You guys must be wondering what is up with the hambandy build. Well it has been a long few weeks and not much to show for it. Last you checked we had the frame built and waiting on the front axle so we can set up the front end. Remember we went ahead with the building of the frame and based it on that the front axle is a 4-inch drop. Well when the axle final showed up with the front and rear springs as well as a wiring kit and the Dash. Which I much say is a piece of art work. Andy has it in his room for safe keeping. Anyway back to the axle. It was not a 4-inch drop like we believed it was, It looked to be a stock late 30`s axle. Remember this is moving across the two countries sense the hamb drags this past summer. Now our problem was that the car would sit higher then we planned. Chris said that there was another axle that we could have if we need it. So after finding out it was a 4-inch drop Chris was all over it to get it here as quick as possible. So we sat and waited. A week goes by and no axle. Chris gets on the horn and calls around to find out where it is. Oh and along with the new axle we still at this point have not seen the wheels. Chris found both the wheels and the axle at customs. Seems the paper work was not in order and the parts were held. A few faxes and signing off on some paper work the parts were released and on their way again. Now all this time we were trying to figure what we can do to move the project ahead. Our plan is to build this car from the ch***is up and built the front end first so we can figure out how to hang a nine inch. With no axle to go by we were at a stand still with the frame. So we hunted down the parts we need to start set up a rear end. Bill stripped apart a 9-inch he had and I stripped apart one I had. Between the two we have the making of a rear end or so we think we do!! We hope!! Anyway Bill started in on cutting up some 2x4 for rear trailing arms. Now in the middle of all this Bill put his back out so our Thursday nights came to a stand still. Now this gave me time to get caught up around the shop with projects that need my attention. This all goes down and a week p***es and the wheel’s final show, very nice but no axle!! Where is the new axle?? Now Chris jumps on it again and comes to find out that the tracking number shows it made it as far as New Brunswick and it seems to be lost!!! And the past week Chris has been hunting down leads as to what happen to the axle. So there you have it. Seem the problems that have been plaguing us from the start of the build is shipping. We seem to be in a hole in the ground up here cause nothing seems to get here on time or for that matter at all. It is not like we can just go to the local speed shop and pick up a hot rod part. That is unheard of in these parts. If the axle falls through we are going to have to go with the other axle and make do and put up with a higher stance. If there is no axle by this Thursday then we will use what we have. Time is short and this little hot rod project is getting the better of us. Hay we are fighters. Nothing is going to stop the Hamband build. fitzee
Thanks for the update. Andy didn't have it easy with what he went through, no reason the car should be any differant!! Persistance will prevail.
i thought you were in the shop today............... The build is very similar to Andy, fighting every inch of the way. With a little luck, well a lot of luck we will see the damn axle before thursday. I guess the primed and painted wheels should be ready to see the rubber mounted this week as well. For all who dont know where we are located...........google earth us. You will see that we are 1/2 way between here and nowhere............... Anyways thats that. Now for the kicker..............Chris is in high gear to get Andy to Joplin.........and has the pressure on us to get his ride there with him. Leon
Damn right "persistance will prevail!" Shipping, or should I say...RECEIVING...has been a total PITA since we started. We'll build it a little higher if the dropped axle doesn't show up. Andy can always swap it out in the future. Of course, we'll also need to have a new main leaf fabbed to make up for the increased perch distance in the later axle...and turning radius with the wider wishbone mounting MIGHT be a bit tight...but we can leave some bend in the prebent wishbones to allow for that! One change can end up having an effect on many things by the time all issues are looked at!!! St John, New Brunswick. St John's, Newfoundland Both on the east coast. The axle disappeared in New Brunswick! Hmmmm...Now HOW could that happen????? Bet if we had it shipped to Terry in "GRAND FALLS" it would have made it with no issues...or maybe it would have gone to Grand Prairie! LoL With our luck...anything is possible!
