Project $ 3 K Is Underway

Don,

just to intice a little. I have tryed to scan some of my drawings. Not going so well, need a scaner from this centry.

Hope everyone enjoys.

as you can see I am no artist when it comes to drawing.

Z

Not that many, actually. I have had many near misses and unfinished cars that I have sold for one reason or another that it is hard to remember them all. But as far as old cars go, a '32 pickup, '33 roadster, '30 Ford Fordor, '38 Ford, '37 Dodge, '40 Chevy pickup, '40 Chevy coupe, '47 Ford, '27 Ford roadster, and my current projects, '39 Dodge pickup and '23 T.

I also played around with drag cars for a while, and had our '68 Mustang and '32 Austin Bantam altered, and a '59 Austin Healey Sprite that we swapped a 289 Ford into.

We moved around the country in the '70's and '80's, so I would get started on one and then have to dump it because I couldn't take it with us. But I really have to count my '27 as the first car I actually got to start from scratch and finish into a running, driving car. Money was also tight when my family was growing up, so I would sometimes decide to sell a partially finished car to finance some family project, like doing some home remodeling.

This board is just what I needid, Thank you

Roscoe you are right it's inspiration .

It's been a while since I have posted any progress, so I thought I had better say something here. :3dSMILE: I have decided to get the engine put together and painted so it is ready to drop in when the time comes.

As you can see in another thread I am doing, I am wrestling with the torque specs on this thing right now. I haven't done a Chevy in years, and they went and started using a system different from the normal torque wrench routine to do the rods and heads. I should have that ironed out by tomorrow and be able to finish putting the engine together.

Today was spent tapping out every threaded hole in the block and scrubbing the engine, crank, and piston assemblies down with dawn dish soap and hot water. I finally got the last bit of old black paint off of the block, so once it is together I can epoxy prime and then paint it. Here are a couple of pictures of the engine going together, nothing exciting, but it is progress.

There was a whole lot of progress on Dans car though. I had a dinner thing last night, but he went to the shop and worked until about 4 am, and got lots of stuff done. His radiator is finally all mounted, and his brake lines are done and routed. He installed his headlight bar, and mocked up two old headlights on it. He is either going to order new '32 headlights, or redo these with new internals and rims.

We got his Buick drums back from the machine shop, and they did a nice job on drilling the 10 holes to let us use the Wilson Welding hubs and backing plates, but they really ripped us on price. For drilling 10 holes and turning the drums they soaked us $ 175.00. Another shop quoted $ 80, but couldn't do it for 2 - 3 weeks. We shoulda waited.

Anyway, here are some pictures of my engine going together, and Dans radiator and light bar.

Don

Don so the black paint came off for you .

Good so are the engine paint's out today holding up . Havent keep up but with EPA figured they may have watered them down also .

Yeah, it took two days work, lots of paint stripper and laquer thinner, but it finally came off. I don't know what they use, but it is some really tough stuff.

The heads are new, and have the same black stuff on them, but I am going to sand them a little and epoxy prime right over it. I figure if I couldn't get it off easily, it shouldn't lift either.

I should have just painted the engine black and been done with it. :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE:


Don

I don't care for black engines myself, too plain. I want to see bright colors or matching the car color or something with some creativety involved. I think the engine should grab ya, not just be a platform for chrome.

That propeller on the block may be a start of a gyrocopter soon . :D

Well, it depends on the application, I guess. A black engine is certainly easy to take care of, but generally kind of boring. I usually paint my engines to match some part of the car. As far as the type of paint, I have used all kinds, not just "engine paints". Acrylic Enamel does pretty good; lacquer is the least durable in my experience (on an engine). Polyurethanes and Acrylic Urethanes both do very well.

On my coupe I used the same DuPont Chromabase basecoat and Five Star X-treme clear (Acrylic Urethane) that I used on the firewall and wheels. The only place that is showing any deterioration is near the center exhaust ports on the heads where it gets really hot. I have had this happen with all kinds of paint, even "engine paints", so I'm not surprised.

Don, what are you using on this engine?

I too like engines that are either body color or a contrasting color. I sort of had made up my mind that the body and engine were going to be a Hummer color I found called Fusion Orange. It is kind of like the bronze you see on the new Nissan 350 Z's. I called the paint shop to order a quart yesterday, and found out I can only get it in two part, and the cost is about $ 200 a quart. It won't take many quarts to paint the body, frame and engine, so the cost is not my main concern (just somewhat of a concern) but I really like to work in one part with a hardner, especially on the engine.

Maybe I am old fashioned, because my body shop friends tell me I should come into the 21st Century, but I just have never used two part, so I am not sure how it will work out for me. The heat of the engine also concerns me on two part, although I have no idea if that is a factor or not.

