Projects Shade tree Model A speedster kind of thing

You're getting more done working in the woods and using trees as tools than I'm getting with a shop and an open credit line to Harbor Freight!

 

Well, I’m no stranger to HF. Haha

 

I learned this method from my father. He was a wooden boatbuilder, and he developed the ability to build them by eye, without any plans. He built some truly beautiful boats that way. It was kind of like watching (and helping) a sculptor, in a way, just seeing the boat take shape, literally, except instead of removing material he was adding. I guess that's still sculpture, though. I'm using the same philosophy here (and used it on the original body, too). It requires me to keep things adjustable. That firewall, for example. It started oversized, has been trimmed, and will be again. My plan to frame around the edges will allow me to finalize the shape and make corrections right up to the end, even adding some back if I get over-zealous with my trimming. It also takes a lot of patience. I made those conduit side pieces first, because everything is based off of the width, both practically and aesthetically. Then, I added those battens and bent the dash frame. Left it there and went down to our ramshackle coast house with some of my children and grandchildren for a few days, then came back with fresh eyes. Small adjustments have been made, and I'll leave it be again while I work on the brakes or something else, then surely adjust some more. The trick is not to do anything permanent unless you are completely happy with where you are. For example, that dash frame had a nice parabolic curve, but I changed it this morning to have a little peak in the middle and a straighter run on each side down to the terminal curve. Just looks better to me, and it lifts the rear of the line of the hood in profile so that it doesn't appear to be slanting down. I had measured carefully, and it was parallel to the frame rails, but optics are a funny thing and it looked to me like the radiator end was higher, even though I knew it wasn't . I probably didn't raise it even a full inch at the dash end, but it made a difference. Anyway, here are some pictures of where I am now. There are probably too many of them, but I like to have the documentation for future reference.















I sat in this thing for about 15 minutes this morning, just daydreaming and planning and puzzling. The pedals need some pretty drastic modifications, and it needs another section of floor up there, but it all seems feasible. I'm pretty excited about how I hope it will turn out. Knock on wood.

 

Much as I dislike publishing pictures of myself, I'm going to include some that my son took of me sitting in the car. I tried to take some myself, but discovered it is impossible to get into this car and fully seated in the 10 seconds my phone gives me. I do have some pretty funny evidence of the attempts. I'll keep those to myself. Ha.







Dang. This is going to be a small car. I wish I had the wheels on it, but soon enough (hopefully).

 

Your shift lever knob is a hoot....

 

show at least one of the 'personals'-come on be a sport!

 

Well, hell. No harm, I guess. This was as close to success as I got. I was laughing at myself pretty hard in this one.



It's not so much that the car is going to be impossible to deal with, but that all of this stuff is taped and clamped on there, and I had to be careful not to kick or grab the wrong thing. I would not have been laughing at myself if I had knocked it all loose.

 

Loving your build and your ingenuity! Are you near Valdosta? My brother lived near Tallahassee for over 30 yrs. Charles taught sculpture at FSU. Your outdoor "shop" reminds me of him working on large sculptures, mostly of steel and cast iron.

Al Hook

 

Al,
I'm in Thomasville. If you know where Valdosta is, I bet you know or can find T'ville. Your brother sounds pretty cool.

 

I am also not too excited about having my picture taken. FWIW, I think the first photo is a cool portrait of a man and his passion.