Projects Timm builds a model A

Almost as reckless as skate boarding, it was figured out that I strained a muscle in my back…. cutting tree branches…. while in the tree.

Apparently I’ve hit the age that even when nothing goes even remotely badly you still feel like it did.

 

To quote the mid 00's movie Hot Rod: "Life is pain, and it's our job to s****e the joy from it."

 

Been fighting killer pain for 7 months. It's hell to get older. Two x-rays, an ultrasound of my carotid, and an MRI later, they tell me my tore up from the floor up disease has finally caught me. Ortho doc says plan on surgeries later as he wouldn't even sugar coat how messed up my neck is. He just flat out called it a mess...Getting old ain't for pussies.

 

You still have muscles? They will go away too. Get'er done as soon as you can! It don't get better.

 

Alright time for an update.
The car is on the ground. On the suspension. The only jack stands are under the frame rails an inch or so just to put my mind at ease.

So how did we get here? Well after a week I unburied the car from “time out” and took it all apart.

I could see where I had broke or cut tack welds on the ladder bar cross member and figured it’s as good of place as any to start and just put it back where it was.

Then I connected the ladder bars to the cross member and rear axle.

Measure and it’s off a good 3/4”. I have that much adjustment but it would leave me with 3/4” of thread engagement. Not loving that I cut the tack welds - just a little tip here but maybe make sure you can reach those mock up welds with a grinder…. Because I didn’t and it took for eeeeeeeevvver to hand file them off.

I then twisted the cross member shifting the tabs backwards guesstimating 3/4”. I used some big welding clamps to hold in place and check and it looked good so I buzzed it in.

I think I had this thing in and out 3-5 times in the last two days. time to clean up a little and measure some more. Drivers side seems right and the p***enger is off somewhere in the realm of 1/8-1/4 an inch.

Measure every which way the ladder bar cross member and found where it pulled. Cut the now better positioned tacks and pushed it in place and zapped it. I didn’t take anything apart for that last tweak. Just rolled the tire forward.

As a funny aside pre existing marks lined up once I got it in place. Pretty good chance this is where I had it mocked up one of the first times lol.

alright ladder bars connected I removed the wheels and lowered the rear axle to attach the shackles. Figured I was roughly an inch shy from reaching. So I removed the boxing plate and spring mounts and slide the whole thing rear wards around an inch ish. Bolting the shackle in place to make sure everything was inline and not binding.

Had a slight boxing plate alignment issue and had to clean it all up and zap it back in place again but other than nerves everything seemed to go ok.

so there it is. Take it apart, put it together, take it apart, put it together. I think I have around 10-11 hours in the last few days.

I still need to adjust the ride height and there’s a few things that I think a thread or two adjustment would pull it 100% spec but everything seems to be 1/16” or closer to exactly right.

I need to find some good reference points to make sure the car is the same height side to side. Both fenders are in different conditions and mounted both haphazardly so I think when I balance it out maybe I’ll put a level on the bottom of the back window or maybe measure from the belt line? Take some variables away.

If building these things teaches you anything it’s that if something is off 1/16” it’s going to translate to a lot more 6 ft down the length.

Plan at the moment is to breath and work on my little model car project the rest of the week. Then I’ll get the springs adjusted to correct height and start on the panhard bar.

As much as I want to turn the car around and mess with another section the car sure wiggles its **** around a lot with no pan hard or shocks. So I’m gonna just force myself to get it ****oned up.

 

Congratulations, you did it!
Let's solve the next issues: that's the game and the result will be bad***!

 

Rad

 

Thanks guys, some times you hurt and you're frustrated and everything jist kinda goes sideways. The week off was much needed.

I’m going to do the pan hard bar and shock mounts next which I believe will require some re working of the bumper irons. So that’s probably the next puzzle I’ll tackle. Shouldn’t be anything to crazy.

mean while I’m paying attention to what may hit if you really compressed this suspension and good options for bump stops.

Im currently thinking some tall beehive shaped stops located under the crossmember at the ends. There is a body mount hole in the perfect spot but it’s other wise occupied. Maybe I’ll go right next to it. We shall see

 

https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=vintage axle bump stops
Pictures are worth a thousand words. Lots of different styles to chose from!

 

Hey that’s handy!

I noticed @Austin kays new set up actually has the bump stop on the axle instead of the frame. Lots of ways to conquer the task

 

True Grit, Tim! You tamed that naughty *******.

 

Little wander in after Thanksgiving dinner and stare at it post. Laid the hood back down, sure reads a lot different with it on/shut. Pork n ****** and I were talking about how much heavier the rear wheels look with the steelies. Even though physically the wires with knobbys weigh so much more.

I need to lift the p***enger side rear just about 3/4” or so. With it like this the rake isn’t enough and you start getting a little pro street vibe with the stuffed tires. drivers side, again hard to see period but harder to see what I’m talking about in pictures but I’ll try. It’s a little higher and the rake comes back and the car reads less level, less pro street, and more pro stock ready to launch! I think this little rake change also has an effect on how heavy the rest of the car reads heavy or not.

anyhow I grabbed an exhaust pipe and a model A jack and mocked one up to squint real quick. I have been planning a smaller pipe and maybe black pipes? But thy are there so I gotta hold one up right? Right
This is sorta where I’ve been picturing the tips. Maybe a little more towards center but at this position I can run them under the rear axle and straight back with a little upward jog. maybe here out wider? I need more hands/ stands to play with ideas. gotta say I don’t hate it.

Also don’t hate how the car looks with a dozen different worn out paints, primers a rust. Kinda reminds me of Blakes 32 from Texas. Sorta. I’ll have to see if I can find a photo of it.

tempted to drive it rough for a minute first but I really would loath having to take it apart to finish it

 

Borrowed snap of Blake’s Tudor. My hood is black and blue as well

 

I really like how this is coming together. The stance is right on, but I do see what you are saying about the p***enger side rear. I really like the exhaust tips inboard with the license plate as well.

 

My vote is outboard, inboard looks too early 00's Street Roddy, but that's just me.

I get what you're saying about the p***enger ride height, should be an easy change.

 

Little photoshop magic

 

I’ve always wanted them under the license plate. I always like it when they sneak pipes over the banjo and under the spring

that being said it’s more the shiny that I have issue with. There will be nearly zero chrome or shiny trim on the car they kinda stand out in my head when I think bout the finished vision. Not totaly sure if it’s in a good way.

gonna mock them up on the 46 next for giggles.

 

Just farting around in the shop before heading to work. Thought I’d try a few other ideas real quick.