Projects The 60 day, channeled 31 roadster

I was holding off on creating a project post until I was completely done with the car, but I had a little dead time. The goal is to have this thing drive into our annual 4th of July car show, which is actually at the end of June this year.

The story of finding this thing is pretty good as well. I've been working on my 32 5 window for 3 years off and on, but ran into some frame issues, and let it stall. I was cruising marketplace and came upon an add for an all original 32 frame only an hour away, messaged the guy and set up a time to go look, and when I went. Man oh man, it was early Ford heaven, every model of model A, a 200 foot long shelf of original 28-34 parts. A pile of flatheads. The 32 frame is beautiful, all original, still has the factory rear bump stop rubber on the frame. While getting the tour and the guys story I mention once I get my 32 done, I'd like to do a 30/31 roadster. He mentions he has a body he'd sell as he'll never get to it with the list of projects he has. We strike a price, and I went back the next weekend and picked up the 32 frame, the roadster body, a "junk" A frame, A front crossmember, F1 box, 12 40 wheels of various widths. And an agreement that I'm coming back for some 39 transmissions, some flathead stuff, his stash of 40 rear ends. Etc...

The body is a sweetheart, very little pitting. It had been channeled deep at some point in it's life, subrails pretty well gone. While cruising marketplace in between seeing it for the first time and picking it up, I stumble on an ad for "roadster windshield" turned out to be a 31 roadster deluxe windshield frame. Went and grabbed it, and started throwing parts together between my parts stash and what I bought from him. I still have to go get the trans/flattie and 40 rear end which I'm doing this weekend.

So I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I started out setting the "firewall" on the frame and went about using some turnbuckles to get the doors to where they would function, then started adding bracing. Brookville supplies the under deck lid panel, and rear body crossmember. Then I started making my new subrails by breaking 1/8" steel into a 8x8 90° and pie cutting to fit the body.

It was set up for swing pedals, which I happened to get a set of genuine ansens with my 32 score years ago. I cut out the super thin mount they used and put in some 1/8" along with a IH master cylinder I had left over from last years 64 IH pickup I did for the same car show.

Then I started laying in floor crossmember/body mount out of 1" c channel, which will be split and a piece of pipe put in the middle for driveline clearance.

I set the rear most c channel even with lip in the back of interior so I can make a bulkhead between the trunk/cab.

Ordered a set of ultra shield bomber seats (my one splurge in this project)

Front end is a speedway drop axle/split bone kit id acquired a long time ago. I robbed a 40ish axle I had out back of the spindles and hubs and slapped them on, a long with a set of used 5.50s the gentleman sold me with the car, that I of course mounted on a set of 40 wheels.

Ordered one of the cheapo eBay 32 grills as I knew I was going to have to cut 8" or so out of it, and saw no need to chop up an expensive one. Ended up cutting out 8.75" from the shell, 3" channel, 5.75" section and modified the insert to fit as well. I'd already ordered a aluminum Civic radiator, once again guesstimating how much room id have, which worked out perfect, I'll just have to weld on some new inlet/outlets for the flatty.

That pretty well gets us up to speed over the last week and a half I've had it. Almost, but not quite at a standstill into I go get the motor/trans/rear end

 

More.

 

Motor in. Tight squeeze with the depth of this channel. I really don't want to do an e fan, and don't want to move the radiator Forward, so in a pickle there temporarily

 

Love everything about this... except the channel. But it's looking good!

 

I can agree with that, and I'm not above bringing it back up correctly down the road. But for now and my time constraints, I'm putting it back similarly to how it was/what they were doing. Luckily they didn't cut much out to where it can be brought back without a ton of issues in the future.

I've been struggling, because I don't want this to be thought of as a rat rod, and unchanneling it would probably help with that. But at least for this 4th of July show, channeled it is, a long with all the issues I'm learning a deeply channeled car brings

 

Not much progress today, cut out all the bracing and started mocking up floors and firewall.

 

One more mocking up the shifter

 

Cool project. Any chance you could full size the pics?

 

Done.

It inserted it above the text, but oh well

 

Nothing else to exciting tonight. Firewall done and bead rolled, floor cut and trimmed

 

Thanks much, much easier to see. Love your project!

 

What a cool little roadster project! I will be following along. Looks like you have about a month left before your deadline now so guessing you are going to be busy. Seems that is the only way I get things done anymore...a ridiculous deadline. Go man go!

 

You may already have a plan for the rest of the Floor project but just in case, you may to wish you had added a little Toe Board when you get to installing a Gas pedal as well as the Clutch and Brake pedals. Gives them a place to stop while under full throw as well as a comfortable place for the Left foot to rest on those long drives.

