Register now to get rid of these ads!

Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by J.Ukrop, Sep 7, 2020.

Tags:
  1. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Tonight, I planned to spend an hour in the garage. Well, that turned into a night of working on odds and ends. I’m not mad about it!
    IMG_0521.jpeg
    First, I mocked up the flywheel and pressure plate. Next time I’m in the garage, I’ll bolt them all together, complete with Loctite and safety wire where applicable.
    IMG_0523.jpeg
    Next, I installed the driveshaft and bolted in the transmission to make sure everything fits. As far as I can tell, it does.
    IMG_0526.jpeg
    The setup leaves 15/64ths of an inch of axial movement for the speedometer gear. When I install the gasket between the rear of the torque tube and the quickchange, that’ll bring it up to exactly 1/4-inch. Per my research, that’s spot on. (Yes, the gear needs cleaning.)
     
  2. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    IMG_0525.jpeg
    With the rebuilt trans in the frame for the first time, I was pleased to see how well the clutch lever lined up with the pedals.
    IMG_0527.jpeg
    After a little bit of modification, I should be well on my way.

    That’s all for tonight!
     
  3. Outback
    Joined: Mar 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,162

    Outback
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NE Vic

    Good work mate, matching forward now!
     
    winduptoy and Six Ball like this.
  4. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 6,745

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    It is always cool to put the big pieces together and see the little pieces line up. It is a satisfaction that is hard to explain but sure feels good!
     
  5. BigJoeArt
    Joined: Dec 12, 2011
    Posts: 895

    BigJoeArt
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    good stuff as usual buddy! keep hammering at it, it will get there piece by piece!
     
  6. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Last night, I went down to the garage to pull the rear wheels and get the rear drums ready to be turned.
    IMG_0533.jpeg
    But when I got to the fourth rear—the one I measured at .045 over—I realized I made a mistake. It was actually out of round and came in at .070 in some portions. Darn. I reached out to some sources, and I’m hoping we can find one. In the meantime, it’s back on my “Wanted” list in my signature. Please tell your friends!
     
  7. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 19,563

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Dang looking good!

    Will that need / be getting anti chatter rods? It would seem with the trans mounted with the 32 mount as a back stop is would y really have anywhere to go. Wonder if a stock 32 has them?

    keep chugging man, be a driving chassis before you know it
     
  8. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 6,745

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Joey, You confuse me. On day you are worried about noise and not using a wire wheel to do clean up and last night you are in the shop playing the drums. :confused:
     
  9. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Yes, I scored a set of original 1932 Ford V8 anti-chatter rods that I will be mocking up once the engine goes back in. They need the threads cleaned up, but otherwise they look solid.

    Hahahahh jam session!
     
  10. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    After work, I made my way over to the auto parts store to buy more paint and primer; I'll be painting the front end components in the next few weeks here. The big news, however, is that I got my spindles back from @NealinCA. They're absolutely perfect (photo by Neal).
    20240206_181843.jpg
    Although I was pretty tired from some long days at work, I couldn't help but head down to the garage to see how they fit.
    IMG_0679.jpg
    So so well. Can't wait to get everything painted and assembled. That's all for tonight, but I'm hoping to have more updates over the long weekend.
     
  11. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    A Quick Note:
    IMG_8502.jpg
    Before logging off tonight, I skipped back to a random page to remind myself how far we've come. I was drawn to this shot from page 91. To the casual observer, it may seem as if not much has changed. But for those who know, it's clear that everything has been refined, rebuilt or replaced.

    Updates:
    Chrome front backing plates
    Different drums
    Dropped tie-rod ends
    Narrowed tie-rod
    Reamed spindles
    Pedals installed
    Different transmission, rebuilt
    Running engine
    Functional radiator
    Same pants
    Same boots
    More determined than ever to keep things moving
     
  12. RodStRace
    Joined: Dec 7, 2007
    Posts: 7,585

    RodStRace
    Member

    The big step is a gathering of parts that work together and a bunch of White paint!
    [​IMG]
     
    winduptoy, Outback, Six Ball and 3 others like this.
  13. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 6,745

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Good looking Stuff! Assuming the "Holy Backing Plates" aren't up to the mockup yet?
     
    J.Ukrop and Outback like this.
  14. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,529

    Beanscoot
    Member

    You really should change your pants at least once every two weeks.
     
    J.Ukrop and Six Ball like this.
  15. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Thanks! Those are for the rear, but I want to hit them with a counter-sink bit before it's time to paint them.

    hahahahhaa noted!
     
    Tim, Ragged Edge and Six Ball like this.
  16. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    IMG_0536.jpg
    @Six Ball I thought I had included this, but I guess not. I'm loving the look of these.
     
    simplestone, winduptoy, Tim and 6 others like this.
  17. Jeff34
    Joined: Jun 2, 2015
    Posts: 1,186

    Jeff34
    Member

    Ooooh. Nice!
     
    Six Ball and Outback like this.
  18. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    IMG_0725.jpeg
    Made the most of my lunch break and got my Carrillo shackles ready to go. Don’t worry, I won’t be using the plastic bushings. Cotter pins will be used all around.
     
    winduptoy, Ragged Edge, Tim and 9 others like this.
  19. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    IMG_0769.jpg
    Hot rods, bearings, brakes, BBQ, strange encounters with strangers on Valencia street, night drives—we have a lot of catching up to do. That said, it's currently Sunday morning and I need to get to the garage to get to work! Today's tasks? Spray some paint before it rains, then install the flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, and oil pan. IMG_0785.jpg
     
  20. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Sidebar 170: Strange Guests

    After a fun and productive day in Petaluma on Saturday, I made my way back to the city. The rain had finally subsided, and I was itching to drive my roadster somewhere. As luck would have it, my roommate was in the Mission grabbing some drinks with his co-workers. I figured I'd head that way, grab some tacos, and then give him a lift home.

