Thread: Roadster pickup getting closer

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Don,
It's looking really good to me. Here are a couple shots how I did mine. Not that you guys need any suggestions, if nothing else you can look at it as how not to do it
There is a 1" X .120 wall square tubing under my dash then it angles off at about 45 degrees to a up right that the door hinges are mounted to. This body comes that way and is very sturdy. Then I came off of that to the pedal assembly on both sides. On the right side of the pedal assembly I used that gusset to mount the proportionating valve.
It's just one way of doing it. I hope this will help you and Dan to come up with a even better way.
Ken

Thanks Hank. We talked about adding a cowl vent because Dan likes the looks of them, and it would give access to the master cylinder, but I am doing my best to talk him out of it. First of all, it would require him to cut the tank top and weld in the vent assembly, and with the time it would add to the build it would create one more problem time-wise. The tank top is perfect now, and welding it in would create some warpage that would take some body work to correct. The second reason is that you really almost never have to get back into a master cylinder to add any fluid once it is bled unless you have a leak somewhere. I never added one drop of Dot 5 to my '27 in all the years I had it. Dan also bought their Corvette M/C and the thing is huge. The capacity should be such that he would never have the need to add any or check it. I figure we can fill and bleed the system with the cowl top off, like in the pictures, and probably never have to look at it ever again.


Brad: I had the same thought about a booster, but with the Ford Expedition brakes on the rear and Wilson Welding '39 Lincolns up front I don't think he will need it. I've never had the need to add power brakes to any car, generally they are so light and the brakes upgraded that manual ones work fine. Hey Brad, did you fly out to Ken Thurns house for his 4th of July BBQ?? I told him you have been known to fly to faraway places for a cup of coffee.

Thanks RC57. Yep, you know me and my camera.........I add one little part and I'm snapping away.

Thanks Ken: I showed Dan your pictures when you posted them before. That is a great, strong way to brace it...........that won't be moving at all. As I mentioned, his original plan was to build a removable underdash roll bar like my T has, and hang everything off of it, and tie it into the dash and firewall. But after sitting in the car he realized even a small 1.25 roll bar would encroach on his already limited footroom. The more we talked about it the more we realized lots of guys simply bolt these Kugel type setups right to the firewall and call it good, so if we did that and then tied it into the dash support he is going to fab up, and also into the sides it should be plenty strong.

The main thing we need to damp out would be firewall flex when you push on the brake pedal, so with that large flat plate spreading the load, and a couple of braces to the dash, it should be way strong enough. Is your's a Kugel setup, or someone elses? It looks very nice.

BTW Ken, while I have some downtime at the shop when Dan is doing some one-man kind of jobs, I have been working on my Dodge. I have the Moon tank mount all figured out and am going to cut off the existing spring perch and redesign it to incorporate the forward two bolts of the brackets. That tank looks terrific up there........can't thank you enough. How did your BBQ go? Did you get much car building help from your buddies?

Don

Don,
When I was first doing my Brookville body, I noticed that the rear part trunk area seemed to be loose. The first thing I did was to pull all of their bolting and either replace with gr5's or at a minimum, a good gr5 lock washer. That stiffened it up some. Then I tied everything together with some 1" round and square stock. Needless to say, there isn't any flop. I also tied the cowl sides together with some 1/2 square tubing and most of the cowl floppiness is now gone. Then with the doubled flooring with 1/2 square tubing reinforcement and tabs for the seat, you can even lift the body with the doors open and it wont bend.

Don,
I used a Kugel also, I really like everything about it. I'm glad you will use the tank.
I didn't get anything done on the 4th I invited these guys over to take advantage of there free labor and we start goofing around telling each other lies, then watching Nascar, and I buy way to much beer, then cook to much food, then we watched the fireworks up and down the coast, then their wives drag them home, what a bunch
The headers have to go in at the same time the motor does, so it's a two man operation. My one friend is retired so he said he would come back Monday and help me. We had a lot more fun than working on a old car.
Glad to see you are working on your truck.
Ken

That's the right way to brace these things Dave, sure looks good. You can see how it would stiffen everything up tied in the way you did it.

Ken, sounds like your 4th was the way it should be.......good friends and a lot of relaxation. Too bad I'm not on the left coast, I'd be more than happy to help you get that engine back in. I think you said it was your throwout bearing that went.........did you ever determine what caused it to fail?


Don

Originally Posted by Ken Thurm

Don,
I used a Kugel also, I really like everything about it. I'm glad you will use the tank.
I didn't get anything done on the 4th I invited these guys over to take advantage of there free labor and we start goofing around telling each other lies, then watching Nascar, and I buy way to much beer, then cook to much food, then we watched the fireworks up and down the coast, then their wives drag them home, what a bunch
The headers have to go in at the same time the motor does, so it's a two man operation. My one friend is retired so he said he would come back Monday and help me. We had a lot more fun than working on a old car.
Glad to see you are working on your truck.
Ken

Ken, I spent yesterday, sprucing up the place for our little dinner party, and unfortunately over did it in the wine department, which I'm paying for today! But I'm still going to get to the shop and do some body work, headache or not!

