Projects Track Roadster 16 yrs in the making

Well I finally made a decision. Attending the LA Roadster Show is not going to happen. The TR has had a limited road test which went fine. The only remaining issue is a cranky cruise control module; Jack has that under control, but the unit must be tested under load on the street (It can't be tested by jacking up the rear wheels and running the drive train).

I decided yesterday to pull the plug on Pomona due to an upcoming work related trip and the lack of any extended highway time on the TR. I was getting stressed out and starting to worry too much about scheduling and getting back to Kansas City. I realized that the TR is supposed to be FUN not a PITA.

So now, at a mutually convenient time in July or early August, I will fetch the Maserodi from Jack and bring it back to Kansas City. The details will be worked out later, but the pressure is off.

With luck I'll fine a top shop in KC and by the end of the summer the TR will have a rag top and be more useful. I'm thinking that I'll probably take the car to the HAMB Drags near Joplin MO, August 21st; and perhaps the Kansas Speedway Goodguy's event.

I hesitate to make any predictions, but I sure hope that I'll be able to drive the TR to the LA Roadster Show next year (2011).

Jack is making noise that he might take the TR to a car show in Missoula tomorrow (Jun 12th). I'm all for this, but he's worried about dinging the car or having a accident. If Jack shows the car tomorrow, I'll ask him to take some photos of its public birth.

I apologize to the west coast guys who have been so encouraging, especially, 41 Dave, for not getting the car to the Roadster Show; however with all the friends I have out in SoCal it is a certainty that I'll make an appearance before too long.

Trakrodstr

 

Charlie, No problem about TR not making the L.A. show. Wish you and your bud could make it out. If not maybe we will hook up some time in the near future. Got some work done on my '41. May consider driving it to the salt for Speed Week. Need to change intake/carb and get some new tires. Finally going to go wide whites !

Keep up with any updates you can post on TR.

 

Here are two recent photos. The first shows Jack returning from one of the last driving tests of the car about two weeks ago. His wife took this photo of him trying to get the car back in the shop before the rain started. The second photo is a local Missoula cruise-in. This was last weekend (June 12th) and the first time the roadster had been driven with the hood in place. All went well and according to Jack some of the attendees asked good questions about the build and "got it", it seems there are nostalgia hot rodders all over the US.

Just thought you might want see some "progress" photos.

cheers,

 

Has Jack had to play with the torsion bar's any for a softer ride?

 

Charlie, Things are looking up for TR. I bet Jack had a great time cruising to and from the show he went to. Glad that the crowd understood the meaning of what TR was built for. Bet you are looking forward to getting TR to KC and doing some cruising ! Looking forward to your first drive in TR !

 

HI, I'm just back from a long job-related trip.

LB+1- Yes, Jack felt that the "original" front bars were too stiff and replaced them with a set one step softer (smaller diameter). The change worked out well. As the suspension settles in and once I "load" the TR for a trip it will be interesting to see if the back torsion bars are adequate. One good thing is that raising the static ride height is really easy with torsion bars; just a crank on the adjusting nut(s).

Dave, I am looking forward to driving the TR. I have been searching for cheap flights to Missoula...OUCH!!... expensive. I'll post more details later, but most likely I'll fly to Missoula, rent a truck and haul the TR to KC. My plan is to try and take the roadster to the HAMB Drags outside of Joplin MO on Aug 21. We'll see.

trakrodstr
aka charlie

 

Charlie, That is great news ! Wish I could hook up with you in Missoula and help with driving back to KC. I think that is a great way to spend some time. Ah, the open road and the hum of the tires. . . . .

 

Dave,

I'll keep you informed. Maybe John and I will be able to attend the Walt James Classic next year in the TR. The Maserodi would look at home in the parking lot near the real dirt track cars.

Have a good summer.

trakrodstr

Charlie

 

HAMBers:

My trip to pick up the track roadster in Montana is now official. I bought an expensive (whoa!) one way ticket to Missoula for Thurs July 22nd, only a few days away as this is written.

