Projects BRIAN MADE ME DO IT: 34 Roadster Build

or write: deluxe super charged flathead kit
part # 630
*blem*
that will keep them guessing.

 

So today I started off helping a buddy lift his 30 5 window onto his newly boxed frame. Then back home to work on my roadster. I took the grill off the radiator and prepped the radiator for paint. I also prepped the heater box that I built for tech week a couple years ago and the oil pan I painted in recent posts above.

Clear coat is catalyzed rattle can 2K, nasty stuff, doors open, respirator on. The parts finished nice. I moved everything into my small garage. Covered the little Nova and got it done.

Radiator sides now match the car. Grille brackets are about to see the chromer.

Remember the ceramic heater I built for tech week a few tears back, well here it is in color.

Yeah, that is smooth. Ill reassemble and prepare to reinstall it in the car. I tried to include everything that needed 2K hardened clear coat today. Could not be happier with how the parts turned out.
Now this is a pretty oil pan
This is shinier than most Subaru's and Hondas top coat

 

Showed it for you

 

I couldn't sleep.

 

I didn't get much done today, but progress all the same. I assembled the heater and wired it all up, ready to mount back under the dash. 3 bolts, power and ground. I ran an isolated circuit to the battery for the heater. It turned out real nice. I jumped it over to the Nova's battery to make sure I wired it correctly.

Cute, aint it? The control pane was am underdash remote that I moved to the front and frenched it in. The knob on the left is a 3 position pull switch off/low/high, the temp rheostat in the center and the defroster cable (pull defrost, push to close)
Like my radio, this is just plug and play.

I welded studs to the back, built that 1 inch bracket it is bolted to, then it bolts to another 1 inch bar that has threads in it, welded to the firewall so there are no holes and it can be removed without anyone knowing it was eer there. I even polished the defroster outlet cuz I could. There is a 30 amp breaker in that housing, I will add a nice little plug on the wires later.

I also polished back out the radiator tank, it was a mess. The radiator looks like it should have gold leaf lettering on the side, something like "Engine 34"

My fancy radiator shroud is a real mess, stains sat on there since the burn in and went unnoticed. I tried mothers and a power cone and it helped but more desperate measures are required.

 

Not much tonite as I had a late appointment. Tank polished and going in the frame tomorrow night after work.

You can kinda see the brackets I welded in to adapt the 32 tank to my 34 frame. they are smooth and look legit. I wish someone would give me the money for the hours I spent on them.

If they did I could buy more Jameson Black Barrel. Tasty aperitif.

Not sure on this cap. I bought it a while back because it matched the fuel filter and radiator reservoir. I had a ford emblem that I thought would fit my grill but it was a truck emblem (too large) and rather than returning it, I cut the mounting post off the back and JB welded it to the gas cap. The curvature was a match, the color is spot on, I may run it, after all it is one of a kind.

Thoughts, opinions, offers?

 

I'll pat you on the back for the tank mod !
I like the gas cap, but you're going to gave to look at on the complete car to see if it matches.
Looks Art Deco fire engine-ish

 

So your saying its a match!

Dude, the tank mod was a seat of the pants deal. I bolted steel to the frame, sat the tank on the "brackets", applied heat and hammer, tacked, bent, cursed, drank, drank, added steel, added swear words I had not thought of yet, added another spool of MIG wire and that was the result. I had to fill and re-drill the frame holes to move the tank toward the front of the car to clear the spreader bar and license plate I made. 9 out of 10 would not even notice or pay attention. The really cool part is the tunnel the mod created for the tail pipes to run through underneath. But that is fodder for another day.

 

Around here we call a day with a job like that Tuesday

When it looks good and you can't tell you did anything and kills more birds ,,, that's the sign of a perfectionist at work and a job well done.

 

I went through my phone and grabbed these two shots from a few tears ago while I was mocking up those thank brackets

Left and right, I would also fabricate the filler and weld it in as well.

