Projects The Hardscrabble Hop-Up; A 1940's Style 'T' RPU build

Yeah, I've got that thread on The Ford Barn bookmarked...looks like that's what a lot of the old-timers did too, judging from pics on the AHRF website & Montgomery books.

Not much progress this week - having to take it slow on the shoulder, hoping it'll heal without surgery.

Got a few little things done on the dash - swapped out the modern universal ignition switch for one out of a '40 GM big truck, got the re-nickeled bezel popped back on my ammeter, and cut the dash to get it installed.

I'll be using a stock A Gemmer 2-tooth box with a few modifications to run a '36 steering wheel & column mast (more on that later). The '36 mast has a smaller O.D. than the A, and to my surprise fit nicely into an old cast aluminum AFCO Model T accessory steering column bracket I had laying around. A little light work with a file and some drilling/tapping for appropriate sized bolts and I was 'there'. Bolted it up and found it fit over the stock column notch in the dash perfectly and the angle was right on. Clamped an early 30's Lux "Minute Meter" to the column to see how it might look. (And yeah, I know the column mast is in upside down - I gotta get the stock 'drop' & ignition switch removed)

 

I am assembling my front axle tonight with one exception.... A chrome wishbone
Check out my Vicky thread and remember " chrome don't get you home, but shiny will get you heiny" tk original


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Nice!! Where's your build thread (love your tub by the way...)

 

Look for 1931 Vicky
Same deal as the phaeton (which another hamber owns btw)
The only difference is I have a more built motor and a 39 trans.... And a top
Wish I had some perches as nice as yours
Tk


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Liking that indeed... subscribed!

 

Thanks Phil! Your build was one of the primary inspirations in keeping the T radiator shell!

 

Who me? Inspirational? Doubt that...
Anyway - you're encouraging me to sort out the gauges on the Tourer. And redo the top this winter.

 

Time for a little 'Tech' - Adapting a 32-48 Ford (passenger) steering wheel onto an A steering setup!

Honestly, I can't say that I've ever really been a fan of the clunky 4-spoke Model A steering wheel and ugly little light switch, so I figure I'd dress the old girl up some with a 'modern' steering wheel. As much as I'd like to use a '36 banjo wheel, the budget just won't allow for it now, so I picked up a 36 standard thinking it would be an easy bolt-on. Unfortunately, I was wrong; the Model A steering shaft taper is not the same as the later 32-48 Ford (passenger).

1930 Model A shaft (from a Gemmer box - 44" length) - Taper dimensions: 0.72" at the top, 0.79" at the bottom - taper length 0.90".

32-48 Ford (passenger) taper dimensions: 0.68" at the top, 0.75" at the bottom - taper length 0.90"

Solution: Turn down the shaft. Only problem here was that I didn't have access to a lathe big enough to handle a 44" long shaft...so, I ended up placing the shaft across my lap and gently rolling it back and forth across a 1" wide bastard file until it was turned down the requisite 0.04". Hell, if a teen-aged Ed Winfield could shave a motorcycle head with a file, I could do this!! Took a little bit of time, but it worked pretty well;







Next up was figuring out how to make the horn button/light switch work...the '36 horn/light switch rod was about 1 3/4" longer than the 'A' rod, so I went to work disassembling & swapping them. First step was to bend the tabs holding the horn button ring. Once the horn button was off, I could see what I was up against...the horn/light switch rod runs up through the base plate, with the end of the rod flared out/spread open to hold it fast. I used a small flat blade screwdriver and a pair of needle noses to pry the rod out of the base plate;



I did the '36 rod the same way, then inserted the A rod into the 36 base plate. The protruding ends of the rod were folded over the base and gently tapped back down to secure it. The '36 horn wire was clipped to length and transferred over with a new lower contact soldered into place. I pushed the horn button/retaining ring back on and bent the tabs on the retaining ring into place...the finished product;





At this point I have a fully functioning 36 wheel, horn button, and light switch adapted to an A column, but I'd sure like to do something about that ugly A steering mast. More on that to come!

 

cool......
i asked the question early this week.... asking if anyone had done this and what was involved. what are you doing about the advance and throttle levers
tk

 

Veddy Cool! I think RPUs are one of my favorite hot rods.

--louis

 

Oh good lord, this is going to rule!

 

Great tech on the steering wheel!

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Thanks guys! Going into this, I thought I wanted to aim for an immediate post-war style. As it's coming together, I see a strong late-30's thing emerging, so I've ever so slightly shifted in that direction. Did some swapping for parts and came up with a nice set of 33-34 17" wires with commercial/Model B caps & new Denman 550 blackwalls. If I can get this shoulder healed I should have a roller soon; in the mean time I'll plug away at some of the little details.

