Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Man I love those night shots.

I had to do the neutral thing for awhile in my car, it really start's to suck after you sit in traffic or when your hitting all the red light's, but i'm old and he's young so he might be okay with it.

I also noticed in the first pic. that you brought more bag's of money to the shop.

Ron

[QUOTE=Ron B.

I also noticed in the first pic. that you brought more bag's of money to the shop.

Ron[/QUOTE]


Actually, those bags are filled with nsf notices from my bank telling me I have spent money on my car projects that I didn't have !! (I can't understand that either...........I still have lots of blank checks in my checkbook )

Yep Mike, I like those night shots too. Wish I could post the video Dan made of me making passes the other night. It came out too dark to do a YouTube, but the funniest thing is that as I was making one tire protesting pass you could hear Dan laughing his butt off, and then I hear him say one word........"Idiot!!" I guess I did look kinda goofy at Midnight doing burnouts in the parking lot.

Here are a couple more night shots.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Tonight it was my turn to be the bad influence. I talked Don into moving the T outside, blocking the wheels so it couldn't move, and shifting it into forward and reverse while the engine was running. We have never been able to do that because of having no brakes yet, and I wanted to see how the torque convertor reacted to the X cam he has in the engine. Long story short, even with the 2800 rpm stall convertor, he will probably have to shift into neutral at red lights. That cam is just so lumpy that it wants to surge the car forward each time the rpms rise and fall on the cam. Somehow, I don't think he minds too much and feels the idle is worth all of that.

He need a more 'loose' convertor based on what you're saying. Sounds like it should be a real runner. Congrats on both the cars you and your son built.

Looking good Don, yes I can get out of the weather, but still cold in the shop plus dark, need to run 200 feet electric wire from the house to the shop. while putting in the foundation I cut my old wire....LOL well I could only run one 60 watt bulb if the air compressor kicked on. Never thought I would say this I hope work slows down till after I get the wire in the ground.
Your going to make the Turkey Run, I have a feeling it will be with both cars next year 3 cars.
Brad

dont everybody do burnouts at midnight in parking lots??????

What's with the batman seats in Dan's car? Are you guys hiding something? First the vault of money, then stealth plates, now Batman seats!

What are Batman seats?? Yeah, we hid our money so well we can't find it any more.


Speaking of seats, yesterday I finished webbing the seat bottoms to my T and took them to the upholstery shop. I used a yellow tow strap and cut it up and stapled it over the cutouts, interweaving it like a basket. The upholsterer has made some progress on my interior and has the foam all cut and in place. The vinyl is supposed to show up today he says, and said by Friday or Saturday it should all be done. I got to sit in it to check the comfort of the foam, and it is fine.

Don

Nice. What color vinyl did you go for? I know you were thinking old baseball glove leather. Clever idea for the use of tow straps, they'll never break!
Dan's seats look very modern with sort of the bat mobile front cut out shape where your legs go.

Originally Posted by stovens

Nice. What color vinyl did you go for? I know you were thinking old baseball glove leather. Clever idea for the use of tow straps, they'll never break!
Dan's seats look very modern with sort of the bat mobile front cut out shape where your legs go.

Oh yeah, he has bomber seats in it........I see what you mean.

The closest I could find to the baseball glove thing was a color called "saddle." The upholsterer gave me several sample books that I took to the shop and Dan and I picked that one because it seemed to go well with the Fusion Orange suspension and engine color. There were a few that fit that need, but it seemed to be the closest. He also found matching carpet.

He made one change in my interior that at first I didn't think I would like, but after thinking about it have to agree it will be better. I originally planned on him just gluing carpet to the inside firewall and leaving my underdash roll bar exposed, kinda like bare bones of the car. Instead, he is making a starboard upholstery board panel that covers all of it and is going to notch it so my gas pedal comes out through it. Then he will carpet it all. I have to agree it will be cleaner looking that way.

I'm anxious to see the interior done.

