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Old 09-13-2019, 04:32 PM   #21
john in illinois
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

I would recommend using original used Ford rear axle nuts. The new ones are soft and have poor thread fit.

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Old 09-13-2019, 05:40 PM   #22
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Thanks, the wheel I'll probably replace down the road since it's literally the one thing I'm going to be looking at all the time while driving it.

I got all of the axle parts and the washers look grade 5. I'll see how it turns out once I start torquing them. The threads are slightly boogered thanks to someone beating on them trying to get the hubs off.

In other news I picked up a couple 28" x 48" drops of .063 aluminum and a 16' stick of 2"x1"x.125" aluminum angle for the base perimeter. Now to dig out the shrinker / stretcher and start fitting it.
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Old 09-13-2019, 05:47 PM   #23
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Ok now I want one, I need a bigger fire or need to remove a few iron's.
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Old 09-14-2019, 02:37 PM   #24
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Thumbs up Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

A little more progress. This morning I got some help from my youngest son to bend the 16' length of 1"x2" angle. Once bent I realized I could use the full length and run all the way up to the radiator shroud. This will help with mounting the hood side panels.




Since these pics were taken I'm been tinkering with the body cross members and a little tub / trunk for under the seat. I need to run to Lowes for some #8 self tappers so I can mock up the panels before riveting it together permanently. I still need to order the rivets...

More to come

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Old 09-15-2019, 09:41 PM   #25
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

the pics are not showing up for me. but i use linux. so im different. but also firefox.



As for getting a b block for power. I have a stock A engine with a b cam and power is great in first and second. In third its slow. I think a down draft carb or set of duals would allow it to spin faster in second and make third more like first and second. Others would know how well those work. or search may show dynos or annecdotes. my memory is hazy but I think a webber downdraft adds 10hp.
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Old 09-15-2019, 09:49 PM   #26
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

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that jay leno model T episode with the young family guy who found his cars dirt track racing day doors. was his best episode yet. My dad had a 40s willys on a 60s frame and engine with a ugly poorly made hard top he got as a non runner and fired it up for a farm jeep. He asked if i wanted it after I fixed up the brakes for him. I had driven it as a wood trailer puller and I hated the damn thing. the cab made it so a big guy and the door hole being so high. I would have to grab the roof pull the jeep 4 inches towards me and karate kick my foot in. To make it all work with boots on. It had high and low but the high was so low top speed was around 60. I kind of regret telling him to sell it but thought and talked about how someone would love to have this franken willys for 800 bucks. It needed patches but was functionally solid. But after the brake job I didnt want it. and the fit inside was all wrong.


A Kid down the road bought it he was over the moon getting a tuned up roughed up army jeep. it had that army special 40 layers of paint on it. i would guess one of those things that got painted every year or few.
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Old 09-15-2019, 10:11 PM   #27
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

duplicate

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Old 09-15-2019, 10:18 PM   #28
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Is any one else not able to see Ranchero's pictures?
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Old 09-15-2019, 10:37 PM   #29
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Join a mafca local club and meet a few of the members. Bet some of them have been down this path a time or two.
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Old 09-16-2019, 08:55 AM   #30
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Synchro909 View Post
Is any one else not able to see Ranchero's pictures?
It must be a Google thing. I'm 3rd party linking off their photo's. I'll try to upload them to ImgBB but that's blocked at work.

Anyway, I spent yesterday working on the kick panels. I wanted to do a simple steps so the floor boards weren't the full body width but it got sidetracked and ended up with a full set of kick panels.

I'll try to get pics updated soon.
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Old 09-16-2019, 04:39 PM   #31
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

You can post pictures direct from you computer picture library. Start a post and look at the bottom of page. Click on Manage attatchments. A manu comes up,select from your photo library and upload pictures.

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Old 09-17-2019, 09:07 PM   #32
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Lightbulb Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Some pics of this week's fun. I needed to make a stepped subframe similar to the original so the floorboards were narrower than the body. The first picture shows the progression from a simple stepped bend that didn't fit to a taller part to the final test bent part.



I chose to go with a 8" tall kick panel so I have something substantial to rivet the firewall and dash hoop structures to. I'll cut away the excess as the form is developed further.



