Projects Thompson Shoebox Ford Build

This is how I measure progress…. with some smokey burnouts. Instead of all the neighbors bitching at me or calling the cops they all cheered me on and had me do several more after the first!! HAHA

Now its back to metal then onto the body.

And thanks to china and the guy at the swap meet for my shiny new valve covers.

 

Oh yea !!

 

My neighbor came over today while I was working and gave me a few pics from yesterday. This was one of the better ones. Cant wait till its road worthy. I got a ball park on my paint today while I was picking up some other things at the paint store today just to see what kind of damage ill be in for….looks like I need to start saving…. I know what things cost but its always other peoples money I spend on paint for their cars… now its gonna be out of my pocket ouch…. not to mention body work supplies and tape ect…. I may have to sell one of my organs on the black market… but I'm gonna finish this thing one way or another!

 

I wish my neighbors were that cool. I had a few that were but my major pain in the ass one would have called the cops in a heartbeat. I did a few burn outs but one at a time.
I got lucky when I bought supplies. Fox run tools had the rolls of sand paper on sale plus 20% off your first order then they gave me $10 off my second order so it ended up at $10 a roll of 25'. I always try to figure out how the guys in so cal did a whole car for $400 and made money.



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Did you order, and get, your parts?

 

Yeah I don't know how people can charge 400-500 for paint? Paint jobs are 100% labor and deceit product is not cheap….. you cut a corner one either one product or labor and it shows. May not be rite away but it will bite you. I also basically pay full retail for my supplies so that's not much either. I figure I would like to keep my local paint store open because the guys have helped me since day one and answered all my stupid questions when I had no clue what I was doing "Still learning every day" so I figure the tech support aloe is worth it.

5window: that was the rags to riches guy… Might want to ask him. I have a sbc in my shoebox with jamco motor and trans mounts. I live by jamco so I don't have to worry about phone service or shipping. The guys that helped me granted I have only been there once were nice and helped me just fine. As far as I know jamco was bought out… I could be wrong…

 

What brand sand paper Mr. Dickies?

 

I like the 3m gold self adhesive. Sticks good to the dura blocks and to itself or anything else you want to use as a block. Sand paper not on sale runs as much as the base coat.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Yeah I use the red mostly cuz I'm cheap and its still good paper. I bought the gold in 400 last time and my guy said it would last longer but I couldn't tell a deference besides the gold is a longer roll than the red but its expensive. I need to make friends with a 3m rep… HAHA

 

Watch eBay. I bought it last time when I was in a rush and had a eBay gift card for $15 a roll plus free shipping. I have enough to fix the few things on my car and hopefully enough to do my wife's 51 Chevy. I can fell you I bought a cheap roll from harbor freight the only time I saw it in there when my son wanted to get his free screwdriver and I used it for about 5 minutes and had to change it. I gave it to my old neighbor and he said it was crap too.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

nice work.
-cant wait to see it on the 91 frwy!

 

I have been doing paint an body for a few years now and have learned how valuable good sand paper and fillers are. I don't skimp and i have plenty of paper in my garage but its just expensive plane and simple. My car will be my first attempt at a multi color graphic with pin striping. Im going to test the colors on my air cleaner just to see how it looks and make sure I want to spend all the time needed for what I'm trying to do. Ill post pics when I get that far…. some metal work to be had still and tons of body work before we get that far...

 

Thanks Bali-rod. Im sure when its done it will be up and down So Cal for sure. It should be pretty recognizable if it ever gets finished and painted…. at least when I'm stuck on the side of the road other hammers might stop to help. HAHA

 

What's the paint plan? Now that mines been flat I'm going to do gloss after I fix a few things. I get the chop itch every once in a while then it passes.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Ill post pics of the air cleaner with the color scheme on it when I get that far. I would like to do an orange with a gold pearl, metallic green seaweed style flames over the whole car, with a blue pinstripe. With all the work I put into this thing so far I don't want to just have the green or red or blue shoebox. Plus it affords me the chance to do some graphics witch i haven't had the opportunity to do yet.

 

Got some updates. I had the idea of re-using the original trunk handle just modifying it. After I cut it up and tacked it together I still think it sticks out too far still so I'm gonna ditch the chrome lock and section it more so its nice and slim and if I still don't like it ill just shave the trunk.

On a good note I decide to go with a 49 grill and should have sometime next week. Still need the parking lights and lenses tho.

 

Too bad you didn't post sooner about the parking lights. A set just went on eBay for $5.99 bezels buckets and lenses.
If you have the new rod and custom there is a shoebox in the background with a license plate piece like what you are goin for I think.
Ever think about shaving the hinges and doing 51 hidden ones I bought mine off here for $75 complete ready to weld in and a deck lid for $25. I love the idea of cutting it and makin it smaller.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

im gonna ditch the chrome lock and make it smaller and see how it looks. Im watching some parking lights on ebay but they are nos so I'm sure I'm gonna pay for them. haha

 

Here is what I came up with. Its still the original but its all cut down. Now I just have to fill in all the holes in the trunk and drill a few new ones. Anyone not run a trunk latch? I don't have one and am debating if I put one in or not… I don't think I really need one but…. If I decide later I want one its gonna be tuff after its painted…..

I also lost on my ebay bid for parking lights for the 49 grill I have coming… so I need parking lights and Chis from shoebox central only has one side. If I can't find any soon enough I might just buy the one side and use it as a template to make the other… maybe make a set out of stainless…. we'll see I guess

 

Pretty sharp! Are you going to mold it in or leave as bolt in?


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I'm gonna fine tune it a bit and make it bolt in I think. I'm gonna shave all the other holes and then put it back on and take another look at it. I figured its easy to just shave the trunk but taking the ugly out of the og parts and re using them is cool to me and takes a little more thought.

 

I agree. Looks cool

 

The '49 trunk hinges look OK. There's a lot of flow to carry them.

 

I still think I like the 50 trunk hinges better… as far as design goes. I know a lot of people use 51 to hide them but I like chrome features on old cars….thats what makes it an old car to me I guess. I do kinda like the 49 door handles tho so that might be an option. Its a custom so I don't think I have to stick with one year or the other I guess. HAHA

Thanks for the complement MrDickies. The one thing I do enjoy about this site is a lot of the guys on here can appreciate stuff because they know what it takes to do because they do it or have tried. I started my build thread because I spent hours on here looking at other chop jobs and what I liked and did not like. I figure if any of the stuff I share makes someone go hell thats a good idea and either does something similar or takes an idea and makes it better it was worth posting to me.

 

Here is the part cleaned up and on the trunk. I still have to shave the right side a bit to match the left as far a the taper on the part goes. Im also going to add a lip to the face of it so it rolls back twords the license plate so it can still be used as a handle to open the trunk with out screwing up the paint on it from using it as such.

 

I'm guilty of doing the 51 hinge swap. With the paint job you have planned do you need to break it up with the 50 hinges? How I came to shave mine was I stood back one day with a buddy that I was in the Zombies with and we were talking about all the mods done and the hinges stuck out. I do love chrome. I had the chrome license plate surround that was nos chrome that's now on my other buddy's shoebox. I miss it but it didn't belong.
It looks better on his car. You got me thinking about trying it on a 51 now.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I like the 51 hidden hinges. But to each their own. Looks good BTW !!

 

I think it's the other way around. My paint should be busy enough that the hinges won't draw your eye so hard as with a solid color and nothing to stare at but the largest object. I have always liked the Zimmerman shoebox that was flamed gold and black. It's a 49 and if you look at it, it still has the of hinges but they don't stand out the paint is too loud.... Killer paint on that car by the way when it was still good...

 

Thanks ebw!