I know that this may sound insane.........but, could you guys drop the axle "HAMB style".....heating and pump jacks.....it is in the tech.....I know that 4 inches is alot, but I bet that "Dago" said........"Sure, I'll try it".....if you need a Ford I beam axle, I can mail you guys one.....I am not sure on what it is, I just know it is a late 30's / early 40's stocker and it will have to be "dropped". Chris Nelson Kansas
Hey Leon! Hows it goin'??? Won't kid you or Chris...Joplin will be tough for an actual running car! With just the two of us doing the majority of building and having jobs/businesses to hold down...wow! Gonna be tough! I was thinking...there are always alternatives... One would be to prep just the body by cross bracing etc and make the run to Joplin with the intent of having it HAMB chopped at the strip! Should fit in the back of Chris' pickup no problem, Andy gets to Joplin AND HAMBers get to put their hands into some of the work on Andys ride! Personally I think that would peg the cool meter. I'm sure that it make the whole build even more special to all HAMBers to see more actual HAMBer involvement. Doesn't change the commitment to having a running car ASAP... But without 40 hour weeks and more manpower at the rig...man, its gonna be tough as hell to meet the deadline...so its good to have a backup plan!
Thanks Chris...but we're covered on the late axle. We have several and they do offer a slight drop over a stock Model a anyway...so we'll go with one of those if the dropped one stays lost. Timewise...it wouldn't make sense to get into fabbing a drop jig. Thanks for the offer though! Really appreciate it!
I haven't chimed in much on this, but I have been following along, feeling really good for Andy. I had a bout of sleeplessness the other night (my mind starts to wander on 1000 topics; it's like changing TV channels on a remote, and I usually have a hard time getting to sleep), for some reason, I had it in my head that I desperately needed to check in on Andy and the build on the HAMB. I thought something awful had happened for some reason. I was SO relieved when I logged on to the HAMB and found the latest post, that he was doing well and the work on his ride was still progressing well. Thanks for the update! Andy- Best wishes to you!
Always wanted to drop a axle but like Bill said time is limited. We have basiclly 3 to 4 hours on Thursday nights and 8 to 12 on Saturdays. As much as we would want to go wild with custom build parts we know that if we don`t keep this build simple it could turn into a long build. I`m thinking that when we have the front end mounted that things will move a bit faster.kind of hard to mount motors,rearends and the body if we don`t have a starting point to base our measurement from. As for the Wheels Leon don`t hold your breath on this week.I want to take them after they are sand blasted and have them checked to see how straight they are.Seems ever little project with this car has thrown a loop into one thing or another and If we go throught the trouble of painting them and mounting the tires only to find out one was bent! that wouldn`t be nice. Oh Leon drop off that spring early this week so I can size up what is involved in mounting it.
New Brunswick..??? Isn't that in Washington state...?? Or is that in BC...??? Wait, aren't you guys in New Found Land...??? That's England, right...??? Or...wait, eastern United States, up there near Maine...on the eastern side right? Oh, now I 'member...it's the Big Island...Hawaii...uhm...no, isn't New Foundland in Canada..yeah...where is that again...??? I once sent HackerBill something, I marked it NFLD, CANADA...filled out all the customs forms...it went to Europe and was delivered back to me, after a month...now if the Post Offices of two countries cannot read CANADA on an address...why do you all think UPS can do any better...???!!! R-
shippers picked the axle up here 1 day after i gave it to you guys, where the hell is it? i thought donating a 4 " drop axle would be a good thing............ i guess not, that ****s...
It WAS a good thing 5W!!!! Certainly not your fault if something gets lost getting shipped over such a long distance! Has to bum you out for this to happen but what can you do!?!? Its just the luck of the draw sometimes. It's the thought that counts even if it never arrives...and we ALL appreciate what you did. We haven't given up hope just yet either...
The missing axle is found and due to be here later this week. Sooooo all is pure again. As for Andy...........his computer is down so he could be a few days before he is back. Leon
guys i have been out of town a lot lately and i will be gone for the next 2 weeks and i will check on the flatty concerns but i do have sources so if you need anything looked after to "get er dun" i will do whatever i can , i want to see that build at the Glacier show on May 31 and yeah 2008.
The Jalopy Journal