The third pic shows the subrails mocked in place. For final construction I plan on putting a line of rivets along the bottom of the body to the angle and kick panel and then another line an inch or so higher into the kick panel and subrail. The rails won't be installed before the first row of rivets. This is kind of like a real life game of Tetris.



Yesterday I bent up a storage compartment for under the seat. The goal being to have a spot to store a cover and some stuff. I might make another spot opposite the battery for the jack and tools.



Finally I spent some time this evening bending up the metal floor between the seat and the main cross member. I also bent up a support structure for under it. I ran out of time to get pics and have another 11 hour work day tomorrow.

Last big chunk of the floor structure is designing / building the firewall base.

Hopefully everyone can see the pics now. I have a ton more of the chassis resurrection but we are kind of beyond that now.
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Old 09-17-2019, 11:30 PM   #33
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Looks cool - heres one I work on and improve and maintain here in New Zealand
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Old 09-17-2019, 11:54 PM   #34
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike657894 View Post
the pics are not showing up for me. but i use linux. so im different. but also firefox.



As for getting a b block for power. I have a stock A engine with a b cam and power is great in first and second. In third its slow. I think a down draft carb or set of duals would allow it to spin faster in second and make third more like first and second. Others would know how well those work. or search may show dynos or annecdotes. my memory is hazy but I think a webber downdraft adds 10hp.
Your next step should be a high compression head.
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Old 09-21-2019, 08:56 PM   #35
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Lightbulb Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike657894 View Post
that jay leno model T episode with the young family guy who found his cars dirt track racing day doors. was his best episode yet.
Watching that episode for the fourth or fifth time is what motivated me to do this.

Onto today's challenge, the firewall... I've spent the whole day literally beating a sheet of aluminum into submission. I traced the profile of the wooden mock up on the sheet and cut it out with an extra 1.5" of material and left it long on the bottom. The sheet is 6061-T6 in .063" which is very difficult to cold work but I wanted a good stiff firewall once done and this will do the truck.

This was at lunch, roughed in the engine pocket to stiffen the sheet and started working the edge. There's a ton of shrinking going on.


The red line was my guide.


This was taken at 7:30 this evening. I figure I'm about halfway getting the form right and smoothing the bumps.




I still need to do the bump out for the starter and steering column as well as the passenger side stuff. The trim the bent part back to about an inch and shrink it to get the panel to lay flat. Then cut the toe board opening out and see if it actually will fit. I expect this will be the most difficult part of building the car body. If I can pull this off it's all downhill from here.
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Old 09-22-2019, 01:44 PM   #36
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

This morning I was able to get the firewall a little further forward before the heat ran me out of the shop. It's working out but not as well as I'd like. Had some cracks form and it still needs a ton of tweaks to get it stiff. Torn between keeping after this or getting a used one and modifying it to fit.









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Old 09-22-2019, 08:39 PM   #37
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Does anyone have any close ups of the cowl lacing and hood attachment points on the firewall? I'm trying to plan the next couple steps to include buying the original style lacing.
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Old 10-01-2019, 07:36 PM   #38
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

So another week into this project summed up a lot of tweaking, some welding and a good bit of cursing. It's coming along, mostly kicking a screaming but I'm winning, I think.




After these pictures were taken I started fitting the kick panels to the firewall and floor sections. I'm pretty sure this is going to work out. I did find that if I lay the firewall back a couple degrees it fits the space better. Hopefully by the next update I'll have the toe and floor boards fitted.
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Old 10-13-2019, 08:27 PM   #39
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

So, it's been a while since I got much done on the car because I've been helping my dad convert a new to him 2012 NPR into a RV camper. Yes, I'm going to put the trailer on the truck frame, this Friday if things work out. Then back to the car.





I did make it up to Carlisle and picked up a copy the factory service bulletins for $10



And the results of Hershey are below, a decent shroud and radiator, a steering column tube, an later E brake lever, a bunch of Cleco's and a timing tool. I also picked up a ton of pics to help build this thing.



More to come, eventually.
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Old 10-14-2019, 07:54 AM   #40
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

I'm impressed with what you've done and it's obvious you ain't lazy.

Keep posting the photos of the progress of the A and that camper conversion.
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