Thread: 1929 Essex Highboy

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Thank you Pastor Bubba. I'm about to start up again, maybe even today. Here are a few more pics from last fall. I think I will cut out a new fascia for the dash from a piece of hardwood laminate flooring I picked up. Here I am making a pattern from paper to transfer to the wood, then cut it out with a sabre saw. Ready for later. I have a dash panel of gauges from a Fiat, BUT, they may be 6v.? and the speed-o is mechanical. My transmission has an electronic output, SO, I either need a conversion device OR a new electronic speed-o. Neither one is in my budget just now! Anyways, here are pics.

Here I am trying to identify and label the wires coming from the Ranger steering column. This column came from an '89 Ford Ranger, and when I stripped the truck, through ignorance, I left the wire harness et al, and it went with the cab when I sold it. I've never messed with anything like this before, so I had to do a LOT of research. Anyways, my friend CrazyRat helped immensely by sending me a complete wiring harness from a Ranger that he had stripped (thanks friend Larry). So now I am trying 'ring out' the wires with the help of a couple of wiring diagrams. And here's a shot of inside my garage, a big greenhouse. Kinda primitive BUT better than outdoors! And pictures of the body joint where the top sits down on the lower (rumble/trunk) section. It has a little rot. Here we go!

The rust isn't too bad on the cab, a bit of metal replacement and some sandblasting should take care of it. I've got a little hand held 'blaster that I use for the small spots, works great!

Wiring is a time consuming part of any build, takes a lot of research and patience to get thing working correctly!!!!

Oldrodder43 - coming along great. Once those harnesses are out It's like chasing mice to figure out what everything was for! What your doing is hard and impressive.

A few more pics. In August/September I had cataract surgery, first one eye, then later the other. So I was out of commision for a couple of months total. After that I didn't seem to regain my momentum. Then along came old man winter. My work dried up (electrical) and I sat home all winter long. Anyways---The one picture show the car without it's top, that's because I've been trying to get the doors fitted. Remember, the car came to me in two pieces, or 7 if you count the doors included, only one of which is correct for the year! This car lived for some period of time in a previous incarnation as a roadster, presumably with the doors cut off and not much else. When I got it, it had the top (or a top) back on it, but no pains had been taken to get it aligned and all. I have considered running it as a roadster. But we have a lot of rain up here which would be no fun if I had the car out on a cruise or ?? AND it gets cool up here after Labor Day, and cold after Columbus Day. So I got over that thought quickly! Here is a little bit of fun, I cut out a section of a hood and made a little fairing piece to go on over the frame horns. It's just sitting there until I decide go or NO GO. And then two pictures of a level held up against the jambs of the doors, showing that when they put the top back on they took no pains atall. One side is concave to the door, the other is convex to the door. By the way, that other vehicle in the background is/was my '47 Ford j.bar, or Effie. Not having funds or time for both, I sold the truck cab, frame and 350 engine with all. Now more room and a little more $ for parts! So, grab your seats and popcorn---

Ah yes!!!! Another man with horror stories from inheriting someone else's project!!!!

Thank you Dave and Steve for hanging in with me! You know, fool that I am, that '47 that I had and sold was almost rot free! And I gave that up for this junk of rust and dust! Go Figure===

Originally Posted by oldrodder43

Thank you Dave and Steve for hanging in with me! You know, fool that I am, that '47 that I had and sold was almost rot free! And I gave that up for this junk of rust and dust! Go Figure===

That my friend is part of the disease. But it is that, almost, insane judgment that saves what others would trash, and creates what no one else would dare in-vision. I'm sure there are other Essex rods out there, but I have not seen one until yours. Keep it up and don't loose the faith.

I guess maybe that be true dlotraf33. Strange people do strange things sometimes. Once in a while one may be seen up around this area, but not often. I have a friend who has a '30 Hudson Coupe which is not too much different than Hudson's Essex. Essex, they say, was intended for the common folk who were not so well off and needed a more affordable car. Not sooo much different than the Model A in a lot of ways, but one thing that I like is the extra length in the cab, lots better for us taller people. I'm looking for two doors and I am sure there are some around, somewhere, but people either don't know what they are or they do know and are hoarding them. Thanks for following the thread. perley

perely, my personal opinion is that the little piece you cut out and made as a fairing piece looks good. I say keep it. Have fun with this. I know I will be watching.

Perley I think your doing great. You inspire me to get back to my truck, only cash is holding me up at the moment.

I like the fairing as well and will look forward to your next update.

Hi Rickomatic, thanks for the note. Nice to know people are watching/following along. I am getting going again now, but the temperatures are still too high. The sun shines through the plastic tarp covering on my garage/greenhouse, and it fairly steams in there! Went out this weekend and got parts cut out and welded on for my rear body mounts. This morning while it was still cooler, I hooked up my engine crane and lifted the body off of the chassis. Now need some muscle to help me stand it up on it's nose, then I'll weld up all of the sub-floor structure that I welded in place from the top. I bought an old used MIG 130 machine this weekend at a Friend's yard sale. It's an L-Tec Prest-O-Weld and works with either 110/220. It seems to work well although it's about 20 years old! I still have my little Sears 85 that runs on 110 only, and it does pretty good. On heavier work I use my Lincoln 225 AC-DC. Love that machine. Hang in, I'm in the MOOD again now for creating and building. perley

Thanks Rickomatic and Pastor Bubba for the thumbs up on the fairing. I am tending toward welding it on, different anyways!
And Steve, I know the feeling. I've suffered now for 4 years from shortage of cash. I pick up what work I can and any spare(?) I put towards whatever I need at the moment. Not real fun, but maybe we appreciate things more, eh?

I hear ya about the heat. My 52 has a bad radiator and to be honest, I haven't done much to the car since I pulled it out of storage. It was my dad's last car and I didn't want to change it much. But the more I drive it (and the more the wifey rides along) a few things need to be updated. It is just that when I go out into the garage and it is over 100 on the old wall thermometer, I have a hard time thinking about putting on welding leathers or even the coveralls.