Cliff Notes to a little project I've been messing with over the winter/spring. Started with a free cast-away early Touring body, threw away the center section, slid the rear seat forward. Shortened a set of 46-48 Ford frame rails out of my scrap pile, and built them up with Model A cross members. Made new door jambs, "rocker" and rear side panels to connect it all together. Added a Flathead v8, make cowl steering out of an F1 steering box, etc. So far with horse trading and buying/selling stuff the car is 100% free so far. I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible using extra parts and cast away stuff I have sitting around the shop. The engine rebuild and stupid stuff like brakes, bearing, etc will blow that out of the water, but it still should be pretty low-budget when done! Hoping to have on the road this summer. Figured I'd give a cliff notes version of the pics below. The full build has been documented on my Youtube channel linked in my signature. Thanks for looking! -Matt
Man that was a great body to start with! Wish you were closer, id dig in your trash for that center divider, I need it for my touring car
I should have dropped that info in. The body was from a horrible hack job restoration and thrown in a museum with ropes around it. The car was 80% fiberglass sheet laid over the rotten metal and then bondo and shiny black paint. The center section was fiberglass sheet about 10" up the sides. I had to cut all the way up to the wheel well beads out of the rear sides of the car and it needs about the bottom 6" of the back part of the body replaced. Believe me this thing was not "mint" just shiny! If you watch the first couple videos on it we show just how bad it really was!
Awesome build! Watched most of your videos. Want to thank you for posting them. Really enjoy them. Your shop is the coolest.
I love it, looks a lot like my '26. My first reaction was also "holy shit, someone threw out that body?! Looks so nice!". Makes more sense with that explanation, glad you could save it.
That is getting to be one cool little car I'll have to say that if a bunch of us had been sitting around at a rod trot somewhere together and you told us that you were going to cut down some 46/48 rails and use them under a T we would have been pretty skeptical at the outcome but that looks great.
Awesome deal! Car is looking great. But yeah, that engine rebuild will take away the free part Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Great project, keep up the good work. What is your plan for the tie rod which looks to be in touch with the underside of the chassis?
I like it. T's made out of junk are my thing. Good save. Sent from my SM-G935F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Interesting Hotrod coming together @IronTrap...you obviously have a good grip on the past...and that's good to see around here...keep it coming...
yeah, been also following on YouTube but the pics are a lot farther than where I am with the vids. need to keep up
Cool car for sure... my first engine build, a 53 Merc motor was in 1965 and with a classmate's discount [his uncle owned the parts store] I was able to buy rings, gaskets and bearings for $36. Prices have spiraled up since then.
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