Projects Old 1930 Channeled model A hot rod roadster gets a new lease on life.

So many ways to get a job done. Here is more or less where I'm headed. Frame horns are a must.
The Wizzard

 

That looks very nice!

Love the "Hawaii" look, deep channel and full fendered!

 

I like, only cuz there isn't a 'love' button. If that's where yours is headed, you've knocked it out of the park.

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At this point I've got another original quarter panel and I am gonna just focus on getting the body back together solid. I need a drivers door, badly! But I may attempt fixing the one I have as I can't fuck it up any worse than it is..haha. I'm gonna try and leave as much original work as possible. But I don't wanna rebuild a shit pile and a lot of the work done when channeling will need some help, but I think I can clean that up a fair bit and still leave the car similar to what it was. I'm still hopeful to find some original pictures of it so I don't want to get to crazy with the build until I have to.

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Wow! I just found this thread, your body is quite similar to mine. I've had a 30/31 roadster for about 40 years. It has a Duvall windshield and the drivers door was welded and bottom corner of the pass door was rounded with quite a large arc and welded into the body, leaving the pass door is operable. The deck lid was welded (opened by the previous owner) and an Auburn dash was turned around and welded into the body.

I'll be following your build. Great job!

 

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Well these are side ways but what the hell.

Here are pictures of the rust on the drivers side. I plan on fixing this first and hopefully i will find some history in the mean time. I can't decide if I should replace the whole quarter or just the bad parts. I have another original quarter to use.

I have a nice condition 221, a 78 case toploader( needs gears) a 3:54 v8 banjo rear. A 39 trans crossmember, A dropped 33-36 axle, various wishbones, 32 grill and radiator. Unless I find information otherwise, that is what I am gonna use.

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repair the bottom of that 1/4 fix the crack and just bolt her up....Any temptation to meld the '40 rails with a few bits of your junky A frames? I've always thought this could be a neat way of lowering a hi-boy the fact the later rails form natural kick ups would lower the car significantly with A crossmembers and A frame horns or maybe front rails, you could pinch the rear rails to fit under the body then channel it a bit and make a '32 style lip on the side too

 

Can't sleep. This car has been on my brain a lot. I'm very hesitant to make any major decisions about it. One thing that has been on my mind is the power plant. I think it's pretty obvious that it had a 60-66 gm brake and clutch master cylinder on the firewall at some point. To me that points to a most likely overhead valve engine. I do have a 221 flathead and 3 speed I was thinking of using. But I almost think I should choose an overhead valve. That also brings up the next question. How much should I change this thing? The work for the channel is pretty crude. I was thinking I would leave the piece that goes from the front of the cowl to the front on the wheel wells. And replace the cobbled mess that goes over the wheel wells. I also plan to do a full steel floor witj supports and mounts out of square tube. I had thought of using the later frame. But I think the A frame will be best.

Does any of this even matter?

I know it's just an old shitty body. But it's also a pretty old radical hot rod. Even if I never figure out its history does it deserve to be put back to, "as best as I can tell what it was" even if it was in nice shape the work man ship is pretty rough. Probably typical of the time. But is it okay that i want to open the trunk up and maybe change the tail lights and have functioning doors. And on and on and on. Is is okay just being somewhat like what it was or does the fact that I can't for sure say how it was, and that I am making a few changes anyway. Should I even worry about things like the engine? Or wheels? Or? I'm just really unsure how to precede. I really just need to find some history on this thing.

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Oh yeah pictures....

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you are over thinking it,
you know what needs to be done, start there.
and if you want to go with an overhead,
I know a guy with some period Olds stuff that would look just right in there

 

I think the car will tell you what it wants, and the fact that you're on the hunt for history is a great start. But maybe in the end, the car is telling you that you've got a clean slate to work with. Whenever I can't make up my mind on which direction to go (which is always), I either don't do anything to it or I do the things that I know HAVE to be done first, while I wait for my mind and the car to agree on what's next. It's not efficient by any means, but the car gets what it wants in the end.

