Features "Snoopy" Model A Hot Rod Survivor

I have to admit, the pipes are kinda growing on me & also I thought recently, IF I ever choose to install period correct headers, The rest of the exhaust would still be salvageable... & most importantly they dont bother me the way they are & then I can share the car exactly the way it was, and that ultimately is my goal right now - Thanks I do appreciate input !

 

Good on 'ya....
Remember.....the important thing for a young builder back in the day was DUALS, no matter how they got back there. You saw those two pipes in the rear and you knew the car was HOT!!!
The Glass-packs just added the frosting. A flattie with packs...it don't get any better.

 

Would you be intersested in having extra prints made of the picture buy the lake.I would be interested in buying one from you as well as i am sure other members on here would. I love the yellowish look the pic has. An 8 x 10 would be great. Thanks for keeping the history alive.

 

What a fascinating story and kudos to you for keeping everything as it was back when the car was first built. Most people get a car and then go and change everything about it to make it their own. That takes a lot of restraint to resist, I admire you for that. But then again you have all the history behind yours even though it wasn't some famous car that we'd all seen before in magazines or at shows.

 

Thanks for taking so much time sharing pictures, videos and updates with us! We all certainly appreciate it!
Like others who have posted, I am truly impressed with how classy you were in buying her and your approach to keep the old girl like she was in the day. People will appreciate your desire to keep her safe-so I would just make those improvements (as you are doing) with an eye towards what would have been period. Keep up the great work and keep us posted! Congrats!

 

This is one of the best threads in a long time. Love the car, keep the updates coming. On the underside, consider a rust neutralizer like evaporust and a heavy coat of wax, Johnsons paste wax for floors is a little tougher than car wax. I've used the same process for some vintage machinist cabinets and they came out great, the paint is knicked up but the wax seals it enough to prevent it any additional corrosion. I'd say redo the exhaust, but make it fit the car. Waiting patiently to see how the paint comes back to life. I like the larger rear tires, skinny whitewall all around.

 

As for the picture by lake Superior, I would have a copy of it blown up as large as possible for your garage wall. That photo could literally be of almost any time period as there's nothing in the background to actually date it such as a newer car. The thin whitewalls are the only giveaway that it's not even from a earlier time frame. Following your thread with great interest.

 

I would be very happy to have some extra copies made ! Happy to share ! I hope to get some copies made this coming week, I will let you know once I get some made up, humbled to have someone request a copy !

Thanks for the compliment & understanding, I think this car found me - without sounding goofy, I just feel a strong responsibility to maintain this car as I found it, I want others to feel the same emotions I did when I first seen it, it is very, very rare to find an untouched hotrod that is in a condition that it can be preserved & enjoyed, it is FAR from perfect, but I believe in a condition that can be considered presentable - yes, much much restraint, but it really does feel right to me, I know not all will agree, it's not about right or wrong, just what my connection to the car is & the obligation / responsibility I feel.

 

Okay... a little video... this is the 2nd take, 1st take I had the key in ACC, not START & I flooded Snewpee (yeesh brain fart...), so I dried the plugs & here is my 2nd attempt. I was nervous to touch the gas at first but as soon as did it fired up, then I took the choke off & it smoothed out, fuel pump pulled fuel from the tank, I have a leak on the pump outlet line to fix tomorrow & still have to connect rad hoses & fill with coolant but I got the car to a point to night where I realized I could try firing it up on it's own battery & wiring, had to do it before calling it a day

 

I'd say that the car is one of the most presentable old nearly totally original as built by the original builder examples in existence that hasn't been locked in a museum or vault somewhere.

You also have the original builder to run any needed changes by and get his opinion and or approval. Or he may look at the car and say "you know, I think you should_______ on that as it looks rather ____ now. That might be as simple as touching up the paint on the tie rod as it might not look as spiffy as the rest of the chassis because someone took a pipe wrench to it to adjust the toe in and it has a bit of rust (only an example of a possibility) on it while the rest of the chassis is pretty well rust free and not very faded after staying inside the past XX years.

It's one of the best remaining examples of a Textbook NE channeled hot rod from the 50's that reminds all of us old farts of those very similar cars in those little East Coast car magazines that we bought for .25 in the late 50's and early 60's with our meager allowance. I'd imagine that a number of Eastern Canada and NE US guys have already saved every photo on their computers as future reference for their version of a traditional NE channeled coupe from that period.

 

Oh damn that sounds sweet even with only a partial exhaust. You put that up while I was doing the long winded accolade above.

 

Now it's close to D-day,not in Normandie but in Northern Ontario.... Admire your trial!


