Thread: Anyone built/building a Shell Valley roadster???

Tweet

Don---Take a look at this side shot of my roadster pickup. The body is setting at stock height, not channeled, the hood is stock model A length, and the rad shell is a glass 32, uncut, setting directly on top of a stock A front crossmember. I think that the "lines" of this set-up is about as good as it gets visually. I am currently having a rad built, using a new 3-row core and the top and bottom tanks from a 6 cylinder chrysler product. (they fit the shell very well) This is costing me $325, which is a ton cheaper than anything from hotrod aftermarket. I bought an electric fan at the Wreckers today for $25, and hopefully I will have the rad this weekend, to see if I can shoehorn everything into place. (the dimension from the front face of my waterpump pulley to the inside lip of the 32 shell (which is as far foreward as the rad can possibly set) is 5 1/8"). I will post a pic when all is together.

Brian, As Tech1 said it looks great, but I thought you had to use a longer hood with a deuce shell and the shell had to be shortened for an "A". So maybe you purchased a glass shell that was the right height and the top-only hood is one made for the '32 hood? Not doubt it does look good and has a nice straight line. I just want to get it right if I decide to go that way.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don---according to information I have, if you are running a 1928/1929 Ford, you can run a stock length hood, but must chop the 32 shell by 3" to have your hood line flow corectly. If you are running a 1930/1931 model A you can run a stock height 32 ford grillshell (no chop)and a stock length hood. Either stock hood will work with a 32 grill shell, but the curvature at the front of the hood has minor differences where it meets the 32 shell. Old time rodders either lived with the differences, (which were very minimal), or else did a little dolly work on their stock hood to make it perfect. The aftermarket now sells hoods that are configured for 32 grillshells and either 28/29 cowls or 30/31 cowls., but are still the stock length as model A hoods. My car has a 31 cowl and a 32 grill shell, and the hood is one of the aftermarket hoods to fit that combination, however it is still the same length as a stock model A hood.