Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

It's a perfectly silent snowy night here in Michigan, and I was just flipping through the ol' build thread before going to bed. In the past, I've posted a little Thanksgiving note. So, I'd like to take the time to do that right now.

If you would have asked me in July 2020 if I would still be working on this car 5-1/2 years later, I would have said you were out of your mind. I think about that a lot. Rather than being discouraged or frustrated, I try to focus on all the fun we've had along the way

We had the first fire-up on Turk Street, the first drive, the inaugural trip to Ocean Beach, and hundreds—if not thousands—of city miles. We had the Harvest Drags, T.R.O.G. at Flabob, and more hangouts/art shows/house parties/park days and Try-It-Out-Tuesdays than I can count. Through this car, I've met numerous friends and connected with strangers out in the community. It's made me laugh, cry, sweat, swear, and really think. I've lost sleep trying to solve problems and celebrated when we figured it out. It tests me every time I open the garage door, but—above all else—it forces me to grow.

Longtime readers know how busy of a year it has been outside of the build. Between work, travel, and some garage shuffling, I'm happy to be able to wrench at all. Sometimes when I think I'm moving too slowly, I reference this very thread. Here's where we sat exactly a year ago.
And here's where we are now.

We're getting there, that's for sure. We're heading towards uncharted territory on 2.0, but I'd really like to think 2026 will be our year. When I get back, I'll be finalizing the fuel system and hooking up the exhaust; I'd like to attempt the first fire-up in December or January. Needless to say, I'll keep you all posted.

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for each and every one of you—those who participate, and those who watch from afar. Without you, there would be no build thread. Thanks again!

 

I’m jammed into non-reclining seat 18B on my return flight to San Francisco, feeling refreshed and ready for the final stretch of 2025.

While I was home, I ordered a handful of parts (and of course some Jalopy Journal merch), most of which should be waiting for me when I pull up to the apartment sometime around midnight.

Before leaving town, I threw two small “homework” ***ignments in my bag. 1) A pair of body blocks 2) Two aluminum header caps. Although I didn’t get around to polishing the latter, I had my dad help me with the former.

 

Much like his dad, my dad is an avid woodworker. He was more than happy to break out his Japanese saw and carry out two precise cuts.

Out of curiosity, I asked him why he never uses power tools. “If I can’t build what I want with what’s in my toolbox, I’m in too far over my head,” he said, pointing to a black plastic box full of wood clamps, sandpaper, and screwdrivers.

Not surprisingly, his cuts were perfect. I thanked him for the help. I’m excited to get them drilled, sealed, and installed. Once I do that, I can bolt in my seat and seatbelts.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate you coming along for the ride.

 

Yesterday's mail was very much inspired by @Joe Blow. Two more important pieces for the fuel tank puzzle.

 

Over the past two days, I've been able to put in a little more time on the car.
I started by taking a walk on Friday afternoon. While I was out, I spotted my friend Zane's DeSoto. Prime parking!

Next, I got my blocks ready.

Big city spray booth.

I'm excited to say now that the body is officially fully bolted to the frame! The driver's side door shuts nicely, but the p***enger one seems to be a little out of whack. I'll address that when I have some more free time.

 

Since noise is still a major concern at the new garage, I had to get creative while shortening my NOS gl***packs.

That meant a trip down to Daly City to rent a tailpipe cutter from O'Reilly's. I've never used one before, but as soon as I brought it out to the lot, I realized that it was in fact broken. Undeterred, I borrowed some tools from the guy behind the counter to fix the links.

For the next 25 minutes or so, the parking lot was my workshop. The cutter was dull and jumped off the track on pretty much every rotation. Customers coming and going looked at me like I had totally lost my mind. "I'm not leaving until I have these pipes cut," I told myself.

And you know what? I did it. I returned the tool with a smile on my face and cruised over to In-N-Out for a celebratory lunch. Now that's progress!

 

So that's the word from over here. I don't think I'm going to be able to get much more done before the holidays, but I'm stockpiling parts for a big Q1 2026. Speaking of which, look what I got in the mail yesterday.
Re-lined and arced LF brake shoes, plus two tuned up wheel cylinders from Jeff at Moose Motors. This is one of my major projects for January. When the time comes, I'll be ready.

 

Thanks, Tim! I owe you a reply on the Rod from Roscoe. Still amazed by that project, and it's only getting better. Hopefully I can check it out on my next trip to the Show-Me-State.

Beware of the square!

Hahahah so true. One time I saw a guy paint his Ford pickup Forest Green with rattlecans in the upstairs parking garage on Geary here in San Francisco—he covered the whole truck from grille to tailgate. The fog was heavyyyy inside the garage.

I have a feeling @Six Ball may have seen some great auto parts store parking lot repairs in his day. I still laugh at the story about the lathe in the motel room.

Sorry about your friend, but what a great memory of a neat car.

 

On Sunday, I drove up north to grab my mock-up brakes from @Jeff34. It's always fun to catch up and see how "The Flathead Flathead" is coming along. Jeff has been making excellent progress. The Tardel-built flathead is in position, and he's working to dial in his steering, front shock mounts, and other details.
It's come a long way since November 2021, hasn't it? I'd like to think this car and my roadster are cl***mates. Maybe even cl*** of 2026?

 

While I was in town, I met with David for a burger in the sun at one of our favorite spots. And, of course, I wanted to swing by the shop to see what was in the works.
I was blown away by this 1927 Buick that he had treated to a mechanical overhaul. The car is quite the antique, but it's clear how ahead of its time it was.

I loved the little oiler. The whole thing reminded me of the trains at Henry Ford Museum—right down to the era-correct smell.

 

One of the finer things in life.

 

Upon returning from Petaluma, I finished torquing down my seatbelts, and then I 90% installed my seat.

I still have to do some final tuning of the hardware, but I can't tell you how good it feels to have this thing off the ground and back in the car. Can you imagine this whole thing upholstered?

 

Here you can get a glimpse at what I'm cookin' up for the seat shelf. Bonus points to anyone who can name what it's from.
Next, I installed the p***enger side exhaust. The flexpipe is an era-correct (and practical) solution. Not every day that you get to bolt in "twice pipes."

 

I'm using aircraft seatbelts that are bolted to the frame. Here they are in the previous version of the car. They close with a nice click. I'll have to cut my "upholstery" to allow them to sneak through, but that's a project for another day.