Yeah I’m sure she’ll notice a huge difference in exhaust smell from the header collector 18 inches from her face with the top on/off lmao @Austin kays hes probably “at work” grading the road with the bottom of the T
Thanks, It's gonna look really good with the new intake/carbs installed. Oh, the other thing.. I park where I want.
It was a rather boring rainy week last week, but I still got out and drove around some. I did get to drive to work Friday, I went through town instead of out on the highway, so I didn't blow my tape top off. Baby girl really enjoys hanging out in the T. My wife got this nice photo of me. And we had some friends over for dinner, and baby girl had to show her friend the hot rod. "this is how you shift dude!" Here in the next month its gonna get pretty hectic with events and stuff going on.
My buddy brought the front windshield top bow over Sunday afternoon, and I finally got time to work on it last night. he left it wide and chunky at my request, so I could decide how I wanted it to look. once I cut it down and removed the previously installed tape, I started to reinstall tape over the front half of the roof. I also removed the wind wings to make installation easier. Once I got it all taped up, I started playing with side opening height, and the little wing parts on the sides of the visor. It looks really chunky in the front, cause I haven't rounded the visor/header bow down at all, so it has a sharp corner that is too high. I've gotta tear it apart again and cut the header down to shape, now that I know what I need to do. A buddy stopped by to talk for awhile, and when he left, it was dark. When I turned around and saw the profile, I really dug it. I guess i'm going the right way.
Not much different this last week, just more driving the car. I mounted a rearview mirror to the top bow, and wanted to see if I got it in the right place, so Wednesday night I went out for a short drive, and it was perfect. I decided to turn around and head back home, and took a sharp right up a steep entrance, and heard a sharp POP. I was only about a half mile from home, so I just took it easy going back, and parked in the shop. When I got back home I needed to do a couple things, so I got distracted and forgot about it. The next night I decided to get the top bows welded together so I could take them off the car. So into the shop it went. After I got the top bows tacked together, I yanked the top off and started cleaning off all the tape. I decided to take a part back to the parts store and go for a cruise now without the top. I made it to the parts store, and afterwards cruised uptown. While going through town I saw some friends while I was stopped at a stoplight. I got on it a little while I was leaving the corner, and It swerved a bit. I instantly let out, and slowed down. It felt like the rearend was walking sideways, "weird, I thought, it's never done that before" I stopped in a nearby parking lot, and found the problem. A broken clevis. I limped it home , and started to tear into it. This is after I took it out. the jam nut was tight, and the end was hovering maybe an 1/16 inch from the tabs. My working theory is that I was asking to much of the clevis, and my lack of a panhard bar took its toil on the joint. I hit the entrance with a lot of twist in the suspension, and it sheared the end off. So a redesign of the rear suspension is in the works, but until this winter, I just installed another clevis, and threw an extra one in the trunk. Mike came over friday, and we brainstormed ideas about ways to install a panhard bar, and using heims for the hairpin mounts. Every year, we meet with some friends from college to have a bonfire out on their dairy farm, and this year my sister in law came down to join us for the trip. She asked if she could ride with me in the roadster, and I of course said yes. She got suited up for the ride, and we took off. Made the 100 mile round trip without incident, though for the slightly chilly ride home she opted to ride with my wife in the car with windows and mufflers. I got back at about 10pm and was in bed about 12. next morning I got up at 5:30, and was out to meet dad by 6. Dad followed me up for the 60+ mile trip to red oak. I visited my favorite van in the town... I parked in the grass, next to where I was supposed to park, cause @stanlow69 said I could, and left right after voting stuff happened at about 1:30. Spoiler, it was hot. I drove home and instantly went inside in the AC and downed large quantities of water. Roadsters are rough when its 90+ with 90% humidity and a real feel of over 110. Its a roadster, but it felt like a boat. About 5:30pm, when it was somehow even more disgusting outside, dad got home, with a surprise. I actually won a trophy! and a pretty good one at that. I'm ok with that. once it cooled off a little, at about 10pm, I loaded the T back into the garage and got ready for the sunday. Up and meeting mike outside of town at 7, we headed north, this time to Marne, Triumph capitol of Iowa, for the Baxter cycle open house. It's about a 90 mile one way trip to Baxter's. Once we got there we nabbed a front row spot. And went to hang out in my buddy AJ's machine shop (it has AC) He's finishing up a killer frame table. and of course, there were some cool bikes. I led on the way home, and of course, my speedo decided it didn't want to talk to the gps, so even after stopping a couple times and fiddling with it, it still was useless. So I drove whatever felt rightish. got home without anything else happening, except for sweating my body weight in water. overall, a total of just a tick over 400 miles for the weekend. Early the next morning I drove it to work, through the gnarly fog. And just to get me riled up, the speedo works again. This weekend is Jam'N'gears in Omaha.
