Features "Snoopy" Model A Hot Rod Survivor

Some "carnage" that I discovered while changing the front end rubber bushings/links yesterday... think they were due for replacement




Also got the emergency brake adjusted / working, installed a new sending unit to correct fuel gauge issue, did final clean up on wiring (tying bundles)... working on rear bushings today & seat mounts - then Interior install & exhaust install in near future !

 

Good thing you checked them. Better to find out now than on the road.

Ryan.

 

And the rear bushings are going as "expected"...

What do you guy's think ? Had the Right Rear spring bushing seen the end of usefulness ?




And then the axle bushing... hmmm I think the pin was a little bent (and it was like that before being removed)... silly bushing forgot that I'm a Stubborn Irishman... Jeremy 1, Bushing 0.




Crappy work, but it's gettin done.

 

Keep fighting the good fight. CTJ

 

Putting new shackle bushings on my 41 Ford front suspension as we speak.
Mine is at least off the car. I feel your pain.
Torchie.

 

I absolutely LOVE what you are doing! I have made suggestions here on this forum and had bad feedback (concerning another thread where a fella had purchased a REALLY NICE 28-9 sedan and was like you enjoying it too. But then he asked about chopping the top and I gave my advice. I got called being an old fogy! No one BOTHERED to read the WHOLE context of what I said! From the replies nor look at any of MY albums! So I just figured to my self...Just stay out of it! No one cares today. They are mostly too young and don't give a flip what I did or where I came from. (the 50's and 60's) just like you have met an original from that time WHO BUILT these cars! Like me. SO I have NOT responded to anyone's threads until now.
1. We did not take hardly any photos then. They cost $$ that we needed to use on our cars. They had to be sent off for development. Not anything as easy or cheap to do today.
2. The cars are always changing!!! We'd find a better part, better way to do stuff, as we were ALL learning back then. We ALL went to the OLD auto salvages to scrounge what we THOUGHT would work. You are finding that out now by discovering what is on your car. I too had a Model A, a 28 tudoor, for my first car. I too used a 46 Ford fordoor complete cheap car for the engine and running gear parts to get mine up and running. I too traded off the side shift for the 39 tranny. SO I am especially interested in YOUR car thread.
3. Will it be the same car as was built? In my opinion yes it will be. Depending on how YOU want it to fit your family and personality.
I built cars in the early 60's. I wish someone would find one of mine today and do it like YOU are! That would be someone saying to me, "Joe, I want it just like YOU built it or drag raced it!" "I was a kid then and I remember this car on the streets of Springfield", or the strip at Ozark or MoKan or later when I moved to Tampa. That would make me proud! YOU ARE doing just that thing with your respectful build. I will be posting a few of my rebuilds on here, now, because of YOUR attitude. Later on when my shop is finally open now after seeing the RESPECT that YOU have shown for us older guys. I have had 5 heart attacks in my life starting at 42. The last one was 6 mos. ago.
I was beginning to think what is the use these kids today don't give a flip about what WE think. Think of it as guidance. Took us long enough to learn, the HARD way, mostly also. YOU have changed my opinion. Maybe there is hope for this next gen. I don't know. I too still have several of my old builds. They all need freshening like yours. Most of Everyone's cars get sold along the way. THAT IS where they all go as we all need money for other things in our lives. I have had 5 five World of Wheels trophies with some of my cars that I built. Close to 80+ cars or more!
I'll close now. And will be checking up on you and the family (new baby) here.
PS. I was also relieved that most of the watchers on your thread are very complementary. Keep up the good work and God speed. The cars shown on my albums are only a small drop in the bucket. Not bragging it is just how bad the hot rod trend hit some of us. Cars were my identity! For better or worse (tickets once in a while back then) throughout MY life.
On the tire thing... they are unboltable. You can have several sets as we use to do in the 60's. If you could afford them. You old original hot rodders KNOW EXACTLY what I am talking about. One set to cruise and one set for show. Also, another set or two for the strip! We only had one or two cars at a time back then. Except those of us who had the bug and understanding parents. Sometimes 3-4 cars were behind the house. I am watching.
Joe in Mo.

