Projects Finally My '26 Chevy Roadster Build

Be careful! That last picture is the kind that break front axels! If you didn't have bad luck, you'd have no luck at all!

 

@sixball, living in God's Country can have its challenges...be careful...and yeah can't wait till you get back on the good stuff...

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Time to restore a D8 Cat

 

Wow......what would it take to get your JD dozer operational ? Sure looks like a dozer job instead of the poor Kubota !!

 

My JD is a 420C pretty small and the blade angles and tilts manually. Makes for slow going and has about the same HP as the Kubota and no rippers. I've had two guys in here with old D8 cable rigs, They can move more material but leave a lot of detail work behind. I rented a near new D7 a few years ago with rippers and frankly it wouldn't do some of what the Kubota does at least with me running it. Just couldn't do the fine work that is the key for this job. I know I'm pushing this little guy pretty hard. I am very impressed with the quality of Kubota tractors. They are so tough people tend to push them too hard. ( like me) My son has had several from little old B models to a bigger L model than mine. We realized that his first little two cylinder was a real tractor, not one of the stamped sheet metal toys that pass as garden tractors. I do need to get my Ford 800 off of the hillside behind the house to share the load. It is better suited to my box scraper and some of my other implements.
Those big rocks were mostly buried and we've not really been climbing over them. The big one was only sticking up less than 6" but it was making water flow down the road instead of across it. It was in a draw right behind the sage brush to the right of the tractor. That draw drains thousands of acres each spring when the snow melts, lots of water. It was one of the things that destroyed the upper road. It is just about fixing many such places all the way down. I'm getting closer to roadster work every day. At least back to peg board & shop cleaning.

 

That's what I like to hear!

 

If I get delayed because of tire repair I'll try and post a little roadster up date. I have some parts and pieces I haven't taken pictures of yet. I need to do that if for no other reason to remind me that I have them. That is one reason for the pegboard, hang stuff up where I can see it.

 

a stick of TNT would fix them big rocks LOL and make better road base.

 

If black powder was still $2 a pound you'd hear from me.

 

Six Ball, if you have not taken 1R, 2R, and 3R apart, don't yet. I am finding that there are too many variables in the body wood as of right now. I will be assembling various patterns to tie some of these locations down. Your assembly can be used to delete several variables and also be used to get other dims off of.
I went to Seatle last weekend and picked up what was left of an early 26 touring. Mainly engine, trans. rear axle, and front axle, but also scored the front doors with most of the hardware. (Same as Roadster) What was not expected was that I got the door sills also. These are rotted out but are full length with the small flanges on the ends. These nailed down the 'A" pillar (#10), 'B' pillar (#11) distance solid! And also angles of the notches in #1. (Also reaffirmed the outside side angle on #1)
I am still looking for wood patterns and parts that I have misplaced.

 

Boyd, That sounds very good. Those are some of the important spots that I was worried about. I need the doors to fit. I'm not going to take ANYTHING else apart until I am prepared to do something with it. I think I have all of my door & jamb hardware and it is all still in place.
Won't get the rear tractor tire back until Tuesday afternoon. I have to replace a front hub on my '06 Silverado & put the new sway bars on the Kubota. Maybe get some Roadster part pictures.

 

Got the rear tire on the tractor today. Made a little alignment tool to help get the lug bolts started. They used a forklift to load it at Les Schwab. I drug it out if the pickup with a come-along. It weighs around 450 pounds. Lucky it didn't fall over. Back to the road tomorrow Back to the shop & roadster soon.

 

Aren't those loaded tires fun? Think smart, think ahead! Job well done!
The real fun begins after it falls over...... Glad that you didn't have to go there!
Onward and upward or something like that!

 

When I was 7 we were reversing, swapping sides, with the back wheels on our Funk 6 cylinder converted 8N. My dad told us not to take off the top lug nut. My brother did. The wheel fell on me. I didn't walk for six weeks. Doctors, X-rays, hot & cold packs........ Finally Dad against all advice from Mom & others took me to the Chiropractor . Old Doc Brown, sorta Voo-Doo in Texas back then. The office was dark with dark wood paneling, shades were drawn, furniture was black leather. There was a skeleton hanging on a stand and a skull on the desk. Dad carried me to table. Doc Brown pushed on my back, pulled on my arms ad legs and twisted stuff. There was cracking & popping. He stood me on the floor and I walked out. Scared the crap out of me. I don't know of he fixed me or if I just wanted to be out of there. That Ford tire was bigger & heavier than this one.

