Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Full updates and replies happening later this weekend, but here's a little more background on my quickchange on The Jalopy Journal.

 

Oh, and @Hitchhiker is the best. More details on these parts to follow.

 

Little by little, the car's coming together! I feel like we're really building momentum on the build.

Thank you, Cob! I can't wait to see how far along things will be when we hang out in Des Moines this summer. Barbecue is sounding mighty good right now!

Thank you! I've always been pretty big on setting goals and mapping out projects. Lots of behind-the-scenes stuff (more like making lots of lists and scouring IG/FB/the H.A.M.B.) happening. I'm determined to get this car on the road.

Thank you, Kevin! Right now the plan for the 'banger chassis is up in the air. We'll see how things are looking from a budget standpoint, but I would really like to get a Model T roadster body and ship it to Michigan for my brother to work on/enjoy. Time will tell!

Thanks Jeff! Hopefully we'll cross paths in Petaluma soon.

I appreciate it! Using the early Ford parts is a fun challenge, and I'm happy with how its coming along. I'll look into a dead perch and see what I can come up with.

Hahaha man, now that's wild! I wonder if there are remnants of that stack still floating around town? If so, I may have to make a trip down there...

Thank you, Mike! We're just trying to do things the old fashioned way. I'm excited to get the QC under there.

I'm not 100% sure, but I know they're from and old Sprint Car and they were made in Michigan.

Thank you! Oh man, the tunnels are scary enough while going the right way!

Thanks Brian! We're chipping away. I cant wait to use one of the two new shifters on the double-detent. That'll be a great day.

 

Yep, they're off the same car for sure. One of the perch pins was the exact same orange. Must have been a super cool car back in the day.

Funny that you mention that. I think that'll be a little early for this machine, but I'm looking into covering the show for Ridetech. Then, the following year, I'll be able to drive there in the roadster.

Hell yeah I do! Matt has been a huge help thus far, and I have a feeling I'll be buying a whole lot more parts from him in the not-so-distant future.

Car club redefined!

 

Just got in from Portland, Oregon, after a very fun trip to The One Moto Show. As soon as I walked in the house, I knew that a roadster update was long overdue. So, with that, we'll pick up where we left off.

Sidebar 41.5: Go, Go, Go!

I love pretty much anything with wheels. Hot rods, customs, motorcycles, go-karts, you name it. Well, lately San Francisco has been a great place for that. Last month, I drove the roadster over to the Museum of Modern Art's Soap Box Derby race in McLaren Park.
Even though I didn't race, I was able to photograph the event as a member of the press.
I was taking notes for a future hot rod-based soap box entry.

"Cool Cars, Square Roll Bars."

The big story, however, was my friend Lauren and her soapbox derby racer modeled after a 1957 Ford. It's completely hand built and hand painted here in San Francisco. I photographed it for DicE Magazine the following weekend.

Remembering what I learned at The Rodder's Journal, I shot the car as if it were full size. I'll let you know when the magazine comes out. I can't wait to see it in print!

***

The fun didn't stop there. The following weekend, my roommate Benj talked me into building a custom tricycle for San Francisco's Bring Your Own Big Wheel race, which took place on Easter Sunday on the city's crookedest street.
My rig was built in traditional style. Highlights included a custom bench seat/wheelie bar made out of the roadster's discarded seat foam, a rusty Model A rear backing plate-turned seat base, metallic gold flames and a 1953 Kentucky bicycle license plate.

The whole thing couldn't have been any more fun. Believe it or not, I was the only one using Model A parts.

 

Before the race, I brought the roadster out to the Ocean Beach car show. I hadn't been in a few months, and I had a great time catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a long time.

My friend Ryan even took this fun Polaroid of me and my machine.

It's amazing to think it's been almost a year since its first trip to the beach for a show. A lot has changed since then, and in a lot of ways things have stayed the same. All I can do is keep moving.

 

The next update is one of the most exciting to date. Real old time hot rod stuff. It's getting late here, so I have to sign off. But I'll be back soon with the full report on dropping spindles, mocking up rolling stock and getting this thing a ton closer to becoming a car. Thanks for sticking with me!

