Cosy? I believe cramped is more the word you were looking for haha. On the subject of "temple".. Pete Kurylo calls it the "Church Of Model A Love" hahaha. Man, hes got such an odd and twisted sense of humour, gotta love it. Such an awesome guy. I am super stoked on the Cowl and door, their getting picked up tomorrow from Nowra and brought up. Hopefully here by Friday arvo, although Monday was the guaranteed latest day. On the subject of the steering column, had the local TAC guy come out and he said no welding on steering components, so the way they did it in the "How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod" isn't allowed. Will have to make a nice looking mount for it instead. Also, he said that you can't run Juice brakes on a LH10 car, but then the Chief Inspector who lives 2 minutes from him, and about 5 from me said you can, just have to pass a brake test. The fella seemed real nice, but told me he has a lot of experience in Race Car fabrication, and not a lot in Hot Rods. Makes you wonder why he's allowed to inspect what he doesn't really know much about.. He was also rather curious and intrigued by my preference towards the traditional / early period style. I must be one in a million.. In QLD at least.
Someone will have to put out an Aussie Version! You Just need to scrounge another door & rear half of the body! Dollar is up - if you get some regular steady work - maybe Brookville is an option if no original panels come into your radar cheap ..... Spence
I don't envy you,Nick.having to comply with all those regs and inspections.I think it's heading that way for all of us to some extent. Nice work on the frame and shock mounts.How are you doing the lower shock mounts?I'm going for threaded bungs welded to the axle.Would you get through inspection with that set up? Cowl looks great,better nick than mine.Door looks solid too. Keep the updates coming! Cheers, Mark
Hey Starguitar, Looks like you are making some good progress. If you cant weld to the front axle for shock mounts check these out. Use a longer spring perch then these shock mounts bolt to the underside of the axle to the spring perch. These are on Ebay right now. I will pm you the links. TBone
Spence, Haha, that'd be handy. You've really gotta take the book with a grain of salt it seems. I've got work on for the next couple of months, lots of hours so now i've just gotta save up and start buying parts. Mark, I doubt we'd be allowed to weld onto the axle, i was thinking that but have a look at what T-Bone has just posted above, thats probably what i'll use cause i know we can get them over here. Just means i'm going to have to run repro spring perches or a dead perch on both sides if their longer at the bottom. T-Bone, Cheers for that mate. I'm sure we'd be able to buy those locally. I think that's what most people use over here for lower mounts.
A lot TAC inspectors have never seen a real original Ford and don't know what they're looking at when they see the components. I've spoken with the inspector around the corner from us many times as well as the just retired chief inspector and drums are fine - especialy with the banger. Be nice, but seek second opinions when you strike an inspector who's a bit non-undestanding. They all have egos, so be careful. You can make your own lower bolt ons, or weld them to the bottom wishbone eye. It's just a gussety thing and a stud after all.
Cheers for the advice Tony. I agree with you, and i think its handy that i've got an inspector as well as the chief inspector within 5 minutes from me. Interesting idea on the lower mount. If i don't buy a lower mount i'll be sure to make something strong and also real neat looking.
Good stuff. One question though, how do you know the shock mounts are in the right spot? They look a little too far forward or maybe its just the angle of the pic!!!???? As for the lower shock mount, you can always do the 'old' trick of incoroprating it into your front shackles. I will post a pic of what I mean.
That's pretty groovy & far out man...... Funk-a-licious even! never seen it done that way - many ways to skin a cat........ Spence.
Knowing where the shocks mounts were to be placed was from the "How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod" book. That lower mount idea is definitely interesting, although it looks a little bulky and i don't think i'd go that route. Also, wouldn't the shocks move not only up and down but slightly sideways being mounted to the shackles? Then again, i doubt that'd make any difference anyway..
Yes, of course. I'm keen on the idea of welding a threaded bung to the axle, because in the above mentioned book it shows exactly where to put it, and all the dimensions and specs of the bung. I'm just not sure its allowed over here or not. I'll have to ask the TAC when i get to that. On another topic, my cowl was picked up this arvo and i really hope its here by Friday arvo. Delivery company said at the latest Monday 5.30pm but Friday would be so damn cool.
