Thread: can I do it? What should I build? Ideas wanted!

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This is where we're supposed to sit around with beers in our hands and talk me out of it, or into it.

I have a 2001 expedition, 236k miles but one owner. New trans, brakes, no leaks. I replaced it for daily use with a new chevy truck and the trade in value was crap so I kept it figuring I'd sell it....well, nobody wants it unless I give it away. And for the $1500 offers I've received I'd rather do something interesting with it.

But what? And should I?

I've done a wrangler V8 and before that a 79 lincoln - wanted this eng/trans in that car, but back then this expy would have been new and out of the budget. Both the wrangler and lincoln are long gone.

A t-bucket or track t have intersted me, but I want some practicality and I've never driven or ridden in one to know how bad they are to acutally use. (i hear they're not fun).

I'd love a convertible, perhaps a truck (since I've got 4x4 to work with). A T delivery truck would be cool (i'm a kid of the 70s and thought they were cool back then)

But I've never built a car from the ground up - always wanted to though. My son is 12 and not yet into cars but will be soon enough and this will likely be a multi year project anyway. Something we can build and he can use and we as a family can have some fun with.

Thoughts? Ideas?

For those that have built cars...what kind of time/money am I committing to?

BTW-
I worked as a mechanic for about 15 years on cars and motorycles, plus more as a hobby. There's nothing on a car or bike I've not done at one point or another.

I've not done much welding or fabricating but have a pretty full complement of tools. Getting older (51) means i wear progressive lenses and i've found they such for working on cars -everything is at the wrong distance!

I would cut the top off it, leaving the windshield in place, install 6 seats out of convertibles (seat and shoulder belt integral with the seat), paint it two-tone high school colors with the school mascot painted very large on both sides of the vehicle (whatever H.S. your son is likely to go to), find a way to govern the vehicle to 50 mph max, install step railings (ladder) at the back so that the two rear seats can be reached by climbing up from the back and give it to him. He'll be the most popular kid in school. See these images of the Fiat Jolly for inspiration......
https://www.google.com/search?q=Fiat...btAZTlyAHHrIA4
P.S. Tall, very skinny tires might help the image some.......
P.P.S. You might even want to remove all glass from the doors and cut them down like this, for easy side entrance & exit......
1957 Fiat Jolly | Main gallery | Photos | Motorsport.com
P.P.P.S. Maybe make a removeable cloth top for it, with a conduit frame, with or without fringe

I've been thinking about ways to limit the top speed of the vehicle that could not be easily defeated by a teenager and his friends and would welcome ideas from other forum members. My first inclination would be to drill a 3/8" hole in the floorboard right under the accelerator pedal, insert a piece of 3/8" Allthread with a nut on the driver's side and one on the underside, so you could adjust vehicle speed. Once the 50 mph top limit was found, I would weld the nuts to the allthread top and bottom to hopefully prevent tampering. I'm sure that there is also some way to do it electronically, but I don't know how.

The sopwith camel governed by cutting out the ignition at a particular rpm.

It's brutal, but it would work. Maybe wire in a tach, use the shift light to fire a relay..

See what rpm in high gear makes 55, bingo. You could even wire in a one second timer, so when he sees the light, he's got one second to get off the gas.

Maybe I'm on to something marketable here...

More thoughts.. the tach, relay, and timer could all be mounted in a black box, spot weld the door shut. The warning light to the dash, and for a standard, you could install switches in the linkage so only top gears would be affected. Or is that effected, I can never keep those straight.

Well, I'm bias when it comes to T's and especially the Bucket. Yes some are hard riding and not at all comfortable but some are well build and are a joy to drive long distance. Mine is the second, but all are fun to drive and I have never heard of a T Bucket owner complaining about their car not being fun. Like any ground up build, one has to have a plan on what they want the finished article to look and drive like. There is a market of manufactures over there that build stretched bodies if you require extra leg room to suit your needs. Again with building a frame, you can either build your own or order a rolling frame and body kit from your choice of manufacture. They ain't difficult at all to build when one uses plan simple common sense. I would be all for a Father Son build and the quality time the two of you spend together working on the project would be life lasting memories. I would suggest having a look around some of the threads here and also look at the T Bucket sites found on any good computer before making any decisions.

An RPM limiter is not what you want.....would be a safety issue in the lower gears. A speed limiter is the goal, regardless of RPM or what gear it is in. Here is one SLE Automotive Pedal Interface Speed Limiter | Speedshield Instead of half-assing an unreliable pos, you can buy what is needed.

That system won't install in a vintage vehicle, unless you completely update to modern electronics. Also, it only limits top speed, which wouldn't stop the lad from romping the lower gears. I was a teen once. Anything which would limit the uncontrolled application of throttle is an improvement. I suppose I do see how it could be a safety issue for the engine to cut off ( and back on after RPM reduced ) but the warning light plus a timer should make it a non issue. Add a second relay which would latch in and a tattletale light, and the lad would be guaranteed to drive it gentle.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I would cut the top off it, leaving the windshield in place, install 6 seats out of convertibles (seat and shoulder belt integral with the seat), paint it two-tone high school colors with the school mascot painted very large on both sides of the vehicle (whatever H.S. your son is likely to go to),

Hmmm. I remember the car the Monkees drove and it makes me think of that. I also recall seeing I think, late 70s Volare' or Aspen wagons converted - perhaps on Fantasy Island TV show.

I'm torn...I don't go fast or corner fast anymore...age, a wife, cupholders all tend to slow me down. I won't admit 'growing up' or being responsible are the reasons.

I rode motorcycles and loved the open air feel - so a T is as practical as that, and our wranger was 'naked' all summer (no doors or top). You learn to live with a towel under the seat to wipe dew off the seats and inside the windshield.

I guess you can build a T anyway you way - but all pretty much have sold front axles and hairpins, dont' they? How ungainly is the handling?

Would it be bad to build something like the Munsters had?

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Well, I'm bias when it comes to T's and especially the Bucket. Yes some are hard riding and not at all comfortable but some are well build and are a joy to drive long distance. Mine is the second, but all are fun to drive and I have never heard of a T Bucket owner complaining about their car not being fun. Like any ground up build, one has to have a plan on what they want the finished article to look and drive like. There is a market of manufactures over there that build stretched bodies if you require extra leg room to suit your needs. Again with building a frame, you can either build your own or order a rolling frame and body kit from your choice of manufacture. They ain't difficult at all to build when one uses plan simple common sense. I would be all for a Father Son build and the quality time the two of you spend together working on the project would be life lasting memories. I would suggest having a look around some of the threads here and also look at the T Bucket sites found on any good computer before making any decisions.

All the munsters cars were way cool.