thanks Don. we will see. its a fluid thing, and i'm not talking trans. fluid either. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
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thanks Don. we will see. its a fluid thing, and i'm not talking trans. fluid either. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
"I think he likes that time alone without me bugging him and trying to carry on a conversation."
I used to get a little upset whenever anybody came around to shoot the bull and I was up to my elbows in something. I absolutely cannot talk to someone and do my work at the same time, so I'd just have to stop and ya-ya with them.
Don,
You mounted straight to the frame? I think that you said that you might consider using the shock mounts. why did you go directly to the frame? How does this affect your rad.?
Thanks,
Zachariah
The way I ended up doing is is actually the most common way, but I thought for a little variation I'd mount the bar to the tops of the shock mounts. But it ended up putting the headlights too high, and it looked goofy.
As for radiator room, I have plenty, as the rad sits a few inches behind the bar. I built in a couple of extra inches in case I ever want to run a blower and need room for the pulleys and belt. Don't know if that will ever happen, but I like the idea, and have always wanted a blown car.
Thanks for asking.
Don
Don, the bar looks really cool. Too bad chroming is so darn expensive or else that thing would look awesome all nicely chromed. I had an idea on a chroming technique I haven't seen used yet. (sorry to get off topic again but while it's on my mind....) Now this all depends on the color of the vehicle but I have a powder coating maching and pounds of powder in all sorts of colors never used... One of them is a smoked chrome. Looks like a black chrome, it's awesome. I thought that it would be something different to do this on a bronze or orangish metallic paint job and do the grille and everything that normally is chrome or a dark metallic purple color... Have you seen it done? I have a picture in my head of the colors it would look good on IMO but then again there aren't many colors it would look good on either.
Don---That headlight bar's cuter than a speckled pup!!! Nice work. I can't talk/visit and work at the same time either. ---Brian
Brian, please don't lie. You know that when the neighborhood hotties (meaning good looking women lol) come by to check out the hot rod you roll out from under the rpu and have a chat with them. Then you pull out your 2 liter bottle of pepsi and take a swig! :p haha
Denny:I wouldn't want that ONE Tweety sic'd on me.:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :D
FMX, no I haven't seen the stuff you are talking about. Tell me more.
Brian, thanks. It's also real cheap.:D :D :D
Don
Thanks Denny. I thought the 2 liter thing was kinda funny too.:D :D :D
Brian, I know what you mean about being alone in the shop, because I guess I am sort of that way too. I wish I could be one of these guys who has 3 of their best friends over and each one helps the other build their rod, but to he honest, I am kind of a loner in that respect. When other people are there, they keep pushing you to get moving and get something done, and I like to just take my time and sometimes just sit in the rod and think about the next step.
My best friend Pete, who passed away about 5 years ago, used to ask to come over to my shop and help me out working on some project, and I really preferred to be alone, so I made one excuse or another. I feel bad about that now, because he really had a heart of gold, and just wanted to repay me for the times I helped him work on his cars. But my time in the garage is my therapy time, and while I might pass pleasantries with my Son when he is there, I also enjoy those times when it is just me and the stereo.
Don
I can work with an audience, but it really slows me down. Like you guys, I get the most done when I am alone. Also, I talk to myself and the car constantly when I'm working alone. When things are going as expected, I carry on pleasant commentary; when things go wrong I rage and cuss and sometimes throw things. Then I calm down and do it right. I think it's all very theraputic and keeps me from taking out my frustrations on other people.
Don - Thanks for the compliment (a couple of pages back). I have been told before that I have a good eye for proportion. I hope that's true; if so it's probably because one of my hobbies is drawing.
Brian - I'll be looking forward to the posts on that Duvall style windshield frame. Depending on what body I end up with for my roadster, I may want to do that.
I'm going to the Turkey Run at Daytona next month and I hope to come home with a body. The ideal piece would be a '27 roadster pickup body (fiberglass), but all of those I've seen are high $$$. I can find '23 T-bucket bodies starting at $385. I wish someone would make the '27 bodies like that. I don't need opening doors or steel reinforcement... Anyway, a '23 bucket will do if I can't score a '27. I like the '27 because the cowl shape is compatible with the Duvall style windshield. Whatever I come home with, I'll be posting build pics here. The build pics of my coupe are in the gallery.
I'll see you at the Turkey Run. Because of work schedules this year for me and my Sons also, we are probably not going up til Friday night. HOTRODDADDY has proposed us all trying to meet, and I am really looking forward to that.