 

concerning your radiator... what we used and found fit inside the 32 shells well, all but the radiator cap, was the radiators from a 55 56 Chevy. This could be one of those. It is a Western Auto brand possibly as it is the hunny-combed style core.

 

Score a BIG one for Joe in Mo.
The young guns could probably learn more from
Joe in a weeked than some have learned in a lifetime.
And remember, nobody wrote this stuff down
and the little pages and the early mags in my opinion
spent a lot of time with the big time rodders and not enough
on the regular kids trying everything the could
to make their car cooler and faster.
What never got into the mags was like making an
air cleaner out of a Table Talk pie plate and a
round mesh screen to get more air into the engine of my
'61 Olds F-85.
I bet Joe could tell a thousand stories like that!
Hang in there Joe, we are not dead yet!
And you are right, Jeromy is one of the best
of the new guys! Snoopy really won!
Jeromy too!

 

ha ha I'm so fortunate to have a hoist, having said that it would be an easier job on a bench, but still a bastard of a job for sure, I like your install set up... I think I will use that for inspiration next weekend when I finish up the rear suspension, my arms & back are sore today from my little "battle" that I had under Snewp's yesterday

 

Thanks Joe, before getting my dream car I was in the British car game ( I have 2 roadworthy MG Midget's) & seeing most people just restore to original or make subtle improvements you don't stir up the same emotions that Hot Rod's do, every single Hot Rod is the result of someones personal vision / influence at a period of time and it's quite interesting the emotions that can be stirred up when we get talking about them !

Plain & simple I like anything old that burns gas & I love to hear the stories, if we don't repect where we came from, it's hard to appreciate where were going - and that's basically why I have the vision to preserve & share Snewpee the way I found it, I know it could be done better, improved, corrected but the reason people can build such amazing flawless cars (which I respect) nowadays is because of people like you building cars's like Snewpee "back in the day" learning what worked & what didn't, and preserving it to take people back to that time is very, very important to me.

Like I was just telling a friend of mine the other day, my preference would be Cobalt Blue paint, all white tuck n' roll interior with blue piping, ANYTHING but a woodgrain dash ( I have never been a fan of any wood on a car except for a woodie wagon) But do I plan on changing those things on Snewpee ? No Way !
I'm glad your enjoying following along & that my enthusiasm has given you some hope for the younger generation

And yes I agree about the wheels, I hope to find some used chrome reverse steelies in the future, I think they would look just fine - also the radiator is out of a Henry J, took me some time to figure that one out ! but the mounting flange was unique & after lot's of Google image searching I think I got it figured out...once again I just can't help myself, I love the "story"

Thanks Tony, you are very kind - You have a good point about the focus on the big time rodders & not on the regular guy's ... such is life isn't it ?

 

Forgot to mention, it's a good thing the car wasn't chopped, I'm average height (about 5'10"), however I have stubby legs (28 inseam), so the remainder is made up in my upper body, always been a joke that I look threatning when I'm in a car..., my head is only about an inch, maybe 2 from the roof, however my stubby legs reach the pedals in that channeled body very comfortably, my friends who are about the same height or a bit taller, have some head clearance but are cramped up reaching the pedals... like the car was made for me !

 

A perfect description of the appeal!

 

i don't know if this car was made for you but I do think it meant for you tom

 

Dennis,
Thank you for the kind words! AND Tony you too old friend. I have been reading what you have imparted to Dennis. I worked at Grummun Aviation on Long Island. I use to work as a pitman racing at Islip. I did not stay long as I was hearing about those winters!!!!! I owned a house in Apollo Beach at the time (FLA.) so I went back to teaching (in a hurry!). I lived in Mesapiqua. I cannot spel worth a flip either. So don't correct me on that, please. I am typing as fast as I can and moving on with life. (Rolling stone) I don't like moss! I was only there for 5 weeks the first time. Made other visits all the way up to Rochester (IN the winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a Vega station wagon with a bad heater!) Not a smart thing to do!!! Saw people SKIING down hillsides! You guys are crazy up there! NEAT!

