Been a while since I have done a build thread and thought I would start one now on our latest project. I have pretty much messed around with 33/34 fords and took a turn done a dark path and got into some OT cars but always had itch for another old ford. My dad had and still has a 48 ford Tudor sedan that me and my sister grew up in the back seat of. We took that car everywhere all over the Midwest growing up. Once I was married and started having a family of my own I wanted to set out to find my own 46-48 ford. I wanted to be picky for what I wanted to do with it. I looked at several and they was all hacked together or rough. Or missing most of the parts. At the end of the day a original black paint Tudor sedan was at the top of the list. Louisville 2019 at the street rod Nationals is where I would find the one. Sitting in the swap meet there is sat. Checked all the boxes and was priced where I could afford it. It was 7am on Saturday and all my buddy’s was jumping on it telling me we had to act now. My wife had promised me that I wouldn’t buy any cars while I was gone on the trip. With the time zone difference it was 6 am at home. I made the call to my loving wife to tell her what I was doing and I’m sleepy state of mind said that would be fine. A exchange of a down payment and a hand shake later I was the owner of a black 1946 ford Tudor sedan Super Deluxe. When my wife finally got her bearings to her a few hours later she called me saying she had a dream that she told me I could buy another car. I told her that was great as that’s exactly what she told me and we did. Made for a peaceful and quite ride back home to her and the kids as I didn’t hear from her the rest of the trip. The gentleman that owned it was fairly close to home and agreed to take the car back to his place for us to come and pick up the following weekend. With work I was not able to get away and send my dad after it to pick up. I had my dad just take it back to his place and when I got off work had my wife take me over there to bring it home. Once she seen it in person she was a different person. Her almost exact words were “a car that has paint, runs and drives and is all together?” I guess she didn’t like all the parts and pieces of cars I have drug home all the other times. But she was impressed with it and came around to enjoying the moment with us. Now like all cars we had to come up with a name. A older gentleman that has always been involved in the car scene while I was growing up and was there with us when I bought it is named Dave. And he gave me a lot of good input on the car and what to do. So it was fitting as a tribute to my good friend to name the car Dave. the car has great bones. Minimal rust, mostly original black paint, some updates over time. Stock original drive train been upgraded to 12 volt and had been re wired at some point. Ot the best job but not hacked together on the wiring either. So now that we had the car the plan was started to start the dreaming process of what I wanted it to be and how I was going to get there. The parts hunting started almost immediately. And then the game plan was formed and we started from there How the car was found at the Swap meet. Getting ready to help get it loaded up on the trailer so the gentleman I bought it from could take it back to his house for us to pick up the following weekend My dad after getting the car back to his house. It was a relief to see it back home and made the whole situation feel real and complete
Once the build was determined on what direction I wanted to go on it I started hunting and gather parts for it. In the mean time the car drove so well original that we just kept driving it. I travel for work and have a small family at home so work time on it and finances on it would make it a somewhat long term project. So for the rest of the year we enjoyed it as it was and took it every where we went. I had to do some minor repairs to it along the way and with it being a flat head seemed like I had to tinker with it almost weekly to keep it tuned up right but it was fun and half the battle. We took it fishing, grocery shopping, family get togethers, you name it we drove it there. And had a great time doing My co pilot. He’s the youngest of our 4 children and the only boy. He’s been ate up with it since day one and the older he got the quicker he was to say this was his hot rod
Being in southwest Mo it’s always bee. Easy to Run to Pete and Jake’s and pickup what parts we needed. This trip was for the posie rear parallel spring kit, motor mounts, brake master cylinders and pedal, trans mount and split wishbone mount and a few odd and ends we would need. No not rod trip would be complete without a hat!! As I was finishing up paying for the parts we needed I heard Jason ask Lantry to come to him. I heard a door open and Jason tell him he would t hurt anything. I turn around to see my wife taking photos of lantry in the California kid. I told him son you don’t realize how cool this is. Then they let me in there with him. So we had to get our photo taken too! @bchrismer found this dropped axle set up on Facebook and sent it to me. I struck a deal and had the front axle for the car. Thanks again Bret! with my limited time to work on it I found it would be easier to track down a original frame and build it the way I wanted. So that in the mean time I could keep driving the car as a driver. I didn’t know if it would take me a year or three years to get it to the point of being together again and I didn’t want to waste any time of not having a car to drive. It was a win win for me. I had a project to work on and a car to drive at the same time. Plus it kept the boy interested in the project as we went along.
