Projects 1940s Model A Sport Coupe Build Thread

Not working fast enough for some folks so time to slow it down and put the brakes on!



'39-'41 style.





Here's to hoping the foreign wheel cylinders don't leak!





Then some lines. The new nickel/copper/alloy stuff is awesome to work with!



















Just waiting to turn my drums a little bit and then can put new seals in and put them back on.

 

Motor work! Got the timing belt changed. Fuel pump aux shaft swapped in, new seals.



Nice coat of Ford engine green.





Bolted up the new clutch and pressure plate.



In she goes!



Bam!







Now I'm ready to finish the clutch linkage and bleed the brakes.

 

Looking good!!!

 

Thanks, Bro!

 

Ya know, least its a 4 from Ford and it just looks good in there.

 

This build is really exhausting, maybe a new muffler will help! Built the exhaust system over the weekend. Started with a long Smitty's muffler.



Next started messing with pieces of pipe to the manifold.





Then I wanted a lake pipe I could uncork when needed so...







I used cat flange and pipe off a newer GM econobox to make the lake pipe. The 3-bolt flange was perfect. Then I used the other side of flange, blanked off inside, for a dummy tip.



And then the tailpipe.





Little bit of welding, grinding, and then a coat of heat paint and bam!









Outside in the sun one of the last times before the body goes back on.

 

Looking good, and out in the in the sun and all...

 

This is by far my favorite build, can't wait to see it all together.

 

Looking good ,Josh!

 

So this weekend got the bottom of the body painted and undercoated.



Then filled and painted the firewall.



Then got the body back on the frame!!









Spent the rest of the weekend bolting down, adjusting pedals, fitting floor boards, etc. Also started to mud all the Frankenstein monster-like seams in the roof.

 

Very cool indeed

 

Maybe it's just the photo angle -- but turn the front wheels lock to lock and make sure the brake hoses are long enough.

Nice build !!

 

There is plenty of slack at full lock. That was one of the first things I checked when fitting things up. Thanks for the heads up.

 

gettin there! Nice!

 

WOW!!! I can't believe the number of hours you must have in this project. Thank you for taking the time to document the process. A young guy (or anyone for that matter) would do well to read all of the details of this thread and see the problem solving you came up with for each detail.
I predict that there will be a lot more builds that follow the general theme of your car as gas gets more expensive and the desire to put major miles on a hot rod clash with the amount of $$$'s available to enjoy our hobby/obsession. I remember a similar scenerio happening during the first gas crunch that our country went through. Hot rodders started bragging about the MPG they were getting instead of the horse power/speed.

Frank

 

Thanks, I try to build and keep it simple with mostly hand tools and a welder. I hate doing body work and washing so I like primered cars. I might not build the coolest, prettiest, or fastest stuff, but at least I can say I did 100% of the work and that my cars are reliable drivers that get used every day.

 

I like the way you think!

 

Right on Josh!

 

Nice work! Cool thing about the 2.3L it could always be uprgraded later for more power.

 

Does this mean I'm officially part of the club?



Mash the loud pedal! Time to build the throttle linkage. I started with a way rusty spoon throttle I cut out of '39 pickup laid on it's side for about 50 years in the junkyard.



Then I did some math and welded an arm on the left of the shaft.



I'm using a Holley 2300 series carb that is supposed to be 310 cfm. When I tune the jets I think it will be an economical little carb.



Used some garbage picked rod ends and sleaves to make a linkage. The pedal feel is great, there's no binding, and it's simple. All I need to do is grommet the hole and I'll be set.

 

Had to update my Photobucket account so pics are available again.

 

Great work on an awesome car!

 

Great build thread. I'm watching.

 

This 4th I spent America's birthday building a hot rod! I worked on a bunch of odds and ends then made new floor boards. I garbage picked a mint sheet of 3/4" treated plywood so I started measuring and cutting.



Then set the gas tank in and made a trunk fire wall.



Seeing how the spare fits.



Trying to finish for a local show on July 28th. We'll see how it goes!

 

Looks nice. But, if you haven't already, you might want to verify that marine plywood won't react in a negative way where it contacts the metal. I hear that pressure treated lumber shouldn't be used in the bed of pickup trucks for this reason.
Not positive this is true, and I don't know whether marine plywood is treated differently than the lumber, but just thought I'd pass it on.

I'm loving your build, though!

 

Looking good

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Wow! I'm in awe! Nice job Josh, she's a beaut. I love your home grown solutions and fabrication. I'm still learning, but hoping to get there some day!

 

I have heard that the new treatment is salt water infused????

 

The wood is now painted black with a heavy coat of oil base enamel both sides so. I think this may stem from people using non-coated steel screws when building treated decks and having the screws rust and corrode after a few years. I'm not worried about this happening in a car floor that isn't exposed to constant rain/dew/weather.

 

Thanks! Nothing special used here, just hand tools, welder, grinder and a lot of manual labor.