That’s the plan I spent yesterday under the car with the grinder and a welder and have it patched up now. A few surprise underneath but I think it will hold. That was my plan as well buying a running driving car unfortunately this one had some surprises I was not aware of at purchase. Nobody to blame but myself so it’s turn around and fix it and get out and enjoy it. You are right about the trunk panels mine are all home made out of sheet metal with ball peen hammer “beads” in them for strength. I would like to put in a nice correct floor as well but you a right nobody ever sees won’t make the car faster. Mine may be not “correct” but they are solid and have no holes
Hello, Nice project!!! Being old hot rod folks, there was a time when being with our granddaughter during her toddler days, we went to her house to spend all day and then some, with her. Her young parents were a little crazy and all caught up in the new jobs, new condo, then house and someone was getting less attention. So, we stepped in to be the “in loco parentis…” We would spend hours in the garage doing art projects, journals and just pretending… Then a neighbor usually drove by in his hot rod convertible. A rather nice looking 64 Comet Convertible, red and sounding as nice as it looked. So, of course, our granddaughter ran to the edge of the open garage door/driveway and waved at the Comet convertible as it rumbled by. The neighbor waved back and something snapped in our brains. Would our granddaughter like to ride around in an old hot rod to our So Cal road trips and visits to the beaches, museums, shopping, plus friend’s houses? We got the bright idea that a well built hot rod was going to be a big hit for us and for our granddaughter. So, we started to look for one that would fit our needs. No time for a build or modifications. It had to be somewhat ready to just gas up and cruise. We knew that a flathead powered motor was not going to cut it as we drove a Ford Sedan Delivery that required too many driving adjustments to keep up with the lack of power going up steep coastal roads and the local mountains. We looked at two 1940 Ford sedans with roomy back seats. One was a two door with an SBC motor. It was local, just a few minutes away in location. But, just when we were heading to the place to buy the sedan, it was sold and we were now stuck for an alternate choice. We wanted a two door sedan. So, the next choice was this one: This one was farther away requiring a fly and drive home vacation to park it in our small garage. It would have been a fun road trip for us… But, the SBC + accessories would have made it a nice drive home. Finally, we realized that for all of the stuff a toddler requires, the trunk would hold most of it. But, access to the rear seat needed to be addressed with the constant leaning in to buckle up for safety each time we were all in the car. The old back is strong, but a little toddler takes more care in safety needs. A constant lift and carry, let alone reaching in to get all buckles and straps aligned was a constant battle of the lower back actions. So, we were now looking at a 4 door sedan with all of the features required, SBC, A/C, and access to the two more doors. At least the front opening rear doors were going to save my back from the daily lean in 5-6 times a day… For us, a 4 door 40 Ford sedan would be the one, not a two door coupe/sedan of any kind for active kids… For our granddaughter and her friends, it would have been open those front opening doors and the toddlers to teens could just step in, buckle up for safety and we would all be ready to rumble down the road… We found a nice 4 door sedan with all of the required goodies and were ready to buy… another fly and drive home scenario, which was fine for us. No, we stayed with my wife’s station wagon at the request of our son and his wife. They did not get the idea of cruising with some history, fun, and function. They wanted a “large Sherman Tank” to ward off any implications of safety for their toddler to teen. YRMV
Wow! What a great thread! Definitely worth the read from #1. My first running, driving car was a great Tudor. Wish I still had it. That pic of the guys sitting in the 40 with the arm on the door is way cool. If your roadster is any indication, the 40 will be rolling and styling soon enough. I ran into similar issues with my coupe. Blowing up the flattie led to an engine swap without end and all sorts of aggravation. Be glad you’re young! Keep the updates coming.
Well the underside is “fixed” far from perfect but it should be solid now. I have hidden many sins under POR15, Seam sealer, and undercoating. Had a friend stop in this morning he lended a second hand to get the frame under the body. Very nerve wracking but it’s down now. Next up is install all the hardware and rubber isolators
Body is bolted down now. Doors seem to work even better than before. So I will take that as a win. looks like my new drop spring dose not have as much as the original with 4 broken leaves so hopefully that settles out a few days inches
Sometimes it feels like one step forward two steps backwards. When I went to install the Exhaust it was hitting the floor. Nothing beats cutting up parts for a third time to make them fit. Only one guy in the garage to blame for that problem. I also had to grind my shock mounts down as the body was hitting them and would not go down. After a full day of messing around sometimes you need a win. Decided to install the rear bumper and trunk lid. That’s the first part to come out of the basement bedroom. Celebrate the small wins I guess even had a small helper to crawl into the trunk and check the latch. Next up is fender braces and reinstalling the gas tank. I figured I would start at the back and slowly put it together until I hit the front bumper
Well progress is still coming along. I spent 3 days getting my gas tank to fit. It required trimming to slip into the frame from underneath and then creating a cut out and cover for where the fuel lines exit. I put the steering box in and connected up the shift linkage Next up on my list is laying in the harness. I’m running a universal painless harness. Same one I used on my roadster. Having to make some modifications to keep the original ignition switch and starter button. To do this I’m just using the factory switches to control relay. The gauge cluster is a bit of a science experiment. I have a 12-6V converter for the gauges but I wanted to keep the battery gauge working. Doing some reading it was advised to run a 60 OHM resistor in line to drop the voltage to the gauge. Instead I installed a 0-100 OHM adjustable resistor. This way I was able to dial in my reliance. 66 OHM Seems to put it just hello the yellow so hopefully with the engine running @14V that will push it into the green. Next up was the heater. I used an Amazon 10A speed control so I have full fan speed adjustment. I mounted in the original bracket and adapted on the face plate and knob. The plan is to put the front sheet metal back on this weekend. It may be better to leave it off until I know the engine runs but it’s blocking my roadster in up on the hoist. The snow is melting quickly now so I’m itching to get the roadster out.
Do you have a part number for the adjustable resistor you used? I have tried two different 60 Ohm ones and neither are quite right.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B07DHGHQPQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title it’s just a adjustable 0-100 OHM resistor seems to work okay
Holy crap! That looks great, and you've done a super job in a short amount of time. Well done Grasshopper!
Thanks the benefits of a long winter is extra time in the garage I guess. Shooting to have the car on the road for May. Back seat installed with 3 seat belts and all the trunk panels in today.
It’s been a busy few weeks working g in the car tying up all the small details to get it roadworthy. Today I was able to get it through the government inspection and it’s road legal today. Spent the afternoon running around town doing errands. The car definitely has its quirks but all in all it’s a neat ride. The transmission is not happy shifting I had some 80-90 oil in it but last night swapped in 140W GL1 and that seems to have made for hard shifting without grinding gears. May go back to 80-90 to see what that dose The cars make a nice pair together in the driveway
Thanks again for advice and great suspension parts you provided for the build Actually it was 8 months since I purchased the car. I was very motivated to not let this thing turn into a long term project. Just get it on the road in a safe manner was the priority. I can fix it up as I drive it now. Tonight we made it out for the first ice cream run. The entire family fit and we made it there and back without any issues.
Those kids look real happy too! It's good you kept the duration under control. The memories will be rides and ice cream, not watching Dad work on it for years to get it on the road. You played it really smart! 60 Special
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