New member in MD with a model a!

Hi guys,
My name is chris and i have a shell of a 1930 ford tudor sedan im planning on rat rodding.
A little about my self, i grew up in the garage and around engines. i regularly buy and sell small engined things for side money like lawn mowers, weed wackers, snow blowers, dirt bikes.. etc. I really wasnt too into cars until i was about 18 or so. My first vehicle (89 s10 4.3L two door, 2wd blazer) didnt really do anythign for me. sure it was neat but not being into cars i didnt like it. sluggish, open diff, poor gas millage, 2door, 2wd, auto.... meh. After i got hired full time when high school ended with the company i was working for i wanted a change and something different. i picked up a used (2 year old 24k miles) 2009 volvo c30 6spd. Volvo's I5 engine with a k04 making ~224 crank hp. Man did that open up my eyes! having a quicker car now, i really got the car bug hard. i started modding lightly with cold air intake and exhaust, then tune, pullies, bov, intercooler, coilovers, catless dp, plugs, manifolds and here i am now with it still 104k miles strong 19psi off the k04 with a bride reclinable driver seat, momo wheel and a quick release, rear seats removed and a 6pt ch***is brace welded in the back with a 5pt Status harness lol #whoops
so back to the model a... My dad; side note - some of you might know him, he puts on this show called the Jalopyrama here in maryland once a year, Mike Szuba, so he got me this model a when i was 15 or 16 before i was into cars at all. this was before i liked getting my hands dirty and could barely manage an oil change. well i was like this is cool but i'd like something to drive to school (junior year at that point). So we made a deal, the model a was "his" and we picked up a '62 mercury meteor S33 with a little 289 and open diff. it was cool at the time and still is and i drove it to high school occasionally with the deal that if we ever sold the merc i see no money, and the model a becomes mine again. fair enough, right? well i've been wanting to get started on it for the past year now; 'nother side note. the volvo is great but i want something i could beat on so i picked up an 85 rx7 with a 12a (1.1L) rotary engine making a mere 100whp. i got the rotary bug hard and we found a sweet limited edition (1/2000 made) '79 rx7 for the gf. her engine was shot so i gave her my 12a and i am just about done building a 13b bridgeport 48 weber ida for my 85 that should be done and dropped in by year end. i'll be around 200whp in my 85 that weighs ~2150lbs

so that was fun while we were tryign to sell the merc so i could finally start the model a. well a few months ago it sold to a guy on the eastern shore. per our deal, he got the money for it which he put out initially and the model a is once again mine
ok dont shoot me, but i'd like to put a rotary in it. Single turbo fd engine (13b rew, from the 93-97 US rx7's) bridgeported running adaptatronic fuel management. should make ~400whp or there about. that's way down the road though, the body already has a small chop but i'd like to go about 1" more. I have my tig welding certs from Earlbeck here in MD and mig is pretty easy if you generally know what you're doing. So i got the shell up on saw horses around behind the garage and there's still a few bolts holding the frame to the body. i'll get them cut off this week/next and put the frame in the garage and make all my marks to begin cutting it and Z-ing it. Then suspension i suppose
dont worry i plan on this taking 2-3 years, not some winter project that'll be driving in the spring.
Hope to be welcomed here and use the forum to help guide me in my build as well as keep progress of it. I'll see if i can get some pictures up of current toys i have - '85 rx7 awaiting engine drop in, gf's '79 sa22c rx7 LE, '09 c30 i should have never started modifying, and a cute near mint condition '78 Rizzato Califfo 50cc moped. Prior: 02 YZF600r i totalled #oops, 04 KTM450 exc dual sported, 02 WR250f Dual sported, '69 Yamaha trailmaster 100, '78 kawi 100, '64 yamaha S90, '77 Puch Maxi step though 1hp, the '62 merc meteor i mentioned earlier, a couple volvo 240's and a hand full of other bikes, toys and cars i cant remember... also i usually have 1 or 2 other first gen rx7's at the house im parting out. I buy and sell a lot for side money (non taxable, cough I didnt say that ) so the inventory is always changing. Feel free to tell me how much you hated reading that novel i just wrote or swing on by the house to give me sh*t about wanting to put a rotary in a model a and we'll grab a beer or two
-Chris

 

Welcome, Chris. Thanks for the rather "involved" intro....We all know your Dad and can appreciate your hot-rodding "creds" that he has p***ed on to you. Just a word of warning, we just don't talk that "ra- rod" stuff here, so be aware, if you do talk it, you'll probably catch a ration of shi- for doing it. This is a traditional hot rod and custom site. Ask your Dad if you need an explanation..........Met you briefly a few months ago when your Mom and Dad were kind enough to host the Md. HAMBers Social Group get together at your house. You were pretty busy working on one of those "rotary" cars.......Anyway, good luck with the Model A buildup. You will find tons of good info on here in that regard. Just don't get caught up talking that RR stuff....................Don.

 

Oh Yeah, Chris, join in the conversations in the Md. HAMB Social Group so we can keep you on the right track.

 

good to know about the RR's! lol
ok i'll check out the thread, thanks!