Projects BRIAN MADE ME DO IT: 34 Roadster Build

Sweet!

 

Do you have a part number and source for the Bilstein rear shocks? Thanks.

Phil

 

I'll do some research. I had the frame built at Schroeder Speed and Custom in Portland, OR. He added those shocks on all 4 corners.

 

Wow, just wow!

 

Thanks man! It is a fun car to build and work on.

 

I am trying to get ready to mount the body but new ideas keep getting in the way...this is why it has taken me 5 years so far to build this car. I am mounting the battery in the trunk on this car so I have a lot of cable to run and I don't want to see it...anywhere. Taking advantage of the natural surroundings, namely the body mounts I welded to the frame to take the channel drop out of my body, I figured it would be a great place to make a couple of big cable runs.

Right side is the #1 cable that will power the starter only when cranking, a ford solenoid in the trunk will regulate that. This is a big cable and all anyone will see is a foot of it that connects to the starter. It is also clamped to the top of the rail to make sure it doesn't chafe. This cable will make a move into the body after the door, into the cavity in the body and then back to the battery which I am mounting on the right side. The negative cable will go to the frame using the body mount bolt in the last trestle. No, that ground strap isn't staying there, it would chafe my willy.

On the left side a #4 cable comes off the PowerGen alternator and makes a run to the battery kill switch located in the trunk and accessed under the rear of the body over the tank. I covered the section that is exposed with cloth covering that happens to be black with maroon chasers. Like the other cable, it will route into the car just after the drivers door and finish it's run to the kill switch and then to the battery.

These channeled Speed 33 bodies have an interior trough to run the harness through and past the doors. On the right I have already added a #6 cable to power my ceramic heater which was too much pull for a fuse box, it has it's own feed and a dedicated circuit breaker. On the left interior channel is another #6 that is connected to the kill switch and runs forward to power the Coach Works fuse box.

One more step completed. Next is the completion of the brake lines. A roll of .28 3/16 stainless showed up today so it's go time...or is that stop time?

 

Billy I gotta ask::
This build is outstanding !
You've done extensive things to make it easy to work on !

So here's the question -
How are you going to get to these little screwed on trinkets with the body on should the need arise?

 

What he said!

 

8 bolts. That is all that holds the body to the frame. Well that and a 2 post lift. Fuel line is a quick disconnect, the wiring harness will be. That fuel line had to run up and over the frame tubing, no other alternative. Not really any different that my 442, you have to lift the body to change the steel lines on her too.

Seriously, a "what he said" joke? Dude!

 

This is interesting, I used a couple of stainless 3/16 frame brackets and bolted them together to tie the clutch lines together. It was just an exercise but it worked, look close and you can see I lined the adapter holes with rubber hose to insolate the lines and I bracketed them to the bell housing/adapter as well. Bleeder on top. I still may make an another bracket to secure them but on the right track. With the lines out of the way I have ample room to pull the pedals out of the floor if necessary.

This one is just kinda dumb. I had purchased a moon eyes water temp gauge to attach to one of the heads. I changed my mind and decided to run dual temp gauges on the dash and thus a temp sender in each head. So what to do with an extra gauge? Stick it in a water pump. Beats lying in a drawer.

 

Speaking of kinda dumb, well, that would be me for failing to fire on all the paint questions you had and to come and visit. Believe me, the work load and problems related are getting to me a bit. Still hope to visit though.Sooner rather than later, hopefully....

 

No worries buddy. If memory serves you were doing the Ireland gig at the time. I look forward to having you back over and seeing what you think of this thing.

 

Hi, enjoying your build thread, lots of neat details, and thought out solutions, top stuff.

As a side, I'm noting your brake lines, and placement etc, as I'm preparing to layout and run mine, so your thread is timely for me, but noted the way you positioned the rear axle lines, from the housing just prior to entering the slave cylinder. Just going through the motions of sorts, noting the notch in the rail, and respective clearances to the axle tubes, but do you have some form of bump stop, and if so, should the suspension compress if you hit a pot hole etc, will it prevent that brake line getting hit as the suspension does it's thing?
I expect it's just the angle of the photo, but thought I'd ask in case.

Again, enjoying this thread, and appreciate the details demonstrated, as it's both inspiring, and informative.

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

Thank you for the kind words. With regard to the suspension, I played with it a bit when the springs were being plated, the shocks bottomed out before the notch in the frame impacted the dummy lines I built (I make soft lines that I can hand form prior to knocking them out in stainless). I did not add a bump stop for that reason though a little insurance does go a long way.

