Projects 1940s Model A Sport Coupe Build Thread

Well, there you go again, validation of a good idea. I also like the build that lorodz copied you in on. Sounds like it is fun to drive..............and to drive by the gas stations too. Good point on not going crazy with the patina............back then they wouldn't be caught dead driving a vehicle that looked really bad unless they were actually driving it home from where they got it. Iron oxide is not structural..........just look at what is left of the Titanic!

Endeavor to persevere!

 

I scored some accessory 1936 Ford spider caps for my car from an old timer last night. These are the cool, all stainless ones that cover the wide five wheel hubs and the spokes too. The caps are a little banged up, but should clean and polish up nice.



The pictures are kind of crappy, but here you can get the idea.









I still haven't had a chance to finish the tranny crossmember, but will be getting back on that soon.

 

I'm really digging this build. Subscribed.

 

11/15/2012: Finally an update! Summer has been really busy so haven't had much time to build. Now that it's dark and cold every night after work I can now start to build this car again.

So I left off with the engine mounts made. Now I'm doing the tranny mount for the T-5. I began with 1x2" 0.125 wall tubing and tacked up a drop center mount.



I am now building the mount plate for the rubber mount. I torched it out and cleaned it up pretty good, but trying to keep the look like it someone would have made years ago with a torch and drill press.



Don't mind the off center 1/4 hole. Center punching holes in the dark leads to off center drilled holes!



Still have to add the mounting ears, but you can get the idea.

 

Finished up the trans mount this weekend.







Now I starting to work on the rear 'bones. I think I want to use the ball and socket from a front bone and then add a torque arm, but still in the planning stages.

One thing I did score this weekend was a bunch of more parts. I found a '30 coupe in really rough shape. It had some usable pieces so a couple of cuts with the hack saw and it went from this:





To this:



The car was so rusty it literally just fell apart. I did end up with a neat Ertl style model kit when I got home!



I needed some misc pieces like a cowl band, door strikers, etc so I made out good. I also picked up a couple other cowls for parts.

I sawed the roof pieces off and now I have some patterns for when I build the roof on my car.

 

Very nice, I love the motor and trans set up. Modern GO JOB in a old suit.

 

That's the look I am going for. All old on the outside, but good mileage and power under the hood.

 

"....I also picked up a couple other cowls for parts."

Great build, Subscribed!
Would you be interested in parting with the windshield posts off the 28/29 cowl? I'm building a '29 Sport Coupe and mine are missing :-(

 

great work so far... ill be keeping an eye on this build

 

very cool man, looking forward to more updates

 

Damn, how did I misss this thread for so long? Looking good, Josh. Can't wait to see it done.

Dave

 

Thanks, Dave. I'm hoping to be running around in it by the spring!

 

looks good, about the same stage as my 28. Hoping to make some more progress this winter.

 

The motor is great it hauls ass. I changed the carb to a 2bl rodchester now it doesn't run as rich could
I think it gets 15 to 20 miles to the gallon

 

What a great build thread!

Don't listen to the naysayers -- build the car you want on your budget for your intended use.

Trick classic engines are fun, but also a PITA -- I have owned enough problematic overcammed leaky vibrating smoke belching 400+HP monsters to appreciate your choice of engine modest modern running gear is nothing to apologize for if youre planning on commuting with it.

 

Josh this looks great man EXCELLENT work!!

 

sweet build you're doing a great job!!!

 

This weekend I worked on the rear wishbones for the coupe. The stock '38 bones were pretty weak looking so I built a new unit out of a '42-'48 front wishbone that is way more beefy.



The first thing I did was cut the ends off both the bones.



As a stroke of good fortune I noticed that the '38 ends would just about fit inside the '42 bone so that would make a good overlapping joint. I used a hole saw to make some nice fishmouth joints.



After a lot of filing, fitting, and measuring I was able to slide the new ends into place for welding.



After everything was checked for level and square I welded the ends in.





Here are the bones hung under the car. I will make simple flat plate mounts to weld to the axle tubes. I like the little kick up in the bones as it picks them up a little closer to the body.







After I get the front ball socket mount fabbed I can them locate the rear mounts and build a torque arm. I'm using the ball socket X-member plate from a '36 frame to build my rear mount. I started working on that yesterday, but didn't get too far.

 

Thanks, Andy!

 

Finished up the rear wishbone mount last week. Here is the start of the ball mount. I used part of the front ball plate from a '36 frame. Also visible are the rear axle mounts that will hold the bones to the axle tubes.



Here I cut the excess away and made a box over the socket. Also I added a support to the trans mount to stop lateral movement.



I then fabbed legs that mount to the tubular crossmember I added to frame earlier.



The wishbone mount will be welded here to the tubes as well as u-bolted for extra support.





I tried to keep the pivot point near the slip yoke and as tight to the tranny as possible.



Here's a tip if you want to cut some semi-circles in the edge of a part with a hole saw. Make a fixture that you can drill into with the center drill of the hole saw. Just move the saw out enough to the diameter of the cut you want and drill.



I also fabbed up the rear tube shock mounts. The lower ends used the tabs I left on the axle plates. The uppers were round tube welded and gussetted to the rear cross member.





Next up is a torque arm then it's on to the pedal mount.

 

Mounted my the taillights in the A on Sunday. I struggled with the issue for quite a while. I love the look of '39 Ford lights flanking a plate on the rear panel, but that has been done so many times. I wanted a period light to mount the same way, but in a more unused fashion. I settled on '42-'48 Buick lights. They fit my circa '47 time period, are flat mounting, and look cool. So dug some up at Hershey and some more in the boneyard and started the layout.

First the soap stone and cardboard pattern layout.



