Few updates. So the gas charged shocks out back were way too stiff. So I got some Pete and Jakes hydraulic shocks. Amazing transformation. We rolled 4 deep around Austin Thursday evening at the Roundup. Despite smoking like a steam locomotive on a grade under acceleration, cruise it barely smokes now. She did great driving around ATX this last weekend. Rolled 75 mph on the freeway leaving alot of my group behind at one time with 4 people in there. I can only imagine the extra HP from a good bumpstick will really make her even more fun. I didn't shoot but 2 photos of my stuff this weekend, I shot other folks more. But here are the pics that others and myself shot of her. Thanks for the love @Ryan The only 2 I shot that had my stuff in it... So my body smooth wore out after 2 days in ATX, as some know I have some lasting injuries in my quad, it really hampers walking around sometimes when it flares up. And I made it 3 miles before that happened, So Friday evening was brutal after the show, so Saturday morning it wasn't better, we decided to outrun the rain and head back down to Houston area. In total I had 2 cars I have built there at the show that I know of, and both of those are bringing their owners alot of joy still, and are picture heavy rides. Then there is my 34... Some folks get it and understand the vision I have had since buying this car. Some don't, and its not for everyone staying traditional. It seems everyone loves the flathead under the hood. There was a beautiful 32 tudor on the hill this year. Fenderless car, and was stunning all around. It had me thinking about pulling my fenders off. Or maybe Ill save that for its next rendition, Who knows. Next up will be starting to gather parts for motor refresh.
So lets do some updates, Picked up a decent 59ab block, was supposed to be a runner, just had what they said was a bad rear main leak. I took a gamble, And went ahead and tore into it anyways. Here I was thinking it would be a simple hone and roll... I was wrong. Its got 2 cylinders that have some pitting in them so its .080 over already so Ill bring it to the machine shop and see how much cut it will take to clean those two up. I may sleeve and bore those .080 and re install what I have, the rings look perfect, minor scuffing on piston skirts etc, So we will see what the shop says. So with that said, it already had Johnson adjustable's in there. So I went ahead and drilled the bores in the lifter galley for adjusting them cause I have seen enough folks fight trying to hold them and turn the screw. So When I was stripping it down, I noticed every piston had this dusting of oil burn and carbon on top. I found that the intake valve guides didn't have seals, and you can see it was sucking oil in from there. So it probably smoked a bit. The rear main leak was not a rear main leak, the oil pump plate was part of it, but the main culprit was the rope seal adapter that fits in the block was not sealed at all, no gasket maker etc at all on it, the whole groove around it was wet so I am pretty sure this is the main leak. Stay tuned. I have a regrind Isky 1007B going in there, and going to swap my Offy heads and sharp intake over once we pull the other motor next month.
Got her out and about today. Just kicked back and enjoyed the ride, hit some side streets and took a couple photos before the swarm of mosquitos chased my big ass down the road trying to go Dracula on my ass. Few rolling shots out the windows for some ride along feeling.
Here are few of the glamour shots I took of her. I think its the wear and tear and lack of perfection of the body that really just makes me happy inside.
How about a few highlights in Black and White... ? Just learned how to edit myself out of a photo... Feeling accomplished learning something new of technology.
So I’m going through cleaning. Mic all surfaces. Looked at all the mains. They are all this dark color. By the tang it’s the same color. You can just see by the tang it’s not worn at all. Is this what the protective coating does with assembly lube or dirty motor oil? Honestly they look like someone spun the crank dry on them once with the micro scratches and it lubed up and clear and clean. All the mains look like this. Crank seems real nice also. Everything mics out. the photo is lit from the top to show the micro scratches. So my question is. Keep em or ditch em?
I really am enjoying your build, I am just starting my own budget build 1933 sedan. It looks like you have been holding out on a couple details I noticed in the latest photo's, first it looks like you put a top insert in it and second what did you do to the fenders to make the finish look just that little bit better ?
I don't think the micro scratches will affect the running of the engine, so long as there are no sharp edges to them. But if it's something that will bother you, new bearings might buy you peace of mind??
I would be happy to run those bearings. To amplify on this, how hard are you going to run it and how often? How soon are you going to have 50k miles on them? The other thing is, how good are new bearings? Lots of threads on QC and the lack of it on new parts, but I haven't heard about flatty mains and rods specifically. If you can spend the money and get quality parts, then it's your choice. Is spending here going to cut somewhere else? Good cooling, aftermarket oil filtration, and crankcase ventilation (even if it's a clean, clear road draft tube) getting the stink out are all going to improve longevity.
