Damn that ****s! Good thing Oceanside isn’t as strict as OC. Funny enough, we actually have an HOA here but I’m so friendly and help with everyone in my neighborhood that I think they let me get away with more stuff here haha
Welding on grade 8 nuts and bolts makes them brittle. Not recommended Welding on grade 8 nuts and bolts Welding on Grade 8 nuts and bolts is generally not recommended due to the potential for mechanical property degradation and embrittlement. The heat from welding can alter the microstructure of the steel, reducing its strength and toughness. Additionally, the yellow chromate coating on Grade 8 bolts can release toxic fumes when heated, and it may interfere with the weld quality. It is crucial to ensure that the fasteners are made from weldable steel and that any heat addition will not adversely affect their strength and safety.
That’s interesting, thanks for the info! I was wondering about that. My buddy has been doing it a long time on the driveshaft on these old fords, and has never had an issue, once. He’s been building cars over 30 years. I’m hoping also in my case the HAF is on the head far outside what part I would need which is the shaft to hold as a shear pin IF the collar somehow came off or spun on the driveshaft itself. I think it would be impossible, but we will see. I’m sure I didn’t even need to put a pin in the coupler at all.
Running this setup to get my caster angle correct. How have yall done it? I have to be out of my buddies shop today so they can make money tomorrow.
Got the wishbones tacked, then raised the car and got small beads on them so they wouldn’t move, then lowered and checked angle of axle and I ended up around 7.8 degrees. I think the car should drive nice. We will see. Took the bones out, bench tig welded, took outside and painted them. Installing now. Was also able to install the splash apron and hardware. Tightened the body down today with some additional shims trying to get the hood aligned. Not easy! Cotter pinned the front end, adjusted brakes, and torqued wheels, then installed hub caps.
Gosh I sure hope so. Thank you for the compliment and following along! It’s been a journey for sure and finally feel like the light is at the end of the tunnel. Definitely underestimated how long it would take to learn everything and how much time it would take for each step.
Here’s how she looks when I got her off the rack! Time to take to a muffler shop to bend up the exhaust and work on getting my Smithy’s mufflers installed.
Yesterday I got the car into a shop I used to do exhausts at. Haven’t bent exhaust in about 16 years. Crazy how time flies. I’m def rusty, as I was gun shy about my degree bends. I’d look at something and think, that’s a 10,10 full shoe offset to kick over and I’d only go 5 degrees to start, then 7, then 10. I would say to myself, “see?” I still have the eye but I guess was reluctant to overbend and mess up a stick. Also, I wish the route was a little more symmetrical but between the steering box, starter, different elevations on the k member, then accounting for the master, I did the best I could with the time away from the bender, and with just the 5 hours to work on the car before having to load back on trailer. Fairly happy with it, may bend it again sometime. I didn’t like the flanges he had with universal holes so I’ll blast some new ones out on my CNC plasma table after I draw them and swap them out. I left with the pipes just tacked in place. The tails I also couldn’t weld in cuz it seemed the body needs a tiny bit more adjusting to deal with the hood gap so I bent the tails and left driver side long. I ended up a little more narrow than I had envisioned too. Either way, it’s still exciting that another step was taken on the car. Starting to feel like actually driving this thing is getting closer and closer!
Swapping out the hinge pins. This is what the “restorers” used many years ago. Pretty sweet. Hoping to get the doors to close as good as I’d like.
Had to finish up another side project, finally back on the car! I’m trying something new for my ADHD. I made a list. It’s in order. I’m only going to knock out the items in order until the list is complete. First thing on the list was cowl lacing, next is rad shell on radiator so I can finish up my hood gap and ****on down the body in its final resting place then all the other steps take place. Gonna try to get back on this thing cuz the car needs to be ready in April for the race I missed last year!
Working on the shell and radiator, trying to get this to all fit together. Aftermarket radiator, so not fitting perfect even though I spent 1200 on it.
New lacing installed on both rad shell and cowl. Trying to align hood and body now. This is not easy! I remember my car had an off hole in the crossmember and I guess I’m going to have to align the best I can, mark the crossmember and make a new hole to get the hood gaps to be even.
Look at some of the model A parts suppliers, they have the “shims” to help with the alignment of the body, hood and doors.
Thank you! I do have all of those. I’ve added shims to the front two sets of mounts for the body, added shims under the rear hood hinge receiver, and am having a hell of a time with my radiator and hood gaps. I pulled the radiator out for the 10th time and noticed the mounting tabs on the bottom are 1/4” different when holding a straight edge on the bottom of the radiator. The radiator is leaning towards the p***enger side from the hood gaps. And this uneven mounting coincides with that. I emailed them (US Radiator) about it. I bought the radiator 3.5 years ago when I started on the car and expected them to tell me to pound sand. He responded right away and asked for photos. So I’m hoping that will help me get this car on the road.
That was a great read from start to finish/here in the story! Looks great sat outside, sits well, nice ride height!
If you don’t get the hood gaps aligned that’s pretty much normal and very traditional on these old model As.
Finished up this 14 month side project so full speed ahead on my own stuff now! Thank God. Got my new radiator yesterday. Attempting to fit it today! Hoping I can get the hood and body wrapped up. Bought a bob drake hinge pin puller recently too cuz it looks like I’ll be able to turn down a smaller pin on the lathe. I made oak spacers for the rear fender brackets since for whatever reason they don’t reach the body. Also installed the rear fender welting.
The Jalopy Journal