No Don, Ken didn't say anything about BBQ or I would have made time to stop in for burger or at least a hot dog. I like the brake setup was going to use it on my 31' roadster with remote fill. Now the shop is almost done, I can start the rebuild and tell the story of this cars life.
BradC

O.K. next time I'm going to send out invitations
Don,
It sounds like you aren't going to do this but this is the way I did mine. I bought a replacement cowl vent from Brookville made the cut out then used my step roller to put a 1" flange around the patch panel. Rosette weld the flange in then weld it up no warppage. That is my radiator cap on the left, clutch and brake reservoirs on the right, then the dry sump tank fill will go in the middle.
Ken

Steve, so you've been getting a lot of use out of the new welder? Good. Those Hobarts are really very good units.

Brad, I hear they have some great BBQ in California.......Ken doesn't know how close he came to having you there for a little visit.

Ken, Dan is pushing for the cowl vent and I am trying to change his mind. No question it would be a great addition and a way to access the master cylinder, but this car build has been going on for 4 years now, it is time for him to just "git R done." The fun of fabricating stuff has worn a little thin for he and I right now, it is time to get this thing on the road, even if it is in primer. If he forgoes the vent it will be just one more job we don't have to do.

Today he and I were both pretty wiped out from the past two long nights, so we tackled something easy........we put in two more subframe crossmembers and got his bomber seats mounted. Even that turned into another 12 hour day, but we can now sit in the car and finalize the placement of steering and other stuff. Here is a couple of pictures of what we got done today. Also, we have a new stray cat hanging around the shop. We fed him the past 3 nights and he is starting to be less afraid of people........but he is still wary. At least he will be fed regularly now, I laid in some supplies to feed him.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

........ Dan is pushing for the cowl vent and I am trying to change his mind. Don

Listen to Dan.........................

In fact, he can borrow a design theme from Mopar................TWO cowl vents!! Not only does it give access for the master cylinder, but it gives dual zone air conditioning!! (hey, just tryin' ta help here buddy)

Bob,
Steve Moel already does that, I was thinking, 3 small cowl vents. That way one on each side for the fresh air, and one in the middle for an access panel. If they put in a hand made swoopy duval windshield frame they could follow the radius of the frame. Just trying to help, ya don't want a cookie cutter rpu do ya!!
Your Friend,
Ken

Not to say you may of had to much to drink or maybe not enough sleep............LOL
If it was Scooter coming back she would walked into the shop and stole your chair. Yes Don, Ken doesn't know I like to travel at the spur of the moment, like going to Maine for lobster or Chicago for Pizza ( I have even been know to go to Florida for a car show ), But it must run in the family my sisters are going to Oregon for wine.
Bradc

I really enjoy your build threads. Dan's work is outstanding (I was following it on the HAMB). I just scratch my head at his idea's and building skills. Wish I could even do half of what he does.
I bet your one proud papa too have both Don and Dan close and being part of a "hobby" you all enjoy.
Read the 3K build (ok, I did skim some of the chit-chat) Your T looks great!
I may just pipe in now and then to keep you on your toe's-LOL

Earl

Brad, now that you mention it, sleep deprivation might have entered into the Possum thing. However, there was some spooky organ music coming from somewhere, and................

OFT, thanks for the nice words. You are right about me enjoying having the two of them so close to me, I guess I tend to say that too often maybe, but I really do. We always want our Kids to be better and have it easier than us, and I've been pretty fortunate in that regard. They both turned out to be very good people, and obviously I have to give a lot of that credit to their Mom too. She was and is a good Mother in all respects. She used to shake her head at some of the stuff we would get into and call us "her three Sons." Good thing she dyes her hair blond because I'm sure we put a few gray ones up there over the years.

Don

Don,
Has Dan considered putting a remote-fill resevoir on the master cylinder? As ingenious as you guys are, I'm certain you could come up with something that serves the purpose and still looks good... maybe a small polished stainless piece on the firewall in the center near the top. All it would need is one small hole and a short hose going to the master cylinder top.

I see your point about not having to add fluid for several years, but here's something that happened to me once: My son (who was 8 yrs old at the time) and I were on the way home from a parade we had been in with my old C-Cab. When I stopped at the staging area to pick up my trailer, my brake pedal felt mushy. As we were getting ready to leave, I noticed a puddle of something under my car near the right rear tire. It turned out to be brake fluid! I tried the pedal again and it had some resistance, but went gradually to the floor. Oh crap! I was 22 miles from home, had no tools and no jack with me, and all the people I knew had already left.

Fortunately, there was an auto parts store across the road, so I went there and bought a big bottle of brake fluid, filled up the master cylinder, and headed for home. The brakes worked good the first 3 times I needed them, but got mushy again on the 4th stop. I pulled into a parking lot, filled the master cylinder and went on. I repeated the process two more times. Once I got out of the stop-'n-go city traffic, I was able to get home without stopping again. When I was finally able to tear it apart, I discovered that one of the pistons in the wheel cylinder had stuck and forced the other side almost out of the cylinder. Because of that, it had developed a pinhole size leak. My point is, if I had not been able to access the master cylinder, I may have been stranded for hours waiting for help...