crunch time - sharp engineering's 30 sedan

Ventura Nationals 2015 is coming up next weekend, 

a perfect deadline for a hot rod builder.

It's fun watching another's methods,

how they prioritize each part of the project.

Which is more important,

getting it running,

or making it look like the picture in your head?

In hot rodding that's a 50-50.

Working on a cool looking car is the perfect catalyst,

other than a fat wad of cash.

Jason spent a weekend chopping his model A sedan.

And another couple days 

shoehorning in this 1940 chevy dash.

And another day smoothing out the chop lines,

than adding some color.

Now it's crunch time.

Only a few days left.

Wiring, brakes, steering, engine running...

Ya think,

Dang, what why didn't I do this last week?

Let's see if he makes it!

Anyone want to make a bet?

TP

Knobular

Here's a quick follow up.

Nothing too exciting...

See anything different?

This Sansui au/tu 7700 set was cheap,

real cheap,

basically cause it looked like this.

Incomplete.

The missing knob will fetch $40!

Why you ask?

In the 70's these companies went all out.

There was a bottom dollar in one sense,

but quality attracts and scares away customers.

These knobs are machined aluminum,

no plastic insert.

This isn't the correct knob,

however it is a Sansui from the same era,

and the price of a good hamburger.

Good enough.

Does it make it sound better?

No.

It's not funny how the OCD kicks in 

when sitting on the couch!

TP

1949 holdsworth cyclone deluxe

Back in November,

an old bike frame made it's way home.

At the time it was not the wisest choice.

Money was tight as usual,

and did I really need another rusty project?

On top of that,

my stash of worthy vintage road bike parts 

had already been used up.

I've fallen into the eBay search frenzy,

only online poker is more addicting.

Ahh I'll just clean up the frame a little,

later on throw together a cool beater...

Yeah right...

If you're the project ADD type,

there's a little trick I've learned over the years.

Sure you may be overwhelmed with multiple long term projects,

all the more reason to get a quick win.

There's that satisfaction of completion,

a treat when other projects seem so distant.

Would focusing that energy been better towards the hot rods?

In this case not really,

most of the tinkering was done in the sleepless nights.

A side benefit was the decluttering,

as pieces of partial projects gave way to the missing links.

There's no way I could have completed this 

without sacrificing a few hoarded jewels.

Over the long weekend I realized the last part not collected was the chain,

the only thing bought new!

A Saturday night was spent fitting the cables,

adjusting the brakes and shifters.

All this stuff had been lying around for weeks!

Notice the suicide shift Simplex front derailleur,

similar era as the frame and fork.

The other parts are mainly beat up 70's European brands,

polished or drilliumed to look presentable.

Campagnolo, Roto, Brooks, Ava, Balilla...

I did concede to Shimano for the brakes,

as the again 70's dura-ace calipers,

were a knockoff of the weinmann style,

with a bit more precision.

Definitely a budget build other than the wheels.

Today was the first long ride for this frame.

Solid, smooth and quiet.

I loved the front shifter mechanism

and the cut-down Brooks saddle was more comfortable than it looks!

The fork rake definitely makes for a stable ride,

and at 21 lbs the Reynolds 531 tubing did not feel 66 years old.

Now time to button up the hack-work,

swap out some of the incorrect parts,

and put some miles on it.

Maybe take to the L'eroica California ride this April.

Now go find yourself a little project!

TP 

Gearhead ADD

Craigslist is a tricky place,

peppered with both shady and trustworthy characters.

Easiest to go in with some caution,

maybe a low expectation,

but always a pocket of cash to seal the deal.

It also helps to know what you're looking at.

The few times I've taken a failed leap of faith,

were the times I wasn't as savvy 

to the reality of what I was l buying.

Which usually ends up as subject matter

for the loyal readers!

Hey if I can help your last minute cellphone research,

it was worth it.

The whaler deal was a good example of the positive side of craigslist.

Straightforward guy with a low price.

The old mercury wasn't running,

and the deal was like getting the motor and trailer for free.

He said the engine should run,

maybe clean the carbs,

as it was an electrical issue,

basically no key.

Yeah right.

One of the first things I did 

was cut the lock cylinder out of the ignition switch,

and try to turn it over with a screwdriver.

Click...click...click...

I was already set on a smaller engine with a tiller steer,

and although clean,

the engine seemed too much of a project.

A weak attempt at flipping had no takers.

As time passed,

A couple manuals were found on the cheap.

I was on the fence of parting it out,

but not after a good try at starting it.

People online raved at how the early 4-cylinder  engines were so smooth and powerful,

and since it was as old as me,

I couldn't just kill it.

Luckily it was a freshwater lake engine,

not a crusty salted up bay beater.

It took longer to hoist it onto the stand,

then it did to get it running.

The problem was simple,

the controls were jammed,

and it was stuck in gear.

That was a Chinese puzzle to put back together.

Couldn't start with the safety on.

A couple taps on the starter and solenoid

loosened up the contacts,

and some ether woke the engine up.

All the shadetree mechanic tricks.

Anyone need any mercury manuals?

Man did it want to run!

