Hubcaps off no scratch , I would use a right hand slide hammer. holding the cap with a towel in the left hand
I use the plastic handle of one of the small brushes that look like a toothbrush. I cut off the head and grind the stump to a maybe 15-30 degree taper. Tap the taper between cap and wheel. The plastic does not scratch the paint or chrome.
I'm glad I didn't offend anyone. I know the "traditional" parts can be quite scarce and expensive now. I know for myself I have a t-5 and an alternator and I would love to have a more tradtional trans and a generator but I just can't find either in my price range. Regardless you have some awesome fabrication skills
Sorry I didn't reply to your post. Thanks for the info. Yeah, I've seen those and considered it. I think I would rather have the fill on the left side. I could recut the hole and fill the center one, but I've been looking at this one. It's the same price but 16 gal. It looks more "old timey" like the one that was in the car too.
It looks more "old timey" like the one that was in the car too. Sure does. I picked up on it cause the round one looked so space age or more like jewery =$$$.Check on plastic and aluminum too there are 100s of was to go and can be painted,antiqued,pinstriped. Prolly will be seen when displayed with deck opened. The most popular tank is the Mustang tank, its usually covered,but it is installed in the trunk, then the floor is placed over it, not st****d as millions of tanks are normally. Bill aka Tnomoldw http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=don+renfrow+crash&mid=C33B16650ABF07250FE3C33B16650ABF07250FE3&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1 Don Renfrow's Crash
Do you know the dims on the mustang tank? Though, I'd hate to have to cut out the floor I just got welded in.
Here's a link to the Memphis Rodders that might interest you...I go to a Reunion they have every November...I'm sure some of their old timers remember your car.....if you're wondering the colors (if any) that were on the original plaque...I'm sure they could help...they are still selling them today..I live 90 miles north of Memphis and it's great that your restoring this historic coupe....Joe http://www.memphisrodders.com/
Thanks Bullet. Joe, I know about that site and check in now and then. Here's a piece Louis Kimery did on my car back in 09. http://www.memphisrodders.com/files/519c6063c0ba911800188e78abcac66e-67.html Pretty much what I've outlined at the beginning of this thread.
I find one of these will ususally work for hub caps. Gary http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-auto-trim-and-molding-tool-set-67021.html
Thanks Gary. I saw some of those at Northern Tool around Christmas. Should have picked them up. I've really be "jonesin'" for a flathead. I've been looking around and have found several on craigslist. Many of those are F1 truck engines. Are the truck engines the same? Or more specifically, will the aluminum heads, intakes etc fit those as well? Is there a more desirable year/model to look/hope for? Just don't want to pull the trigger on one and find out I should-a, would-a, could-a...
I was at a standstill on the coupe for a couple weeks. Waiting for more parts, doing other stuff. But they came in last week. A new gas tank. It's bigger than it looked in the pics when I bought it. By a lot! Oops! But after some measuring and planning, I was able to cut a pocket in the floor to set it in. Better. Here's the old tank. It must be something like 8 gallons. The new one is 16. The two are about the same width and length. The new one is just taller. I went to my metal stash to get some more 18 ga. to fill the pocket and found I don't have enough. So, as soon as it quits raining next week I'll pick up another sheet.
Jeeze, has it been over a month since I last worked on the coupe? First one thing and another, plumbing issues at mom in law's house and my Dad's, niece's car, my car (daily driver)...oh well. But I got some new incentive today. I got my tires and the paint to paint the wheels. Shown is one of the rear 700-16 Firestones. The fronts are 600-16s. I can say I have 32s on the coupe, these things are huge! Also, a guy is coming one day this week to pick up the ol' Pontiac engine and parts. That'll give me some more room. Also, a friend at work is going to give me his rear brake set up off his 67 Mustang. That's great because I don't have any for the coupe's 67 Mustang rear axle. Now if the weather will just warm up a bit and everyone will keep their cars from breaking this weekend...
This weekend I got my wheels painted. I went with black. I've got one of those Bugler striping thingies that I bought many years ago at a yard sale. I'm going to see if I can set up some kind of fixture to hold the striper and wheel to put the stripes on them. Like this. And got some new/old valve covers for the Cleveland.
Jeff the history of this car simply gives me chills every time I think about it. You continue to do great work and I love seeing it come together. I've got to make another trip back up to your place just to lay eyes on that thing again... a true piece of Memphis hot rod history!!!
