Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

We're really goin' now!

Yes they are! It's been a busy week but I'm hoping to hop back on it this weekend.

Thanks, Jimbo. I'm about 80% through the process, and I'll make sure to post about it!

Amen to that!

If I had access to welding at the house, I'd do the same. And ahhhh I can't wait for the first drive!

Hahah I love this quote. I told my roommate Benj about it and he also got a good laugh!

Thanks, Brian! You and me both. Hope the foot is doing well!

 

I dream of smoking meats! Boiling bolognas!

Thanks Joey! Oh man you wouldn't believe how much better it is. Night and day difference.

Car chair is v good. Old one needed replaced.

 

I have nothing bad to say about the old car (bus) chair. That said, I don't have the space for it. If you're local and you need it for your build, please let me know.

Mocking things up with the new setup. Note that the steering column has been added to the equation.

 

So, the question is, how do you make this seat work with the stock seat riser? I looked at it, sat in it, folded it up, folded it back, and finally devised a plan. It's pretty simple. First, I bought some 1x2 tubing from Bay Metals in Bayview.

The place is incredibly cool, and the folks who run it are extremely nice.

Since the metal comes in 20-foot lengths, they let you cut it yourself on site.

After the trip to Bayview, I swung by the Sunset to lend the Hartleys a starter Bendix. They were on their way up north from the Central Coast for Saturday's Northern California Reliability Run. Both Jeremy and Heather are the nicest people, and it was amazing to see another Model A hot rod in the city.
Later that night, we had our neighborhood potluck/showing of Cars. I was happy that I could roll my roadster out and share what I've been working on!

 

Saturday of course was the Roadster Run. I'm getting my full recap ready for Friday, but man was it inspirational.
This is a shameless plug for my weekly Jalopy Journal article. For this piece we'll have plenty of digital shots, like the one above, as well as 35mm film, seen below.

 

In between the cutting and building of the seat base, I decided to jump into the steering.

So, on Sunday morning, I built a plate and broke out my new two-inch hole-saw.

Full speed ahead!

I'll end with this piece of huge news. Once I clamped the box into position, I grabbed the header and apprehensively set it into place. Much to my surprise, it fits. It 100% clears the box and the column. I absolutely couldn't believe it.

Once again, there's a lot more to say, but it's getting late out here. We'll pick back up soon!

 

Thank you so much. I do my best to make it all happen. Some days are better than others!

Thanks for always reading!!

Great tips! I plan to give him a call!

 

As promised, my Roadster Run article can be found here.

 

Most of my garage time this weekend was dedicated to the seat. I managed to finish the steel frame, which attaches to the stock riser. I'll take detail pictures of once it's out of the car again. It's sturdy and comfortable. I still need to drill my seatbelt mounting holes and buy the corresponding hardware. Once that's complete, I'll paint it black.

Although the new seat isn't the most aesthetic thing in the world, it earns big points from a function standpoint. Now that it's in position, I have a fun and practical solution for that front riser area. I will say that I'm really happy with how the package tray fits. When sitting in the seat, it does not hit you in the back. I'm not someone who keeps spare parts on hand, but I'm glad I didn't end up selling these two pieces of very old metal. I plan to build some sort of filler panels to flesh things out on either side of the seat too.
This afternoon, I finally plopped in my Tanks, Inc. gas tank. I'll be bending up a metal floor soon, so please ignore the wood. I'm pleased with how it fits. It will bolt solidly to the subrail cross-piece/new floor.

 

From there, I finalized the steering flange to prepare it for the next steps.
Tomorrow, I'll drill the frame to accommodate it.

How many how-tos on the internet are completely false? I can't say for sure. But I will say this. I've been putting off taking the horn button off this wheel for the better part of a year. Right before heading inside for the night, I did a quick Google search and found the instructions on how to do it. Push in the center. Turn the ring counter-clockwise. Done. I don't think this has been apart since the '50s. Now, I need to remove the top of the old steering shaft. We'll dive into that soon. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

Here & There

@SAVAGE sighting at Ocean Beach this morning

I swung by this incredible, original mid-century modern house in the Sea Cliff neighborhood today. If I won the lottery, I think I'd have to move in.