My (soon 2 b) AV-8 is on the road!!! pics!!

Spring is here and I was dying to drive my Roadster that I bought 3 years ago but too many projects have forced me to put off the build until a later date. Well… my Roadster is now on the road! Not in the form that I originally wanted, but I’m able to drive and enjoy it while I transfer it into that form.

 

It was a bone stock ‘30 Roadster, save for the lowered and leaned windshield and chopped rag top, when I got it. A friend of mine talked me into getting it road worthy..
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bad***.

 

The first thing I did was replace the missing carburetor and battery. After rigging an old lawn mower fuel tank to the carb, we started the engine up to see if it was road worthy.. It was missing on the front 2 cylinders and we determined that the valves were not seating. I yanked the cylinder head and we did a quickie valve job. Mike had a ‘Model C’ head laying around, so when the thing went back together, we stuck it on to raise the compression a tad. After a little tweaking, it was running like a top, no knocks or anything and this thing had sat untouched for 51 years!!
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That RULES Kris. I love it.

 

I had to replace the lighting harness, gl***, kingpins, front and rear shackles, radiator hoses, belt, condenser, distributor cap, rotor, condenser, plugs, and rebuild the fuel gauge. Then I cleaned the fuel tank out. The brake shoes were nearly new and the drum surfaces were perfect, so everything was just adjusted and lubed on the brakes. I had to tig weld the doors back together were the door latches screw on and rebuild one door latch. I also had to replace the right front fender because it was messed up good! I threw on my 682’s and I moved the radiator fill neck forward on the radiator so I could use my ‘32 grille shell. When I mounted some old tires from my coupe on some 16“ steel wheels I had, the stance of the car was just no good.
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To fix that I dropped the front axle 3” and reversed the front spring eyes. In the rear I reversed the spring eyes and removed every other leaf. It sits good now. This thing is a hoot to drive! The plan is to just drive it and work on it when I can. The first thing I’ll do is have the top and side curtains redone so I don’t get wet when it rains. Then the list of modifications include converting to hydraulic brakes, Flathead Merc, Model A quick change and an Auburn dash just to name a few. Then I’ll tackle the body and paint. What do you think? Not bad for just a few days worth of work!
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winfield carb and intake, lake style headers out one side, and rotate the rear fenders forward about 90 degrees.

 

I would like to hear details on the reverse spring eyes and the dropped axle. Did you buy a dropped axle, have it dropped, or do it yourself? And same for the reverse spring eyes. These are the same things I'd like to do to my '28 A ch***is going under my '26 T roadster body so I'd love to hear how it was done. Love your car, wouldn't change a thing.

 

Man, that is very cool....really yanks the mind back 50 years. I like what you have there, makes me want to go and find another 'A' to work on.

 

I did all the work to the suspension myself using original parts. I did a detailed post on the spring eye modification we did on Brandon's Roadster several weeks ago. A search for 'Mother Goose's Roadster' will bring it up from the tech section. I offer the drop axle service to HAMB'ers. See my link below...

 

that is too cool,
I love it

 

I love it. Sweet!!!!!!!!

 

there's so many A-V8'S out there it's sorta sad to see another way cool banger powered roadster swapped out.bangers are the "four-fathers" of our hobby and are often overlooked.i'm glad you're driving it now,and i look forward to seeing your progress,but the way your car is right now just has "the look" .i'm seeing a model C motor with a wacky SOHC conversion,tied to a lasalle ******!

 

Really cool. I'd leave it pretty much as is. Your plans for side curtains make sense. Drive it!!

 

Some guys just have all the luck.

 

that is one cool ride...............consider leaving the 4 banger in it maybe and build it..??

 

Cool, I dunno about doing paint and body work though.

 

Damn....that's superb! Looks pretty much finished to me. The stance is spot-on.
And you want to put an 8 in it??? No way, José....four-bangers are the way forward, y'know?
Tune the four, go for the Model A quickie and maybe an overdrive and you're the coolest kid in the valley. I've recently fitted a New Zealand quickie in my A axle, let me know if you want to know about the build.

 

4 bangers can be very cool

 

meant to post this

 

ok 3rd times a charm...............LOL

 

I love the stance!

I am building a A-V8 Sport Coupe in about the same condition, except I was n't so lucky to get the OG 4-banger running.

The motor had a bad center main bearing or babet and one stuck valve, which meant $1,000- 1,500 in rebuild costs for 40 hp??? Why?

I bought a running 59A Flatty with '39 box for less than the rebuild and now will have 120hp!! WHOO HOOO!

Bangers are cool, but flatheads are much more period correct for a late '40s and early '50 Hot Rod Model A.

Long live the A-V8

 

Perfect! That's just what I wanted to hear. I'll most likey be sending you a spring to get reversed and an axle to get dropped for my car when I get that far (probably this winter) Glad to know there's someone out there who can still do this stuff. Car looks great, wouldn't change a thing.

 

that is sweet.

 

I love it too. I'd really think about keeping it a fendered car, and a hood would really look good on it (would the stock hood fit with that '32 shell?). Way to many fenderless roadsters around, a really traditional fendered one would be different (in a good way). My dream car would be a really low, black full fendered '32 roadster.

-Jeff

 

Cool!...maybe a speed equiped banger is the way to go.

 

Yeah Kris....car is cool as **** as is!

You really can't go wrong either way though.

Josh

 

crazy new-bie question but how much do these weigh? i'd love to get one and slap a 4 on individual carbs in it. but i just need to know what i'm dealing with as far as weight goes.