Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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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---

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 after all it has an aftermarket dif. cover

Ok, there is ONE part you could salvage.


Don

The front brakes do not need replaced,either!!

Originally Posted by shawnlee28

The front brakes do not need replaced,either!!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I need a set for an axle I have.


Don

I think WE should all watch this item and see if Don bids on it.

You guys is just too smart.

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