Technical Retro Rides by Rich Does A Survivor...

Hey Rich,I know the car,but not the history on it,matter afact it was owned by a guy from mass for awhile,he did drive it some.

 

Heres some pictures I took a few years back,sorry for the small pictures.

 

yep, It clearly states the frame is tweaked. I'm not surprised with that hemi in there.

for all you guys that don't bother to read the whole story.

THE CAR HAS TO COME APART TO FIX THE FRAME!!!!!!!

Unfortunately that means tearing apart a car that most likely hasn't been apart since it's original build. History is not being destroyed. But repaired for future enjoyment.

btw looks like the car is i n good hands....

 

Hit the nail on the head!

Thats what drives me crazy about "survivors" and "barn finds" just because it looks like it is in a decent state, doesn't mean it is. And anyone who has seen Rich's work will know it is in extremely good hands.

 

Love the steering wheel and dash.

 

Well it has the upholstery replaced (why that nasty carpet wasn't done no one could ever figure?), a new paint job and striping but darn few, if any, other changes from the first go-around. After fixing the frame, replacing that copper gas line from tank to engine with steel, installing a firewall between seat and tank, and maybe closing in that trunk weatherproof for a little storage area. Appears to have a rumble lid with remote open judging by the hardware marks.
It is a 30-31 Std. Roadster I think, with that tall windshield and posts.
I like it.

 

Great project Rich, congratulations on getting the task.
You will make it right, keep the photos coming.

 

I can understand wanting to box the frame. I certainly hope that when it's done it's very much as it is.

Keep this updated.

 

Cool! I also agree thats it a smart move to make it 100% again.

 

I have a few pictures from a show I attended in Lima Ohio around 1996 of this car in an antique village/park. The last time I saw the car it was for sale in the local auto trader. If memory hasn't failed me I think the add said survivor hot rod $10k I remember wishing I had the cash and what a steal it was!

 

A common practice back in the day was to weld the body to the chassis. Today I fiinished getting all the body mounts all cut (Some of them were 3/8 steel!) and got the body all stripped of "stuff" and loaded to go to the stripper. Yeah baby!

 

Geez, going to the stripper even !
This ain't no survivor, this is a re-make.

You know, even if it wasn't as originally built, it did have the historically added mods and changes..... and would have told a story.

I'm sure it'll be nice but all the history is stripped away.

 

The history was stripped away when they did their goofy "updates" and repainted the car around 1980. This car is paying homage to the man that built the car in 1955, he was the one with the vision and that vision deserves to roll down the highway once again.


If the updates were done in a fitting manner, then it would be a different story. The pictures make the car look better than the car does in reality.

 

I can confirm that,Ive seen it in person,it needs alot of work.

 

WOW! Just seeing this! Very cool!

 

Rich, how cool. thanks for the in progress photos. Its very rewarding to have this opportunity. Thanks for sharing. NUTS. Slim

 

....make that two.

Looking forward to seeing it "back" like it should be.

 

rich

looks great!

I am mostly unfamiliar with hemis.. what trans is that??

 

LaSalle or Buick??

Good to see this one will be restored to its former glory; too often, updates are not for
the better......

 

The car is DEFINITELY in the right hands! You have to see Rich's work in person to really appresiate the craftsmanship!

Hello, my good friend! I'm watching this one! Sorry, but somehow I missed it before today.

 

i think Rich has got it right his first words were i spent time with the owner good start i have just looked at another found car where the ,restorer, pulled it apart ripped out the crossmembers replaced them with tube k members boxed the chassis and made a modern hotrod out of it great workmanship but nothing like the original . I am all for taking the car apart and making it safe, correcting the original engineering straightening the chassis but leaving the car so it can be recognised for what it was .just my 2 cents worth

 

I wish i could find something like that for my father...he wants a roadster soo bad. That is such a kool lil car...cant wait to see it completed!!

 

Sometimes Survivor has a whole different meaning, here's some pics. of one that I just kept getting deeper and deeper into, it seemed like everything I touched with the stripping pad had a new problem. It was all very artfully covered in several coats of bondo in a nice '60s style cover up. Somehow several people survived their rides in this thing, why the whole front end didn't fold up and fall apart is beyond me. As you can see both sides of the frame were broken on the top rail, and the wishbones were nothing but threaded rod covered in several layers of bondo. I guess when that stuff first came out people thought it was cure all. So survivors are great but if it's slathered in '60s paint and bondo it's a good idea to find out what is hiding underneath it all if you want to be a survivor.



The split wishbone on the right before.



Got a big surprise when I hit it with the stripping pad.



This is what was under all the bondo.



Passenger side frame rail minus bondo.



Drivers side.

 

Here's some info about the roadster when it appeared in the classifieds of Hot Rod Magazine

Any info about the owner or the car would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

September, 1966 Hot Rod Magazine Classifieds, page 137, next to last ad with photo.



SELL: '30 Ford A rdstr. show car/street, full race Dodge eng., channeled, remote shifting, new custom upholstery. custom top. $ 2,500.00 or best offer. D. Miller, Jr. 420 Old Wapak Rd., Lima Ohio,

 

Rich
You don't know me and I don't know you. But what you are doing pays homage to the original builder. Tell all the negative people to KISS YOUR ASS!!!
Fuzzy

 

It couldn't have landed in a more capable pair of hands. We're all in for a real treat being able to watch this one go back to its past.

 

It's pretty clear that thing needs work, and the fact it looks a little bit goofy (especially those fishtail pipes). Sounds like you're doing a good thing. Was the original colour blue?

Kind of looks like a lot of Aussie hot rods with that 'spring in front' axle. Gives it a slightly awkward look with the shortened wheelbase. Never liked that look, but maybe I've been corrupted by looking at too many west coast hot rods.

I'm guessing it's an east coast car originally?

EDIT: Just remembered you said it was from Ohio originally. Just wondering... were they more influenced by east or west coast styling, or was there an 'Ohio look' even back then?

 

Body and other related panels are at the stripper....

 

While I was at the powder coater, who does the stripping, I was drooling over this really nice '32 body they had in for stripping...

 

Trans is Lincoln.