Nice project and good progress. It is great from a fathers standpoint that you get to work with your boys on a project that all are interested in. Good deal Don;)
Printable View
Nice project and good progress. It is great from a fathers standpoint that you get to work with your boys on a project that all are interested in. Good deal Don;)
Last night was like old times Charlie. Since Don got married last year, we rarely get to see him, so it was really nice for the 3 of us to be able to spend some time together again . Maybe now that he has this car there to work on we can get to do this a lot more often. I hope so.
What is the old song, "Those wedding bells are breaking up that old gang of mine."
Don
Yeah
Its hard to let go. All you can do is hope you did the right things while they were coming up. A new ride should spark some interest:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
That's as may be. Also be aware of:Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
"Lord help the mister
who comes between me and my sister,
and Lord help the sister (or brother or father)
who comes between me and my man! (Or wife!):HMMM:
Dang! I'm showing my age!:(
That car is looking a right treat Don, you're all doing a terrific job, and I have found it fascinating to follow your projects. I have also learnt a lot.
Thank-you.
johnboy
We held our family Christmas last night at Don's house, so that freed Dan and I to go to the shop all day today. Well, not actually ALL DAY, because we slept in and got over there early in the afternoon. He and I never get a chance to sleep in like that, so it was kind of a treat.
When we did get to the shop we started messing around with Don's T, and got so deep into it that Dan ended up giving up his day to play with his TIG welder, and instead we worked on Don's car all day. I felt bad, because time just slipped away, and before we knew it, we had spent the whole day. Sorry Dan, next time you go over there I will stay away and leave you time for yourself.:o
But, we did get the rear axle all hung, including the coilovers, radius rods, and panhard. I repossessed my slicks, because Don was getting too comfortable with them :3dSMILE: , but I did pull the rear tires off of my '27 for him to use as mockups. The backspacing on my wheels are too far in, but at least it is now resting or back tires, with NO JACKSTANDS. That is always a milestone, isn't it.
Don was spending the day with his family, so he has no idea that we got this done for him. Should be a surprise when he gets to the shop some day this week. Next step is to get his spindles and front wheels and tires on (looks like I will be loaning him my '39 Dodge front tires for this part of the mockup. After that we can put in his engine mount crossmember and then build a crossmember for the transmission.
Here are some shots of what we got done today. This week after work I plan on working on MY T for a change. Otherwise it will be another year with no running hot rod.
Don
Looking good Don!!! How goes it with the new tig?
Thanks Dave. Well, he had planned all week to play with it today for the first time, but I kind of got him involved in the T. It's tough when you are the only good welder in the family, because we all depend on him to do our cars for us, and his sometimes gets neglected.
He's pretty good with it though, and I swear the next day at the shop is all his.
Don
Wow, that looks great Don. I still gotta get my rear end brackets welded on and get it installed. It must be nice to have a roller now!! :)
Yeah, I'm trying to keep up with you.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Looks like you are getting all of your major parts bought, so you should be in good shape to get the T running pretty soon. Your UPS guy is probably developing a hernia. :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:
Don
Nicely done gentlemen, you had a great day of it it seems!! It's always great fun to work on the rods with the best buds.
Starting to make a little progress again. Dropped off my engine at the machine shop yesterday, and he says it will be done next week. He also said it looks great, so a hot tanking, freeze plugs, cam bearing, cylinder hone, and maybe a slight decking should do it. I also left the pistons to be cleaned, and plan to reuse them with just new rings. I forgot to take the crank, so I'll drop that off when I pick up the block. I think it just needs polished, as it looks really clean too. By next weekend I should be able to start building the engine, hopefully.