Well, Its been a while, got the motor back from the shop... Been putting things together slowly but surely. I got new rod and main bearings, see how those work out, I figured yes the old ones were ok, but looks like micro scratches from dirty oil, I had cleaned so much on this that was previously overlooked so may as well go for the gusto. .125 over now to clean up. I figured what the hell everyone says they do fine at that much overbore. I noticed a diamond on the bottom of one of the water pumps, so I know on the Model A and B motors the diamond was by the timing cover and meant a factory warranty replacement motor. So did the V8 platform do the same? None the less, here is the cam grind I decided on for this one. My reasoning behind doing this one, everyone does the Max 1 crap and that doesn't sound fun. The 400jr is a bit suffering on the low end but has the SOUND of my people, and since this is not a T roadster I needed some extra torque down low. The 1007B grind has the same duration but a little less lift and from what others have said its a great all around cam so I figured why not! Isky 1007B Grind Lift .355”, adv duration 256*, duration @.050” 236* Decided on Detroit diesel green for the block. Just so tired of normal colors and wanted something that would look good with black and aluminum. Set up the valvetrain first and adjusted all the lifters before putting in the crank. Crank is IN... So I am debating on doing a smaller clutch but that would require a different flywheel. Its got an 11" that was in great shape upon removal, just don't want a left leg killer in traffic either but since this car is a larger car than a stripped down one, maybe some extra clutch wouldn't be bad? So this is the struggle I am at right now before putting the oil pan on etc....
NICE! A couple suggestions. The cam info is in picture form. Maybe put it in text with specs so a year from now when someone is looking for info, it will come up in a search? Also, read through Joey Ukrop's build, he had clutch/flywheel to bellhousing issues. It sounds like your prior combo had the big flywheel, so you may not experience this, but it has more information about mixing and matching. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-my-first-roadster-in-san-francisco.1204990/ Don't forget the build thread index for tips on this sort of thing when the search doesn't answer your questions. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/build-thread-index.651453/
Thanks for the suggestions and the help on the Fun of clutch flywheels... I have a 10" in the car, so may just snag that flywheel, clutch and pan and put it all on this motor and keep an eye out for a 9" PP for the future build one.
This is really a tastefully done build! Nice to see you are keeping the imperfections of the body and just rolling with the character of the car. I've often thought about building a 4 door version of this. Something black and non descript. Kind reminds of something the feds would have driven back in the day. Way cool
Just a short note to show appreciation for your build thread. You nail the look, and take time to explain things, the b&w photos really make my day, thank you.
Thanks guys... glad the B&W photos are appreciated, I like them more than color these days. The depths of my mind are a dark twisted place. I love so many styles and ideas, but approach each vehicle in its own take. I try to explain things for some others who may need some direction on an issue they are facing. Some vehicles have survived this long and deserve to be preserved as best as possible as they are only original once. The soul and essence is what speaks to me. Granted its metal and history all wrapped up in this bow, but I feel a connection to the craftsman who put this together, and the ones who drove and maintained it. Yeah I'm weird I guess. @Smokeshow build one and you wont regret it. Hands down this has been a huge leap of faith and pocket book on my end compared to a Model A, but has been well worth it. Ride is good, driving is a pleasure. You will just need to buy a Thompson to complete the look.
I share the same feelings towards vehicles. The nice ones that have survived this long with minimal wear in original condition deserve to be preserved and appreciated. I understand what you mean about the soul/essence of a vehicle. I feel the same way as you do and appreciate the amount of detail you put into this build. When you have that type of appreciation for the vehicle you are the care taker of, you cant help but just feel a connection to prior owners. I'll let you know if I end up getting a 4 door with a thompson
Please leave the fenders in place, removing them would completely change the direction of what you are doing with the car. IMO.
Well, between Huricane and being without power for a week, Generator tending and refuling. I have been chipping away at the Flatty. Friday last week I decided to pull the motor and trans out. I know I have a synchro sticking so going to rebuild the synchro. Realized the torque tube seal is allowing fluid from the axle to go to the trans. So The work here has gotten more. Here it all sits sprawled out.... Pardon the mess, parts and motors taking up space for sure. Going to bolt up a set of old heads on the old smokey motor till I get her torn down. I needed the flywheel out of the old motor, I wanted the 9" for this build. I have pushed the 11" off to the side, I play to redrill it for 9" and use the 2 piece pan for the future project motor. So here are a few glamour shots from assembly. Almost too pretty on Safety wire to cover up. I have to say I was skeptical on the ARP head studs, But the little extra of the allen wrench to drive them in was a nice touch. Well built kit honestly so much better than the speedway one. Discard the M15 pump, one of the suppliers sent it and it was in a M19 box, I just slid it in not looking till I was about to put the pickup tube on and was like huh, why is this so much longer. Eh... Stock 8BA goes back in....
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