Today’s mystery https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/different-model-a-front-springs.1136850/#post-12919885
Got the spring figured out and learned a lesson. Currently try to decide if I’m replacing it with a posies low leaf pack or the super low. The supper low mentions you may have to notch the frame to clear it, seems a lot of guys are running a “low” and removing a few springs to land between the low and super low offerings. Just something to think on. Also considering pulling another leaf out of the back but I really need to put a realistic “finished” weight on it before I tear it apart again. Any how it’s been a cold winter and while I’m working on the 46 I’ve been finding stuff to think about/ think threw on the A. This week it’s been placement for switches and what kind of knobs I think they should have. I’m leaning towards something like these. Put a vacuum gauge in it and engine turned? Kinda like the one with the coins in the knobs but in the left hand corner placement/ shape. I think the one with the hop up key chain is my favorite. Got a nice shape and the rolled edge looks finished. I’m also poking around seeing if I can find a source for domed pistons for the 153. I’ve read that the propane motors had a domed 10:1 piston so if I can find a tractor/forklift retailer for those it would save me from decking the block to get better quench and more compression. I’ll keep you posted if I find anything on pistons. What do you guys think about the switch locations? I feel like on the dash is going to look cluttered, and I’m not in love with them being hidden under the dash because it’s easy to miss them or hit the wrong ones when your in the dark or in traffic. Had considered a rubber momentary push button for the horn mounted in the dash about center. Off set to the side or vertically enough that I don’t hit it when I grab second gear, but close enough that the muscle memory will take my hand right to it when I need the horn.
I like the underdash switch pods. Would be super easy to sit it back from the dash face like 3/4 of an inch and mount a small light in the dash with a hole directly above the pod. Comes on when the lights do. Would look cool lit up too. Sent from my SM-N960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
@flatout51 not a bad idea. I’d considered a stock style pull out map light. Could even pop a louver near the top and hide a light in that Thinking maybe I’d get a stamp set and letter each switch above it
My friends A he printed out a face for oil and water with small colored leds inside the factory charge gauge. A start button on the dash panel next to the key switch and the headlight switch on the column drop. I'm still on the fence with mine, I have the 2 gauge bezel under the dash and aluminum copy of the aristocratic dash.
Couple little inspirations photos bouncing around my head today Got a few small projects in the works I should have updates on soon but for right now I’ve mostly been thinking about small details and the front/ back spreader bars and lights. Think I want to use this fixture in the middle of the back spreader bar as a third brake light and back up light Considering my options for placement. I could mount it with the lights orientated verticaly. The red would shine up onto the back of the car, the yellow/clear into the ground. Or conversely the red on the ground and the back up light on the back of the car. Most the time I like the back up light because it tells people in crowded lots that Your backing up. Not really using it for back up light. Could mount it with a light pointing towards each tire. And finally you could have it with the lights pointing forwards and backwards. The back up light would work like an actual back up light and the third brake would basicaly light up under the car. With this crazy rake you’d see a lot of it from behind, and it’s just an extra brake light not a primary. Probably mock it up with a strong magnet and see what looks best. Maybe stick a mag light in its place to see how it may actually light up. Kinda dig little info plates like this. Though this one has a shit ton of info on it. Thought about putting one together with a “build team” list on it of all my buddies names that had a hand in the car. Just something most people would never notice. Like Roth’s car enough to still consider a rear nerf like this one though my car has more rake like the second un chopped car. If I run the quick change I think I’d rather have it more out in the open than behind a nerf? In my head my arrangement looks close to the second car but with the plate lit by a Hollywood light and stood out from the body a bit more. I can’t recall exactly how I had it mocked up but I had moved the tail lights, stands and plate around a lot to get Them in the same plane when viewed from a couple different angles. I took a lot of photos and taped reference points on the body so I’ll figure it back out easy enough. Maybe this summer it’ll get mocked up and done. In front I’ve been planing on a super simple skinny nerf. Almost staple shaped but this little Pasadena hills plate gave me some thoughts. I’ve got an old brass “Kansas City” plate that could be neat there and break up some of the vertical heft of the pan under the grill. I’m painting the grill and the pan black so it’s a little different “visual weight” wise than a stocker with the plated grill. And I think trucks with the painted grill stock have the area broken up with the stock bumper. lastly I’ve been following @Cliff Ramsdell rebuilding his sedan and he’s using these.... early 90’s? Dodge mini van seats in his. I’m assuming they are middle seats. Maybe he’ll add some info here for us. He took the reclining mechanisms off the sides to tuck it back into the car correctly. Replaced them with steel plates. I like the idea of built in seat belts and a seat that already has all the hard foam work done. I’ve got a bare stock seat frame right now. I’d recover them obviously but they do have some perks. Anyhow. That’s my “mental inspiration board” at the moment. Getting some progress made on the 46’s interior and picking at some stuff on the A hopefully I’ll have photos of all that finished soon.
The early 90s Caravan seats are a good fit. I have one in my coupster. Mine had the fixed back. We pulled the material back, cut the seat frame and hinged it so I could get a few things behind the seat. One drawback of these seats is that the foam cushions are molded and the fabric is fused to the contours. I talked to an upholsterer who said you can't remove the fabric without ruining the foam. If you like the color and molded pattern, you are good to go. If you want to change it, your options are to "refoam" the seat frame, make a slip cover or dye it a different color. This is the extent of my limited knowledge of these seats. I am open to suggestions from others who have modified the Caravan seats.
