Project "Left Overs"

I guess it is time to start a build thread on my latest project. Not everyone will like this one because of how I am going to do it, but for some reason I am more anxious to do this one than any of the others I have built. The reason I am calling it "Left Overs" is because that is exactly what it will be built from, mostly left over parts from other projects, some of which I scrounged from my two Son's cast off parts bin. :o

The main component of the car will be a 29 Ford Murray body that Dan originally had as a fordor, but then modified to make a roadster pickup body for his own rod. As his car started to become nicer he decided to use a Brookville body instead, so I dragged the unwanted body to my side of the shop and claimed it for my own. (I THINK I asked his permission, but not sure :D)

Since we can only post 5 pictures per post, I will have to do this in several segments to get all the pictures in. Here is how the body evolved from a fordor sedan to it's present state of being a roadster pickup body. Dan did an enormous amount of metal work to make that happen, and luckily for me, the hard parts are already done.

The first picture is how it looked when he started taping off what he was going to cut off, and the rest of the pictures are of how he did the reconstruction of the back section.

Don

Wow, that first picture came out really small. :eek: Anyway, I wasn't going to see all that work he put in go to waste, so I set it aside until I got my 23 and then my 27 out of the way, knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it when I did finally get around to building it.

In about 1970 I built a 32 roadster pickup. I had no money, two kids who were about 6 months old, a wife, and a burning desire to have a hot rod. Sounds like most of us, I bet. So I scrounged up a 39 Ford and robbed the frame, found a 32 pickup body for $ 15, and a built Olds engine and Cad/Lasalle transmission for $ 175.00. Out of those parts I built that car, and actually got it running enough to drive my wife and kids around the neighborhood before the cops would show up. :LOL: The car I am going to build now is kinda, sorta, a recreation of that car.

For the engine I have another Olds, this time a 30 over 394 that we built originally for the 39 Dodge pickup I had at one time. We built it about 4 years ago, maybe 5, and a couple of years ago I decided to scrap the Dual Path transmission that was behind it and put a Bendtsens Transmission adapter on it so I could run a more modern TH350. I think that was a wise investment, even though the adapter was $ 1000.00. I just didn't trust that old 64 Olds transmission, plus it weighed a ton.

Here is the engine I will be using:

Don

I originally put the rpu body on the frame we had built for my 39 Dodge, and it actually fit pretty well. However, I gave the frame away when I sold the Dodge body and will now have to build a new frame for this one. That is actually better, as I can custom tailor this frame to the way I want the car to sit.

The reason I said not everyone will like, or get, this car is because I am going to leave it semi rough. The body had great original patina and I may even prime the back portion and paint it with a brush. I want it to be as close to the one I built in 1970 as possible, only better mechanically and structurally. (I've learned a few things in the past 40 years. :D)

In the next week or so I plan to start laying out the frame, and will post some pictures of that process. Don and I are going to head to the pick and pull yard soon to find a suitable rear end to use. I pretty much have the rest of the car, including the entire front end (4 inch Superbell, SoCal hairpins, 40 Ford brakes, etc) I just got two new front wheels from Coker yesterday, and already have new wheels for the back, left over from the Dodge project.

Here is the final look I am shooting for. This is when it was mocked up on the old Dodge frame. It will probably sit a little lower this time, but essentially should be similar.

Thanks for looking.

Don

I just found this old picture in my computer. It is a badly worn Polaroid shot of the rpu I built 40 years ago. Man, I loved that car, but could never get it inspected in Pennsylvania, so I dismantled it and put the engine in a 40 Chevy coupe I had. Always wanted to build another like it, so this is my chance to do just that. :D

Don

I told Dan you should call it the Hand-me-down Hot Rod.................but he said he got too deep in your knickers selling/trading to call it hand-me-down!:LOL:

Yeah, I didn't exactly get this stuff "free." Along the way I kicked in a few parts for their projects, so I guess we are kind of even. :LOL::LOL: That's the problem with 3 of us sharing the same shop..........it's hard to keep track of who owns what. :)

Don

Don

about the tapered frame rail ---you might want to look at taking a piece of 3 tube and a piece of 4 inch--cut them both and swap halves so that you have a 3to 4 taper--less cutting but same amount of welding

you can cut a 2x piece of lumber for mockup/practicality

Jerry, I'm not following what you are saying about the 3 and 4 inch tubes. Can you expand on that?

Don

Dan just told me he has been giving this some thought and feels we can use a sawzall to make the cuts we need. He remembered that is how he did the frame on his rpu, and it worked well. Said it made straight cuts with a guide clamped on, but it consumed a couple of blades each cut. So I guess I'll load up on some good blades and have at it.

Dan has a LOT of practice with a sawzall, he keeps cutting up his work and starting all over again. :LOL::LOL: I've got 3 sticks of 2 x 4 tubing at the shop, so we have enough to figure out what works.

Don

This is gonna be good Don, I like the use of the 394 Olds, and its painted white :LOL:
That body looks pretty good.

