Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Don, where did you get that steering wheel? I've been looking for a flat 4-spoke and can't find any.

Are you going to the "Speedway Spectacular" run in Daytona at the end of the month? It's not quite as big as the Turkey Run, but still a pretty good one...

Jim

Originally Posted by cffisher

I see one of your bosses laying out there supervising

Charlie.....

Actually had TWO supervisors. See picture below.


Jim........

I bought a 15 inch one at Turkey Rod run from some vendor there, but Dan found a 13 inch one that I like better. He's at the shop working on his windshield now, and I will ask him where he got it. I need to order one too.

I'll let you know.


Don

Jim..........


I just called Dan, he got it at Riley Automotive. Here is their web site.

I was wrong, it is a 14 inch wheel, not 13.

Don


www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

Don, where did you get that steering wheel? I've been looking for a flat 4-spoke and can't find any.

Are you going to the "Speedway Spectacular" run in Daytona at the end of the month? It's not quite as big as the Turkey Run, but still a pretty good one...

Jim

Jim........ missed the second part of your post. I may go, haven't made any plans yet. What is the date?

Nice work, Are you going to make the tunnel removable?

Thanks Ken. No, I'm going to cut out the underside so I have access to the driveshaft. Probably will put two bolt in plates across the bottom of the hoops to act as a driveshaft retainer in case it ever fails. I am going to glass the tunnel over the trans and driveshaft solid to reinforce the body.


Got some more work done today, but forgot my camera. I got the floor bolted down in preparation to start the glassing, and changed out the rear Model A spring for a Model T spring to give it a little different look at the rear.

I'll remember the camera tomorrow.

Don

I thought I'd throw this in here. My Son Dan has never been happy with the windshield on his '29 sedan turned roadster pickup. At first it was straight up and down, but chopped. Then, in an effort to streamline it a little, he laid it back and tapered it a little.

A week or so ago while I was working on my T, he was at the shop taking measurements, and pondering the situation and I knew more cutting was going to happen. What he did was whack the whole windshield off , buy some '29 roadster stanctions, chop them 5 inches, and use a '32 frame that is also chopped 2 inches.

He still has some finish welding to do, but the major part of the swap is done, and now that I see it, I have to agree that it looks cleaner this way. The first picture is when it was straight, the second is after leaning it back, and the others are after the new windshield is on.

I've got to hide the sawzall, or he will never get this thing done.

Don

Yep! That's it, he has a good eye for this stuff. Looks like he is getting close, he must of had a good teacher.

Don,did they make two different cowls in 29, early and late or something?The reason I ask is that my 29 cowl and doors are entirely different. Hank

I notice in all three configurations the same array of Klecos on the quarter/back panel joint. Something there he's still mulling?

Hank, the Town Sedans had the different cowl from all the other body styles.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

I notice in all three configurations the same array of Klecos on the quarter/back panel joint. Something there he's still mulling?

No, he just hasn't worked back to that point yet to weld the seams up.

Bob is right, some '29's had the cowl you are used to seeing, and the Murrays had the one Dan has. I argued with him in the beginning that his was a '30, but then he proved to me that there were two distinctly different '29 cars.


Ken, as for the teacher thing......the teacher is now the student. Not sure when that happened exactly.


Don

Hey Don,
Sorry I didn't answer sooner. Haven't been here for a couple of days... Anyway, the Daytona car show & swap meet is March 23, 24, & 25. I'll be there on the 24th looking for a nose and turtle deck for my roadster...

Jim

Thanks Jim. I keep forgetting to mention it to Dan and Don to see if they can go. I am going to make a note and do that tomorrow. Hope you score your parts. I've never been to this one, I guess by your comments there is a swap meet and all? Just what I need, the temptation to buy more stuff.


I didn't get a whole lot done today on mine, I had to revert back to the Model A spring. The T spring dropped the rear an inch and a half lower, and I want a slight rake to the car. Got that swapped out, then tackled some of the little brackets I need to make to wrap up the frame welding.