The plan is to drive the TR around Missoula for a couple of days. I'll try to learn as much as I can in a short time about general maintenance and EFI tuning. I'll also drive the car a bit harder than Jack, as the roadster will now be "delivered" and mine to screw up. For one thing the brake shoes need to be seated by making a few serious high speed stops.

We'll load the Maserodi in a rental truck and I'll haul it to KC; I'll take photos of the experience and post them when I return.

*******************************************
By The Way:

The Maserodi does not have floor mats, a trunk mat or the canvas for the top. I'll have a canvas top stitched in KC; and I'll try my hand at making the floor mats and a trunk mat.

To drive around Missoula, I made a pair of trial floor mats from some paper patterns I cut out during the last trip to Jack's Shop. The attached photo shows the result of my efforts.

The mats are constructed from the heaviest canvas I could find [#4 Duck]. The canvas is supplied as natural cotton off white muslin color. To try to achieve a slightly worn patina, I dyed the canvas with a mixture of green and brown pigments using grocery store cloths dye. I found that I could apply the dye with a stiff closed-cell foam paint roller and the dye solution would soak into the canvas in a surprisingly uniform way. I used "Ritz" brand Kelly Green dye mixed with Light Brown according to the manufacturers instructions, except that instead of pouring the pot of dye into a washing machine, I used the concentrated form.

After the dye dried I cut the canvas to approximately the correct shape leaving about 1/4 inch extra material all the way around the mat outline. I then used a carpenter's level to make a flat, level, surface and placed one of the canvases on the surface. I made a "dam" around the edge of the canvas, with some super soft rubber window weather stripping ["X-treme Rubber Weatherseal, by "Frost King, 3/16"x1/8", Item V23W, purchased at Lowe's]. I needed very soft weatherstripping to be able to follow the tight radiuses of the floor mat shape.

The next step is kind of expensive, maybe some do-it-yourself HAMBer will know of a cheaper product; in any case I bought two cartridges [300ml @$20/cartridge] of a self-leveling adhesive, Dow Corning clear #734 silicone sealant. I used one tube per floor mat [approx. 225 sq inches each]. Briefly, I pumped the whole cartridge on the back side of each canvas and used a piece of cardboard to spread the sealant evenly over the canvas right up to the edge of the weatherstripping. The self-leveling sealant is the viscosity of thick syrup, but after a couple of minutes it flowed to a smooth even surface. After 24 hours I removed the weatherstripping and trimmed the canvas to the exact size of the paper patterns. The silicone rubber cures to a sort of a soft squishy rubber that is very tacky and "sticks" to smooth surfaces. The layer of rubber plus the canvas material yields a floor mat which is about 1/8-3/16 inches thick. The mats are surprisingly flexible and compliant.

I found some plain 1/8 inch black rubber channel at Aircraft Spruce [item 05-0095, 1 1/8" x 5/16"] it's pretty cheap, but you may be able to do better at a local glass supply store. I trimmed the rubber channel to the correct lenght for each of the four sides and used black silicone gasket adhesive to bond the channel to the canvas mats. The channel fit the canvas/rubber material well, but it would not follow the tight curve on the driver's side mat without puckering; nor the radiuses of the little tabs at the toe-board end of the mats. To accomodate the radiuses I cut slits or notches half way through the channal using a razor blade...as best I could,; but this part of the job did not come out too well. I found that using a simple single-edged razor blade I could not cut true, straight, edges or 45 degree corners...no way. Maybe someone knows a trick, like freezing the rubber or ???

I'll see how the mats work out. The mats look kind of old timey, but tidy. If the mats perform well I'll make a nicer pair this summer. The self-leveling adhesive is really cool stuff, if the surface is level it flows like syrup and forms a smooth uniform coating that bonds tightly to the canvas. The clothing dye color looks like a weathered Army olive drab canvas. If one had the means to stitch a nice contrasting leather border around the edges, I think these mats would look excellent.

I also played around with coating the upper side of the floor mats with clear polyurethane floor/furniture coating. This worked well and I'm sure would really add wear-resistance to the canvas and make the mats easy to clean (kind of a super-Scotch Guard); however the the polyurethane makes the canvas quite a bit stiffer. If I end up using the polyurethane I'll wet the canvas with lacquer thinner and apply a very light coat — then before the polyurethane dries I'll position the floor mats in the roadster so the mat dries with a crease where the toe board angles up from the floor board.

