Last Hemi Model A Coupe update for now....Made it to the Lonestar Roundup!

Well it has been a couple days. Whatcha got done???????? Generator, water outlet, etc. Me and the pops are planning on a maiden voyage to your shop Saturday

 

Great stance, looks great...love to hear it run ! Video ??

 

Great stance, great motor...love to hear it run ! Video ??

 

Thanks man. It looks great.

I'm guessing those are 2" spring perch bosses with '32-'36 split 'bones?

Thanks, JH

 

Model A split bones off of another old hot rod...yes on the spring perch boss size.

Went to put new clutches in the Posi yesterday and found that the pinion shaft is toast...glad I caught that.

Finishing up the water outlet/ thermostat stuff right now...had to stop to eat.

 

Bass,
What a nice ride. You do great work. Looking forward to seeing it sometime in the furure. Will you be at the drags in Missouri?
John

 

I was looking at the pic and could not figure out what was different. then I realized the head panel/ windshield panel was much thinner. I was going to ask about it but seen Ryan did. It looks really good. is it home brewed or from another car?

 

Bass, Your car rules!

It's pure.

I gotta say though that I think the 32 header is a mistake. I think it makes the back half of the top look too heavy.

That said I think it could work if you did a full on "Lakes Coupe" chop on it. Another couple of inches or so.

It's your car though and like I said it rules either way. I just had an "Opinion Moment."

 

I heart red engines...

 

I tend to agree with that. I did a quick photoshop of it with a reshaped quarter window opening, and I think I will make some changes there after the Roundup.

Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress. I haven't done much to the body yet other than chop it and change the windshield/ header/ A-pillars. There are still more tricks to come.

Here's the photoshop...you really can't tell what's been changed until you compare it to the original pic. Look at the quarter window and rear of the top...



Original pic....



Thanks guys...

-Brian

 

Looks great Bass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The photoshop almost makes it look like a '32 coupe with a '29 cowl.

 

Doowd. You NEVER rest do you? That coupe has DETAILS! A very fine job you are doing. Looking forward to seeing it up close. Light that fucker and fly low. See ya @ Roundup!

 

man that car is so sweet!!

..I took the liberty of making a minor adjustment or two..

dropped the rear of the top about 3/4"
and leaned it forward about the same..

 

the more I look at this car
the more I like it

the '32 windshield and reshaped top could look very attractive

really makes me want to try it too.

 

I feel like a new man after getting a good night's sleep for the first time in at least a month.

The Roundup was bitchin'....I had a great time although I was exhausted throughout the whole weekend. It was great to meet a lot of new folks, and I apologize if I seemed a little out of it.

I ended up working on the car 'til 5 am on Thursday night trying to get it ready to leave for the show. I have to thank FLT-BLK Tyler, Honest Charley, Phil Husband, Doug Daniel, and the Dude for their help on Thursday night...I couldn't have got it to where it was roadworthy without your help.

Friday morning I woke up at about 9 am and finished a few of the last details. About 10:30 am I cranked the Coupe up and drove it around the block for the first time. We loaded it up on the trailer (groan...grumble) right after and headed down to Austin. Once we got there I unloaded it and got ready to drive it over to the Continental Club. This was the second time I'd driven the car.

We got stuck in heavy afternoon traffic, and I found out real quick that the 13 lb radiator cap was too light. Spewed a little water, but still didn't get hot. The worst thing that happened was that the clutch was so far out of adjustment I had to stop and re-adjust it because I was having to slip it so bad...Smoke was pouring out of the bellhousing! Pretty scary.

After a quick stop to fix that we made it to the Continental. Man...it was jam packed this year! Thanks to the guys for saving me a parking spot.



It was awesome to see my good friend Big Ric again...here we are discussing the finer points of compression and massive cams. I think he liked the way the Hemi sounded by the look on his face.



So Friday night was killer even though I was a walking zombie by the end of the night. After the cops showed up and took over the street, I thought I was going to have some trouble leaving the club, since my car is ABSURDLY loud. But I backed it out, a cop came over and reminded me to turn on the lights and off I went. The car did great on the way back to the hotel. It's got waaaayyyyy too much power for the tires, but it drives, steers, and handles great. I got it up to 90 or so on the highway and it tracks straight as a string.

Saturday morning I woke up to find the car covered in rust from rain the night before and had to spend an hour scotchbriting the rust off. Thanks to Fat Mike for a hand with that. Got 'er cleaned up and hopped in to go to the show. Mike followed me and told me later that I white-smoked the tires in all
four gears getting on the highway. He also said that the rear tires grow like slicks on a dragster. That's bitchin!!