One of the brackets that I made tonight were the ones to hold the fuel tank. I am going to use a 10 gallon moon style tank that I bought from Speedway. I actually bought this one for my '39, then I gave it to Dan for his, but he ended up using a fuel cell, so I got it back. It is a little shop worn now, so if I decide to go with the original aluminum finish I will order a new one from Speedway, and still use this one on the Dodge. But if I decide to paint it body color, I can sand and prep it and it will be fine. Just haven't decided yet.

I made two brackets out of 3/8 x 2 inch strap, bent the one end to raise it up slightly on the crossmember, and cut them so that they will fit between my rear Model A crossmember and the frame tube crossmember. I figure each one will only have to hold half of the 10 gallons of fuel, so these should be more than sufficient. Tomorrow I will weld them in place, drill the holes for the circular mounts that come with the tank, and be done with that part of it. I also have to make a mount for my water seperating fuel filter that goes before my electric pump, and one for the electric pump itself.

Getting down to the short strokes on the frame, and I am saving the fiberglassing for the weekend, because our industrial park is empty on the weekends and I can take the body outside to do the sanding on the interior, in preparation for the actual glassing.

Here are some shots of the fuel tank brackets I made tonight, and the tank in it's mocked up position.


Don

As I mentioned earlier, I would like to do some fiberglassing this weekend ,when I can take the body outside to keep some of the grinding mess down in the shop. But first I have finish up the driveshaft hoops before the floor is in. Then I can remove the entire hoop structure as one big assembly, glass in the floor and interior wooding, then weld the hoops permanently to the frame, and finally cut out the floor to fit over the hoops.

The reason I want to keep the plywood floor in one piece until all the wood is in there is because it will stay straighter than if I cut it now. Once the backrest and side pieces are glassed in, there will be enough strength there so it should not lose it's shape until I glass the trans and driveshaft tunnel permanently in place.

I was also able to shrink the width and height of the driveshaft hoops. I had originally allowed way more room than I actually needed for the driveshaft to move up and down, and sideways (due to rear axle shifting on turns) I got that down considerably so that I will now have enough hip room . You will notice the very rear hoop is wider and taller than the other two, that is because I needed more room there for the rear axle yoke to spin and go up and down. That portion is behind my seat slightly, and will be pretty much hidden in the backrest. I plan to flare out the driveshaft tunnel there and also in front of the very front hoop, so that it will blend into the transmission tunnel.

Ken Thurm got me thinking when we were discussion the Odyssey Battery we are both using (hey Bob, I called it the right name this time ) He mentioned it should be about 3 feet from the starter for best performance. I was originally planning on mounting it on the drivers side, but that run would have been further than if I put it on the passenger side. I still am about 4 feet, but closer than the other way. So, I built a battery box and mounting bracket to put it right on the rear round crossmember. When I weld in the driveshaft hoops I will tie it into that structure for strength.

I made the box that holds the battery unboltable so that if Odyssey ever discontinues this particular battery I won't be left hanging with a welded in box. As you can see in the one picture, the angle iron box I made mounts straight up and down, rather that having the battery sit on top of it, as is usually done. I will slide the battery into this "shelf" and hold it in place with two metal straps that bolt across the back side. It only weighs like 15 lbs, so there should be no problem with it sitting there in this fashion.

Now I just have to clean up the steel for welding, and I plan on going back tonight after dinner and doing some of that. These small chores are a bear to get out of the way, but until I do, I can't go on to the body mounting.

Here are some pictures of what I got done today. Obviously, I have to trim off the excess part of the hoops that extends below the frame. I am also going to cut off the heads of the bolts that are holding on the battery box and flush weld them in so the battery can sit flat.

Don

PS: I also know the real driveshaft will be fatter than the PVC mockup, but allowed enough room for that one too.