Thread: Followed Me Home II

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Having caused Rodger to review the safety issues of an exposed '32 gas tank I can say that most Lab Chemists have suffered through OSHA regulations but on the other hand I have seen some three lab fires and know of other cases where calculated risks were exceeded. I will say I was subjected to the same questioning harassment when I was building my '29 roadster with a tank in the trunk. After worrying about this I reinforced the back of the trunk with a 1/4" inch plate 4" wide across the inner rear of the stainless trunk AND added a front stainless Model A bumper across the rear which fits into the "Model A look" theme. I agree with Bob and Matty that a rear collison from a locomotive or an 18 wheeler is beyond consideration and of course asteroid impact is not covered! The stock '32 did have a meager bumper behind the external tank and many rods have a tube bar between the rear frame rails. I guess it comes down to "calculated risk". A few months ago I parked my replica roadster near a very nice steel '32 Tudor with a SBC and excellent leather interior and was interested to see the stock tank but it did have an external bumper, although the stock '32 bumper is much weaker than the stout Model A bumper. Sooooo, to Rodger and others I say I did respond to the hazing comments of this Forum and protected my tank (stainless + 1/4" plate + bumper) as best I could but in the final analysis all of hot rodding is a calculated risk anyway and you do the best you can and take your chances.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

In the final analysis, my '34 is not as safe as a 2015 Escalade, but it's a degree of magnitude safer than a motorcycle . . . and I'm good with that.

On the safety issue it's all relative to what we do and where we are. Building fast powerful vehicles in itself is inately dangerous. Some precautions are well needed and can increase our lively hood, like a helmet while racing, bike riding or on a motorcyle, but others such as what has been discussed fall into the personal risk, benefit, precaution file where we all have different lines of thought.Below is a photo I took in front of my house of the cars across the street. I thought the smart car really looked small between the two vehicles it's parked. I texted the photo to my wife, and commented ,"when is a car too small? I'm guessing no matter how well engineered it may be, crumple zones are pointless if your car is only 8 feet long! :0

On a different not I am enjoying this thread and your build Roger, It keeps my interest up, while I wait for my own project to start again. Plus I'm learning a ton about the 32'

Those smart cars are all over Italy, dodging in and out of traffic like they were bullet proof - but then, they do that on motor scooters there also.

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Those smart cars are all over Italy, dodging in and out of traffic like they were bullet proof - but then, they do that on motor scooters there also.

Yep when we were in Florence, I remember trying to cross a street with scooters shooting thru the pedestrians at 35mph! The best part was driving on the A1 autoban(not sure what Italians call their hiways) where you'd go to pass a slow vehicle and pray you didn't get creamed from somebody doing 120 way behind you, when you started the pass in your cheap under powered Nissan Micro, but 1/1000 of an inch off your bumper when you safely made it back into the slow lane!
Sorry for the hijack Roger, but too fun not to share!

Good engineering will go a long ways toward establishing safety in our vehicles. I have seen some pretty scary engineering at car shows over the years. So when I was building my coupe, I tried to identify inherent weaknesses and compensate for them as best I could. My gas tank, which is in the trunk, has a 5/8 inch plywood box glassed into the body on three sides that separates it from the passenger compartment, and I built a bar that is welded to the rear frame which is hidden by the rear fascia to keep a minor fender-bender hit in the rear from caving the body halfway into the trunk. But like Jack said, no hot rod is going to be as safe as a modern vehicle. We just have to do our best to make sure they are not un-safe.

The term "Smart Car" is one of the most obvious oxymorons coined to name a vehicle, ever! Those things should be restricted to parking lots and amusement parks.

Originally Posted by stovens

The best part was driving on the A1 autoban(not sure what Italians call their hiways)

It's the Autostrada del Sole (Highway of the Sun). It goes from Naples to Milan. I drove a part of it everyday to work at Naples International Airport. They're enforcing the speed limit (130 kph/81mph) more strictly - but they still have lots of accidents.

I have an old hot rod buddy that says the gas tank is there to warn your fellow friends in the rumble seat in an event of an accident. He had 32 model A's until his battle with cancer. He had to sell darn near all them off to pay his medical bills. But, he's still cruising the streets.

I've seen drag cars wreck at better than 200 mph and have never seen a fuel cell rupture or blow up. Made out of the same stuff. Great build Roger, hope your feeling better. We just had 14 inches of more snow, just got the last 12 inches melted off. Come on spring.

person-struck-by-meteorite-ann-hodges_64484_990x742.jpgUsually it is hard to compete with Bob's pictures but here is proof that if you cannot be hit in the rear by a meteorite you still might be hit in the left (hip) rear fender! I am just showing this to prove that Ms. Ann Hodges was indeed struck by a meteorite in 1954 as shown in Life Magazine. Obviously this is an extremely rare event but still possible. Come on Rodger let us see some more good photos of your '32 build. While you have all the right parts for a beautiful roadster I will really be impressed if you can put it together and wired by this summer. I recall that I had some health problems that led me to take almost 7 years to finish my '29 but I did finally get it on the road!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

In the continuing saga of lights, I decided to throw together a bracket for the single fog lamp that I had picked up from Speedway. Had a piece of 1.5"x1/2" C channel left from the deck rail, a piece of thin wall tubing, some 1/8" flat stock, and a fender washer for the raw materials

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After a bit of measuring I ended up with this hodge podge, having decided to weld in a tab that would bolt to the under side of the frame rail, keeping the top side flush. With the way the joint fits a single 3/8" button head bolt will keep it solid. The flat part is hollow, with room to run the single power wire out of sight.

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Bracket attached...

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And light attached...
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I think the spacing is about right, and if I decide I don't like the light the whole mess comes off with one bolt and one clipped wire, leaving a single button head bolt on the frame rail, or a hole to weld.

Interesting! I cannot say the picture does it justice. So I'll ask to reserve any judgment!



But it's much better than a meteorite pic!

Nice work Roger. I bet you're loving this great weather we are duely needing!!!

Thinking I'll lop off about an inch and a half and tuck it in closer to the frame..... And yes, the weather has been fantastic this past week. Coming to one of my favorite times of the year - spring time when we get those cool nights and warming days heading into early summer, and early fall when the daytime temperatures start falling off, nights get cooler, and the leaves start turning. Gotta love the mid-west in the transition months between winter & summer....