 

HA HA! We can do a lot of things when we have the crap scared out of us!

 

The first installment of the 2023 winter GG2 sawdust collection. (1926 Chevy Roadster wood)
I got the frame in the shop on steel sawhorses and tubing to level it. The diagonal measurements were real good.
Clamped everything.
Put 1l and 1r on and 3/8 bolts into the mounting holes. Put 2r, 3r, and 4 on with a bolt. 1l and 2l did not match up at all. After a long time of "what is going on" I realized that 1 front was resting on rivet heads also 3 and 4 were resting on rivets. Had some old conveyor belting about 3/8 thick and cut squares to set on frame. This raised everything above the rivets and parts fit much better.
Found out that everything was too fluid in all directions. Put in a center of frame wire. Checked and straightened the cowl front and measured. Inside of front of 1l and 1r were to be 26 1/4 apart and 1 1/2 wide each at this point to fit cowl.
I found a board that I had marked rear spreader gauge with locating instructions on it. It fit perfect at the connection of 1l and 2l. Since I had marked 'rear' there had to be a front! Right? Went looking and digging and found a front and a middle spreader gauge.
Needless to say it has taken me quite a while to get my head around this and I also do not remember some of the things that I've done years ago. (Oh, if you have a procedure with anesthesia forget about getting enough brain cells together for a whole week after!)
This is taking a lot longer that I expected to write so will divide it up more.

 

Great progress! Thanks for posting. If we can get it all here we will have a great reference. What a notebook!
Still working on the road but called for a propane delivery for this week. The road is good enough for travel but still needs work to make sure it drains so I don't have to do this next year. Maybe rain and snow in the next few days. I need the moisture to compact the road but I could do that at the end of November. Need to get back in the shop before that.

 

Number 2 installment for the winter 2023 GG2 saw dust collection (1926 Chevy Roadster wood)

After finding the spreader bars I went out to the other roadster and measured the width of the metal sills at front of door opening and rear of door opening. (not the side of the cowl and quarter panel) came out real good. did adjust first spreader bar length. If you notice the pics. of last post the notches for the pillars 10 and 11 are perpendicular and parallel to the outside of the sill 1 and vertical. The cant, angle, and non-square sides are made up on the pillars 10 and 11.
After using the steel sills that I had picked up a few weeks ago for the openings and vertical taper on the sill 1, I found that the opening were right on and that the vertical taper was 10 degrees. Pulled 1l and 1r took them to the belt/disc sander and tilted the table down the 10 degrees and cleaned them up.

I made several tools to help out. One was an angle checker made with a piece of valley tin. Items 2 and 3 are mainly 10 and 20 degree angles. My bandsaw does not follow lines very well, so I ruff the parts out and get close with the 6x48 belt sander. (the kids bought me some 80 grit zirconium belts that does a quick job.)

I also made a spreader bar for the trunk pivot brackets with a rod cut at exactly 39" and shoulder bolts to locate the pivots correctly. I also made a small bar to attach to the steel blocks inlayed into 18l and 18r. So now 18 will be located at the bottom by 4. at the top by the pivot brackets and to make sure at the middle with the inlayed blocks. (I built that spreader with angle iron ends hoping to possibly be below the trunk height to be able to leave it on while adjusting the trunk.)

 

Very Awesome.

 

I'm watching!! Trying to get my head back in that mode. It is starting to scare me again.

 

I was told that you can move a mountain----one spoon full at a time! Just worry about the current spoon full!

 

Number 3 installment for the winter 2023 GG2 sawdust collection (1926 Chevy Roadster wood)

Those wise old workers in Oakland in 1926 left us a small saw dust trail!

I put the seat base together with a couple of short screws thinking it might help locate more items. I know that it locates off of #27 witch is screwed to #11l and r. I set it in there and clamped it. Finally the light went on! #27 could go straight across if it wasn't for blocking the storage area under the seat!. THE BACK ANGLE OF #11l and #11r ARE PERPIDICULAR TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE FRAME (car, body, etc.)


