Printable View
Yes Ken,the steering wheel does look rather large but I agree with Uncle Bob,fit up the door and if possible fit the drivers seat and sit your rear in there as have a feel of the situation. I personally like small dia. steering wheels on my cars,but that is just me after my rallycar days.
When I look back through old hot rod magazines from the 50's it's surprising how big the steering wheels were back then. That was before Grant and all the others were cranking out those 3 spoked ones we are all used to seeing, and the builders had to use ones out of big old Buicks, Pontiacs, etc.
I don't know, Ken..........that wheel doesn't look terribly out of place to me. But you will know better when you sit behind the wheel and test it out.
Don
Might block the view of your gauges Ken. In my truck with the over stuffed seat my knees practicaly touch the bottom of the stock wheel. In my case I'll keep the big diameter wheel, but destuff the seat!:D
Ken - I like the wheel, but the proportions look wrong for the car at this point. When you get it more together, put it out again for discussion:3dSMILE:
Yep, I think you guys are right, it's a little early.
Thanks,
Ken
36 inch wheel = easier steering
just like the old days
Ken,
If you're going for period correct bigger may be better.:HMMM:
Jack.
The wheel looks like it belongs in a school bus, not a cool looking sedan, JMO :LOL:
We can rest assured, Ken will get it right regardless of what we think.
Mike
That steering wheel looks like the real thing right out of an old sprint car. If only it could talk...:rolleyes:;)
The 17" wheel sure is going to crowd your left hand against the door, but it looks good mounted in that photo. Don't give up on that size wheel too quickly. You may be surprised. Brings back memories.
Yep, I'm going to revisit this after I'm further along.
J. Robinson- I have had the very same thoughts, I know one thing about this wheel it was in a pretty good wreck. Someone straightened it but the scars are still there.
I worked on the roof for the last couple of days. These little brackets are for fixing the curvature of the roof. I welded those in then I'm attaching this 1/2" tubing in the arc of the roof, then I can lay the sheet metal on that. I slotted the tubing so the brackets slide inside it. When it's all in place and welded up I will trim the brackets so they will blend into the tubing.
Ken
Good to see you back focused on our Tudor Ken, and it is looking good.. Now me and old retired panelbeater wouldn't of thought of doing those neat little braces for the roof support. You see i would of taken a short cut somehow and then cursed myself for been to lazy to do the job correctly the first time.:o
Lots of thoughts in that one Ken - good job.
REGS
Ken,those brackets are awesome..its those little bits and pieces you are doing/have done which leaves me in awe,mainly because I never would have thought of doing it..Awesome mate..:cool:
Whiplash23T - I have done the same thing also, but now I try not to take the short way, it always seems to take longer :LOL:
REGs - Thanks, one piece at a time.
lamin8r - Believe me I have beat the idea's to death on this one, I think this will work out, it gives me a little more head room and it should be a little easier on the upholstering job.
Finished up the bows today and blended the brackets into the tubing, so there shouldn't be any lumps in the head liner. I hope! I'm really happy with the way this is coming out, but the worst is yet to come. I didn't weld in the bows in case there are any final adjustments when I do the sheet metal.
Ken
Looks like something Henry should have done in 32. :D Glad to see you are still hitting on this one..........I love the style of it.
Don
Ken that ought to really add a ton of structural support to the whole cab! Ashame the supports will be hidden by the interior! Hunting season is pretty much over for me, so hopefully I'll be more motivated to get back to work on the truck! I keep running different ideas about my own interior through my head, which is why I'm taking a break before doing anything permanent!(that and the fact I hate body work and sanding!:LOL:)
Ken, do you have DVD's available of your builds? I've watched the three builds on Club Hot Rod and would imagine you have many pictures, details and drawings of your creations. Any thoughts on making this info available?
Thanks!!
Don - Thanks, I really like also. It's one of those projects I have always wanted. I think I looked at a million photo's before I started.
Steve - It has really stiffened the whole roof up. So now when I start beating on it with the new roof it should go any where. So did you get Bambi?:LOL:
Ronbo - I do have a lot of drawings and photo's. The photo's are taken with a camera that uses floppy disc's. Very low resolution, so I don't have to resize them when I post. :LOL: The only place they are available is on this site. I have been on other sites and posted some of my truck but I don't do that any more This is the only place I post them.
Well it's time to do the dreaded roof sheet metal. I'm doing it in two pieces, just to make it easier to handle, and if I screw up I only have to make half the roof over :LOL:
First was a template out of construction paper, then cutting it out of sheet metal. I think I will only have to wheel the corners. It looks like the metal bows are going to pay off. They hold the shape really nice.
Ken
Those bows are really going to work out nice Ken!!! Had to of really helped with the flexy shakes on the top of the body, too. Using 20ga. for the skin?
Heck Ken, we will make you a bodyman yet,what if genuine Visegrip brand clamps, a flipper (now that might have you thinking) and unknown brand of panel hammer on the cowl panel, (snapon would do) you are ready to go.