After I got the look I wanted out came the hole saw. I'm committed now!



Driver side then the passenger side.





I love the look. Also the lights should be bright as there are two bulbs in each. Still trying to figure out my new camera as the pictures are crappy, but you get the idea.

 

Nice fit... I like them, and see no reason not to, really. Gary

 

I'm digging those tail lights, too. Something you don't see everyday.

 

Looking great!

 

Hello! I m enjoying your build . You are complaining your new camera is not producing pictures to your liking. In my short time of following builds on the H A M B, I find this a normal complaint. I believe you camera is showing what it sees. When you take pictures in your shop,try diming or turning off a couple (floresent)lights or get a lens filter.
In finishing you car I suggest you paint it a light color. Its my opinion only most sweet little Model A coupes are too dark. If you tend to feel that way too, check on a color called VANILLA SHAKE.If you would do your top/roof insert a darker color or a frabric,that would be cool too, I hope im not out of line saying that.
I hope to see some pictures soon. Tnomoldw



When the going gets tough the tough get going!

 

Thanks for the info, Tnomoldw. I actually figured out what was wrong with the camera so hopefully future shoots should be better. It is a cheaper instimatic-digital so I can't hope for perfection. Your A looks good too!

 

Sorry to inform you,I dont have cars/trucks/motorcycles/snowmobiles any more. I do however enjoy you H A M B guys projects very much.I'm not dead yet but I will turn 75 in a couple weeks. I ve always been a dreamer and have never been bored that said looking back,I feel I doen it all. Street rods,show car,circle car,motorcycles,I was vice pres.of the 3 Rivers MC. I think I lost my car drive when I decided to build my own house in the country. Now after a passage of time the city has surrounded me.lol The corn and bean fields are full of houses. I used to have deer playing in my yard.I haven't seen a deer in a long time. Im always busy with computer projects I run 2 or more at a time.I came to H A M B a few weeks ago, because the video game I played for many years closed and I found nothing to replace it, I played City of Heroes.I find this H A M B stuff all good.You keep on that project,its a cool one. catch you later and ty for the MSG RETURN. ........Tnomoldw
''I wanna go where the lights are low where I can go'n spend my dough an dance with the dolly with the wooden leg'' Here's one to take note of = the owner's wife sold this car in 1943 after he died for $200.00. The new owner was enroute to Miami when the had an offer and sold it in Atlanta,for $1000,to Navy guy who shiped out,he went to war, when he got back the car was a mess. motor froze, Sold it to a guy who had it restored.I'n 1984 it was bought in an auction by a TEXAS collector.He paid 1.78 million. He died.Someone bought it. But since then origional owners family bought it and had it restored to origional condition. It's in a meseum .

 

A lot of work over the holiday break. First I finished the rear suspension. I built the torque arm for the rearend. I used the cut off ends of the original '38 rear wishbone married to a new piece of tubing.





I cut out some brackets to attach the torque arm. The front is a single shear as close to the ball pivot as possible. The rear is double shear that I hid behind the driver's side shock.





The torque arm really isn't that visible from the side of the car and is almost invisible from the rear. The "triangle" from the lower wishbone mounts to the rear of the torque arm is also quite tall so it should be pretty strong.







Next I started on the brake mount. I used a '39-'48 swing assembly. I then started to make a plate to attach the pedals to the frame.



I little plasma work at my neighbor's house and bam!



The pedal mount welds to the frame and then will get some nice gussets. I'll finish weld when the body comes back off.







I have a single jug Ford master on there now, but might swap in a '67 Mustang drum/drum unit if it will clear the tranny crossmember.

 

Next I moved onto the interior of the car. With the pedals and column figured out I could get the seat into position.

(Note: If you want to bash my use of the minivan seat that will get recovered we already discussed that a few pages ago. I'm not going to justify any more, if you don't like it go read something else.)

I wanted to mount the seat to the metal cross braces in the floor, but they were not really lined up under the seat so I had to get creative. I started by shaping some 1/2" steel pipe (not EMT conduit). I then made a rear vertical stand out of square tubing and tied them with some angle.





Then I welded some strap to the bottom of the seat for the angle to bolt to.



The brackets bolt through the cross rails and raise the seat 4" off the floor in the rear and 6" in the front.





The rear of the seat is going to sit over the gas tank which will be 4" tall and fill up the rear floor void under the back of the seat. The tank will also have a raised area in the trunk for the sender and filler.

Best part about the seat is a hidden cup holder! Ever tried to pull out of drive-thru with one hand on the wheel, and the other on the shifter while that big gulp is balanced between your legs? Don't have to worry about that now!



Here is my gas tank mock up. I'll break the real one up out of 14 ga steel. It volumetrically measures out to about 13.7 gal.



Here you can the tank under the seat and how it fits in the trunk.







My goal was to be able to fit a full size spare in the trunk. I plan on driving this car a lot and running wide 5 wheels it probably is a good idea to have a spare as most tire shops will probably look at you funny when you come in with a flat. With a bunch of figuring and fitting I was able to accomplish my goal.



Still plenty of room in the trunk for a cooler and some luggage.

Speaking of the trunk, I scored some patena-ed '39 Buick hinges to flop the lid. This lid was louvered long ago and I think it will look pretty cool on the car.







The lid was out of square as was the opening so I spent quite a while slicing and dicing the edges of the lid to get it to fit the hole somewhat decently. It ain't no Boyd job, but at least it will actually open and close now!

 

It's an observation of your seat . No biggy,just my personal taste. especially since it's not adjustable. Bill aka Tnomoldw ''I wanna go where the lights are low where I can go'n spend my dough an dance with the dolly with the wooden leg''