Hot Rods Thunderbirdesq Builds a Roadster!

I following this build close as I will have a 30 a roadster in less than a month.

 

Dude that some good progress for sure!! I need to learn a thing or two next time I'm up! Do you have any pics of the henrob head that you used? I am not sure I have ever seen one.

 

Thanks for the kind words, fellas! Much appreciated.

Here's one, they have different size tips and cutting heads. Nice precise little piece, light and manueverable.

 

Thanks! Definitely a different animal then I was thinking!

 

Slow week here, I've had a never-ending chest cold...

Hammered out a cover for the rear crossmember.



I'm gonna be tackling the new rear subrails and wheelwell patches this weekend. Pictures and details to follow... After that job's done, that's all the tin-knocking, she's ready for a skim coat, some sanding and primer!

 

I got ancy and spent an hour in the garage tonight. Someone replaced the wheel wells before, but they torched the old ones out and lap welded the new ones in and it was pretty sloppy. I had thoughts of just cleaning these up because I think I could make look fine from the outside, but every time I'd open the trunk I'd wanna puke a little bit. I think it's best to get them out of there and get new ones in. As seen here, there's some gaps and lead around the edges that have to go away too.





After a round with the cutting wheel... You can see I left one of the fender bolts in place to help place the patch in alignment. If was a futile attempt though as the patch panels have the holes in wrong spot. Doh!



The PO cut out the subrails to fit the 32 frame and removed more material than necessary, but it shouldn't be too bad. I started making new rear subrails from some 1x2x16ga. Slice slice slice...


Slice, Slice, Slice...

 

Nice to see progress, I'm with you on the cold garage thing. Looking good, gonna be bad***.

 

Thanks man, I saw your 32 ch***is in another thread. Looks boss!

Rear subrails are in... wheelwell patches too.



Found an ugly brazed in patch...

 

Thank you!

 

Cool! Yer kickin' ****!

 

Nice!!! Man you are the real deal. It seems like you can do everything and do it well Andy. I am going to start looking for homes for you and the Misses so you can get down to a warmer climate. We need more dudes like you down here.

 

lookin' great Andy...

 

Many thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Just doin what needs to be done! But... one thing I don't do well is paint, so the body is going down to PA here next week to get into the paint shop.

Jeff, I already put the bug in her ear! It'll be a couple years yet, but this weather up here is KILLING me... I gotta do something.

 

Hot Damn, that is one tasty build, the 41 dash is smokin, I have only seen that used a couple of times and it is so hip. That little baby is just sweet thru and thru. Major congrat's on this dandy!! ~Sololobo~

 

I think the same guy must have done the rear arches on my old roadster as well!
They had been fitted identical with the same level of workmanship as well!
Everytime I opened my trunk, I got the same puke feeling!

 

Again, thanks much, fellas! Nothing big today, I just cut out the ****py, welded areas around the hinges that were packed with lead and welded in nice new steel.



And... Thanks to Jeffrey James and his most unfortunate brother Mike, this showed up for me to trip over! Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but it sure does look cool.

 

I went through the entire post, it’s coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see it in person.

 

Bought this on ebay... I know no one will ever see it, but I had to have it, hahaha!!



Lots of other cool stuff in the works here too... Banjo wheel, Mallory dual point tach drive dizzy install, driveshaft install, I'll have an update next week, gonna have the body off and start finishing out the ch***is work too.

 

That Olds Motor is a lot bigger in person huh? Dude I can't tell you how many bruises that thing gave me as I kept smashing my ankles into it in the garage. Those Heads hang nicely on the wall which my ankles are thankful for hahaha!

I can't wait to see some updates Andy. I need to chip away at my '35 like you do with this roadster. I would at least have some progress to report once in a while.

 

Hell yeah it is! the thing is HUGE. Your bro came over to jrblack30's tonight and we got his front end squared away. After an hour of screwing with that krusty old axle, Jim threw in the towel and just gave him a 40 wishbone he had laying around. I'm gonna go by his place here soon and help him get it installed. Looks good!

 

Hahaha!!! those ****ing wishbones!!! I had to cut my perch bolts and put my axle on a lathe to get it out. Seems like everybody else has good luck with these but not me....or my brother I guess.

Cool!!!! I'll expect an update on this roadster of yours when I get back from GNRS.

 

Bad ***!!!!

 

cant wait to start laying some paint on that thing...its gonna be killer...i cant wait to sitch up some seats either

 

can't wait to see this mofo painted!!

 

Well, I've been busy with ch***is fab the last few evenings, but my camera battery took a dump so I don't have any in progress shots.

I built a pair of rear legs for the K-member out of 2x6 C-channel and torch cut some kidney beans in them. I added some local boxing plates around the T rear crossmember and I broke down and step boxed the front of the rails. Mainly because after beefing up the rear of the frame, the front seemed REALLY twisty! I think it's a good platform now, nice and sturdy, but not overbuilt. Also I removed the engine mounts as I decided to use the stock '32 style mounts built right into the front crossmember. It just seemed redundant to add extra mounts to the rails when there's a perfectly good set right there. I'll trim the ears from the water pumps for a nice clean look to. Should be pretty *****in!

When I leveled the frame all out before adding any reinforcement, everything looked really straight and square EXCEPT... the driver's side front rail was about 3/8" lower than the p***enger side at the front crossmember.

Since I don't have a "real" frame jig, I experimented with a welding technique to try to correct my unlevel front crossmember. When I boxed the front rails, I tacked all the plates in, and started welding the seam at the top of the driver's side rail near the K-member. I put a good bit of heat into it and stayed in that general area for a few minutes. I checked my measurements often to make sure I was staying square and watched as the bubble in the level at the front crossmember slowly drifted into the center as I welded. I then progressed as usual jumping around and welding short 1.5" sections parallel from each other until The plates were in.

Final measurements? within 1/16" square and level all the way around. I just have to add some caps to the rear of the frame and a pair of gussets to the rear crossmember after work today and it's ready to be cleaned up and painted. I guess this means by weekends end here, I'll have a complete painted (maybe ***embled?) roller! Damn, I'm psyched...

 

Andy,

The frame looks great. I see you knocked off the motor mounts. Looks like you are committed to the stock mounts now.

 

Haha, you and me BOTH, Steve! Kevin said they *might* have it done this weekend!!!

Thanks man, yeah it just makes sense that way. BTW, I spent about an HOUR cleaning up that T crossmember today! Welding up holes and grinding off old weld gobs. Lookin good now though...

For everyone else:

The rear T crossmember in my deuce frame came from jrblack30's 34 3w frame where it had been doing time as a transmission cradle welded in upsidedown during its drag racing tenure. Now THAT'S recycling!

 

Andy I know I have said this just about every time you have updated but your work is really good. I love that you are building this thing exactly as I would dream about. The fact that you are not overbuilding the frame with crazy gussets and things that would have never been on a car in the day is great. It's probably super strong but not strong enough for a top fuel engine to be put between the rails like a bunch of people are doing these days.

I think in the end you'll end up with a car that more true and pure then 90% of the **** that's being built right now and it'll work just as good!!!

Stick to your guns, you're doing awesome!!! I know between you and Chris here on the HAMB these might be my two favorite builds in a long time. The two of you ****ers know what's up!!!

 

Looks like a nice place to park that roadster body. Good job on the K member.