Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Great advice on the shims. They came in handy as I put everything together.

Yes! I'll be painting the frame chassis black and making the exterior of the rails match the body.

You and I both. I still have a whole lot of fun planned for this car, so don't worry.

You never know! I've had some "almost" moments on a couple of different body styles. Right now the focus is 100% on getting 2.0 on the road. We'll see what will fall into place for the 'banger components.

Hahahha neighbors will love it!

 

That thing is super cool. It almost looks like it's AI generated. An, er, AI generated A generator!

Yes! That was me. In January, I made the trip north in the rain and met David up there with his roadster. For the full account of the adventure, check out "The High Watermark" on the Jalopy Journal here.

Thank you for the offer! David ended up having an extra that we used, but I really appreciate it!

 

It's been a busy weekend with lots of good progress, so I figured I'd post the beginning of my update before I go to sleep. We'll start with this excellent film photo from @Kevin Carroll on Portra. I love how it captures the motion and excitement of driving an early Ford through the city on a Saturday afternoon.
I'll be back with the rest of the update soon!

 

On Saturday morning, I jumped in the truck and motored north to Petaluma. As I drove across the bridge, I talked to my parents on the phone. "What are you working on today?" my Mom asked. "We're setting up the kingpins, spindles and the front brake backing plates," I said. "And whatever other fun projects we can find!"

Walking up to the shop, I greeted David out front. The first order of business was to turn on the parts cleaner and then check out the results.

"No matter how many times I do this, it's always exciting," David said as we sifted through the resin in the back room. I couldn't believe how everything looked brand new.

Although I may look a little crazy here, it's because I was captivated by the magic of the process!

 

Next, I turned my attention to the front end. I spent the latter part of the morning cleaning the necessary surfaces and test fitting everything. Then it was time for lunch. The rain had stopped, so naturally we took the roadster. (We would have taken it regardless.)

Back at the shop, I'd try one shim, then shake the spindle. It would move ever-so-slightly. I'd ask David and he'd offer advice. By the end, I got the hang of it and had both sides looking and—most importantly—feeling right.

David has the right tool for every job. Here he cleans up the kingpin locking pin hole with a straight reamer. We each tackled one side of the axle.
He also gifted me this amazing little micrometer, which I used to measure the shims. Can't wait to use it on future projects.

Oh, and remember when I said we were able to find a 90-degree zerk? This is where it came from. "This jar of chili peppers was pre UPC," David said.

We also tuned up the backing plates to fit the spindles. They needed a little bit of finessing, but now they click together perfectly. Before leaving, I had to mock everything up.

Note the original steering stops. David felt that they would better fit the style of the build. I couldn't agree more. Old chrome, old parts and white paint. It's exciting to see it all come together.

 

On Sunday morning, I made the most of the weather and got right to work. I set up shop in the driveway, cued up some Grateful Dead and dove into all the taping, sanding, priming and painting.

I cleaned up the wishbone a little bit too.

Bad lighting, but I was happy with how the perch pins turned out.

Bronze bushings by our friend Jerry Larochelle!

Tonight I got some paint on the wishbone. I plant to hit it with a few more coats when it's not dark out. That's all for tonight. More updates happening later this week!

 

Thanks everyone! Taking it one step at a time. When I got home from work today, I was greeted by a box from All Ford Parts on my doorstep. Inside, I found two NOS rear wheel bearings, clips and seals. I'll share some photos tomorrow. In the meantime, here's some A-V8 inspiration!

 

Yes! I actually bought a set way back when I was going to race at the RPM Nationals in 2022. They've been patiently waiting in the back of the garage for this moment.

 

HUGE news. Today I got a text from David saying Jeff from Moose Motors dropped off my brakes. It still hasn't sunken in. Drums turned, shoes arced, bearing races repaired, drums blasted—Jeff gave them the full treatment. Saying I'm excited is a major understatement.
If that weren't enough, I also received my NOS rear wheel bearings from All Ford Parts in Campbell.

Some major pieces of the puzzle coming together!

 

Oh, one more thing. The other night, I went to go install my freshly painted, early-style oil pan and—you guessed it—it didn't fit. My engine has an 8BA pump, which interfered with the baffles on the earlier pan. Confused, I called Mac Van Pelt and he said running a different pan without a baffle shouldn't be an issue as long as I'm not weaving through a slalom course. I don't plan to (for the time being). So, rather than cut up a super nice pan, I found another one. Enter oil pan number four.

The best part? It fits! I've scuffed the Ford green, and it's time for primer and paint. I'm getting pretty good at this process!