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Old 08-12-2019, 07:28 PM   #1
Ranchero50
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Talking Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Sorry if this is long winded but... I'm a complete newbie to early Fords but have a long history with late '60's fairlanes, ranchero's etc. Been chasing the dream of buying or building an early highboy or similar beast using vintage parts. No 350/350 and a 9" rear for me. After seeing the Jay Leno Model T episode, the idea of a no frills roadster resonated with me.

https://www.motor1.com/news/78732/ja...del-t-hot-rod/

A simple car with a basic 4 pot flathead power and do whatever is needed to make it run reliably and be fun. Being a tall guy I just don't fit well in small cars. Tried to buy a '46 CJ2A to tinker with an it just didn't fit me.

So, after finding the below image of a custom speedster style model A build I went shopping for a body swapped chassis hoping to score a rebuilt bottom half where I wouldn't get bogged down with in depth mechanicals and could move onto the body building part.



So, after a 340 mile round trip in my Cummins powered '71 F-350 we are underway, with a few snags... First walk around showed it was missing the carb and some of the linkages as well as three shocks. Story is it came From Michigan, had a coupe body on top and the guy who sold it to the PO said it had driven around his yard. Some more looking and it became apparent I was buying a partially reassembled basket case with some new and some used parts...

So, 140 miles from home I took a couple deep breaths and took the plunge. I've taken quite a few more deep breaths the past couple days.


Once back home I stripped the no longer needed sheet metal off and mounted the steering box / column. First, of many deep breaths, was noticing that it was cracked around the levers. Looking over the steering, none of the cotter pins were in place and the toe was atrocious.



There's a ton more but I'll try to condense it. While unloading it I noticed the rear was noisy and the clutch was way out of adjustment. Long story short I need to pull the driveshaft and trans free because I'm pretty sure the pinion bearing has com apart and I need to replace the clutch pawl adjustment bolts because some have the adjustment nut frozen.

As an industrial mechanic / machinist I fear nothing mechanical and six years in the navy taught be electrical troubleshooting as well. However, I need to know which resources to search for how to get this critter apart and back together safely. So, question time:

1. I have the handbook PDF that's floating around and assume at the very least I need Les Andrews handbook Volume 1? Anything else chassis related?

2. I need picture help with the accelerator linkage that bolts to the block. Mine was mangled by the PO during the body removal. I got it straighter and moving but don't know where the foot button should land in relation to the other pedals.

3. I need a source of a decent rebuildable carb. eBay or?

4. How does the starter engage? Mine is missing the rod to actuate it.

5. Are there any floorboard drawings out there to make my own?

As always, any help is appreciated in advance. I kinda need a hug and some encouragement because I'm only half way through the 7 stages of grief.

Jamie
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Old 08-12-2019, 07:57 PM   #2
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

That car at top looks awesome and yes the Jay Leno video made me open my eyes to this type of car. Good luck with the project and keep posting photos.
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Old 08-12-2019, 08:39 PM   #3
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

You being in MD. Britton.com is just down the road from you. Brattons is one of the most respected Model A suppliers around. Their catalog has numerous diagrams and descriptions of the parts you will need.
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Old 08-12-2019, 09:42 PM   #4
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Brattons catalog is my number one quick reference for just about anything model A
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Old 08-12-2019, 10:09 PM   #5
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Stock model a powered speedster cool,hopped up model a speedster cooler..if i were you I wouldnt do a thing but study,buy the Andrews books,the ford service bulletins and start learning.
This chassis has roughly double the power of stock and a mitchell overdrive..build one that not only looks fast...but is fast.
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Old 08-12-2019, 11:22 PM   #6
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

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all the info is online. lots of good videos on youtube. a new pressure plate is not too pricey. the starter is just a threaded rod that goes through the floor. the rod pushes on the back of the sprung contact. There are rebuilt carbs on ebay and mystery ones can be cheaper. parts come up on face book and Craigslist.


there are many suppliers of parts.

mikes A fordable
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Old 08-13-2019, 09:57 AM   #7
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

The nice thing about Model a's is almost all of the parts can be bought new. That being said most if not all of the parts can be rebuilt and will be better than the new parts. Hershey is in your neck of the woods and I highly recommend-which I am sure you know about already.