 

The spoken truth.
Well said Joe, well said.
God Bless,
Glenn

 

Dennis,
There is snow outside and it is too cold for me to go outside in the shop. If you all ever get on blood thinner than you will understand! Goes right through you. Then you get the uncontrollable shakes until you get rewarmed. NOT FUN! It's just a part of life.
When it warms up in the next week I'll be off of the Internet and out there banging and making sparks.
You are a very fortunate young man to have found the owner who built Snoopy. He has a great memory and told you exactly what he used. A 46-8 Ford is what you have blended to the frame. As far as he undercarriage I would have removed the body and reworked that framework. Not building a new frame unit in order to keep it like you want it and safe. Keeping everything almost exactly it is. It would be easier to work on without the body. Unless the body was welded to the frame. There were several who did that back in the day. Unfortunately, but, again, it is YOUR car now and you are the caretaker. WE are all hip to that!!! With the DEEP respect that you are showing to the past owners.
WOW!
I "GET" what you are trying to do. We all wish we had a son with that "same" attitude. Unfortunately mine are jealous of the old cars I have and built while our kids were growing up. Many of our kids do not like the old cars because of this. Yes, I included my boys with the cars and in the shows and parades. But not everyone is like you and me. AND the fellas monitoring your thread. And that is fine too.
We all can see that you are a car family. Your wife is into T's, eh? Have her take a look at my albums. That is a real plus for you as a family. Evidently your family are car nuts also as you have a similar hydra-lift as I do here also. You are definitely a car guy's guy.
I thank you for the English trend you showed with your other cars. Again I have a couple of those here. 3 MGTDs. Others types of German and Italian iron are included in the stable too.
But this is about YOUR build.
The 48 parts that wear will all have to come out before you do any serious driving! You have already shown us enough to clarify this. Take your time and do each item the exact way you have shown us. POR products are good so is Rust Bullet and Defender. Stay away from spray bomb paints! I use a phosphoric acid in a spray bottle to kill the rust. Sometimes you have to break open the roof on the rust with abrasion if you find it goes deep into the metal first before the acid will kill the oxidation. Works best above 70 degrees F and in the sun! Just don't let it get dry until you want to stop the action. Use the quart cans of paint and do a great deal of masking. You can get by with a small compressor as we did back in those days!!! My compressor I used for years was just from an old pop machine! The one's with an open top and had water in the bottom. Took 5 minutes to let it fill a 40 gallon water heater tank!!! I could spray for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then wait all over again! Boy, was I ever GLAD to see that thing go! I used that thing for over 12 years.
Family money came first.
Now I have four in-house compressors. Some producing 35 CFM of air at 135# pressure. But I am an old man too! So there is a trade off someplace.
We are waiting to take that first RIDE along with you! That is another thing we did NOT have in our day! You-Tube video.

 

Leaving it bare is not a good idea unless you want to wax it all over and OFTEN! Won't work! Use paint colors in the flat or satin will help it look old and original. You will eventually start letting the car sit for weeks like we all mostly have done as other things come about. So think of protecting Snoopy from the RUST DEVIL! I know that their are fellas who will disagree with me and I will LISTEN! A trend today is for it to be in rust! Yeah, your cars LOOK neat! I like them! BUT! Rust never sleeps.
I'll be quiet now for a great while as I do not live on the computer as I have to get to work!
I DO answer posts that ask for a response but try to not chime in. We had SNOW the past 2 weeks! MANY fo you guys have it about 4-5 months!!!! WHEW! I can't do that and my hatis off and my heart is with you guys!

 

Leaving it bare is not a good idea unless you want to wax it all over and OFTEN! Won't work! Use paint colors in the flat or satin will help it look old and original. You will eventually start letting the car sit for weeks like we all mostly have done as other things come about. So think of protecting Snoopy from the RUST DEVIL! I know that their are fellas who will disagree with me and I will LISTEN! A trend today is for it to be in rust! Yeah, your cars LOOK neat! I like them! BUT! Rust never sleeps.
I'll be quiet now for a great while as I do not live on the computer as I have to get to work!
I DO answer posts that ask for a response but try to not chime in. We had SNOW the past 2 weeks! MANY fo you guys have it about 4-5 months!!!! WHEW! I can't do that and my hatis off and my heart is with you guys!

