Roadster pickup getting closer

Got the car pushed outside today and took these shots. We were hoping to fire it up this weekend, but have decided to slow down and take things easy so we don't miss anything and cause any problems. During this next week we are going to keep doing things toward getting it ready to start though.

Dan can't work on it tomorrow, it's Mothers Day and he and Don are going to be with their Mom all day. We tried to get Mothers Day rescheduled so it wouldn't interfere with us working on the car, but they wouldn't go for it.....................I'M KIDDING !! :D:D

Anyway, here are some pictures of the car back in the sunshine. Sorry they are so big, my camera got reset and I don't know how to edit the pictures down in my new computer. :o And that red distributor cap is now black. :)

Don

A couple more, Dan took these and they are a lot sharper and smaller. :o

Don

Missed one..........

Knocks me out Don......extraordinary......

That looks fabulous, Don! Exceptional work, for sure.

Is he actually gonna drive that? He might get it dirty!!:LOL::LOL::LOL: Seriously, what can we say but WOW!:cool::D

WOW!! That looks really, really nice! Congrats Don & Dan. You guys do great work, and LOVE those headers!

Really lookin' great Don!!! You and the boys are sure doing an excellent job on the roadster! Congrats on some very, very high quality craftsmanship!!!! As always, quality work is it's own reward....

Thanks guys. Since it isn't my car and my work, I guess it's ok to say I like it a lot too. :) I'm just so happy to see the car getting to this stage, it's been four long, hard years for Dan, and every spare dollar he had has gone toward it. We all know how frustrating it can be to keep working and the end of the tunnel seems to never be near. Maybe all those 6:30 AM breakfasts at McDonalds are finally coming to an end! :D

There is a little car show locally a couple of Sundays from now, and I mentioned to Dan that I think this would be a perfect first outing for his car. We can rent a U Haul car trailer and take it. I did that many years ago with my 27 when it was just a finished chassis with the body in white gelcoat. People loved seeing it that way, lots of them got down on their hands and knees to peek under it. I think Dan's would be interesting for them too because it has so many little details to look at. Plus, it would really be good for him to get that little psychological boost from the nice comments he might get. Not many spectators at a show ever get to see a car at this stage of the build.

I'm going to call the show promoters and ask if this is ok to do.

Don

Don,
What everyone else said, I agree very nice. Happy MUTHA'S day :D
Ken

Thanks Ken. Once again everyone, SORRY ABOUT THE BIG PICTURES! :o:o One of these days I'll actually learn how to work this computer thingie. :o:o

Don

That looks incredible guys!!! Lots of attention to details. Is he missing front brakes?

Thank you. Yeah, he has Wilson Welding '39 Lincoln front backing plates but the Buick drums need slightly machined to clear them. Believe it or not, we can't find a shop in the entire Ft Myers area who can cut the lip off. Bob at Wilson Welding says it is a simple operation on a brake lathe, but every brake shop and machine shop I have called says they can't do it. I am also reluctant to give these to just anyone as these drums are mint and Gastrick on here had two sets of Buick drums ruined by shops he used to do the same procedure.

Bob at Wilson offered to do them but we would have to build a plywood crate and hope UPS or FedEx didn't run over it with their truck enroute.:rolleyes: I am going to keep trying locally, there must be one competent shop in this area. My problem is working all week I can't get out and search for one.......might have to call in sick some day soon. :D

Here are the backing plates that he is using.

Don

Don every inch of the frame and motor are polished smooth and gleaming. I think the car show idea is great. Everyone will flock to it! All that hard work shows, like Dave said. It just is stunning. The frame alone just stands out!
Also I think I'm going to need to reread the thread and get the name of that black paint for some detail work of my own. It is Black Widow Black!!!:cool:

Don, tell Dan the frame and chassie looking great can't wait to see it up close.
BradC

Thanks guys. Steve, it's 1950 Chrysler black. It really is the blackest I have seen. The guy at the paint store said it has very little blue or other colors in it. I always thought black was black, but it turns out there are lots of different shades of it.

After seeing how it all looks together Dan is leaning toward the body being black too, with a white top. But that could change tomorrow. :LOL:

Don

Don, I think Franklin Welding is over in your area somewhere (maybe Sarasota or Fort Myers?). They're at the Turkey Run every year. They make narrowed rears and other stuff; they might be able to do those drums. Maybe someone on here knows their address or phone number...:confused:

All that black is beautiful, but it needs a COLOR to contrast and make it "pop". It needs something like bright red metalflake or candy Tangerine orange...:cool:

absolutely stunning, almost a shame to cover that frame with a body

Nice work!!

