Projects ReBuild Of my 1928 Model A Tudor.

Good to hear! Man that’s a great improvement in mpg. Is that mixed driving?

 

No, I take the local roads to work, no highway. It’s 11 miles each way, 35 to 45 mph zones but a couple spots are nice and long so it includes bits of WOT, is that the mixed driving you were referring to

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Sure. Sometimes people give mpg during a trip so it’s all highway, or their commute is largely stop and go.

That’s great mpg out of a Flathead in those driving conditions I’d think.

 

With my old drivetrain (stock 239 motor, 2 carb intake, headers, 3.78 gears) I got 13.5 mpg on a road trip to Lancaster, MA. it was all highway driving.

The new motor is nice and tight, 276” motor and now has 3.54 gears. We’ll see what the highway mpg looks like as fall moves in as I’m looking at a trip to Mt. Washington New Hampshire and taking the auto road to the summit.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I enjoyed reading about your build. Great job! Some of your work sounds like my hodge-podge efforts on my 48 Tudor with Olds power. Ha ha

Al Hook

 

We drove up the Auto Road many years ago in my '37 Ford woodie. Luckily my friend, Fay was along to help us do it. It was a hot day and we removed the hood sides, brought extra water, and needed it. We came down slowly, stopping often in every pull off, to let the brakes cool. We watched lots of newer cars going down, with brakes smoking. Another person in an old Chevy woodie came down in second gear and said he didn't need to use his brakes.

 

VERY NICE!

 

Thank you. Enjoying your build also.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Happy New Year everyone and thanks to all who has followed my rebuild. Its been a bit of a pause in my updates. We had three kids get married last year, fall comes around and its fair time here in New England. Grand kids, Holidays, Fall cleanup in the shop and the yard and so on.

We put some miles on the car last year enjoying it so that didn't help with posting stuff because it's more fun driving around. I have made continued build work on the car and have some new upgrades coming this winter/spring for next years driving.

Thanks again,
Cliff Ramsdell

 

Looking forward to it, hope all that craziness went well!

 

The Life and Times of a Rodder...Go man!

 

The best to you and your family in 2020!!!

 

All the best Cliff.

Happy New Year.

jim

 

So, with the windows in I figured the next step was a top for the car. The last setup was a piece of canvas snapped on and it was a great sun shade but offered nothing in the way of water protection.

I picked up a roll of top material at the swap meet, a nice piece of awning trim from the local RV place and a pack of 50 black snaps and hardware.



I cut the channel the the length I wanted and attached it across the header of the car on top of the visor. I used a piece of foam (not shown) under the metal strip. The previous setup had snaps across the front that would lift going down the road. This should make things more weather “resistant”

I cut the material and made my measurements and started with the front piece. I made a stitch and left room inside for a piece of 1/4” brake tube that I slipped into the material and now I’ll be able to slide it into mounted channel.

 

Next I measured the sides and folded them over and applied some sewing glue to hold things in place till I could run it through my sewing machine.


I tossed it up on the car for fit and marked the back of the top. Folded and stitched it up next. With all the sewing done I started installing the snaps. I premeasured and pinched all the holes and installed the top snaps.


I installed all the snaps into wood frame and then went out and installed the top. I needed a day in the sun to stretch out nice and tight and it worked great.

 

The car has been no top for years and a dark top made it very small feeling inside the first time I climbed in.

The glass and top have been great, wind noise and weather are being held at bay. I need to do weather strips and seals for door tops and doors this winter to finish up this part of the project but it’s been all over Connecticut to various places from my past and enjoying it with my wife.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Nice job on the roof!! Remember when the top goes down the price goes up!! Nice!!

 

Roof came out well! Thanks for sharing your method.

 

Good shots at Bradley and the Barkhamstead reservoir.

 

Really nice.
Thanks for sharing Cliff.

jim

 

My father was an MP at the Bradley base in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I live less than 2 miles from there now.

The shot of the barn is on a farm we lived on from ‘68 to ‘74, it says 1892 in the roof slate, that’s in Bakersville along with the shots of the dirt road.

I have a nice story about that parking lot of the reservoir from being a young man of drinking age that involves the cops and a ride.

Good eye from another Brother from Torrington.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Thanks Jim. Any progress on the roadster these days?

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Just read through the whole thread, Nice Work. Thanks for making the effort to post, I'm not building an "A" but I learned a few things.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read through and for posting. NOTE: don’t use the table saw to cut inside curves. That’s my safety tip for today.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Love it man! Great lookin hotrod!


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I finalized the purchase of my A sedan today. Your build thread is awsome. So many ideas and answers. This is why the hobby survives. Sharing of knowledge. I am a member of the 52-59 Ford group also as I have 55 customline. Those guys are great also. I cant wait to start this build. Thank you for your detailed posting and pics.

 

Cliff,
Just read through the whole thread, Nice Work. Thanks for making the time and effort to post, especially the pictures of the glass install. I will definitely refer back to this when I get to the point of installing the windows in my Model A.

 

Man looks like I missed a few updates! Car looks killer

 

I just read this entire thread. It answered a lot of questions. I'm building pretty much exactly what you have built. The link in my signature will show you the mess I have bought. Thanks for all your efforts with pictures and explanations. Much appreciated.

 

@Tim , nice to hear from you again. Hope all is well with you and your family. How’s the Tudor? I guess I need to stop over and check things out.

@Jason Mitchell , thank for taking the time to read my thread.

I have more to post. It’s been busy here and I haven’t updated things in awhile. I have an interior now, a new dash with a fuel gauge (a story in itself) a new intake setup and new chassis headers and exhaust.

Thanks everyone,
Cliff Ramsdell