What happened to that cherry 46 coupe ???

Steve, I think the reason I am looking forward to this one is that I won't have to be super careful on making every bracket and part perfect....this one is going to be a little rough around the edges, but should be more fun to build.

As for the 46 Tudor, Don and Dan are both interested in it right now, and are negotiating between themselves to see who gets it. I've pretty much decided that I really don't want to build it, and it takes up a whole lot of room in my part of the shop. I'm staying out of their talks and will let them decide who ends up with it. Dan has that VW project he wants to do after he is done with his rpu, and Don is looking for something to drive more quickly than his 30 Tudor project, so who knows where it will end up. :D

Don

That looks like a super fun project...if i ever finish mine, i'd love to have an open wheel vehicle... keep us posted and good luck! :)

Hey,Don,that looks kool...nice proportions,too..Will launch with a big Olds in it..And smoke..yeeharr,,fire at will...:D:D

Looks great, Don! That's a heck of a cast off parts bin you have there; wish I lived closer so I could root through your leftovers!

Thanks guys. I finally got some room in my part of the shop to begin mocking up my rpu project today. My Son Don bought my 46 so I was able to push it over into his area. :LOL: He has the means and desire to finish the 46 the right way (TCI type IFS front end, parallel rear spring setup, etc.) so it should turn out nice.

I blocked up the body at the height I want it to sit at, and built some basic frame rails out of 2 x 4 lumber to get an idea of how long the front rails should be. The real frame will be narrower in the front with a round tube crossmember, and the rails will be tapered, but generally about as they look in these pictures.

I am considering running a hidden radiator in the bed, and leaving the grille shell empty, with only the Moon tank sitting in front........kinda like an old time drag car. Maybe a hoop roll bar, like my 27 has, and a louvered bed cover and tailgate. I think I may run 8 inch Firestone slicks on the back (whitewalls) and 5:60 front tires.

This is my favorite part of the build, mocking stuff up. :D I love pushing parts into place, then sitting back and deciding what I like and don't like about it. This project will go slow for a while because I don't want to take Dan's time away from his car until he is done, to do any welding for me. I can do a lot of the fabricating and welding, but when it comes to stuff I really want done neatly or strong, I will need to get his help there.

Don

I would guess the wood is Popslar?

Hey, don't you have some rust to take care of?????? :D

Ya know, I was just thinking about something. You have quite a few really sharp, cool cars, but you very seldom post any pictures of them. Are you shy, or what? :) Your black 29 is one of my favorites, but I know very little about your other cars. How about some pictures and history, aside from your gallery? :)

Don

Don great to see you putting this all together. I love recycling stuff for something functional After we did our addition 5 years ago, we had leftover stuff from the back of the old house. We were able to reuse 99% of stuff like the old back door and windows(from1858) and some plywood left over as well as 2x4's, 2x6 and 4x4's. End result is a cool garden shed, sided with old 100 year old growth redwood from our garage/barn rebuild. It's still one of my favorite things from the addition. We used all of the scraps, from asphault shingles and tar paper to old redwood posts and pressure tx lumber. I kind of used the amount of plywood to dictate the size of the shed. Total out of pocket was just a few bucks for door hinges and caulking.
I guess why this seems like a great car project is it's got pieces and history from your whole family.
Here's a shot of the shed. http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/DSC_0067.jpg

That's really a sharp looking little building, Steve. Bob Vila would be proud. :D You are right, we have become a throw away society. Our Parents and Grandparents kept stuff and stored it away for future use. I guess that is why so much of history shows up on shows like Antiques Roadshow..........people back then shoved things into the attic or barn, preserving them for later generations.

Nice job on that shed, so much cooler than an aluminum storage building from Home Depot. Pretty setting it is in, too.:) Geez, even the birds in your neighborhood live well.

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Are you shy, or what? :)
Don

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That's why they call me bashful Bob.........:o

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

That's why they call me bashful Bob.........:o

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That statement has about as much truth to it as saying "Bob has GREAT taste in pinup models." :LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

Don

Don are telling us that Uncle Bashful Bob has more than one car ('36 coupe) hidden away??? Yes Bob,we would be keen on seeing them and some history of them also.
Love the new project Don and good choice of carbs,it will be a excellent car.
I would of been keen to see the tudor in my garage too but I will just have to enjoy the build log from a distance.

Yep Whiplash, I think Bob has a few tucked away that we never hear about. For a while I thought he only came on here to post girlie(?) pictures, but I guess he really IS into cars. :D I know he has a very traditional 29 on 32 rails that is very sharp, and the equally nice 36. Not sure what the others are, besides that new coupe, but I think there are more.

Don

He's probably hiding them because of the "girlies". You know what kind of a chick magnet he is.:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::D

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Originally Posted by NTFDAY

He's probably hiding them because of the "girlies". You know what kind of a chick magnet he is.:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::D

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Or he's afraid one might sit on it! :eek::eek::D Can you say LOWRIDER!!