First time since 1992.

Definitely more mechanical sounding then the newer fuel injected outboards,

like an old hot rod engine.

Now the ADD is really kicking in.

Not many people looking for boat stuff at the end of summer.

In fact there are deals popping up for project boats.

Actually I even thought building a skiff would be fun.

Holey chit why couldn't I just like watching football or baseball.

TP

time for tres huevos

Okay - how about 3 cheers for ADD!
With the wife and kids out of town for the past couple days,
I've been spending a bit more time in the garage.
There's so much to do on each project,
that a couple hours on a least important task is like a mini-vacation for me.

1940 ford custom dash

The last time I showed the dash it was that nightmare green paint,
the pro-line epoxy that has taken forever to cure.
The bright side was it allowed a break from the old "tres huevos",
and focus on the other coupe.

green

If you haven't figured this out yet,
usually I'll compile a series of short work bursts
into an article that looks like I just spent one long day.
In some instances that is the best way to work,
as it's good to have breathing room to let things cure or settle,
and not fall into that rushed build trap that I'll regret later.

brown

Over the course of the month,
I've sprayed some rattlecan primer on the dash.
A metallic Mrs. Butterworth's Brown followed that I thought I'd like,
and dang it the pictures were all blurry.
The brown was cool just a little too boring for the dash.
In the dark it looked like the rusty front fenders.
A can of metallic cherry was scrounged up from the kids model paint stash.

hand rubbed

Now that was a color that was a bit subtle and a bit flashy.
A bunch of clear coats were sprayed on,
and a week passed to let the layers cure solid and hard.

A half hour with some 600 grit soapy wet sandpaper,

and this was almost the sheen I was hoping to see.

All it called for was a good hand rubbing with some watered down rubbing compound.

custom 1940 ford dashboard and insert

Sometimes I'll use a soapy scotchbrite pad,
but there's a tendency to gum up and leave swirl marks or scratches.
My bare hands are about 1200 grit anyway!

cozy

What made this all possible was this cozy throne.
Just enough comfort to get the job done,
and let my mind wander into a potential engraving project on the insert.

shiny

The finish is far from perfect,
almost a patina but really just a cheap rubbed out spray job.
I'm hoping it will age gracefully.
At least now it's possible to install some windshield rubber.

deadeye

In addition there's been a little headway in another unrelated area.
These headlight buckets had been rattling around forever now,
and I'm surprised they weren't lost in the shuffle.
The caged nuts had rusted up long ago,
and there was no easy way to bolt them on.

more green

The solution was so simple it took about 10 minutes,
although now I'll need a wrench to tighten things up.

ring

There were a couple instigators.
First off I had found some '39 deluxe headlight rings.
They have the sleekness that this front end needed,
even without the glass lenses.
If you have some send them my way!

stool time!

The second was a surprise package from "chocolate & cheese Dan",
whose been diligently working on the orange roadster.
He had this electroline sealed beam kit,
and knew I loved freebies.

electroline sealed beam headlights

I only needed the contraption that holds the light bulbs,
and now I'll have to figure out how to set these in place.

broken nose - missing teeth

It looks easy but there are a couple catches,

like being able to remove or adjust them,

and not make them look like they're wearing eyeliner.
Funny how headlights make the car look awake.

1939-1940 ford chopped coupe project

Slowly this 1940 ford coupe is turning into a 1939 ford coupe.
As you can see it hasn't turned into a shelf yet!
Yeah I still need to fill in that hood hole...

TP

the blue meanie

The kids and I dropped  by my parents house over the weekend,
and after wrapping up some heavy lifting,
we decided to give my Dad's ole '53 chevy a little attention.

1953 chevrolet 150

You would think after moving back to San Diego for almost 5 years,
I'd have gotten this thing up and running by now.
Instead even though it sits in the main walkway to the house entrance,
it's become that invisible project.
Slowly blending in like a fountain or hedge,
not the bitchin' car it should be.

1953 chevrolet 150 business coupe

My Dad's got a knack for making things smooth and shiny,
and he's tackled some big projects like the mustang II front end,
chevy 350 and a 9" rear end conversion.
That was almost 20 years ago!
When it comes to simple mechanics and electrical,
the breaker shorts and progress has screeched to a halt.

chevy 350

To further string the project along,
he's been wanting to pie cut the hood.
The boys and I swapped out a dirtier looking but much straighter donor,
giving the front end a definite rattier look.
(no shot of the painted original one...)

child labor

We decided to clean the old girl up,
and it was in way better condition then I remembered.

vroom vroom

I gave the engine a once over,
and we were relieved that the crank was not seized.
Time to dig around in the trunk for the rest of the parts.

loaded

Holey cow no wonder this thing is so low.
There was a copper mine of wires and cables stashed in there.
We'll sort through all that later.

1953 chevy 150 business coupe

With a little luck we're going to try to get it running.
Yeah I know like I need another project!
Just one day a week for now.
This one is so close it seems worth it to at least start the engine,
and hear if it's gonna be a runner.
Then go from there.



















The kids were even taking dibs on driving it to high school!

TP