I would of thought it would of been easier to make the roof panel in one piece to safe the join in the middle? But I like what you have done sofar so I will just have to wait and watch and also learn from a master craftsman.;)
Ken Bambi is still running free!:LOL:
Looking good on the roof progress. You need to do your pounding when some one gets yah mad! I was hammering out the bed bolt welds for about a hour on thursday. When I was done it felt like a work out. My arms just sort of hung all day!:3dSMILE:
Hey Whip i watched flipper as a kid :) now what about a slapper :LOL:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiplash23T
DAVE - Thanks, yep, you have always guessed the material thickness on my stuff, How do you do that?
Whiplash23T - My English wheel is to small to roll it in one piece. I will step the second piece then weld them together.
Steve - Thanks, and Bambi thanks you too!!!! :LOL::LOL:
Ken
Ken,
Have you thought about welding a flat strip to the lower edge of the roof bow mounting brackets (perpindicular to the current bracket)? As is, they look like they would be dangerous in the event of a crash where your head gets slammed sideways.
Lots of time playing with making my own Hot Rod stuff????:LOL::LOL::LOL: I really like the formability of 20ga on a wheel, though 22ga works even better, just requires a lot more structure to support it...Have you played with .040 aluminum much for a skin? Just scheming on a down-the-road-someday project......;) Been playing with wooden bucks to form aluminum, just so dang slow! Maybe a wider pair of wheels on the English wheel wouldn't crush and track on aluminum as much??? Could you slip into Martel's back door someday and see what him and the boys are using?:LOL::LOL::LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Thurm
Dave - I asked them and it depends on what there building as to the material, kind of expected that answer. He said if you are leaving marks you are using to much pressure, go slower. I told him, you were in a hurry :LOL:
Making the clamps to hold the steering box in place. Had to take a break from welding. These will be seen below the dash so I think I will anodize them black when I'm done.
Ken
Ken ... although I don't post much I do have to mention that your stuff is ALWAYS kick ass. Nice job on the steering set up.
REGS
REGs - Thanks, got a long way to go!
Got the other side done today. Now I just have to finish all the bracing. After looking at it installed I think it would of looked better with a series of holes instead of the slots. I'm not going to do it over just make it black so maybe it will not be so obvious.
Ken
Worked on the roof, trying to get that finished up. I stepped the front half and laid the rear on that so It comes out flush. Wheeled the corners for the transition from the front to the side, then hand formed the rest, it didn't take much to bring it in. Next I'm going to put a sealer between the bows and the roof panel and start welding it in and praying a lot. :LOL:
Ken
looks great, Ken!!!! Really do like the two piece idea for the roof... All that welding sure does make for a loooooonnnnngggggg day, though!!!!!
Thanks Dave, that's for sure. I would of rather made it out of one piece but some times I have help and some times not. so I didn't want to take a chance on making it out of one piece. It's just to hard to handle. I could just imagine taking it off to form something and it fold in half, that would be disastrous :(
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for this post, it has kept my juices flowing and gives me added inspiration for my own build.;):):)
Jack.
Your welcome, that makes the time it takes to do this worth while :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack F
Ken
That looks really good Ken, nice tight fit. Have you considered something like 3M panel adhesive between the ribs and top panel?
Don
looks great!!
any idea on the crown of the panel ended up being?
Nice fit Ken. The seams look great. Stuff like that takes so much time and skill, but rarely gets noticed unless the fitting is sloppy! It's funny what we take for granted.
Don -- Thanks, yes, that's exactly what I got. I just imagined after the interior is all in and I'm cruising down the road and at a certain speed the harmonics from the wind and the vibration of the motor creating this rubbing of the roof to the bows and driving me nuts.
STREETWERKZ - I have no idea. What I did was use the body line that is just above the windshield frame, in the photo above, and started with that. It turned out to be very close. Then I just sighted them as I worked my way back. I think it is really close.
Steve - Thanks, It tool awhile. What you don't see is all the different ways I tried and threw away :LOL: Lil' John told me once, how to tell if someone is a good craftsman. He said, "look in their dumpster, if it's got lots of parts in it, the guy is a real craftsman. The hardest person to please should be yourself ". Now I'm nowhere near what John was, but I try to live by that.
Ken
Ken
Know what you mean by the dumpster ---When Nye Frank was doing the frontend axle fairing for our rear engine dragster he make a piece for one side and then made 4 more like it---well they didn't fit so he tossed them so then made 2 pieces and duplicated them--didn't fit so dumpster---by the time I stopped off to see how it was going he was pretty much half way thru his carton of tipperellos (menthol cigars) and I pointed out that the axle was offset he had done about every combo of trying to build it with same pattern right and left--he said at least the first piece was right and only had to make 3 more different ones----at least when they did the front wheel fairings they made a scaled down version off the land speed record car--made a buck, did 4 panels and then oil canned (popped curve backwards) them and welded edges together
Sure miss him and Quincy!!!
Excellent job so far and I wish you well with the welding job in front of you,but heck it can't be any worse then welding up your stainless chassis.
Joke time..... hammer and file finish ????
Yes.I agree with the sealer to stop any drumming sounds but make sure it (the sealer) doesn't dry out or shrink as it could pull your roof panel. I am not familiar with the 3M product that you are going to use but hope it is a urethane sealer adhesive that can stand high temperatures.