Projects The 100 Day Waltz to LSRU - Model A Roadster Thrash!

Great progress, thanks for the update. It's come a long way from it's cupester beginning.

 

So great!

 

So, after all of that work .. I was determined to drive it. I wanted to make the Round-Up this year. So, the guys and I got to work on finishing up what was left .. Eric Anderson made the column drop which I was stuck with. I set my steering wheel up so that it's closer to the dashboard and lower. I like when the wheel doesn't stick up way above the body from the side view. Yes, it is a little more of a pain to get in and out of the car, but it's pretty comfortable for me when I'm sitting in it and driving. Everyone gives me***** for it, but I love it. Haha.

I was having some issues with bleeding the brakes so Mike, another co-worker at the shop, helped me get past that one day after work.

Chris Hagerty got to wiring it up .. Kail made a battery tray for a battery that went up in flames soon after. But I like to think he was there for moral support. Thanks, Kail.

The clutch pedal ratio was a little goofy, so I had to stick my leg way up in the air for the clutch to engage/disengage. We were all starting to get ready for me to start driving when I went to push the clutch and the clutch rod bent.. Eric grabbed some scrap, cut some thread, and made one that was a little stronger and threw it in. Battery got strapped down .. fuel in the tank .. roadster is running - but only if I keep my foot on the gas ..

Try to stick the shifter in first - I can feel the gears grinding, so I motion to Eric that the clutch must not be engaging/disengaging properly. He motions to try second or third, so I throw it in second and let the clutch off slowly .. the roaster moves .. HOLY*****. It's moving.

Okay, I pull it forward, then back, steering it to aim it for the back bay door of the shop and make it outside. I piloted it down the ramp, then around towards the front and .. Holy***** .. The power-to-weight ratio of this car is nuts. This thing has some pull to it..

This is coming from someone who's driven all sorts of cars, from a ProCharged 9-second Mustang to diesel trucks to big block Chevelles but never a truly traditional hot rod. This is a whole new ball game for me. I'm loving it.

So, I drove it around up to the front then turned it around and - I remember reading on here somewhere where a guy explained you couldn't just dump the clutch, but rather to get the car moving first then just lay down the gas/let off the clutch - essentially a low speed rolling burnout. So .. I attempted that. It was glorious. I came back around and pulled it back inside the shop.

 

In the end .. I didn't make the Round-Up - for the hundred-and-sixteenth time - but I got to drive it for the first time. In the end, I didn't want to chance driving a non-registered, non-insured car I didn't even have a****le for up to the car show. The reception the roadster got from everyone at the open shop and the shop party was amazing .. People I look up to and have followed for years had nothing but nice things to say to me.

A couple laps around the shop, I realized it had a little death wobble, so since then, I've added a panhard bar to the front. I also raised the front some because the steering shaft was hitting the wishbone. I worked on the grille shell but still have some welding left to do then painting it. I also painted the flames on. It really changed the attitude of the car.





I still have a couple things to*****on up and the legal process to go through. I'm also trying to finish up the Weiand intake - mainly chasing down linkage stuff for Holleys. Exhaust hangers, some leaks, paint the inside of the car, hook up the Dodge gauges, make a deck lid, some nickel and dime stuff..

Thanks to all of the people who's helped me get this far with my roadster, especially my brother - Andrew. Joyo, Cory, and Dr. Dan for letting me take up precious space at the shop and stuff. I have some of the best friends in the world.

 

Looks cool to me.

 

Your car just looks right. Hopefully we can both make it to next years roundup in roadsters !


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Cool hot rod

 

The flames make it look like your old drawing from the original thread. That can't be a bad thing! My friend and I put a '30 roadster together and used a 327 from his wrecked '55. It was all the engine it needed and way faster than it was in the '55.

 

killer build, thanks for sharing! Cant wait to see it wandering around the Texas hillsides in full glorious chat!

 

Mikie likes it !

 

Killer! Awesome to see how much progress you've made.

 

Great update and progress, badass rod for sure.

 

Any updates?

 

@TexasSpeed any updates?

 

*cricket* *cricket*

 

He started a new thread. I’ll find it

 

do you need a deck lid I have a Xtra one, I live in Denton PM me and send pics

 

There

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rambling-about-the-roadster.1199234/

he posted a during/ after the show update - everything went great- but doesn’t look like it’s made it over here yet