Featured Hot Rods Building my first roadster in Kansas City

You, like me, have more projects than sense sir!

 

lol catch me during a “busy” time of the year and I juggle about 33 creative projects at a time on average.

 

I’m going to try to post an update this evening but here’s a teaser until then

 

Alright not quite Ukrop O’clock but late enough so let’s get an update.

This afternoon I went to my buddy’s house to measure and template his roadster and two and a half hours later I had run out of time and had measured… most things. I’ll have to go back in a few weeks when I have some time to make a lot of templates and measure some more.

That being said I answered a LOT of questions just by putting my hands on the car, holding up a straight edge and measuring. A lot of measuring.

Since we like stories here’s a little bit about this roadster I’m measuring. It was brought back to Kansas City from North Carolina after being discharged from the Marines on the top of his olds j2 powered 37 ford! Dropped axle and Louvered hood equipped as well.

Lots of great story’s. Including opening day of Kansas City’s first drag strip in 1956 that’s his 7” channeled 34 ford sedan on the far left. Did it with a hammer and a chisel! Said the neighbors were happy when he was done banging on that thing haha.

I’ve also begun reviewing a favorite metal shapping book. It’s a good one if you are looking to add to your library.

 

Amen, I can attest to this. My 12-year T is still in progress. I finally have come to the point that where I realized this is a nearly 100 year old body and it will never be perfect.

 

@rjgideon every time I talk about this project I echo a similar sentiment.

Even the bodies that are out of my price range have been knocked around for very near 100 actual years. They’ve been “fixed” and banged up and fixed again a dozen times before most of us were born.

Looking to the other side the glass bodies really aren’t that much better. They might be the same side to side but I’ve yet to find one that is 100% accurate. The beads are the wrong profile, the wheel wells are gone, some crown is missing from the panel. On and on.

I saved these photos just to have some sort of reference of how a good one looks and how it looks partially apart this VERY nice black example actually shows very well a section I will not be copying.

Looking at the inner wheel well there is an arched shape that crests out the further up you go. Down below the shapes are continued onto the subrail.

I WILL be keeping the wheel wells as I don’t really care for the deleted but I’m leaning towards putting a more model A-32 type crows foot bead in the panel, and the subrail will be straight /flat.

The car I am referencing has a top on it so I’m running into a few road blocks measuring for certain the top back, some of the upholstery also gets in the way but I can get 90% of the way and then go pay another friend a visit to get the last 10% off his.

 

I

like your sedan very cool stance

 

@duecesteve thanks! It’s VERY nose down, looks really good from the rear 3/4 but it’s hard to get a “good” photo of how it really looks.


One of tonight’s T related thoughts is windshields.

@Jimmy B got any good examples of track roadsters in street garb ?

 

I don't have any toys since I sold my '35 Ford truck but one of my neighbors stopped by the other day and says his dad has a Total Performance "T" sitting in his garage for a bout 5 years he's gonna find out about it

 

Heres a few I like the bottom one best! But the blue one is pretty slick too! Some good inspiration keep on building!

 

Man you ever see someone do something and the lightbulb turns on like “oh duh”

I tell you it’s that way almost every time I check in on one of Jimmy B’s builds

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...re-better-than-1.1210418/page-6#post-15596308

we must have similarly functioning brains which makes me thankful, and a little bit sorry for him, all at the same time lol.

he posted this early T deck buck recently and it’s just a great example. Thought I’d share, a little for you but also to kind of “book mark” the information for myself.

 

There is so many talented builders on this site with so many cool ideas it makes you're head spin,

 

So is he going to shape sheet metal over that like a jig and make a Massaratti? Lol Very cool that looks like a fun project.

 

Click the link and find out/ follow along

 

I've been following Jimmy B's early Chevy roadster builds for years. He is a great source of inspiration for my '26 Chevy build. I am very much looking forward to see him tackle the structural wood part of one of these because that is where I am stalled. Maybe it will also attract Grumpy Gabby 2 back and we can see what he has accomplished on the wood for his roadsters. He may have one done by now.

