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Hot Rods Can you convert this to a roadster?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hardtail75, Aug 24, 2014.

  1. Lmao - yeah you'd have to be nuts to think like that.
    Then you'd have to be real talented to think you could pull it off. Then you'd have to have a lot of perseverance to see it thru to the end.
     
  2. volvobrynk
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,587

    volvobrynk
    Member
    from Denmark

    Go, man, go.
    It's just a matter of hard work.
     
  3. FASI
    Joined: May 11, 2001
    Posts: 1,138

    FASI
    Member

     
  4. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,901

    need louvers ?
    Member

    I'll render an opinion real quick, then jump back out again. Take a look at some of the coupesters out there, and the first thing that you'll notice is that it seems to work visually much better with the '30-'31 cars than it does the '28 -'29 cars. The later stuff was shaped much more similarly between the coupe and open car than the earlier was. Personally, I'd build a sport coupe with a lift off roof and be a happy camper, or as suggested above, scrounge up some coupe roof sheet metal and do a coupe...
     
  5. camerl2009
    Joined: Jan 26, 2014
    Posts: 203

    camerl2009
    Member

    you could build a hard top no real special tools needed take a look at some of the scratch built stuff out there it could be used here to make a roof some inner frame work and some sheet metal. some may see a common hot rod I see a one off custom maybe a VW bug oval rear window
     
  6. ElBurro
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 63

    ElBurro
    Member

  7. camerl2009
    Joined: Jan 26, 2014
    Posts: 203

    camerl2009
    Member

    Last edited: Aug 25, 2014
  8. Hardtail75
    Joined: Jan 18, 2014
    Posts: 117

    Hardtail75
    Member
    from Canada

    Sounds good. I can't wait to get rid of those window frames!! I'll take a look at some of cowls that I have.

    I think I can tackle this no problem. You guys give great advice. Can't wait to get started. I'll take my time and make sure everything is done right so the end result is half decent.

    Open cowl, does this mean the motor is exposed?

    That does look great, but I myself prefer to remove the fenders.

    Those last words you said are very true. Thanks!

    I won't let that stop me.

    A friend has advised me of this. Get some quarters and build the top solid. I think I'm gonna cut it up!! Thanks your your 2 cents though, much appreciated.

    Good ideas I will definitely keep my eye out.

    Just sent and e-mail this is great. I'm in Ontario though.

    Ya I am from Ontario but hell that guy has a lot of stuff.

    Thanks everyone for the comments. Build pics will be commencing soon enough. Almost got room in the barn!
     
  9. missysdad1
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,307

    missysdad1
    Member

    DSC_1057.JPG DSC_1059.JPG DSC_1057.JPG This "coupster" just came to live at my house today! I couldn't post a photo yesterday because the deal wasn't done. Now it's mine, Mine, MINE!
     
  10. Fly'n Kolors
    Joined: Sep 21, 2008
    Posts: 407

    Fly'n Kolors
    Member

    Nice... I have a pickup bed if you want to cut the quarters off and make it a RPU like mine!!!
     
  11. da34guy
    Joined: Jun 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,708

    da34guy
    Member Emeritus

    I'll take it Ken, and stuff it in the trunk of my beater 32
     
  12. Fly'n Kolors
    Joined: Sep 21, 2008
    Posts: 407

    Fly'n Kolors
    Member

    NO! You'll just sell it.
     
  13. I would photochop it first and make sure that it is what you think it is going to be. One thing to keep in mind Roe V Wade made abortion legal, it never made it right just legal.
     
  14. tcbigblock
    Joined: Aug 18, 2014
    Posts: 27

    tcbigblock
    Member

    Ya , I know it sounds nuts, but I cant get it out of my head. I want a 3 or a 5 window so bad I can see me building it in my sleep ,the other day I was in the back yard looking at my wheel barrow thinking the molded corners would work for the roof corners with a little work, guess I am wacko LOL . Old tin is getting harder to find, and cost a lot, and then dmv wont let you get it ***led .But their is always a way to do something if you want it bad enough . dare to be different , and take the path less followed, its the hardest way, but has more self satisfaction in the end .
     
  15. tcbigblock
    Joined: Aug 18, 2014
    Posts: 27

    tcbigblock
    Member

    It would be hard to pull off and make it look right, .theirs nothing worst then a poorly done custom it would be better to have left it stock . and I have seen a lot of those. I would have to rework the roof chop the top and make the doors longer rework the firewall as well .
    I was thinking just for fun ,to get two 1:32 scale models of each and start hacking away just to see what it would look like
     
  16. timwhit
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,188

    timwhit
    Member

    You could always chop the "business coupe" windshield posts and lay them back a bit. Then, if you can buy roadster door skins, build your own inner structure from the existing doors and there you have a great start. If I lived near you I would come do it for you while your at work so you'll quit agonizing over it.....charge!!!! (I know it ain't that simple but you get my drift)??
     
  17. Malcolm
    Joined: Feb 9, 2006
    Posts: 8,179

    Malcolm
    Member
    from Nebraska

  18. It sounds like real fun, I can imagine that it could even be pulled off with a little finesse. I just see a lot of scabbed together **** and know that if someone would have photochopped it first or did like we used to cut and tape polaroids it would have come out a lot better of not been done at all.
     
  19. Gary Addcox
    Joined: Aug 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,579

    Gary Addcox
    Member

    I, too, have never seen one that didn't appear to be a mish-mash of panels. If you think about it, a Sport Coupe is actually a cl***y-looking body, even though the top is stationary. Having the room you need and resembling a Roadster from a slight distance, you would have a unique ride. And something else to think about, Canada has "oh, ****", winters, so a heater in a closed cab is worth its weight. Good luck on your build, whatever you decide.
     
