While i wait for the seat stuff i started tackling other things. Welded some radiator mounts got some rubber pads on them. Installed back the radiator. And pie-cut the bones to get the proper caster. I’ll wait until the end to attach them but l now they’ll fit under the frame. Also a little design i did on the seat. Took some inspiration in a 60s corvette i saw.
Spent some time at @Just Gary s garage — he hand-built a ’28 Ford Tudor sedan that looks like a real-life Hot Wheels! Incredible rake, flawless paint, and craftsmanship that’s next-level. Really appreciate his advice, tips, and help. It meant a lot! It’s great to meet some local hotrodders.
Been working on the seat. Starting to look real. Trying to give it the overall shape and keep it comfortable. Been shaping with grinder. Works somewhat decent. I glued the missing piece in the middle with some foam glue. Also put the front together
I have the original gauges. Anyone can recommend someone to restore them? Especially need the engine temperature one restored. Need the liquid to be filled and a new tube. I don’t care much about the paint but want them mechanically sound. Maybe new chrome for speedometer.
I took some 1/2 in foam and vinyl from ebay and sewed 2inch pleats. Looks kinda ok haha This is the chatgpt version of what i’m trying to make. We’ll see how close i get
Williamson used to have a good reputation for gauges, I don’t know about now. Worth a Google look, or maybe someone on FordBarn has a source for gauge repair. Might want to ask with another thread topic for more leads.
Got my drag link from speedway. It was longer but only $21. So i decided I was gonna cut it and tap it. I grabbed it with some vice wrenches and some rubber pad i had and it worked well. Here is where I ran into my next problem. The drag link the truck had installed before was bent. Whoever installed it before bent it so it could clear the oil pan. Smart, but i hate the way that looks. I saw they sell dropped pitman arms so I guess that’s next cause it does hit the oil pan when steering all the way right
Haha thanks! I guess i see some spots where i didnt sew super straight but i only kinda know how to sew. Been watching a lot of YouTube
Buy a single Dropped tie rod end from speedway and put it on the sight side of steering link. End of problem.
Getting to one of the more fun parts… i finally installed my mechanical advance mallory distributor. I got a 1.82 ohm ballast resistor and my coil primary resistance measured 1.2 ohms. Coil primary: 1.2 Ω Ballast resistor: 1.82 Ω Rtotal=1.2+1.82=3.02 Ω Then we use Ohm’s law I=V/Rtotal= 12V/3.02 Ω≈ 3.97A So, I’ve got about 4 amps to my distributor. That sounds pretty safe to me, but if anyone has more advice on that let me know. Just need to finish wiring it but I’ll be starting her soon. Mallory has great instructions on how to install but essentially i found TDC and kept note of my rotor position to align the new one close to that. New distributor goes in and i marked the rotor location on new distributor housing and thats my cylinder #1. At least that’s what i got from their instructions. Also pictured my new rear holley 94 carburetor and velocity stacks from speedway. I’m using a solid H&H dual carb linkage in my offenhouser dual manifold. Pretty sick!
Sounds like you're pretty good at doing your homework and following instructions. I didn't start watching your build when it first came up but it didn't take me long to understand your drive to have what you're building and that you are new to what I've been doing for over 50 years. I like this part of the Hobby. God knows my Junk has to go somewhere when I check out. You seem to be on a pretty good learning curve walking through all this early Hot Rod stuff. Relating to the post just above I see little I can add to Ign or Carb work other than you may end up not running the 2 carbs locked together. I've never liked the way that responds but it may be just fine depending on the Cam. You'll figure that out once you start driving it. What I do take notice of is your New heads and a bunch of head studs with an X on them. I'm going to assume you plan to change them out long before you start the motor, right? Specially the 2 above and below the Edelbrock letters. If you were planning to fire and run in the motor as is there's a good chance at the very least it will end you costing you a New Head gasket. A good chance of sending the heads to a machine shop and the Worst turning them into wall hangers. That spot is the most common place to blow a gasket and if you keep it running can also be a burn out spot in the head. Sure wouldn't want to see that happen. Just a heads up, not picking on ya. Personally, I'd do away with all the Studs and get a full set of Shouldered head bolts like the 8-BA's went to. 10 times easier and better to work with.