I got out today and tried my hand at pinstriping the wheels with my Beugler. I made up a stand to set on the floor to hold the striping tool next to the wheel mounted on the front axle. I gave the wheel a spin and noticed the surface of the wheel where I want the stripe is not flat. It has high and low areas because it's stamped. I wasn't counting on that... So, my rig would hit the high spots and not the low or dig in on the high spots. I pulled the striper tool out of the holder and tried just holding it and using my hand as a guide against the inside rim of the wheel. It's hard to keep it straight. On the arc of that surface, the paint wheel wants to wander. Then it doesn't match up with the start. I got one try pretty good, but after several tries and having to wipe the stripe off, it ate through the black. Now I have to repaint the center of that wheel. The line you see on the wheel center is where the black has been wiped off, not a painted stripe. Looks like I hazed the rest of the center too with the mineral spirits I used to remove the white paint. The outer stripe I did by hand using the outer rim of the wheel as a guide. It came out nice. I'll practice some more and try different things to get a good procedure that works for me. Maybe instead of tightening the holder solidly, keep it loose so it will follow the irregularities but snug enough that it stays straight. UPDATE: Letting the striper float did the trick. I went back out and tried it. Plus, with this set up I can do them anywhere (a parking lot, driveway etc.) even with the tire on. The last issue now is accurate placement and spacing. These, I just "eyeballed".
A little backing up today. I needed to find a seat so I can finalize the steering column. The Mustang seats were sitting just a little too tall and I don't want to cut them. Maybe I can find a buyer. I have front and rear out of a 65 Fastback. Anyway, I searched the net, studied and thought about it and decided to try a mini-van center seat. A lot of suggestions pointed to the Chrysler versions so I went to the junk yard to "shop". The Ford and Chevy versions were too wide so I checked in the Chrysler area. There was an 02 Plymouth Voyager with a near perfect center seat. At 25 bucks I can afford to try it. I got it home and took off the legs, set it in and blocked it up. It fits really nice. I need to adapt some slides to it now. It also came with this neat little pop out cup holder. The plastic housing that it fits in just screws to the bottom of the seat frame. Pop out the rivets and you have a compact little (about the size of an aftermarket radio) unit that would fit just about anywhere. Lose the arm rest and add some era-correct covers and some material covered sides to make it look more like a stock seat and it'll be good to go. Stock seat. Looking at the stock seat, in hindsight, the Chevy or Ford version might have fit.
Don't know how the hell I missed this thead........... your album shot of Lakeland gave me a flashback, albeit a little later on in the early 70's. I remember Chelsea Auto parts, by Uncle Bill Hansen and cousin Billy would occaisionally let mr ride along in their Hot Rods from out in Frasier..................what an awesome car, Jef. Subscribed! JB Bondurant
I haven't done much of anything to the coupe since the first of May and that was trying to sort out a seat. I did get the tires mounted this weekend and got them on the car. Now we're looking more 50s. These rears are huge! I may have to do something here. Back in the day, the same size tires (or close) would rub the body. So much to the point that the edge where the body rolls under to the inner wheel well is worn and split. Can't really see it here, but it is split on both sides. With the old buggy springs the body would roll going around corners. I can imagine he could hear it every time it happened. I have a 67 Mustang rear now with coil overs and a 4 link and watts linkage, but I guess I'll have to try it out and see if it's going to be an issue. I have more room on the other side to shift the rear over a little, but not more than maybe a quarter inch.
I've been walking around and round the coupe trying to get my head back into what to do next. Giving myself headaches and tummy rumbles. I'd taken the seat I bought down to the frame and decided it is too narrow. And this seat is not just made of stuff like round (or even square) tubing that would be easy to add a few pieces to. NO...it's got odd shaped tubing and sheet metal that I just don't want to deal with. I have pretty much decided to find another, wider seat. About this time, a friend of mine walks in and we get to talking about the car. He seems to be the local Bruce Meyer type in that he searches and finds all kinds of parts and info regarding the early days of hot rods in the Memphis area. He says "Hang on a minute, I brought something that will make your knees wobble." and he goes out to his truck. I'm perplexed, to say the least. What has he got? A picture, sign, car part? He comes back in with this. And he starts a story about how he got it from a guy that got it from the old junk yard that the former owner of my car (Jack Friend) worked at back in the 50s. Seems it had been hanging on the wall in the back for years. It's never been on a car. Maybe bolted down once, but there were no signs of gasket material on the bottom. He thinks (with 95% certainty) that Jack bought this intake for the coupe, but sold the car before he used it. It's a Sharp LR2 (lakes racer 2 carb) intake. Absolute NOS. It still seems to have some casting sand stuck in the runners! WELL! Now I know where I'm headed. Flathead Baby! He said he knew I'd been waffling back and forth between keeping the Cleveland or putting a Flathead back in it. So, here is my deciding factor. It'll mean some back up and regrouping...again, but hey. It's really what I've been wanting to do. Thanks John!
I met a Memphis area rodding icon Saturday. Marshall Robilio. One of the original founders of Memphis Rodders back in the late 40s. What a great guy. I spent 4 1/2 hours looking at pictures and listening to stories of the early days of hot rodding and drag racing in the Memphis area. He was good friends with Jack Friend, the owner of my car way back when. I had a blast.
I'm headed to Mountain Home, AR this weekend to pick up a couple flatheads. One is in a 48 Ford 2 door sedan. It has a "late" model engine like I'm looking for. The other engine is an earlier Mercury. Plus he's throwing in everything he has pertaining to flatheads. Parts, tools etc.
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