Model A Sport Coupe Project for the wife

A little sneak peak at the new intake set up. A buddy from my car club needed a cool SBC intake so I sold him my 3x2 setup and put this on. Funny how plans can change.

Anyhow, threw the intake on for mockup, put the carbs on, and had local exhaust shop knock out some velocity stacks from stainless exhaust stock. Also, switched the valve covers to some old Cal Customs that I got. I'm going to polish the intake and the valve covers when it's time to pretty up and paint the engine.

Spent the last coupe of days cutting out the rust from the lower quarters and wheel wells..going to fab up the replacement panels and stick em in hopefully Sunday. A friend gave me a neat idea for boxing the firewall around the engine using the inside of a small wheelbarrow from Home Depot....hummm...more on that in a few days after I see if it works.

 

Holy cow, Jerry! Your wife is gonna drive that gnarly engine!? Awesome...

 

Ah yes, it's the old wheel barrel trick, they do work well from what i have seen. I am really impressed with this build, very nice dash placement. Just a great score and a cool build. Thanx for sharing, love it all. ~Sololobo~

 

Decided to use an original Ford grill instead of my Brookville one. I think I like this one better. Also snagged some cool early 30's Chrysler tail lights. Need to come up with some way to mount them so they won't go flying off.

 

damn, how many sets of them e&j headlights you have?

 

haha..don't have anymore..kinda stumbled onto these too

 

Just bought a 29 sport coupe last week. Your build is inspiring!!! My car came with complete wood kit and NEW top, I am going to run a chopped, stationary, soft top. Question, did you purchase patch panels for the rear quarters and how did they fit? or did you make them? Car looks great!!! Jim

 

I'm never short of amazed at all the cool parts you "stumble onto".

 

Ordered them from Mac's...they should be there by the end of the week

 

So this afternoon I decide to strip down the passenger side quarter. There was a wall of bondo which I was hoping hid some big dents that someone was just to lazy to hammer out. After grinding it all out I found an area that looks like Freddy Kruger bitch slapped.

 

Well judging form the rest of this build I am sure you'll get them ironed out asap.

 

Really cruizn on this build. Great work!

 

Starting fitting the lower quarter and wheel well patches last night. It's amazing how awful these things fit right out of the box. I spent a long time fitting em up and am still not yet satisfied. I'm not going to weld them in until I get the body a little cleaner.

Going over to Clark's place next week to use his blaster. Althought I got it pretty clean with a stripper wheel there are still some pits in the surface..and the whole inner structure and subrails are coated with surface rust. I'd like to give the whole thing a good once over inside and out with the blaster and then the DA. It makes fitting the panels and welding so much easier when the metal is clean. I'll probably POR-15 everything inside afterwards.

Clark and I also chatted about getting together in a few weeks to make up a removable hardtop like he did on his old sport coupe. I have a couple ideas to put my own twist on it. More on that later.

Dropped of my intake, valve covers, and tail light bezels at a polishing company in Hanover, Pa that does stuff for Harley. A friend had a flatty intake done by them cheap, and it was stunning. We'll see how it comes out. They said it would take 4 weeks because they are busy. I'll give them a friendly "how's it going" in a couple weeks.


Check list for the weekend.
-cut back of tank so guages fit
-disasemble 36 dash for blasting
-clean up firewall
-take old tires off set of 40 Ford wheels so wheels are reading for blasting
-brace up body for transport to Clark's

 

A little less "peak" perhaps... more contour?




maybe more like...





there's a bunch of pictures of the roof, how it was made, how it attaches and detaches in this thread...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331971&highlight=unibody+roadster&page=2

Looking forward to seeing this one done...

 

Thanks for posting those pics decker..I dig the look of that roof. My friend Koz did something similar on his old roadster pickup. Nice profile

I'll take a look at your thread..thanks!
Jerry

 

I like the red one

 

Man, I thought my right rear quarter was bad! I started grinding away the bondo and found that the entire lower reveal line was bondo about 3/4 of an inch thick.
I wish someone made patch panels that were the rear half of the rear quarters. I've seen more cars that need just that portion. Let me know what your fix is, cause I could use some advice on mine.

 

So I spent the morning and afternoon at Clark's place today using his blaster. Nothing quite like long pants, a hooded sweatshirt and mask, and gloves outside in 104 degree heat with media richocheting back at you. I went up there with a full truckbed of stuff and got most of it done. It was just too hot for me. I got the entire body done, the grill shell, and my steering column and box done before calling it quits. I was getting a little sick from the heat....but I got it done. I now have nice clean metal to work with. Thanks to Clark for letting me use his rig !!!!

Here's a shot right before blasting

 

Tonight I put the body back up on the cart and starting fitting the doors. I decided that reskinning the whole door on each side instead of just using the lower panels, that I installed already, would make the bodywork go faster. Everything fits really nice so far. These are home made skins.

Deciding if I should use the original style latches or put in a set of bear claws. I have no lock or latch hardware so I'm thinking the bear claw route would be the more cost effective route to go.

Here are a few pics of the blasted body with the freshly skinned doors mocked up. I used some velcro just to hold them on. I need to clean and reinstall the stock hinges. Have a good lead on another passenger side quarter panel piece to replace mine. We'll see how it pans out.

 

They're calling for another heat wave if you wanta do more blasting....

Was the wife really nice to you? After braving the heat to work on her car!
Clark

 

haha..I have to actually do my door tops and jambs...should have done em before skinning them..but oh well. She just thinks I'm nuts for the blasting outing the other day. That was a missed kodak moment I believe..me and my swat gear in the 100 degree heat. I'm going up to junior's to look at his quarter tomorrow. Hopefully I can use some of it

 

put the body back on the frame again..I'm getting pretty good at yanking this thing on and off myself. The back half of the body is flimsy and is moving around all over the place. Note to self...brace things up better next time before going berserk with the cut off wheel.

 

Went up to Jr's place (fatabone) and took a look at a passenger quarter that he had. I cut off and blasted a piece which might help patch the mess that I have on the passenger side. I told my wife that I drove an hour and a half each way to get this and she wasn't sure what to say. I said honey that's some good usable metal. haha. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.




Blasted my grill shell also. Some old leadwork and brazing at the bottom

 

Also got my wheels cleaned up and ready to go. They are a really nice set of 16 inch 40 Fords that I picked up this past year.

 

some progress......got to keep at it...Primered the wheels and grill shell tonight, finished welding the dash mounts that were tacked in, put a finish weld on the driver door skin, and started pulling the motor apart for paint prep.....

Sold a few parts so I ordered a set of Wilson Welding finned backing plates and hardware along with a seal and bearing kit from Bob Wilson for my Buick drums. We had a brief conversation on the phone, what a nice guy. I just need a little machining on my 46 hubs and I'll be good to go...rear brakes are installed and ready for juice.

 

keep going, don't stop the grind.

 

Do you have any more pics of the dash install? I'm putting a 35 dash in my Coupe as well and before I start cutting I want to look at as many as possible.

Thanks,

Ralph

 

Jerry

Perhaps sometime I'll introduce you to my sandblaster.

 

I don't have any more pics, sorry. it was pretty easy though. You just trim the ends and shape the upper corners. I also cut the top edge off of the back. I'll try to take a pic for you and send you a PM

I hate sandblasting...but it's the only way to get stuff clean sometimes

 

Tonight I starting making a tranny hump and front floor section. Also, starting making a box to go around the engine in the firewall. I'll post some pics tomorrow..I've been forgeting my camera at home lately