Thread: 1929 Essex Highboy

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Wow your cranking away Perley. Hope to get mine started soon too. Keep up the posts! Steve

Very nice build and great choice for the engine!

That is some nice work and glad you updated your build cause I have been wondering how you have been doing.

EXCELLENT oh buddy, nice work Now get back to work and dont be so long next time with an update.

Sincere thanks Pastor Bubba and Crazyrat. Thanks for sticking with me--

So, having gotten the column done, I had to make a column drop or hanger. I know Larry has been racking his brain to come up with something and I have too. Decided to keep it simple, (like me), and cut two pieces of 1/2" pipe with the ends cut on angles to match the cowl and the column mount brackett. Then I welded in bolts in each end sticking out at what looked like square angles from the cut ends!!!!!!!!!!!! Afterwards I had to tweak these a little, but they were close. Then I drilled matching holes into the cowl. This whole thing will be covered eventually by the dash panels. Then I worried about lateral movement, so I cut a section of plate out of an old snow shovel (Yeah, I know I'll have to buy another SOOOON). I cut this to shape and welded it to the two pieces of pipe.

Next came the pedals (2 because that's the way a hot rod should be )
AND, cuz I got a standard shift!! This unit came from a Chevy S-10 that I stripped for parts some time ago, fit pretty good except that the pedals were too close to me and long ways from the floorboard/firewall. So------out comes the hacksaw again. haahaa. I cut the front end where the master cylinder mounts and reworked the ends so when put back together I had lost 3 inches. Where they are built on a downward slope this made the pedals hang closer to the floor too. I tacked these up and then remounted the whole affair. Judging them to be alright, I then mocked up some scaps to fit into/onto the pedal unit and fit into the cowl/dash. After marking things up, I then removed everything and headed for the welder again. Then back to fit it up. Some tweaking was necessary, but close! So---this all bolted up, Master Cylinder on the firewall, I then made a rod to attach to the brake pedal to operate the M/C.

Time now to think about an E brake. UGH. So, again, parts from the S-10. Looked everything all over and figured it'd go on the quarter panel if I had some metal there. NOW, my scrap pile is getting really low, BUT, I found an old seat riser out of my old blue Chevy Van, out comes the cutting gear again, and Voila! Piece of metal for ebrake mount! Cut to fit and then marked holes for bolts to mount the pedal unit. Bored holes, then found some bolts to stick through from the back. I then fitted the brake assembly on the bolts, nutted them, then welded the bolt heads to the back of the metal plate. Then removed the brake unit, fitted the metal in place on the quarter and welded it in with the wire feed unit. NICE. Then hang the column again on the new mount. WOW. How about that?

looking good
Bradc

Thank you RestoRod. Yes, I am getting the swing of things now! A lot of it I have learned from my Mentor in Florida, J. Robinson. What a great guy to put up with my hundreds of questions! They say 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention', but a LOT of it has to do with the pocketbook also! I'm at the point where any purchase, no matter how small, is a major event. I had to give up my job over two years ago due to health issues, and since then I've been living on SS Disability (which barely covers our house payment) and what little I can pick up from driving a truck for some Friends. SO - I depend a LOT now on the junkpile (my Treasure Chest). I frequent the local Transfer Station where the Operator is a Friend. He lets me pick thru the metal pile! Otherwise I'd be stalled on progress.

Hello all, guys and gals. I am still around and not physically sick, just depression again/still. I may be back at the project here soon, I hope and Pray. Been a long winter/spring! Got to get a new battery first and then get the engine running. I've fiddled with it a few times, but I need to get serious about it I will be reading and watching again now, thanks to my Friends who asked about me. You're a great bunch out there! Perley

Hang in there Perley. I'm a bit depressed too. Every day off it's rain, rain, rain! It's May already!

Hey ol'buddy, good to see and hear from you again. Glad to hear all is well with you.

Depression, man who needs it, throw it out and get back to work on the Essex.

Looking forward to seeing that thing come together soon.

Larry

Not physically sick?.. I used to think that people who suffered from depression or bipolar disorder just needed to "get over it" and stop feeling sorry for themselves. Then, about 15 years ago, I had major heart surgery to replace my aortic valve. While I was knocked out, I was put on a heart/lung machine (They have to stop your heart to replace the aortic valve). After coming through such a dramatic surgery with no complications I should have been ecstatically happy, right? Instead, I had a constant nagging feeling of depression. The least little disappointment would put me in tears like an oversensitive little girl. I refused to have any interaction with anyone except my wife, my son, and my mother! I kept asking my wife "What the Hell is wrong with me?" The symptoms gradually went away and, after about a month, I was back to my normal self. I told the surgeon about it on my last visit to him and he said it was normal - the chemicals used to sterilize the heart/lung machine cause that reaction in some patients!

My point is I found out that depression IS physical, not just mental or emotional. It is a chemical imbalance in the body and can be caused by many different things. Hang in there Perley, you have lots of friends here pulling for you and you'll whip this thing.

OH man, Jim. I thank you for sharing that story with me. I had a double by-pass in '97, before that I was suffering lingering effects from my Father's death, but AFTER, Yes, I know what it is to sit on the edge of the bed and cry like a baby!!!! To be sure. And it is still hanging with me, thankfully not as bad as then. I have a very understanding Doctor from a Medical Center that also has Therapists and Nurses and a great Phsychiatry (sp) department. They have been a big big help to me. And the meds do help a lot, but not 100%.
Thanks Jim for being my Friend, even if long distance. You are a treasure in my life. Best to you. Perley

I understand that depression crap as well. It took about 12 years of being a pastor before it caught up to me and had to go on meds. It doesn't mean you are weak, but that you need a little extra help in keeping you steady.