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AHHH.....I love that robust 6v cranking sound.
IthinkIcanIthinkIcanIthinkIcan....I DID

Every time "Bertha" starts it brings back memories long faded by time.
But it's getting harder every day, choosing what I need to forget to make room for what I want to remember.

Bob

 

Busy putting snow tires & undercoating 3 vehicles today... but just before dinner I was pulling Snewpee on the dolly's towards the hoist so I could change the fluids etc. & the dollys were getting stuck in the floor dry, so I decided to save my back & fired er up & drove it on the hoist !... didn't have anyone around to take video, but here are 2 pictures, the one front wheel is locked up on me again (still haven't done the brakes yet) so the rear tires were spinning on the floor dry - ha ha - Went into reverse okay, didn't want to go into 1st, but I put it in 2nd, let the clutch out, then tried 1st & it went in fine. It was a short trip, 20 feet - but very exciting milestone !!

 

Congrats!
Glad it came back to life!
Sounds like it will run fine!
Nice patch!

 

An update, but not the kind we like...So after dinner I run Snewpee up on the hoist, drain the rear end oil first, no issue, looks like it was the old "600" oil in there... then I move onto the tranny, which previous owners commented that it was noisey which was blamed on being from a 1935 with "square cut" gears... but that only applies to 1st & reverse (2nd & 3rd are syncro), also one of my co worker's father rode in Snewpee back in the day & thought that 3rd gear was "stubborn" from what he could remember... I remove the drain plug from tranny & the oil is coming out really slow, I push my finger into the drain & I feel metal pieces... this is what I removed, looks like a detonated syncro etc... guess I get to make use of that early ford gearbox book that I ordered



Then finally onto the motor, remove oil pan plug, oil drains out fine, no surprises, because Snewpee has a truck pan I remove the cleanout plate, heavy sludge on the plate, but no chunks, nothing to scary considering... then I bump the oil pump pickup with my hand & it moves... strange... I shine work light into the pan & notice that one of the oil pump pick up bolts is missing !



So I fish around in the sludge in bottom of the pan & find the bolt...



I guess I could be pissed off, but I'm not because bought the car expecting to have to rebuild everything mechanical & anything I didn't have to rebuild would be a bonus, having said that I don't have an unlimited bank account, so now to weigh the options...

Tranny

1) Rebuild to stock 1935 specs.
2) Retro fit later full syncro (Lincoln/Zepher) gear set into 1935 gear box - I believe this can be done with minimal mods...

Engine

1) Drop pan, remount pump pick up & then check oil pressure, if it runs okay just drive as is, knowing that engine has been comprimised as the oil supply to pump would have been reduced with a loose pickup & save the rebuild for another year or 2...

2) Screw it & get the engine rebuilt right away, keeping it the same as it was (basically stock except for overbore)

Time for a drink !

 

Go with plan "A". Fix the transmission and secure the oil pick up. Tear down the brakes as this will be a trip.

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X2^

15 yrs ago the left water pump started to leak, I ordered one and was asked by the vender if I knew that my engine had two, I said yes and if that one started to leak I'd order another.
KISS applied here, not.... "if it ain't broke fix it 'til it is."

 

X3,no need to waste money just yet. It will be more rewarding if you can "safely" repair what SNEWPEE has in him already, you've done great so far!


"I need my mirror boy"

 

u have got to remember this was all built and engineered by a 16-19 yo teen ager 50 some years ago tom

 

Some bad luck but nothing terrible!
My humble recomendations.
1. Tranny, whinney gears is part of the fun.
Lots of guys on here are still taking out 36-37 transmissions
and replacing them with 39's
I just did one myself for my kids 40 coupe.
The 37 was fine except he wanted "Better" 39 that I found. ($300).
Now he has quieter, slightly easier to shift, 39.
I sold the perfectly good 37 for $125.
Point is you dont need Lincoln gears
unless you need braggin rights cause
they are gonna cost a bundle.
Fix what is there or put an add on
Here and ask for one to replace yours.
2. Engine, these flatheads ran for years with low
oil pressure.
If your engine was running before it was laid
up and it was running now, (I heard it yesterday!)
chances are that screw was out for a long time
and the engine ran. If not it would have seazed up long ago.
Clean the sludge, bolt it back up, check the pressure
Forget about it.

The worst thing you could do is start tearing things
apart. then the car sits again instead of what it wants
to do, RUN!
The car tells you what it needs, you just have to listen!
Just my humble opinion.
God luck again!
Tony

 

That's all I need to hear ! Thankyou, I am the young Jedi, many of you are the "Yoda's" & I just needed the blessing !
Repair Tranny & Repair Oil pick up it is !

