Projects ReBuild Of my 1928 Model A Tudor.

Cliff the work is great. Thanks for all the pics.

 

Tim,
I forget to put pics of those in there. They were the hardest of all to make, two went flying trying to make the cuts. If I had to do it again I would spend the money for a new skill saw to tackle the tight cuts. They were more work to make with the table saw and sanding with the belt sander to get them to a finished product.

The belt sander was great for getting really rough cut wood into a more usable and finished product. I have a few pics here.

Cliff Ramsdell
The piece on the left was a result of more mistakes than I care to admit. Cut, damn too short. Route out a spot, damn too much again. Nail in this, screw on that. Damn, that looks like dog S#!t. Make another.

Note the small scrap behind the two pieces, note the very ugly cut going through it. This was the table saw grabbing a piece from me and sending it flying. Ok, no problem use it to fix other things. Its now a size of its former self. I'm old but have quick reflex's for dodging bolts flying out of the wire wheel.



I finally got a pair that fit "well" and I use well loosely but they did fit and work.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Tim,
As far as the spring, it could be a Model A spring, maybe the axle is narrower at the perch holes. Those would be easy to measure and know what your working with.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Thanks for the additional photos, those pieces always look like they have a twist in them so seeing them on the table, as well as failed attempts, really helps me understand how they are actually shaped.

The axle is a dropped stock axle though at this point I’m just going to start measuring anything I can reach until something pops up I suppose.

 

Tim,
Not only do they make a 90 degree turn but there is a “twist” to the finished side to follow the roof profile.

After the first two failed attempts I looked to see if you buy just those two parts, no such luck so back to the killer table saw to make a pair.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Think they would be any easier to make in two parts?

 

Maybe. Didn’t think about it that way. Might have made my life easier.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Few more wood questions, did you make all the bows the same?

I’d been curious if the stock ones have different arches as the move closer to the front.

Second question, did you shape the long lengths on the sides that the cross bows bolt down to or did bolting it down more or less flex it into the ideal arc?

I’m kinda in the same spot of “damn that’s a lot of money” and sizing up what it’s gonna take. I don’t have any of that top stuff to make a template for new stuff. Thus the questions

 

Tim,
Good questions. I made all the bows the same. I don't know if they are different and I put the same arch in the header panel when I made it. Screwing everything down was just to secure it all and not really putting any loading on it.

As for the sides, they are made up of 4 pieces and are split where the center roof metal bow runs across. I took a piece of 2x4, laid it along the body and scribed a line under the bottom to match the surface it sits on, cut that and them set it on the body and traced the roof line onto it and then cut that side. This allowed the wood to sit on the body and follow the roof lines and being in two pieces each side made them easy to work with.

I'm looking for more pictures that I thought I had and if I come up with them I'll post them here for you.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

So, here we are at primer and paint. I looked high and low for a color I really liked and spent a year doing all kinds of searching. Washington Blue and it's many variations is a color I really liked and thought looked great on Model A's but like I said before my car is not a gloss paint kind of car because of my body skills, nuf said.

Paint ended up being Hot Rod Flatz midnight blue. Love the color, went on with no issues and I'm happy with the finished product.

I built a paint booth in my garage some years ago that I could roll up when it was not in use, worked great for keeping the paint off "everything" in the garage, worth every dime.

So, without further ado,

Cliff Ramsdell

The body, doors and tank with the last coat of primer awaiting the last sanding.



The box fans pull the air out of the booth, a few furnace filters keep out most everything. Worked good as I had no bugs and such in the paint.



Painted on the inside of the car, doors, gas tank and jammed out on all the edges.

I hung the doors, bolted in the fuel tank. Rechecked everything and wiped it down one last time and push it back in to paint.


It's painted and I love the color.


Rolled the finished chassis out next to it, we are getting there.

 

Oh man that’s great!

And thank you for the answers on the wood! I’m also curious how you went about building the header. I see several variations in my internet digging and it seemed to be the most involved piece.

That hot rod flats color is perfect by the way

 

Cliff,
Looks great! You’re really moving along well. My rear corner curved pieces are rotted. Water leak over long time. I too tried to search for just those curves with no luck. Need to buy the entire kit. I can make all wood myself, but those look tricky. Can’t wait to see it on the road...

 

I think if you had a beefy jig saw and some patience you could do a lot of it.

Currently trying to talk myself into doing it myself when times comes.

 

Cliff that looks really Good.

 

Tim is right. If I had to make them again I would buy a really nice jig saw and go to town.

