...
     
  8. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,798

    Marty Strode
    Member

    Rebel Wire has a nice package.
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.
  9. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    I've not heard of them before, but I'll check them out. I've wired lots of racecars in the past, but since this is the first hot rod I've ever attempted, i want it done as best as I can muster. And I don't want to do it twice...
     
  10. ratrodrodder
    Joined: Feb 19, 2008
    Posts: 380

    ratrodrodder
    Member
    from Boston

    12/2 with ground up to 20A, outlets on all 4 sides per code, and 1 GFCI near the sink...
    Sorry, wrong wiring thread! :p

    I've got some extra wiring coils laying around from years ago when they were on sale at the local parts store, if you need anything extra that doesn't come from a kit let me know. Or just check your stocking Christmas morning....
     
    brEad likes this.
  11. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    New kingpins and bushings in the F1 spindles today. Used the newest and the oldest tools in the garage doing it. DSCN1696.JPG Here's the newest, a horror fright press. Sorry didn't think to get a couple of pictures of the process, but I think everyone can figure it out. Used an appropriately sized mandrel (well an 11/16 socket actually) to change the bushings.
    DSCN1692.JPG And here's the oldest, a 1928 Sunnen bushing grinder. Yes, one of these days I'll make a real coolant system, and not just use a drip pan and squirt bottles, but it's worked for me since 1976, so I'm not in any hurry...
    DSCN1693.JPG Here's the setup in progress. Well sort of, I forgot to get pictures of the F1 spindles so this is a stand in 34 spindle.
    DSCN1694.JPG DSCN1695.JPG Here's the finished product. I shoot for a 0.001 minus fit, and nailed it! It took longer to dig out the machine and make room to work on the spindles than it did to do the job! The joy of a small work area.
     
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  12. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,143

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Dave
    Sometimes it's the little accomplishments (victories) that keep us going.
    By the way, I worked for 30 years as a machinist (same place), started out with junk machinery, some had two different military dept. plates on them, were still there when I retired.
    Talk about victories, on a daily basis!
    Soldier on.
     
  13. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Yes, the little details that go unnoticed. Some of these are completely invisible so only we know that the job got done. A friend of mine has said he doesn't want to see a rattle can paint job, because he knows that I'm terrible at paint. Time and our health allowing, and if I can do some of the preparation beforehand, he's thinking about coming up from NC to paint it for me.

    And that's the stuff people see. He wants to ensure that the finished product stands up to the actual work underneath. When we worked on cars together back when we both lived in Ann Arbor MI, we had a motto, any job worth doing is worth overdoing!

    Regarding that 94 year year old bushing grinder, I can only imagine how many sets of kingpin bushings it has sized during its lifetime. The mechanic who bought it new had it from 1928 until he retired in the early 70's. He gave it to a friend who had a Shell station in town but Sam didn't have any interest in it. It was headed to the scrap yard when I pulled it off of his truck in 1975 (I think...) and I've had it ever since. I did all of my own kingpins for the modifieds with it and for a couple of friends as well.

    Now I just have to make a real coolant system for it, and finally after all these years, get some new stones. I'm on my last set. Fortunately Sunnen has never changed the mandrel design.

    And of course not being able to throw stuff away, I'm also making a jack system for my 1940s Delta radial drill press to raise and lower the table with an acme screw from a horror fright trailer jack that broke. Another distraction!
     
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  14. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Oh and the kingpins will just slide in from the top when lightly oiled. I can't feel any wobble in them in the bushings, either singly, or all of the way inserted. And I am happy with that fit
     
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  15. I prefer Stewart Warner, HAMB @Django designs fonts for them as a bons!

    Also do a search on Rebel Wire, they have the perfect setup for a car like this, the owner is also a HAMBer and they are Alliance members @REBEL43
     
  16. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Now that's an idea! Custom gauge faces with the Dave's Barn logo. It goes back to my dirt track days and the barn I built my cars in. Still have the sign from over the door.

    Hmmm!
     
    brEad likes this.
  17. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,798

    Marty Strode
    Member

    IMG_9821.JPG
    Doug, I have one with a military plate on it, I don't think it's junk.
     
    64 DODGE 440 likes this.
  18. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Our lab had a South Bend lathe from 1943. It had Navy tags on it. Unfortunately while it was being moved, it fell over (thankfully no one was hurt) and was damaged beyond repair. Before I retired we bought a small bench lathe, a decent brand name, however cast in China, but machined and assembled here. I could easily hold 0.001 with it. I was making parts for a gaseous emissions sampling system of my own design. We had 2 in the lab and 2 in the field, all worked beyond what I expected this device to be able to do.

