Projects Model T roadster on Model A chassis

@1biggun In a past life, I dealt with spring companies. They sell all sorts of stuff. If you want springs that are a certain size and compression rate, they can make it and hold tolerances, tighter tolerances are a bit more money, but it is feasible. I don't doubt the regulators can be modified to work. It's a simple spring loaded diaphragm, too much pressure at the outlet and it stops flow.
However, they are sold as a fix and having to take it to your bench, take it apart and mess with them to get the result you want is not a finished product and barely qualifies as a kit. The numbers cast into it are false advertising, if anything it should be <-Less More->. I suppose it's also so they can sell anywhere and disappoint.
The diaphragm is also prone to leaking fuel. I have personally seen a number of warped castings. They are also made with no provision for a solid mounting because it's cast of pot metal, so they usually end up being supported by the fuel hose, decreasing hose life. I'd also guess they are very affected by temp variations and the pliability of the diaphragm, which is probably also made to a low standard.
This in a system that handles pressurized gasoline! It's low pressure, but if/when they fail, you are dealing with the fuel pump's output.
I understand that rodding is making stuff fit and work, but I stand by my assessment.
I'd put them up there with VW's idea of high pressure Bosch fuel injection hoses with slide on fittings, no clamps.

 

I never said there was much good about them just I made them work in a pinch . I have one that came on a Suzukie Samuari as well that needs to be fixed right
Just mount it over the headers so any leaking fuel will burn of . LOL

 

If it gets you home, it's better than walking!
Like I mentioned in another post, one of the most permanent things is a temporary fix that works.

 

I used this technique to deal with excess fuel (leaking from the carburetor inlet) on my Dart for a while...

 

I didn't need any more projects right now, but I've lucked into this stepped/z'd T frame and another banjo. I should have enough stuff laying around to build this frame into a roller, so I have the foundation for a future project. Single-seat, voiturette style race car? Hmmm... I really like early ERAs...



I'll make a separate thread for this in the future when it's sitting on four wheels.

 

I run the modern, looks like old, cast two blade fans. I believe they move more air and won't suddenly leave the scene

 

They are always out of stock, but I managed to snag one for my AA. It was used and the guy really twisted my arm on it. He wanted more than it cost new. I pointed that out and he said if I wanted it I was going to have to pony up because the repros were on backorder for months at the time. I coughed up, but damn. Might be available now but they weren't then.

 

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/product.htm?pid=979278&cat=41698

I'll bring a plastic, modern, multiblade one to you at the SK 500...going to put it in the car right now...it has been phanging in the rafters for years...
I just have experienced too many old stamped steel ones fail ....and colleterial damage can be ugly

 

Lost me on the grill paint. Preferences, I guess.
D

 

You're too kind! I really appreciate it. I have already had an original A fan fail and it took out the radiator.

Hey, it's all good. I think it's cool, not everybody is gonna... the most important thing is it's a middle finger to normalcy.

 

Yesterday, the generator had quit charging. I took it apart and tested it and it tested fine, so I put it back together and it worked suddenly. Then I was letting the car run to charge the battery and both carburetors started dumping fuel out of the vents. Got the floats unstuck but it was badly flooded by that point so I came back to it today, fired it up and it ran great for a while until the brand new fuel pump just quit working altogether. Took it to autozone and got a refund and replaced it with an Edelbrock one - the kind that comes in that ugly hunk of red plastic. That wasn't doing it for me so I took a hacksaw to it.



This is not the most elegant mount but it will work.

With all that bullshit sorted out Saul helped me smooth out the cowl. We worked on the metal a little more, then did a skim coat of filler for the pits and shot some more primer on it.



Then it was time for a bath...



And then I remembered I had some hubcaps.




Hopefully nobody notices that it's not really a V8...

Tomorrow we are gonna work on smoothing it out some more and hopefully do a color coat. I'm just going for a gloss lacquer black. Cliche, but fuck it. I can always change it later.