My old location of the tail lights on the spreader bar before I moved them to the underside of the body. The car always has a voice in her design...though I take all the credit

This is before I moved the tank forward in the chassis. I ended up doubling the thickness of this bracket to support the weight of the full tank. You can see the area behind the spreader is too confined and the tank adapter is manipulated too far trying to avoid the bar. Of course moving the tank forward meant moving the filler neck back. Where does it all end?

 

You're making me look bad! The heater is drop-dead gorgeous. I like the gas cap, not sure if looks "right" on your car, a bit fire-truck-ish. You'll have to stand back and stare at it when the tank is on to see if it fits the style. Amazing work, as usual!

 

Mill the "bumps" off the outer edge then it will look better.

 

Actually I think that he should keep the bumps.
That way when his fingers are all swollen and arthritic and sore from all the polishing he will still be able to get the gas cap off after he opens a bottle of this.
Notice the similarities in the cap design ?

 

Hey Blue, normally I'd say that's funny right there.
But in my case "snot so much", I crush those up and put them on my cornflakes every morning. That is on mornings when I can get the lid off.

 

Sorry to hear that. An example that in every bit of humor there is some reality.
Hope it doesn't get worse for you.

 

Love that heater! Blue One you must visit that small bottle on a regular basis to come up with that image / reference...... I really like both of your builds!

 

I'm actually fortunate enough not to have to get into a bottle like that.
My aches and pains are small and medication free so far.
I just happened to have seen them at the pharmacy and made the mental connection.

I was just poking a little fun in Billy's direction regarding the polishing and shiny stuff obsession

 

I might try that stuff, my fingers hurt!
Before I headed out this morning to the job that keeps me in chroming money, I turned the hood over and re-installed the braces I welded up and had plated. they make a huge difference structurally.
Ill have my pin striper edge the hood where we have a little bleed form the masking job on the 2 tone. But I like the look. The maroon and polished aluminum flatty is going to look pretty damn nice under this bonnet.

I will tan those leather straps to match what ever I do in the interior.

Making those braces really sucked feet. I had to bolt the flat brackets in, cut and bend those hoops till they both held the hood in the proper curvature and didn't touch the underside of the hood (no rattles) then after it was vice gripped together I had to stand in the engine bay (sans motor) with the car on the lift and TIG them blind (because you cant see the top of the brackets). Coulnt use a welding helmet, no room, dark glasses. Note to self, wear a hat next time. Then take them out and weld them up. I don't want to do that job again.

Before anyone asks, the Seeburg isn't for sale, I traded it to the owner of the paint shop in exchange for some of the labor expenses. I have to find time to rebuild the pin bank which is one of the most tedious jobs on the planet. 100 pins, plates, keepers, and magnets that need to be taken apart, cleaned and re-assembled so the damn thing stops playing the same record over and over (John Denver, "Aint it good to be back home again"). I hate that song now. Here, play this about 20 times, feel my pain.

 

What, no Freebird

 

Hi BB.All I got to sat is.Absolutely outstanding.Please keep the updates coming as you are able.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I wouldn't have to fix it if was stuck on freebird.

 

I have one of the Southwind gasoline heater housings I want to put an electric heater in. It's not very big though.

 

Because this one is ceramic it can be mounted in any position. I just made sheet metal ducting to direct the air flow. Important thing is to allow the intake to be free of restriction. Before I mounted it in the heater box I took it to the golf course and took along a charged car battery I had lying around. The cart was enclosed and it got toasty warm in there fast. Battery went dead in about an hour and a half running the heater on low continuously. Successful test I thought.

 

These might make points with the missus.
When I started building my roadster I told her no top, no heat, no air, no whining.
Her reply was, "I hope you like riding alone"!
When I had my seats built I had these installed.



'

 

I have circuit in my fuse panel for those. I like driving my cars and it gets cold at night even in summer here as you well know. I still haven't figured out a place to hide the switches yet though.

 

I'm putting seat heaters in ours too. I kinda don't want to lift the upholstery, but shouldn't be too big a job.

 

^^^^that there is good engineering

 

Damn, I couldn't make it all the way thru once.

 

Uh, Yeah...........I plug it in, it plays a couple of songs I selected, then it picks up that damn C3 and I have to run for the outlet.