Projects 28 RPU "problem child" build thread "first try at a hotrod"

Very enjoyable thread with all the solutions made at home or nearby. Very cool.

 

I'm in the minority and agree on the solids as well.

 

Thanks!! I think the wires make it look a bit older then the solids.

Thanks! It's been fun figuring things out(for the most part)

I think I'm gonna run them when I drive it.. And throw the wires on sometimes for shows.. The solids run a lot straighter then the wires do....

I don't really notice any shake with the wires till about 60



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Try running a lower pressure on your tires with the wires. I too noticed some wheel shake at higher speeds with my pickup. I now run mine at 15-20 pounds. Much better.

 

I did that with the 40 wheels.. If I go below 20psi when I hit 50 they about bounce me off the road....

When I hit 60 with the wires it's just a little bit of a shimmy nothing terrible.

I know it rides good with a buddies set of radials.. Which if this car deal ends up going through I will probably put radials on the 40 wheels as much as I don't like them they sure handle and ride better on it.


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Are you running a panhard bar Jared?

 

Add me to the small group that likes the 40 solids. Also like the two tone.

 

Not at the moment have a couple fronts laying around.. Had thought about it just never have yet.

Even after I paint it it's staying two colors.. Black fenders, running boards, and splash aprons




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It there is a next time, leave the salt on the Flats and have it washed by the guys at the end of the road. We had our diesel tow, trailer and race car done, we had only like two pounds when I did the final clean, and before I washed it, I knock the salt loose and put it in a bucket to take back next year. Glad you made it to the salt! Many a Rodder hesitate to 'save' their vehicles.

 

Looking back on it I should have had them spray just under the fenders I brought two cans of Gibbs with me and I could have just sprayed it after they were done.. That probably would have saved me a lot of headache and left the salt there.. I do have it all in a bucket


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Been working on getting this thing cleaned up and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rear gears..

They have a howl at about 50mph.. I think it's coming from when I hammered the yoke on to tight one time.. So started cleaning and taking things apart to get the rear apart..







Torched, drilled and welded a piece of plate up to help get the axles out easier..


Also wanted to make it easier to get the center section out by myself.. So I wanted to try this and it seemed to work out well..

Turned out a piece of scrap in the lathe to fit in the jack and then the other end to fit through the u joint straps..



So after that was out I got it disassembled cut out a square on a live of plastic so it would sit level.


Tossed it in the blast cabinet after power washing the crap out of it.. Thing must have been leaking since it was new haha..

After using some cleaner on it to get all the sand and oil out of the inside I sprayed it down with lacquer thinner to get the streaks of oil off the outside.


Shot some primer then some color on it.. Used SEM trim black.. Was told this stuff works well and holds up from a guy who does autobody work.. So gonna give it a try..


Hope to get the gears back in a couple days after paint fully hardens.


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Love the jack tool. I'll bet that's way better than bench-pressing the heavy bugger out. Smart

 

Haha yes a lot better. Made it a lot easier with the bed off and working from the top also.


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can you help me with some measurements? my frame is not stock and i need to know the
distance from the centerline of the front crossmember to the first body mount hole.
i built my frame from the 2X4 tube and dont have any other referances to go by. The
frame horns are drawn on and i cut the tube top and cut out the frame horns and TIG welded the
top and bottom of tube back down. saw it on a post here before. i am also building the body from
some pieces i have made from 19 AKDQ steel. i will add pics when i figure out how.

John Mathews
O.B. nickname

 

http://www.wescottsauto.com/SubIndexes/Techindex.html

Here you go! [emoji2]

Ain't a Rat lover!

 

Beat me to it.. Was gonna post that same pic.. Haha


Was able to get the center section put back in and had to do some wire brushing to the frame..


I used some more ospho but the scotch pad scuff got a lot of rust in it so I hosed it off.. Wrong idea.. The water mixed with the rust dust and made more of a mess.



Good thing is just the dust must have been the only thing that rusted.. Wire wheel in a drill cleaned the metal back up like new.

Also had some rust starting on the windshield frame..


Be glad when it cools off so I can get this thing apart blasted and all in primer.

Mom getting a little heat back in the can from the motor so figured I would try to run without the hood sides for a bit.. It takes about 95% of the heat out of the cab.


Drove it around all yesterday.. The howl of the gears is gone so I'm going to put some miles on it and work some other things out..

Found out wipers would be nice on the way to work this morning..







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THANK GUYS i didnt know it had frame dimentions

O.B.

 

My truck is exactly the same. It's loads better with the solid wheels than the wires.

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Found out wipers would be nice on the way to work this morning..
View attachment 3323470

View attachment 3323471




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RainX is your friend. The stuff works.

 

RainX is your friend. The stuff works.[/QUOTE]

I need to apply some of that on my daily driver also..

I worked on getting an issue that's been bugging me for awhile..

The choke rod I just ran straight through the firewall was behind the fuel shut off and hard to get to.. I also just had a washer between two nuts..
How it was



Threaded a piece of junk 1/4" round stock..