Just dont tell them and if they ask tell em its standard. The late 40's axles had bolt on shock bungs. i think if you bolt them on you will be right.
I see. I'd prefer to either weld the bung onto the axle, provided thats ok, or just use those spring perch ones.
Once you have asked them - they are then alert to it...... see if you can find someone who has done it already perhaps..... I too am interested to find out.... Anyone here in Queensland done it the B/T way? Spence.
Wether their alert to it or not Spence, i'd imagine when they do the first inspection that it'd be a pretty thorough one. They'd definitely see it for sure.
Just had a squiz at my copy of the guidelines and they do go into axles into a little bit of detail..... "any fabrication or modifications which involve the strength or integrity of a new or second hand axle must be supported by the appropriate certification or engineers report" ....... so i guess the easy option would be the spring perch type - & they don't look too bad either. Spence.
I suppose getting technical, welding a bung onto the axle won't affect the strength or integrity of the axle itself at all. The perch ones are alright, but then again means i can't use my original ones and also means i've gotta go buy some extended ones. Unless i come up with another way to mount em.
A little more research could prove fruitful & save you some dollars - your buddy with the rod shop down the coast would probably have some ideas for you...... or Pete & Carl.... they have been there done that.... Although i think an inspector would probably see welding on an I-Beam as involving the integrity/strength as the heat would have an affect on the metals structure - especially at a pivot point such as that - heat treating afterwards to normalize it may be needed... Spence.
And don't commit to anything until you have the car sitting with weight so you can factor in the travel length both ways of your chosen shock absorbers as well as the alignment.
Tony, Thanks for the advice. I did already know that you don't choose shocks until the car is pretty much complete, in that it has all the components of the chassis (motor box ect) as well as the body on. Spence, I will look it up further, and see what Curly has to say. I'm not up to that part just yet, so no need to look into it entirely just yet. As far as welding on the axle goes, if it was Tig welded the heat affected zone would be so small it would not affect the axle in any way, if anything heating up the area and letting it cool with an oxy afterwards would affect it more than the welding itself. I'll probably just use the perch mounted lower mounts at this stage.
Another update. My Cowl came up from NSW, and arrived this arvo. So heres a few pics of it. The dash rail and gauge panel i already had, although it did come with another dash rail. What i would like to know is though, it is supposedly a Tourer cowl, which we all know is the same as a Roadster.. but i was under the impression that the windscreen posts were different, to what is on my cowl. It kind of looks like half of the posts were welded to the cowl, and done really shit except for the front side of each post looks like its supposed to be there. I had a look at Chris' roadster thread, and it looks like where my posts are cracked, i could cut them off and make that area flush with the top of the doors and close it up, and then fit the posts like his are done (and i'd assume every other roadster out there) because this part thats left, is still bolted to the plate behind it. Anyone got any ideas? And heres some of the passenger door that came with it.
So the entire posts slide right over the top then? I'm guessing the two holes on each side that look like they've been blown out with an oxy is where the bolts go through the hold the actual posts on? Can you get me some close ups of yours Spence with the posts on and off so i know what the original is supposed to look like?
As Spence said. Over the years those areas often get buggered up, snapped bolts, various half arsed repairs etc. Re. shocks, there's a 99.9% chance the inspectors will freak if you weld on an axle. Either that or they'll make you get tests done ($) to prove all is ok.
Hey Tony, I'll just use the spindle mounted lower mounts. Easiest way to go i think. Does anyone have any pics of the windscreen post mounts without the posts on? I need a reference pic..
No worries, But the cowl I have here has them welded on!! Other Cowl is at my Bros place. Will get some pics to you soon. The bottom half of the posts fit over the bits on the cowl - gives them some extra support I geuss. Spence.
That makes sense. Could you get pics of the one at Bobs place? Welded on posts will make it a bit difficult to see what i need to see haha.
The Jalopy Journal
