Projects March 2025 Updated: 31Apickup: 31 A coupe Build

In the Pacific Northwest, we get 70 degree days, but it usually cools off at night.
Not having a dedicated heated shop, doing bodywork only leaves a short window in the summer. The doors and decklid still needed to be filled, sanded out and primered. I spent alot of time using the shrinking disc working out the shallow imperfections, they still took a thin skim coat to get them straight.

 

By September I had everything prepped and shot it first with Kirker Enduroprime, then featherfill. I set up a portable garage in the sideyard and sprayed them there.

 

Some of the other miscellaneous items I did on the car this past year:
1. Fastened down a filler panel in the roof opening. I used a sheet of luan that I fit up, and then cut to size and polyurethaned. I put a strip of butyl tape along the perimeter and then screwed it down. The plan is to glue the roof covering directly to that.
2. Built a pair of brackets that bolt to the rear frame for a rear bumper which
I have yet to fabricate.
3. Restored a vintage heater which I need to weld mounting brackets to the firewall
4. Built a filler for the fire wall to clear the distributor which needs some finish welding.
The plan for this year is to finish the hood fit up, then tear the car down, finish weld everything on the ch***is and then paint the ch***is, re***emble that with the entire driveline, then possibly paint the body. In and ideal world, I'd like to wrap it up this year and start driving the wheels off of it.

 

Everything is sooo Right!

 

Great thread...nice work!

 

How much longer until it is back here cruising Elizabeth Park?

 

You know, I may be up for a road trip with it, it’s possible to see Elizabeth Park. We do visit the park just about every time we’re in town but without a hot rod.

 

I guess it's time for an update my old laptop died finally got around to downloading pictures to the new one. Not as much progress as I'd like but it is still moving along. Alot of little things that take time. Here it how it sat winter of 2023, roll down rear window trough I built out of stainless steel. Made up a lower dash rail with the steering column and locking 40 ford steering column lock. Picked up a Gennie shifter that was missing a few pieces, made up the missing parts and got that ftted up.

 

July 2023 finally got my tires, they are the bias look Auburn radials on early Ford wheels. Finally get a good look how it sits. P retty exciting!

 

Had the rear end mounts all tack welded (66 Bronco 9inch). Pulled the rear end out, built the rear shock mounts and finished welding all the brackets. Media blasted everything and painted with Rustoleum Hammertone. Pressed new axle bearings and re***embled everything. Also finished up all of the seat belt mounting structure,

 

Don't get much done over the winter, garage space is tight plus with the wet PNW winters. Here's the 2024 progress. The hood, I extended the stock model A hood and slightly reshaped it. I sectioned the 32 Chevy hood sides and fit them up. The length of the hood sides were close still had to do some tweaking. I got them all welded up, blasted, filled sanded primed sanded and reprimed. Made up some mounts using DZUs fasteners at the lower corners.

 

More 2024 progress: Built the exhaust system, looked at a number of muffler options, the Turbo mufflers fit the space the best and don't hang below the frame. There will be lake dumps also. Finished up the fire wall recess, I should of had the front cross member moved forward a couple inches when the frame was built it all worked out.

 

I had picked up a 327 cheap several years back, it was supposed to be rebuilt. It had fresh gaskets and was really clean. Pulled it down to the short block, it's 60 over and there is some ridge. Haven't checked the bearings yet. I may throw together and see how it runs. Have a set a Edelbrock heads that were never used for an off-topic project I sold over 12 years ago. Projects for 2025, finish block sanding all the Sheetmetal, should be able to see paint this year. Need to finish weld some of the mounts on the frame and that can be painted too. Currently fabricating the dashboard I have to download the photos yet. Need to pick up a battery for the 31 pickup so I can at least get out in that that one is about 10 years old won't crank it enough to start even after being on the charger.

 

fantastic build!

 

Nice progress!. You will like the Auburn Deluxe. I have the 10.00-15 in the rear and they ride great.

 

Been working on the dashboard. Have a Stewart Warner Hollywood gauge panel that’ll use. I posted a couple of these on another thread recently. Made a template for the dash, then cut it out of particle board. Then cut some 19 ga sheet metal and clamped it in between. Then hammered the edge flanges.

 

Fit the dash up and decided to add a glove box on each side. Made a hammer form for the glove box doors.

 

Today took my dash hammer form and cut the openings for the gloveboxes and gauges, then cut the openings in the dash. Reclamped it back in the hammerform and hammered the edges.

 

I wanted to place the switches and starter push ****on below the dash. Found this old bezel in my junk pile and cut it down. I’ll do and engine turned panel for this to match the gauge panel.

 

The gauge panel that’ll go in this dash. Still want to put a bead along the bottom of the dashboard, the next task.

 

Nice hammer form work!