Sharp Rdstr PU! I was impressed with the black paint job, came out very nice. Nice work on that windshield, what was the round stock used on the bottom? (Solid? Tubular?)
Hello again, HAMB! It's been 3.5 years since I last updated this thread, theres a lot to report! Over that time this RPU was worked on a lot, driven a lot and also spent a lot of time in hibernation. This week I've found myself with the time and the motivation to go back through all the photos I took along the way and write a little about all of the happenings around this car. AND I'd like to stay more active in here in a quest to get better at writing.
Well I guess we start off where I left you hanging back in July 2022. With all the gear ready to go and a copy of Vern Tardel’s Hydraulic Brakes For Your Early Ford I began tearing it all apart. Pulling stuff apart is always the easiest bit! And with great enthusiasm the stock Model A brakes came off and were thrown into a nice heap to make way for their hydraulic replacements. All the brake internals I got with the brakes were all in quite good shape so I tore everything apart, cleaned it all up and sprayed the backing plates and drums with some nice new coats of black. New wheel cylinders were ordered, a mustang master cylinder and enough brake line to get the job done, I mounted the backing plates to get to work plumbing all the lines in. A local hydraulic shop made the flexible hose parts. With some demonstration from my house mate Mick at the time, I dove in head first and began routing the lines, flaring the ends with a real neat old flaring tool. Having never done this all before it was pretty daunting to make sure I got it all right but once I felt like I had it all figured out it was one of the most fun and satisfying jobs I’ve done on the car. My good friend Aaron helped me modify the original pedal to accept a linkage I made out of some threaded rod. With all the lines plumbed, fluid in we bled it all up and we had hydraulic brakes! Being some 3 years or so ago i cant remember all the issues we had (im sure there were many) but it was a great feeling to get the car back rolling along the road. While we were at it I had Aaron modify the swap meet seat for me and we got it in and sitting good with some new foam. I scored this bit of old carpet from a local antique store that was being thrown away (one person's trash is another’s treasure) and I think it really looks great in there. At some stage between all this I also painted the grille insert white. Got it all done just in time for my 23rd birthday, what a great feeling to roar around town with your mates on your birthday! My lovely friend Alex made me this amazing model of my car!!! Honoured to cherish it forever. With a sore head from partying the night before we decided the perfect hangover cure was a toastie and some dirt skids! I loved this version of the car, all high and mighty. OH and we also added this big megaphone motorcycle muffler tip to the exhaust, the banger made quite the racket.
A little more time had gone by and I’d collected more parts to make it an even nicer driver. The Model A steering box was getting old and I’d gotten realllll sick of wrestling the car along the road. As is with every time you get into something you get completely carried away and that we did. I sourced a 53 F100 steering box, I was really looking for an F1 box but sometimes the parts available at the time is what steers the build. My friend Aaron convinced me to throw on a dropped axle, some neat old chrome round back spindles and a T spring was found for the rear. I’d actually planned to put some shocks on while we were going too but that’s still never made it onto the car. I found setting up the steering quite interesting to learn too, tie rods were made after great difficulty finding the right tap for the tie rod ends, our mate Wardy came through and saved the day! (Wardy's Model A pictured) With a new steering column the 40 wheel was to be no longer, so the last piece to the puzzle was this single spinner steering wheel! After spending some serious effort removing it from the spinner column it came with, I gave it a lick of white paint and it's one of my favourite parts on the car. The first drive after being pulled apart for so long is a great feeling!!! Really dig the new stance and it's so much more fun to drive with the f100 steering! Did some of the most miles it's ever done in one weekend on the RCCRC Run in Melbourne. A great milestone to do the run in my own hotrod. With my co pilot Megan we only had one breakdown when it got a bit hot going up some hills that really tested the poor banger. The pickup did plenty of trouble free miles after these upgrades and what fun we had!! All going well until one weekend the car just wasn't running right, until it stopped running all together. After speaking to local banger gurus we pulled the timing cover off for a look and there you have it, no wonder it didn't want to go! We underwent the necessary work to replace the timing gear a huge thanks to my friend Aaron for everything. The beautiful friend and hot rod wizard he is, he made me up this awesome exhaust. Sad to see the megaphone go but everyone's ears are thankful. Thanks for looking!!!! Bonus pic of Phee smiling because hot rods make you do that!
Thanks for taking us along on your Roadster pickup trip, great pictures too. It's good to have such great friends who help out. Greetings from snowy Germany, Harald
Rpu is looking great. Good job on your uprades. Thanks for the up dates,and taking us along on some rides! It's winter here, my rpu is in hibernation. Your update has me stoked for some roadster weather , can't get here soon enough!
Good job on that pick up. I've watched all year misled youth videos and they remind me of when I was about 20 running around hot riding and having fun,thanks
I remember how loud it was with the megaphone exhaust. Also, let’s bring our threads back! Will I see you in a few weeks?
The Jalopy Journal