The car was running great on the way there until I ran out of gas about 25 yards from the show gate. Here's my dad guarding the car for me while I was gone to get gas.



After I got it filled up with 5 gallons of premium and 2 cans of octane booster, it popped right back off and I got to experience what was the highlight of the show for me....driving it through the gates under its own power. Cackling, snarling, rockin and rollin....I think everyone on that side of the park stopped and looked to see what was making so much racket.

Sorry for blowing grass all over the place by the way.



One of the biggest compliments I think I got all weekend was when Jack Chisenhall told me "Hey that thing sounds like it's pretty rowdy." That's a compliment coming from a guy that drives a 200 mph Studebaker on the street.

It was really surreal to me to be parked with the big guys over on the peninsula. It made my car look pretty ratty, but hopefully people could take a look at what I had done so far and realize that the body was the last thing to be attended to. It still needs a lot of work.



The icing on the cake was receiving the "Kontinentals Pick" during the award ceremony. It was totally unexpected and I am just floored that the guys that put the show on chose to recognize me and my car when there were so many other awesome cars in the show. I am honored guys....thanks for giving me a place to show off my work.

So in short it was a great weekend, and it was totally worth all the hard work I had to put in over that past 4 months. The car is slated for bodywork, shiny paint and a finished interior now, but I'm really glad I got the car to the show under its own power, even though I had to trailer it down there. Trust me it'll probably be the last time it's on a trailer unless it breaks something at the drags.

Thanks to the Kontinentals for putting on a great show. Thanks to all the people I met and talked to for being so cool. Thanks to my friends that helped me get this car to where it is today...those mentioned above and also Jimmy White, Bob Wilson, and everyone else.

I had a blast!

-Brian

 

Right on, Bass, that must be a great feeling.

Car look awesome !

 

Hey man, it was great to meet you. That thing definitely did sound rowdy! Ha Ha Ha.

Maybe I will not be such a loser and put somthing besides a SBC in something now.

 

Congrats Bass. It deserved the award! It's full of so much creativity and is a beast, too. I think it really represents what everyone is hoping to see at and bring to the RoundUp. Way to go on making it a reality!

 

Ran outta gas....well that explains why we watched you suddenly pull over in line..haha..

That car is really awesome man, you should be very proud. You have a great eye for little details, and I know when you "finish" it, it will be even more rad..

The sound of that motor was FUCKIN AWESOME.....I think everyone lined up on the street turned their heads to watch as you roared it to life...EVERYONE was 'oooing" and "ahhhh'ing" ...

Fuckin SHOCK AND AWE ...

Cheers dude..cant wait to see it again..


PC

 

That thing had women and children running for their lives, no shit. There really were three little kids with their hands on their ears tearing ass... hahaha.

That thing was a beast. Great car man. Perfect wheels/tires, stance, and engine. That body is rougher than it looks in pictures. That is one hell of a HOT ROD.

Danny

 

great story and pictures...thanks for sharing...

Your coupe is pretty awesome looking....congrats.

 

It was great seeing that thing come thru the gates! I got the biggest chuckle as that hemi blew grass all over the cars and spectators as you were driving thru. Lot's of compression!!!!

Oh, I met your Dad....you're cool, but he's way cooler!

 

I enjoyed the grass in my eyes, mouth, ears and hair... it sure was worth it... haha, right when you pulled in to the grass I yelled "HOLY SHIT, THERE HE IS" *cough cough cough* *pulls grass from teeth* "Ahhhhhhhhhh...."

i enjoyed it.

 

[IT was Great to see your Car.. You did some amazing work on the Chassis.

Very cool to meet up with you and talk to you for a while

Keep up the great work. I can't wait to see that thing all painted up

aaron

 

Does that thing have a HEMIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

 

holy hell man...

that thing is bad ass.

 

Congrats on an awesome accomplishment. The highlight of the roundup for me was after the roundup leading out in my zephyr and hearing that beast behind me. Thought you were coming thru the rear window. Then, being caught at the red light under I-35 with that hemi blowin'...frickin awesome. I almost turned in front of an oncoming truck. VERY distracting.
Good to meet ya-
Dan

 

Brian, Congrats and it a very beautiful piece of work.

 

The clapping standing ovation you got when you pulled up next to the Continential was one of my favorite moments of the whole weekend.