Looks amazing!! Fortunately for me I went over yesterday to visit my mom for Mother's Day, had lunch and the '35 is in the garage there so I snuck out for 4 hours or so then came back in for dinner and left after dinner :LOL::D

Jim: I'll have to check out Franklin to see where they are, thanks for the tip. Dan found the perfect contrasting color for his rod, it's called chrome and polished stainless! :D He has kicked around a bunch of colors, but is going for the understated look with pretty much all black except for a white top and white rolled and pleated interior. Shooting for that "little book" look from the early 50's. That's today, but until he actually pays the body shop to shoot it the color could change at any time.;)

Thanks Josh. Your help and that of everyone else got us through the powder coating issue. We are really glad we did it now.

Thanks 35fordcoupe. Not a bad day. Free meal with Mom and time to work on the car too. You are a brave man to sneak out like that. :LOL:

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Dan found the perfect contrasting color for his rod, it's called chrome and polished stainless! :D He has kicked around a bunch of colors, but is going for the understated look with pretty much all black except for a white top and white rolled and pleated interior. Shooting for that "little book" look from the early 50's.

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Another suggestion that fits the theme stated would be some simple pin striping for enhancing. A single or double stipe around the hubcaps, some highlighting on the tailgate and grill shell, maybe at the beltline, even the radius rods. Not too much, just enough to be a subtle touch in keeping with the time frame simulated. White to compliment the interior/tonneau/top would work well

That's actually the plan Bob. He is hoping Skratch is at Daytona again this year so he can get some pinstriping done. After Don and I had him do our cars last year Dan isn't about to let us outdo him. :LOL::LOL: I have to admit that the lines he laid down really did finish our cars off,

Don

I like the black white chrome stainless theme! I was thinking black bench seat with white diamonds diagonally would look cool in an old rod too! Can't go wrong with the pleats!

Don---We need an update---Surely there must be progress since last series of pictures.---Brian

Brian, as a matter of fact we are on our way out the door right now, heading to the shop. We've been doing all those little things that need done to fire up an engine for the first time, and last weekend was a wash because Dan was out of town the whole time. But we did go over a couple of nights this week and start running plug wires, etc.

Funny thing happened. We made a preluber that we spun with an electric drill, and when I started running it a big stream of oil about a foot high shot out of the open sender hole in the block! :eek: At least we knew we had good oil pressure, but the cleanup wasn't real fun.

Tonight we are going to buy a temporary battery and make up a gauge panel. His driveshaft was done this week so we can get that in place too. Nothing earthshaking, but maybe we can fire it up this weekend. :D:D

Thanks for asking.

Don

Got quite a bit done last night, like running the plug wires (that took a while as we had to figure a way to make them as neat as possible and still use straight boots on the plug end. Olds plugs sit deep and the 90 degree ones wouldn't clear the heads) Dan didn't care for the MSD printing all over the wires, so he used laquer thinner and made them look old timey. Polished a bunch more brass fittings and got those installed, and started bolting down the carbs for the (hopefully) last time.

Have to run out today and pick up some odds and ends of brass fittings for the fuel system, and make up a PCV setup. We are trying to fire it up by the end of the day today. Had to get the driveshaft remade, the first one was 1 inch too short, but the shop jumped right on it and corrected their mistake. Put the new one in and it fits good now.

We are running Rotella T oil because it is supposed to have a high load of zinc in it, plus we added Comp Cams break in additive. I always worry about flat tappet cam break in, but we have so much assembly and cam lube plus the other additives that we should be ok. Have to hook up some gauges like oil pressure, temp, and a tach so we can bring it up to 2000 or so for a half hour. I told Dan we are going to pick up some ear plugs because this baby should be a little loud. :D:D

Don

Don I did the same thing when I got my engine together. I was excited and had forgot to put the oil ascending unit in. Ditto on the mess. Felt like a Texas tycoon striking it rich with a gusher!:LOL::LOL:

Don't forget the vid' with sound.
The chassis is outstanding looking!!!!!! I vote for a "big" show for the unveilling of complete project. What is Dan's thinking for the car's unveilling?

Earl

I have one very happy Son right now................we got his hot rod running last night !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D:D It took us about 7 hours of hooking up stuff, and of course Dan had to build a panel to hold the tach, oil pressure, and temp gauges, plus some switches for the fuel pump and fan :LOL:, , but at about midnight we turned the key for the first time. It fired right off, and after retightening a couple of fuel leaks on the 3 carb fittings we got it up to 2000 rpms and broke it in for a half hour. We did it in 5 -10 minute segments, and once we were fairly confident we had enough time on it we dropped the rpms to about 800-900 because I knew Dan was worried that it wouldn't have a cammed up idle like his Brothers car.:D I don't think he had ANY worries, it sounds GREAT!!

