brookville experience

just picked up my 32 body > i have to say i had a great experience with the guys with brookville they were very friendly and very helpfull as well > i even got a few free parts for the car from them . i picked it up at york on thursday and i have to say the body looks great and so far i have no complaints and i am very excited to get the project finished up > im looking to run the car in august as well as take it to florida in november to visit my friend whom moved out there. well thats all and i will be updating my build thread so look for pics soon :whacked:

Every year at Daytona I stop by the Brookville booth, and swear I am going to buy their '29 RP body, and they have always been very helpful and friendly. I envy you for getting yours and am glad to hear your buying experience was so positive.

From everything I have seen, you won't be sorry. Yes, pictures please. :) :)

Don

Always exciting to get new toys. :)

Based on some of your earlier posts I thought I'd drop a suggestion in here while it's early in the bodywork phase if you hadn't already planned to do this. And this isn't a rap on Brookville (I'll leave that for Dave:D ). Brookville builds their bodies to emulate Henry's originals, which is to say they're a bit flexible. If you plan on keeping the car and using it as much as practical you might want to reinforce it inside. A cowl hoop will reduce the dreaded cowl shake, and give you a more solid spot to mount the steering column and whatever else under the dash. And then the rear of the passenger compartment to firm up from the B pillars back. Here's a pic of what SAR does when they assemble a B'ville body for reference, but it can be done with round or square tube as well. The idea is to tie together the two sides.

Nice pic Bob.
Appreciate you putting it up.

There would be some advantages to having an X bar as shown other than to help in the body flex dept.

I would guess that you'd want to have a stiff frame.
If the frame is flexy and the body stiff I can see some damage happening in the body mount areas.

Sometimes we get locked into doing things a certain way.
The cowl hoop I planned to put into the 31 was going to be round tubing.
(Not to mention finding a guy with a tube bender in this small town.)
Sure looks easier to make it from 1" x 2" x .090 wall rectangular tubing.
Not to mention tying it down wouldn't require overly fancy tabs.
And tying the steering cross-bar to it would be easy.

Since the fuel tanks on my 31 on 32 rails roadster project are going in the frame under the body I have room for a spare tire.
The X bar would make life easy there.
As well as make it easy to put a piece of plywood in that separates trunk from cockpit.

Good stuff....

Isn't that another reinforcement on the floor just behind the doors? Also, I like the fact that the door openings are braced shut during the mockup. Keeps the fit where you want it. Is that Brookville's brace, or SAR's?

You are ever observant Jack!!! Yes, those are both items SAR does that B'ville doesn't. They also don't prime the bodies with the laquer primer that B'ville uses, saves lots of time and effort in removal.

When you build a Kylecar, your observation abilities rise significantly.

They are set up just behind us in York. Cool group of guys...we have been hanging out the last few nights and they love their job

thanks for the info guys and that goes for past posts from before also ....meaning someone told me not to have them use their primer so i didnt ...good move . what i did was i sent them my already purchased punched louver deck lid already primed in black epoxy primer inside and out so they also used my primer i sent them to spray the under inside of the deck lid before they mated the two halves so i didnt get rust inside and have to look at that , they also epoxy primed the underside of the flor for me before assemble . very helpfull.... the rest i had them keep bare steel so i can prime it myself and do any body work needed but let me tell you it looks almost flawless!!! still cant believe how nice it is ...i go in the garage and just stare , it is hard to start working ....lol . anyway i also had the deck former installed so it is alot stiffer but i have boxed steel to use for more reinforcing . my frame is very sturdy and really shouldnt flex the heck out of it too much . i look at some of the other frame manufactures and they look like they can twist a bit under hard accelleration easially . not saying my is the best and all are infeariour but i think i have a good starting point .. , anyone have cowl pics with the reinforcing??