While we were at the shop Don started mocking up his T bucket, and trying to figure out what look he is going for. He borrowed my chopped '32 grille shell from my '27, and as soon as he propped it up in his T, the direction of the car was set. This is the look he was after, so we put my front tires and wheels off of my '39 Dodge on it, and the rear tires off of my '27. So his T will be '50 style, kinda Grabowski-ish. :D
All he has to do is order some of his own tires and wheels from Coker, and he will be up on wheels. (and I can have my stuff back :eek: ) Somehow, my cars are getting stripped to build everybody elses.:confused:
Here are some shots of how it ended up looking. This weekend I have 3 days to work on my own car, so I should have some progress to post then. Assuming I have any parts left on my own car. :LOL: :LOL:
Don
Little Don has the right idea:p
I bet his comes in under 3K if he keeps using your parts:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Yeah, and mine will be "Project $ 50K." :eek: :LOL:
Don
PS: Machine shop just called, my engine is done. $ 254.93, and he said it checked out great. Tuesday I'll pick it up.
I bought my oldest stepson a elcamino some time back got it north of here brought it home and after working on it for a couple days found out there was nothing left of the frame from the midsection back. Wound up makeing a road trip to an army base in OK. picking up a rust free one with no drive train.That round trip was done over Thanksgiving left here and didn't stop till we were back here. Made one out of two. In all the car cost him the price of new shocks. Me I don't even want to think about it. The thing is I'd do it again,if he asked.
Sure, I understand, that's the pleasure of being a Dad. The fact you did this for your Step Son says a lot about you, especially with your willingness to do it again if needed. I bet he will remember that too, and pass it on.
Don
I like the stance of the car behind your bucket up above. How can I achieve that low stance if I did a 27 T from speedway? Z the back of the frame?
You'll have to ask Don but I think that his sons P/U Z with air bags
Yep, Charlie is right,it's bagged all around, so he can "lay it out" flat on the ground, and pump it up to about 4 inches ride height, or a max of 8 inches. I think it will be cool when he pulls into a parking spot at a cruise and sets it on the ground. Should be a little different for a '29. :3dSMILE:
Don
Oh yes I remember that one now... From the picture above with it behind your T it didn't look THAT low like it was sitting on the ground. I'd like mine a bit lower than yours but not TOO much. I like the top of the back tires to sit even with the top of the 27 T deck lid and am just wondering how to achieve that and same with the front.
A Z is going to be the way to achieve that kind of drop, probably front and rear. The problem is, the more you drop, the more room for stuff like fuel tanks and batteries you give up. The '27 turtle deck is already pretty tight, so you would have to do some real engineering to get things in there once you did that kind of lowerering.
I take it you haven't built your frame yet, so what I would do is build one out of 2 x 4 lumber, to actual scale, and bolt it all together, just as if it were a real frame. Fit the body to it and see what you have. I like working first with lumber because of the ease of making changes (lot's easier than cutting up steel :3dSMILE: )
The reason I mention a front and rear Z is that you won't want to channel the '27 more than frame thickness, if possible. Mine is only channelled 4 inches, and I still sit high in the saddle, so much so that I recut the seat trying to get it lower, but only got marginal improvement. I sat so high that people kept commenting I must be very tall.(I'm only 5' 9" :3dSMILE: ) So I must have looked like Herman Munster going down the road. That is one reason I am putting very low pads on the floor of the current T project, so I actually sit way down into the car.
What kind of rear suspension are you going to use? That will sort of dictate what kind of drop you can get too, as some suspensions take up more room than others.
Don
Don, I don't know what I want to do here. I will be getting about 2400 bucks back from my 54 Chevy but I am going to use that money on that 46 Chrysler 3 window coupe car but I still have a dirt bike and some other things that I can get about 3,000 bucks from and I was thinking of using that on either a old 68 Triumph motorcycle and build me a nice old bike to cruise around or build the T like I've always wanted since a little kid. I'd rather have a old 30's pickup but I doubt I can find something like that around here that would be a project truck and in the 3,000-4,000 dollar range.
I am looking at Speedway Motors chassis and 27 T (not the track T) kit. Only reason I am going with the 27 T is because it's bigger than the regular T bucket that you have and I want to put in the 302 and 3 speed tranny I have. I'd like to lower it as much as I can without having major problems and only channel it about 2 or 3 inches the most... Give me a few minutes and I will post a few pics from The Hamb of some guys' T's and show you what I like.
