I bought this T a little while back, and I'm starting to mess with it a bit, so I figured I'd start a thread. I wasn't looking for a another project when I bought this. I was looking for a Cadillac engine for my Model A Roadster project when I came across it. The car needed lots of help, but for the price, I couldn't p*** it up. In the deal, I got about 1 and a half '23 bodies, a '55 Cadillac 331 and Hydromatic trans, Model T frame, early Ford front and rear axles and suspension (I haven't even identified that stuff yet), B-L-C headlights, a set of bomber seats, 6 wire wheels, a '23 turtle deck, a '15 turtle deck, and some misc. parts. I didn't have room for another car, so for a while I stored it in a friends garage. Right before LARS I got it moved over to my Grandpa's garage. So, now a little bit of progress starts, I'm spread pretty thin because I kind of have 3 projects going on right now, but I'm going to try to focus on this one and get it knocked out. The plan for this car is a 40's style hot rod on a budget. Something maybe a high school kid in the 40's would have built to have some fun in. (But I also plan to keep it a pretty quick budget build for myself). So far I'm into this project about $400. Here is what the car looked like when I got it. and a couple of the other parts. And here is a '37 flathead I picked up to power it. Here it is in Grandpa's garage, taken apart and ready to get some lovin'. You can see the body is pretty rough. Here are some of the bad parts on the frame that I started cutting off today and putting in the trash where they belong. These motor mounts and trans mount were supposed to hold up to that 331! That's as far as I am at the moment. Should be some more updates real soon.
For the money that is a great start. I like the updated working drivers side door, one feature you need to keep. Bob
In order, it's front spring mount, motor mount, two photos of trans mount, and another photo of a motor mount after it was cut off.
Well this sure looks like a fun project. I'll be keeping an eye out for updates, and I'd better check up on the Chevy too.
No, digging into the parts, it looks like they aren't real bomber seats. First off, they are steel. I have a thread to ID them if you might have any insight. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/seat-identification.986524/ And here is the '36 Pickup
Thanks Kiwijeff. I'm of Mondays, but have agreed to go to the shop Mondays to open it up for someone to work. So, since I'm there and so is they Chevy, we should be seeing some updates on that too!
Just like I said on the '54 thread, if anyone is watching this, I'm leaving tomorrow for vacation, so no updates. Possibly next weekend, but no promises. Hope to have something cool to show on this thread pretty soon.
Well We finally got a little bit of time in on the T project. Got all the junk cut, and ground off the frame, and the brackets off the rear end. To my surprise all my measurements tell me that the frame is square, so I won't have to fix that like I expected. Now some forward progress can happen. Should be able to get it back to a roller pretty soon.
I'm working on collecting some more parts I need for this build. I am planning on running a stainless Model A shell, what radiator are you guys using in the A shell with a flathead?
Any suggestion on radiator? I know people are going to say Walker and Br***works, but I'd like to see whats more budget friendly. I know they make a good radiator, but it's a little hard to buy a radiator for almost what I paid for the entire car. More if you subtract the cost of the engine that came with the car, that went to a different project. What would have been used traditionally? What did the A-V8 guys use back then? Modify an A radiator?
Hi ****** I don't know if there are any radiator shops around any more, if so you could find one thick enough to handle the heat of your engine and have it cut to size to fit your model A shell Back in the 60's when building my 37' g***er I put in a Crossly radiator to save weight, and took it to Young's in San Fernando and they took it apart - cleaned the core - moved the intake & outlet tubes and fixed me right up and even painted it flat black just like new Maybe you can still find a shop that can do that type of work today, and save a ton of money over one of those custom units DND
Thanks DND. I figured that's what it would take. There is a radiator shop a bit down the street from our shop, that we have dealt with before, I'll go see what they can do for me.
Those radiator shop guys are pretty crafty and just mite have some parts that would work for your car, plus know what size you need to be safe and not overheat It never hurts to ask
I bought a inexpensive aluminum off that auction site for my car. I changed the inlet and outlets slightly and moved filler to the og model a location. It cools well. With that bring said I hate that it is not a original style radiator but it was 200 not 1000. The radiator Shops in my area wanted 600-800 to modify my original radiator for my needs. I also sprayed the aluminum one gloss black and it blends in.
Thanks Orangeamcs. I have thought about an aluminum one, and just painting it black too. That will be a last resort. Hopefully I won't have to do that.
I haven't been able to mess with the car too much, but I put in the rear end, and then mocked up the front suspension. Although the front is a bit high in this photo. Then I mocked up the body just for fun. This body need a lot of help. But, the plan is to get a full functioning ch***is before I concentrate on the body. Today, I started to design a front spring hanger, but then I started thinking. The fab work on this car was so bad that I wasn't sure if the round tube crossmember in the front was trustworthy. I decided to drill a hole in it to see if the thickness was sufficient for a front crossmember. Glad I did that because it's sheetmetal. Not even 1/8". They must have used exhaust tubing. I can't believe that people actually build things they plan on driving like this. I can't Imagine what it would have been like to put this thing on the road with the flathead that I'm putting in it, much less the Cadillac 331 it came with. This car would have crumbled! I went ahead and cut out the pieces to make the spring perch, and will have to go pick up material for a new front crossmember tomorrow.
It was some really scary fabrication on that frame. Its a good thing it didnt come out on the street like that.
Still not much to report. I braced the frame and got rid of the weak front crossmember. While mocking everything up, I decided that the car was going to need more frame work then I initially thought. I will also have some frame work to do on my Model A, so I decided I needed a frame table. But, space is a factor, so I decided to build a table that I could attach to our 4 post lift. It bolts to the lift, but is adjustable so that I can level it out. Here is the result.
I'm starting to get sick, but still made it out to the garage for a little bit, and wouldn't have been able to get anything done if it wasn't for my dads help. Didn't snap any photos because nothing too exciting has happened. Got the frame set up on the table. Got the front crossmember and front spring mount tacked in. And got the rear kick up cut off in preparation of replacing it with a smaller, and better kick up, and for pinching the rear of the frame.
Seeing the frame getting less ugly all the time should make you feel better. That was some incredibly horrible fabrication on it when you got it WOW ! Hope you shake the bug. Don
Yea, the kick-up is the last piece of "fab" work on it, so it's all forward progress from here on out which feels good. Thanks, hopefully I can feel better and get moving. It would make me very happy to get the kick-up and frame pinch done and get the engine and trans mocked up before going back to work on tues.
Just about what I started with in '79. It will be a fun project for you and your dad. I'll be watching. Ebay aluminum radiator's are about your best bet if you want to keep the cost down unless you can find something at a swap. Lots of T Bucket parts at swaps and we have one of the best coming up soon in Turlock. Oh is that San Fernando Valley well Pomona. Gary
Thanks @steel rebel. My dad helps me out whenever he can, he's helped out a lot on the '54 too. I'm using this build as an opportunity to teach him more about metal work so he can do more of it on the '54, and our Model A roadster build. I'll probably pick up an aluminum one and paint it if I don't come across something at the swap before I'm in need of it.
Got a little T time in today. Got the engine and trans out of storage at Grandpa's place, and got the rear kick ups finished. Next step is to figure out engine placement and get started on mounts and cross members.
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