Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Yeah my 3 speed tranny out of the 66 is a pretty tiny unit so I think it would possibly work. I am small as heck though guys, and doubt I will get any bigger for a lot more years. I am about 5'5" and 110 pounds haha. Skinny as a twig but my feet are big and I have to have wide shoes as well. At work I have to sometimes drive a few old Vette stingrays and such and I have to take off my right shoe or else my foot gets stuck under the brake and wont fit between the pedals. Haha. I have too many projects right now (3 of them) so something like this wont happen for at least 2 years. I am going to get to work on the 48 in about 2 or 3 months and see what happens with that, I might end up selling it and if so then 27 roadster here I come!!! Ok sorry to take over your post Don.

Ok sorry to take over your post Don.


You didn't. All the questions and stuff you brought to the post really helps it. I'm very happy that you guys are participating in this thing and planning you next builds too.

I can't wait until there are a lot more of these posts on here, like the thread Brian is doing on the windshield, and Pat is doing on header fabrication. You couln't find this kind of info anywhere if it weren't for these forums.


Keep it coming.


Don

I really didn't feel like getting knee deep in any serious work on the T today, I just wanted this weekend to chill out a little. I did want to do something, so I decided to finish off the headlight bar and get it mounted to the frame.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to use early Ford headlight bars and modify them to hold the headlights, rather than buy some of the accessory aluminum ones most people use. There are two reasons for me liking them. 1) They look old timey, and 2) The headlights don't shake going down the road like on some of the aluminum brackets. MY buddy had a T bucket with the aluminum mounts, and when he would follow me when we were out cruising his headlights were constantly shaking when he hit a bump. Not all of them do this, but enough that I don't like them.

As for the old timey aspect, back in the early '50's hot rodding was sort of in it's infancy, and there weren't many places to buy hot rod parts, so we made most of the stuff we used. I'm not sure who the first guy was to use a stock Ford headlight bar on a fenderless roadster, but it was a pretty smart idea.

Here is a picture of a stock model A headlight bar, uncut. The reason I like to use the '32 bar is that the shape is rounded on top, rather than straight across like the model A. Visually, the straight bar seems to sag when you look at it, whereas the '32, with it's rounded top, seems to flow better with the lines of the car. By the time I took this picture I had already cut up the '32 bar, so I am only posting this Model A bar for reference.

To make it work on a fenderless car, you simply cut off the ends of the bar, right outside the little pockets where the headlight bucket bolts on. They look like this when cut off.

To get this part to fit the flat frame topside where it gets mounted, you have to grind off the two bumps on the bottom, then heat the base with a torch and hammer it flat. If you don't so this, it is humped up in the middle when you mount it, and there will be a gap under the center.

"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! haha

Denny:I wouldn't want that ONE Tweety sic'd on me.


FMX, no I haven't seen the stuff you are talking about. Tell me more.


Brian, thanks. It's also real cheap.

Don

Thanks Denny. I thought the 2 liter thing was kinda funny too.

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.


Don