BTW, what kit would you recommend from Speedway for the chassis?
Shipping might be way too much from them though so I don't know here...
Ok here are a few (please dont mind the so called "rat rod" look, I don't like it either, the only reason I have these pics saved was for the stance I am looking for). Maybe about 2 inches higher than these would be ok but basically kind of similar to what I am looking for... Oh and BTW, this first T I am posting I just LOVE! I like plain T's like that too with no turtle deck or nothing in back and just the tank but no room you say compaired to the 27 T...
Sorry to take over your thread again Don.
Here is a 27 (I think it is) that I found one day on The Hamb and it's a perfect example of exactly what I want besides the interior I was a brownish with bomber styled seats and old spoked wheels with a smaller cheater like slick on the back.
Again Don, sorry to take over the thread, maybe I need to take this on a PM or a new thread.
FMX--The only way to get a 27 that low, and look like you are setting in it rather than on it, like a go-cart, is to bend the framerails to follow the inner curve of the body sides, and put a deep Z both front and rear. Instead of a flat floor, you have to drop the floorpan between the inside of the framerail and the (very skinny) driveshaft hump. And have a skinny ass like yours, not a fat one like mine, that will fit down in that area.
I owe a few of you an apology for not acknowledging your posts, somehow I missed them.
First of all, Johnboy...............thank you for the nice words. I am glad you have enjoyed following along in this build. I have really enjoyed doing it, and it has kept me motivated, knowing you all are watching me. It gets lonely working on a car sometimes, and is nice to share some of the good and bad stuff with others.
Brickman, thanks and yes it is nice to be able to spend some time with the Kids. They are really my best buds, as you mentioned.
FMX.............those are some really great looking rods you posted. That little modified is as cool as they come, and the '27's are too.
Brian is right about the seating position thing. If you don't bring the center of the frame down too, you end up sitting really high in these things. I mentioned that this was a problem, even though my '27 was channelled only 4 inches. I put the seat almost flat on the floor, but still sat higher than I would have liked. Can't imagine it if I were a tall guy.
The Speedway chassis you mention is a good way to go, and yes, freight can be an issue. But I bet they get a good rate, so maybe $ 150 or so should get it to you. Now, their frame is set up to be a little higher than the ones you posted, so take that into consideration. The only way to get a ground scraper is to fab up the frame yourself, and build in the Z's you need to get it there. I like your idea about the 302 and 3 speed, and that is exactly what my '27 was set up with. It was dependable, and had as much power as I needed. The '27 does give you some more room to do the stick routine, as opposed to the '23 I am now doing.
Thanks again guys, and I didn't mean to be rude by not answering your posts. Sometimes these things get posted as you are typing, and you miss them.
Don
Well I had to close the year out by getting SOMETHING done to the T, so yesterday I tackled something that has been holding me back from wooding in the body.
The cowl roll bar will be a permanent part of the body once I glass in the floor, so it can never come back out to be painted. That stupid little job has been hanging me up for a month or so now, and this weekend I decided to finally get it out of the way. It had rusted up pretty much due to our humidity in Florida, and the fact it was bare steel, so I spent a few hours yesterday grinding and sanding it to a smooth finish, and last night I put a couple of coats of primer on it.
Today when I got to the shop and looked at it, there was oil all over the darned thing. Dan had changed his oil in his daily driver last week, and let the oil sitting in one of those open drain pans. It looked like someone had kicked the thing after I left at 9 PM last night, so I figured either Dan or Don had stopped at the shop on the way home from playing. I called both of them, and neither had been at the shop !!!:confused: :confused:
I was really confused as to what had happened, and saw more oil laying on the floor. Then I looked up and there was a big crow flying around at the top of the shop. Evidently he had gotten trapped in there last night and somehow landed in the oil and then perched on my newly primered roll bar. :eek: :eek:
After chasing him out and degreasing the thing, I sprayed a couple of coats of semi gloss black on it. Now I can install it into the body, and bolt it down for the final time, and start glassing the floor in. I will have to protect the new paint with some bubble wrap or something, and still probaby have to touch it up after the car is painted. But at least that hurdle is over.
