Featured Hot Rods Your Stalled, Unfinished or future projects... Lets see them

Nice looking car. I always wanted an orange car. And I wish I had that much room in my garage!

 

Several years ago I changed the windshield on my roadster. That meant that the wooden top that I had made didn’t fit anymore. For two winters I have been trying to remake the front of the top to fit the new windshield. It would have been easy when I was 40 but now I’m nearly 80. It’s part woodworking, part engineering and part getting the design right.

 

Like this 32 phaeton that has not been on the ground in years…. I keep thinking Victoria Northwest Deuce Days is coming up soon

 

Avatar still needs interior finished, carpet and door panels since 2008.

Red 56 still needs factory temp gauge swapped out.

57, I started installing back up lights. There in, just haven’t pulled the plug & play harness from the trunk forward.

And this one

Stalled!

 

Heres my forgotten project! Prolly never see the road until my sons get it

 

Hard to believe I got this truck nearly 7 yrs ago

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-a-57-chevy-shop-truck.1084369/



I did finish up the Henry J and will have the 41 up and driving within the next couple months, then the 57 pickup will get moved into the working area of the garage before winter. It's been awhile since I worked on it, heck I'm not sure on what part I'll even start with on it.

 

This is stalled…..
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/not-another-41-pickup-project.1201921/


Cuz I am STILL working on the engine swap in this. And hitting obstacles at every turn. Soon, very soon.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cured-my-flathead’s-occasional-overheatingi-the-hard-way-updated-9-16.1265297/page-10#post-15363963


Then there’s this. Patiently waiting……
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...a-cure-yessir-see-below-update-6-aug.1284263/

 

The 54 got chopped 3 1/2 years ago. Hopefully start back on it this winter.

 

Tomorrow is Labor Day. Hope to remove all the crap around it, and make some small step in the progress.

Looks a lot better with things sorted.

 

My 62 Belair post, 25 years.

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.


I think this one will be finished in the coming 12 months. And the Delivery was originally a very rough 4 door sedan, that I bought to help out a mate with his new business. i am now thinking I should focus on buying finished cars that I can drive away from the vendors property. Its only taken me nearly 50 years to figure that out. Im a slow learner

 

I’ve had this 40 sedan over 20 years. It’s been together & driven on long & short road trips. Looks like the day I bought it, but I’ve changed the running gear more than once. Now it’s apart and sits waiting for me, while I tinker with others. Can’t bring myself to sell it. lol

 

'55 Dodge for me...first MoPar I've done. Has a running Poly in it and a three speed on the column and is complete...The last two owners lost interest and it's been off the street since the early '80s so I guess it's up to me to put it back on the streets ...
R-

 

This one should find a new home. Started building with the daughter so she would have something to Cruz around in but she doesn’t want to help anymore. I’ve lost all interest.

 

39 Zephyr sedan, bought it to do a coupe conversion. I’m not really messing with it until I get my 59 Ranchero is further along so maybe next spring. Parts for these things are ridiculous. I coulda shoulda bought a finished 4 door and made a coupe out of that.

 

PXL_20221024_145830030 by 1pickup posted Aug 31, 2023 at 11:54 PM

engine installed by 1pickup posted Sep 27, 2023 at 11:40 PM

This thing has been in my possession for over 30 years. I thought it was gonna be a pretty quick project, because of all the work the PO had done. WRONG. I've re-done most of the chop, ground out about 2 gallons of filler, tore out his bolted in '63 Tempest front suspension & welded in new (twice), built the 327 & mounted that w/ a HD 3 speed, completed the dash w/ '63 Rambler gauge panel, fixed the rusted out running boards, and several other things. It's still not close to done & gets pushed off to the side for other projects. There is a ton of metal work to do. The fenders are shit. I've done a bunch of work on the windshield frame & it's still not done. I think he mounted the rear suspension too far forward, so that will be fun. It's had a couple of times of me actually working seriously on it, but it always gets pushed back. Maybe that should tell me something, but I'm dumb & keep thinking it'll be on the road next year.

 

Well,..... Two things,.. Seeing I'm not alone in this struggle is kinda motivating and therapeutic , I know we all hit a pause from time to time, But mine has gone on for a few years now... However after posting this topic I started thinking about it. The last three cars I had a hand in building, we lost those friends not long after two were done.. and one of them never got finished because the owner died when we were coming down the home stretch...

Also (and this may be just me)... the list of old car buddies I use to go to events with, build cars with,.. or just hung out with is getting shorter all the time, And frankly it seems there are fewer and fewer guys (young and old) who are even building project cars anymore. So, I started feeling like why bother? it just didn't feel like the old days,... the days when we were all not only working on our dreams, but also helping buddies achieve they're goals as well...

However the last couple years I have met a young guy (in his very early 20's and his best friend who's still 19) and they each not only built a couple of very cool, well done traditional Hot Rods (in just over a year in each case) And have been driving the daylights out of them. They have also driven them from Michigan to the "Gathering at the Rock show" two years in a row... They live about a hour away, But I have tried to help these young guys out with parts they need as the need arises.. I see in them what I seen in my friends and me when we were up to our elbows in it decades ago.

On top of that, about a year and a half ago I bought a first generation Mustang project for one of my grandsons, Ike.. Not long after he lost his best friend in a quad accident. (he was like another grandson to us). I thought if he could get focused on the Mustang, It would help... About the same time my son, (Ike's father) picked up a O/T project car as well. The goal was for Ike to be able to drive the Mustang to Graduation, and for both of them to be able to drive both of them to St.Ignace..