Bent a L in it around a piece of 1/2" round to get the drop I wanted..


Then back the other way to make a drop to it


Took a piece of junk 3/4" round turned and threaded a pull knob for it..


Used a die grinder and flap wheel to put some shape on the outside




Much easier to reach and pull now


Also added a grommet since it was squeaking and driving me nuts..

Need to do some work on the choke linkage on the carb it kinda sticks in the off position till it gets moving. I think the detent is hanging up.. Might try to space it out just a bit..


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Now that was a slick fix. Looks good in there too.

 

I love your approach to fixing problems. Ingenuity in action!

 

Thanks!! Also found out the detent on the carb for the choke linkage has about half a point on it and that it was sticking in the hole on the linkage and making it hard to open at first.

Practicing on this cause what I have in mind for the next project in sure is going to take a lot of problem solving haha



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Been putting some miles on the truck when I can.. Trying to work out some other issues..



I have a different set of rear fenders that were in better shape.. They seem to be a lot less flexible. The rear flange is a lot stronger and the bead on the outside is In way better shape..

But one major issue was one of the rears was out of shape..



Spent some time swinging the hammer and working it out slowly..

Few thin coats of mud and few coats of high build primer and time for some block sanding.



Which showed up some low and high spots




Which a second coat of high build straightened those spots out. Another blocking and should be really close..

The back curve is also a lot closer after all this also.



Also one thing that's been bugging me is the lower shock mounts on the front.. Which are not needed since I'm going to run a stock A shock or a friction style shock.. Not sure which since I like the look of the A shock but new ones are so expensive.

Either way I don't need a lower shock mount, so cut, grind, and machine.








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One of the local original-folks has restored his uncles old '31 tudor as the first car, he ever wrenched on, and he did the shocks himself, which turned out great - took some time, but wasn't that expensive... he said.
If I cam get him to help, I might give it a try in the forthcoming winter.

 

I have the adjustment cranked all the way in on these.. I seen a few threads about doing it.. Doesn't look to bad after ya get them apart...

Made a little progress on something that's been driving me nuts..

The front hood shelves were only bolted down where the latches were.. The fronts stuck up and I tried twice and when I drilled and tapped for the front screw it was at the wrong angle and didn't seat right in the hood shelf..

So had to do something different..

Made a scribe out of scrap piece


Ran it down the frame to mark where it needed to be




Cut a flat piece and ground it to fit the shelf


Welded it on and drilled the holes for the gravel pan which will hold them on now

Hammered the holes flat and welded them shut


Skim coat of mud and primer and they are held on now.. Also had to shorten and fix the curve of the passenger side one
Before





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I went a little farther with my hood shelves. I did what I think Henry should have done. I wrapped them on around the frame horn to fully cover it. I think it gives a more finished look.

 

That looks good!!

That would work on these.. They are repop and both the fronts are different shape, length, curve, and the edges are not the same...

Must have been made on a Friday


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Hoping to get the truck into the spring shop this week to get a new spring made for it.. But had it out this weekend and turned over 700 miles. So far so good no big issues..

Took it out to a cruise in the local guys out together for Bergen( guy who passed going on 6 months ago ) great turn out... Had to leave early to go to my cousins wedding.. Held at their farm..

Glad it's not painted yet.. Drove up through their cow pasture and out in the field to get to where it was.. Could hurt anymore then the salt flats haha.. But best part was giving my nephew his first ride in the truck





So hopefully get the spring made and then start on the wood for the bed..

Hopefully find out this week if the pickup gets a new friend to hang out with.. (Fingers crossed it all works out)


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Finally was able to get the truck to the spring shop.. Should have it back Friday to see what they came up with..

Before that I was able to get a few things done.. Wanted to get the gauge panel switched from the one the chrome peeled off of.. Dug through some machine tools I had bought and found something I could use to maybe make it easier.. Test cut in a old block




Didn't work to bad just had to de burr it a bit and the fit was nice.


Fixed some of the cracks in the steering wheel..


Grooved them out to get more binding material in them and to get some of the dirt and old filler out of some cracks.. Forgot to take a picker after I primed the wheel..



Next I wanted to get the plywood out of the bed.. Laid out the strips so I knew the width boards I needed..


My brother is the wood butcher so had him order some white oak slabs


Couple trips through the plainer jointer and table saw..


Wanted the ends to fit down in by the tailgate so I hammered them flat so they would sit in the groove..




Had one that was bent so I was going to use pieces out of it to fix the ones where they were cut out for the plate in the center


Cut and welded.. Had to heat and shrink it a couple times to get it back to straight after the welding pulled it.


Funny part is... I have a lot on my mind with trying to buy another roadster and getting the truck to the spring shop among everything else around here I ended up cutting the one good one I had left to get the pieces instead of cutting the bent one...

So after all that I have to order new bed strips..

Oh well anxious to see how the spring turns out.


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