Projects Anderegg Roadster TRIBUTE-MEMORIAL build and info, AMBR 1955

Thanks, i know thats probably a for sure with the future 283...I am trying to not have to buy new wires, i have another set of red ones with straight plug boots, maybe i can convert them to 90` boots. Hhmmmm.....

 

EDIT:
Disregard....the wife and I threw all caution to the wind....
Based on one sentence in a 1954 club newsletter, and the immediate reaction to our color panels of two important folks to us we have reconsidered our decision. I wont bore you with lousy photos that dont represent the truly outrageousness of this color, but if you have the June '57 Hot Rod (picture below), take a real good look at the firewall, the very bottom of the grill and the backing plate of left front tire.....

.....now Google 1954 Buick Condor Yellow, and there you have it....this color is crazy, changes with light, angles, shadows, and says "LOOK AT ME. I DARE YOU TO NOT NOTICE ME!!!!" This color is BOLD...VERY BOLD, and was brand new for '54, and offered only through '55 for Buick....why wouldnt you choose this for a truly cutting-edge hot rod of the time.

.....no turning back now....gallon and a half sittin on the bench

 

^^^color update^^^

 

Louie that is great news! I look forward to seeing the down hill run of this fantastic build.

 

As much as I appreciate custom colors, its hard to beat a wild factory color for a period car. Cool choice.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Thanks guys for the vote of confidence, this color thing has been a two year point of stress, I know its got to be a big deal with the car. You hit the nail on the head with capitalizing on a wild factory color, the more we mulled this over, the more it actually made sense. Probably the biggest factor next to the news letter that was actually written after the Roadster Show in '55, was my wifes father. He had not seen the June '57 Hot Rod cover in probably 20 or more years. When I sprayed my 4 original test panels in February in 2011, he was the first to see them. I had walked him out to his front yard, made him stand with his eyes closed, told him to visualize the roadster in his mind, set up the panels in front of him in a nice sunny spot, and when he was ready, to open his eyes picking out what he thought the color was. With NO hesitation he pointed to the Condor Yellow....I was floored. He was so certain. Everybody else who commented on the color had recently dug out their copy of the magazine and I believe a bit swayed by the photo. Tracy Ledford was the first person to point out the color of the firewall to me, telling me that it couldnt be ignored. I am telling you, this thing will be loud and proud color wise, that yellow with a red band stripe bordered by a tiny black stripe on either side.
Point of note: Is there anybody out there that knows how common a band stripe in this style was in the mid fifties....I am blown away, this may as well be something that was ahead of its time, though not entirely sure. Any info on that would be appreciated.
Thanks again folks for looking in, I really hope I do this car proud when its all said and done.

 

There cant be too many things better than wrenchin' with American Graffiti playin' on the TV in the garage....oh and Two Lane waitin' in the wings....

 

Making progress...
And a bunch done on the frame in the last few days. Finally finished up the suicide mount. Did a bit of my own extra bracing, the original had nothing under there but a few Hail Marys...


Probably one more night of welding and grinding and the frame should be ready for primer.

 

Inside right frame rail....guess I shouldve practiced once, but oh well, its there forever.
More pics to follow in a bit.

 

Plugging away, in the process of welding up the reversed rear rims...(via Mexican Engineering run-out gauge).

 

You are kidding right Ryan??? LOLOLOLOL
I (we) are so appreciative of you and your site for giving us this outlet, the friends and followers I have met here mean the world to us and this build. I probably couldve never done this without your site. What a huge coincidence that you just put up your AMBR 1955 blog....too funny. Well....welcome aboard my little thread Ryan....

 

Well, the clutch cable has been reworked. A bit smoother in operation, still a bit stiff, but I think will work for now. So that means the motor and trans are back in, front axle is back in place and so is the rear diff. Have the pinion angle set to match the trans, and painted up the rims. So far have one front mounted up and should have the others done by the end of tonight.

 

I am spent.....but I think I got a bunch done this weekend.




Really stoked on the look. I think I am a little tail low the way it sits now. Just have some ride height links in place of the shocks right now, so not a real concern.

 

Spent some time going through this whole thread. Way sweet!!!!!! I love what you done with the place. The 1962 version with the very low roof is my favorite. You now I'm stealing that for mine.

Keep posting.... It's looking so fine.

 

I'm loving your details man,it's great one all the way to do and your doing it proud.

