Hot Rods 28 modified build downunder

Well that was an easy fix! Good job.

 

So, Striper........ Now that the modified's almost donr you must be at a loss for something to do. Just so happens I have this A40 chassis and..........
Striper?

Hello??



Anyone?





Where'd he go?


Awesome work a always mate.
Doc.

 

I have a few more lined up Doc. I'm sure you are more than capable.

 

Last time I tried to buy studs locally they wanted something stupid like $13 per stud. Cheaper to fly to the US and pick 'em up.

 

I thought about reversing the '35 Olds wheels on the rear of my '36, and thought "...no, there'll be plenty of room...", as the 14" rims and G78 tires I had on during the build did. That turned out to be a pretty big oversight.

After I ordered up the 7.20x16 Cokers, got them mounted on the wheels all painted pretty, the tires are so much taller, that they stick up past the fender bead on the quarter panel. The 14's didn't. Now, I have about 3/4" inch between the sidewall and the body, not to mention the car sets much higher in the rear than before. I'd thought about getting some thin, like 3/8" spacers, but your reversing idea is better. I haven't painted the body yet anyway, I may do this.

Great build, I spent about an hour going thru every post! I really like it. I was going to get up early and go out to breakfast, now, it's gonna be brunch...

Brian

 

Geez Brian. After all my work I now only have around 3/4" between the sidewall and body. But that's 3/4" more than I had.

 

Looking good Pete, you look like your a bee's dick away from being finished. Guessing you will make it to the chopped show this year in it. like the water neck too.

 

I think I'll top myself if I don't make it to Chopped this year.

Oh yeah, everyone likes a little billet. Mum's the word

 

Cool shit..... keep it up!!!!!!

 

So close you can smell it!!!

Good to see your problem solving on the fly is in overdrive! Keep it up nearly there....

 

Hi Pete ,JUST caught up with whats going on,looking great,ur boy looks very rapt,and so he should be .........Its at this stage that all the trickey shit seems to never end.

 

My boy has been asking for 2 years when I can pick him up from school in my hot rod. I keep making promises that I think I can keep, and fail.

His mate's dad regularly picks him up on his HD and he thinks it's really cool.

You are right about the fiddly stuff. The lists just get longer. The current battle is with the speedo cable. Insignificant but it'll do your head in as much as the major stuff. I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to call it "finished". Even when I drive it I know it won't be finished.

Pete

 

Yeah, if you're driving it, it's finished.

Doesn't mean you have to stop working on it.

When is the Chopped show, by the way?

 

Pete,

You and I are in the same spot in our builds, "fiddely" as you call it. I spent almost 8 hours repairing the Banjo wheel, another day spent polishing the anodized windshield frame, two days trying to get the brakes bled (turned out I had forgotten to adjust the shoes, duh), you now how it goes. The really big, impressive steps are done, and all the little, painful jobs that seem to take forever, and you can't tell what you've done at the end of the day. These are the things I'm most impatient with, but I'm trying to be patient and take my time with the details (building my Panhead helped me with the importance of detail).

It'll all be worth it when you get it wrapped up and pick your boy up from school! Somewhere, we have a photo of our son, who's now 31, getting picked up from preschool by his mom in our '27 T full fendered roadster, wearing his Halloween costume. He, and his mom, both thought that was a pretty great day.

Brian

 

Exactly right Brian. The impressive stuff is done and it looks like a car. All the work from now on doesn't make it look any more like a car.

The frustrating thing is when you have something nice and you need to take it off again or change something and you chip the paint or something. It's already shop soiled and it hasn't been out of the shed yet.

My current one is brake cylinders leaking. All new but leaking. So I'm heading out there in a minute to try to sort that out, but of course, all the time spent sandblasting and painting backing plates was for nothing. They have to be touched up after the brake fluid did its thing, so they will never be as good as they were before. I'll be buggered if I'm taking them right off for a complete re-do.

Here's some progress anyway.

Martin (aka Martin) has spent 2 days wiring this car and we're still not quite there. A lot of wires for a small car without a heater, wipers, radio or anything else much.





He assures me it will not look like this when we're finished.



Pete

 

Hi Martin, long time no see.

 

Looking good man, you can come to newstead next to finish the '32.

 

Wow !! A project well done >>>>.

 

The wiring is a test for sure, but there`s a simple code. Red to Red,
Blue to Blue and Black to Bit`s,,,, you can`t go wrong.
Might call in for a cup of tea in January Kev,. will you be around.
Need to catch up with Rick, sure it`s been a while, to long infact.