 

This project looks like a riot. Will definitely be following along since my T roadster project has been stalled for ... 7 years or so.

Speaking of which, do you want to borrow a complete 26/27 turtle deck to pull patterns from? I have one disassembled literally just collecting dust. Not perfect parts, but definitely good enough to work with while you make your own.

Anyone going from MN to KC anytime soon?

 

I’ll keep that in mind,
Thanks for the offer

 

I have a rough and rusty 26/27 front (bucket less the turtle deck) you can have if it would help for reference. I'm in Broken Arrow, ok. If you are interested I'll send pics. Cool project sir!

 

@charleyw thanks man I’ll keep that very generous offer in mind

 

Glad my builds help provide inspiration and ideas for you as you work out what you need for your build.

Haha we likely do have similar functioning brains, I feel for both of us creative brain has it positives and negatives but is fun

Really enjoying this thread it has helped motivate me and also inspired me to get back after my builds, motivation has been lacking for sometime, cheers!

Nice to hear my Chev builds have provided inspiration. Your build also inspired me. Once I find a source for the Timber I will move forward as it will help with future steel outs giving more accurate baseline. So maybe I should move forward with Chev 3 sooner

 

So tonight I’m working on turning my hand sketched measurement notes into a cleaner more legible image and thought of @Rynothealbino

I have a measurement that I need that you could easily get for me. The panel above the trunk lid. I need to know how “tall” it is. My buddies roadster has a top that over laps the back of the bucket and the top of the deck as they sorta share space.

I pressed a tape measure flat in the curve and added a guestimate and ended up with 7” at the ends. I’m needing the measurement at the ends and in the center as I believe the top may be arched a little. I don’t have another deck to measure at present.

 

Those two spots. Hopefully that makes it easier to understand what I’m looking for.

Also for anyone reading I’m needing various width and height dimensions of where the cowl and firewall meet. It’s a little hard to get some of these with an engine in place. A friend I plan on visiting later has a flathead in his so a little easier to work around but if someone has one that doesn’t have an engine setting in front of it I imagine it would be a little more accurate.

I don’t need measurements of the firewall itself, depth etc, because I won’t be running a stock style fire wall so I just need the opening so to speak

If a Google search turns one up I’ll share it here and then add it to my rendering. I’ll post that when it’s done as well. Got a hand full of things that need added yet.

 

@Jimmy B I tweaked some of your supplied Winfield photos. In the lower I dropped the headlights, in the upper I got rid of the front nerf bar, drew in an hood line and roughed a 32 frame in.

I really love that car and though the radiator placement is less than lovely it sure does allow for a more room and you can’t see it with the hood on.

I’m imaging the Weiand car would look similar to my alterations if it was on the street with a windshield etc

 

Have you checked out @Mindover thread on his T? I believe I added pics and measurements of that panel over there.

 

for more accurate readings of a curved or compound surface, think about using a fabric tape measure and we can think of you as a taylor-of-T's.....

 

See if this works?


What!!? another 27 on 32 chassis!??. Scratch build body.

 

Tim, we haven't met but I'm in Overland Park and have a plannishing hammer you would be welcome to borrow.

 

I sent you a message about the Ron Covell DVD that has a lot of good stuff in it.

But here's some shots of the one I built for my '24 T a while back. There's not nearly as much shape in this as a '26/7 but it would work similarly.

 

@cactus1 no havnt I’ll check it out though!

@winduptoy funny enough my formal education in flat pattern work comes from my degree in textile and apparel design lol

@brEad seems as good of reason as any to finally meet! I’ll keep you in mind when the time comes. I’m working pretty hard right now to get the measurements, forms and templates made, information sorced while it’s all fresh in my brain and I can make it into something I can use later.

I have a few more hands on visits and a couple things coming in the mail that should really help. My plan is still to build a 1/5 ish scale body with all this information first.