Don

We're all anxious to see it done. You guys having been moving very fast with your deadline ahead, it seems great motivation.
I'm stalled on the truck. I have been working on sanding the rust off the body, but the whole process is slow. I also can't decide where to start or what to do next. My gut instinct says, get it running, braking and street legal, drive it an figure out if the engine and tranny are good , then take the bed off, clean as much of the frame as I can get too and can see, then, do the paint, or interior. With all the above choices and the need to save towards the bigger money items, primmering and sanding seems the way to go for now. I'm putting off the brakes from fear of fabrication/new brake lines, and rerouting some zirk fittins, for the front disc conversion, requiring drilling and tapping(probably not as bad as I imagine). So I guess it is refreshing seeing you guys jump in without hessitation, and all the progress you make so quickly. For my project, I'd like the body to look good when done, but I'm not looking to enter it in shows, so I'm hessitant to do a frame off number. However, if a few extra hours are involved to do the right thing, I'm inclined to go that route. My biggest limitation, is no welder or welding experience, and lack of covered space to take the whole body off.
Any suggestions would be welcome.

Tough call on the right way for you to proceed. I guess the thing you need to answer is do you need to drive the truck now, or can you wait until it is gone through more thoroughly and more finished?

The older I get the more I am a fan of doing it all up front and making it right the first time. When I was younger I usually didn't have the luxury of having a car sitting around for months or years because I had to get it fixed over the weekend to be able to get to work on Monday with the same car.

If you can wait, I think it would be in your long term best interest to at least get it torn down to the point where you can clean up the frame and running gear, replace worn parts, and maybe leave the cosmetics for later on. As for welding, you could do what I always did. I bought a Lincoln 220 volt arc welder and spot welded stuff then had someone who knew how to really weld finish it up. You can pick these up all day long for $ 100 up used, and once you own one you will be surprised how often you use it.

Building or rebuilding a car is always full of confusion and indecision regarding the right way to proceed, but the best method seems to be to decide what you ultimately want the car to end up being. If a cleaned up but not necessarily show quality car is what you desire, just wirebrushing the frame and suspension and brushing or spraying on some rustoleum gives you a nice clean slate to start with. Then you can attack the front and rear suspension, brakes, steering, etc and change out worn parts and clean up good old parts. Same goes for the engine and transmission.

It is no fun driving a car that you are constantly worrying about, so some extra time and money up front will let you do what these things are meant to do.............enjoy driving them.

Sounds like you are thinking the right way though, keep us posted on what you decide and what you are doing on it.

Don

Thanks. I decided to dive into the brakes and deal with the devil I know. I tried to bleed the old master cylinder which was bone dry, that was a waste of 1 hour. So I jacked it up , took off the passenger front wheel, brake drum and bearings to the spindle. I couldn't get the old flex line off, so I cut it, since my conversion kits to disc front brakes comes with new lines. Then I went inside to go on line to classic performance products, only to find the internet down!
Anyway keeping to your advice I'd rather do it right the first time, I don't need to use the truck, so time is my friend. As I get older, the patience and payoff lesson is easier to listen to. But thanks for the thoughts, and your hard work, you shamed me to dive in, and I'll start a new post called Project Special K, to detail my bumbles ahead. I'm actually relieved to get going on this. I was also relieved to find out I didn't need to relocate my zerk fitting in the king pin. Steve