:D

I also believe that the original style rear deck is stiffer. You may want to make a small bracket or brace to help keep the door post from flexing ... they do flex and sometimes will hairline crack the paint if you do not. On my original Deuce body ... this was a issue.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...r/73809349.jpg

My original frame rails were boxed and braced up a good bit. It is fairly stiff also. I have no extra bracing under my roadster cowl and have NO COWL shake ... thanks to a stiffer frame.

Congratulations ...
Getting new toys is alway good.

Post pictures of your build and progress :)

This is how the Dearborn Deuce is reinforced in the cowl area. They use a piece of 1"x3" rectangular tubing that goes from the floor on one side up and fits the radius of the cowl and down to the floor on th other side, Then a diagonal piece out of the same material. The door hinges are also mounted to this piece. It is the most rigid body I have ever seen. Hope this helps.
Ken

Now I just need to talk them into sliding some aluminum panels in the benders /presses and make me a all aluminum body!!!!That way it will match my aluminum frame plans.........

Shawnlee, a company in Sweden called "Reprosteel" is making aluminum '32 roadster bodies. Go to Roadsters.com for all the information and price list.

Mick

Thnx!!!!!!!!!!!

Of particular note on Ken's pics is the triangulation back from the lower dash rail to the hoop.

You'll need to figure out what works for your plans. You can also get some inspiration from the hoop that Pops did for his T body in the "Project 3K". I'll drop in a couple pics here fron the glass 3w coupe I did back a few years. While a coupe has the roof turret to add support to the tub, I still wanted some extra strength for potential impact and it helps to have some structure for attaching other things. Part of my motivation is to have a "clean" firewall. All I ended up with on the firewall engine compartment side was the throttle cable passing through and the two brackets for the rad support rods.

Unfortunately I'm sporadic about pics during the build sequence so you'll see the beginning and end and will have to imagine some of the middle. The first pic shows where I added the dash lower rail, mainly for lateral support and to hang the column from, and the forward steel "cage" that in this case was both bonded to the firewall and (not really visible) bonded to the body at the bottom of the firewall/floor interface, that coincided with the mounting points on the frame. Not visible in that pic are the legs later added that tied the forward structure back to the wood and steel of the A pillars, and the rail across the top of the dash area.

In the second pic you can see where the column was attached to the lower cage cross piece. The throttle pedal also got mounted there. Above the wiring panel, ignition coil, hidden shift linkage, and some relays got bolted. As could have an HVAC unit, some speakers, and who knows what else. So you want to keep all that in mind when thinking about your layout. And then the final benefit is attachment for interior trim panels.

I had never seen how the Dearbourne Deuce was braced before Ken posted those pics. I'm surprised because I also used 1 x 3 box tubing for the cowl in my 30 Brookville and I incorporated my Hagan hiden hinges into this 1 x 3 tubing which made my cowl way stiffer and also added support/stiffining to my roadster doors. My column drop feels like it is set in cement and this tubing like others mentioned has helped with attaching everything.

Bob, this is an old thread but I have been looking at every picture of a steering wheel and column on the Forum that I can and in particular the picture you show here is on a tilt column of the same type I have. I have been testing with an old junk Camaro wheel which has at least a 3" dish and it is horrible, half way up the windshield impairing vision through the chopped windshield and to make matters worse I can barely get in/out of the seat! Maybe I have to reengineer the column drop but for now it is on the bottom edge of the '32 style dash and the "tulip" part of the upper column is on the top of the column drop so it can't do down further unless I move the drop with considerable effort. Soooo, I have noticed you have a flat wheel here and a few others have flat wheels. So far most of the wheels I see commercially available have at least a 2" dish but I think I could gain 2" clearance all around if I had a flat wheel with zero dish and 13" diameter, so what it the name/type/brand of the wheel in your picture and maybe you can recommend a 13" flat wheel that can host a horn button?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

but I think I could gain 2" clearance all around if I had a flat wheel with zero dish and 13" diameter, so what it the name/type/brand of the wheel in your picture and maybe you can recommend a 13" flat wheel that can host a horn button?

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...r/3a80d46e.jpg

I have a old original Bell Auto Parts wheel in my 32 ... owned it for 30 years and it was used when I bought it. I believe Lobecks sells a reproduction or a wheel that is very similar.