I have thought it over, and I am going to call them back tomorrow and see if I can buy the Nissan Bronze in single stage. If I can't, the car may end up being another color, like a bright red. I have always liked light bronze cars, and am leaning that direction if at all possible.

BTW, got my timing cover and chain from Summit today, but the timing chain is wrong. Nice guy there is overnighting the correct one, so I should have it tomorrow and be able to keep putting the engine together then. Mistakes happen, and Summit has always been good to deal with, so no harm done.

Don

Don they should be able to convert it for you. I used to have single stage converted to 2 stage and visa versa back in the shop days . Tint may be off slightly but close enough the eyes wont tell you.

I'm looking at a Copper top color with a white bottom two tone. Engine color is a question i cant figure either at the moment.

Good thought. I called and got our usual contact there, and she is pretty sharp. She confirms you are right, and is mixing me a single stage quart of this color. Lots cheaper too, like $ 50.00 a quart, which is fine for the driver quality job I am looking for.

Thanks for the tip. I'm anxious to see how this color looks on the engine, might shoot it this weekend if the temp holds up.

Don

Say Don you mean your working on your car again??? If you want you can come here and paint it in my yard:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Might be a little high humidity:eek: You could even have a white flake effect.:3dSMILE:

Cff looks like powder , we had a dusting of it last night.

Don, I love that bronze color too, it will look great on the T. Circle City Hot Rods website has a T on there in that color, check it out.
BTW, we even got some snow here in North Carolina but it is melting very fast, it's been a very warm winter here and the ground is still warm so it wont last.

Geez, I forgot how depressing that white stuff can be. However, it is the time of year when you can get a lot of work done (inside) on your rods, because there isn't a whole lot else to do. It actually dropped down into the 30's and 40's a couple of nights here this week. I took a nap on the couch and both cats buried in the blankets with me....they aren't used to the cold either.

FMX..........I've seen that Circle City rod before, and you're right, it is sharp. My Son picked up the first quart of my paint today, and he says the spot they put on the lid looks pretty sharp. I'm anxious to see it, and maybe will spray the engine block this weekend.

The final color is the hardest choice to make on a car, and I bet everybody is like me and has no idea what the color will really be until you walk into the paint store and plunk down your money. It was so much easier in the old days when we only had a few colors to choose from.:confused: :confused:

Don

Don we were in the 20`s at night ,a little north from you, im hoping it gets in the 60`s tomorrow, so i can at least primer my car for the show saturday, i wanted to get it painted, but time and temperatures have not been kind to me this week, it was so cold the other night that my bondo would not set up, now my camera is broke so i cant even show some pics of the crazy mods i did to the trunk area

John, we Florida guys are really spoiled, huh? Gets down into the 30's or 40's for a couple of days a year and it's like we are talking about the great blizzard of 1899. :LOL: :LOL:

Today I was complaining at work because the air conditioner seems to no be working very well. Some guys are just never happy.:p :p


Don

When it's spring time in Alaska it's 40 below. AAhh i'm used to these Chicago winter's

Don buy all means get some paint on and post a pic cant wait to see this.

bluestang67
I see your in New Lenox one of my sons lives there. My folks lived there quit awhile ago on Oak I think it was 149 Oak across from some creek.

Cool Cff not far up by Rt 30 , i live off Delaney between cedar road and Schoolhouse > place is changing fast the country is leaving to all subdivisions

CHANGING
Man I remember driving from Oak Lawn to Frankfort and it being nothing but farmland last time I was through there it was all HOMES. My dad used to work at the match factory in Frankfort.

Ive been out here 7 yrs and seen 1000s of acres plotted with homes. I wont be able to see the race track lights soon i bet. In the summer Frankfort has a car show every tuesday night. Working afternoons i get to miss it as usual. But hey you ever come out to see son stop buy well sip a cold one in the garage.

Don, did any of those Tornados that were in Florida last night get close to you? I am hoping not. Well, can't hardly wait for your next post on the project.

No they didn't, but thanks for asking. I never listen to the news, but I think they were in the central part of the State? We are supposed to get some heavy rain action I think. I heard the guys at work talking about it.

I got in a new supply of Corona and Capt Morgan, so I am in pretty good shape to hold up.:D :D I better stop and get some limes for both on the way home.:cool: :cool:

It might mess up my engine painting plans for this weekend though, as I have to shoot it outside so I don't fume out my cats in the shop. Really anxious to see how this color comes out.

Don

Don Rainy day is a Corona day ,open the door watch it rain and sip 1,2,3 sip 1,2,3

Yeah, Don, have a Corona for me while you're at it. :) :) CNN is saying that there are at least 13 dead from the toronado. It was in Central Florida. I didn't catch that the first time through. (or maybe it's just CRS happening again):LOL: :LOL:

Customer was just telling me the tornados were in Lake County, which is pretty flat, and lots of mobile homes. Not a good combination in one of these storms.

