Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Great question. I initially had it set up like that, but then I opted for a different routing based on Vern Tardel's book Ford Brakes: Hydraulic Brakes For Your Early Ford. I know Vern and I trust his judgement. Both routings should work well—the one I ultimately chose eliminated the additional bracket that I had made last fall.

 

You know when the thread goes quiet that I'm either sidetracked or getting a whole lot done. I'm happy to share that, this time around, it's the latter. The biggest thing? Putting miles on Version 1.5 while the weather is nice.

I've always loved this building in the Outer Richmond. It reminds me of my apartment building from college named Belvedere.
On Saturday, I made the trip up to Petaluma to hang out with David. I haven't been to the shop since my surgery, and that made it even more special. Right when I arrived, I saw the roadster sans top and I couldn't stop smiling. "I need to go to the post office," David said. "Want to come with?" I couldn't say "Yes!" fast enough.

Roadster weather!

Back at the shop, we used a hole saw to remove the flange from the F-1 steering box.

The process was fairly quick, and the end result was clean. After leaving the shop, I spent the remainder of the day at the Time Flies motorcycle show at Thee Parkside in San Francisco. I was able to give several friends rides in the roadster, which they loved!

Best seat in the house!

 

The following morning, I motored out to Fort Point to meet the crew before their ride to Bolinas.
The hot rod/chopper combo will always be a winner in my book.

 

Although my knee isn't quite up to kickstarting my XLCH, I'm optimistic that it will be there soon.

That morning, I was able to check off a 'banger Rod bucket-list item: riding in the rumble seat! And if by seat, I mean sitting on the rear crossmember. It was super fun—and the views weren't too bad either. I could definitely get used to this.

Jason, the driver, is more than certified. He works at East Bay Speed & Custom and has owned a pair of killer Model T hot rods. The first was a chopped, 'banger-powered coupe, which was followed by a survivor pickup with a built flathead. He has a phaeton in the works, so stay tuned.

Jason's RPU at the "Night Moves" photo show opening last fall.

 

I spent the rest of the morning driving around the city, seeing the sights and enjoying the perks of an open car.

This mechanical-braked machine survived Lombard Street on a hot day after driving through the Richmond, Tenderloin, and Nob Hill in Saturday afternoon traffic.
Celebratory Slurpee!

 

From the depths of my terrace garage, I finished the brake lines last night. Overall, I'm happy with how they look. I bought the tap at Lowe's tonight, so I should be able to complete all my clamping in the not-so-distant future.

 

With that, we're back up to speed! My roommate Benj was a huge help installing the driveline, and I'm really happy with how things are coming together.

It's really starting to look like a hot rod!

 

Oh, a few more odds'n ends.

Bob Jepson's Model A has been one of my favorites since I was 10 years old. Originally shot by Steve Coonan for American Rodder, this photo appeared in the table of contents of Rodder's Journal 26. I don't have it in front of me, but there's a great quote from Bob about parking it in his driveway as he mows his lawn. I don't have a lawn, but I've dreamt of having a traditional A-V8 in the driveway as I carry out day-to-day tasks ever since then. We've never been closer.
Next, we have this shot of the late Tom McMullen and his ex-wife, Rose. Longtime readers will recall my fascination with the flamed '32, which was rarely seen with a top. If I'm not mistaken, those Americans wrapped in piecrust slicks were taken from the Corvette. Rose was quite the talented driver, having competed at the drags in both the 'Vette and the roadster. This week, I was reading more into the McMullen publishing empire. Does anyone know if Rose McMullen is still around?

 

Let's end tonight's update with a very special photo. What we have here is a genuine tintype taken by my friend Sean Mohoot of the Midnight Oil Collective. On Saturday, he set up shop at Thee Parkside, and I knew I had to take him up on the opportunity to shoot my car. I'll tell the full story at a later date, but this is too good not to share. No Photoshop, no filters. Just real, vintage equipment and 1800s techniques.
Me and my roadster, summer 2024.

That's all for tonight. With any luck, we'll have more updates happening soon! Thanks again for sticking with me!