Mike
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Old 08-13-2019, 08:09 PM   #8
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Thanks gentlemen for the kind words. This morning I made a list and took a trip down to Bratton's for the book and some much needed goodies to get the project moving. I'm going to pull the engine and trans, then deal with the rear in the frame if I'm lucky. Took a week off work to work on the house and haven't touched it yet.

The learning curve is steep but I'm climbing it.
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Old 08-13-2019, 08:19 PM   #9
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

have a look here for inspiration and ideas. I have so much fun with mine it should be illegal

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/group.php?groupid=31
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Old 08-14-2019, 07:13 AM   #10
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

excellent source for a rebuilt carburetor is Bert's in Denver.
I had a Coupe that ran poorly for years despite continuing efforts to fix.
a Bert's carb made it run great!
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Old 08-14-2019, 08:56 AM   #11
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Les Andres "Model A Ford Mechanics Handbook" is a decent maintenance manual with a lot of illustrations. You might want to get one if you are going to use a lot of stock components.
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Old 08-14-2019, 09:07 AM   #12
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Jamie,
There is a an active Model A club that meets in Hagerstown. They are called the Hub City Model A Club. They have a web site and contact information.
Good luck with your project.
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Old 08-15-2019, 12:10 PM   #13
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Lightbulb Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Let me know if you guys can see these pics. Trying to get an easy way from the phone to the forum and if this works I'll use it versus cross load everything to Imgbb and host from there.






I've made some decent progress the past couple days. Mostly thanks to the Les Andrews book and a lot of googling the webs. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the pinion gear. The preload nuts were tight so I assume I'll be splitting the cases. The ring gear looks ok through the fill hole. I haven't been able to pop the outer race out of the housing. First I wanted to see how many spring leafs (leaves?) I have an figure out which to get rid of for the much lighter speedster body. Looks like it has 10 and should have 7 for a roadster (or less). Supposedly this thing has a coupe body on it but who knows what it came with... Once I think the pack (literally) I'll bolt it back into the frame and brace against that to unload the shackles.

Other fun was popping the trans apart and I found a broken pressure plate bolt in the flywheel. It's about half out, used the pressure plate as a drill guide to center drill the damaged end. It's a good trick to know and use. Otherwise things are going pretty well although I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the yellow paint. I feel I should strip it but that's gonna suck. Maybe I can figure out some way to incorporate the various hues into the "racing" legacy. Maybe.

I do need one 21" wheel and probably the center section of a rear.

Last edited by Ranchero50; 09-17-2019 at 08:44 PM.
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Old 08-15-2019, 12:57 PM   #14
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Jamie,
If you want speedsters galore, Google NW Vintage Speedsters, and you will get all kinds of ideas of what people have done.
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Old 08-17-2019, 09:30 PM   #15
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Been making some decent progress on the frame and driveline. Thanks to a fellow model A'er from Rockville I am back on track with a good 3.54 geared rear and a couple spare wheels that are in better shape than mine.

This afternoon I spent some time wire wheeling the frame after getting some semi gloss black Rustoleum at Lowes. After a half hour of cleaning I finally realized the futility of it all. I needed to just ditch the idea of returning it to black as I was never going to get all of the yellow off. I figured every stone chip would uncover some yellow. Plus dang it since this is a racer why not go with yellow on the frame? If it gets chipped and shows some black it'll look more 'authentic'. Not my first choice but sometime you just have to go with the flow.

Finally spent some time this evening once the sun set with the trans in my parts washer cleaning decades of goop off. Looking over it I think the engine was worked on, the rear was worked on but the trans wasn't. Or I have an orphaned tranny. Who knows...

Tomorrow's goal is to get the trans cleaned up the rest of the way and maybe get the engine on the stand so I can pull the pan and check out it's guts. Might even push the frame up under my big pine tree and paint it with a brush.

More to come.
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Old 08-18-2019, 10:43 AM   #16
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Quote:
Tomorrow's goal is to get the trans cleaned up the rest of the way and maybe get the engine on the stand so I can pull the pan and check out it's guts.
Don't forget that after the oil pan has been drained it still has about 1/2 quart of oil in it that is sitting in the dipper tray.
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Old 08-28-2019, 05:09 PM   #17
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Well, I gave up on the bottom end, decided to not go down that rabbit hole until it at least runs. Long term is a B block so I can build some power anyway so...