Don, that column is a GM but similar to the ididit configuration. That particular wheel I just used for mockup (thus the wood hub), it's a Euro aftermarket I pulled off a Jag I parted out eons ago.

The wheel you're looking for is really pretty common. They are often referred to as Bell wheels, patterned after the wheel Bell Auto Parts produced back in the '40s-50s. You can get them from any dealer for Borgeson/Mullin, also Pete&Jakes makes a similar one, though it doesn't have the rubber wrap outer ring, it is a leather half round, with metal ring on the back. Here's a link to SoCal; http://www.est1946.com/index.asp?Pag...ROD&ProdID=179 they're available in both three and four spoke. Their price is pretty typical, so for you finding someone closer that wouldn't cost as much for shipping might be a better alternative.

Don, Riley Automotive sells a 14 inch version of this wheel. Mine is a 15, but theirs is very similar.

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

Don

Don,
Why in the world do you want to fool around with a beat and battered junkyard Camaro steering wheel. There are just too many choices available - and the most used one in my area is a LeCarra. This is a 14" wheel, flat, the color of my upholstery, though the adapter needs to be painted the color of the column(I had forgotten to do this - thanks for the reminder). Billet Specialties make some very nice, but very pricey wheels. Then there are the tried and true Grant wheels. The The drop is an IDIDIT 6.5" measured from the upper mounting surface to the CL of the column hole - and I don't like it's appearance so will be looking for another or making one that I like the looks of better(another $50-$60 'coulda been a better item':o ).

The wheel came from Juliano's, the column adapter, from Wilk-Bilt.

And of course - I don't like the horn button either so that will need an "update"

Just to add another for variety, even though it goes the other direction size wise from what you want, most are 14" like the one Pops showed, this is an option for those wanting 15 or 17", http://www.limeworkspeedshop.com/sto...carwheels.html

They also sell a flat banjo style for variety; http://www.limeworkspeedshop.com/sto...njowheels.html

Thanks all, those are some good leads. IC2, the "junk" Camaro wheel is only for mock up and indeed I have learned from it that I do not want ANY dish! I have a Grant Challenger but it has a 2" dish and is 13 1/2" but it got damaged in storage and the dish is too deep so I am looking for a flat one. Itoldyouso, thanks, that is a reasonable price for a classic Bell style and it is indeed flat as I learned when I called the site. On another thread, Deuce commented that his Bell-type is over 25 years old and was used then so apparently the style is nostalgic as well as available. Bob the one you show looks like it has flames and may be from your collection of parts over the years but it does look flat as well. I now know that I need a flat wheel and maybe I can try a longer drop so it looks like the project will continue until I get this right. Thanks for your help, the contacts/leads are useful.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

http://i2.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/d6/1f/5cfe_1.JPG

The Bell wheel repros are on eBay ... if interested ... made by Mullins now :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mulli...2em118Q2el1247

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deuce

http://i2.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/d6/1f/5cfe_1.JPG

The Bell wheel repros are on eBay ... if interested ... made by Mullins now :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mulli...2em118Q2el1247

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Not exactly priced for the faint of heart - but does look nice - (and not a soul said that street rods are a cheap hobby)

I'm surprised that it isn't leather wrapped instead of urethane/vinyl

The leather wrapped wheels from Lobeck's and Juliano's are $160.00.
These are 14", 3 or 4 spoke style and come in 10 colors.

