Another Build Thread - My '32

[rspears]

Here ya go Jim: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...dster.1044692/

WOW! Talk about some metal working skills! That guy is AMAZING!!

[stovens]

Jim I have similar problems with vintage receivers. I had taken down my Kenwood receiver and stored it away while I cleaned up my Sunporch room. Months later I found an RCA Jack plugged into the Dolby in Dolby out ports I figured when I disassemble thcomponents attached to it I didn't want to lose the jack so randomly plugged it onto the first jack I could while moving stuff around. Bout 5 months go by, I clean the potentiometers on the Kenwood because they were cause static and volume issues. This is one of the Monster Recievers Kenwood made and even with my power Hungry Dahlquist speakers, It still can be deafining at medium output. So I was quite surprised after cleaning, even at full power the sound on any speaker attached, was very low volume. I went onto AudioKhama web site, got help from the best, reread the original owners manual and the service manual. Got so frustrated as it work perfectly before being store 5 months. I left it put it away and did something else. Wioke up one night and thought about the RCA jack. Next day reread the manual. It says you need jumper cable on the Dolby in and out puts. Every othere receiver from Marantz to Pioneer, ect from this 70's era of analog receivers have main input and out put s that if aren't going to a separate amp, need jumper cables connected from input to output side. Once I figured out this(mind you this beast has a ton on rca jacks for multiple turntables, 3 sets of speakers, aux, 2tape recorders, list goes on) so seeing dolby in and outs did't trigger my brain as something to pay attention too, any works fantastic! Sometimes walking away is much better than a hammer or gas and a match...Great Job.
PS you are the guy to buid the indy Watson!

[J. Robinson]

GOOD GOLLY! Time sure gets away... I'm still alive and well, just haven't done anything noteworthy on my Deuce. I just looked at the date above and nearly choked; it's been 6 months since I updated here! I've been doing everything else and spending almost no time in the garage or shop.

Back in March the left front tire on my Model-A came apart and went flat on the way home from a local cruise-in. That led me to replacing all 4 tires on it. They all still had plenty of tread left and no dry cracks, BUT... they were all 17 years old! A good friend (a former tire dealer) told me he never runs a steel-belted radial tire more than 6 or 7 years old because, no matter how good they look, they are a ticking time bomb. Old bias ply tires can run forever until the tread is gone, but steel belts have a definite life expectancy. Lesson learned. This concept was just reinforced when a friend up in Indiana recently popped a front tire on the way to Pigeon Forge. It happened at about 70 mph. The car (a 'glass bodied Deuce roadster) went into the median, snagged the separation cables, spun around, and came to rest in the median facing the wrong direction. The front axle was snapped, left front half ripped off, frame diamonded, bent and twisted, body cracked in several places, grille shell and radiator destroyed and 3 of the 4 wheels damaged. Luckily, neither of the guys were injured, but the car is totaled. The cause?? A new-appearing steel-belted radial tire with the production date of 1991! Tires are branded on the back side with the week and year of production. Learn to read the code (it's easy) and take care of yourself.

So, what else has kept me from the shop? It started with the never-ending "honey-do list". I had several things that I had put off because of my wife's back surgery last year. Just as I was getting to the end of my list, I got Covid! Fortunately, it only kept me down for about a week, but then we found out my wife needed additional surgery - this time on her neck. It was done on September 1st. The recovery for the neck was supposed to be easier and shorter than for her back, and it has been, but about the time I was able to leave her alone I pinched the sciatic nerve in my back! HOLY CRAP!! So, here I am now with a limp in my walk, a touchy back, and constant fatigue (a leftover from Covid). So I haven't abandoned my Deuce or this thread; I'll get back to it, I promise.

[Dave Severson]

Take care of yourself Jim! Been through the neck and back surgery many moons ago, tell your wife it's all worth it eventually! Hoping you both heal up quick!

[34_40]

GOOD GOLLY! Time sure gets away...

Back in March the left front tire on my Model-A came apart and went flat on the way home from a local cruise-in. That led me to replacing all 4 tires on it. They all still had plenty of tread left and no dry cracks, BUT... they were all 17 years old! Tires are branded on the back side with the week and year of production. Learn to read the code (it's easy) and take care of yourself.

So, what else has kept me from the shop? It started with the never-ending "honey-do list". I had several things that I had put off because of my wife's back surgery last year. Just as I was getting to the end of my list, I got Covid! Fortunately, it only kept me down for about a week, but then we found out my wife needed additional surgery - this time on her neck. It was done on September 1st. The recovery for the neck was supposed to be easier and shorter than for her back, and it has been, but about the time I was able to leave her alone I pinched the sciatic nerve in my back! HOLY CRAP!! So, here I am now with a limp in my walk, a touchy back, and constant fatigue (a leftover from Covid). So I haven't abandoned my Deuce or this thread; I'll get back to it, I promise.

Well you have had a busy 6 months! Good call on the tires.. I better learn to read those codes, the coupe got it's tires back in 2011 I think.. but that isn't the age of the tires, that's just when I got'em. Surgeries and covid for the 2 of you really sucks! Sciatica, been there, had surgery to fix it. okay 10 years now. Relax and enjoy the holiday season best you can.. then when things calm down maybe you can get back into the garage.

