Hi guys and gals, this is my first thread here on the Jalopy Journal, although I've posted a ton over on ADV Rider as LC Garage. I grew up working in my dad's shop and spent a lifetime working as a mechanic and service manager, but most of my personal efforts went into two wheeled hot rods (although did have a one decade foray into stock cars). I've always had the itch to build a hot rod, but other projects got in the way. In 2015 we (my brother and I) bought a very derelict '29 AA doodlebug because it looked quite similar to the one we rebuilt and used on our farm in the late 60's and learned to drive on. As work on the doodlebug progressed, the dimensions and proportions just seemed off and out of balance. It needed a pickup bed! We scrounged up a bed off a yard and garden trailer and when it was all said and done, looked kind of cool for a doodlebug. But now the itch for a real RPU had started. If I was at a car cruise or show, and there was an RPU nearby, I'd find it. I started searching for RPU's on YouTube and found Josh at Quick Speed Shop and Matt at Iron Trapp, the Iron Trapp RPU is especially cool. So in a way I'd become obsessed with the idea of building a traditional RPU. While building the doodlebug, I'd found an actual old Model A wrecking yard in the high desert near where we live, and although it was pretty picked over, the brothers that ran it helped us with parts to finish the doodlebug and we also started a conversation that eventually led to the newest project, a '29 RPU. Last summer we picked thru the remnants at the old wrecking yard and found a frame, cowl, bed, and a phaeton front body section as the basis for the RPU, and in the year since have been gathering parts and pieces. This project is going to take at least another year or longer, and I'd like to share the story here. Rick
The engine will be a '60 truck 283 we salvaged from a ranch in the Keating Valley, it will be rebuilt, have power pack heads, a single 4 barrel, possibly a Duntov cam and not sure about exhaust yet. Transmission will be a TH350 that we horse traded for and the rear end is out of an S10 with rear disc brakes. Front axle is a Speedway drilled drop axle, a factory second bought cheap. Wheels are from a 56 Chevy. A few more pics of these various parts are attached.
I'll be following your story. I'm in the same situation. I quit racing, and had to have something to do. Facebook Market Place forced me to bring this one home.
Wow, that's a beauty! Looks like your windshield cowl posts are in the same shape as mine. Are you a Bonneville guy? Do you know Ted Sumner?
When I first found this wrecking yard, there was a lot more. There's still one complete car for sale there (at least it was not too long ago) a '29 coupe complete and not too rusty. The yard is getting more known and has recently been picked over pretty good, but they still have a lot of parts if you're not doing a roadster.
I'm sorry I don't know him. I have built hot rods since I was a young guy. We ran at Bonneville for a number of years, until I had a Cancer diagnosis, and sold the car. I am in remission now, and had to have something to do. So, here I am. Someone cut off the windshield posts on the roadster pickup. The previous owner bought the complete cowl piece from Brookville. I cut the top off his purchased repo pieces, and fit them to the existing Model A metal. I'm still in process. Keep us posted about how you are dealing with legroom. Besides the seat, I think I am going to eliminate the toe board. We'll see. Maybe I should start a build thread on this project. We could share ideas.
There was a guy on here, I think from Canada that went by BCT. He was making and selling the 28-29 cowl post tops for repairing the missing or broken windshield mounts. I've tried contacting him and no luck. I can't afford to buy the repop posts and then cut the pieces off, so might have to try making them. On fabrication I'm maybe a 4 out of 10, so they might be kinda ugly. Would love to share ideas and would like to see you do a thread. On my motorcycle thread, posting keeps me motivated and moving forward. On leg room, the Model A wrecking yard brothers had a running stock survivor RPU and told me to sit in it, just to see how small they are. Turns out quite small. I'm 5' 10 and skinny, don't know how a big person would get in with any comfort. I'm planning to use the Phaeton body part instead of the std RPU and am hoping to get a little extra room from that.
The drivers door is pretty decent but must be a 28? The RH door is super rough but gonna try to save it.
Theoretically 29's were supposed to have the outside handles, but I've talked to a couple other 29 owners who did not have them. I'm guessing in the early 29 production, they used up the 28 doors. I used to see you race out at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in your dwarf car. You build really nice cars.
Cowl Post Top Repair Parts, this is a little bit old and I've had no luck contacting BCT, does anyone know how to contact him? https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1653268&postcount=13
Attached is a pic of the gauge cluster I'm planning to use. My brother found it at a garage sale a couple years ago. It's been sitting on the workbench since then, taunting me to build something to put it in.
Hi Oliver! I come thru your area at least twice a year, on the way to see my aunt in Sutherland. Hopefully I would be able to stop by and see you sometime?
So far this project has been parts gathering and trying to do that in a meaningful way. In other words, as I try to find parts and pieces, get things I'll actually use and not just end up on a shelf. The drivetrain is pretty well set; 283 power pack, TH350 and S10 disc brake rear with parallel leaf springs. The front suspension will be the Speedway drop axle and components as needed to have Chevy bolt pattern and small disc brakes. The body, as it sits right now, is a decent closed car cowl that will be converted to open car with the appropriate pieces, roadster doors (have decent LH door and crusty RH, but Martinbuilt just sold me a decent RH), a Phaeton forward tub half and a somewhat crusty but savable pickup bed. The biggest question is how to make the Phaeton body piece look right and possibly get rid of the weird "Step" where the rear doors would have bolted on. Cutting and welding sounds simple enough, but has anyone done this before? Pitfalls? Pros and cons? BTW, I did talk to a guy at the Idaho swap meet (at Firebird drag strip), he said he had an RPU rear body section and had just sold it when I got there. He said he sold it for $100. I didn't fall to my knees and start crying, but almost. Sigh.
Bought a right hand roadster door from @Martinbuilt and it is far better than the one I had. I'm very appreciative and would never have made that connection without this forum. Door pics attached, you can easily see why the door from Martinbuilt is a big improvement.
Takes me back to my teen days in Santa Clara! There were model A roadsters in the wrecking yards, the old fella that owned the yard in Santa Clara went easy on us kids. (13, 14 yr. olds in '55, '56) I bought a nice '30 'A' Cabriolet body, no decklid. $3! Miss those days!
This is great! @IronTrap rpu is good inspiration for sure! As far as the back panel I was surprised how simple the back half of the rpu I had was. I bet you could make one just as easy as fixing a shitty one you can actually afford. looking forward to watching this move forward!
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