17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

I was given a roadster body for free by a friend. I'm going to build a clean, traditional hot rod. It's an old drafster body that ran in the Bay Area back in the 60's. I can't figure out how to post photos here but I'm also on the HAMB! Thread is titled the same. I need everything Except the cowl and quarter panels. If you have any extra parts you arn't gonna use like a frame and doors and axles and tires and everything.... I'll take em. Thanks!

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Post this in the classifieds. Might not get many on here helping a hot rodder. Tons of parts on here. Good luck

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

I agree with Bart, this is mainly a restoration site. HAMB or other sites might be a better place for Hotrod information.
Rusty Nelson

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

This is a good place to learn. Even for a hot rodder. I like them to. And a lot of guys on here do. This is just mainly a stock web site.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Thanks for the phone call this am. Keep in touch. Good luck with the project. I got involved in the hobbie when I was 13. Try to find a local mentor to help you figure out how to best get your project the way you want it. Preferably someone with some fabrication skills that is willing to teach, not someone who's only recomendation is order this and order that. Alot can be built well without hocking your future. Rod

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

pm sent.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Hey kid,
Being 17, I am wondering if you are in school yet and if school has an auto/fab shop. And, maybe a college nearby with metal fab class ? Just thinking of what I would have liked to have available as a young man.
Pleasanton...where ? I have some hardware for chassis, but shipping to anywhere is going to be deal killer, as it is for rest of us..bummer that way, even if given parts and you are not close enough to pickup :)!

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Go out and get the Bishop Tardel how to build a roadster book. It's a good book. And talks about a lot of stuff.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Congratulations on the body, Glad to hear you are also on the HAMB site while there are traditional hot rod guys here, they are also on HAMB, while the HAMB guys are not all here on a traditional restoration site.

HAMB will give you the largest audience for assistance.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

If you had cowl and quarters given free, they are probably rough or you have a very good friend .

And I guess you don't have the spare money for brookville stuff at 17.

Door skins can be made easily and properly if you have the know how and have the right equipment .

But, also if not after absolute exactness, you can make your own panels out of existing auto sheetmetal.

When I was young, there was an old dude who used to scour wrecking yards for cars with certain compound curves that he could cut out and make his panels out of .

Back in those days, when parts were available, we used to dismiss his antics, but now , I myself sometimes use the same route.

Looking back now, that old dude was up and running and enjoying driving his 'makeshift' cars while we were still hunting for parts .

Back then we had the attitude of his veteran model T may have been part morris minor or his vulcan truck was part ford falcon, but these days, we are no better when most of the cars are usually part chinese steel, as in repo parts .

Where does brookville steel originate from ?

Do they use USA made steel....dunno ?

If you need a shallow compound curve like the outer door skin, look at the roof of any suitable donor car .

You may even get a roadster rumble lid shape out of an old lid off another car .

Just look for the curves .

Some may scoff here, but this is no worse than making your own patch panels or entire doors. lids etc out of a store bought sheet of new steel.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

When I was a kid I use to see Model A Sedan roofs that had been filled in with panels harvested from later model cars and welded in place of the fabric tops.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

When it comes to patching and mending panels i can agree that the local wreckers yard with modern cars is a good source of sheet metal with the sort of compound curves you can use. A modern dodge caravan or neon roof is a close match for... i forget which panel it is.
Anyhow, the purists might cringe when i suggest this but there is not shame in making wood frames panels. If you end up making your own door hinges from pipe and strap steel (it's easy, i did that when i lost my hinges) and make some wood frames for the panel and sand/grind them to size you can apply the sections cut from modern car panels to them with tiny tack nails and it will serve you well until you either make or buy better panels. Or keep them forever :)

Roadster you say.. here is a http://fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72648&page=3 thread with some good repair photos for reference & inspiration. Don't need to be as good as that guy is though so don't sweat it if ur car ends up looking like mine.

Re: 17 year old VS 1928 roadster
 

Congratulations, always good to see young people join the hobby, and post on both the Ford Barn and HAMB. Bob