Hope the casuality count doesn't get too high up there.


Don

Well, the weather was a little on the chilly side this weekend, but I went ahead and painted the engine for the T anyway. I just mixed a tad more hardner in the paint and primer, and it seemed to flow and kick pretty well.

We've had lots of questions on here in the past about how to paint an engine. Some of us use the Plasticote, or Tempo spray cans you buy at the local auto parts store, and some of us use regular automotive enamel or catalized enamel to paint our engines. That is what I have done for the past 25 years, and feel the appearance and longeviity of doing it this way is far superior to the spray can method.

Some people are shocked that you can use regular automotive paint on an engine block, because of the heat, but the secret is to use an epoxy primer first, then top coat it with whatever color you want, either to match or contrast to your car's color. You can treat the engine just as if it were the body of your car, and spray it exactly the same way.

I finally settled on a color for the T............Hummer Fusion Orange. It is actually closer to gold than to bronze, but I am really glad I picked it, as I think it will make the T a little different than many of the other colors out there. I had already done all of the grinding I was going to do on the engine last week, so today all I had to do was wipe it down with wax and grease remover and mask off the parts I didn't want paint on. I wiped it down about 4 times to make sure it was super clean, and used some old valve covers and masking tape to protect the unpainted surfaces.

I shot two coats of epoxy primer, and three coats of the final color. I did light coats so I wouldn't get any runs, and for a change I didn't get any. Now I just have to order some more chrome parts for the engine, like water pump, alternator, pulleys, water neck, etc. and I can bag it until I need to set it into the painted frame. I think I am going to go with some Sanderson Headers that will probably be the megaphone style. The jet hot coating in silver should go pretty well with the rest of the engine.

I am still on the fence for a contrasting color for the suspension and misc parts, but am leaning toward a creamy white, with matching interior. I had considered black, but a black interior in Florida can heat up pretty good in the summer. Still have to think about that one for a while.

Here are some pictures of the engine in primer, and then in the final color. I had to put some of my goodies on it to see how it was going to look, and I think I like this color a lot.

Thanks for looking,


Don

Looks good, Don.

Looking really nice, Don.... Going to have it ready in the spring???? I really like those valve covers, where did you come up with them???

Thanks Brian and Dave. Yeah, I think I may actually have this one running this Spring for a change.:o Dan bought me those valve covers for my last birthday, they are Cal Custom, and made to work with the Vortec head bolt pattern. I like them because they look old timey.

Don

Like the valve covers and the the air cleaner too. It should look right at home in the car. Definately will have an old timey feel.

Don that color is great . That should shake hands sitting in the frame . That color gave it a Hello look . Great job.

Thanks guys. It's a little different than it photographs, more goldish, but I think it is going to be ok. I plan to do the body and frame in the same color, except I will do the body in base coat/clear coat so that I can buff out any boo boos. It is a metalic, so single stage won't buff out right. On the frame it won't matter as much, so single stage will be ok.

Now it's time to start glassing the interior wood in, and I think I'll start that this week.


Don

Don
Realy glade your getting back into the construction of your car again:) . It is informative and interesting. Thanks for the added effort of posting your step by step progress, and putting up with the (minor:eek: ) harrasment alone the way.

Charlie: Thanks. Looking back on this thread, it has covered every subject from the weather to cats, with some occasional car building thrown in. :LOL: But it has been fun to do, and has kept me moving (well, at most times anyway) and has forced me to do things pretty much correctly, because I know a lot of experts are out there critiquing me.

I would encourage anyone who is doing similar stuff on their car to do the same thing, as it becomes a learning experience for the people watching as well as the person doing the build. ( Like I learned to NEVER build my own shifter again :o :o )

Everyone who has posted has been the best as far as support and assistance, and I thank all of you for doing that.


Don

Don you don't know you can't do it till you try. Its not that you couldn't build a shifter but its kind of like reinventing the wheel:eek: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
I remember back when I was in H.S. had a 50 olds with lasale trans couldn't afford floor shifter:CRY: yet but HAD TO DRIVE. I got two steel rods beat them flat on one end drilled holes and filed till I could use them for shifters. one was 1 &R the other was 2&3 No speed shifting but I was on the road.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

haven't felt like posting for a while, but wanted to say your motor looks great. the only thing i used to do diff. is paint the heads, block and pan before i bolted them together, so when you did bolt it to gather you could see the new gaskets. in other words i didn't paint over the gaskets. ever body has he's own way. i've pulled a motor back out of a car, because the paint got to looking a little bad and dissemble the motor, painted each peace, bought new gaskets, and put the motor back together and put it back in the veh. and didn't do anything else to it. :eek: :HMMM: