Projects Giant speedster project

Jerry,

I can't find my work bench, I sit on the concrete out front, like they do in the third world.

You could cut plywood to the shape of each section, and one to the fore N aft shape, and then slot them, like the ribs in those dinosaur kits.

Don

 

I've been coming to the HAMB for a while but you are one of the reasons I finally broke down and joined. This build is just awe inspiring. Keep it up.

 

Just remember, Pi r square. No wait, pi r round, cornbread r square.

 

Like others who have commented on this page I have followed this thread for a while and have been fascinated by it. I have watched the videos as well. I will continue to watch with interest.

We are doing a - sort of - 1:5 scale version (engine cubes anyway) of it using an early Pontiac chassis - at least that is the plan. So far my boys (12 and 14) have got it running just well enough to drive it around and learn to shift gears and deal with rear-wheel-only brakes. Temporary radiator and fuel tank etc. Whether it ever becomes roadworthy is another matter.

 

Looks like the beginnings of another great vintage speedster.

 

Here's a link to a great gallery of speedsters. My REO is in there somewhere. Lots of good ideas. http://www.nwvs.org/CarPhotos/001/001.shtml

Jerry

 

Bodywork

I turned myself into a human planishing hammer and gently tapped out low spots in the body. I bought some epoxy primer a while back (which has to be applied to bare metal sanded with 80 grit) and I'm eager to try it out. You can't see the fabulous work I did in the photos. Probably for the better anyway, since the work wasn't actually so fabulous. But that's what bondo is for. And speaking of bondo I was checking some different brands. You can find body filler from $27/gallon all the way to about $100/gallon. Any suggestions on what to buy? Don the Morgan man says anything made by 3M is bad. He also said anything with "Gold" in the name should be avoided. What say you? I also need a new respirator so I'm looking for deals/recommendations there too. ps. That red you see on the body is remnants of red primer I wiped off with lacquer thinner.

Jerry

 

Thanks for the link to the speedsters. I do have something to go from here - http://www.hillclimber.com/htmldocs/Hill_Climber.html - a car that was built back in the day. I have been in contact with the owner. For the moment it is fun to drive with no cowl or anything - much like this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgjG1U-DGgU - a car which used to live near me before it was restored. Of course the Pontiac does not have the overhead valve gear for entertainment of any passengers, nor would it have the performance. At present it has a two inch straight pipe exiting under the seat, so at least it sounds serious.

 

Bodywork

When I was welding up the body I never did finish the pieces under the doors--rocker panels? They were pretty simple. I just sheared some metal, put a bend on it and welded it in place. I can't figure out why they took all day. Israel at the door shop gave me some high build primer to try on the front wheels. The wheel castings--that's what they look like anyway--are very rough and since they have to be painted red I thought I'd try to smooth them up a bit. That's tomorrow.

Jerry

 

Check out TCPGLOBAL.com, i like any of evercoats fillers, and just for a spot glaze i really like tcpglobals Kustom shop brand "kustom poly-glaze"

 

Wheels and body

I got the wheels set up and sanded but then I realised the paint I got from Israel used a different hardener so after running around to try and find it, I gave up and started sanding on the body again. You can see how rough the wheels are. Look at that early welding!

Jerry

 

Disaster--sort of

I sanded and ground on the wheels and then I figured I'd paint them with this epoxy primer I had. I also figured I could prime the body too. But when I opened the paint it looked like the can had been sitting for years. Clear liquid floated on top of black tar. I chucked my stirrer into the drill press and began to stir. After a while I noticed there was still a lot of unstirred paint on the sides of the can. But when I moved the can so the stirrer could reach the sides, disaster struck. The can caught the stirrer, jerked and flung paint all over the drill press, my shirt, my shorts and up my arms. My clothes were a sticky mess. I stripped them off, cleaned up my skin with lacquer thinner all the time worrying about my liver. Since it was late Sunday, the store-front church down the block had already let out so they didn't see me dash out to the car in my skivvies and high tail it home. Tomorrow I'll clean up the mess and try again.

Jerry

 

Jerry,

You can just say that Jackson Pollock used to rent your shop

Were you at the Clarkseville show/swap yesterday? Stevie B an dI made it up for the morning- was looking for you.

 

I was there Sat morning checking out 2 Porsche 365's and a Morgan. There was a really neat GIANT oil field engine. I bought some POR Black Velvet paint for the speedster exhaust. Alex's birthday was today so we stayed home. He started 6th grade band! I told him I expected to hear Bugler's Holiday soon.

Jerry

 

If you guys were closer, I'd offer to teach him lessons! We must've just missed each other- found a nice early Dodge dash and a '33 Ford firewall... the humble beginnings of my Edsel speedster repro

 

Thank you for not showing us pics of you in your skivvies

 

Bwahahahahaha!!!

 

lucky it didn't land in your eyes, then you'd be sitting in the e.r. in your bvd's!

 

As my teenage granddaughter would say; "EEWWWWWWW!"

 

Epoxy Primer

I finally got the wheels and body sprayed with epoxy primer. Back in the old days we just ground down the steel and wiped on the bondo. Now they say wipe the bondo on the the primer. As you can see in the pictures, the body looks pretty rough after I pecked on it. Hopefully the bondo won't be too thick. I going to put a coat of bondo over the rougher portions of the wheels too. I need to get this part over.

Jerry

 

I sweated bullets before playing that at band concerts! The triple tongue technique has worked out well for me in other aspects of my life besided band too!

Brian

 

So that's why the ladies were always after my brother (the trumpet player) and not me. BH is fantastic when played well. Lots of bad examples on youtube. Hey, I just realised I wrote Porsche 365's instead of 356's.

Jerry

 

Brian, did you use "DGD" or "DDG" for the ending ?

 

are the spattered skivies still hangin around must know

 

I'm going to sell them on ebay.

Jerry

 

What is the starting bid?

 

buy it now $...?

 

Too late, the fat girl next door wouldn't get off my car until I gave them too her.

Jerry

 

Nothing but Bondo

Ever see, "Nothing but Trouble?" I love that movie! Check out Mr. Bonestripper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enUo-1TjdEs I know the body looks like nothing but bondo, but it's actually only mildly bondiferous. Smoothing out something so long and level is really hard for the amateur bondoteur. I did learn that the direct to metal primer is no good when you're applying that much bondo because you're going to grind most of it off in the process of leveling the bondo. No matter, I've got one side almost done. I've washed the dust out my eyes and hair and tomorrow is another day.

Jerry

 

You are really making good progress. Maybe leave a couple of body waves in the sheet metal to mimic what a period vehicle might have looked like? Your choice.

BTW those welds on the wheels are not a problem at all. That's what welds looked like back in the day. No perfect MIG or TIG beads. Manly, spattered puddled and burnt beads they were.