Thanks, Joey! Found a couple of issues I need to fix before a road test, but damn I’m excited to get it out there!
Finally grew the cajones to drive it around the block today. The wife and I are both still alive, so I’m putting this one in the “W” column. I’ll post a video in the next couple of days to show progress. to say that I’m excited is an understatement!!!!!!!!
I couldn’t find the trunk hinge (stock version) so I made one to mount the deck lid until I find something cooler
Don't know what kind of hinges you have in mind but an old memory popped in my head of my Dad's 1958 Morris Minor trunk hinges that might give you one idea
None of them last very long - especially if you have water hit the headers. A much better approach is to buy some high-temp V-Series Cerakote. You have to media blast the headers and pay close attention to the prep and bake phase, but it is very doable at home (especially flathead headers - which are small). I just bake them in a BBQ at 500 degrees. Cerakote Coatings & Cerakote Swatch Samples | Shop All Products
Most of the paints ****. This is VHT, and I slowly heated them by running the engine longer and longer. I don't really care if they look perfect. I've had friends who used Cerakote, and hated it.
I personally hate headers primarily due to the pain with poor access to the bolts which leads to gasket failure not to mention unsightly rust & high temperatures in & around everything under the hood, my 32 Sport Coupe has full length headers that blistered the hood side louver area, & yes, probably time for a heat shield or a change altogether.
Took the roadster out for another drive last week (bad video that I won't post) and it was awesome, but I noticed something odd on the tire. Pulled the rear wheel and drum and realized that I've been hit by the leaky cylinder plague. Not just on that corner, but on all three corners with new wheel cylinders (the original Lockheed cylinder is perfect)... Called Jeff at Moose Motors and he's going to build me three new cylinders next week. Frustrating to just get it on the street and then back up on the rack...Ugh. I was tempted to use the Speedway SS lined cylinders, but apparently they can leak as well. Speedway is prompt to offer a replacement (if it's not backordered), and I was just not willing to go that route. Oh, and I painted the fender wells. I didn't want to bolt in the funky aftermarket things.
I could use some ideas: I’m using an Autometer fuel gauge in the stock location, but the hole in the tank is too small. I opened up the hole in the panel, but not sure how to open this one up. I tried the thin belt sander but that was SLOOOOOOWWW. Not sure how I could use a hole saw. I don’t have a die grinder (yet ). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
I did make a sort of jig for a hole saw, but not sure how well this might work. I’m hoping for some good ideas before I try this scary idea.
Ideally, you would want a thicker jig, on the backside, with a through/pilot hole for the drill bit. That way it keeps the blade (and drill) from wandering and changing angle.
Get a 1/4" air grinder and some carbide burrs. The grinders are cheap - ***uming you have an air compressor.
I was thinking about using 1/4" flat stock for the jig, but I don't think my hole saw could get through it. Probably what I'll do. I have a big enough air compressor. I have been wanting a die grinder for quite a while. Now may be the time.
Use wood for your jig. You can shape it to meet the shape of the sheet metal and set your angle. Could be 1 inch or more thick.
I ended up borrowing a die grinder and bought some carbide burrs. Took a while but I got it done. Both gauge panels are back in and all wired up. The aux panel will likely go away as the dash evolves into something else
Jeff at Moose was able to rebuild 3 cylinders for me. I got them installed yesterday. Plan to adjust and bleed the brakes today, and then when the rain stops I can give them a try.
Now I seem to have another issue that I may need some help with. I noticed that my volt meter wasn't moving when I started the engine. I expected it to move up just a bit. I put a multi-meter across the battery, and it reads 12.4-12.6V when stopped, but when I start the car, it doesn't measure voltage at all, the MM just shows a "1" with nothing else. If I disconnect the battery when the car is running, it dies. I tested the generator by running it from the battery, and it spins like it should, and when I short the FLD to GND it slows down like it should. I haven't tried measuring voltage output from the generator yet. Any ideas of what's up with that?
I'm ***uming you have a Ford generator, if you do, you can test it on the car by jumping the FLD wire at the regulator to the ARM wire with a voltmeter at the battery. That will full field the generator. Do not rev the engine anthough you may have to bring it a bit above idle to bring the generator voltage above the battery voltage. The reason to not rev the engine is that with the jumper, the voltage is uncontrolled. It can go quite high if you rev the engine. I would also try a different voltmeter. Although if the meter you have is autoranging you may have it locked in a range and the acutal voltage is above that range. That might account for the "1" reading. The meter may be telling the reading is above the locked in range. Try turning the meter on and off to see if it changes.
You have it backwards, almost all GM products were A circuits, Fords were B. At least that's what was on my 57 T-Bird, 55 Ford wagon, and 54 Mercury. A-circuit and B-circuit refer to how an alternator or generator's field current is regulated to manage output, distinguished by which side of the field coil (rotor) the voltage regulator controls. A-circuits control the ground side (field grounded through the regulator), while B-circuits control the positive side (field grounded internally)
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