Honestly, I never saw much point in the hand throttle and since I'll be using a "B" distributor I have no need for the advance lever. I can tell you that the '36 steering wheel fit just fine on the stock steering mast, but since I don't need/want the levers (and the A mast is just plain ugly) - I've come up with a way to run a 36 steering mast. Will get some pics this evening.

 

Alright, so I've got a 36 Standard wheel adapted to my 'A' steering shaft. I'm running a Model B distributor with centrifugal advance, so I don't need the Model A advance lever on the column. As I said earlier, I don't have much use for a hand throttle, so losing the levers would be fine by me. I experimented a bit with removing the levers from the stock A column, but it just looked - well, ugly. Why not just slide on a matching '36 steering mast?

Well, once again, I found that hot rodding isn't exactly a 'snaps together' proposition. The A column mast is 1.75" OD tubing and the 32-up masts are 1.50". Those familiar with the Model A know that the steering mast is affixed to the steering assembly in two ways; first, it slides down over the upper steering race; and second, it is supported by the column 'drop' or bracket at the cowl/dash.

Here's the stock A box, upper steering race, and column mast;


OD of upper race (column mast slides over this);


As the upper bearing race is steel and subject to minimal load (it only supports and centers/locates the mast) - I figured it could be turned down to fit the smaller '36 mast.

With the help of fellow HAMB'er Roger (fossilfish), we chucked the race up on a vintage 40's Craftsman bench lathe and enjoyed a few beverages while the cutters did their thing. Actually, it wasn't quite that simple...while my factory steering race was untreated steel, the reproduction race was hardened. The factory race could have been cut in a few minutes, but this hardened one took quite a while and needed a sharp cutter.

Result;


Now the '36 mast fits perfectly!


To complete the swap, I dug up an old AFCO accessory column bracket (originally intended for a Model T) and test fit the mast...fit perfectly, even though the bracket was made for the T's oblong column. Best of all, the bracket positions the column at the right angle and covers the original column hole in the dash pretty well!

 

Sweet.

 

Thanks for posting the pics and story about the steering wheel - I looked at the exact same pile of parts, started to sweat, and gave up and stuck with the boring '30-31 wheel. Now I would have the confidence to give it a try.

Will

 

Just an FYI...if you're working with a factory stock upper steering race, please note that some were hardened and others were not. Mine wasn't and I initially assumed the rest weren't either; an easy way to determine whether yours is hardened is to skim across it with a file - if it bites it's not hardened, if it skips across it's hardened.

 

Fantastic tech on the steering wheel and column. I see a bunch more T's and A's running around with 36 wheels in the future

 

This is what I get for disappearing for a couple months.. This thread rules.

I hope that with the new HAMB, there will be more build threads like this one!

 

Did some swapping and came away with a brand new set of Denman 550-17's and a set of 33-34 wires. Added some original '32-33 'Model B' caps; huge improvement over the 16's IMO...





Just gotta figure out what color to paint them...

 

Awesome! I'm running 17" on my rpu also. Going to do the same on my '33 5w coupe

 

Excellent! You got any more pics of the RPU??? I think 17's and 18's look best on these T's and A's from a proportion standpoint. Would love to see more of yours!

Thanks! Motor should be finished in the next month or so, gotta get healed up so I can get the chassis together...so frustrating not being able to make much progress.

 

Bravo Gary. I agree, those fit the car far better then the 16" wires ever could. Great work as always.

IMO......black. Paitning them a hot color would detract from the wonderful details the truck has to offer. It would also keep it sharp, clean and mean.

The formula I used: "the sum of all the small details and the subtle touches makes the car jump. Simplicity has the most impact"

Just my $.02

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Clayton, I agree...reading through various threads on the subject via The Ford Barn and the Early V8 club, there were limited factory options for 'colored' wheels on the 33-34 models, none of which really 'fit' this build (Aurora Red or Tacoma Cream). Looks like I'll be going with black.

 

Black wheels look the classiest in my humble opinion.

 

Looks great, Bud!!! Great minds must think alike! I just did up a set of 17"'s for the back of the Dust Bowl and put some new rubber on them this past week. BLACK wheels would best ....my $.02!

 

Yeah, but you had to get all 'uppity' with the bent spokes

 

As I want the 'hardscrabble hop-up' to be an all-weather machine, I'll be running a lightly chopped (2 1/2" - 3") canvas top. Came across this rear window frame - nickel plated with beveled glass. Not a 'T' runabout/torpedo piece...any ideas what it's off of? Measures approx. 12" x 7"

 

chrome

 

CHROME??!!! Now who's getting uppity??!!
Great find!!! That is also on my list for this fall/winter. I've always wanted a top on the Dust Bowl. Are you going to stitch it up yourself??