Projects 1931 Ford 3W Build "Marilyn"

Yeah we were driving into town and had just seen the Wildwood sign as my buddy texted and said it was canceled…7 hour trip and already paid for the Airbnb so we hung out anyways and definitely made the most of it. Definitely catch ya at the next one!

 

Thank you!

 

Ohhhh I’ve talked with Dave a few times I’ll be chopping this the same amount his Vicky is…can’t beat perfection

 

Okay, I get it now! I’m pro chop too, now!
Yes, please keep posting- the build is just the beginning of the story.

 

Haha yeah I was unsure until I photoshopped it but it will happen going to try for this winter but am moving shops so it may not happen for a while

 

I also vote you continue to post your experiences with the car. Looking forward to the chop as well.

 

It’s been a while, lots have happened but the coupe has been just as great as when I first got it on the road. Changed the looks up a bit after staring at way too many little pages from the early to mid 50s. So let’s get this dead thread caught back up! decided to give the car a ‘32 inspired roof insert and while down at my fathers shop in VA, he and I whipped this up from a 4 door sedan body and a repop wood kit for that sedan. I’m sure someone is gonna hate me for that one but we sold the body to a friend who wanted to do a van roof anyways so at least a portion lives on! All welded in and painted! A good shot of the roof wood we built! New roof all done!

 

After the roof was done (still need to get the vinyl top made) I drove the car for a year changed the stock heads out to Edelbrock script heads and got obsessed with the Bart and Helen Root Roadster that was on the cover of HRM in July 1955. Their “Family Roadster” as it was dubbed was a huge inspiration for my coupes “New” look So I set off to find some Old chrome along with other pieces I’ve gotten waiting on my nerve to catch up I finally pulled the trigger and went at it last winter. Old chrome for the win! This old “Dago” style drop axle was a later fat fender style axle that was on a bucket I believe at some point. I bought it from my buddy Pete Flaven at the New England Dragway Swapmeet. Picked up the chromed perches, shackles, backing plates (which already had nuts welded on the backside for cycle fenders!) leaf spring and stainless hairpins online. up next was my F1 steering box, it had so much play in it and one day locked up on me (thankfully I could still power through it when I happened but man was that scary) the bronze bushing caught a burr that was on the pitman arm shaft and started eating itself.

Sourced some parts from another box I had that needed some welding on the worm gear so I took it to work and fixed it up sanded it down and assembled the box
Decided to change up the steering wheel for a splined style, that was a difficult decision but am happy I did it! Decided at first to go with a 52 Merc wheel but later changed it.

 

Now for the fun part, where the real transformation starts! First up was to take my repop 32 she’ll and attempt to make it look more original, gave it a peaked top and fixed the grill bars, added a crank hole, reshaped the corners and trimmed the flange. I new I had to do some cycle fenders, I really liked the looks of the center rib going down them as well and found out they were spare tires covers for 35-6 fords if I remember right. Made some brackets out of stainless flat bar since it’s cheaper than chroming. Utilized the holes that were already in the backing plates. Found the correct angles and TIG welded everything up!

 

Looking great! Loving the updates

 

After the cycle fenders were wrapped up I turned to the gauge panel, while I loved the Aristocrat panel that I had, I felt it didn’t really belong in it anymore so I turned to my parts stash and found this cool old SW Hollywood panel! I noticed that I couldn’t really see the gauges when the panel was flat against the original gas tank since it pitches in slightly. So I decided to take some of my leftover stainless flat bar from the cycle fenders mounts and made a tapered spacer and welded the spacer to the dash. I sprung for new gauges simply because Originals are just so expensive, over time I’ll replace them. I did however spend some coin on this Sun “football” tach that was redone and converted by the one and only Williamsons Instruments! I also changed the 52 Merc wheel out to this 53 Merc wheel with the full horn ring!

 

Thank you Tim! I’ll have more updates tomorrow! Stay tuned!

