Hot Rods My first billet.

Great, now you're gonna want to use my mill and lathe won't you? ;-) Looks good!

 

Its nice to work with hand tools. Everytime you get in the car there it is. The drop. I tell everyone that asks there is a story with every piece.

 

Today, I'm thankful I can make aluminum stuff - and steel stuff too, just finished a rifle bolt handle - as well as have a couple of milk crates full of billet alumium and quite a few pieces of steel.

Billet translated as rounds and blocks that haven't been machined yet.


Short story is, I have an aircraft fuel cap on the 32.
Adapted to a simple aluminum ring and 2 1/2" filler tube.

Left it on the deck lid after fueling up, drove off and the cap went into the street.
Didn't know it, went 60 miles to a burger stand on Hwy 93 south of Hoover Dam.
Went to open the back window on the roadster's top and saw the cap gone.
Stuffed in a red rag and left for home.

Stopped at the gas station and there was the cap lying in the gutter.
Parked, picked up the cap and it's broken beyond repair.

Now it could be directly replaced, but as you know aircraft stuff is really expensive and ordering one would probably burn a week before I got it.

The cap is intact enough that I can get some critical measurements from it and a couple of hours whittling on aluminum tomorrow should get me a simple screw on cap that'll do it for a while.

What I think I'm saying here is, with some machinable stock on hand, the right tools and at***ude I can have a nice looking 'emergency' cap without a whole lot of work.

Besides, machine work is kinda fun.

And . . . I'll put a light retainer chain on the cap....

 

But now we all know

 

Paint - and powder - over aluminum works well.

I like aluminum, but sometimes a bracket or panel needs paint/color.


Not many will see the distributor on a Nailhead.

It's the 2nd best looking engine out there and uncommon enough that most won't realize the distributor is modern aftermarket.

 

oooops...

I debated spray bombing the body, but I tend to not open the hood unless asked. It's a custom after all. I guess it's a shame to hide it. But then I still haven't gotten around to the cover for the battery and MSD box.

 

that duplicolr self etch will keep the paint from flaking up on aluminum parts, works really well, been using it for a long time.

 

Hi, neighbor, I tried to come over. Your driveway lane was blocked off, and your garage/shop windows were blacked out. I knew you were out in the shop, since I heard your machining equipment running. So, you were up to no good! You didn't want anyone knowing about your new fetish with billet.

Now, there is no turning back. Why don't you bring that column drop over to my garage, I have a polishing wheel and some Eastwood buffing rouge. We can make that part of yours, really SHINY !

 

all bs aside,to nosurf,and anybody else,if you can make parts for your car just using simple tools,or with the proper machines,my hats off to you,at least you didnt call 1 800 hotrod like a lot of guys do.

 

no point in doing that, if you want something no one else has then you have to make it yourself. when these traditional cars were new there was no i-800-hot rod,my car is only 25 years old and there still isn't anything aftermarket made for it. a few parts made a couple of decades ago, but few and far between.

 

That looks a lot better than the angle iron **** I have going on. MMMMMM billet good.

 

Aftermarket distributors from back in the day were aluminum far as I know.

Factory distributors nowadays are usually aluminum.

Paint over the ID tag and label it, "ZMan Ignition Co."



Once upon a time I had an 8 coil non-computer ignition figured out.
Primary wiring would have been hidden inside stainless hoses that went to a distributor body with flat aluminum cap.

Was gonna make a tag that said, "Liquid Ignition Company."

That would give them something to think about....

 

Good hint.

Thanks.

 

Good points.

One thing to be careful of is, don't make a critical piece one of a kind.
It's nice to be able to buy a standard part that will get you back on the road.

The aircraft cap on my 32 was a good example.

And so is the new cap and mount I'm making.
Had a change of heart and am making a new base and everything else.

I'll turn out a spare cap as well.
It'll be carried in the car and like all other spare parts, it'll never be called on....

 

like i said before,if you can make your own parts,so be it,but there is a lot of people who dont want to work on their cars,so they call 1800madefromjunk and then they cry when it dosent work.im for the guy who builds his own cars.