Our 46th annual show. 169 cars not counting our club cars. Would of had more but it was HOT. Participant judging voted on Joey`s car for his award. Congrats.
More driving, more fun, more breaking! came out to a dead roadster after work on Wednesday. got a jumpstart, and then stuck it out for home, thankfully only a few miles. Wasn't changing on the way home, so after some diagnosis, I yanked the alt out and took it to the parts store and strapped it to the machine. No good. bad rectifier. So I ordered a rebuild kit, and picked it up yesterday. dug right in, since it was my first time I pulled up a generic Youtube video so I didn't miss any screws or something dumb. I got most of it pulled apart, only to realize that the part I didn't have in the kit, was the rectifier that I needed. So I dug into dads stash and found an old gm alt, and tore it apart, only for the rectifier to come out in three pieces. So defeated, I had to go get a new one, luckily our parts store has gm alternators in stock, and I was able to get one off the shelf. a quick disassemble/reassemble to get the wires pointed the right way, and it was back in the car. I'll be headed to Lincoln Saturday morning, for the speedway cars and coffee, then Touhy, for the show there, staying with a buddy, then up early for Jam'N'Gears show in Omaha on Sunday. Should be a fun weekend. Oh and I forgot to mention that last weekend I rolled past the 6000 mile mark on the roadster. I wonder many miles I can get on this thing this year. . .
I am really curious as to why that clevis broke. Understand steep driveway, but somewhere in your suspension must have bound up. You not researching why it broke?
I've went over it with a couple friends, and we have determined that the lack of articulation in a the clevis ends from side to side, and the lack of a Panhard bar caused the clevis ends to take most of the side load from severe twisting motion, with no ability to move side to side, it found the weak spot. I've added "checking clevis" to my pre trip regiment, and am carrying a spare in my trunk, I refuse to let a little thing like a clevis make me miss going to shows with friends. I plan on changing the design this winter, by installing Heim joints on the axle sides of the hairpin (to allow for flex side-to-side) welding in another plate to make them double shear, and then building a Panhard bar that will sneak around the rear end (to control side to side motion) As far as I can tell, this should solve the binding issue, and take some stress off components. It's all real world testing around here. You can be sure the new setup will be tested just as much as this one.
you cant go to car shows and figure out why it broke! come on Mike!! lmao the last one got 3000 miles hes good for another 3000!!!!
I think you're dead on with why it broke Joey, pan hard bars are so much help on reliving stress on the suspension components
Thanks for all the comments. Was building with heim joints then decided clevis easier cheaper but always planned on panhard & 4 bar parallel with coil overs. Your problem may help save other builders problems. Could have been worse.
(hopefully I'll have an update on the past weekend later today) Man, I can understand the "no clevis" rule, but why do they not allow heims? If they are mounted in double shear, they are pretty indestructible.