Mick

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IC2

I'm surprised that it isn't leather wrapped instead of urethane/vinyl

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Then it would not be like the original ... :)

I spent the day researching steering wheels and learned a lot. The Bell type has the zero dish I need but I ordered the cheap "flat" all aluminum 13" with dragons teeth from Speedway ($50) under the IC2 principle of look and maybe return and also found a four-spoke for a lower price at:

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

The three spoke has the advantage of a better view of the speedometer I intend to put in front of the wheel but the Mullens is more expensive. Maybe I will end up with the Mullens three spoke after all but I want to use the Grant three hole setup for which I already have the adapter and a "V8" horn button. The Speedway 13" racing wheel is flat and I found that you can use a Grant adapter and horn button with it. I might get it anodized red if I decide to keep it. I also looked at some "drifting D-wheels" but they require a different adapter. At least with a zero dish I should have an inch or more additional clearance to help entry. I chatted with a tech guy at Speedway whose ride is a '29 highboy and he admitted he has to "squirm" his way into his seat so the '29 is tight and needs every bit of clearance possible. DennyW brings up the idea that a 13" wheel will lead to hard steering when parking but maybe the dragon teeth on the back of the aluminum wheel will help with a good grip. All of this just means that whatever extended experience I had working over, under, in and around that MG midget restoration was just replacing parts that bolt in eventually and is very different from adapting and finding aftermarket parts that fit together. It would definitely be easier to just buy resto parts and bolt them in than have to mini-engineer every part, but that is the way it is and that is why it is so helpful to have experienced Forum folks available for questions.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html


Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Interesting web site, Don - any idea where they're located?

IC2, they are in Denver. Several years ago my wife figured out that it was easier to get a "call anywhere in the US" phone line than to figure out the individual calls each month so it is easy to call around for info and besides Riley has an 800 number. I did call them and learned that both the four-spoke wheels are three hole fits to a Grant adapter (3196 for GM column) and are flat zero-dish with real rubber rings. The shipping from Denver should be about what it is for Speedway. Today I found a shop at the nearby Hanover Air Park which does powder coating and gave me a quote of $50 to powder coat the aluminum three spoke 13" wheel I ordered from Speedway. Thus I will install the 13" and if it looks good from the point of improving entry/exit from the '29 I can get it powder coated some shade of maroon to roughly match the rest of the car and then add the neat V8 emblem horn button availble from Grant for the 3196 adapter so I might actually come out of this with a nice looking wheel that allows me to get into and out of the '29! Hopefully the car is light enough that parking will not be a problem with a small wheel?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

IC2, they are in Denver. Several years ago my wife figured out that it was easier to get a "call anywhere in the US" phone line than to figure out the individual calls each month so it is easy to call around for info and besides Riley has an 800 number. I did call them and learned that both the four-spoke wheels are three hole fits to a Grant adapter (3196 for GM column) and are flat zero-dish with real rubber rings. The shipping from Denver should be about what it is for Speedway. Today I found a shop at the nearby Hanover Air Park which does powder coating and gave me a quote of $50 to powder coat the aluminum three spoke 13" wheel I ordered from Speedway. Thus I will install the 13" and if it looks good from the point of improving entry/exit from the '29 I can get it powder coated some shade of maroon to roughly match the rest of the car and then add the neat V8 emblem horn button availble from Grant for the 3196 adapter so I might actually come out of this with a nice looking wheel that allows me to get into and out of the '29! Hopefully the car is light enough that parking will not be a problem with a small wheel?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Thanks Don - I was just too lazy to look up their area code. I did bookmark their site for later reference.
Phones - we generally uses 10-10-987 which I believe is VOIP though I am looking into what Time Warner offers - it does appear cheaper in the long run and when you have kids scattered all over......

I really haven't spent a lot of time trying to get in and out of my car yet with the full top - it may be interesting as I am 6'4" tall but only a little bit too chunky around the belt line.

Not really sure what you can do about parking and low speed maneuvers with a beam front axle. Caster is not easy(almost impossible) to adjust. IFS should allow me a bit more adjustment. That Speedway wheel and PC should look great. What are you going to do - strip the covering before PC then reinstall or is it solid aluminum?