I will also play around with using some thin [1/32' thick] rare earth magnets to secure the mats to the floor/toe boards. These magnets are amazingly strong and can be super-glued to the underside of the mats; if this works there will be no snaps or hardware visible and I can easily take the floor mats out for cleaning. I'll also recycle the magnets when the floor mats need replacing.

 

To MUCH! for not that great looking of a car.... IMHO

 

Rob

Too much what? Floor mats? Effort? Money? Integrity? Planning? Care? Attention to detail?

Can you be more specific?

trakrodstr

 

Charlie, Glad to see you will be finally returning Maserodi to your home. Looking forward to the documentation of your trip.

 

Don't get me wrong , the cars is full of everything. Street Rod would fit this car,not to far from the pastel color cars of the 80's. The workmanship is killer no doubt,still a street rod. I'm sure you will win plenty of trophys for your investment.

 

Rob,

What about my roadster is not 50s?, including the drab (not pastel) Bell Telephone Company green? I think if you saw the color in person you would agree...it's kind of a dusty sage green. The engine, ignition system, brake assemblies, differential, axles, intake system, and wheels, are vintage 50s parts or older (36 Dodge wheels). The paint is single stage, no clear coat and has orange peel; if I decide the paint is too shiny, I'll get out the scotchbrite pads. The tach housing is a 30s Dodge Speedo (refurbished); as is the font face of all the instrument gauges.

The body, fuel regulation, radiator, water pump, instruments, transmission, generator, clutch assembly and tires are modern; but the body, tires and instruments look appropriate for a 50s hot rod; I know, I was a young kid during the 50s. The steering assembly, while new, was available in the 50s. There is no chrome on the car (ok the piston rings).

The nose is certainly not a modern or even trendy like a Kurtis nose. The brakes are not disks, the suspension is not independent. Torsion bars were normal equipment on 50s Indy cars and some sprint cars. I agree a lowly track roadster of the 50s would not have had torsion bars. I chose them mainly for the clean look of the front end. I certainly don't think you could accuse me of overdoing the upholstery or seats...they are plain vanilla and a faithful copy of the interior of the famous Williams Bros dry lakes/Bonneville car.

If you mean that my roadster is not rusty or artificially "patina-ed" I agree; that hardly means it is a slick, billet encrusted, show car, which, is what I suspect you mean to imply by "Street Rod". I can assure it will be driven from day one. Omaha isn't too far from KC, perhaps we'll get to meet in person and you can see the TR for real. I very much hope to take it to the HAMB Drags on Aug 21 (no I won't drag race it just yet). Will you be there? If so, we should definitely hook up....maybe you'll change your mind a bit when you see it in the "flesh". I sure hope so, otherwise I've not accomplished what I set out to do.

trakrodstr

 

Rob has obviously not followed this thread. I do not believe I remember any thing in any of trakrodstr's post that mentioned trophys, awards or any thing related to those types of things. He built the car of his dreams and allowed us to follow along. I do believe that those of us that followed this thread understood that. I appreciate that and thank Charlie for going to all the work to share his passion with us.
Later,
Dick

 

Charlie, Like you say, maybe if he could see TR in the flesh he would understand. Hope I get to have that experience.

 

Ah, Dude, take the time to go back and read this thread, and look at the pics. This is a very unique car, with every single part well considered and chosen for a reason. Tain't no credit card catalogue cookie cutter street rod. Maybe you'll never "get it"...

 

Dave, My man, how's life? I PROMISE that you will get to drive the TR when be next meet up at the Walt James Classic. There's a possibility I might get out to SoCal this fall too...we'll see.

Keep the faith,

charlie

Dick,

Your support is most welcome. I hope you, and other HAMBers, understand that one of my goals for the TR was to take it to nostalgia gatherings and have the hard core gearheads "get" what I was trying to do; the last thing I wanted was to make a glossy "Street Rodder" type car. However as the saying goes — "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"; thus, until Rob Lee sees the roadster he should keep an open mind.

