Art & Inspiration non automotive parts you have used on your hot rod or custom

As the old adage goes necessity is the mother of invention.

I'll kick it off with some interior pieces.

When building the Ranch Wagon I needed sme green translucent material for the turn signal indicators, the original pieces were brittle and broken, I ended up using a green transparent lid from a plastic turkey container, a pair of scissors and creative trimming and that project was done.








The high beam indicator was missing also, it needed to be red so a quick look around and another household item was used a Jif peanut butter lid seemed to fit the bill. I use a leather hole punch to get the perfect fit.



When we were installing the new recovered rear seat in the wagon, I was testing how well the seat would fold down and I was totally unaware the the material across the top of the seat was thicker than original, when I dropped it down the guiding pins punched two hole in the seat, I was sick and called it quits that day, the next morning I noticed my pal Dave was already in the shop and I asked him were we going to have to remove and recover the seat and his answer was no, "I have already fixed it."

It turns out he loosed the trim around the seat and used to large soup spoons to cover te holes and to use as a guide to drop in on the pins, works great and honestly looks like something that might have been done at the factory.

This is the back of the rear seat folded down.





Lets see what odd and unusual things you have used in your builds. HRP

 

But the necessity of invention is a mother!

.bjb

 

As an “avid” boater, I always have some marine hardware kicking around. On my T, I used stainless boat hinges and hasps to attach the turtle deck lid. The seats were replacement pads for restaurant chairs. The trim strip across the bottom of the deck is a piece of boat rub rail…

 

Door handles from a janitor's closet.


Denim upholstery.


2x4 arm rests.

 

Stainless exhaust tubing and Bed rails.

 

Cool topic.
I won’t even make mention of road signs and chicken wire

 

The shift boot mount in my roadster started out as a small cast aluminum cooking pot.

 

The aluminum cover on the firewall was on my wife’s aunts barn that was going to get torn down it was a weather guard for the power line going into the building.

 

Boat rub rail made of a hard rubber to cover the edge of 1 1/4” square steel tubing for a more finished look and to protect paint.

 

During my first attempt at 4 deuces, I used 4 hot water heater flus as velocity stacks.


A friend works at a place that builds industrial parts washers. I think they had 25 of these flus from a customer run off. They were thrown away and we grabbed them. Next time you are near your water heater check your out. The flus connect to the chimney.

 

I picked up two '50s era refrigerators a few weeks ago, intending (hoping?) to use the door and carcass sheet metal for something on my '52 Nash Rambler-- firewall recess and/or patch, storage bin doors, interior panels... we'll see. The stamped pieces all have great curves/shapes and being from 1950, are all H.A.M.B.-era proper, too.

GE fridge door:



Hotpoint fridge door:



Carcass sides:



I have a bunch of interesting brass and aluminum pieces I've saved over the last few years, so they might be incorporated, too, at some point.

 

In the mid to late 60s in Sportsman/Modified racing they were commonly used as hoods.

This era-

 

Shift boot by...Oatey?

 

Couldn't lay down the cash at the moment for a sheet of aluminum diamond plate for my bed, so it has a sheet of 1/2" pressure treated plywood in it painted black and put back

 

All I have to say is that you guys are good, not one thing that doesn't look like it doesn't belong there down though post 14.

 

Building your own steering column and need a collar, or modifying one and don't want to hassle with the die-cast ones most have?



This is a drawing table lamp, but you'll find similar in table lamps. Steel, trim to size.
This one is 5" across the big end, 2" at the small end. $25-35 for the whole lamp...

 

I posted this before in another tread but it fits pretty good here.

When I was building my tube frame sports car there was no room for a trunk, glove compartment or any dry storage. When I entered the USMC in 1965 one of the first things they gave me was an ammunition box to store rifle cleaning (solvent, oil, patches, etc.) and for whatever reason I kept it over the years. I cut off the bail handle cleaned it up and painted it and mounted it to the frame next to the fuel cell. So I now have a waterproof compartment to store registration, insurance papers, sunglasses or whatever I want to keep dry or out of sight for security.

 

Not me, but I remember a Hamber welding an old steel Wok for a diff cover in the trunk of his Hot Rod years ago.

 

My pa in law had a fridge go bad, so he put it in the scrap pile. It was one of those double door ones with the stainless doors. I snagged the doors and made an air deflector to keep all the air going through the radiator instead of over it. Also made a gauge pod for a couple of gauges under the hood.

 

Dad's idea to use an old canteen as a upside down so it could be drained as a coolant catch can on my model A stock car build.

 

Back in the 70’s, when I was cobbling on my “A” coupe; I found a 1950’s counter edge fit the inside edge of my doors. I thought it gave a nice smooth look to them. Still there 50 years later :

 

Sorry no pictures, it was 51 years ago. Used an inexpensive stamped wheelbarrow to make a firewall for my CJ5 that I stuffed a 327 into. Got the idea from Hot Rod Magazine. I think that it sold new for around $15. It took the most time cutting the rolled edge off.

 

Drum bass pedal for a gas pedal.

 

Art deco clamp on bed lamps converted to Kool taillights

 

My Moon Style tank is 2 aluminum frying pans with sheet aluminum rolled between the 2 . Hillbilly Delux

 

Fender amp handle for door handle, aircraft tail wheel quadrant lock for door lock and 60's leather bike seat bag for glove box.

Electrical junction box for under-dash switch box.

Vintage aircraft seat belts for fuel tank straps.

40's Pullman train clothes hook for coat hook.


......and 30's Acme bottle opener for emergencies.

 

My old Sedan Delivery...

SPREADER BAR; Stainless handicap bathroom grab bar (Home Depot)

HEADLIGHT BAR; Threaded rod covered with chrome sink supply line (Ace Hrdware)

TURN SIGNALS; 1950s Schwinn bike fender lights

HOOD ORNAMENT; Novelty pen, chrome cat

AIR CLEANER COVER; 1938 Ford hubcap


TAILIGHT HOUSINGS; Stock taillights mounted inside cut down desk lamps (Lowes)

HEADER PANEL made from section of vinyl rain gutter (Lowes)

 

A co worker used bed frames to stiffen up his Trans Am that he cut the roof off of. On a bumpy road it sounded like being on the first floor of a sleazy rent by the hour motel.

 

I found this square tubing at Home Depot works good for making brackets

 

Frying pans made into disk brake covers. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-backing-plates-from-frying-pans.285695/