Still chipping away at getting the chassis sorted out. I decided to run with the 5 widest springs in the rear and needed to machine a pair of shackle blocks with a 1.25" block. Once machined I ground the sharp edges with some 40 grit paper, used a needle scaler on the exposed spots and then deburred the parts with a wire wheel. The end result looks like a casting. The spring is back in the frame and waiting on the rear brakes to get installed onto the new (to me) axle assembly.




Other projects include bushing the pedals and replacing the shaft as well as still fighting the pressure plate adjustment. in the end I think I'm going to cut the nuts off and replace them to gain some adjustment. I also made another trip to Bratton's for suspension stuff to finish up the underside.

Last edited by Ranchero50; 09-17-2019 at 08:46 PM.
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Old 09-13-2019, 09:20 AM   #18
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Update on the car. Spent the past couple weeks getting the rear end swapped out, going through the rear brakes, transmission, drive shaft and clutch as well as rebuilding the pedal assy and removing a couple leaves from each spring package. Once it was back on the ground I started mocking up the body and floor profiles. These boards will be used to model the metal replacements.

Currently I'm making another list for Bratton's to get the brake rods and steering box working as well as new rear axle castle nuts and seals. Nickels and dimes, lots of them...




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Old 09-13-2019, 10:09 AM   #19
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

Quote:
as well as new rear axle castle nuts and seals
Don't forget the hardened flat washers that go between the castle nut and the hub. FWIW, the washers I got from Bratton's were too soft, I ended up getting proper hardened washers from the local friendly "Cat" dealer.
BTW, you can patch up that steering wheel w/bondo, then a coat or 2 of black enamel.
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Old 09-13-2019, 11:45 AM   #20
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Default Re: Newbie '29 Speedster project, the good the bad and even the ugly (maybe)

I use black lacquer on patched up steering wheels . Lacquer dries pretty quick and gives a harder finish .
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Old 09-13-2019, 04:32 PM   #21
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Old 10-20-2019, 06:44 PM   #41
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So, this past Tuesday I took off work to get the RV moving forward. Pics of the process for your enjoyment...



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Old 10-20-2019, 06:49 PM   #42
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So while waiting on a horizontal propane tank to show up I took a day to get back into the Speedster. I spent a couple hours today getting the kick panels and sub rails tweaked into position and went ahead and milled out a sheet of plywood for the floor.

Sketched out what I needed...


Drew it on the CAD program and plugged it into the mill...


And buggered the centerline so I had to run it twice.


Finally got to sit in it for a bit and I think this is really going to work out well.


I'm getting excited again. Hoping to have it driving by Christmas, maybe with a body.
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Old 10-25-2019, 09:41 PM   #43
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Spent the evening screwing around with the speedster, literally. #6 self tappers are undersized for a 1/8" rivet so I've been using them instead to mock up the parts. I do need to predrill the holes with a 3/32" (I think) drill bit. Gonna be hundreds of rivets installed by the time we are done.





Finally a shot from behind the wheel. Yes, a new wheel is on the list.


If I can find out how long the radiator support rods are I can decide how much I can lay the cowl / firewall back and still have them work.
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Old 10-26-2019, 08:37 AM   #44
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Googling around this morning it looks like 26' for the '28-31 and 32.5 for the '32-'36. That gives me a starting point at least. Looks like I'll need the later ones for my build.
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Old 11-03-2019, 01:15 PM   #45
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Made some more progress on the car this past week. Both toe board sub structures are complete and fitted in. I still need to make the triangle braces below them and for the toeboard itself. There's about six hours of work wrapped up in each structure but I'm really happy with how they turned out.







I wanted to get the E brake handle bracket finished and mounted but got called into work at 3am this morning so...

More to come
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Old 11-28-2019, 11:15 PM   #46
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Sorry for the delayed update, been busy with the car and life. Got the camper out of my hair and was able to get the E brake handle installed and have been working on the rear subframe and wood work. Each image is clickable to see the full sized version.





















Tonight's challenge has been to make a die to form the inside corner brackets for the under seat storage bin. I got it to work but ran out of phone battery to take some pics of the results.
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Old 11-29-2019, 05:13 AM   #47
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Wow! You are a very talented guy.