 

We'll need to wet sand this and do a few touch ups, but...

 

Looking great!!

 

I have never painted a car before so forgive the dumb question...

Now that the paint has cured it looks pretty good but of course I painted it outside and there is no escape from the Texas dust even under cover so there are some dust inclusions in the paint. I think I need to wet sand this first, then do another coat, which will then need to be wet sanded and buffed for a finish. Does that sound right? This is high gloss black implement paint.

 

Considering the smoothness of the base surface (not!) I'd skip the between coat sanding, unless called for in the material data sheet. Lay it down and live with it. If you do end up scuffing, try not to break through on the high spots.

 

Did you use hardener in the paint? Remember how long it took for the car hauler paint to set up? That was implement paint as well if you remember....

 

I did not... I thought about it midway through... but it tacked up pretty quick and is smooth to the touch now. Most of the dust wipes right off, just some of it got in before it was dry. Honestly it would probably look fine with just a buff but there are a couple thin spots where I think we could do better. I'm not sure if it's ok to just slop some more paint on those spots without doing another coat on the whole car.

 

Black is the most forgiving to spot in, but if you have the materials, it makes sense to do another coat. If you are planning on stripping and straightening in the near future, it won't be that much more work to remove. If you plan on buffing, another layer will be your friend with the current surface.

If you have more in the can, it can dry out on the body or in the can!
I doubt an extra pound or two is going to ruin the acceleration, and the rock chips will have a deeper hole to fill later.

 

Working on tuning it today and stopped at a friend's house to check out the Scout he was working on. A bunch of neighborhood kids wanted to check it out and sit in it which turned into wanting to ride in it so she got a pretty good workout today.



I've noticed the radiator shell seems to be leaning more and more forward lol. Need to figure out how to get it to fit better.

 

I mean absolutely no disrespect. In fact, I admire you're willingness to have fun with it.
But if you are worried about some dust in the paint and plan on rubbin' it out, I think you are harboring a dual personality!

 

I've been accused of worse... this ain't no rat rod!!! I don't mind tearing it up and letting monkeys climb all over it. But I said it was gonna have shiny paint.

 

Tell 'em you'll be back tonite and let 'em climb all over in their flannel jammies, not chinos!
That just sounds all kinds of wrong, but it will shine better!

 

How the hell is it leaning forward with that 1/4" rod fastened at both ends? Didn't we get that thing solidly mounted?

 

I don't know if it has actually gone anywhere since I put it on but it definitely has a bit of a lean. We never mounted it with this specific radiator and it doesn't fit very well. The shell is bottomed out on the top tank and doesn't want to sit all the way back. I need to pull it back off and see where it's rubbing and maybe just try to cave the aluminum tank in a little to clear. The shell is fastened to the radiator at the bottom but there is no common ground anywhere above that point so nothing else to attach it to. It is rigid enough that the fan never comes anywhere near it but I don't like it. I need to make up some tabs.

If I could raise the shell a little it would sit level but then it stands even further above the cowl. This is the same issue Sid's car has and the fix would be the same. What I need is a '30/31 crossmember to lower the radiator a little.

Or I could just put a T shell on it. But where's the fun in that?

 

Slice out the radiator mounts on the crossmember and lower them down and weld back in. Works fine.

Dave

 

If I remember right Trevor fabricated some brackets and bolted them through holes in the crossmember. I don't recall seeing a way to "slice and lower" as mentioned above.

 

The pads that I used as mounting points can be cut out and welded in lower, which dwollam did on his car and is what I'll need to do on Sid's. But it occurred to me that the bottom of the radiator is already very close to hitting the crossmember as it is, so it wouldn't get me anywhere.

 

I used a 30-31 radiator on a 28 frame so when I lowered the mounting pads the raditor and shell fit properly.

Dave.

 

Little bit of loot for the T from the Stray Kat. Thanks @winduptoy for the fan!!!



Need to find exactly one rajah terminal.