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Yep Whiplash, I think Bob has a few tucked away that we never hear about. For a while I thought he only came on here to post girlie(?) pictures, but I guess he really IS into cars. :D I know he has a very traditional 29 on 32 rails that is very sharp, and the equally nice 36. Not sure what the others are, besides that new coupe, but I think there are more.

Don

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yes,I believe he has a few nice bits and pieces stashed away..that black roadster is the one I would like to have a look at,,a little desert dwelling acquaintance tells me its a Tardel built car..but we only seen one or two pics of it..:D:DWe need to see it,quite kool...:cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Or he's afraid one might sit on it! :eek::eek::D Can you say LOWRIDER!!

Don

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They will sit on them heres proof

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

That's really a sharp looking little building, Steve. Bob Vila would be proud. :D You are right, we have become a throw away society. Our Parents and Grandparents kept stuff and stored it away for future use. I guess that is why so much of history shows up on shows like Antiques Roadshow..........people back then shoved things into the attic or barn, preserving them for later generations.

Nice job on that shed, so much cooler than an aluminum storage building from Home Depot. Pretty setting it is in, too.:) Geez, even the birds in your neighborhood live well.

Don

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Thanks Don. After the garage was rebuilt, we needed it for a workshop/garage, so the garden shed became necessary to store all those garden tools that like to jump at the motorcycle and truck!!
As for Bob's car collection it would be nice to see. No Bob's babes though, unless he considers them anorexic!:LOL:

What a bunch of humanitarians.............................kick a guy when he's down (computer wise). :rolleyes:

Aw, come on Uncle Bob, fair and balanced. :LOL::LOL::LOL::3dSMILE:

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Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Aw, come on Uncle Bob, fair and balanced. :LOL::LOL::LOL::3dSMILE:

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Yeah.................................................by the Olbermann standard!:LOL:

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Yeah.................................................by the Olbermann standard!:LOL:

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That's downright cruel mentioning that pinhead.:eek::LOL::LOL::LOL:

You know Don, by using left overs maybe this one can make it around that $3000 mark that you blew out of the water last time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rickomatic

You know Don, by using left overs maybe this one can make it around that $3000 mark that you blew out of the water last time.

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I wondered how long it would take for someone to mention that.:LOL::LOL:

$3000 you will be lucky !!! :LOL::LOL::LOL:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rickomatic

You know Don, by using left overs maybe this one can make it around that $3000 mark that you blew out of the water last time.

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Boy, you guys never forget, do you????? :p:LOL: One little screw up and no one ever lets you live it down. :LOL: How about I call this one " Project somewhere north of $ 3K"???

Don

Today it dawned on me that the Good Frame Fairy wasn't going to come down and build the frame for my rpu for me, so I decided to get started. :) We have a few sticks of 2 x 4 x 3/16 in the shop and that is the size I want for this car. I think it looks more proportional with a body this size than the 2 x 3 we would normally use for a T bucket, and the Olds engine is about 700 lbs, so it needs all the support it can get.

I don't want the frame to look boxy in front, so I am going to cut and taper them from 4 inches at the firewall to just 3 inches at the front perch. We bought a few Total Performance front perches from Mickey before he sold out, so I will be using one of those up there.

I also bought an original 1934 Ford axle on Ebay the other day, and that should be here next week. The original plan was to use the Superbell axle and a set of SoCal hairpin radius rods we have, but instead I am going to use the 34 axle with split early wisbones. I want people to wonder if this car is a current build or a survivor and am going to use as many old parts as possible and disguise the newer stuff to look old. The Superbell and SoCal hairpins would have given it away. I am still going to use the Posies spring, but will probably put one of those leather covers they sell on it to hide the newness of it. I also found a nice Model A rear crossmember on Ebay last week, and I have a Model A rear spring left over from my 27.

Not a lot of progress tonight , but I got the front rails mocked up in place and can now start the tapering process, then move on to making up the rails that go under the main body. This car should go together pretty fast once the frame is done, the hard part, the body, is pretty much done, thanks to Dan once owning it. :D

Here are the two sections of tubing I cut and then mocked up in place.

Don

Hey Don,if you want everybody guessing about the new "under $3000.00 left over part car" project,you better stop typing now and posting photos or Uncle Bob will know about it and that will be history wrtten for all to see. And I can imagine the photos he will have to back up the history lesson also.:eek:
What happened to the break away from cars and the fishing you were looking forward too???? I know,once bitten by the building bug you can't stop.

Whip, I know, Uncle Bob is always lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce. :p

As for fishing, I actually called about a boat this week and was supposed to meet the guy, but I called him the morning of and told him I was going to wait a while. I have too much on my plate now with the 27 motor to put back together and this latest one. Plus, I know Dan and I will be fishing instead of him getting his rpu done, and he is sooooooooo close. But fishing is in my future sometime this year. I need a break from this car stuff a little, and I think Dan does too. :)

Don

Glad to see you got started Don, Any reason your using 3/16" wall box ??? I see lots of people using it in the U.S. when 1/8" is fine for the job.