What you have created is something to be proud of.
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Old 11-29-2019, 07:58 AM   #48
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Ditto to that, you know what you are doing!
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Old 11-29-2019, 10:37 AM   #49
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Picture 2, were you making motor noises and imagining driving it?
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Old 11-29-2019, 11:30 AM   #50
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Very cool! All of your metal work looks great. the izuzu camper is very cool too!
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Old 11-29-2019, 09:17 PM   #51
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Gentlemen, thanks for the compliments. It's been a fun little project to bring together. And no, I don't know what I'm doing but I figure it out as I go and try to stay a bunch of steps ahead in the planning so I don't build myself into a corner. That's the secret to making it look like I DO know what I'm doing. As always the images are clickable for full sized ones.

So, a chunk of galvanized pipe and a 5/8" steel rod makes a nice radius.


That will look nice as an inside corner...


So I welded a flat to the pipe section and squeezed a 2" wide length of metal between them.


Followed by bending the top over to for the cap.


After some additional tweaking it fits pretty well.


I'll probably fit some 3/4" plywood over the lip to finish it. Each screw will be a rivet and during the final assembly I plan on silicone caulking the seams to help it be more weather tight.


And done this part well enough to move on to the next area...


One question, what is this radiator out of? It has the extra hood holders on the side and seems pretty thick.


For the rest of the day I installed the brake rods and played with the seating arrangements. And yes, a lot of time is spent making motor noises.
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Old 01-17-2020, 09:38 PM   #52
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OK, time for an update. This is a little out of sequence but it'll be ok. Spent a couple days getting the steering box sorted out and I'll post that in the next post.

I picked up a couple salvage sticks of 3/4" thin wall square tube and used a harbor freight three roller tubing bender to form the dash and rear structures. I found that the dash form board flipped upside down fit great for a seatback.


So I spent a couple days struggling with the seat back frame and ended up with a 3/4" EMT bender and was able to knock it out in about an hour... I also repurposed a floor brace that didn't fit as a frame hump cover with a chunk of 3/4" oak bolted in as a support. I'll mount the spare tire stand to it eventually.


This evening I fit some 1" x 2" box tubing to start the gas tank mounts and fit the seat back to sit flush onto one. I have a plan for a sheetmetal firewall between the seat and tank area eventually.


With the dash formed and steering box rebuilt I needed to machine and fit a clamp to hold the column solid.


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Old 01-17-2020, 09:59 PM   #53
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Steering column redo... As I mentioned before, the steering column was cracked and the lever detents were worn smooth. I lucked into a good tube from an early car at Hershey so I decided to graft it into the original seven tooth box. After measuring the total length at 43" I lopped off the bad parts:



And clamped the bare box in the mill,


So I could find the center of the shaft bore using a coaxial indicator.


I then used some basic math to figure the tool path and programmed it into the mill in G code:


And this magic happened: The black crustiness on the inside is from the original welding (forging?) process.


With a little fine tuning we ended up with this fitment:


Being cheap / poor I bought the repop 30-31 levers (they were $20 cheaper) and shortened them to fit my column before adding new levers. Fitting the levers was to worst part of the job.


Reassembled the box with the original parts (it was in remarkably good shape other than the ancient lube. I did install the tube versus the felt seal for the light switch shaft. The top bushing got replaced as well.




And finished up. Note that I left the weld stand proud on purpose to show those who would know that "something" interesting was done here. I filled it with a combination of 140 weight gear oil and poly EM grease. No leaks.


And that was that.
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Old 01-17-2020, 10:14 PM   #54
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Last week or so I decided to tackle the E brake and get it working while waiting to run to Bratton's for steering box bits.

Body out of the way Notice where the handle is in relation to the shifter. I had to move it back to get it out from under the dash.


A chunk of scrap steel in the mill magically turning into an adjustable rod end.


This is the rod for a side mount setup. I cut the old end off, threaded the shaft for 5/16"-24tpi and fit the rod end.


And installed in place. Pretty tight fit but it works and works well. Can't say that for the service brakes however (shakes fist in rage).


Finally a shot of the firewall with most of the parts connected. The starter rod needed extended an inch or so. Only bummer is the timing rod is just rubbing the head nut. Also note that the steering rod ends have been rebuilt with new cups and seals.


