History Grandpas el mirage roadster recreation p.r.c

i can feel how your heartbeat is turning up, man. fantastic story!

 

What a great story and all the historical photos to go with it, thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to your build progress, keep us in the loop, please......

 

Absolutely outstanding story. I can't wait to see this come together.

 

Great story thanks for posting it. Your very lucky to have your grand dad and know that he was a hot rodder.

 

Outstanding story and pictures. Will be watching.

 

Thanks for sharing your families ' history with us, and good luck with the project

 

That is so cool to have a Grandfather like that.WOW! And he is still Around.That would be so awesome to cruise around with him.Did you say you do have a roadster?

 

Wow, you can almost hear whats going on in some of those pictures. Fantastic. Who is the babe sitting in your Grandads' car, your future Grandmother?

 

Yea it's pretty cool. I wish I would of know all this about him 15 years ago. He bought a 1973 chevy camero split bumper LT brand new and put over 320000 miles on it. He logged down every time he got gas how much and the price. Logged everything tire pressure oil changes. He gave me the car when I was 18 and I still have it. My wife has a 67 camero ss that she's had since she was 15. But I like my better. The car changed a lot in 74 so I'm glad he got the split bumper. Here's a picture. He might of quit the dry lakes but I don't think he ever gave up on horse power and that's why he bought the camero. I think it was the first car he ever bought new too.

 

I don't know who the girl is. I'm pretty sure he met my grandma after he came back from Korea.

 

I don't have a body YET. I do have a address of a guy who has one and has had it for like 45 year and the last guy to offer money was 1500 bucks and he said no. That was 15 years ago. It's about 7-8 hours away so I'm trying to finish up the chassis before I go see. Plus I need to save up and if he wants more than a brookville then I'm just gonna buy a brookville. Word is his son wants to build a rat rod with the body. I can see it with google earth. I just want to have enough cash before I go up there. Don't want to miss out over grand or so. Also I don't know the condition of it.

 

Holy smokes what a story! But how the heck did you not know he was rodder from back then?

 

So here is the frame I started with. As you can see someone went to town on the front and rear crossmembers. The front frame horns were bent up pretty good. And one rear horn is from like a pick up. Spreader bar won't fit in rear. No vin numbers on this and it has not been ground down where there are at. I mic'ed the frame rails all the way down and so I'm thinking it was a replacement frame because it's a late one with the rear supports. I read on the internet that when the dealers replaced the frames it was up to the dealer re stamp the frames with the vins. Who knows. So I started putting this chassis together and have been looking for both crossmembers to replace the k member is cherry. Front is a model a bolted in.

 

We have always lived 4 hours away from each other so we only seen each other on holidays. My parents both worked a lot so we didn't really travel at all.

 

Bitchin'!!!!!!
Really glad your doing this with your gramps, good job!

 

Ok so now let's get to the build. I have a good 59 series motor and a running 49 merc. I'm going to send the 59 to machine shop and have it checked. If I can get away with a quick rebuild, like use same pistons with no machining then I'm gonna do that now just to get it running then I will worry about stroking it later. It came out of a generator so inside it looks pretty good. It had one copper head gasket and one regular so someone did something to it. My grandpa changed from floor shift to side shift so I have a 40 trans coloume and wheel. He told me it was a lot nicer when you had people in the car. So right now I'm working on narrowing the pedal box to fit the side shift trans.got the pedal pin out with my hammer and marked them. Narrowing it 1 inch. Put the pedal in my mill and was so tired that where I quit last night.

 

What a great quest you're on! It makes me sorry I don't have any parts I could contribute to the project.

Someone suggested above that a list of parts you need might result in some help from fellow HAMB'ers. I think that's a good idea.

 

This is so cool to read all about your grandfather and his days of racing at EM in his roadster. Hope you get this one put together ASAP so you can take him for a ride in it. That would be a day you and him will never forget.
I signed up to ride along on this adventure with him.

 

So as of last sat I didn't have brakes torque tube drive shaft rear radius rods or a frame with vin numbers. I just happen to be looking for more parts on craigslist when I seen a 32 rolling chassis for sale up around Sacramento for 2500 bucks. It had those parts I didn't have yet so I called the guy and he promised me if I drove up the next morning he would hold it for me since I was the first caller. So I was at his house at 10 a.m after a 6 hour drive. When got there I went straight for the vin and all three were the same. Then I realized it had a mor dropped axel f1 steering box and a shortin torque tube and driveshaft. Then he says well I have a few more parts if your interested. Original 32 motor mounts a pedal box and a kmember right hand drive k member at that. So again this frame also has a model a front crossmember. And someone cut the top of the k member to fit different trans. I took it apart right there on his trailer and put it all in the back of my buddy's truck. He's got a long bed so it all fits.

 

Got it home and started to change out the frames. I just bought a complete front end in Turlock at the swapmeet last month for a grand then I find this chassis. It sucks cuz I have to buy stuff when I see it. Then something cheaper comes along.

 

Kinda trippy the mor drop axel is 1/4 shorter than my other 32 axel. Both are heavy as they all say.

 

Also got lucky on the rear brakes looks as they were rebuilt and never used. Ford script shoes and all. 40 fords the front have no guts though.

 

Whats your plans on the body or do you have one?

 

Here's a quick look at the old frame set up I own a automotive paint bussiness so don't pay no mind to surface rust.

 

Now new frame and starting to mock up. I'm gonna pull k member out of old frame and then when I find a 32 front crossmember I will re rivet them in. I want/ need a 32 front so I can use my motor mounts that bolt to the front of the block. If anyone reading this has a spare 32 front crossmember and would like to sell it please p.m. Me thanks

 

Kool...

 

Great to read all of this Bruce,
I'm glad that it is being documented. Being one of the 1st 9 who reformed the PRC, I'm glad to be a part of watching this all come together.
Let me know when you're down again here and perhaps we can get together with your Gramps for lunch.
See ya soon,
CK

 

This MORDROP is a 33-36 axle

This is a 32 axle.

 

Great thread. I am glad that you are doing this so Grandpa can relive memories of a great era he was part of.

 

one HELL of a story I just love this stuff so COOL