Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Thank you, Nobey! So much of this build is based on feel, and I'm so glad the steering wheel feels right. It's one of those pieces that I'll have my hands on every time I drive the car, so I'm glad that I found the right one.

I'm very happy with how the rear is shaping up. Lots of planning, cutting, grinding and test-fitting to make it look so simple. I believe my shocks should be en route soon, so that'll be nice to make mounts and wrap up all the fab back there.

Thank you for believing in me! We're having so much fun bringing these old Ford parts back to life.

Thanks for sticking with us. We're aiming for the West Coast Race of Gentlemen on December 10th, 2022. We'd like to drive Highway 1 to get there and then race out on the airstrip. The clock is ticking!

 

Hahaha that's the real seal of approval!

...and yes! Not with this car, however. I'll be road-tripping from Georgia to The Roc in some vintage tin. Details to follow.

It's soo clean! And I hope so. Here's the rebuilder tag from Fred Jones way back when.

Thank you! I now that primer well. I have a "tall boy" can of that on my workbench at the house. Maybe I'll bring some to the shop next time!

A great bit of history right there! Nothing says "hot rod" like some red oxide primer. I bet it looked great on your hiboy.

You got it! I need to roll my car outside for submission photos ASAP.

Dang, I can see how that could be very helpful. I suppose it's better than not having adjustable lifters at all!

 

Oh I'll find you, that's for sure! And thank you, that was the goal. At first I was leaning towards an old Bell four-spoke, but I soon realized I had to have something a little bit different to match the taillight.

Looks pretty good. Right now all resources are being focused on the A-V8. If a deal comes up once the body is on the '32 frame, I'll see what I can do.

Tim and Brian hit the nail on the head. These were made to resemble Willys tie rod ends. We ended up narrowing the F-1 tie rod a few inches to make these work, but I'm happy with how they turned out. I believe the clamps are from Third Gen. Can't wait to get all this painted white.

 

This week I've been working on getting back in the groove of things. I've been selling some parts (thanks everyone who bought them) and buying others. I also removed a big piece from the "Need to Buy" list thanks to my friend @So Cal Brian B, but I'll have more on that later. I plan to post a more complete update soon. In the meantime, here are some expired 35mm shots from the road.

Fairfax, California, on a Saturday morning.

The road to Sonoma County.

Afternoon light in Cave City, Kentucky.

A quick stop on Polk Street.

 

Hahaha that made me laugh out loud. I was shooting expired Kodak Gold 200, which has a very 2000s quality to it. Just ordered some Fuji 400 that should be arriving soon. That'll give me the look I'm going for. I miss my Velvia 100 slide film.

Mmmmm oysters. I have a gift card to Anchor Oyster Bar that I've been meaning to use sooner rather than later.

I appreciate the enthusiasm, everyone. This is a build that has two very real constraints: space and money. We have no place to park a second car in Michigan or California, and I can't afford another garage anywhere. We'll see how things play out once Version 2.0 is on the road.

 

Tomorrow is this build thread's second birthday! I have a few things to say about that—and more—that I'll be posting hopefully later today. In the meantime, here's a snapshot to keep the ball rolling.

Notice anything different?