Once I get the fuel system installed I'm going to run out of reasons not to start this thing (or at least try)
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Old 01-18-2020, 02:12 PM   #55
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Looks like your moving along. You mentioned when you where forming the firewall that you had a problem with cracking. What grade of aluminum are you using? And are you annealing the areas where you're doing the shaping? 1000 or 3000 will work nicely for body panels. 5000 can be hard to work with. All of these can be annealed. Hope this helps. JP
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Old 01-18-2020, 10:17 PM   #56
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Looks like your moving along. You mentioned when you where forming the firewall that you had a problem with cracking. What grade of aluminum are you using? And are you annealing the areas where you're doing the shaping? 1000 or 3000 will work nicely for body panels. 5000 can be hard to work with. All of these can be annealed. Hope this helps. JP
It was hard and I got too aggressive at the breaks for the bends and it cracked. I have one sheet of 3003 down in the shed and need at least one more. I'm using scraps of 6061 for the flat areas.

Spent today getting the gas tank mounted and welding up the back of the body loop. Used some oak to stiffen the gas tank mounting tubes...


Rear hoop is formed and welded in place.


Went ahead and mocked up the spare tire (rim) to figure out what I can do with the metal frame and skin.


Front 1/4 view shows how much the body narrows at the tail. I'll add some deco style outriggers to the frame corners once the skin is on.


Note: each picture is clickable for the full sized version. Good times.
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Old 05-03-2020, 06:58 PM   #57
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Time flies when you are having fun.











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Old 05-03-2020, 07:02 PM   #58
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This has been a fun project. I'm learning a ton about forming metal and hope to have a cool toy once finished. The pics are clickable to see the full sized versions.







I'm still looking for a speedometer, B would be nice or maybe a '33-40 car one. It needs to have the trip meter though since I won't have a fuel gauge.
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Old 05-04-2020, 01:31 AM   #59
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Looks like it'll be pretty solid when finished.
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Old 05-04-2020, 04:35 PM   #60
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I like your floorboards. Did you forget to leave access for the battery?

I had to replace my battery recently and it’s a PIA removing the rubber mat and the floorboard. You can enlarge the stock narrow access hole and the suppliers sell a larger plate so you can take the battery out without having to take out the floor board but you can use some sheet metal to cover the hole.

David Serrano
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Old 05-17-2020, 08:43 PM   #61
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Little further on the speedster build. Getting ready to sort out the seat mounts.









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Old 05-17-2020, 09:04 PM   #62
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Sorry if this is long winded but... I'm a complete newbie to early Fords but have a long history with late '60's fairlanes, ranchero's etc. Been chasing the dream of buying or building an early highboy or similar beast using vintage parts. No 350/350 and a 9" rear for me. After seeing the Jay Leno Model T episode, the idea of a no frills roadster resonated with me.

https://www.motor1.com/news/78732/ja...del-t-hot-rod/

A simple car with a basic 4 pot flathead power and do whatever is needed to make it run reliably and be fun. Being a tall guy I just don't fit well in small cars. Tried to buy a '46 CJ2A to tinker with an it just didn't fit me.

So, after finding the below image of a custom speedster style model A build I went shopping for a body swapped chassis hoping to score a rebuilt bottom half where I wouldn't get bogged down with in depth mechanicals and could move onto the body building part.



So, after a 340 mile round trip in my Cummins powered '71 F-350 we are underway, with a few snags... First walk around showed it was missing the carb and some of the linkages as well as three shocks. Story is it came From Michigan, had a coupe body on top and the guy who sold it to the PO said it had driven around his yard. Some more looking and it became apparent I was buying a partially reassembled basket case with some new and some used parts...

So, 140 miles from home I took a couple deep breaths and took the plunge. I've taken quite a few more deep breaths the past couple days.


Once back home I stripped the no longer needed sheet metal off and mounted the steering box / column. First, of many deep breaths, was noticing that it was cracked around the levers. Looking over the steering, none of the cotter pins were in place and the toe was atrocious.



There's a ton more but I'll try to condense it. While unloading it I noticed the rear was noisy and the clutch was way out of adjustment. Long story short I need to pull the driveshaft and trans free because I'm pretty sure the pinion bearing has com apart and I need to replace the clutch pawl adjustment bolts because some have the adjustment nut frozen.

As an industrial mechanic / machinist I fear nothing mechanical and six years in the navy taught be electrical troubleshooting as well. However, I need to know which resources to search for how to get this critter apart and back together safely. So, question time:

1. I have the handbook PDF that's floating around and assume at the very least I need Les Andrews handbook Volume 1? Anything else chassis related?