  20. camerl2009
    Joined: Jan 26, 2014
    Posts: 203

    camerl2009
    Member

    a heater is not really needed for a old car not many drive cl***ics(25 years old and older)/hot rods in the winter maybe back in the 50's and 60's is was different but most drive beaters/daily drivers now most of that stuff is 1990's and newer
     
  21. volvobrynk
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,587

    volvobrynk
    Member
    from Denmark

    I know I risk starting a ram page, but I like the sports coupe with no top, I like a slightly modified ones, I like the coupsters, the org. Roadster and all that falls in between.

    Why is it that bad? I would rather ride a coupster, then send it to the junk yard, because it's not an original roadster!
     
  22. I've never owned anything that didn't get driven year round, or ridden. Of course I have not always lived here in the mid west.

    Here is the major deal with a converted sport coupe, the doors don't line up well for a roadster, well that and the windshield stanchions. Roadster stanchions and working with the door tops and reveal lines is key. It still won't look like a real off the ***embly line roadster but it can be made more then acceptable if one is willing to do the work.
     
  23. camerl2009
    Joined: Jan 26, 2014
    Posts: 203

    camerl2009
    Member

    where I live the weather most of the time would be ok year round but salt and other ice melting chemicals on the road is why people don't really drive anything old around its also why old cars are hard to get in good shape around here
     
  24. 26hotrod
    Joined: Nov 28, 2009
    Posts: 1,141

    26hotrod
    Member
    from landis n c

    I like the lift off top idea. Where I live we only have roadster weather 4 months out of the year. The rest of the time it is heater or a/c....................
     
  25. Ruben Duran
    Joined: Aug 18, 2007
    Posts: 605

    Ruben Duran
    Member

    Just came across this thread.....
    I did this p-shop a while back....I basically cut off the original sport coupe windscreen, leaving a small bit of side posts onto which I grafted the top portion of the lower section of 28/29 folding windshield posts. Easy to do in p-shop....not so sure in real life, though.

    Before:
    Tony-guardado-1929-ford.jpg

    After:
    1929-ford.jpg
     
  26. 55chevr
    Joined: Jul 12, 2008
    Posts: 985

    55chevr
    Member

    Sharp design. It wouldn't take a lot to fabricate it. Nice
     
  27. poboyross
    Joined: Apr 29, 2009
    Posts: 2,142

    poboyross
    Member
    from West TN

    I'm close to the end of a conversion with the same car that you have there. However, someone had already started the conversion on mine in the 70s most likely. My doors didn't have the window frames and the windshield frame was just barely there. I decided I wanted the roadster look but with more advantages of room. If you skim through my build thread, you'll see the basics of what I've done/had done to the body. It was shortened by about 4.5" in the doors to get rid of the "long cabin" look typical of many 28/29 coupesters. From there, a metal bead was fabricated to go around the back of the cab where the metal frame was once mounted. The doors were cut down on height to the belt line and thinned up. The cowl scallop was thinned up as well to match the real roadster look a little more closely. Stanchion mounts were fabricated so that modified 30/31 stanchions could be chopped and used. A 30/31 windshield frame was used and modified by being pinched at the bottom.

    All in all, I like the look. I didn't set out to have it look exactly like a Ford roadster. It's still in progress, as I'm doing patch panels along the bottom, grinding welds, etc....but that will go on well into me actually starting to drive it next month. I'm also going to get a set of 30/31 splash skirts to use to somewhat mimic the 32 frame look. I saw a local guy with a 28/29 roadster that had those skirts...looked great.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  28. Clark
    Joined: Jan 14, 2001
    Posts: 5,132

    Clark
    Member

    IMG_20140313_220522.jpg
    Here is some sport coupe inspiration for you....the top was gl*** and removable.

    Making it a roadster can be done and can look good but it's a lot of work
     
    HEMI32 likes this.
  29. Hardtail75
    Joined: Jan 18, 2014
    Posts: 117

    Hardtail75
    Member
    from Canada

    Congratulations! That is one beautiful car. Really has me considering running the fenders I have. I think I would lower the roof just a tad more. That car sure is sweet. Black is choice. Congrats again.

    Haha thanks for the advice I think I will do just that! Use what I got but modify the hell out of it so it looks right. Thank you.

    Awesome. Thanks very much.

    The winters do **** here. I would definitely drive this in the winter if it was possible.


    My daily driver is a 67 oldsmobile Delmont 88. Starts right up in -35 with no block heater. I can't say the same about my 2004 Ram 3500 ***mins.

    If anyone has any experience driving these old cars in the winter please chime in because I would in a heart beat.

    I'm starting to feel the same way. They look great when done well.

    Here's to hoping I can pull it off.

    Very nice. What a great job you have done. Thanks for the pics. Every little bit of inspiration helps.

    Very cool. Thank you very much for the photos. Did you make your floor or was that a kit?

    Thank you to everyone who has commented in this thread.

    My shop should be ready to house my cars later in the afternoon. It's been a long process but worth it. Need to get my new welder hooked up in there as well. I will take lots of photos for yall. If I get done early enough today I will probably be able to blast the car as well. THEN the fun begins!

    Is it possible with the original banger motors to have them start with an ignition or must they all be cranked ?

    Thanks.
     
  30. Bart78
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 717

    Bart78
    Member

    You don't have to crank them.


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