 

Hey Joe,
This is for you but also Jer "Denns1989", and the others interested in rust!
My '31 went in the barn in '55, came out in '03
built in '04 but unfinished.
It has covered about 40-45,000 miles of regular driving, in all
4 seasons. I commuted 50 miles per day for almost 3 years.
Tried to drive in all 12 months of the year.
In the begining I was gonna paint it and finish it.
What follows is NOT braging:
It won " Just 'cause it's neat" trophy, at Goodguys Northeast Nationals in '05
The next year it won "Period Perfect" at the same show.
Since then It has won 11 more trophys.
The first year I WD-40'd the body.
The second year, wax.
Since then NOTHING!
Henry really did use good steel!
At this rate I will be long gone before this car rusts away!
Just goes to show: Lots of people, even younger ones like Jer
Like to see and be a part of what was cool, is cool, and always will be cool!
Now I said way too much!
Regards, to all,
and long live traditional Hot Rods!
This is what the car looked like this October.
Yes it's me!
At my High School,
Yes I am still a delinquent!

 

I really like you car Tony, but I've got to ask do you live in the Bay Area, in Canada or New York State, rust belt in general?

I like your car, but that would newer fly here! I have steel in my shop that's of the ground, not water near, and it's more rusted then you body!

 

Volvobrynk.
I live in Kingston NY
90 miles north of Manhattan.
the car stays in a garage when not
used, but is often out in the rain and driven
in the rain.
Rooster tails off the wheels are awesome!
The only thing I don't do is drive when roads
are salted and wet.
I tried to upload a picture from 10 years ago but it wouldn't load.
I think it is in my album here or the Ford Barn.
I will say that when the car was resting in the barn
it was well covered with all kinds of paint.
So it is rusting now as it would have in 1955-65
had it not been stored.
Also if you look close you can see a patch panel
in front of the rear wheel well, and the inner wheel well
is a replacement.
note also the frame rails are ASC with just a coat of "frame black"
they are 11 years old and rust shows through the paint already.
the original intent for my car was to produce a kids hot
rod that would have been built in the late '40 early 50's
then left in the barn 'till early 2003.
look at the trunk picture.
This is what I live for!
Regards to all,
I don't wanna jump on Snoopy's thread.

 

Tony
Love to meet you someday in REAL life. I like what you say here on the HAMB. I too have done what you are saying! I have several cars now in various stages of unpainted sitting & waiting. I have places where the paint cracks or has been rubbed off and the rust starts. In Fla and in Mo. I find that the Phos. helps it last longer. I like seeing the originals at shows in rust or the non rust BARE sheet metal seen in all of tee hot rod publications!!!! I DO!
But when it comes to my having to store them and then get them out when I have the time and the weather is right I find more problems to solve. That is typical of any accessory cars. That is why the air controlled inflatable cocoons came about.
Tony you and I BOTH are some of the dinosaurs in this hobby or business. I only learned by seeing and following all of the guys already doing this stuff. Norm Grabowski seen him in LA back in 59 or 60 driving by. WHAT THE!!!!! I thought!!!
I was into T's and A's then and visiting LA. Only for a week mind you. But what I had just seen really hit me like WOW! Funny, Norman and I lived only less than 60 miles from each other during the last 12 years. And at the LAST I kept seeing him go by my place and wondered What the H___ eck! I found out that his sister and (mom??) lived only a few miles from my shop! Talk about Karma. I saw him many times at shows in Fla, Gatlinburg, and in Missouri! THE GUY who started it all for me!!!!! ???????????????? When 77 Sunset Strip came out and for years I THOUGHT that's the fella I saw driving that car in LA. It wasn't it was Norm. HE was kind of kookie and his other later cars were of a different taste than mine. Unlike that first car or his cycles. But you had to know the comic side of Norm also to understand.
Dennis I will STOP now as I DO NOT WANT TO HIJACK YOUR THREAD!!!!!!
I love what you are doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony, LOVE being able to visit with you too!
ISN"T the HAMB great!!!!
Otherwise we would NOT be able to do this.
Dennis, we are all trying to help you with your car! Either way you decide to go (and I think I can guess where you WILL do or go next) but you have given US a chance to ride along.
THAT is what I use to do as a young buck! Go visit all of the guys who were ALL working on their cars back in the day! That was how you found out who does this or who does that. That was my evening runs while cruising. Whenever one of the guys was at their rented old grocery store or old filling station. The only OTHER way we had was the once a year car shows (PRO shows not parking lot). Or the drag races. That was where we learned how to do this... SO TONY! You were quite correct in your statement about all of us who never got into the Little Books! AND most would not qualify. We did not have the $$ nor the connections. Many of us lived on the farm or in the cities and had to WORK to pay the exorbitant insurance prices we had to pay as a kid to drive one of those new Detroit fast cars. And that did NOT include those car payments either. THEN came the Girlfriend and THEN the hot rod!