2. I need picture help with the accelerator linkage that bolts to the block. Mine was mangled by the PO during the body removal. I got it straighter and moving but don't know where the foot button should land in relation to the other pedals.

3. I need a source of a decent rebuildable carb. eBay or?

4. How does the starter engage? Mine is missing the rod to actuate it.

5. Are there any floorboard drawings out there to make my own?


As always, any help is appreciated in advance. I kinda need a hug and some encouragement because I'm only half way through the 7 stages of grief.

Jamie
Hi Jamie, this may help you with your floor board
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File Type: pdf Upper_floorboard.pdf (73.9 KB, 13 views)
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Old 05-17-2020, 09:14 PM   #63
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I like your floorboards. Did you forget to leave access for the battery?

I had to replace my battery recently and it’s a PIA removing the rubber mat and the floorboard. You can enlarge the stock narrow access hole and the suppliers sell a larger plate so you can take the battery out without having to take out the floor board but you can use some sheet metal to cover the hole.

David Serrano
Or you could get a kit like this and only have to remove half of the floor to get at the battery. https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/P...earchByKeyword

or make your own, easy enough to do.
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Old 07-20-2020, 08:36 PM   #64
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Sorry for the delay, I really need to get this thread updated. I've been chipping away at my speedster project. Currently working on making the seat after repurposing three bus seat bottoms worth of coil springs. Used the jute and cotton padding and threw a HF moving blanket on top for good measure. Now working on the seat cover. Actually got to use hog rings and pliers.

Pics are clickable if you want to see larger versions.






This is actually a lot of fun.
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Old 08-15-2020, 04:40 PM   #65
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Just a quick post showing last weeks progress. Spent last Saturday seeing if I could get it to run and dang if it didn't fire up and even charge while running. Put a couple short miles on it and the engine is loosening up as well as leaking oil nicely. This thing is a riot and brings a ton of smiles and thumbs up.





Today I spent some time getting the $5 shocks I picked up at Bratton's yard sale a couple weeks ago mounted. Figured that they were locked up but it appears that they were only leaking. Still need to find one dogbone but otherwise they are installed. With the arms and hardware I'll have around $140 in stock shocks which isn't hateful.



Might ride out to Lowes in a bit and get some satin dark blue paint for the wheels since it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.
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Old 08-22-2020, 09:02 PM   #66
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This was my today, setting up my drill press to do some engine turning on my speedsters dashboard. Even went ahead and used the same fixture to turn a glove box door. Pics are clickable for the full sized versions.

















Been putting a couple miles on it here and there and the engine is loosening up nicely. Car handles well in spite of the mechanical brakes and lever shocks. It's a complete riot to drive around in.
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Old 12-11-2020, 02:54 PM   #67
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Been doing a ton of interesting stuff the past couple months to the speedster. Built headlight stalks, tail light stalks, pretty much finished the dash and am working on oddball stuff to get it more reliable before finishing the body this winter but it seems like no one on this forum cares about something not stock...













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Old 12-12-2020, 09:42 AM   #68
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Just read through this entire thread and will be following your progress from here. Incredible and inspiring work, thanks for taking the time to document and share. You’re a true craftsman.

Jerry


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Old 12-12-2020, 10:08 AM   #69
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"since no one on his board csres about anything but stock" ---not true. Here is one that loves what you are doing and is following carefully. Started my second speedster. (sold my first one two years ago and now regret it.)

This new speedster will be a boattail but I am starting out with a 28 cowl section and custom from there back Most of the mechanicals are in a pile in the back of the shop already rebuilt , waiting for assembly on frame.


Maybe I can get enuff photos to do a thread like yours.. ken
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Old 12-12-2020, 10:28 AM   #70
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Do please keep us posted on your progress. It looks great so far.....
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Old 12-12-2020, 10:52 AM   #71
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Enjoying this thread! Keep the progress reports coming!
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Old 12-12-2020, 02:59 PM   #72
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What did you do with the left front fender, as it looked to be (From a distance) in pretty Good shape ?
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Old 12-12-2020, 03:09 PM   #73
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"since no one on his board csres about anything but stock" ---not true. Here is one that loves what you are doing and is following carefully. Started my second speedster. (sold my first one two years ago and now regret it.)

This new speedster will be a boattail but I am starting out with a 28 cowl section and custom from there back Most of the mechanicals are in a pile in the back of the shop already rebuilt , waiting for assembly on frame.