This country is over regulated, but I think it has to do with the clevis' being metal on metal & wearing relatively quickly & becoming loose & failing. If they are double shear they won't 'pop off' & in Aviation if they weren't double sheer the practice was to use a large washer as big as the housing to stop the housing slipping over the sphere/bolt or nut...
Another fun weekend. It all started Friday night, when I loaded up the T with all the stuff to set up at the art show at Jam'N'Gears, luckily my friend Gary was bringing me a table, so I didn't have to figure that out. Its pretty much a truck right? Once I had used all my bungees and straps, I went upstairs and went to bed for a couple hours. I got up at about 5:30, planning to be out the door at 6, I made it downstairs by 6:50, and opened the garage door to... Rain. So I unloaded all my stuff from the car, and started grabbing plastic tarps and trash bags. a few minutes, and a bunch of tape later, and I was ready to go. Of course, it mostly stopped raining once I got outside, and really the worst part was the rooster tails off the wet pavement. somewhere in Nebraska it started getting light, and I caught this rainbow leading the way to the Speedway Motors cars and coffee. In a couple short hours I arrived quickly followed by THEE Eric Hansen (with a K and an O) in his blown model a coupe. Our buddies, Taylor and Tim also were there, and we hung out and talked till long after we meant to leave. We agreed that this was one of our favorite cars there. Before we left, Eric checked his oil, and that reminded me to do so. At least i would have checked it, if I had any to check. So we drove to the nearby convenience store and I grabbed 4 quarts of the cheap stuff. While laughing at the fact I was 3 quarts low, Erik took this picture. Yeah. 3 quarts. Anyway, we slid back on the road and headed for Touhy Nebraska, At one point in the midst of traffic, while in the inside lane, Erik had to panic stop, which prompted me to jab the breaks, which is when I realized the road was covered in silty dirt. I knew I wasn't gonna be able to stop (unless I used Erik's car) so I stuck a little right rudder into it, and spun a full 360 into the outside lane of the road, thankfully missing everyone AND missing the curbs. I will remember that asian guy in the Honda pilots face for a long time, as I looked at him face to face while facing backwards in his lane. I came to a stop facing the centerline in the outside lane, Tim stopped and let me back into line, and we continued on like nothing happened, till we stopped 20 minutes later in a parking lot to laugh about it. We continued on to Touhy, and got directed to park right up front. (perks of coming in with Thee Erik Hanson) Somebody parked their version of my car right out front. I had a few favorites at the show, but for some reason I really dug this 55, it looked like a 1968 time capsule. Of course, they had a great burnout contest, and there was some carnage. Alec won third, and $50, or as he said "enough money to buy two more junk tires for next year" Erik won second, after burning a few hundred miles off a set of firestone bias plies. eventually, after awhile we left to go eat dinner and headed to eric's shop to hang out. Erik gave me a tour of his yard, and the cool stuff he's got tucked away. including things like: An old FWD flathead streamliner project. Something our long-time HAMBers might remember, the hoodlum, awaiting new motor swap. eventually we wound up sitting around and BS'ing in the main shed, partial view of the main shop from above. I got a seat warmer, After a good session of laughing and sharing stories, he we left for Erik's house around 1am, which led to another hour or so tour of his house and the parts and cool furniture stored there. the next morning came to early and I was off to South Omaha to Jan'N'Gears. I got setup in my corner and kicked back for a fun day. At one point Mark Fountain came up and asked if he could take some photos, and for some reason, he actually wanted me in them. They turned out really nice, he does good work. Then he got this shot of me talking to the one and only @rob lee And to cap off here's a much less professional, but very comical, photo of our rag-tag group of hot rodders, with Erik pretending to be a flamingo. I loaded up about 6 o'clock, and started out on the freeway. for home. I stopped by a friends house on the way home so he could see the roadster in person, and finally got home about 9 pm. Another good weekend of hot rods and friends.
It’s got pits the size of Texas in a few cylinders and worn valve guides lol had to throw it together quick so Joey could make the round up
The Jalopy Journal