I had been wondering about the weird angles on #11, had been checking my one only old piece with a machinist square. But hadn't done much about it.
I clamped the two old #10's to the temp. sill in the slots That I cut out just big enough for them. (they had been loose for a long time and wore off some.) Stepped back, and BANG! This time it was a flash bulb that went off!
I had measured the angles on these closer that I did for #11s.
These measurements were 90, 90, 80, and 100 degrees. (all angles to a solid object have to add up to 360)


The front faces aligned again like #11s rear faces. I know that #10s are square with the front face rotated 10 degrees. Or actually #10l is rotated 10 degrees clockwise and #10r is rotated 10 degrees counterclockwise.
This means that the body (or at this point doors are diverging 10 degrees each side.) We also know that #10s are vertical front to back,(from the cowl sheet medal) and due to the doors being a solid rectangular plane that does not warp, #11s have to be vertical front to back also.
We now have location, (front to back and width at the bottom of #10s) and rotation. The only thing that we are missing is the distance apart at the top. Are they vertical side to side or leaning out???
Start putting penetrating oil on the dash to cowl bolts because we will use the cowl to get this location by mounting #10s, brackets, cowl, windshield stanchions, and windshield frames together. We know the width of the bottoms of #10s so can use this for the cowl bottom, the cowl top and angle will be held by the windshield parts. Now secure #10s and remove to get the side-to-side angles. This is where we will probably have to remove the dash.

WOW! I am tired from thinking about this! But, the picture is becoming clearer!
WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!

THANK YOU 1926 CHEVY WOOD WORKERS!!

 

More truth there than you think. I'll get a few more pictures. I wish I'd taken more before shots.

I'm having a hard time following this without being out with my pieces but don't let that slow you down. I'll understand it when I get to it. I wounded if my pieces that are still mounted to the metal should be left there or if you need to actually see them? My doors are still mounted on the A pillars on the cowl. Pretty solid though some serious rot. The windshield mounting ends are still there though the stands ahem rusted off. The dash is still bolted in. The door wood is solid with on side being a bit burned. We're only about 10 hours apart.

 

Thanks Tom! More pics. always help. I continually go through my pics. and yours that you have sent me. I pick up new things, like last week I was looking at your quarter panels and realized that I believe #18 (S shape) does not totally fit up against the steel all if it's outer shape! This will make it a lot easier to fit up.
I do not see any advantage to taking everything apart ahead of time except for you to see it better. (Or get metal pieces prepped for reassembly.) (the doors will come off by rotating the tabs that hold the hinges together (no pieces to miss place) may require taking something apart so that you can double check dims. and angles (I will be needing that when we get to the patterns) (especially the parts that I do not have) I do not have CAD capabilities now but will lay everything out on graph paper. If you have someone that can put it into 3D for your cabinet guy.

I am going to approach this as if I am talking to someone that is trying to decide to replace the wood with steel. (After I get through my reverse engineering/guessing/getting it straight in my mind) (this part can be used on other wood bodies) I will graph all the parts that I can think of. Then the builder can decide where they want to go.

I hope this meets your approval since this is your thread. If not just say so and I will change.
(Please do not think that I am being overpowering by my text. I come across that way sometimes. Sorry! Like I said Just let me know!)

 

I am glad that you are sharing this here! I could not be better. I'm learning a lot and it is much more likely to get done if we have someone we know is interested every piece. If someone else wants to jump in that's OK too. Sure would be nice if some plans from that old plant in Oakland would show up. They had to have something. My son told me that one of our friends can scan pieces and get 3-D images. Not sure. I didn't know there were tabs that held the hinges together. That would make storage and handling it a lot easier.

 

One of the only places around here you can say you got wood and it's not sexual...

Joking aside it'd be nice to see these woodies together some day...a symphony of wood and metal really...how cool is that!

 

Old plans from the Oakland plant would be fantastic! Just a page or two would be very 'enlightening'. I would probably have to get me a copy to frame and put up in the shop.
The hinge tabs are usually rusted where they are so may need some penetrating time. I will have to check these last doors that I picked up to see if both hinges per door have the tab or just one. And if just one, which one.

 

Stogy, All wood good!
I wonder if there could be something in the City archives or a historical group? I don't know how to search that. Nothing to be found on the internet as far as I can tell.
I looked at the hinges this morning and didn't see anything. Point me to them.
Leroy is here and we will be throwing rocks until the snow comes.

 

The hinge has to be open to see it.

 

OK. Where mine is sitting right now the door won't open that far
Leroy & I threw rocks for 5 hours then drank beer for 2. Good day and the road has never looked better. There is still some work to be done and I'll try not to get this far behind again.