 

Like Dr. Dog once asked, "Where'd all the time go / it's starting to fly?" Well, in the time since I've updated this thread, I've been on the road: Oregon for the One Moto Show, Michigan to see my family, Indiana to see my friends, and New Jersey to sit at an airport. I've also been working on a new product launch at Ridetech. It's all been fun, but I have a lot of progress I'd like to share. It's pretty late here in the Great Lake State, so I may not post all of it tonight.

Sidebar 300: Butter & Egg Bliss

To help prepare for Saturday's shop day, I cruised down to All Ford in Campbell to pick up my front wheel bearings. The team was super helpful and got me everything I needed. I'm lucky to have such a great resource with a real-deal parts counter so close to home.

As they collected a box full of bearings, I couldn't help but think back to my first time at All Ford. I was buying gaskets and a bunch of other odds and ends to see if I could get the car ready for its first fire-up. A lot has happened since then, that's for sure.

The following morning, it was Butter & Egg Day in Petaluma, California. Located just north of San Francisco, Petaluma is known as the "Egg Basket of the World." The colorful little town celebrates its heritage with a large scale parade. Highlights include floats, marching bands and, of course, classic cars.

As soon as I walked in the shop door, David notified me that we were going out on assignment. Within moments we were out on bicycles, crossing Petaluma Boulevard South and rolling into the parade's staging area. Our job? Fix the mechanical brakes on a customer's 1932 Chevy pickup.

Moments after we arrived, David was under the truck making adjustments. It didn't take long to fix the issue, even with me running back to the shop to grab an additional wrench. By the end, the customer was all smiles and the truck ran, drove and stopped perfectly for the parade.
I also liked this 1925 Chevy Egg Truck—and "egg"-cellent choice for the event.

 

With that excitement out of the way, we shifted our focus to my car.

First, we rolled the cart in the middle of the shop. I slid the new round-back spindles into place. We set the chassis on jackstands so the front spring could have the weight of the drivetrain on it. Also, this gave us more leverage while bending the steering arms.

We marked where we would need to bend the arms with chalk. Then David then broke out the Oxy/Acetylene torch and started working his magic. I was in charge of C-clamp installation and supplying tools when necessary.

With the four-inch drop/no stretch on the axle, the steering arms required a great deal of finessing.

We referenced Vern Tardel's dropped spindle book to double-check our work.

Cherry red glow in a cooling state.

Once the arm cleared the axle, we bent the bottom portion so the tie rod would fit. The steering is smooth and there's ample clearance throughout.
Next came mock-up backing plates and, the moment we've all been waiting for, wheels!
Things are really coming together! David and I pieced together temporary front hubs and drums, but I have a line on a much better set. I'm still searching for rear drums and hubs if anyone is holding.

Possibly the biggest update in this thread all year. It's looking like a car! We still have to weld in the rear crossmember, but it's really happening. Can you believe it?

 

The following day, Yama and went on a long drive to Grass Valley, California, to shop for motorcycle parts. I had my eye on a 1948 HD wishbone frame for an upcoming project, and he was looking at a '49 Panhead. Unfortunately we couldn't strike a deal on either this time around. As luck would have it, the seller was also a longtime hot rodder with a 1934 Ford sedan. Remembering my ever-growing "to-buy" list, I asked him if he had any 1940 Ford steelies. "Check out back," he said.

A wheel garden! I sifted through them and found a pair of 16 inch, 5 x 5.5 bolt pattern steelies. One is four-inches wide, the other is 4.5. I figure that it could help to have one of each.

Here's a question for the experts. What does NT stand for on the white wheel?

Even though I was a little bit sad about the motorcycle frame falling through, I decided I could put the money to good use. I finally bit the bullet and ordered my new rear tires: 7.50 x 16 Firestone whitewalls from Coker.

I'll be paring the 16 x 4.5 wheel with my other one to make a set. Now my car will have 4 inch wide wheels up front and 4.5 inchers out back.

I just had to mock it up—I've never owned anything with whitewalls! I'm getting these wheels sandblasted and I'll be painting them black in my driveway, just like I did for the current copper '35 Ford wires.

 

I'll add a few more updates soon, but I'll close with this. Does anyone recognize the A-V8 on the left?