 

Koz, and Dana thanks a ton for checking in. Glad you guys are liking the way its shaping up.
Well if you havent noticed yet, I have been avoiding photographing the passenger side. We absolutely hate that door. I, for the life of me, cannot figure out how to make hidden hinges work in the limited space I have in the cowl.
(If anybody out there has a fool proof way of hidden hinges in a 27 coupe cowl PLEASE LET ME KNOW).
I really dont want any portion of a hinge to show, its bad enough to have the door gaps showing. So if I havent figure it out by the time the floor is all done, there is a real good chance I will be welding it shut like the original....not that that would break my heart, just makes it a bit harder for us old fogies to get in and out of the thing. I also had added 2 inches to the area behind the seat to get an extra 2 inches of space for a fuel tank.....bleh, thats out the window as well and the seat is where it should be....hell I almost had myself talked into sealing off the trunk area as well today for good....until I threw the rear shocks and springs in through a handy access panel I have back there instead of from under the car. So for the time being the trunk stays.
Here is another one but from tonight, I love taking low angle rear 3/4 shots of the roadster. Now its a tiny bit tail high because of no fuel tank, fuel and spare tire. But with all that and our butts in the seat it settles right down just about perfect.

 

Heres another one for gee whizzes...

 

I had found a cool little deal from "powerodsmike" on another site some time back that I saved. I really like a door that opens,its the only way for my wife to get in,she is wheel chair bound from a stroke,so my rod also must open and have what pass's for a trunk that works. I do not need to hide my own,but this was good I think,
here's the saved info from Mike,hope it helps;

It can be done, I made up a set very similar to the ones that speedway sells, but scaled down to fit a model T roadster, and they were mounted in front. The problem with an A is that the body tapers in so much at the bottom. So a pair of hinges sized to fit inside the doorjam will make the door swing down as it swings out. The problem with that is it looks funny when the door is open, and it swings out as gravity takes over..which can be a problem in a parking lot if you are parked close to another car.
I also designed and made several sets for 29 roadsters, that let the door swing 90* open and stay somewhat level, but each hinge was different, left and right, upper and lower with the lowers being so big that they stuck into the footwell about 3/4" when closed.

It took a fair amount of mocking up, moving pivot points around and making the hinges clear the jam when they swung to make it all work.

I have seen several setups with a single wide hinge mounted a bit higher in the door. You will lose the upper hinge, and consequently the door will rattle some.

And yes it is a bunch of work..no matter how you do it..I've installed a couple of sets of the speedway ones, and it ain't a one day job.

Those hinges in the picture are 1 1/4" wide steel, and the channel that the hinge pocket is made from is 1 1/2 wide, by 1 3/8" thick to fit in the doorjamb.
Mike

 

If that green fan is one of the old fiberglass ones, I wouldn't use it. They have been known to come apart. Really like your car and always liked the original one.

 

Looking good Louie! I checked out Condor Yellow in google images, I think you might be right. It's gonna be cool to see this in paint!!

 

I like the final color choice!!!!

 

Dana, thats some awesome info there, I am heading to the garage right now to make some paper hinge mock ups. I did stop at the hardware store and picked up some brass bushings, and tubing for the pivots. I made the somewhat fatal error of, after having the wife and I practice climbing over the side with the door in place, we also gracefully slid into the cockpit with a simulated opening door.....so I am back on the hinges DOH!, hopefully sucessfully with your new info.

Awwww crap.....I really liked that fan.

Thanks guys, this color rocks, pictures do it absolutely NO JUSTICE....

 

Primed34 is right on the fan, I have seen them come apart.

 

....hidden....

....hinges....

but I havent given up yet

 

....Now if i can turn my mock up into reality.....

 

I have know idea if this will help any;Although i never asked way back,I thought that the long part of the hinge in the photo I saved was the part that atactched into cowel post,so that door had the box part in it with poivit close to outer door skin. [door opens only 90*]
Not sure how your mockup is. I could be wrong but that was my take on the design. Just to give ya two heads thinking in this fogg.

 

Thanks again Dana for your input. I have seen that style of hinge used mostly with the box in the cowl, and the arm attached to the door. Hence the huge problem with these T cowls, the lack of room and then add the curve of the door/cowl. It requires more space than what I have or am willing to give up to preserve the look of my interior.
That said, I have stumbled (litterally) on a possible solution. Waaayyyyy early in my build the plan was for both doors to open with hidden hinges. And in my complete accidental wisdom (ok absolute dumb luck) I did something to the body that I really had no idea why I was doing it, but I did it anyway......
I flip-flopped the door jambs, side for side and front to back, back to front. So my front door jambs now have a pocket. Well the wife and I were sitting in her Legacy GT and I was whining about not having figured out the hinges yet, and looking at the hinges on the Legacy the bulb lit up. So I went home quickly fabbed up some mock hinges that looked like those on her car and it kinda worked.....the odd thing....the doors now swing like a new car INTO that pocket INSIDE the cowl, instead of forward and to the outside like an older car (ala 55 chevy, ect) So the next step is building the door structure and a pair of hinges hopefully mimicking what I have now and maybe even improving it a bit along the way. Then mass producing a kit and selling them for a million dollars.....So I can afford all my chrome plating....Stay tuned.

 

Just for gee whizzes, thought I would do something roadster related while watching all the races on the TV today.....I got a lonnnngggg way to go and a bunch of practicing to do before I lay the stripes on the roadster down the line...

 

Damn, that looks good. The condor yellow looks spot on.