 

Pretty cool. Yep, just toss some breath on it, and fix to go. It's what we do with everything.....until it goes no more. Then start the head scratching......there will be plenty of room for that then......

 

Good advice ! Seeing I will have to pull the motor to repair the transmission & the front wheel was always locking up, I decided to pull all 4 drums so I can bring to town & get them turned (hopefully), then install new hardware - then the car should roll better while manuvering to pull the engine & tranny - That job will be done in about 2 weeks (busy next weekend... Just some pictures, funny I wonder why the left front wheel was locking up - maybe because both shoes had de-laminated !!


That's it for now....

 

Just read about your setbacks. It's the nature of the hobby. Just wanted to let you know we've all been there. The highs and lows come with the territory. If this was easy, everyone would have a hot rod. That's why they are cool. Because it takes "that guy" to build, fix and run one of these old monsters. This is why the hot rod guy on the block is respected. Fixing the bad just gives you more pride in the end and more of a connection to your car.

 

First post on this thread but have been reading it from the start.
As Tony posted."Fix what you got." Hopefully you got the trans book from Vanpelts. And I wouldn't loose sleep about the oil pump as well. Bolt it back up and run it.
Now for the disclaimer.
The following comments are coming from a guy that has owned 2 legit survivors. 1 was a hot rod and the other was a pro built custom. So take them for what ever value they may have for you.
I read all of the "Survivor" threads on the HAMB and to my mind many of the people loose sight of the value of a survivor. And I'm not referring to the monetary value here.
This car, your car is a time capsule into another age that no longer exsists. And if you change one thing than truly you have changed every thing. Get new tires but match them up as close as possible to what is on there. Fix the 35 trans and take joy in the sounds that it makes as well as perhaps learning the nuances of double clutching. Treat it like the time machine that it is. Take a trip back to a time when a young guy could home build such a great ride every time you drive it. Not every car built back in the day was perfect. Not every trans had LZ gears. Not every chop and channel was done by a pro. Not every flatty was built to run the saltflats. Yes some guys did use the spring in front Ford axle because it's what they had and Most interiors were done by some ones wife/girlfriend or mother.
As long as your car is safe than all is well.
You are a young guy but I can tell that you really appreciate the gift that has been presented to you. And I really appreciate the fact that you are sharing it here with us. Maybe I will get a chance to see you and Snoopy first hand up at St Iggy some day and when I do I want to be able to say"This is the way we really used to build them.( Kind of selfish of me isn't it).
Until then keep at it you are doing great. Snoopy is in the right hands.
Torchie.

 

lookin good man keep up the good work....the more i look at pics of it makes me wish i never chopped mine

 

Amen Torchie!
Very well said.
To add: The best part of this "sport" "afliction" "add your own"
IS the time capsule aspect.
a period survivor car like Snoopy was an individuals car.
It was what he wanted from what he saw at the time he built it.
The point here is that you have the chance to jump in and become
a teenager in about 1970.
As long as you remain true to the car it can be 1970 for you.
I'm 64 but when I drive my car its about 1952 and I'm about 18.
This is because my car sat in a barn 50 years also.
The wierd thing is that my car was STOCK when it came out
in 2004!
My buddy Geoff built this car as if it was about 1952, ie
no parts newer than 1952.
It has remained looking like it does for more than 10 years!
an it still looks like it came out of the bard as a hot rod.
So no more rambling. Now you are a kid and it's 1970.
Snoopy has been brought back to life by you and now you are the builder!
You are paying hommage in spades to who went before you.
You can keep it the same for as long as you want.
You may want to change it at some point, and you are the caretaker.
If you do, you need to think like you built it in the first place and change
it to a later period as the original guy would have.
By the way, the picture above of my car with the big whitewalls
has changed my car from about 1952 to about 1958, because the tires and
the wheels didn't exsist in 1952.
It's still my car and I can do what I want.
Wish I could find a 54 Dodge Red Ram Hemi to put in it
like the one I had in 1966!
Get it?
I've talked too much!

 

this is the reason we do this well said tom

 

Not to hijack this thread but thank you Tony for adding on to my post.
Your hot rod was built the same way that I am building my current custom truck. On my build so far nothing after 1953 is being used.`And if that changes it might push it up to 1957 or so. LOL
Denns1989 you have already put your stamp on Snoopy if for no other reason than you were the one who rescued her from oblivion and saw the value that some carefully replaced parts and a lot of elbow grease will bring to her history. You won't be remembered as the guy that painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa. BRAVO!!
And I've talked enough as well........
Torchie