A piece of 2x6 or 2x8 will give you the wood you need along with a belt sander for the final
Contours. If you have nothing then you have nothing to loose except some time and maybe $10.00 worth of lumber. Give it a try.

The car is about 90% complete at this time, enough to drive and enjoy without interior trim and glass except the windshield. It’s been a blast.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I'm really enjoying your build, I also have to make some of the wood for my 28 sedan so this has been a lot of help. I have my body in pretty good shape but like you said on yours it is not a shiney paint body. I was thinking white or one of the flatz colors. Your doing a good job, I'm following a long.

 

Hey Cliff,
What front and rear brakes are you running if you don’t mind?

 

The front brakes are 48-52 F1 brakes and the rear brakes are 40 ford brakes. F1 master cylinder runs everything.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Lov

I love the diversity in the pictures ! They're great.

 

I have to ask "HAMERS HOT ONES" ?

 

Car looks great in color! Good job.

 

Yes, there is always something in the background to check out when people post stuff about the car in the garage.

Hamers Hot ones is a brand of pellets for my pellet stove. 40lb bag each.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Thanks, keep reading. This weekend the body hits the frame and we get stain and clear on the wood for the floors and roof wood.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Awesome project, and from CT!!

 

Cool, I learned something today, thanks.

 

Good Morning all. As I sort through pictures for today's post I noticed I didn't really take any of the painted body swinging from the hoist I have used for the last few years as I built and rebuilt the car.

Like most, I work alone most of the time and getting the body on and off, well its a challenge. I tried the engine hoist thing to start with and it was clumsy and awkward, didn't work for me. We work with hoists at work every day. Gantry and monorail styles from 1 ton to 10 ton so I figured a hoist was a better choice. I use a 1000 lb cable hoist and it has worked very well with various straps for removing and installing the body.

I also needed a home for the battery. Made a box to mount it under the floor on the passenger side. I didn't really want it hanging down but my choices were limited and after all was said and done, she lives there.

SO, lets get the body installed on the frame, get the wood finished and installed and I picked up a really nice original 28/29 nickle grill shell and a 32 headlamp bar to finish it off.

Cliff Ramsdell

The batter tray is nothing but some angle iron and flat stock. It's bolted to the frame and accessible with the seat and floor board out or, the battery will slide out from the bottom.

I had the stock, rusty grill shell seen in the post of the body paint and the cut down 28/29 headlight bar. I had an aftermarket plain without holes shell too but with the color I was really wanting a stock nickle shell as I felt the chrome was way to much shine. I wanted some shine but not glaring if that makes sense. Got a shell from LeonardS on the ford barn that had been sitting for quite awhile and it was exactly what I wanted

The curve of the 32 headlight bar was a nice touch also. Picked it up here on the HAMB from @nickk and cut it down to fit, perfect.

OK, with the body on, shimmed and bolted I got the door alignment all set and them started on the roof and floor wood.



We saw the roof and body wood get made and installed. Ford painted everything since the top is on the car and not removable. I like the top off at times, on for sun protection and this year I'm working on something more water resistant for the times when you get caught in the rain.

With that in mind I stained and cleared the roof wood. I blasted and painted the Tee nuts black so they didn't stick out.



The plywood for the floors was left over from some old factory bread shelves. 3/4" that I had made for the first time I built the car. All I did was notch for the parking brake and sanded them down to removed the years of use and clean them up some.

Believe it or not but I used the exact same color on the floors as the roof bows and the floors are super dark. In the test staining I could see this but liked it since the floors would remain uncovered when the car was done.


Roof wood installed along with the floors. The roof is done at this time but the floor wood will come out a few more times while we finish things up.



Outside with the wood installed. I'm so happy and since I spent maybe three days total making all the wood for the roof and body I call it a win/win on the cost saved, time spent and what I learned doing it.



Enjoy. Thanks.

 

Hey man, you're doing one hell of a job! Just read the thread and you've got my vote. Cheers to that!

 

A girl working at the parts store pulled me aside and told me that all car batteries are coded...
I said what ? … she showed me where it is on the label...
the code is hight, width and length... an R is added if you need the posts [reversed]…
my hotrod uses a 58 code... so if I buy a battery for any car / truck I buy a 58, in case I need to swap a battery to keep the rod running... HIH.

 

The paint you used is what I will be using, found it on the Bay. Really good reviews.
This would have been finished much sooner ,But Cliff and his son have been helping with my trans.

Awesome job .Really looks great. Hope to see it on the road soon.

thanks,
jim

 

Looks killer bud!