Information on my Model T and Opinions on Restoring a Historically Documented Hot Rod

Not necessarily a schmuck would do something like that........it was common to use later model donor axle with juice brakes and different ratio and weld the bones/spring perches on. A quite viable alternative.

 

Lucky,

My Dad built this car. I have two magazines (Hot Rod being one of them) that it was in. The fact that a facebook message led me to these threads TODAY is mind-blowing--it is the 13th anniversary of his death today. I have some single photos of the car as well, and would love to share any info I can with you, as well as track with you on the restoration. This is incredible.
Please facebook me back and we'll connect.

 

My feeling is that so much of our hot rod history is simply discarded and forgotten and you have a chance to save a piece of that history. It seems you have enough parts and info to do a sympathetic restoration. Use what original parts you have assuming those parts are safe to use. Parts that aren't safe to use or are missing can be recreated. People have started with a lot less. And right above this post is the builder's son. What more do you need? Except for Nash and Highlander to take their I can piss farther than you match somewhere else.

 

The car is unbelievable, the fact that you have the car is even more unbelievable, and now you have found the son of the guy that built the car. It dosent get any better. anybody that tells you any thing other than putting the car back to as close to the way it was built, under any circumstances, really dosent know what these old hotrods are all about, period

 

^^^ agreed!!

 

Wow! Almost sounds like your Dad was talking to you! I am glad you two made the connection.

 

WOW, i love it when things work out like this, like its said this may not have been an important car, but we need to remember that it is cars like this that made up the backbone of hotrodding, not the ala cart. For every ala cart there were 100 like this, and even to this day there are less and less examples of what a typical hot rod was. If you have the mindset to give this a proper restoration then DO IT and stick to it. Even in the relm of normal hotrods there are too many cookie cutter vern tardel cars(not to say i dont love his roadster too)

 

Wow, the power of the Hamb strikes again.

 

29nash, my "schmuck" comment referred to whoever put the Olds rearend in and botched it with odd brackets and split bones welded straight to the axle tube, not to mention it being too wide for the car...I love Pontiac/Olds rears, but mounting one badly doesn't work for me...

And yet again the internet connects 2 people that would likely be otherwise lost to each other...I hope he's got all the information you need Chris, it should be amazing to see what can happen now that the builder's family is involved...perhaps some of his Dad's friends are still alive to answer some questions?...

 

It sounds like you may have something more to go with. I'll stand by what I said. I'll stand by the fact I spoke only once to gnash. Regardless of what you may now learn, the front axle save is a bad technical choice. Too many undamaged examples available and I'll go out on a limb and say "raysson" may even agree with that.


To those of you who can't read the logic in advance of the original builder's son showing up, and that wish to believe I don't understand restoration, you certainly are entitled to your outlooks. 52 weeks of each year for most of my life I've restored. From heavy classics to old race cars, musclecars and all kinds of bullshit in between. I appologize for trying to share over 30yrs of positive and negative experiences from all the different facets of what restoration involves.

I hope we can see some original build pics if raysson kept any. Good luck, lucky.

 

Cool car with a history and now you should have the early photos to go on. As for myself I'd be getting a good 36 front axle and having it rechromed and use it. That is what the original builder would have done if he had bunged up or bent the axle after he first built the car. Keep the original one for a wall hanger but knowing you safe when you drive the car trumps hoping you are safe. That goes for suspect chassis/suspension parts too. Make it safe while honoring the original build and era.
But if you never intend to drive it and it is only going to be a static display car by all means use all the old pieces.

That said, I'd bust my butt to have the body pieces match the originals on the car as exactly as I could. You may have to call on some of our better tin benders for assistance and spend the money for their skills but the metal work can be duplicated.

The upholstery may look a bit hokey to us now due to what what we are used to but that was the style then and should be duplicated per the magazine photos. I saw a survivor yesterday with similar upholstery treatment from the same era.

And remember that the original builder most likely made running changes in the car as time went on and he figured out how to improve things. You may even see some of that in the photos that his son has.

 

I hear a lot of rationalizing for changeing or improving things.

Change it? Of course!, if that's what the present owner chooses to do.

But; suggesting to change or upgrade the car because,
(I don't like that axle)
(it might be hard to do),
(it might never be completed),
(the car isn’t that famous anyhow),
(the axle is too long),
(the welds are crap),
(the original build might have been correct, but some schmuck might have changed the axle)
, are all copouts.

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting changing or upgrading the car...pretty much everyone has said to put it back to it's "original" state in '58-'59...replacing common to find parts such as the '36 axle for peace of mind seems like a no-brainer to me, as long as it's done with exact replacement pieces rather than putting an A or '32 axle under it...if the original '36 axle was smoothed and chromed, then smooth and chrome the replacement piece...I have full confidence that Chris will do everything that it takes to rebuild this car as exact as possible with the current parts or recreating parts from photos...to me I'd rather see those split bones recreated exactly as the originals rather than trust that the originals are still safe to use, but that's judging from pics of the originals without having seen them in person...

 

why does a thread like this turn into a pissing match? WTF?

On another note, I am glad you 2 will get the chance to exchange info and get the build on track. Very cool. Good luck to the 2 of you.

 

How awesome is it that the sons of the original builder and the newest owner hook up here!?!?!

Lucky, you sound like the right person to have this car, I hope it turns out exactly how you envision. If you have to "replicate" original parts, well, that's life. Keeping the car true to its original design and elements is going to be hard work but ultimately fulfilling.

I sincerely hope you post a build thread for this car, not only for us auto junkies, but for the original builders family to have a place to follow along.

 

Holy crap Chris! Looks like the weekend got you more than a grille. I cannot wait to hear the story later this week! To the guys bickering back and forth on this thread: Knock it off already. I mean, the builder's kid just piped up on here. So much cooler stuff happening in this thread than you two. No offense.

Slim

 

My opinion is just build it the way you want and enjoy it ,Takes too much money and time to restore it back to original build condition ,It would be nice ,But then again you would be recreating someone elses hot rod .Im building a roadster probably because my dad had one ,I could of recreated his ,,,, but I didn't mines a 29 and his was a 32 I could paint mine the same color ,But Im not ,Im building my own car .Its fun to build them ,But to slave away at a restoration when when your just the average working guy ,Is pointless .I dont care how rare it is .Thats my opinion and I do like your car whatever way you choose.

 

this thread sure got off track, what a waste of typing.

anyway......

Its a cover car, unique yes, not the best looking, but a true 50s hot rod, most of them werent the "perfectly proportioned" traditional hot rods of today.

Restore it back to its glory like it deserver, i know you know that Chris!

JEFF

 

I think the car is badass. There are not enough cars from back in the day that have survived so that makes this one even more of a treasure. FWIW I would restore it to the way it was with as many original parts as possible for future rodders to see what they were really like. Don't be swayed by all the 1-800-rodders. Stay the course and good luck.