This has been and will probably continue to be a slow project, but i wanted to post it to keep a record of progress. The hamb is so great for looking back at the stories of how hot rods come together. I've wanted a hot rod for a good long while since i found the hamb in maybe 05 or so. I tried to build a 35 truck, didn't really know i was doing and it wasn't headed anywhere good so i abandoned that effort. I found a cheap 27 roadster body randomly in a guy's yard and had to have it. I got done with school, moved, eventually got some ASC 32 rails and started trying to shape them to the body. It was coming along, but I got distracted with other 2 and 4 wheeled projects and then kid #1 came along and really slowed things down. I realized just how bad the roadster body was trying to even find something solid enough to mount it to the frame, it's kind of just a bondo / galvanized metal / pop rivet sculpture that resembles a roadster. It had some character, you could just faintly read where someone had painted "poon daddy" on the back panel. I would like to meet the bondo artisan that did all that work and christened it with that title ha. Gene's hot rod parts posted a nice 27 pickup for sale so i decided to upgrade and drove up and crammed that in the back of my little truck and it sat for a while. When kid #2 was in the oven my wife told me you know you're not gonna get anywhere on that hot rod why don't you take it to that Bob Bleed guy you think is so cool. Hmmm never occured to me to actually seek help. I called Midwest Fabrication and they were on board with the project so next thing i know i'm making plans to haul a mess of parts 800 miles to make a rolling chassis. I thought it was pretty awesome that a shop would be excited about a pretty basic sbc powered model t, nothing ground breaking or fancy about it. The night before we left we brought the body pieces inside (it was actually the front and rear half of 2 different cars and some pristine doors) and welded them together to make it more a real car. A quick mockup before it all got crammed into the back of a rented f150, wow this was actually happening. We talked about ideas and left a whole bunch of parts sitting in wisconsin like this It made more sense to build it as a pickup as the roadster body was just too far gone. I love t buckets anyway, but i wanted more of a real frame and frame horns not a suicide front. I really like the look of a 32 frame under a t better when it's channeled a little, so we came up with the idea of cutting the frame down a couple inches under the body but leaving the stock floor structure because it was in great shape. So it looks channeled, but it's not. Midwest fab did a killer job on it, crazy to compare the quality of what i got back with what i'm capable of. They did some nice sheetmetal work on the bed and floor and kept it old timey looking just like i wanted it. I really want this little car to look like it was put together in late 50s early 60s and not built recently. I got these neat old hedman headers from rocco and cheaters speedshop in birmingham, took some stretching and changing to get them to clear the frame rails. Neat little kickout in the rail for the vw bus steering box too. And back south it went. It's been sitting a while, but i'm posting it now as hopefully there will be some progress soon. I've thought about this car so much and have so many ideas I need to get out. I just hope I can not screw up a solid start!
Doooood! This car is going to make you famous! P.S. You’re my hero. Xoxo Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It’s gonna be good man. It has great proportions. Keep at it. Also Bob rules. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The fact she said take it to someone to get work done on it, VS. your never going to get to it, so sell it , already impresses the hell out of me. She sounds like a keeper! Secondly, being I am building a T pickup also, I have to watch this thread---although yours and mine are a little further apart on the style--and engine (1930's era and a stock-ish T engine).
Haha I agree guitarguy I can't complain. I'll check out your thread too, t's are neat whatever the era.
Very minor update i needed to see some progress so put a mockup motor in. Ive gotten a lot of miles out of this motor to have never heard it run ha. Great to see the stance with weight on the front end. Now i can figure out a radiator, grill, pedals, driveshaft, headlights, and press onwards to victory
Haha i think you're due a new build thread yourself?? Not much of a picture for an update, but xmlc216x helped me take 6" out of a cheap 32 shell. I got a generator mount started, and king bee headlights in place. Short grill and tall lights, bug eyed just like i was hoping for. I just wanted to do some quick stuff that lets me pretend it's further along than it is ha
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