Projects Kurt’s Puddle Jumper - 1930 Model A Extended-Cab Pickup Build

Hard to believe but I actually got a Like from Ryan. Thank you!

Still have to finish up headliner, but decided to give my neck and shoulders a break and work on something not requiring reaching over my head. Worked on closing up the hole around the shifter.


Trim still has protected covering. Had to merge to boots to adapt to the round shift handle.

 

Make that "two" boots. Wrong to.

 

Got a lot done on Saturday. Headliner was almost done, but I ran out of 1 1/4 oval head screws. Got them and can now say it is done. Got the rearview mirror reinstalled.



Got some indoor/outdoor gray carpet on sale at HD. Got the driver side fitted today.



Installed carpet on top of the driveshaft tunnel.





Have not decided what to do with the shifter mount. Stain and Varnish, paint gray, or try to over it with carpet.

 

Got the pass side carpet fitted and installed. Cut kick panels and covered with vinyl. Finished drive side carpet and installed Kick panels. Reinstalled seats.

 

Not a lot done this week. After 17 years in this house, all the shrubs we put in 16-17 years ago have either gotten overgrown or died with the hard freezes the past couple of winters. Takes this 80 years old a long time to dig out and replace shrubs and trees. Got 7 more replaced this week. Still need to mulch and replace the landscape rock.

Did get the shifter mount painted and the first piece of the carpet over the transmission hump installed.

 

Well the good news is I'm basically done with the bushes project so hope to spend more time on Kurt this week. OT, but just to justify my not getting Model A work done.


I'm to cheap to have the dirty rock carted away and replaced so I have to shovel and sift out all the dirt.

Did get a second piece of carpet over the transmission hump fitted this morning.

 

Slow progress but forward progress. Finally decided on speedometer cable path and drilled (hole saw) a hole in front of transmission hump. Used a piece of 3/16 aluminum wire I have had for years to measure required length. Ordered exact fit from JEGS but they backordered it. Cancelled that and ordered one a few inches longer from Amazon.

I had gotten a 90 degree speedometer cable adapter for Christmas and finally got it installed. I had to make a homemade wrench to tighten it to the trans.



Wrench



Too humid the AM. My glasses fogged up on the first but making the wrench.

Got the cable installed and grommet in the floor.



Had fitted the 3rd and final carpet piece for the hump on Sat.



Reinstalled it with the speedometer cable today. Not happy with the fit will cut another piece tomorrow.

 

Redid the last trans hump carpet. Got all the screws in to keep it in place. I declare the carpet project is done.

 

I don't know what happened Roland, I lost track of you for about 4 months. Spent the last few minutes going over two pages to get caught up. Glad to see you making fine progress on your puddle jumper. I'm liking the interior, but for some reason the door panels really grab my eye. Good stuff. Keep at it!

 

Thanks JRS50. My only concern is they will show dirt and grime too easy. Wanted to keep them simple, no pleats or fancy stuff.

Updated my To Do list. Checked off 13 things since the last time I updated it. To Do portion now fits on one page. Completed stuff is now on three pages.

I had the top of the cowl off to run the speedometer cable and a few other cleanup items. Got it back installed today and put the dash back together. Added the vacuum gauge that was just riding on top of the engine on the right side. Not an exact match. I have had it for 40 years.



Have to put the steering wheel back on and the eight nuts that hold the seats in and will be ready to shake it down.

 

Got everything buttoned up and took Kurt for a shakedown run. What a difference having glass and interior. Without wind noise the sound is totally different. Have a squeak but no idea where it is from.

Speedometer works and odometer clocked 5 miles on the short drive. Speedometer calibration is way off. There is a traffic speed monitor 2 miles from me and I held it at 40 mph. It said 46-47. Two of our cars show the opposite reading 3-4 miles slow at 40.

 

Not much to report. Got new door windows so I can back Kurt out of garage and know I'm not going to hit the garage door sides. Old drivers side mirror would move with wind at 20 mph.



Been working on console / arm rest to also act as a glove compartment. Got a cup holder insert but too small to hold a 16 oz 7-UP bottle. Arm rest is about 1 inch too high.

 

Making lots of progress!

 

Just checking in. Was away for 6 weeks visiting children and grandchildren. Now a week of work to get the yard back in shape.

 

Still catching up. Main heatpump on house went out so no money to spend on Kurt for awhile. Also too hot to work in the garage. I did get it outside last weekend and washed it for the first time. The roof had been swept off a few times but never washed.



Last Monday I put Kurt to work. He is a pickup! Used him to run errands and take the trash to the transfer station.

 

Yesterday, I finally got back to working on Kurt. Why? Life of a 81 year old man. I have had 5 surgeries for skin cancer in the last 2 months. After each I'm supposed to take it easy for 2-3 weeks and when I could I just didn't have the gumption to go out and work.

So yesterday I got to work to install the windlace on the top of the doors. They were glued up and the the cover plates painted last May.


Should have been an easy job, other then working over my head which nether my neck or shoulder like, putting in 5 screws. I got the drivers side in and the door would not even start to close. Had to trim the intersection of the front and top windlace.

Got it to partially close and the door hit the cover plate. When repairing the wood at the top of the body I put some carriage bolts above the door and the heads were keeping the cover plate from seating.


Had to take apart the headliner to remove, grind the head, and reinstall one of the carriage bolts.



Finally could close the door.


Worked a bit on the console/glovebox after deciding to put off the passenger side for another day. Decided cup holders will go up in front of the shifter instead of the top of the console/glovebox

 

I don't know how it happened, but it's been 2 months since I posted. I know I wrote what I was going to post in my mind but I guess I forgot to actually post it.

The glove box / arm rest is done.


Carpet is really gray, don't know why the pics look so blue.

Hinged and latched.


and installed.


Decided not to put a cup holder in top of glove box, but to extend the console in front of the shifter and put 2 larger cup holders there. Got it rough shaped and a coin holder routed in the top. Then ran out of time before a trip up North for Christmas and New Years.



A lot of finish sanding, hole filling, and paint to go. I spend too much last year on propane to make the garage comfortable to work so will not being getting much done until it warms up to the middle 40's.

 

Good to see you pushing forward.