 

I love me a quick and dirty hot rod build!

I also love the heavy channel! I can't stand when people pretend like channeled cars aren't historic or traditional, I cringe when people take a bitchin old channeled car and set it up like a stocker.

keep at it! and post pictures when you can!

 

Deep

 

Agreed. Everything on this had been oxy welded and was just too cool, it also wasn't hacked together, the torch cuts were extremely presentable, they'd done a nice job, it deserved to go together at it was. My only issue, like I said earlier is getting away from the rat rod stigma, but the more I look at old jalopies, they really were what we'd consider rat rods, so I'll keep everything pre 48, and hopefully it looks the part

 

This is looking good! @J.Ukrop dig this!

 

Started out on the trans tunnel. Took a piece of 4" exhaust tubing and sliced it, opened it up a little bit and hammer and dollied until I was happy, tacked it in square and started hand forming the tunnel. After a few hours, I got it close and needed to quit, before I started welding before it was 100%. Decided to go ahead and bead roll the floor pan, halfway through the first roll (maybe the tenth total on this Woodward Fab unit) and it quit rolling, something isn't square in the gear box area, so waiting to hear back on what they want me to do as the love joy coupler won't Even go back together. So then decided I should start on the trans mount. Took an old Chevy leaf spring bushing I had and sliced it in half, took a piece of 2" square tubing and notched it for trans, and marked the holes for the bushings, roughed them in with the plasma and set the trans down on its own weight. Didn't get anything finished like I have been every night, but it's progress. Rear spring hangers should be here tomorrow, so hoping to get a axle under the back and figure out how much I need to Z the frame to get the stance I'm after.

 

Also I've been trying to figure out why they'd cut 6ish inches out of the bottom of the cowl. After seeing this photo, I think they were trying to make room for split bones. I may not get it done before the show, but I think this is how I'll finish it the bottom of the cowl to make it look a little cleaner

 

Yeah I say keep it channelled. As many vintage pics I've seen of channelled model as unchannelled says rat rod to me if anything lol. Best way to TRY to avoid rat rod stigma is avoid the urge to preserve "patina" and like you said era correct parts exclusively.


Also considering a channelled 30/31 roadster is on my top five list of rods to own and build I'm a lil jealous

 

And they could have cut out the cowl bottoms over rust. I've seen model as where that area was the only rust through.

 

Yeah that thought has crossed my mind as well, just heard to Believe those would be rusted on this body, but agreeing is possible. The story I got was the body had sat since the 60s/70s so who knows. Either way, that lower cowl section is definitely going to interfere with the wishbones, so I won't feel to bad about hand making those pieces and doing some little scoops or something to church it up a little.

 

I'm starting out by giving my self as much room as possible, so flat floor into the flat firewall for now. If I see that leg space won't be an issue I might add something similar in the future. Looking at your picture, I had the same thought about extending the floorboard all the way over to the inner cowl to cover up some ugly, haven't convinced myself of it yet

 

Whatever it takes to get them on the road. Little things like the Toe Board I mentioned can always be added. My project stalled some time back, heck I don't even remember how much I dropped the body now. I do know I didn't kick the frame and this is how it sets on springs with 30" rear tires. I should go uncover it for a reacquaintance meeting. Dang, that is a very Old photo! I sure miss that Old Dog of mine.

 

If mine sits like that I'll be 100% happy, I'm using 7.50s on the back and wouldn't mind a little more rake than what you have, but I'll take it if that's how it ends up!

 

You remember what spring combo you used?

 

Stock Ford buggy springs front and back. 3" of space front and back between Axles making contact with bottom of frame rails. Notice the fixed spacers on all 4 corners while building the chassis. Then I used stock 32 Ford rear bump stops and lose 1/2" so travel is 2.5" of compression. Being it's still under construction I'm not sure how many leaves it will take to set it there and have a good ride but quite sure it won't be a full stack according to stock on either end.

 

I'll add that my plan for a final job s to be full fendered with running boards sitting on stock iron mounts. That's the reason for the Orange one hanging out there, it's Orange so I don't trip over it. (doesn't work).

 

Wait.... channelled and full fendered? I definitely approve. Always loved that look

 

Decent progress, got the old partial dash rail cut out, trimmed and installed the new Brookville unit. The cowl to old tank top had about a 1/2" gap so I squeezed that in and made some bracing to hold it in tight. Got the right side header made, and hung the 40 rear end for mock up, I think I'm going to do the tardel Z on the frame as it sits pretty damn high in the rear with only 4 springs. I'm trying to find the happy medium where the tire isn't higher than the trunk lid, may end up with the Z and a 6.50 rear tire instead of 7.50