It was a thrash, but both goals were met.. As I mentioned in the OP, I also drove a O/T car to the show (a 1962 Ranchero).. Best time I've had at a car event in decades. sense then I am going to try to get the Deuce done for next year,.. As both of my sons and grandson are talking about changes and upgrades on they're cars, as well as future projects... And some other local young guys are starting to get interested...

The other thing I have gotten out of this thread is,.... YA'ALL HAVE SOME MIGHTY FINE ROLLING STOCK STASHED AWAY !.... Lets hope this thread gets more than just me and a handful of local guys back in the garage.

GET TO WORK GUYS ! ... THIS AIN'T NO DRESS REHEARSAL !!

 

I wonder if it would be possible to start a Go Fund Me page for my unfinished Merc.

 

Not stalled, just idling... I keep collecting parts for it, so that counts, right?
And tools, I keep collecting tools!

 

I have a couple of personal projects that I would like to have finished in the next couple of years and a couple that I would like to help a couple different friends with.

My personal projects re-lighting has been from going on cruises with other friends that have the same type cars as these. One friend has a 59 Edsel and another has a chopped 51 Ford sedan. And as I cruise around with these guys Im thinkin', man it would be cool to see a couple of these styled cars rollin' together. So.....maybe this will be the winter shit gets done. I keep saying that every winter....

 

well did you make any progress?

 

50 Chrysler chopped, S10 subframe, slant six. Lost interest and moved on. For sale.

50 ford 4 door, 302, aod, posi 8", 4 wheel disk, runs, needs paint & interior. Lost interest and moved on. For sale.

Dragmaster Dart Six C-Dragster restoration/recreation. Probably get it done when I'm in my 60's. Never for sale.

In the meantime I daily drive my chopped 56 F100 big window and am building a chopped 56 small window M100 for my wife.

 

My 1933 Ford Pick up. I got it about 15 years ago.

 

Well, these two that are pre 64. Project ADD has run rampant in my lifetime. After exploding the banjo in my roadster over the weekend I'm about ready to give up on working on this stuff.

 

I got a few that I have sitting that haven't been touched in over a year or more.

 

This is a first for me, I don't have a project waiting in the wings,

The last thing I had in the barn was my old 1965 Ford pickup, I had planned for it to be my next project but my grandson expressed interest and I am happy he has taken a interest in hot rods. HRP

 

@Harms Way GREAT QUOTE!
GET TO WORK GUYS ! ... THIS AIN'T NO DRESS REHEARSAL !!

 

....Minor update, got it out of storage and in the garage,... getting it torn apart. This stuff was easier 50 years ago,..... But its a good feeling.

 

Mine that I have had for the last 10 years. Got it after my dad died. Was his and had sat parked since 1987. I put together my moms 58 Impala. took me 5 years to get it back to running and driving.

 

A 327 powered 40 Ford Sedan Delivery project.

Hello,

When my wife and I saw the red sedan delivery sitting in a parking lot of a small speed shop, it was outstanding. Then we looked inside and the full upholstery made it look as if it was a finished project. All we had to do was take a test drive, pay for it and drive it home.

As we sat in the nice tan upholstery in the cab and looked in the back cave that was also upholstered made the sedan delivery look like a show car. My old Flathead sedan delivery in high school had exposed wall supports and the back cave was empty except for an air mattress and beach stuff. No insulation, no upholstery and no carpet. So, this new one was a whole different world. Just the overall outside looked the same as my teenage surf van…

We were so happy, that the drive home was good. It felt different than our El Camino, but it was a cool hot rod sedan delivery, after all. When we got it home, there were some glaring problems. My wife wanted to drive it down the Coast Highway and as she did, it seemed like she was struggling with the steering wheel. It stopped sort of ok and had plenty of power, plus the A/C was the nicest thing going for us.

Jnaki

When we got back to our small apartment, she said she could not drive it anymore. The handling was not good, the brakes took forever to push, slow down and stop. And, at highway speeds, the front end shook a little. The sounds of the motor/stereo and A/C overcame the driving problems until we got home.

So, for what we thought was the next adventure road trip got put off until we could fix the problems. We were all set on our long road trip and it was disappointing to have the sedan delivery sit in the small garage with the front end jacked up on steel stands.

It was a good thing that the El Camino was always as reliable as it had been since new. So, my wife drove that car for everything she needed or friends to visit. I drove the 62 Corvair that was on its way out of the coastal stable. Our three car stable was going to be two as soon as the 327 powered sedan delivery got corrected.

Daily work schedule in the garage, late nights and finally after several months, we called our expert mechanic who specializes in front end suspension work said to drive it over and leave it with him. When we arrived, we took it for a drive and he drove all around the industrial shop area. Then on a long stretch of highway, felt the effects of the shoddy construction under the car. I told him what I was able to correct and he said that was fine.

But, that he would have to keep it for a while to correct everything. So, for several more months that almost lasted through the following summer, I was becoming an expert Corvair driver as I could not get my wife out of the El Camino. Ha!

Note:

When he finally called me after each correction and replacement of a part or two, it was enlightening to see and hear about the expert person finding out what was what. The long time in his shop was fine with us, because it was going to be our main transportation for pleasure and business. So, it had to be “right.”

When we got to drive it home, it was a huge smile across my face and when my wife asked if she could drive it, her smile was wider than mine. I could see the future of who was going to drive the sedan delivery and El Camino, since the Corvair was now gone… YRMV

Note 2:
It was a sight to see, a 20 something girl driving a red 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery around the coastal highways and streets. Sometimes, the window was down and the cool ocean air blasted both of us.
Other times, the windows were up and the super cool A/C kept our cool attitude of being a hot rod owner. And, my wife had no qualms about who drove, as she always had a smile on her face in this sedan delivery.