About talking to the car...............I swear at it when something goes wrong or when I get hurt. One time my Girlfriend said to me "Honey, do you realize you are swearing at an inanimate object?" Shows how little she knows.......she must never have seen Christine. These things are alive I tell you.:D :D :D :D :D
Don
I have to be alone if some one is around they better be at the other end of the shop. I will get nothing done with anyone there. People come by to yak or what ever I start cleaning tools puting things away sweping the floor. Don't know why I just work better alone. I spent 3 hrs yesterday working on 2 trim pcs. That are no longer avaliable and I have to have them for the slider glass on the 53. Yes they do have a personality I don't know whos but if I forget to tighten a bolt or make the final adjustment on somthing IT will let me know:eek: :eek:
GEE cars are fun
I know a guy who has a mold for a 27 roadster, ive been trying to buy or borrow it so i can make my own
I can get a '27 roadster body for about $600 and that's OK, but what I really want is the roadster pickup body. The RPU doesn't have the turtle deck on the back. It is very similar to the '23 T-bucket except the cowl area is different. I plan to build this thing as a bobtail with the rear axle exposed and a keg style tank on it. as usual, of course, plans are subject to change. My current idea is to make it look like I just dragged it out of a barn where it's been lurking for 50 years. I am even going to create a phony scrapbook with old event photos, etc. and pictures of how I "found" it in the barn under all the junk. Then on the last couple of pages I will tell the truth with build photos, etc.
That's a cool idea about the "barn find." Don't forget to cover it with lots of bird droppings.:eek: :eek: :D :D :D Maybe a stray mouse or two thrown in for good measure.:LOL: :LOL:
I'm sure you already know this, but I'll mention it anyway. The real steel '27 roadster body was exactly the same in the front for the roadster and also the roadster pickup. All Ford did was bolt a turtle deck to one or a pickup bed to the other. On the glass versions, the various manufacturers have simply molded the turtle deck to the body, so it doesn't come off.
I like the roadster pickup version too, and actually considered at one time cutting the turtle deck off and building the back portion of the cockpit out of fiberglass to the exact shape of the original steel body (like you said, like a T bucket back portion) but it would have been a fair amount of work and I didn't feel like getting into all that. But it could be done, probably by making a male buck and forming glass over it to the correct shape.
I really like your idea about the bob tail thing. I think it would look great.
Don
You'll need Adobe reader (pdf) to view these catalog pages. See the third of the six pages, considering it's got opening doors it's a good value; http://www.olddogstreetrods.com/bodies.pdf
Also www.zippermotors.com makes one.
Hey FMX---I'm married to the only good looking woman in the neighbourhood!!! And she's more apt to hit me over the head with the 2 Liter bottle of pepsi than share a swig with me---:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Brian - Thanks for the posting on the windshield. If I get the right body I'll be using your instructions.
Bob - Thanks for the "heads up" on the '27 RPU bodies. I have e-mailed them for shipping info, etc.
Don - I'm way ahead of you. I can get some pretty realistic stuffed mice online. Plaster of Paris makes nice bird poop that will stay put until it's scraped and sanded off. A little flat black paint makes greasy fingerprints that are semi-permanent. There are other tricks to simulate rust bubbles and flaking paint. I have a friend who has a barn full of Model-A parts, old lawnmowers, and other junk where I can stage the "find" photos. I'm anxious to get started...
I've always said the best way to get a deal on a rod project is to buy someone else's unwanted unfinished car. But I thought I would post some pictures of a frame and running gear setup that is on Ebay right now as a perfect example of what not to buy. I know the experienced rodders out there will know this already, but we have a lot of members who are just in the early stages of wanting to build something, so this post is for them.
There is not one piece on this setup that could be used. The frame is so badly cobbled it could not be used in any way, shape, or form. You could not spend enough time or money to make it so. The rest of the running gear is also useless. Even if you wanted to save the rear axle, the time you spent grinding all the lousy brackets off of it would be tremendous. The whole thing is just junk, but some wide eyed rodder has already bid $ 180 for it, and my bet is that this thing will never see the street. (at least I HOPE it doesn't)
Just thought I'd show you this example of what kind of garbage is out there.
Don
that looks better than my 55 F-100 frame.... j/k :P
Don
Aren't you being a little CRITICAL :rolleyes: after all it has an aftermarket dif. cover:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Ok, there is ONE part you could salvage.:D :D :D :D :D
Don
The front brakes do not need replaced,either!!:CRY:
Quote:
Originally Posted by shawnlee28
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I need a set for an axle I have.:D :D :D :D
Don
I think WE should all watch this item and see if Don bids on it.:LOL:
You guys is just too smart.:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Don
I didn't get a whole lot done today. I am fighting off a little bug that everybody at work has had, so I kind of laid around the biggest part of today. But I did go over and mount the new steering drag link that came in from Speedway yesterday. As always, they did a great job, and it was right on the money. I had to drill out the steering arm and pitman arm to take a 5/8 bolt in each, but other than that it was a piece of cake.