I see that Republic MO is near Joplin; I look forward to meeting you at the HAMB Drags.

Keep in touch,

charlie

 

Halfdozen,

I'm afraid I can't promise an upcoming trip to your neck of the woods; although I go to Ontario every year or so for work reasons. Lots of professional colleagues at UT. Thanks for taking the time to read my thread, I know that I tend to go on and on sometimes; the good news is that HAMBers can read what they want and look at only the photos that interest them.

Are you and your compatriots still stoked about the hockey Gold Medal? Kind of a perfect story book ending to my mind...but of course I'm not an avid hockey fan, so I didn't have any skin in the game.

Good to hear from you,

charlie

 

Great to see your winding down on this project. When Jack builds a car it is always the best possible regardless of what it is. I've known Jack for a long time and he has a lot of talent for one man. Your car appears to have turned out the way you wanted it, and that is all that counts. Some guys will never get it! Good luck on your trip to get the car.

 

Charlie, Looking forward to your next visit to SoCal !

 

krylon32

I'm getting kind of sheepish about all the nice comments. Your words are very welcome. You are so right about Jack, what a craftsman and artist. Without him none, repeat none, of this would have been possible. He was so kind and patient with me, really trying to get inside my (automotive) head and create what I was trying to describe to him. There are times he must have wanted to knock me up side the head.

One funny comment, which relates to Rob Lee's comment about the paint color. Jack was very skeptical about the color selection and said so many times, but he was a good sport and conceded that "it's your car". After the paint was done and the sheet metal assembled he told me "your know I hate to admit it but I think the lima bean green paint worked out pretty well, my wife (Isabel) really likes it and I'm beginning to come around".

One of my central reasons for wanting a bland color was to emphasize Jack's artistry and metal sculpture and not the paint.

I sure hope Jack gets most of the credit for the TR, assuming credit there is; he built the Maserodi and that's a fact.

charlie

 

The credit goes to both of you-you for having the ideas and Jack for being able to interpret those ideas and put them into the car of your dreams. thanks again for sharing.
Later,
Dick

 

I do hope to see the car in person. I have looked at this thread since it started,I suppose it was my mood today or something.I'm glad you have your dream car and the trophy remark was wrong. Iam no expert on anything,just a hack in my little garage.Drive the wheels off that car and my mind would be changed. See ya at the drags. Rob

 

COOL ROB! see ya there, and I hope you'll give me your honest appraisal, all car guys need constructive feedback, even if its not always praise. For example I haven't decided what to do about floor coverings and the details of the rag top. I hope the nickel plating has a nice dusty patina when you see it.

Be sure and give me a heads-ups where to look for you as the HAMB drags approach. Is the hot rod pictured on your Message page your ride?

Your gracious reply is truly appreciated.

charlie

 

Charlie,

Glad to see the Maserodi is finally coming home. Enjoy the journey and take plenty of pics for us to enjoy!

 

He may not have 14 years and a gob of money in it but it's an honest homebuilt hotrod.The only job farmed out was the interior.55 lincoln in a ford hotrod, and on the low buck,my kind of hotrod without War and Peace.

 

I've decided that there is good and bad to reading this thread. The good is seeing the fantastic quality of work in your ride. The bad is that this isn't my first rodeo in car building and your work makes me feel like a klutz! WELL DONE!!

 

Charlie, I've also been following along.... Sure did turn out nice!!
Can't wait to check your Roadster out in Joplin and meet you.


Nick

 

Bill,

I hope the good outweighs the bad; I'll be sure and tell Jack how much you appreciate his work. Perhaps more important Bill, if you are doing your own work, you already are way ahead of me; I haven't done any hands on work. If I had to try and compete with Jack, my efforts wouldn't rise to the level of klutz. I read your HAMB profile, talk about a life well lived!...outstanding. Where does your daughter compete in her sprint car?

Stay in touch Bill, Tucson is on the way to SoCal, who knows where I'll show up...

tradrodstr
aka charlie