Alright, I finally got off my *** and decided to actually start working on this 46 Ford I picked up. This was started by a guy that eventually lost time to work on it. He got as far as channeling the cab and shortening the box 12" each. I got it for a good deal along with a spare 59ab that was supposedly rebuilt 10 years ago and never run. It just sat under a couple guys' benches never actually finding a home. I decided to just start ripping all the accessories and misc garbage off of the 59ab that was currently in it just to get a look at what I all had on this frame and figure out what I might plan on doing. It was actually pretty damn tough to get motivated to actually start working on it, however after I started I realized there's no turning back... This thing will be on the road eventually. I am excited. Since I essentially have zero history with hotrods, customs, old domestics what ever, I have been around racing (dirt track) all my life and wish I was alive in the 50s-70s. Anyways, I decided to just start ripping stuff off the installed flattie just to see what we had under there and figure out why she stopped running or wouldn't turn. I quickly found piston #3 to be missing. I didn't feel any ridges in the tops of the cylinders and the neighbor seems to think it's a low millage motor. There is some pretty nasty pitting on it since water was mixed in everywhere, and I really have no idea how long it's been sitting. I also popped the heads off the extra, supposedly rebuilt, flattie. To my knowledge its obvious the valves have been replaced but it did look pretty damn pristine in the cylinders, which rocks and makes me very hopeful since everyone I know has been telling me to not go the flattie route... I was quite surprised at how well everything came off. I only snapped one bolt, and that was just off the exhaust. But enough rambling... I'll eventually get to putting a nice Z in the frame to get some more foot room and cab space... wooo! I really just have a general direction for this, nothing to specific yet, but definitely more than I need to stay motivated... Alex -Pretend Photographer www.figzphoto.com Started with this... Progress on Sunday... Day0001
Cool project..and great pics as well....i've rarely seen photo's on here with such clarity up close.. art like.. sorry to sway off topic..i do dig the truck too
Why is it a pos looks solid to me ? Check the flatty between the vavles for cracks ! I like these trucks im looking for one to build this winter. good luck
Thanks! It's not really a POS, but everyone that looks at it thinks it is, atleast all those "non-enthusiasts"... hahaa... On each of the blocks I cannot find any visible cracks, but then again, I'm not sure how visible they'd be to the eye. The original that's sitting on the frame now Might be a bit destroyed, water went through it at some point and theres some decent pitting between the valves and the cylinders. Who knows, maybe its more than just a boat anchor, we'll see Thanks, hopefully I can keep this rolling, as slow as progress may be... I'm having fun. I've worked a variety of cars but nothing this neat.
Thanks! Currently I shoot with a Canon EOS-40D. My previous work has all been produced on a Canon EOS-20D. It's not so much the camera but the gl*** you use that actually helps the most. A camera is a camera is a camera essentially. What you pair it up with is what makes the difference. I wish I was alive back in the old days... dirt track cars now days are kind of boring to look at... but I try... I need something with a little more heritage... I'm having a blast with this thing... Haven't been this excited to turn a wrench in a long time...
Hey check with "johns cars" out near rockville he may have 37-39 truck grille so you don't have ta use that farmall... To many tractor restorers in the granite city that would want that one.. And the big pantowners swap is coming up soon too
Yeah, I'm not set on using that international front end on it... I just haven't really found anything that jumps out at me so I just threw it in the front to get an idea... Can't wait for the Pantowners swap... It'll be my first time attending, and I've lived here all my life... Even if I don't walk away with anything... my big concerns are steering, and pedals... gotta figure something out for that...
pantowner tip pay to park in the guys yard across from the main gate ... be early but ya better not take the last spot.. i'll know or be in the show its a big place to get thru
I'll probably just end up walking, and having someone gaurd my pile of loot, or ditch it off at a friend's place near by! hahaa!... I suppose its a little different for folks actually traveling... So no worries! I wont steal your spot... haha
Glad to see you're getting started, Alex. You're getting started and I'm starting over. So who will be on the road first? My money is on you on that one!
UPDATE: Progress is sweet... I got that engine pulled out. I rolled the ch***is out and pressure washed the hell of out of it. I can't believe how much garbage/grease/dirt was on that thing. I can actually see what I'm doing now. Next on the list is to replace that right front leaf, it is busted and after a closer inspection the two front leafs are different. After that is done I can begin the tedius learning curve of putting a nice Z in the frame to gain more cab space, so I eventually can chop the roof, but that's down the road. I also have 2 complete 59ab motors. The one I pulled out obviously doesn't turn and the valves look pretty frozen however, I don't see any visible cracks anywhere. The other one was supposedly rebuilt 20 years ago and sat under a bench never finding a home. I took the heads off and also didn't notice any cracks anywhere. I need to find the misc bolt-ons to get this thing running. After I hear it run I'm sure nobody will ever see me again until this thing is on the road... Maybe I can get some photos tonight... Anyone have any book recommendations for rebuilding a 59ab? I've never tried to do anything of this sort and I'm damn excited to learn...
Looks cool to me...good luck with the project...like the farmall grille...I had one that I was gonna use on a 37 chevy pickup...stay motivated and by spring you could be cruisin' that thing...
I'm uncertain about the farmall grill. I was scoping out some mid 30s grills at the swap meet, but still unsure about those too... So as of right now it's still up in the air. Sorry to hear about that... Is he alright? I got nothing! I found a 46 plate I was going to buy but the guy was no where to be found...stopped back 4 times. I pretty much just looked, at everything. I was really unsure about what to buy since I guess I really wasn't looking for anything in particular. Someone did have a running 59ab there not sure how much that was. Found a bunch of 2 and 3 port manifolds, and an original polished Offy... but all were out of my price range for the time being... I guess I walked away from the swap with more ideas than anything... Which at this time is more valuable to me than some parts... Although it would have been nice to walk away with -something-... hahaa oh well..
Dad is ok for now just gettin dizzy a bit the are changin his meds ... He grew up in st cloud! But at 86 everytime in the emergency room is ... Well ...not a place i wnt to go..but we faith fully do I SPENT MY SWAP MEET ALLOWANCE DOWN IN DELFT AND THEN SOME ..SEE THE DELFT THREAD
That's good he's alright... Yeah I didn't know that auction was happening... Oh well... I'm in no hurry... I do however wanna get this flatty going... I'm excited to buy stuff I don't need right now though, hahaa
If you are talking about the guy who is across from the car corral gate,? That's where I park every year. I Like the Pantowner show. A few Rat rods there that were way more RAT than rod. Ridiculous actually. I didn't know having a big POS, was cool. Sorry, not trying to highjack the thread.
I was thinking of leaving it channeled... However my friend Bull pointed this out and asked me what would happen if I cut a tire by chance... Obviously the cab would bottom out first and then the sight wouldn't be pretty sooo that quickly changed my mind... definately going to Z the frame. I'm more worried about the "rat rod" thing becoming a popular fad. It will die out. This truck won't be the most beautiful thing out there, but it wont be a complete pile once it gets painted and cleaned up after it's on the road.
Update... Well no real update. Got a new job, relocated to the North Shore. Bought a house, well A tiny 1.5 stall garage, with a house. I haven't even moved the truck up this way yet. Too busy to get moving on it. So, I think I'm going to fabricate a frame to get this thing to sit how I want. I will Z the frame. Anyone have any thoughts? I was thinking of something along the lines of a 32 ford frame (front section at least). My brother fabricates his own dirt track ch***is, so he'll be supervising my work making sure it's safe. That's about it... just a lot of thinking... It's been awhile...
The Jalopy Journal