Once I had it bolted on I turned the wheels sharp each way to see how it worked and if there were any obstructions. There aren't and the angle seems close enough that bump steer should not be a problem. Now I can turn the input shaft on the steering box and the wheels turn. That always feels good to get to that point.
Tomorrow I probably will blow the whole car apart to have it ready for Dan to do my final welding on the shock brackets, rear axle, brake pedal assembly, etc.
Here are some pictures of how the steering looks now all hooked up. Man, the humidity here in Florida is really helping out with the "patina." Looks like it is 100 years old. Can't wait until I get it sandblasted and painted.
Thanks for looking,
Don
I was wondering is it cheaper to use fiberglass or steal and which is better?
Bigpun---Thats the question that has launched a million fistfights. Neither is cheap. In my opinion, if done properly, they are about equal in quality. Since it is almost impossible to find a straight, usable steel body now, fiberglass is sometimes the only option. If you rebuild an old steel body, you will need welding equipment and welding skills, however if you are doing a "total build", you are going to need those anyway, regardless of what material you use. I have built cars from both, and have spent hundreds (if not thousands) of hours welding and straightning old steel bodies. If you want a hotrod, and want it NOW, then glass is the way to go. If you are way richer than I am, you can call Brookville Roadster and buy a brand new steel body. .
Depends on who you talk to and what you mean by "better." Steel has a certain realness to it that many people feel makes the car more legitimate. Some people just feel that any car made from fiberglass is like a kit car. In recent years much of that thinking has gone away, and some very nice cars are sporting bodies made of glass.
I think fiberglass makes a lot of sense, especially for the home builder, as it is a medium almost anyone can work with. Steel, on the other hand has the problem of repairing rust and having to have good metal working skills to get it straight enough for paint. Fiberglass also makes sense when it comes to body styles that are so rare that the price is astronomical, like a '32 Ford.
I've done both, and can't say one is better than the other, both have advantages and disadvantages. But when you are talking about a simple body like a T bucket, I think the home builder is more likely to be able to finish one made of glass.
JMO,
Don
Alright thanx guys and the glass deal with me is that I didnt want a kit car or people calling it a kit car but I am finding out quickly that hot rodding or rat rodding is a very controversial topic. And that it is experience that seperates things.
When you drive a hot rod, or any modified car for that matter, you have to have really thick skin because every time you stop for gas or a loaf of bread you will be confronted with some "expert." Most of them are well-meaning, but some are just out to bust your chops. The most common questions you will get are:
1) Did you build it yourself?
2) Is it real or fiberglass?
3) How much did it cost?
The first one is easy to answer. The second one takes a little teaching on your part, you have to educate them that it is real, and it may be made of fiberglass. The third one is real easy. " I lost track."
I've been in Sales most of my life, so people are easy for me to overlook when they say dumb or inconsiderate things..........sometimes. But depending on the degree of the comment, or how I interpret it at that moment, sometimes I have to come back at them and let them know the question was not appropriate. It is just part of hot rodding.
And yes, you will get the kit car comment, even if it is a restored 1940 Buick.:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
Don
Alright well thank you very much Don.
Hey Don---You forgot Number 4---"How fast will it go???"
You know people are always asking that. My answer is it will do the speed limit.
Yep, I forgot that one. Got it all the time.:LOL: :LOL:
Don
Whenever I get that "How fast will it go?", I usually say either "Fast enough to get a ticket!" or "I have no idea." (which is the truth)...
Say Don
You going to have your sons truck ready in time for Daytona????
would you guys say that alot of the alure of the old rods is just that, that they are old style hotrods. So it really doesn't matter what they are made out of, you get the same feeling of enjoyment.
I am working hard on a '34 Chevy sedan complete car, can I get it running for under $3000.00?
No, unfortunately. He is kind of bummed about it too. We missed last year, and this year he put so many hours into it that I thought he would make it. But he keeps reengineering it. First he turned it from a fordor to a roadster pickup, now he has decided he wants an all metal tonneau cover over the bed, punched with about 200 louvers, so he has had to move all of the air bag components to a lower spot on the frame so the cover will fit.
Finally, he took a job that keeps him tied up about 12 hours a day, so he has no time to put in on it. I feel really bad for him but the work he is doing is sort of a one man operation, so I can't even help out.
However, he only started the car seriously after his Brothers wedding in July of last year, so in that amount of time he has accomplished a lot. I can't wait to see the look on his face the first time the 455 fires through open headers and he actually gets to see it move under it's own power.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:
Thanks for asking about him, though.
Don