Hot Rods Bringing my 39 back to life

and I have sold all my nailhead stuff off, except one 425 and switch pitch for my 54 f100......I may have to many projects.....na not possible.

 

Never too many projects, Jason. We just run out of time, money or enthusiasm!

 

Yeah,between changes I want to make on my Hiboy and my '40, plus some old machine tools I've dragged into my already cluttered shop, if I live another 81 yesrs I won't finish them, LOL!

 

Now that the weather has broke, and it seems like it might be here to stay for a while, I finally got a chance to move all the parts surrounding the 39 outside so I can get back to putting this thing back together. With some help from my oldest son we got the new shackle bushing pressed into the wish bone and front spring and the got the dropped axle, spring and wish bone all assembled. With the front end assembled, we went forward with getting the rebuilt banjo back in the car and bolted in. Once the rear was in, we moved forward and put the front axle / whish bone assembly back in the car. With that secured, it was time to touch up a few spots on the axle and frame that needed touched up that had suffered some chips from assembly. then we went ahead with putting the spindles and F100 brakes, with Chassis Engineering steering arms to cleat the axle back on. Finished up with getting the brake hoses on for the front. and the crossover front brake line. all that's left is to bend up the line from the Master to the drivers side brake hose and the short line from the master to the rear brake hose and we are ready to bleed the brakes. Planning on getting the rest of the brakes lines bent up and in place after work this week as well as getting the rebuilt steering box put back in and replacing all the wheel studs on the rear hubs, The rear hubs were redrilled to chevy pattern and I'm moving it back to 5.5 inch pattern for the 46 for steel wheels. Here is a few pics of the progress.

 

If you are putting F1 / F100 brakes onto your early ford, and want to retain the use of the original banjo bolt for the hose fitting, you need to use Brake hoses for a 52 to 54 ford. They allow the use of the copper washer for the Banjo bolt, fit the F1/F100 wheel cylinder and still allow the use of the original 1/4 inch brake lines. Its Raybestos Part number BH16179. they are just the right length too when using a dropped axle.

 

Thanks for the tip!

Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Also got the wood toes boards stained and five coats of poly applied. the floor is now completely done, both steel and wood. Getting cloer to painting all the Copper parts and get more big stuff put together!!

 

Jumping ahead of myself, but trying to have everything I need when the time comes, I picked up some snazzy slip over seat covers to use until I can come up with the bucks for a proper white tuck and roll interior. I'll cover the original upholstery with cheap blankets and then slip these over that. That should help hold what's left of the factory covers together enough for me to get by for awhile.

 

Getting close to mounting the tires and having this back on four wheels. With that coming up, it worked out perfect when my friend Jack Fuller decided to get rid of his Amermac Tire Truer. So I went down to his shop last weekend and picked it up. once I get the tires on and mounted I be able to true the tires right here in the garage or at the big shop down the road. I have to rebuild the main drive motor, but that's about it other than a clean up. Any one that is in the Richmond area feel free to hit me about if you need to true your Bias Plys up, once I get this operating again.

 

Good tip. Wish I'd had it a few months ago when I did my brakes. Your lines came out a lot cleaner than mine.

 

Finally have to progress to put in this thread. All my major sub-assemblies are just about done, wireing, fuel system, front and rear suspension, brakes rebuilt installed, plumbed and bled. Just needed to get the dash and wheels painted to get it to a roller and start wiring. I took my kids to camp where they will be for a month so I have a months worth of free weekends and after work to really plow though this thing. Got the dash all metal finished, spot putty put on, etch primed and epoxy primed today. Tomorrow morning I'll finally get to spray the color.

 

Got the wheels all etch and epoxy primed fronts are 15x5 and rears are 16x5. Got a set of 5.60 15s bias wide whites for the front and 7.50 16 firestone wide whites for the rear.

 

And got the dash stripped to bear metal, finish body worked, etch primed, and epoxy primed. Really happy with how the guage modification to fix the gaping hole hacked in it for a radio went. And really pleased with how the whole thing turned out once it was in epoxy.