I also made the final brackets for the rear shocks, and gussets for the rear radius rod mounts, so as soon as I can corral Dan I will get these welded in place. Tuesday I will order my chrome rear shocks from Speedway, and maybe a new steering box too. I don't quite trust the one I used during mockup, and would rather have a new one in this critical area.
Here is a picture of the painted roll bar, sans crow.:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:
Don
Brian and Don, thanks a lot for your nformation! Don, you should have a PM here in a few minutes.
It's the 3rd of January, and I have started keeping my New Years resolutions. I spent a few days starting to clean and reorganize the shop (Wanted to get myself more organized) Moved a lot of heavy stuff around (got some exercise and actually lost a couple of pounds :D ) and best of all, started working on the T again.
The first thing I did was finish up the remaining gussets I needed so Dan can do the final welding on the rear axle and get the shocks mounted. I made up two triangular gussets to weld under the axle and onto the radius rod mount, and also make up the lower shock mounts and spacers.
I called Speedway today and ordered the chrome rear shocks, and also a new Corvair steering box. I didn't like the feel of the one I have in the mockup pictures, and wanted to treat this car to a new one, since I plan on putting LOTS of miles on it when done.
I also got the 350 engine back from the machine shop. He did his usual great job, and only needed to hone the standard bore cylinders, so I can use my original pistons. He also cleaned those up and checked the rods. While the engine was going to the shop, my Son took his heads over for the 306 CI Ford he will be using in his T. He and I plan on starting to prep and assemble the two engines side by side in the next week or so.
The machine shop also painted the engine, and I wish they hadn't, as I now have to not only grind the engine smooth, but strip off the paint. But at least it won't rust till I get to it.
No major accomplishments yet, but at least I am starting to get off of my duff and beginning work on it again. Here are some pictures of the brackets I made up, and also the engine and components.
Don
Don---congratulations!!! I am glad you are going to start working on your project again. I check out your thread on the forum every morning when I start work in my office.---Brian
Thanks Brian. Yep, I am like the energizer bunny now :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ready to get this thing running. My goal is to do something every night, even if it is very trivial.
Just needed to get away from it for a while and get my interest renewed.
Don
I've been keeping up with you and the gang and I am going to get back on my roadster and hopefully get It one the road for the spring season (no paint but roadworthy). I am jealous cause you have roller cam block an I don't, 1 piece rear seal, but no roller. Are you going to run a roller cam?
All of the kool things you'll have made are an insperation.
Jim
Don---My wife tells me that most of the things I do at night are trivial!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:
:LOL: :LOL: Brian, all women must take lessons from each other. Don't take it personally, it's a conspiracy. :D :D
Jim: Thanks, sounds like you are getting close too. Yup, I am going to use the roller cam that came in the engine. It is in great shape, and I don't feel like laying out a couple or few hundred more dollars on a lumpy cam, just to get a nasty idle. I just heard my Sons boat running with the same engine, running through transom exhausts, and it idles rough enough for me right now. If I do decide to slip in a different one down the road it will be an easy thing to do.
I really did luck into this engine. It was a very low hour marine engine, and the guy insisted we change it out for one with more HP, so I got this one free. One of our Techs put me on to it, and said it could be run as is. I decided to freshen it up a little though in the interest of not having to tear it down again for a long time. I have never owned a roller cam engine, so I am looking forward to it.
Don
Going to put lots of miles on it huh Don? Wanna put lots of miles on it to the shop here in Rock Hill SC? :p
Looking good man. I am trying to do the same as you and work on my 66 now every night no matter how tired I am and get about 30 minutes to an hour in. Last night I got my old radio and wires all out of the truck and now I have no more crappy wiring under there that people twisted to gether with house speaker wire. LOL One thing at a time and working slow like that shows little progress but better than NO progress.