Thanks for the kind words! I love this stuff. Finally I’m able to mess with it and I spend all my time at the garage haha. I do plan on taking that head out and redoing those bolts i marked them cause theyre a little lower than I want them to. The threads in the block are not so good tho. Maybe ill try to repair those with some helicoils. Also I must have not done my homework so good. Engine did not fire up It ran before the distributor. I had the original distributor in and it was able to run but it overheated. Which led me to change the distributor as a possible fix to overheating… think the timing was a little retarded
Basic rule of thumb on hardware. Bolt dia, (lets say 7/16 like the head studs) require same amount of thread purchase to be able to set proper Torque values. Most standard nuts like the ones your using on the heads are also the same height nut so they have proper amount of purchase when the stud comes clean through the nut. I believe Torque spec on your motor is 70 ft lbs each to properly seal the gasket. You have a very good chance you have already pulled some threads on either or both nuts and studs on those shallow ones. Hard to get 70 lb's on 3 threads, for long.
Omg! Upholstery is so hard Eh. Cost me a bunch of time and like $100. I guess you get what you pay for
As a new flathead owner you will soon learn about the importance of tight thread fit on the head studs. If you retap those holes you will have coolant seep through. If you don’t seal up the threads you will have sealant seep through. That’s why I prefer studs. When using studs you can basically glue the studs in the holes with good sealant and never need to mess with them again. When using bolts you will need to use a less strong sealant because you will need to retorque a few times, and probably check them once a year after that. Turning and chewing up the sealant every time.
Did you take it out and let it lay flat preferably out in the sun for a while to let it "relax" before you started? That and stretching tight where appropriate before you affix the hog rings will help. Give it some time with your butt on it driving around and it might look a whole lot better when installed. Overall, it does not look that bad for your first attempt. You are learning why a full-time upholstery shop charges what they do. Doing a lot of these things yourself is the way it was done as the guys before you were not rich. Plus, you get the satisfaction of telling everyone that asks, you built it with your own two hands. If they point out flaws and mistakes. Ask them how they would have done it. If they offer sound advice take it. If they have nothing but, "You should have paid someone to do it". Tell them to pay for it and you will have it redone and walk away.
I did use sealant when installing the studs. I like the studs too. I did a bunch of research at the time and the studs appeared to be better in the long term and they ensure i didn’t strip the threads
Yeah haha I got the vinyl like a week ago. It was well rested lol. I’m just not the best at making seats I guess. I learned a bunch doing it tho. A good sewing machine goes a long way. I was using a more new/budget one at first, but then it started sewing crappy. So I busted out my old grandmas kenmore haha. I looked up the model and its from the 70s. Its quite nice and powerful. All metal inside and out.
So how I read this is that there is Zero chance of the Stud turning in the block and the Nut will always turn first. Good luck there. Something I learned a very long time ago. Give 5 skilled Craftsman the same mission to do and you'll get a good job done by all 5 and all 5 done just a little different. I also learned to never give advice if I haven't done it myself and had success. alchemy and I simply do things differently. I bet we both agree you need better thread purchase on the shallow studs. On a different note, I wouldn't have just changed my Dist simply due to a little too much heat on startup. I do however like Electronic Ignition. On a basic startup I preferer to use a Vacc gauge than a timing light. Helps me find the sweet spot for what's going on at the time. Final set with a light comes after everything is working as a system. It's a balancing act at first. Who's happy and where.
It takes time to learn "the feel". That means, when to stretch more and when to stretch less and where. Knowing what the fabric will do when you sit on it and then get up and it still looks good. Upholstery is not a "black science" but an art. to be an artist you have to have the feel for whatever endeavor you attempt. No one is an expert at everything. For your first attempt it looks good. Try again and you may find a niche that you are good at. You will never learn unless you try. You may find something you are an "expert" at. Never give up.
I got her to fire! Someone marked the crankcase wrong. I used the old thumb in the spark plug hole while someone cranks the engine by hand. When I felt the pressure build up and it pushed my thumb we stopped spinning and pointed the rotor to cylinder one right there. She sounds dreamy, but i notice a lot of white smoke… probably not great huh? Is that coolant getting burnt? https://youtube.com/shorts/yfMNAKbDreQ?si=fxM0oWHdWCIm48hz
Very possible is coolant. Did you run it for very long? If you did. did it clear up? It is possible for assemble lube to burn off and give a whitish color but it will clear up.
The Jalopy Journal