 

I know what you're thinking, too. At first, it seems like a great idea to "make it yours". Then you start thinking, "What if I get this thing done, and I run into the original builder, or someone who knew the car, and they say, 'What the hell did you do to this poor car?!? It used to be so great because of x, y, and z. You ruined it.'" And at that moment you may have a sliver of regret. Or you may not. I dunno. Some people don't regret any decisions they make because that's the way they are. Some people regret waking up every morning. The fact that you're thinking this through, and possibly over-analyzing it, proves that you will do the right thing in the end- whether that's patiently hunt down the history or forge ahead with your own ideas. You're not making any hasty or rash decisions, and I think the build quality will reflect your calculated approach. Anyway, I've enjoyed following along. Good luck,

 

You're overthinking things man. You might spend a year and come across some history on it, that either gives you a direction to build it, or you might spend a year and come up with nothing. I'd say build it now, as you feel it should be built.

If you find some history on it, and build it to the way that it was, is that suddenly going to make you happy with the car? Because remember, EVEN if you build the car perfectly back to the way that it was, but you decide to free up the doors and trunk, then it still isn't the way it was. It's the way YOU want it to be. And really, what's the point of putting in the time and labour to build a car that you aren't going to be happy with?

 

If the original owner still gave a shit he wouldn't have sold it. It's yours make it yours.

And if the original owner thought you should put in an EFI small block and paint it pink would you do that? I hope not.

 

Build it for a Flathead, run them pedals where they are. Run it every where, run the flathead till it boils the water, go to your local pic'n'pull and find and engine that would possible to fit!
Most likely a SBC, and have a look at Craigslist for any Era Perfect early-OHV. Like a rocket, a y-Block or a nailhead. One of those engines the young lads of to day consider a boat anchor and stuff it in there m, like it was the late-50s all over again!
It doesn't get more EP then that.

And this is plain curiosity; but wouldn't it smarter to spend you sleepless nights in the shop working on your stuff? If you got to be sleep deprived, why not be happy and sleep deprived?

 

The main thing is that you're saving it. Build it the way you would envision it. My dad and Uncle built a channels Model A coupe over a 32 frame in the late 50's in Michigan, heard it went to New York. only one picture exists of it in the background of my folks. My dad said that they never thought to take pictures of their cars back then.

 

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So, I chopped off all the brackets and slid this thing onto the frame. It's pretty cool. But it was originally set up with a rear step. Which I think I will carry out. Obviously it needs to have a dropped axle put in front too. Which I am gonna do as well. Hopefully the front is low enough after that. We'll see. I'm debating keeping it spring over or going to spring behind in the rear. I think I will do the later, as I hope it will make for a better trunk space.

I'm pretty sure I am decided on the flathead. I have it and everything related to make it work.



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I wish the drivers side looked like this.

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Looking good!

 

Looks great Hitchhiker. I love it channeled with the short grill shell you have! And running a flatty in there will be perfect. Keep at it!
Johnny

 

That is looking sweet!

And stop "crying" over your body!!
My project don't even have 1/4 panels or floor yet. Only In my imagination
I scratch build some doors and I have a firewall. The rest was termite turds, dust and gravel sized rust.

I'm so jealous of what you got there!! Does it show

 

It already looks great man, perfect direction for it.

 

That's actually a stock height grill just in front of the crossmember. Thanks for the encouraging words!

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Sorry. I'm just bitchin because the old guy said it was perfect when he put it in the shed and I'd love to get away with not painting it. Oh well. I already have a ratty truck. A nice roadster sounds like a good bookend.

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I'm right there with you. I have a decent roadster cowl, two rough roadster doors and a pair of nice donor coupe quarters that will have to be completely reworked to make them right. Sometimes I really wish I started with a Ford...

I love the way this is headed. Can't wait for the next update!

 

Weird question. I hope this makes sense. What, if any, height difference would there between a model a frame, with frame height step and spring over rear axle vs. A extended a frame for say a 39 rear with spring behind and .No step and say the 39 rear spring.

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