 

Tonight, while I was waiting for the primer to dry at 42 degrees F on my oil pan, I unboxed my new flare tool and got acquainted. I started playing with scrap 3/16 steel and then tackled my first stainless steel brake line. This is the line that runs between the front frame mounts. You can see it lying across the handle. All I got to say is "You have got to get one of these!"

You clamp your line in the correct die (3/16 in this case), A little light oil is a good idea, rotate that dial to OP1 3/16 and pull the handle. Then rotate the dial to OP2 3/16 and give the handle another pull. Done! This dial is for 45 degree flares. I also got the 37 degree AN dial which just pops on so you can do army/navy flares.

Check out the close up of the double flare. I kid you not, it takes 2 minutes tops to create these flares.

Another angle to the dangle. The only thing I regret is that my vice is mounted to a work bench I fabricated years ago...on casters. A vice that doesn't roll around the garage would make the job even easier. And notice, no marking of the tube from the clamp.

This stainless will work your upper body a bit, better than a bowflex cuz you get bitchin lines for the effort. And yes, I used stainless nuts and polished the bejeeveese out it. If it's worth doing, it's worth more shiney!

Bandit Billy, 10-10 on the side.

 

Have one of those tools to and they really work great.

 

AN=Air Corps/Navy

You need this book.




https://books.google.com/books?id=c...ved=0ahUKEwif6ISgzPLYAhVC3mMKHTefA4kQ6AEIJTAA

 

^^^I always heard Army/Navy. Air corps/Navy makes more sense since the US Air Force is the largest air force in the world, and the second largest is the US Navy. And these are of an avionic nature.

 

Remember the Army Air Corp was established first in 1926 (when planes were made of stix and canvas) as a part of the Army, then it was turned into the Air Force after WWII (1947) to make it separate / equal to the other major US Forces. As time went by, there was just too much dissimilarity between the Army and (new) Air Force missions, their training, basing, budgets, etc. to stay under the same leadership. Either way, it's still the A in front of the N in AN. Gary

 

I know it means nothing to most people and I always used that terminology too until I read that in his book, he has other books which I also have, one being "Engineer to win".
I see they have gotten pretty pricey but in my opinion they should be included in every hot rodders personal library, unless you still think barbed fittings and see through red plastic fuel hose is adequate.

I recall reading somewhere that before the Air Corps/Navy joint standardization (AN) the call out was just AC (Air Corps).
I also see that Wikipedia uses the Army/Navy designation and though you can't depend on everything in Wikipedia to be accurate its a pretty good read.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN_thread

 

Can I just say one more time....THAT FLATHEAD!
Dang. Great build.

 

That flathead's oil pan is driving me to drink! (this week's excuse) I removed it because the dip stick tube bracket leaked oil during the burn in. So I pulled the pan, drilled the rivets, welded flange bolts inside, made a new gasket and then set out to repairing the damage the heat did to the paint job. Something on the pan, the primer I used, the paint, something reacts every time I apply even a mist of primer. Tried a couple different primers, no change. It is only in the area where I featheredged the repair where multiple surfaces are exposed.

Tonight I think I am going to strip it and start over which sucks since there is a lot of body work on the back of the pan where I had to elongate the area over my high volume oil pump. Aaarrggg!

Oh well, It's not all bad, with the extra time the pan is taking I had time to drop the dipstick tube bracket off at the chrome shop yesterday. I have issues.

 

Is your Chrome vendor supplying you with a nice stock of adult beverages?

 

He is not but perhaps he ought to.

 

I kinda cheated on the oil pan. I had that one spot where the feathered edge kept reacting so I took my small DA and cut it down, mixed up some Dolphin glaze and spread it as smooth as I could. Sanded lightly not to cut through it and then laid on the primer. I sanded it flat with 400 without cutting through and applied the base coat. Looks tight and right.

in this picture you can see the drain hole I drilled and tapped for a 3/8 NPT plug in the oil pump reservoir that I added for the new pump. Now I can drain the oil that gets trapped there when I do my scheduled service. Looks good, this is just the wet base coat, the clear really ought to look good.

I still need to polish the stainless bolts that hold the pan on, but that is for another night.

 

Chrome the pan and paint the bolts

 

If it didn't have so much body work on it, I would have! I was thinking about striping it real quick before I clear it.

 

I'd put some lettering there and say something real smart assed disguised as striping down there. like "other side up" "get off your knees" "Nothing to see here" " I bet you thought the oil pan would be plain huh?" " your butt crack is showing"
Something like that

 

Good one! I was thinking about Boss 276. Doesn't sound threatening though.