So you are in Rock Hill, huh? I worked in Rock Hill for a month about 7 years ago. Our company started a new warehouse there (West Marine) and needed some people to go there and help train, so I went. Liked it a whole lot. Nice people, and lots of vintage tin. I could have flown, but I took my car, and had the trunk loaded with tools so I could hit the junkyards on the weekends. Got some nice pieces and pretty rust free too.
Don
Don,
If you are interested, I have a new ZZ-4 cam, lifters, guides and retainer that I'm not gonna use. Might do some trading if you are interested.
Yeah, I'm close, new engine (hasn't been fired yet), new chopped windshield assy. (gotta redo cowl-is smooth now) and a jillion other small things.
The '32 is regersted and liscensed so all I need to do is make it go :eek: and stop :eek: and steer :whacked: .
Keep up the good work.
Jim
Thanks Jim. I don't normally play with Chevy's so I don't know about current cams, etc. My sbc days ended back when the .30-.30 cam was the hot setup.
What is this cam, and does it simply slip in, or are better springs, etc. needed. I have a brand new set of 305 Vortec heads that I am going to use for just that reason, they are brand new. I figured if I stayed with the stock marine cam I wouldn't run into spring bind problems, etc.
Don
This weekend I put in a lot of hard work, quite a few hours, and got tons of work done...........all this without even turning a wrench one time. :D But I did get something done (well, almost all done) that I have been putting off for a very long time. I CLEANED THE SHOP.
With all the work the three of us have been doing, and especially all the grinding, it had turned into a pigsty, and I couldn't find anything I needed. Dan's area was the cleanest, because he keeps his portion pretty organized, but mine was a disaster.
So Saturday I dug in and just finished up this PM. First I went out and bought two shelf units to put all of my the new and not so new parts that are waiting to go on the T. Now they are right next to my work station, and won't be getting kicked around and damaged. Then I got all of the old parts off of my pegboard and organized some of my tools up there. I found stuff I forgot I had. :3dSMILE: I am not a rolling toolbox person, although I have a couple. I prefer my stuff hanging on pegboard so I can get at it easy, so now all my stuff is right there when I need it.
I still have a ton (literally) of steel scraps sitting in the back of my Jeep truck to take to the scrap yard, and even more old engines and stuff to haul there too, so next Saturday I will do that, I think. But it really looks much better, and now I can work much more efficiently. I even cleaned some of the cobwebs down and washed the window between the office and shop so my cats can sit up on the sill and watch what is going on out there. :D
It is a long way from perfect yet, but sure a whole lot better, and I am keeping one of my resolutions, to get more organized. One of our friends stopped by the other night with his wife, and she was afraid to go in the bathroom because it was such a mess.........no problem now !!!
Now I can start work in ernest on the T. :D :D
Don
Don
I know what you mean about the shop getting cluttered and Dirty. Seems I spend more time looking for things than it actualy takes to do the job. I guess thats because one of them is getting closer and the parts have been off longer. With working on two at the same time which ever one I'm working on the other gets a 1/2" of dust on it. I do manage to keep my tools in there respective drawers I know if I didn't I'd be wasting more time. One thing I'm planing on getting this year is a hoist, I'm getting tired of laying on the floor, but more tired of TRYING to get back up:eek: I do like the height you have in your shop, a couple exhaust fans up there would cool that place down nice. I hope you know your running out of excueses for not working on your project.**)
Yeah, so far I've milked the 6 month flu as far as I can. :D :D
I feel so good today about what I got done over the weekend. I really found some stuff I had been looking for, and some that I didn't even know I had. I am a little disorganized by nature (read as slob) so I have to work at keeping things otherwise. So far this year I have been doing pretty good, and even people at work come into my office and do a double take, because I cleaned it up too.
Maybe if this keeps up the next woman in my life won't have anything to complain about.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Don