IC2, You might test entry/exit before you finalize everything. My restorer friend down the street warned me about A roadster space and took me about a mile away to a guy who has a restored '30 roadster and they warned me about the tricky entry which I found to be true; especially with the top up. The original four-spoke A wheel is pretty large and the top is low so it was not easy to get in or out, but my tilt column is probably not at the optimum position although after painting it for the third time I really don't want to mess with it more so the only answer is to use a smaller flat wheel. I am only about 5'10' and it was marginal for me so maybe you should check it out. The cockpit space is one of the big advantages of the '32 roadster. With Brian Rupnow's Pickup his doors are really from a sedan and I think a little larger than the roadster doors as well as the fact that his bucket is made from the rear of a sedan so he could gain some space to the rear. As far as I know the Speedway flat wheel is solid aluminum with a "satin" brushed finish but there may be some preliminary step for powder coat adhesion; I am willing to use sandpaper if necessary but the wheel won't be delivered until Friday of this week or maybe Monday so I will have to look at it closer when it arrives. The most important part is being able to get in and out of the car! Thus I am getting a smaller wheel close to body color for about $100 for the coated wheel, $12 for the V8 horn button and about $12 for the Grant adapter but being basically cost conscious, the fit is the most important thing. For the money, the Riley Bell type four spokes are very good but I think the slightly smaller 13" rim will help getting my physique between the door and the wheel AND with powder coating I can get a color which comes close to the body color. I am working on readying the top of the column for the wheel today and as you reminded me I am painting the little round cup at the top of the column with a rattle can color which I have found is very close to the body color, including the little metal flecks. Yesterday I bought two more rattle cans of that color so I am set for little touch ups like the heads and nuts of bolts that come through the firewall etc. I usually paint the bolt heads and nuts with the touch up color but the threads which show can be touched up by spraying my index finger and then applying the paint to the threads with my finger; it seems to work for me.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

IC2, You might test entry/exit before you finalize everything. My restorer friend down the street warned me about A roadster space and took me about a mile away to a guy who has a restored '30 roadster and they warned me about the tricky entry which I found to be true; especially with the top up. The original four-spoke A wheel is pretty large and the top is low so it was not easy to get in or out, but my tilt column is probably not at the optimum position although after painting it for the third time I really don't want to mess with it more so the only answer is to use a smaller flat wheel. I am only about 5'10' and it was marginal for me so maybe you should check it out. The cockpit space is one of the big advantages of the '32 roadster. With Brian Rupnow's Pickup his doors are really from a sedan and I think a little larger than the roadster doors as well as the fact that his bucket is made from the rear of a sedan so he could gain some space to the rear. As far as I know the Speedway flat wheel is solid aluminum with a "satin" brushed finish but there may be some preliminary step for powder coat adhesion; I am willing to use sandpaper if necessary but the wheel won't be delivered until Friday of this week or maybe Monday so I will have to look at it closer when it arrives. The most important part is being able to get in and out of the car! Thus I am getting a smaller wheel close to body color for about $100 for the coated wheel, $12 for the V8 horn button and about $12 for the Grant adapter but being basically cost conscious, the fit is the most important thing. For the money, the Riley Bell type four spokes are very good but I think the slightly smaller 13" rim will help getting my physique between the door and the wheel AND with powder coating I can get a color which comes close to the body color. I am working on readying the top of the column for the wheel today and as you reminded me I am painting the little round cup at the top of the column with a rattle can color which I have found is very close to the body color, including the little metal flecks. Yesterday I bought two more rattle cans of that color so I am set for little touch ups like the heads and nuts of bolts that come through the firewall etc. I usually paint the bolt heads and nuts with the touch up color but the threads which show can be touched up by spraying my index finger and then applying the paint to the threads with my finger; it seems to work for me.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Don,
It probably wont be much harder to get in or out with the top on then, let's say my long gone '86 Mustang GT. Since I do have a tilt column and since I'm only about 5-6 inches from the floor on my Gloide Engineering seats, can put my leg out and slide my skinny buns out. I did a lot of personal body space fitting before the top and it was fine.

As far as cockpit size, the '31 is only a very little bit shorter then the '32.