@Mike Moreau I wonder if you could change the shape by glueing foam to the seat and then making more or less a slip cover for it? These seat he used are hinged to recline or fold flat forward. Out of curiosity how do the seat belts attach to the seat? Don’t have one in front of me to look and it’s kind of hard thing to find in an imagine search
Tim, Thanks for the inclusion in your post. The seats are 1996 to 2000 Dodge, Plymouth & Chrysler minivan seats. I used the middle seat up front and the rear seat in the back. Hope that helps clear things up on the seats. Cliff Ramsdell
@Cliff Ramsdell that actually helps a bunch! I didn’t think they were that new or that they weren’t both the same seat. Thanks
Tim the seat belts bolt to bottom rear of the seat frame. The Caravan seat back (pictured) tapers in at the top about 2 inches. I had the upholstery guy widen the seat back to make it look right in my Model A. I can't post pics, I would drive over to your shop if it wasn't so damn cold.
Tim, The middle seat is a 2 person seat and the rear, being a bit wider is 3 person. I pulled the original belts because they were all shoulder belts mounted to the body on the outside. Cliff Ramsdell
Tim, I guess you could glue foam to the seat or glue foam to the back of the slip cover material. I have no idea how it would hold up. Hopefully some upholstery HAMBERS will chime in. The poster who said the seat belts are bolted to the seat frame is correct. The seat and frame are secured to the floor via the adjusters or brackets. If you remove the seat by unbolting it from the floor, the seat belts stay with the seat.
Tim, I'm sorry for the late response. I can't seem to work the private message. I'm an old Ford retiree who is lucky to get the computer turned on....lol. I will call your shop as soon as possible (doctors tomorrow) with my address. The upholstery guy didn't say anything about having trouble getting the old covers off. He did a great job, pleats all line up and the seams are lazer straight. Most of the shops around here suck at that.
Mocked up this cut down stock bumper with some jack stands and played around with locating that light last night. Landed on using it for a back up light, but will wire the forward facing lense as a brake light. The bumper is spaced out a few inches from the body, but isn’t as far out as the back of the fenders. It’s about even with the back of the tire actually. Any how, here are some photos. I would mount the back up light a little further over to line up with the body seam but I just stuck it on with a big magnet to get a look.
@colineunson has a thread going right now with this little modified made up of left overs and I spotted this clever “badge” in the grill! It’s an A or T wheel cap, I think it looks great. I’m going to paint my grill black and we’ve talked about doing some little brass bits here and there. Originally I wanted to run a black ford oval, but this has got me thinking about something a little outside the box. Anyhow, filing this under inspiration
Buddy sent me some photos this morning comparing posies low to the super low. Looks like the super low is about 3 inches from the bottom of the spring eye to the bottom of the spring pack. I measured the same space on my front leaf on the car and got 2.5 ish. So I’d say it’s a safe bet it’s close to the super low offering. I’ll go down and grab one this spring, if it ever stops being winter, and try it out
Those 31" springs are sized for aftermarket axles; Ford axles use a 31-1/2" spring (Posies 1001 or 1001L).
Yeah they just got a bunch in and he grabbed what was handy assuming the arch is similar. Good looking out though!
Standing up the same way, a Posies 1001 measures 5-1/2" while a 1001L is 4-1/2" (at least the ones I compared a couple years back).
Little progress. I’d gotten these 46’ rear lower shock mounts that have one side longer to account for the factory sway bar and decided to do the standard “even them out” slice and dice Handed them to a friend and said make the long one like the short one. He took a chunk out of the long leg. The curve is slightly Different looking but it lands the shock stud more or less in the same spot. He also cut between the mounting holes. He said he didn’t change it much at all but it T’s exactly the same as the other side now. He said he wasn’t sure what kind of load these parts are under since he’s more of a heavy welder than a car fan guy so they got deep beveled, heliarc welder and in some spots a little reinforcement. They ain’t going anywhere. I’m going to clean them up, paint them, run a die over the threads and stick them on the shelf til I need them. I really love this casting/forge mark. It’s a subtle ridge that sweeps up and over the top like a little duck bill. I’m going to see if I can make it look a little more prominent when I sand it down. That ridge would pop a nice little glare when light hits it. It’s under the car and no one but people like me will ever notice or see it. But whatever, I’ve got plenty of that in store
@RICH B since you brought it up I thought I’d slide something past you. Stock axle leaf is 31.5 long. 31 is generaly used for the superbell Axles with a narrower perch pin measurement. However I see some places that sell reversed main leafs and packs for anstock A axle that are 32! So here is my thought. My posies super slider on the front of my 46 has settled inches in the last 7-8 years. I’d assume the one for the A would as well. So I’m considering running a 31 inch main, the shackles angle will be slightly shallow but eventually it’ll settle to 45 I figure. Start with 31 and shallow shackles angle but ultimately end up with dead on angle Start with 31.5 and have the correct shackles angle right away but in a few years it’s spread and not only is the angle wrong but you’ve lost suspension travel. Start with 32 and.... I don’t know even know lol. Got a while before I have the cash for the leaf pack so just pondering my options as I play to keep the car around a long time. Oh! Got something for the car Coming soon that I’ve beem hemming and hawing over for forever.
The Jalopy Journal
