Thread: Project "Left Overs"

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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.

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 )

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. 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. 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. )

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.

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!

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. 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. 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
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.

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...

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. 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. 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