Maybe I can get enuff photos to do a thread like yours.. ken
Ken,

It’s been fun following this thread. Hope you are able to start your own thread. Good choice on the ‘28 cowl, I think Speedsters look best with the ‘28-29 cowl with the narrow radiator shield and hood. The ‘30-31 radiator shield looks too boxy.

Good luck,

David Serrano
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Old 12-12-2020, 06:34 PM   #74
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Gentlemen, thanks for the kind words. I'll try to keep this thread better updated moving forward and maybe fill in some gaps on the lamp stalks.
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Old 12-13-2020, 07:57 AM   #75
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".....but it seems like no one on this forum cares about something not stock..."

anything with 21" wheels and a flat four engine is close enough to interest me.
lots of difference between an "A" speedster and a street rod......
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Old 12-13-2020, 09:10 AM   #76
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Keep going Ranchero50. I like it!
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Old 12-23-2020, 09:02 PM   #77
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Abbreviated update. Used a pair of early A center bumper Ford emblems as the centerpiece to hold my custom machined and aged foot steps that I wanted to look like something from an old horse buggy. Mission accomplished I think.













Added in a bonus pic. Both carbs were taken completely apart, dipped in the gallon jug of auto parts place carb cleaner and reassembled. The A carb with the old gaskets. The B was a hunk of rust that was stuck. Both came back to life and ran great. Currently the big B Zenith is on the car.


Next up are headers, intake and body side pipes.
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Old 12-24-2020, 07:02 AM   #78
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Great job! Keep us posted. Love the pics......
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Old 12-25-2020, 02:21 PM   #79
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Hi Jamie,
Thanks for sharing your progress, and cograts with a job well done.
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Old 01-13-2021, 08:48 PM   #80
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Two more weeks progress. The exhaust is about 95% finished. It's all made from 1.5" 18ga tubing. Used a small shop vac hose to figure out the bends. Ordered an assortment of pipes from Summit. Machined a pair of wooden pipe holders for the straight header pipes. Cut and fit the individual cylinder pipes to match the template and connect the dots. Made a new intake and fitted the B carb. 1-4 and 2-3 head pipes merged, then fabbed a 40% opening X crossover and rolled some straight pipe in the tubing bender to gain an organic curve. Balonia cut the tips and made a frame mount. Still need to make a frame mount for the header and then wrap the whole works in wrap. Free revving it's surprisingly quiet for no mufflers.

Pictures are clickable for full sized versions.





























Next up is the spare tire mount.
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Old 01-14-2021, 06:25 AM   #81
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Thanks for posting! Looking good! I would love to hear the exhaust note!
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Old 01-14-2021, 08:27 AM   #82
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Outstanding Work!!
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Old 01-14-2021, 11:02 AM   #83
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Love the dash! Great work. Creativity is #1 in my book.
Stupid question time: Are the exhaust pipes all the same length? I think that I read somewhere years ago that racers build them that way. Is that true?
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Old 01-14-2021, 08:41 PM   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big hammer View Post
Thanks for posting! Looking good! I would love to hear the exhaust note!
Think big single cylinder lawn tractor right now. Probably be different once the blown B gets installed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deuce5wndw View Post
Outstanding Work!!
Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by neds29 View Post
Love the dash! Great work. Creativity is #1 in my book.
Stupid question time: Are the exhaust pipes all the same length? I think that I read somewhere years ago that racers build them that way. Is that true?
Ned
Yes, the goal is to have the exhaust pulses exit the header primary pipe in equal impulses so I tried to keep the pipes the same length. Having too tight of a curve causes problems with the flow though. If the pulses are out of sync the pipe loses efficiency. Using the firing order 1-2-4-3 I paired 1-4 and 2-3 so the impulses will be evenly spaced out. Then both pairs go through the X crossover to feed both pairs of exhaust pipes. I wanted small pipe diameter so I had plenty of velocity which should help draw out the exhaust from the paired cylinders as the high speed exhaust pulse goes past the inactive pipe. There's a lot of science, some thermodynamics and even some math involved to get close.
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Old 05-01-2021, 08:09 PM   #85
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Somewhat delayed update. Been working on the skins to finish the body. Made a tail cap, the other side panel and have been working on the shoulder skins now. Funny that it's finally getting easier to manipulate the metal. There's also a '23 Model T that showed up waiting for it's chance to become a speedster.









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