our first car show. Followed my dad to small show close to the house in his freshly complete 34 ford sedan Mock up of the brake pedal and the rear leaf springs. Lantry washing his hot rod. He’s a big helper. And through the whole time so far hes only missed two days of the build and fun. Not bad for a little boy! Prepping to install a dropped front crossmember into the car. Getting the small block coni mocked into place. Took it all part to see sandblasted and cleaned up. Before hand Lantry wanted to take it for the first drive. That’s his imaginary steering wheel he’s holding Painted black after I got it all cleaned up and ready to start building again
I wanted to keep the stock look of the car and keep the stock 16 in wheels. I knew I wanted to have a aggressive stance but not carried away either. After searching on here for a few weeks for rear ends and what was the best option for what I wanted it I sourced a early f100 9 inch for the build. I ordered the big ford bolt pattern disc brake kit and now had all the parts to make it a roller. the boy in the middle of everything like he always is. Wouldn’t have it any other way!! Hes a good boy and love spending this special time with him. After a long day of making the chassis a roller for the first time and getting the motor set in it we had to take a photo. Lantry was super proud of what we had done up to this point.
This was coming up into the fall headed into winter time. With limited space and not enough time to work on it over the winter I turned my focus to the small detail parts. I actually found these Moon Valve covers in a dumpster at a customers shop. I asked about them and was told I could have them. I looked up the part number and couldn’t believe what I had found. Score! They was rough and I wish I would have taken a before photo but I sanded and polished on them till they were like new. I then decided that I wanted to paint the fins black. I also ordered a matching air cleaner and did the same treat meant to it. Also while I was going after the small details I painted the master cylinder as well. Just small things to do while I killed time to get back on the project it’s self.
A few of the goodies I gathered up for the car. I wanted to keep a very traditional vibe on the car and wanted to search for what in my mind was the “right” parts. I have one of these coins and have loved them since I found them. Since I went with a SBC combo and moved to a genie floor shifter I knew I wanted to track down one of these coins in a shifter knob. It was my little way of paying tribute to my favorite body style in the 33/34 ford. My way of keeping connected to them. Silly I know but I enjoy it. I also wanted to keep the stock steering box. The original one was nice but I wanted to fresh it up some. I found a guy on here and instagram and he sent me a built unit that he makes. Very happy with how it turned out!! This is a little piece of trim I looked for for a few years now. I was going through a guys parts stash and out side on a junk fender he had one. Couldn’t believe it. Very happy with my find! Next I liked the look of the chrome dash parts but I didn’t want to have the new chrome look. I wanted some wear and fit the car. A nice gentleman here on the Hamb hooked me up what I needed. A little elbow polish and they came out looking great! The next simple little part I needed what this horn button. I have see a. Few of them and what little bit I can find says 42 ford commercial vehicles only. Anyone have any input other wise I would love to hear. I just love the basic and clean look on the super deluxe steering wheel.
With me being limited on building space at my house I lucked out to a good friend of mine buying the farm across the road from my folks and having a huge shop on it that we could over run for the build. Once I loaded up the chassis up to get ready I took it over to my buddys house I ran it to have the exhaust started. Once that was done it was time totaled it to my buddys house. If anyone is looking for a quality and muffler and exhaust guy in Southwest Mo. let me know Dressing the motor up some and adding a few parts. Hopefully more stay on as to what comes off
Driving it as a stock original car for the last time. Headed to my buddys shop to tear it apart. Here we are backed in and ready to start tearing it apart. This process worked out well. My dad was able to help and so was my buddy and his dad. All car guys just enjoying the free time we could together to work on it. While someone was doing something there was always something else’s that could be done by the other. It was a fun time that’s for sure! First load of many parts and pieces and tools that would be needed over the next few months. At the end of the first day we had all the sheet metal off and parts set out
after a few weekends of working on things we finally was ready to start pulling the body off. This was a huge mile stone in the build. Made for some cool photos with the new chassis and the old chassis in the back ground. We took the next weekend after that to tear apart the old chassis and get it broke down and carried out of the shop to make it easier to finish working on the car.
few finishing details before we get the body on the new chassis. All the the brake lines, fuel lines, and transmission lines have been ran. Driveshaft installed and brakes built and bleed. I went with a 750/16 on the rear and a 525/16 on the front. I was wanting a 550 but no one had them in stock when I ordered them this spring. We will see how well the 525s do Probably my favorite chassis shot.
mat last body set on the frame. Little bit of moving around and a slight struggle of getting the fuel filler hose hooked to the filler neck but it is ready to start bolting down. Lantry approves of our progress. He gets just as excited as I do about how far Dave has come along.