    Driving a car like this on the streets of San Francisco is one thing, but driving across town into one of the busiest areas on a Saturday night is another. Nonetheless, I weaved up, down, and across town with the hood off and the banger buzzing. When I reached Valencia Street, I decided it was time to stop for some food. I spied a spot close to Taqueria Cancun, threw it in reverse, and parallel parked.

    It didn't take long for me to make my way through the taqueria's line. Basking in the aggressively fluorescent light, I held a paper stub with a four-digit number. 0091. 0092. 0093! Showtime. I grabbed my tacos, thanked the staff, and headed back out on Valencia.

    Down the street, I could see the chrome outline of my windshield frame underneath the streetlights. Something looked off. "Is that...a person?" I started walking faster. As I approached, I realized that yes, someone was in fact in my car. And there was someone standing beside it too. I broke into a half jog/half run. The person saw me and stood up. He tried to jump out of the car, but got snagged on the inner door, almost slamming face-first onto the pavement.

    "Hey," I said sternly. "What are you doing in my car?"
    "What do you mean?" the man asked. His girlfriend looked on, speechless. "Why wouldn't I sit in your car?"
    "Because it's...mine? Why aren't you sitting in that guy's car?" I said, pointing to a Dodge Charger idling in the spot behind me.
    "Come on man," he said. "How about I give you a dollar?"
    "I'll take more than that," I said, sarcastically.
    "Fuck you," he said. With that, he and his girlfriend stormed off.

    As I drove away with my tacos, I couldn't help but laugh. You never know who you'll meet while driving an old car. But hey, at least it made for a good story once I got to the bar (see the above photo for power parking at Shotwells).
     
  21. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Let's rewind to earlier that day. As I mentioned before, I made my way up to Petaluma to work with David on a wide range of projects.
    IMG_4299.jpg
    Including photography!
    IMG_0764.jpg
    TRJ cover shot, anyone?
    IMG_0767.jpg
    Then, David taught me the finer points of disassembling early Ford backing plates.
    IMG_0768.jpg
    And pulling seals and inspecting bearing races.
    IMG_0772.jpg
    When it was all said and done, we had three drums ready to hand off to Jeff of Moose Motors. He's a master of all things brakes and clutches, and I couldn't be more excited to have him turning the drums and arcing the shoes.
     
  22. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Next, David and I worked together to get the master-cylinder mount ready to weld into the frame. IMG_0778.jpg
    The best part? The MC cap by David.
    IMG_0782.jpg
    He's always thinking at least three steps ahead! IMG_0775.jpg
    Before I left for the day, David gifted me some safety wire from our friend Ted's collection. I went on to use this on the flywheel bolts.
     
  23. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Updates from the rest of the weekend
    IMG_0794.jpg

    Old roadster, new hat.
    IMG_0799.jpg
    Rainy day oil pan delivery.
    IMG_0810.jpg
    Flywheel install? Check. Clutch and pressure plate install? Check. Everything has been surfaced, balanced, safety wired, Loctited, and torqued to spec. When I had questions along the way, I spoke with Mac Van Pelt.
    IMG_0815.jpg
     
  24. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 3,473

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Lastly, I cleaned up the holes on one of the backing plates.
    IMG_0825.jpg
    Then I primed them and began to paint. I'll post pictures of the finished product this weekend if it doesn't rain!
     
    rod1, winduptoy, Ragged Edge and 11 others like this.
  25. Looking good my dude! Excited to see us both finish our roadsters!
     
  26. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 19,563

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Man can’t believe I didn’t get a notification of updates but that was a great page of progress!

    when you make us a rad fire it up video, you are gonna take a video right?, make sure it’s long enough that you tube doesn’t turn it into a “short” and won’t embed the player in the post
     
    winduptoy, Outback and Six Ball like this.
  27. ZerroHalfcup
    Joined: Dec 6, 2022
    Posts: 101

    ZerroHalfcup
    Member

    I guess there's something about roadsters that make strangers feel welcome. I was getting gas in Gulfport, MS when a guy walked up asking if I could give him a ride to the beach. As he is getting the question out, he's trying to open my door and climb in.

    I love the progress that you've made with your car though and how many miles you're putting on it. It's great inspiration to get them out and enjoy them, it's all for fun anyways.
     
  28. Oh hell nah, I'm sure you've met my friend Guido at the Ocean Beach get together, the guy with the Red Baron on the back of the flatbed. Have him tell you the story of the guy trying to show off to his girlfriend by getting onto Guido's BMW bike with sidecar without permission and waking up the 90 pound Rottweiler that was snuggled up sleeping in said sidecar. Spoiler, the story ends with bloodletting.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2024
  29. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 19,563

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    “Ass, cash or grass nobody rides for free. I ain’t sayin you gotta get out but…”
     
    trevorsworth and Six Ball like this.
  30. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 6,745

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    You are lucky the guy and his girlfriend were just assholes. You are a brave (or crazy) man driving your roadster alone in The City on a Saturday night. Maybe it's just an old man's point of view. Pretty sure that story would have had a different ending in Nevada. Probably not as good for all as it turned out.
     
    Outback likes this.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.