    I never did tell anyone everything I came up with for the device... I'll take those concepts to the hereafter with me.
     
  19. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Went to a local swap meet yesterday. Didn't buy a thing! At least I don't have to make room for any more stuff!

    Temperature is in the 30s here, garage is in the high 50s and I don't want to turn on the heat in the garage today. So that's all of the news that's fit to be read...
     
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  20. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Doing little stuff. Nothing worth pictures, but needs done!

    And a question of sorts. I'm pondering my choice of transmission, currently T5 combination S10 and Camaro. And I think that pedals and other assorted things that are required are in place. So the hard part of a 3-pedal car is set. However, would I be better served by an automatic transmission? If so, what one? We need to consider such design criteria as we age.

    Would driving it be more fun (a hard to define quantity) with a manual transmission or an automatic transmission? I'm not going to be racing it, maybe just an auto-x or 2 to safely explore its capabilities. And I know I'm not going to drive it long distances. And I'm not getting any younger!

    So any opinions and experiences that I can use during the winter deliberations? I've got to make those decisions before I get to cam and intake get selected.
     
  21. GearheadsQCE
    Joined: Mar 23, 2011
    Posts: 3,375

    GearheadsQCE
    Alliance Vendor

    "Real Hot Rods have 3 pedals!"
     
  22. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    And quick change rear axles!
     
  23. ratrodrodder
    Joined: Feb 19, 2008
    Posts: 380

    ratrodrodder
    Member
    from Boston

    If it were a custom, I'd lean towards an automatic. It's a hot rod, best to row your own gears!
     
  24. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,143

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    One of my "quotes to live by".
     
  25. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal

    Dave, the first car I wired, I used a Painless 12 circuit kit. As a learning experience, it was PainFULL! I've since used a Rebel kit as an accessory fuse panel, that was good. I've always heard good things about American Autowire, at least in direct replacement, or upgrade situations. Since you're wiring from scratch, I'd be inclined to go with Rebel's offerings.

    At one time 20+ years ago, I had a 23T bucket. Drivetrain was a 348 W-motor and a 4 speed. It was built like that way back when, 60's I would guess. It was tight, but it worked and was a ball to drive!

    Devin
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.
  26. caprockfabshop
    Joined: Dec 5, 2019
    Posts: 532

    caprockfabshop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I put a Painless kit in a 1965 C10, I thought it would be a cake-walk. It wasn't.... I've wired motorcycles from scratch before, I think next time I would've just wired it myself with some of the universal stuff like you can get from Rebel or American AutoWire.

    ~Peter
     
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  27. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Thanks for the information on wiring. I've wired lots of racecars from scratch, but that doesn't count. No headlights, taillights, horns, alternators, you know, all that stuff needed to 1 make it work and 2 pass a state inspection. Starter, gauge lights (sometimes), and ignition, but usually that was a magneto so a wire to a kill switch.

    And my first experience was with a 62 CJ5 Jeep and it was an interesting experience to say the least. Actually wired it 3 times. Necessitated by letting the smoke out the first 2 times. Hey I was 18 and knew better!

    So I'll be perusing the internet and those recommendations. SOON!
     
  28. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Been sidetracked lately. Here's why:
    DSCN1716.JPG DSCN1715.JPG And as if that wasn't enough, I could see out of the garage back door into the woods and saw this guy:
    DSCN1714.JPG He's been around for the past couple of years. And later the 2 smaller yearlings showed up. Couldn't get any new pictures of them, they were moving and grazing on the low hanging evergreens out there. And you wonder why I get nothing done sometimes in the garage. Just standing there at the back door watching the wildlife and getting a picture now and again. I could waste all day watching the wildlife.

    Oh, the drill press? I got the x-y table bolted down and eyeball engineering aligned. It's my almost precision positioning drill press. 1st time I use it I'll see if I have to do a better job of aligning it.
     
    Atwater Mike, brEad and 1320 Fan like this.
  29. pirate
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    pirate
    Member
    from Alabama

    Ron Francis Wiring is a very nice product. When I was wiring my car I would call the Technical folks give them the serial number (assigned to every harness they make) they could pull up my exact harness and give me the help I needed. A bit more expensive then some of the others but very high quality.
     
    Dave G in Gansevoort likes this.
  30. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Now that is good to know. Like I said above, I've been busy not being busy! The only wildlife I haven't seen is the bear that's destroyed a couple of bird feeders in the neighborhood, next door, and across the street from us. SWMBO and I are waiting to see it, from the safety of the house, but it's gone to hibernate now. Maybe next spring...
     

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