Make sure you have your camera ready - we all want to see the finished wheel:3dSMILE:

My car work today is non existent - I'm trying to put my camper back together - the water pump 'died' and almost the entire front seating area had to be disassembled to replace the @#$%$# thing last fall. If another one fails, for sure it wont take a major disassembly after my mods. And the computer is on the way to the basement when I go for tools or pieces so I'm keeping "in touch".

Don,
This is all your fault - we got to talking about steering wheels, column drops and such........

Now - which one would you want in your car - the ho hum IDIDIT or the nicely shaped, rounded edge and polished Mullins? Of course, changing another horse in the middle of the stream means it has to be fitted to the under dash framework - another 2-3 hours of 'pleasure:CRY: :LOL: .

IC2, I scratched mine putting it in but found a local shop that repolished it for me, so if the shiny one is aluminum be conscious of the posibility of scatching it.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

IC2, I scratched mine putting it in but found a local shop that repolished it for me, so if the shiny one is aluminum be conscious of the posibility of scatching it.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Don,
That's why I ended up buying a good set of buffing wheels, the dressings and a motor adapter for a 3600 RPM junker motor that I found - no matter how careful you are, something slips. But, what I will usually do on a small piece is cover the surface with masking tape. Big pieces - I've taped on heavy plastic sheeting or an old piece of toweling.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...r/DSC01904.jpg

I am a big guy ( 6'2' and overweight :o ) ... shown above out enjoying the 80 degree weather ... crusing in my 32 Roadster. I used a Grant steering wheel adapter to use my old Bell wheel. I did have to drill and hole in the wheel to get the horn button to function ... and get a little creative to get the turn signal cancel function to work properly. Even with the Bell wheel ... it is a little difficult getting in the roadster ... with the top on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deuce

I am a big guy ( 6'2' and overweight :o ) ... shown above out enjoying the 80 degree weather ... crusing in my 32 Roadster. I used a Grant steering wheel adapter to use my old Bell wheel. I did have to drill and hole in the wheel to get the horn button to function ... and get a little creative to get the turn signal cancel function to work properly. Even with the Bell wheel ... it is a little difficult getting in the roadster ... with the top on.

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Luckily I'm not overweight, (well, not too much - just a bit of beyond middle age chest gravity droop) but am tall at 6'4". What I did is mount my Glide seats very low and have them upholstered so the go about as far back as possible without sliding under the deck rail. Just by your picture you are probably 8" further forward to begin with. My seats are at the upholsterer now, waiting for me to finish final car assembly. This is the unupholstered location(I'm not using the hardtop - yet:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...d/DSC_0046.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DennyW

That's one reason I used the old full sized Jeep rear seat. The back is a little thinner, allowing more room for the steering wheel. I'm 5' 11", and weigh 185, but I wanted to be able to use the seat tracks back and forth. :) I like this seat because the back tilts forward, plus, the whole seat lifts, and tilts forward, allowing access to the under side storage box.

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There are dang few current seats that would fit my car passenger compartment - it's only 42" wide at the floor according to a spec I have somewhere. Even the Model A Glide 50-50 seats take up most of the room. The back comes fully forward but I didn't buy the version that the seat lifts for access as they are about as low as possible without having the springs on the floor with the non-Brookville "Dave W's special double wall reinforced and insulated flat floorboards". Denny - I couldn't even work the pedals in your truck without hitting myself in the face with a knee. This is the reason I couldn't do a Brookville pick up - which I really wanted to build.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IC2

Just by your picture you are probably 8" further forward to begin with.

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Not really :) I have no springs in the back rest of the seat. It is Marine grade plywood with a small covering of foam. The back is less than 6 - 8 inches thick total. I removed the package tray piece ( factory seat adjustment on original 32's ) and the plywood is attached to the rear area of the roadster body. My seat bottom is moved rearward 2 and 1/2 inches and the bottom cushion is also plywood with the upholstery foam. I had a LeBaron-Bonney upholstery kit in the car at one time ... ( looked great ... it was in the original brown and stock pattern ) but I was sitting about 4 inches or so further forward and at less 5 inches higher ... NOT GOOD.