 

Really love seeing the car coming into a new decade. Real hot rods changed with the years, I’m always a sucker for like a “car was originally built in 48 and was updated in 57” kinda thing. Thanks for updating us all

 

Looking good Dylan...the evolution of a Vintage Hotrod...your inspiration with the little pages, vision, adding a chop is well within the scope and period. The fenders...Awesome!

 

Thank you! Yeah when I first got it on the road I knew that wasn’t how it would stay. Tastes change and I’m a 50s Hotrod guy at heart. Trying to bring it to that point where it pulls that look off is challenging but fun to get the details right! Chopping it is still something I toss around weekly haha

 

Yeah, have to keep things fresh, the bobbed/cycle fenders look isn’t often done atleast lately so I wanted to pay tribute to that style and I think it helps “finish” the car off a little!

 

Since I got the coupe on the road I’ve been busy with home life as we tend to do! Got married and had a baby boy! Hudson’s first day home from the hospital! Had to put him in the coupe, he wasn’t impressed. Ha I knew I needed a “family car” so I started scouring marketplace for a mid to late 30s fordor and found this extremely solid 37 Ford! Without taking over this thread I’ve redone the seats and changed up the look for an early custom vibe! Now back to the coupe!

 

Congratulations on the baby

 

Very cool additions both of them

 

Thank you! Can’t wait to do Hotrod stuff with him, but he can take his time he’s already growing so fast (10 months old)

 

Thank you Tim!

 

Needed to reroute the mechanical temp sensors since I was now running dual temp gauges and wanted them to work (I know now that I only obsess over why one side of the motor is hotter than the other even if it’s only by 5° lol) I went out to the stash again and found this old tailgate pivot that had a cool look to it and figured it would make a perfect exit for the sensors and other wires!

 

Now it was time to build the rear Nerf Bar…I was nervous since I built it out of Solid stainless steel round bar. I decided to practice and dial in the shape and size. Started first with TIG wire then moved to this small diameter round rod and tacked it all together. Have to get the right angle! Had my buddy Shaun Miller help me out, took the rod over to his garage and shaped it up on a cheap tubing bender I got off amazon of all places. Thing is heavy duty and had zero issues bending this 5/8” stainless.

 

Just reread the whole thing!
Looks like you got yourself a fun car, and wife and son.
Good job and thanks for taking us on the journey.

 

Now that the car was going back in time so to speak I felt the bobbed frame horns didn’t jive with the 50s look. Luckily I kept the horns I cut off in 2021 and welded them back on. Had to shorten the stainless spreader bar 2 3/4” I believe in order to fit in the pinched rails! painted my modified repop shell and threw it on for some inspiration! rear fenders mounted! Was pretty nervous they wouldn’t line up since this car as many of you know was built on pallets and plywood, I’ve unfortunately come across a few things over the past couple years that show heavy signs of not being symmetrical or just plain off. Luckily I was able to fudge the fenders just enough to work! one of the hardest things to do was find the correct shape/angle to “Bob” these rear fenders. I am pleased with how they came out! had to pull the rear spring out and add the entire leaf pack back plus a couple to gain the clearance needed for the wide 40 for rear in the fenders. Truth be told it would bottom out occasionally and didn’t hurt my feelings too bad fixing that issue)

 

Has been fun watching the progress.

 

Last one for today! Had to pull it out and walk around! Really loving how it’s looking at this point but man that bodywork and paint is just too rough.

 

Oh wow! Thank you for re-reading! Looking back at some of the stuff I did makes me wanna look away haha but I learned a lot and had fun with this car so far!

I appreciate that! It’s hard lately getting time to do anything car related but still at it! Excited to do this with my boy when he gets older! Definitely not rushing that one though.

 

Thank you very much! Your builds are amazing, definitely inspired me with making this as good as I could at the time. They’re never finished but that’s kinda what’s fun too!

 

You really nailed the bobbed rear fenders. Really suits the stance and the rest of the car compared to if you had done cycle fenders front and back.

That tail gate piece for wire routing is a clever move and exactly why I keep so many random bits and shapes of metal. Though them being in a big bucket probably makes them less helpful lol.

That wall of fire wood makes a great photo backdrop drop as well!