Hot Rods bringing my Model A pickup back after the fire

Sharp eye, brother!
I haven’t mocked the trans up to the engine yet. The guy I bought the trans from threw in the bellhousing and flywheel. I was figuring on trying to find an aluminum bellhousing, but it should work while I get drivetrain mounts sorted out.
Wait, except that it’s 5/8ths longer? That would throw the trans mount off by that much, right?

 

What s your helpers name?

 

That’s Corey.
Great dog. We got him as a rescue, he had been somewhat feral. Not many bad habits, except eating bugs and such out of the lawn.

 

The transmission crossmembers I am familiar with have slots to allow the mount to move fore and aft a little bit to allow a little variation in mounting location.

 

He looks like a great buddy.I ve had two and both had very different personalities but the girl we have now(Ariel) is just a stitch and follows me around ,loves to navigate when we travel and is just a happy camper.

 

Awesome.
Corey has quite a sense of humor but can be sneaky. Soon after we got him he pulled my lunch box off of the kitchen table, unzipped all the pockets, and ate a handful of cherry cough drops and a granola bar. The only teeth marks were inside the compartments, where he had stuck his head in. I’m sorry I missed that part. Smart dog, and sneaky.

 

So with some fore-and aft tolerance on the trans mount, I should be good to go with using what I have to mock things up.
Not that I’m in a hurry just yet. It’s still pretty cold outside.
I think I’ll work on the dash this weekend and maybe get that engine cleaned up.
I’ve been looking at some hop up parts and have been surprised at the prices. Prices are going up quickly, and availability can be a problem.

 

So I checked out some ideas for the dash today, and cleaned up the engine I bought, and pulled the oil pan.

 

Everything looks really good, and that is a double roller timing chain.

 

I like the look of the dash. I may need to do a little bit of trimming for final fit. And I’m thinking I might put a hinge in there so the panel folds down to work on the gauges. Cuz I hate working on my back under the dash.

 

I think it needs the cap panel
, but they’re too thick.

 

Gonna have to think a bit on this. I want to get the dash cap right. Maybe cut the cap down thin and put some black closed-cell foam rubber over it.

 

I hope your plans include a different balancer this one is a smashed radiator just waiting to happen.

 

Wow- I hadn't even looked over that rubber insulator. But yeah, I guess Im gonna put a new balancer on my shopping list.
Weather checked AND swelling out of the groove? I'm sure it'll be ok...

 

Wow that was about as fried as any rig I have ever seen that even partially got brought back from the grave.

On the rear cover if you want to use it on that rear, Phil that used to own Auto Skraps in Kennewick at one time made fake quick change covers that guys attached to 9 inch and other rear axles. He used a steel ring that was drilled for bolts to bolt the cover on that was welded to the housing. It wouldn't be that hard to make a ring to attach that Binder over that way.

 

That cover happens to have the holes spaced for a clock.

 

The cracks in the harmonic damper are found on pretty much all Ford dampers. There were several Dealer Service Bulletins about it over the years, saying they look bad but are safe to use.
Here's the comment in the small block Ford bible, Bob Mannel's book:



There is a wavy groove cut into the mating iron surfaces to prevent slipping, as well.

 

2012 wild fire Colorado

 

I bet there's a good chance those Chrysler heads are salvageable. Maybe not the rocker assemblies, due to loss of heat treatment.

 

Some metals loose magnetism after exposure to high heat. I had several engines I had just finished and the fire melted the pistons and cracked the blocks. That BRIZ got anything to use is pure luck and determination

 

Wow, those melted parts are freaking haunting.
Tragic and beautiful. Compelling images, brother.
Sorry for your loss.

 

Yes, thats what makes your rebuild so inspirational

 

I had checked the damper on my 65 mustang, which was at least as ugly.
But Ive already got a cool new harmonic damper on order. It'll be nice to be able to easily read the marks with a timing light, and it has marks at 90, 180, and 270 degrees for adjusting the rockers. I also ordered a new intake manifold. Not an Edelbrock, like I wanted, but a Ford Racing model that is supposed to be similar to the F4B. I actually have a vintage F4B on my 65 mustang, so I might eventually do a switcheroo on the manifolds.

 

When I decided to do this, I figured I might not be able to use a lot of the original parts. I had joked that Im all in, even if I can only salvage some frame bolts. Everything more than that is a bonus.
So far, I'm fortunate that I have:

-The frame and front axle
-The seat and door panels. (I had removed and stored them at my house to keep them from the mice.)
- Some of the 35 Ford wire wheels. the tire burned off them, but 2 were salvageable. Ive found some matching wheels and had them blasted and powder coated red.
- The bed. It looks like a horror show, but think it will be usable, once sanded and painted.
- A grille, radiator, and some sheet metal from the old International truck that also burned.

Thats pretty much everything, but that's OK- I decided early on not to remake it exactly as it was.

I want the build to be like it was when Boyd and I put it back together. We used what we had, and made things work. I was very aware of the era that it was built in, but wasn't a slave to that . I'm kind of figuring a sixties vibe this time around, thinking what would Boyd do if he had fixed it back in the day. But again, I'm not locked into that. Im gonna have big ol' disc brakes all around, I think. And I keep going back and forth between the red '35 wire wheels, and that set of slotted mags I have.
It's still early to decide on that, Im sure the old girl will let me know what she wants.

By the way, have I told you guys her name?

Alice.
I started calling her that when we got the body back on the frame. Faded red, and some parts were left in back epoxy.
Red and black, like an old Allis-Chalmers tractor.
I know, Allis Chalmers are kinda orangish and black, but they fade to a nice chalky red. Just like Alice.
That name always killed with old farmers.
They always got the gag.
But then again, old farmers love old trucks.

 

I looked over my dash caps, and decided which I like the best. I really wanted to include the original cap from the Model A, but it just didn't work.

 

The one I like is actually a brace that was behind the international dash.
I cut the bottom edge off and it seems to fit well.