 

Thanks Joe, thankfuly the body isn't welded to the frame, it has a 2 "side saddle" mounts on each side along the frame rail with hardwood blocks (with canvas/rubber as spacers) this has a big ol' carriage bolt thru the floor & wood block & thru the metal "saddle", then on the back a big heavy metal strap off the frame that slings down to pick up the lower edge of the body shell on the rear corners, also a few 1/4 bolts thru the floor & into the X-Member, I assume to keep the floor from slappin against the frame as it sits really close...

I have checked out your albums & left a comment, whewww you like your cars ! Impressive ! I have added an album in my profile with my meager sampling You should have seen the reaction of the owner & bystanders when my wife bought her Model T, she was 5 months pregnant, walks up to the owner of the Model T she had admired for years & he had just put a small for sale sign in it the same day at the car show, she asks him if she can sit behind the wheel, he obliges, she jumps into the car holds the wheel, steps out & shakes his hand, he looks at me bewildered & says " did I just sell my car" I nodded my head & said, "that's her dream car, take the sign out of the window."

My nephew got a Go Pro for Christmas, I'm looking forward to sharing the "first ride" !!

Ausome Tony, ha ha I love it drive the damn wheels off it !, like me with my 67 Midget, previous owner had logged 1600 miles in 10 years of ownership, I easily doubled that in my first year of owner ship & bought it half way thru the season !
Your post give me hope I can trust my ol' flathead to drive the wheels off of Snewp's !

Can't help but think of Gerry Garcia when I see your picture , Love your Car !

Okay, here is a short clip taken this past weekend, I cannot explain what it means to me to just do a short drive like this - damn I love it !!

 

Hey Jer,
You're not the only one who sees Jerry Garcia!
I've been getting that for a long time!
I'm lucky, I'm still around!
And hopefully still relavent sometimes!
I like the nasty sounds your car makes.
Don't do to much to quiet it down.
Remember you are supposed to cause a ruckous!
By the way, you will love it if you can find some
fresh snow in an empty parking lot.
These old A's love to do donuts.
those Japanese car drifters think they invented
drifting! Ha Ha!!!!

 

Enjoyed the ride, Jer... Thanks!

 

Tony I'm confused is it Dennis or Jer?
Thanks for that first ride (for us). Dam it's cold in here though! You got to do something about this open top! And where is your heater? BURRRRR! I hate winters!
Tony is right about snow donuts. I use to do those here in Missouri in one or two of my Corvettes but not in the old Fords. That banjo rear does not like abuse. Lucky you do not have a model A rear with the hydraulic breaks! You had better ask the original builder which it has! The model A has a floating pinion I have been told so I never really got on mine really hard. With the narrow tires you will be ok but if they get any wider in the patch then I would be concerned! Everyone in the old days used the 39 rear with a 36 drive shaft. Don't quote me on this but I believe I'm possibly right. Others on here can give you more on this subject but it is still something you should be aware of. Tony can probably give you a lot more info. Even though I have been into this stuff son=me times you can get the facts a little mixed up. also I am always learning. Especially from you young bucks! Plus all of the new things out there (for the old cars). Keep in mind what I said about the body removal for the frame rework that will surely come to pass. I THINK that the original builder will tell you that would be ok as he could not do that then.

 

Correction!
Model A with the 39 thru 48 Ford hydraulic brakes and drums mated up.

 

jer did you ever think when you started this thread it would take off as it has. ifor one iam glad.keep on keepin on. best of luck Tom