[J. Robinson]

Well, something finally got done! Since I have trouble getting up and down, I was reluctant to do anything that requires me to crawl under the car. I try to think of everything I need when I go under, but it never fails - I always need some unanticipated tool after I'm down there. My wife offered to come out and sit while I work under the car so she could hand me whatever I needed. I appreciated the offer, but she often has trouble finding the correct tool. Anyway, I accepted her offer because I wanted to put a new filter in the transmission and install the new pan. All we needed was to work out when we would do it between doctor appointments and other obligations. A couple of days later my good friend and fellow hotrodder, Mike Krupp, made the same offer. My wife was relieved that she wouldn't have to do it, so I jumped at the chance. When we started, Mike insisted I let him take the lead. He went under the car, and I became the helper! Anyway, after he made a trip to the parts store to get the correct filter, the job was done without any difficulties. Many thanks to Mike!

[34_40]

Got a song dancing in my head, it goes something about "I'll get by with a little help from my friends / gonna try with a little help from my friends" 8-)

[Driver50x]

Dang Jim. I’m sorry to hear about your string of bad luck. I’m glad to hear you are getting back to some semblance of “normal”. Getting out in the garage always makes me feel better. Thanks for the reminder on the tires, my Camaro has some 12 year old rubber on the back, and it’s time to quit playing that game.

[Hotrod46]

I too am sorry to hear of your troubles. I definitely know all about the back issues as I share them. Some days are better than others. Hope yours get better.

I know of two people that had old tires let go. One fellow totaled 2 different street rods for the same thing. Another lost the rear quarter on a C3 Corvette.

I don't take any chances with old tires.

[Smokeyco]

Folks, I have been fortunate to see Mr. Robinson's hotrods in person. I can honestly say that they are a work of art, including this 32! I am a former student who has stayed in touch over the years. He has helped me with my projects more times than I can count. When I recently came to him with my ideas for a Model A build, he did something for me I never expected. He let me take his Model A for a spin! That sealed the deal for me on what I am going to build but more importantly, the trust he held for me to take something he worked so hard on for a drive touched me. It's not often I am given such an honor. I have always considered him a friend since high school and I hope he knows how much that act of kindness meant to me. I am currently hunting and gathering parts for my own Model A coupe and look forward to one day parking next to him at a cruise in! Thank you Mr. Robinson!

[J. Robinson]

My thanks to Smokeyco for the complimentary tribute. (I won't reveal his real name; that's up to him.) He was a student of mine when teaching was still a fun challenge, and he was (and still is) one of the "good ones".

Well, I finally got something done on the '32 today! After countless delays and a nasty bout with a pinched sciatic nerve, I am finally able to do some work in the shop. It's only a small accomplishment that didn't take long, but every step forward is a small victory. Some time ago (at least a year ago) I bought a rear-view camera and monitor system. I soon determined that the camera that came with it was going to present mounting problems. It was too bulky and there just wasn't a good place to mount it, so I bought a license plate frame with an attached camera. Problem solved... NOT! The hookups were not compatible - the monitor cable had a 5-pin plug, but the camera had RCA jacks. UGH!

OK, so I found some adapters on Ebay and ordered them. They were wrong. The RCA jacks on the camera were females and so were the adapters! OK, so I'm not electronically savvy. Back on Ebay I found the 5-pin adapters with RCA male plugs. They came in sometime last week and a quick trial fit told me they were correct. Today I mounted the license plate frame on my old, expired plate (just for trial purposes), bolted it on the car, fed the cable through the grommeted hole in the trunk, and made the connection. I still need to mount the monitor in the interior, but for now I just used a couple of wires with alligator clips to make a temporary connection. It works great! Pics below show the license plate frame with camera and the view on the monitor screen. The toolbox is just a couple of feet from the back of the car, so the image is a little distorted.

[34_40]

Hi Mike, Nice to hear you were able to get out into the shop! And a rear view camera can be helpful, my daily drivers all have'em and it is very handy! So if I can ask? what did the final setup cost to add it into the 32? Just general costs should be fine. TIA

[J. Robinson]

Initially, the whole rear-view camera / monitor kit cost $149 on Amazon. That was about a year ago and since then I have seen them for about $80. Anyway, I didn't like the size of the camera that came in the kit, so I bought a license plate frame with built-in camera for $36. Then I had to get an adapter cable to put them together and that was another $12. All together just a couple of bucks shy of $200.

I've been cleaning the shop this week. I had so much stuff piled on the workbenches and on the floor around the car that I barely had room to work. Maybe I can get serious again now. I've made a punch list of what's left... UGH!

PS - It's Jim... not Mike.

[34_40]

All together just a couple of bucks shy of $200.

PS - It's Jim... not Mike.

Thanks for the info... I was talking to myself???

[40FordDeluxe]

Nice work on the camera install. This is an addition to my 40 I want to make as well. You literally can see maybe 10% of anything behind you in that car. It surely makes backing up difficult.