We need to come up with something to go on the top (formerly bottom) of the radiator to extend the cap several inches up through the grill shell. I guess a good start would be a cut out of an old no good Model A radiator and then we can figure out what kind of extension we can make for that. Anyone got a clapped out Model A radiator they could cut up and sell us the neck and cap off of?
Trevor I'm ready to go on Sunday. I'll be an observer but all went well on Friday, got some new tubing hooked up to the old ticker and going to be good as new in a few weeks! See ya on Sunday!
Trevor, are you aware of the new replacement cap and necks available for repairs through many suppliers? Just google it.
HBR, Just observing and learning from Trevor. I'm about 7 weeks away from doing much of anything physical but time flies when you are having fun!!
I have a cap, but wasn’t aware of replacement necks. I see Brassworks has them, I will probably order from them. Thanks! I’m glad Robin’s still in one piece & excited to get back at it this weekend!
At least they didn't strap you to a rear tractor wheel, fill you with gravel and run it at idle to clear out the rust!
That was way back in his other thread, so I figured some people wouldn't get the joke. The smile at the end was to convey that while it is a valid way to treat a tank, I would not suggest it to 'fix' a human!!! Hope we can agree the method of attachment isn't the issue!!! Hope you are feeling better and mend quickly.
I finally found your build thread, been meaning to give it a read through, I've always wondered how the kids who originally built hot rods did all the bodywork without access to modern tools like electric grinders and such, did they do it by hand? hand crank tools? and not to mention that torch welding was still the norm at the time, it must have been a very laborious process back then, even more than now.
Mind, they wouldn’t have been dealing with near as much rust but body panels were commonly brazed together the old school way instead of welded. They certainly did have electric (and air powered) rotary tools like grinders even in the 30s but I’m sure there was plenty of hand sanding involved as well. I think generally with the wide availability of these bodies through the 50s they would prefer to start with a body that didn’t need the super intensive repairs that are commonly needed today.
I guess that is a factor, much like today where its cheaper and easier to buy a whole car thats low/no rust instead of fixing the rust on a rusty one. i figured most kids wouldnt be able to have access to the pneumatic tools and such due to cost alone.
I think a good half or more of old hot rods were built in high school shop class or at friendly local shops that would allow access to their work space & tools.
Thanks for the offer man. We decided a 28-29 was just a little bit too tall for the cowl, so that's why we're making up a custom rad. Today we popped the drive shaft in @RMONTY's sedan delivery, then got to messing with my T. I decided to make a battery box and figure out how the cables are gonna be run. Didn't take long before I decided to just start wiring the car too, and before long I figured if I could wire it I could fire it. So we bolted in the gas tank, ran a rubber line and lit her off. It's been a long time since it ran but it started like I parked it yesterday. Timing and all that will need adjustment but we're getting so damn close. Next week, we're gonna try to get the radiator finished so we can yard drive it.
That's awesome to see it run again! Y'all are doing a good job, Keep plugging away my man, youre getting there!
Skipping this Sunday but still got another little step forward in today. I rebuilt my Sparton 8C klaxon horn. It's earsplittingly loud on 12 volts. I needed a new key switch for the car and wanted one that would look and feel old school, so went looking for a high quality reproduction of the Model A switch, which led me to Nu-Rex's website where they also had a voltage reducer designed for Model A horns for not much money, so I grabbed one of those too. Now I have a nice ahooga tone. I think I'll set this up with a switch to toggle between 6 and 12 volts to the horn - that way I can have the volume of 12 volts if needed. It really makes your ears ring in person.
Long time no see! I've only been over to Robin's a couple times since my last post, but we've been picking away at little stuff each time. I think the most important thing from the last month or so is that I got the T dash cut to accommodate the A instrument cluster & just need to figure out how to tie the two together. The wiring and all will clear the fuel tank which was a concern of mine. Somehow I didn't get a picture of it finished but here's what I've got of that. Decided to ditch the bench seat and got some Model A bucket seats. Today we started working on the turtle deck quarters. I've been dreading doing these because of the relatively complex geometry and curves here (even though it looks practically flat from a few feet away, it ends up being a pretty complex shape for an amateur to make/match). We had made a few abortive attempts at this before to no success but today we found our stride on it. Aaaand that's as far as we got on that. To be finished next time... then we'll get the sill plates I made fitted and fix the doors.
I am so glad you guys used the 30 Ford grille shell! I don’t know why everybody always replaces those with something else. I always thought they were cool looking.. everyone has a Deuce shell! Or a 28-29! Always go against the grain!!
My bad yall, I didn’t post the update from last week. Last Sunday we got the wheel well patch on the driver side made and burned in. It didn't turn out great, the T metal was real thin here and difficult to work with even with the brazing wire. But it'll be OK after sanding and a bit of filler. Yesterday we did the leading corner on the quarter. I made this patch by cutting the shape out of flat sheet metal, then bending a flange to follow the curve and welding it in place. After putting a solid bead all around it I used a grinder to soften up the edge. This is a really important area and getting it done is a huge milestone because with this, the majority of the patch work for the body is done. There are a couple more small areas to finish and clean up but with this the turtle deck is fully squared up and solid. We'll be making a deck lid soon.
You guys are doing such a great job! @trevorsworth & @RMONTY It's looking like I have bought a 23 roadster body, so will be taking note, my plan was to put it on an A chassis, though a @Greg Stokes inspired T on a T with A running gear is pretty appealing!
You guys may have seen this already, but This Old Hotrod built a tube structure for his deck lid and I ended up doing pretty much the same thing and it worked out pretty well. I used a skin from Howell's, but the tube structure part is almost the same.
This is great! I really like the way the guy came up with a way to make the dimples without having a dimple dye. I'm sure we will use some of this guy's tricks to get Trevor's decklid built. We were pondering how to go about making it last Sunday after we cleaned up the mess we made during the day.
This is one of those times where you sit down with a cold beer or two and admire your accomplishment…
The Jalopy Journal