So the car was converted to 12 volt at some point prior to me getting it. When I took it off the original chassis and unwired the flathead I labeled where each wire went and what it was. After we got the new chassis under it I laid the wiring out that I would need for the SBC. Got it all wired and hit the starter button and nothing. It was getting late and as usual when it’s late and your hot and tired it starts to get to you. I decided to step away for the night feeling defeat as I was really looking forward to starting it up for the first time. and as it usually goes I woke straight up from a dead sleep feeling like a idiot. The ford ignition switches and starter button are a ground system and not a hot wire. I could t wait to get off work and run over to the shop and swap some wires around. After we fixed the wiring mix up she fired right up. While we didn’t run it for long with no coolant in it Lantry was excited to hear it fire up After another weekend we was able to set the front end back on and start getting it aligned. Still need to do a little adjusting but it’s close.
Finally after almost 3 years of having it and the last 4 months of getting the new chassis swap done I got to move it out of the shop under its own power. Had a steering clearance issue but that was fairly easily fixed with a little heat and working the pitman arm to give us more ground clearance. The first drive wasn’t far as it still needed the exhaust to finish up and no cooling fan hooked up yet our first mini test drive. Drove it 200 yards from my buddys driveway to my folks driveway. You can see my little copilot with his arm out the window Tried to catch him but right before the photo he was giving Dave a hug telling him he was ready for a ride. Lantry thinking he’s going to drive the next time the car moves
The rest of the exhaust being finished up. I wanted it tight and not exposed Ron did a great job of making it clean and come out where it won’t show while on the ground. Couldn’t be happier with the exhaust work. A little before and after. Really happy with the stance and how it all came out.
And that’s got us caught up to where we are at for the moment. I work locally out of my office on most fridays and couldn’t help myself and got up early and ran over to my dads house. He had just picked it up from the exhaust shop for me as I was out of town the night before. Fired it up and took it for a morning test drive. Few bugs to work out but it drove straight and ran down the road very well. Still no fan so I didn’t go but a couple of miles round trip. Hoping this weekend to get the fan installed and start working on putting more miles on it. thanks for following along I will keep you all posted as we continue to get more done with it
Thanks! We are getting ready to go work on it again this morning before the Ozarks heat wave takes us out.
The car looks great. Really coming along in good time. Your young helper looks like he is having fun! Great to have him along with you!
Thanks for taking the time to document all that Ethan! I only knew you were doing it since I knew where the old flathead went. Looks great!
Great build! I would 100% pull the body and build the chassis like you did -sorta- if I did another one of these. Doing it under the car was a huge pain in the ass. looks killer!
It’s great you’re involving your son! We need to get kids interested to keep what we love alive! You’re doing a good job. Car looks awesome!
Thanks for all the kind words guys. It’s been a great project and what makes it even cooler to me is it’s really a 3 generation project. My dad myself and my boy!
So we set out to get a lot of the small things either done or fixed. We got some of it done. Re wired the headlights and park lights and tail lights. Then we worked on the horn and making it functional off the horn button on the wheel. I also got the trim for the gas filler installed along with the front bumper. Started mapping out where the electric fan will go and then we had to shift gears for a bit. BenD brought out the chassis for my dads next project. A 1936 ford pickup. Lantry don’t know it yet but it will someday be his truck. Right now he just thinks pops has a cool truck and while Ben was here we visited for bit and helped him wash his trailer and he did a little maintenance to it while he was here. By mid afternoon the Southwest Mo heat had ran out back to the house. I’m gone for work all next week and should be back on it sometime next weekend. Lantry helping me re wire the horn button Asking all the right questions. Love my time with him like this! Filler door trim on. I looked for 2 years for one of these Front bumper on. I may have parked on a slight incline but you get the idea New foundation for my dads 36 ford pickup The can for the truck. I have a little rust work to fix in the windshield area but it’s pretty solid old cab Lantry helping Ben wash the trailer after he dumped the frame off for us. The boys hands on with just about everything
I think so too! I love your model a! Seen you in Springfield at the NSRA show. We work the car entrance gate every year.
thanks Tim! There was a small point I wanted to turn around and do it the way you did but I’m happy with the route I went. I love your sedan and followed your thread on here. With you in KC and I’m just North of Springfield maybe we will run into each other sometime
The Jalopy Journal