FINALLY! Page 183!! I can't believe I read through this whole thing! And I'll tell you out straight, I've rarely enjoyed anything as I've enjoyed this project! I didn't find it and start into it until you were nearly finished, Don. And there has been days/nights when I'd have loved to inteject some blurb, but I knew the effect would be lost because of the time warp between where I was reading and you guys at page 183. Not only has the actual build been a real education for me (read Rookie) but the banter you guys have had, the well placed pictures, friendly cajoling, etc. has been more entertaining than watching TV, which I don't do anymore. And it couldn't have come at a better time in my Life. I have been in Depression and on Meds for most of the last 25 years, since the death of my Father and the manner in which it happened. But since last January/February I took a dive into Major Depression. Been seeing my Med Doctor every three weeks or more often, getting 11 medications a day now, plus insulin, for all my Physical and Mental problems, A Psychiatrist (sp.) and nurse every three weeks, and on my fourth Therapist now, once a week every week. I had to give up my job (or I would have been fired), lost my Health Insurance, my paycheck, all other benefits like vacations, sick time, holidays. Of course that don't matter now, because i have every day off. I signed up for Social Security in September (will be 64 in December) which helps, it pays the Mortgage payments, but cut my earning power by more than half. And my Savings Account wasn't like Don't back room stash! Until then my oldest (of 5) Grandson and i were working on a '47 Ford Pickup project for mounting on an S-10 chassis with my old work van motor, 350/700r4. Have barely touched it since mid-February. Got a lot of new parts sitting there waiting, frame all stripped, derusted (the hard way) and painted with POR-15 and overcoated with Rustoleum rattle can hammered black. Got the front suspension and steering all apart and new bushings, ball joints, etc. installed. New steering parts sitting on the shelf along with a bunch of other stuff, waiting for us to come back out. Mainly I just sit in the house, day after day. Doing the computer thing, reading the paper and whatever rod magazine might be most current and hating myself. i can't be around more than one or two people, in stores, and barely able to pry myself out to the Doctor Appointments! We have a bunch of other stuff waiting for us too. Got a '29 Essex Coupe (rusty shell) waiting for a frame, suspension, etc., got a '52 GMC Cabover that we were going to pull off the old chassis and mount on something different (better?). I got a '79 Dodge Cut-a-Way van 1 ton dually with a 440 and a 727 tranny that we were going to use, but can't see how to get the box off and salvage it for storage without destroying the frame or the box. So it's become a permanent storage unit now. I have a Model A frame and front end with a spring and wishbone and an S-10 rear that could be used (maybe) for the Essex, but it is a real project. like a cowl like Don's 'A', a stack of doors of which only one is correct, and the rear section of cab/rumble seat. No floor, no roof. Oh, I'm sorry to be rambling on like this, please forgive me. I REALLY have enjoyed your build and your boys (Dan is kinda like me, GOT to be JUST RIGHT) not perfect, but JUST RIGHT. And I also got an education from Brian's post on building a chassis. Sooooooooooo, as you've been complaining about the heat in Florida, let me issue you an invite to come to Maine. I'll buy you a Lobster feed, in fact, for each of your boys too, and give you the five dollar tour of Mid Coast Maine. We can chat and i'll feed you all the beers you can down (in a couple of hours) haahaaa. And then you can scoot over to see Brian. He's not THAT far away. If I am lucky enough to get to Orlando area this spring I'd love to meet you. Best Regards to you, your boys, and all your internet forum helpers! I've had lots of great laughs from the banter etc. Perley

Wow Perley, you actually took the time to read all 183 pages??? you are one tough guy! Thank you so much for taking time to post and for the very nice words.

I'm 62 also Perley, and have been through some real ups and downs in my life too, and one thing I learned a long time ago is that there is a very fine line from being happy and being not so happy. I have also had some extremely low points in my life, most notably during my divorce from my wife of 28 years. I pretty much got a little crazy then and became a person I didn't know existed inside me. It took some very good friends and the love of my two Sons to pull me through it, and now that I look back it is like viewing someone else's life.

It sounds like you are coming to terms with your issues too, and that is good. Talking about it to others is the first step. Once you hear the words coming out of your mouth it puts it into a different context, and lets you start the healing process. My Son Dan is also on insulin as he is diabetic, and I see how tough of a disease it is to deal with. When he is low he is a different person than when his numbers are balanced, but he struggles to keep them stabilized.

I am so glad you took the time and effort to say hi, and hope you get back on some of those projects. Working on cars can be very theraputic. Another thing I have also learned Perley is that no matter how bad things are, there are always a whole bunch of people who would trade problems with us in a heartbeat.

We'd love to see you jump in and post often, and maybe even take some pictures of those cars for us to see. We LOVE pictures.

Take care bud.

Don