Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Naw then it’d get confused with Jay’s roadster. Maybe paint it purple for contrast and to match the garage door?

 

Sure , I saw the yella door, before I posted, hence the emoticons, just me taking the piss.

 

I don't know Lee or his work, I am not criticising him at all and there's nothing wrong with his car, it is his build , it has great attention to detail, fit and finish, it's just not my idea of a hot rod.. the headlight placing etc comment is only my opinion, which has little value. The car is built to his taste and the era he wants to build to, IMHO it's early street rod , which is not where I see your hot rod.
All I was saying was that your car does not need a whole lot of stuff to make it perfect. KISS, that's what early hot rods were/are about. Yours will be just as neat as his but a different era.

 

Nathan’s got a good build thread on his coupe here on the hamb fantastic hot rod, and drives the shit out of it!

 

ain't she sweet?

from this



to here

in under a year

 

dug out a pair of rumble seat stop brackets...

 

Maybe it's time for some paint? Ned

 

Nathan’s build https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1931-model-a-coupe-y-block-build-father-son.1004188/

hasn’t been update in a long time. Includes when he rolled it but not busting the headlights off it or doing the interior

 

"driven regularly"
That header doesn't lie. it has been tuned and driven! You don't fake coloring like that.

 

97, it's funny but most non-rodders wouldn't see much change in the before and after pics.
We all know better though!

 

Yes but I still say....... Ain't she sweet! Joey should post his roadster up on Chris's Model A roadster highboys on Model A frames thread. A boner just posted this black 30 roadster up there, https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/posts/14126231/ I just hope Joey doesn't get to excited and change over to that flathead , before he gets to put a whole lot of miles on the banger!

 

Mr. U, having a slow drain on the battery is something NOT designed into any car before memory and other junk being standard. Take a few to track this down. Clean the main cable connections too, after checking.
Here is a short simple video on how to connect and check drain. There are hundreds of videos that go over the basics, from 2 minutes to 10 minutes and more. On your car with basic start, ignition, lights and gauges, there should be NO drain when key and switches are off. Disconnect circuits until the one with a problem is found. Diagnose that circuit until the cause of the drain is found.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCT-YZbU5o

 

An old trick I've used is to grab a seat belt buzzer from the wrecking yard and put it inline between the battery and cable like the meter. It will buzz quietly with a slow drain, buzz loud with a big drain, and be quiet with no drain. These were on millions of cars and most places won't charge you anything for one due to the scrap value being nil.

There is NO way I'd buy a new one for 3 times the price of a cheap meter, but here is an example of one with a picture.
https://www.classicchevy.com/1972-1977-chevelle-malibu-seat-belt-warning-buzzer-50-338899-1.html

This is handy because you can be anywhere around/under the car wiggling and disconnecting wires and know exactly what stopped that infernal noise!

 

Like the hooded version a lot, but I've said that before. It is always good to have some easy visual changes to let you see your car in a different way. Hood, top, & another set of wheels and tires can give a car a very different look without real change.

 

Looks great with the hood on it. I'm happy to see you have it out and about, enjoying driving around!

 

Model A Fords have a different wiring system to other cars, everything is live all the time, the only thing that the ignition switch turns on and off is the coil ground (positive) . Removing the battery cables, installing a shutoff is a standard Model A safety precaution, or installing a fuse/ on main wire from the starter to the terminal block. Many model As have burned in the garage from various short circuits. Some aftermarket brake light switches, terminal blocks and ignition switches are not well insulated and they short the power circuits. The ignition switch can ground onto the fuel tank if it is not installed correctly, as can the terminal block . Some of the aftermarket ones do not insulate!. I am sure Henry's team did not design them to do this but the fact is they have been known to burn. The generator/cutout and the starter can also short ( ground) internally and are both still live even with the key turned off! AND to top it all off positive to ground!

 

If I remember rightly Joey actually wired the roadster himself using some of the original wiring ? and changed the system to 12v negative ground and fitted an isolating switch at the battery! It could still have some small leakage, but the main isolating switch should cover that as far as fire goes. The ammeter would possibly find the issue.

 

Respectfully 97, Circuits are live on feed side, but not complete. If complete, they would have everything going all the time when the battery is connected.

Example, stop light - Feed from the battery cable at starter to the Yellow wire to the junction box, Yellow wire to ammeter, Yellow/Black wire to other side of the junction box, the Yellow/Black wire to the generator relay (open relay) to Yellow wire to lighting switch BATT terminal, Green wire from lighting switch to stop light switch. Hot or live up to the stop light switch, but no current flow until the switch is closed, allowing current to the bulbs and ground.
Same with the coil. Feed at Black wire, through coil to Red wire to ignition switch which opens or closes to points (and ground). This is different from more modern cars that have the switched side on the feed, not the switched side on the ground side of the coil.
Test will show no voltage across battery terminal and cable until the switch is closed, completing the circuit to ground. Does not matter in this test if it's 6V or 12V, does not matter if it's positive or negative ground (meter can and will read -12V if connected opposite the car's polarity).

From that wiring diagram, the main differences to something from the 1950s is the ignition switch on ground side and only controlling the ignition (no accessories post to shut off feed to Wiper and other stuff like electrical gauges and radio not found on this car) along with no fused protection. Constant power feed to lights, horn and ammeter is normal.

I'd want a shutoff and/or fused link as you mentioned on one too, simply due to the historic failings and a higher level of safety considerations.

 

I think we agree mostly . I did say live , not complete, but those "ground to complete" circuits leave many more opportunities for disaster than those which are fused and switched by the ignition switch .
Model A electrolock ignition switch has a mechanical cable which grounds the points when switch is off and lock is deployed , I don't think it could be made with an accessories post.
My real point was only the differences and the dangers and why Model A guys take battery cables off when they leave their cars.
The real issue is 90 year old components, which often need close inspection and repair or restoration, and the aftermarket reproduction parts are not always accurate and serviceable, they certainly don't last as long.

Hey is your user name Rod Saint Race or Rod Street Race ?

 

Agreed, different era, different standards. We have learned much since then. As is often stated, safety rules are written in blood. If you compare something even a little past the HAMB 1965 limit, almost all the circuits that are constant live on the Model A are still constant live. Just the low amp circuits have fusing and the high amp circuits have solenoids (starter) or may have a fusible link (alt. output). Stuff off the acc post and not live aren't on the A, except the wipers as mentioned.

A fuse in circuit isn't going to halt a slow drain anyway, only protect from a dead short. OP's problem is a slow drain.

Also agree that modern replicas of original parts are not always to OE standards, causing a double drop from more modern component safety and without modern external safety designs.

As for the name, it grew from Spinal Tap, so the kernel was Saint, but liked and chose it because it can be both. I use it for car forums, and had different vehicles for all three categories at the time. So I guess it really is Street. I know the pic is Nigel, not David, but I looked more like Nigel.

Cheers and I hope to visit your lovely country some day!

 

You’re doing great, Joey. Keep up the good work !