Just adding the final wee bits n pieces to my current 31 A coupe project. The project started as rough, previously rat rodded , body that had been heavily channeled and roughly executed .. Im not worried about any of that, what Im trying to do is trace any back history on the car , and any pics of it prior to it having been sandblasted .. The hack job on the rear inner fenders and the firewall should make it kinda identifiable . Im not criticizing anybodies work here , just describing it as it was. It was rough old body before it was messed with .. The fella I bought the body from sources a lot of his stuff in Minnesota, so chances are the car was being nailed together up that neck of the woods .. Attached a pic of the shell as I bought it and a further few pics of it as it is now .. 22 weeks of hard graft later ..
Cheers, Its my rendition of a scruffy old survivor hot rod . Wanted to build one like this and waited 30 years to achieve it .. If I knew it was only going to take 22 weeks I would have done it sooner.. Mind you being retired kinda helps .. If I achieved nothing else, at least I saved another old beat up model A body
Congrats @redoxide on the milestone...time for some social distancing on the backroads of the Vast Green rolling Castle dotted landscape of Your Wonderful Country... I have no ***istance with the History of the Jalopy you inherited but It's ready to give her back to to road...
Thank you. It means a lot to read your comments. Im humbled, Thank you .. Ive had a few good builds and more than a few abandoned projects for various reasons through the years . Been stuck on the early style for years , driftd away for a bit, visited the VHRA Pendine event and was hooked again. Met up with a fella ( Frank) and his Mrs, Keely) He asked me to build him a car (in cir***stances that would break your heart ) I built his wee T a couple of years ago and stuck some stuff on hold during that time. Since then we have become good friends .. I got this old body through him in a part deal for the work on his 27T . Myself and my wife, Frank his wife, and my other one armed buddy Gus and his wife are taking the hot rods on a road trip come september for a week up the west coast of Scotland. single lane roads beaches and mountains .. We are all looking forward to it . I have to build a coupe for Frank before then, so best get back in the garage .. Gus,s car was built in the USA and has run Pendine Gow and covers more miles than some folks daily!! Gus's coupe .. when I find a pic in my jumbled files... found it taken at Pendine 2017
The day Frank dropped the body off .. had to try it for size and gauge if I could fit in it with a chop..
Redoxide , Great work,,,,you did a fantastic job of saving that body and making a true hot rod ! I really like that Flathead too,,,,good looking 8BA . Excellent ! Tommy
Cheers Tommy, the engine came straight out of a driving 53 Ford. The fella had the car for years and towed his caravan with it . On the return from a trip out it puked coolant , they fitted lots of new stuff to cure the overheat issue .. Eventually fitted new vacuum can on the dizzy and that sorted it. By the time he discovered the cause he had lost confidence with the car and found a 302 to fit in it.. I bought the flathead and kept it just as it was pulled to add to that grimey uncovered hot rod look. Hardest part of the build was stopping myself from cleaning stuff up to much .
Great story, I always amazes me how some people stop driving perfectly good equipment because of being scared of it. I like how you used the term “lost confidence in it “,,,,,,a lot of engines have been shut down and never run again ,,,when nothing is wrong with them . Oh well,,,,,it gives some lucky people an opportunity to score a good running mill . Congratulations,,,,I bet it will run for years ! Is that Gus in his car with 64 on the door ? Is that a nailhead engine under the hood,,,,that is a cool looking hot rod as well ! Tommy
@redoxide you have some cool friends...may your new adventure be a blast...the trip sounds just perfect...
Tommy/ yep thats Gus's coupe No 64 and yup that is him in it at Pendine Sands races. 401 Nailhead , its the second engine, he grenaded the first one . This one is bored and built ,, Its currently in a state of partial strip down getting a new bumpier cam, biggers carbs , and a few other tweeks. It runs a switch pitch converter, auto trans, gear vendors OD and is waiting to have a winters QC fitted .. But unfortunately Im sporting a hernia and waiting for an op to fix it , so handling heavy stuff is off the menu for a bit .. but I will get it done.. The car was built in the USA and has a bit of ***us and Bleed in it as far as I believe.. Its been over here in Gus's hands for at least 5 years . With gus having the use of only one arm as the result of a motorcycle accident 40 years ago, compound that with back injury he was finding it harder to steer the car using the brody knob , so we fitted electric ***isted steering ,, what a transformation.. then added a remote servo and that really upgraded the brakes Brakes . The good thing is I managed to locate both components out of sight in the gas tank void .. The brakes are as good as any modern disc braked car . It will stop on a dime . Couple of years ago we drove 600 miles to the VHRA Vintage Nationals , he raced the car hard for the weekend then we drove 600 miles home.. The car never missed a beat... or a gas station.. lol.. Stogy, were all looking forward to the trip. Hired a log cabin near Lochinver , we will base there and take short drives out each day .. lots of great roads and things to see within a 50 miles radius of base camp.. Im building a coupe for frank and his Mrs .. will be similar to mine, decided today it was getting a 3 inch chop .. Still mocking up the frame and laying things out . Ive got a spare 8ba Mercury engine and 39 box , so plan to fit that to Franks temporarily so we can do the trip. On the return were planning to pull that motor so he can return home with the coupe on a trailer and he can fit a flathead hes having built closer to home .. Frank and his Mrs live about 500 miles from me , Gus lives 5 miles away .. Franks wife Keely is fighting cancer recently diagnosed as stage 4. She is a fighter, you would think there was nothing wrong with her. Frank and Kee are packing loads of stuff in making memories and the trip in September is just another special moment she, Frank and a few friends can make together.. If we break down thats all part of the adventure ..
Stogy, its a bit off topic but this is the lodge we have booked for our trip.. between 6 of us it wasnt to expensive , Had to make it a special place for all the right reasons https://www.waterloo-lodge-lochinver.co.uk/
You are right ,,,drum brakes ,,in the right hands are as good as discs . I know an old guy here,,,,he used good wheel cylinders,,,good shoes and drums,,,,and careful adjustments,,,,,would stop perfectly every time ! Man,,,,,old Jimmy was a good mechanic,,,,,he’s getting pretty old now and doesn’t do that kind of work anymore,,,,still a great guy ! Oh yes,,,,tell Frank and his wife Keely that we all wish them the best and are praying for a full recovery . Tommy
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