I was dinkin with my motor today and got to thinking about some of the neat ideas hotrodders come up with for using "non-automotive" items to serve a useful purpose. There are some pretty fart smuckers out there, using odd ball items or tricks to accomplish a means. If you have any neat tricks or adaptions I would like to see them. Here are a couple I used today and what got me to thinking about this. Item 1 If you have an engine that has water drain cocks, here is what I used. These are test cocks from a backflow preventer. You can get them in 1/8" and 1/4" NPT and are quality items. The screw slot turns a teflon seated ball and absolutely will not leak. Any backflow supplier carries them.....very clean and neat...I was able to orient the screw slot to access from above instead of having to crawl underneath to operate. Item 2 I just installed a PCV valve in my flathead V8 and needed a breather for the blockoff plate I made where the fuel pump used to mount. This is an industrial clean air breather for an air compressor. You can get it with 1/2", 3/4" and 1" NPT. I ordered this one from Graingers in 1/2" NPT and got it next day. Made a blockoff plate, drilled and tapped and screwed right on. Absolutely free breathing with no resistance at all. No need for replacement filter unit as the whole thing was only $9.00. If you have any tricks or non-automotive materials that can be used in a hotrod. I aint talking about saw blade air cleaners for rat rods or such, but actual useful stuff.
I have a friend who is an engineer with a medical device company and he passes me lots of useful fittings, valves and the like. Kidney dialysis machines are full of them and they're engineered to standards way beyond automotive
I once used the chrome plated brass plumbing drain hookup tubes in my upper rad hose with short rubber sections at the thermostat housing and rad inlet.....sort of like the old flathead ones
Wasn't having any luck finding a shift boot to to clear the Hurst shifter in my roadster. I was at my local speed shop one day and found this old boot hanging on a hook in the corner, cheap enough so bought it, but it didn't look like it would work so I threw it in a drawer and I forgot about it. I had seen guys were using modified frying pans for brake cooling shrouds and thought what the hell so went down to the thrift store and found a neat little cast aluminum saucepan. I chucked it in the lathe and bored a big hole in the bottom and also turned off the nub that the handle mounted to. The rubber flange of the boot needed trimming and I machined a trim ring out of aluminum stock and it worked great. I didn't want switches mounted in the dash and was at the electronics surplus store and found this neat little enclosure so modified it and screwed it to the side of the shift boot riser with a couple pieces of aluminum flat stock bent to fit.
I used some chrome water tubing like you would use on a bathroom sink for metal vacuum lines. It was chromed copper so it was easy to bend with a tubing bender. Just used a short piece of rubber hose on each end to connect it.
Pretty crafty stuff there Denny, my Dad would have said now you are using your head for something other than a hat rack DND
Not to mention the zillions of drawer pulls used to create unique grille designs. It's surprising there aren't any ACE hardware stickers on customs! Gary
I had forgotten I had used these for headlight wire tubes with a grommet to fit the grille shell and headlight bucket
On the Ranch Wagon I used several non automotive pieces to accomplish the task at hand. #1 - Engine I bought some stainless round stock and a couple of threaded universal swivel joints to fabricate the throttle linkage,cut to length and used the correct size die and made the ideal linkage. #2 - Upholstery The rear folding seat was tested for the very first time and when the seat back was dropped the pins that hold it in place punched 2 holes in the overstuffed seat- Oh $h!t. The repair was as easy as a trip to wally world and I bought 2 Onida salad spoons,they covered up the hole and serve as a guide for the pins to slid in place without any more damage. #3 - Turn signal & high beam repair I was working on the wagon and quit long enough to grab a sandwich, while I was eating I noticed the plastic container the turkey was in had a green translucent lid,I doubled up on the turkey in my sandwich and took the lid back to the shop. The lid cut easy with a pair of scissors and worked like a dream and replaced the old brittle & broken lens. After I repaired the signal lens I knew another lid would give me the red high beam replacement lens,Jiff peanut butter lid to the rescue. It was harder to cut but a hole punch worked perfect.HRP
Thats right...here are a couple Ace Hardware drawer pulls pressed into service for my choke rod and starter rod.
If we keep this up Danny, we will put the 1-800 vendors out of business. This started out as a "repurposed" Honda bike brake pedal.
I see both these every day, especially the breather. We use them on hydraulic tanks. Nice Ideas, Thanks for posting them.
A small kitchen sink and a cheap fibreglass hood scoop could equal a functional Shaker in short order!
Part of the kitchen sink........... Trim ring around my gas filler is a sink strainer basket with the bottom cut out. Could also be used to trim around exhaust pipes through a flat panel. Gary
You can buy rolls of Velcro, and if you cut the loop side in half, it's a great inexpensive replacement for window felts. It also installs super easy because it has the adhesive backer and just sticks on. Great way to finish off doors and stop windows from rattling.
Man great idea, and we have a motorcycle wrecking yard in town, right across the street rom Turners Auto Wrecking.
You and Danny should get these 2 threads merged http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...their-intended-purpose.1035726/#post-11731113
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