Here are a couple of YouTube videos he did last night (I guess he was still wired and had some energy when we got in at 4PM) The first one is with the baffles in the headers and the second one is wide open...........not a whole lot of difference. Crank up your speakers for the full effect. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T_1ZUbRCGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq2IHg-QE34

Don

It sounds sweet:D and there wasn't much difference in the sound but I bet you had to be there to notice the difference.:D Congrats to you and your sons.

Wow way to go Dan and Don. This one has been a long time coming. Looks and sounds great!:D

Thanks guys. Yes. it has been a long road for him on this one, and I am so happy to see him at this stage. We stopped on the way to the shop last night and bought a 6 pack for the anticipated victory toast, I would have gotten Champagne, but I don't think he would have let me break the bottle over the bow. :LOL:

Anyone who has been down this road knows how the long hours and sinking every spare dollar you have into it gets old after a while. Dan has put many, many long nights in building this one, often coming in at daybreak after putting in all nighters. He is going to have a cool little rod here, and all the hard work is going to be forgotten when he takes that first ride. If he would have had steering and brakes last night I think he might have sat on a milk crate and tried it right there and then. :LOL:

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

If he would have had steering and brakes last night I think he might have sat on a milk crate and tried it right there and then. :LOL:

Don

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Kind of like this guy!:LOL::LOL: That would be fun! We used to have milk crate seats in our runabout. Everytime it would run out of gas on a full plane we'd all go flying fowards!
http://www.mitchamatrudo.com/images/duster59small.jpg

That's great, sounds really good! I wonder if he had a hard time getting to sleep, between exhaustion and excitement? :LOL:
Ken

Sound's fantastic with or without the baffles.
Bradc

Thanks Guys. Yep Ken, I haven't seen Dan that wired for a while. Don and I are just so happy for him to get over this hurdle. All the serious fabrication and grinding are done, the car runs, so now it is just a matter of stuff like brake lines, wires, fuel system, and then getting it painted and upholstered.

Brad, the baffles didn't do a whole lot to muffle it. Maybe once we are out of the shop it will sound different, but for now stuff keeps falling off the shelves in the shop. :D We even went out and bought some earplugs before firing it up, and I had them in the whole time, and needed them.

Tonight Don, his GF Taylor, and I went to a little cruise, and Don got to start Dans car and listen to it. Between Don's X cam and Dans cam I am feeling pretty inferior. Might have to order a little hotter cam for the old T so I can go cruising with these two.:o

When we pulled out onto the highway tonight Don punched his T and I was behind him. I kicked mine, and when it went into second the rear tires lit up and I went completely sideways. Ended up using all three lanes before I came to a stop. Got the old heart rate up a little.:eek: Won't be doing that one again for a while.

Don

After watching those videos Don, I am very worried about the punishment those skinny tires in back are going to take. ;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rickomatic

After watching those videos Don, I am very worried about the punishment those skinny tires in back are going to take. ;-)

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So, I guess "PINKS" is out? :LOL::LOL: Yep, I think you are right. Good thing Dan has a light right foot.:rolleyes::p

Don

Don, I'm starved for some update................LOL
BradC

Brad, haven't had much real stuff to post about, but this past weekend we got a lot done. The body hasn't been back on the frame since we had it powdercoated, so we needed to do that to make sure everything still clears and also to plan our next step. After 2 hours of Dan padding the frame with everything he could lay his hands on (:rolleyes:) we got the body put back in place. He was soooooooooo worried about scratching anything, but it went fine.

We also put the bed back on, as well as the framework for the top. He went with a Kwik-top frame, but didn't like the way the one support bar protruded down into the window area, so he modified it to only have one bar on the side instead of two. He won't be ever folding the top down, so it doesn't serve any purpose. Looks much cleaner this way.

I also got some stuff done on my rpu. I always liked the off white suspension and engine on Bo Huffs T coupe, so I am doing this one the same color. I found a fleet color in Imron and shot the motor and transmission over the weekend. It photographs whiter than it is, and to me it looks pretty old timey. I am doing the complete front end, brakes, rear end, steering, engine and transmission in this color, and the rest will be black. For the body I am going to brush paint it black to match the original color, and then "age" it with a scotchbrite pad. I want it to look like this car has been around for a while.

Here are some pictures of where Dan ended up and also of my motor and transmission.

Thanks for asking Brad.

Don