So I'm piecing together an A model roadster, I've got a quite reasonable cowl/doors, n ch***is, my budget only allows a gl*** rear.... I had an RPU a couple of years back and want a roadster this time, esp because my wife has fallen in love with A model roadsters. As I don't want to cut the ch***is, I've been looking around at how else to get this thing down a bit, a mate had an early 20's es***/dodge frame (I believe) which has the same size channel as the A, with a 3" step in the rear. The plan is to use a set of A model crossmembers, and slip the rear one back to pick up the rear slung spring hangers on the 38 'diff, I'll be using an A model spring in the rear. This combination will roughly give me 8 inches of drop over an A frame/over slung diff. Es*** ch***is next to A model Ch***is The front crossmember from my parts pile '38 diff which will hopefully end up with a quickie in the middle. Up front I have an undropped 32 axle with reversed eye spring. Once it is sitting on it's feet I'll work out if I need to drop the axle or not. I've got a 59 F-truck steering box. And finially running gear will be a warm holden grey motor, read a local GM engine which is based on the stovebolt, however it's only 138 ci. These were available from 1948-63. They were quite popular over here in our early days, and regularily raced etc. It will probably be followed up by a 3 spd from the same brand. The plan is to run unsplit bones, and probably wide 5 pattern wheels and '39 brakes. I don't have the roadster back as yet however I have a lead on the rear, and some more bits, which I hope to pick up in a couple of weeks, progress will be slow, I'll post here when they happen. Cheers Glenn
Looks like an interesting project, but let's see a pic of the 38 truck. They're my favourite Ford PU.
This is going to be a good project to watch. Glenn, the front crossmember and rear fuel tank crossmember I got from you a few years back is that the ch***is they're from? Ch***is looks like a '26 Chev.
Jimmy, the rear crossmember is from another ch***is which is identical, I have modified, was going to be a bucket now will go under a 28 dodge coupe, it has a 12" step so not what I am looking for in this project, the front is an A model yeah? that came from a different A ch***is I sold to a mate down here. that ch***is had a cast iron front engine crossmember, with a 'c' under the crank.... will find pics for you soon, g
This is a thread talking about Aussie custom holdens, the engine donor for the roadster http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92552&highlight=aussie+customs Cheers Glenn
Looks like a great project, I especially like the idea of using the Es*** frame & the grey motor. They look great with all the period Hop Up goodies
Well last weekend I bought a roadster back, (in gl***) a very nice 4 piece bonnet, & a pair of reasonable (fixable) doors, 1 to replace the LH door I have at the moment. Here it is mocked up at home, I had my collar bone plated and screwed on Wed so there won't be much progress for a while. Where the back wheel is sitting in the wheel arch is about where I'd like the back to sit, maybe a little higher. however I'm not sure how I'll go with the 32 axel reversed eye spring minus a couple of leaves, in the front, will have to get it rolling to see. I'm not sure but I'm guessing the Grey I6 will be about the same weight as a banger, cheers
Looks good Glenn. I spent some time today looking all over a Model A speedster - one *****in car. Kind of gets the juices going seeing all these Model A's.
Was about to PM you. I have a gl*** A rear section, but I see you got one. I like your frame ideas. Good thinking. I'd be guessing too but I would guess the grey might be lighter than the banger. Pete
thanks fella's, I've got a bunch of idea's but will wait and see how the build goes as to how it looks, but ultimately, it'll run with a hood, mostly. 39 brakes, chopped and laid back screen etc. Simple and pretty basic. G
Just been googling around. A grey motor weighs 374 lbs. Couldn't find a weight for a 4 banger. Anyone?
Thanks, I thought that'd be the case, this will all help the power to weight for this ol gurl. The grey's a little engine 138ci g
here you go, it'll be the next project, either an 8ba or Yblock, 36 rear bones, it'll be a work horse. prob highboy, channelled cab at this stage, maybe stock height roof. it's on a rough 38 sedan ch***is. Cheers
here you go, it'll be the next project, either an 8ba or Yblock, 36 rear bones, it'll be a work horse. prob highboy, channelled cab at this stage, maybe stock height roof. it's on a rough 38 sedan ch***is. Cheers
at the risk of self promotion, propaganda & keeping my own thread alive I've got some pics of the A in the bush where I found it along with a bit of other junk. The story goes (there's alway's a story) "I heard about this place from a fella who was a little slow, he was cleaning floors at a radiator shop when I met him(he only worked there a week). He saw my '70 falcon, and said 'do you like old cars? I know where there is 2 model A Ford's, the old fella said I could have them for $5 each, but I wasn't interested in them....' with out sounding too excited I asked where they were and he told me 80 mile up the road in a bush town (at the end of the bitumen) and told me where & how to find them. Well I wasn't sure what to make of it and figured they weren't there any more and probably weren't A's, after a 6 weeks of torment I decided to see if he was 'full of it' or not. This thing was fairly complete doors foward, I bought this thing when I lived about 2000 miles north of here & sold to ch***is to a mate of mine, who live's around the corner from me here, it's funny how things happen sometime. This ch***is and other bits I didn't find till my 3rd trip retrieving parts. I ended up paying a fella some cash to help me drag these out of the gully as it was 40deg c (104F) I was jiggered dragging a couple of cowls out of chest high gr***. This is the ch***is under the cowl in the earlier pics. This is the second one. I've sold this to a fella wanting to build an AV8 in Melb. who was using an unrestored 37 pu as a daily.
The Car the cowl came from was apparently left there in 1964, while we were walking around this place Charles the ole fella about 80 odd, said, "there used to be a '39? Merc here somewhere, I don't know where it has gone..... Look what I found on one of my later trips, It's under an EH Holden station wagon, at the bottom of a creek bed This is the view from the top!
Some other stuff that was kicking about... I dragged this bedford cab home, nearly the same as a '38 chev truck. I had to dig nearly a foot out on one side to remove the cowl, this was the first job on the 40C day. FJ Holden There were 3 of these compact fairlanes there too. They were pretty jiggered Pullman - Chev I believe I'm not sure what this is. To get my A out it took nearly 6 hrs, that included moving 4 cars that wouldn't roll to get it to the trailer. This one was a HQ it was pretty clean.
thanks fella's, I managed to drag out a half ch***is from the back yard the other day, it'll be the donor for the front crossmember. Will update when I've done a bit more. thanks for the interest. G
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