 

Pete,
I am ashamed to say that I have missed many of your recent updates, but I read thru & am caught up now. I can sum it up in 6 words-WOW!!

Everything looks really amazing, you must be getting really excited. The color looks great too. You should be proud man, the car is really coming together nice!

Keep it up, & I promise I won't miss your updates now. We need a video soon

Dan

 

No, I don't know anything about '32s

That's not what you told me. If I remember it was, "Just use this bit of yellow onto that pink, it'll be OK, we'll remember"

Nothing to be ashamed of Dan. You've been busy. Photos make the colour brigter than it is. It's better in person. I must catch up with your RPU. Last I saw you were starting to get your powder coated stuff back, for the second time.
Thanks for the encouragement.

Appreciated!

Dan's right about the video. I need to see how to upload video to Youtube. Do you link it to the HAMB just like Photobucket pics?

BTW I pulled the front drums off and to my great relief (and confusion) no leaks. The fluid must have snuck down inside my backing plates when I was bleeding them. Only way I can explain how it got there.

Pete

 

Well, I have some good news and some bad news!

The good news is IT'S ALIVE!

We got the wiring done (except a few small fix ups required) and fired up the 401.

This is a motor I bought as a rebuilder, not running, and didn't rebuild it. I did do the heads, new lifters, pushrods, valves and a full gasket kit. It was always an unknown quantity.

I bought a set of 3 Stromberg 48s from Jere Jobe about 3 years ago and they have sat on a shelf all that time. I thought they might need some tweaking to run right.

Anyway, after an initial false start due to stupidity (the rotor goes clockwise, not anti clockwise) it fired right up, idled, responded well to a quick squirt and idled nicely again. Some initial smoke from oil I squirted in the bores prior to cranking cleared and there was no more smoke. A small top end knock appeared and we identified some blockages in the rocker shafts, cleared them up and fired it again. This time it just purred. I couldn't believe how well this thing ran off the bat and how nice it sounds.

So only one thing to do, the maiden voyage. I jumped in started to depress the clutch to select 1st and.......knock, knock, knock, knock. BAD!

Sounded like some bolt heads fouling on something when I push the clutch. So I shut it down and rolled it back in the shed.

I do have some video but right now I'm at work and also I haven't yet worked out how to download it.

So it all has to come apart again. I'm a bit depressed about that but at the same time I'm really relieved and happy that the motor seems to be better than expected. I'm really impressed that the carbs seem dialled in straight up and no leaks...today.

I suppose when you build a car out of nothing, you should expect a few hiccups. I guess we'll get to the bottom of it and look back and laugh. I'm really having mixed feelings tonight. More later

Pete

 

I know how you feel Pete - s close yet so far. Its a sinking feeling - dont ask me how I know !

Hang in there mate....you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You'll nut it out soon enough and you'll be rollin'.

Chin up

Rat

 

Thanks Frank.

It's funny because I'm sort of half happy. In fact I'm very happy with my engine...probably relieved more than anything.

The main thing I'm disappointed in is that now all the wiring is done and everything is pretty much together, it's a big job to get the body back off. I don't think I can get the motor and box out without lifting the body. You can't expect me to think of everything

 

Damn, thats no fun! I hope its not that much of an issue once you find it, quick fix sort of thing.
Great to hear that the nailhead runs so well!
Doc.

 

Sounds like a reason to get a few of the gearheads around for a wrenchin' session/BBQ/video recording of the event and get her nutted out and rolling under her own steam..

Turn the negative into a positive and all with good company as well hehe.

Many hand make light work !!

Well, what about it?

Rat

 

The idea has merit!

I think I need a plan of attack first though. I'll be spending most of tomorrow on it....either planning or doing.

I've really enjoyed having Martin up helping me with the wiring and with sorting out getting it fired today. It sure gets lonely doing it all by yourself.

Hmmm, I'm warming to the idea.

 

I hear ya - I spent most of 5 years building my ride alone as well.

A couple of guys helped me when I needed a hand - you know who they are. A shared problem becomes a small rpoblem just as a shared experience becomes all that more memorable.

Good to hear Mart's been giving you a hand.

Rat

 

Love the shackle hangers on the bones. I was thinking of trying something like that, glad I found your project and seen it. Great work!

 

Helluva good book yer writing here. Now for the suspense. I sure hope you get the bugs ironed out of the ol girl. She sure looks hot.
Like's been stated above, Phenominal build and talent. When you were talking about the start up it's like being right there with you sweating bullets.
Good luck.
Mark