 

In the morning I'll finally be able to mix up the color I bought 2 years ago to spray the wheels and dash with. I'll eventually get the garnish mouldings painted with the same color but for now I just want to get it together so I can get the bugs worked out before Old North State at the end of Sept, and TROG. planning to drive this thing to both! Fingers crossed, now I just have to put it together like a giant model car! Here is the color going on tomorrow. Dark metalic copper.

 

I had hoped to get the color on today but I just ran out out of day light. It works out, since now I can spray color I the morning, and then let the parts bake in the sun all day tomorrow. Gott get this 39 wrapped up so I can get on my new daily driver project, my 54 F100 waiting its turn patiently in the shop.

 

Nice headway on your 39, hit it hard while the kids are away. We all have been the thru the same thing with our kids. Frank

 

Big problems with spraying the color today.... I followed ratios of paint, reducer and hardener. But it was just too hot and after about 3 min of spray time it would start to set up in the gun! After two mixed with progressively less hardener I got it to flow properly and set up properly. I ended up using about 1/8th the recommended amount.

Once that was worked out, I was pretty dissatisfied with the color. It was supposed to look more like a new penny than an old penny. It's not bad, just not what i was wanting.....right now I'm strongly considering scrapping the copper paint and just going with chromed steel wheels, I already have a set. I only painted 2 wheels because of the mix issues and unsure of color once I got it to flow. Here is a pic of the painted wheel. Let me know what you think...I cant make my mind up.

 

This heat and humidity makes it tough to do anything, but it is really tough for painting unless one has a climate-controlled booth. If the picture tells the accurate color, I can see your disappointment, Jason. It looks more Brown than Copper to me. I really like some of the Copper colors that I'm seeing of late, on wheels as well as entire cars. Sorry the results are what they are. Those chrome steel wheels are looking better right now.......Don.

 

The Copper on this '32 Sedan currently in the classifieds looks beautiful.......

 

That was what I was shooting for. And just to be clear, yes I know that the dark base color will make it darker. The pic posted above is after I sprayed light grey sealer over the dark grey epoxy.

 

Yeah the color is pretty true in the picture. It has a little more sparkle in person but the color is spot on.

 

39 is really coming along.. I like the seat covers and the gauge insert.. Keep it up....

 

If you use the wrong hardener it will do this. Single stage hardener and clear hardener are different and paint will kick in the gun before you can spray it if you mix them up. Been there done that myself late at night and dead tired, and the gun is hard to clean.

 

And that was something I had thought of as well. But let me just say, I am not a painter, I can operate a spray gun with a level acceptable for what I want, but don't do it enough to be proficient at it. I did go the cheap route for the paint ( bought on line at a place called PaintForCars.com) because well it was cheap and it looked real good when I opened the can. you do get what you pay for. I'm pretty sure, I'm just going to crack open my can of PPG Pitch black and spray the dash black and put chrome steelies on it instead to just keep moving forward.

I had planed on painting the engine the copper as well, so now I have to decide what color to paint the engine. leaning towards 55 Chevy engine red or maybe white. But hell, I can paint it any color now with a black dash and chrome wheels. if any one has engine color suggestions let me know. I'm all ears.

 

These are just my thoughts since I know how messy I can be............I would never paint an engine White.

 

Yeah, white would be good for about 14 seconds with me driving.....so white is no longer and option.

 

Talk to a painter not a rep you will find out more. Most reps are just salesman and never painted. In 60 years of painting cars I have only meer two reps who had any practical knowledge. And only one that could paint. A French Canadian that worked for Standox.
Just find a painter that shoots a lot of PPG and he can tell you how it works.

 

Man, you've been busy, man, i'm lazy!

 

Got the wheel color straightened out. Bought a bunch of VHT engine paint in burnt copper and spray bombed them with VHT sp402.

This is what it was supposed to look like. They will get cleared tomorrow and that will make them pop.

 

Oh Yeah!! Much better. Looks great, can't wait to see them after they're cleared.