Hot Rods of the 1940's

Neat stuff here. These are photos of dry lakes and dual-purpose roadsters. Notice the inherent beauty in these individual builds, and the differences. And also notice they are all the same car...'26 and '27 Model T Roadsters. I especially like the little black one in the background of the last picture. Very genuine, very little! And very "hot rod" for that time.

Also, look at the green beauty with the gal waiting inside. Windshield and lights are just removed as it waits for the opportunity to make a speed trial. Little '40 caps on white walls front and back-very hard to find in the WWII era. Notice the fronts are motorcycle tires, white-walled on both sides.

I like these little beetle bugs. I like the history of their making. I like how they look. These aren't overdone. These aren't Bling Bling. Gosh, they don't look mean, either. They look like jalopy projects built by experimenters, modifiers....but so fitting and proper. This is what real hot rods looked like, because these were...are... real hot rods.

Thanks to Don Montgomery and Robert Genat for the wonderful books I stole these pictures from. Want to learn about real hot rods? Read their books, as well as articles in The Rodder's Journal.

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Spreader Bar The Right Way!

Here's more completion on the little buggy car. Its the spreader bar- that little rod going from one frame horn to the other right at the front of the T-V8. This little abandoned project car had a spreader...but it was just wrong. The bar was about 2" diameter heavy tube welded to each frame horn, with the original mounting holes all welded shut. It was way too big, way too fake, and welded on. They aren't supposed to be welded! That is not how the early hot rods were done. They should be bolted on through the existing frame horn holes where the little splash apron originally would attach.

So I cut the oversize welded-on pipe off and drilled the original frame holes back out, pinpointing the location from the inside frame view. I then cut a piece of smaller tubing and welded nuts into large washers on the tubing's ends. The nuts were off centered in order to push where they would allow the spreader bar to sit: right at the front of the frame horns. After careful fitting, I welded up the assembly and bolted it on. Now that is how they are supposed to look.

Why am I so opinionated about the spreader bar, yet allow the car to appear old, weathered and unfinished? Well, it is old, weathered and unfinished. Just like it is supposed to be. Just like many a little jalopy bought and torn apart by eager boys after WWII, stripped of fenders and running boards and hopped up in the most literal and genuine sense.

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Sheet Metal Brake

I'm still on the "make it yourself" thing. Well truly, I'm always on it. And this one is no different. The above pic shows my messy, tiny table where I use my standby vise (given to me years ago by my employer). And in the vise is my homemade sheet metal brake. I built this because I recently got Eastwood's shrinker/stretcher set, and I needed something to make nice straight bends to try out on the shrinker/stretcher. So I made this little 20" attempt at a brake, and it turned out fine. The steel is scraps I have around, and the handles are old ones from a broken drill press. This little thing works...hows that for post traumatic brain injury time? Woo Hoo! So now I can make window channel pieces and fender well strips out of sheet steel by simply making a straight bend on the brake, and then forming the proper radius or curve on the shrinker/stretcher. Man alive Jackson Five, I like doing this stuff...

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More progress...

Wiring diagram and harness is now officially done for the '27. And it was actually fun to do. I was forced to look at books and diagrams, to wrap wire leads, and to install everything neatly and safely. The battery has room only in the trunk, so I decided to use the remote solenoid as sort of the main junction block for positive voltage. I ran huge wire from the battery terminal through and under the body, and up to the firewall outside. The big wire was installed with good protection and lots of supports. During this project I quickly realized that the body needed final mounting before I could secure the wiring that passes under, through, around, etc., the body. And this became a rewarding but tedious project its self. I did not realize the body would flex and bend as much as it did while making body mounts and securing it to the frame. But soon it was done, after much spacing, adjusting, etc. And now I have all the wiring hooked up, tested and working right.

The picture above is the harness diagram I made. It shows how I wired the buggy and what choices I made. The headlights are Dietz-type 7" sealed beams and the rears are '39 Ford. The front has turn signal lights from a '68 Mopar, and the turn signal switch is an old Signal Stat 900 that doesn't come with an indicator light on the switch. (That is why it only had 6 wires, not seven like all the plans I saw explained).

And the best reward was the test drive(s). The little gauges are tachometer, oil pressure and water temp, nothing more. And the test drive got me quite excited as well as it tought me to adjust and tighten the rear 4-link setup I made. A rear end has a tendency to hinge up and down if the 4-link bars aren't tightened. I knew that....no really...! It's good I was able to see the reason the driveshaft kept getting closer to the floor (and fuel line!). Nowadays my new plan is to remember what is in mock-up stage and what is not. You see, I have too many untightened bolts!

Notice the old headlight switch- I used "PARK" setting for low beams, and "HEAD" for high beams. This way I don't have to install a brights switch.

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Make it yourself!

I'm back to the wonderful old pastime of working on my 1927 Model T Ford Roadster. It is just like old times: I walk into my drafty shop and start fiddling around with tools until I actually feel like I've fixed or built something. It's nice to feel close to being back in the car groove, even though I don't last as long as the pre-injury days! But I get a few precious hours every week to tinker with the clinkers (since the doctors still haven't released me to work). Pictures below show what I've been doing lately with the '27 jalopy.


The above picture shows my completed door panels on the pass. side. I finished the actual door-attached ones last winter, but the rear panels I did in October. Don't worry, the bottom seams are covered when a seat gets installed.

You can see my fiddling with the floor area and the shifter porch/ trans tunnel cover. I still haven't decided what I'm going to finish there.



Here's the rust zone on my driver's door. Both doors need lower patches, so I marked where the replacement panel will fit. I then grabbed some sheet steel (kind freebies from Creer Sheetmetal's scrap!!) and began trimming it to shape on my band saw. I originally made a paper pattern enabling me to trace the shape onto my sheet metal, leaving it long enough to be curved into proper shape and still fit the entire needed area. The piece got it's enjoyable run on my homemade English wheel, where I realized it isn't as easy as I thought it might be. Well, it wasn't that bad...


Speak of the devil, the above picture shows my homemade attempt at an English wheel! This is the tool I used to shape the vertical and horizontal curve of my door's patch panel. I made this baby from a foundation buck that I cut up and reinforced, as well as a trailer jack (adjuster) and a big clunky caster wheel (upper anvil). My friend's dad machined the caster wheel's surface flat, and I welded up this behemoth. It is a far cry from anything any reputable company makes, but it was a fun distraction involved with the old car obsession. And yes, if you're noticing my "reinforcements", the English wheel does flex. (Cough)... too much flex...


But I ended up with this, the lower door patch that will be welded in this weekend! After cutting it from my pattern I formed the curves on the wheel, test fit a million times, formed some more, and finally punched the overlap areas on the top end with my pneumatic tool. It actually fits well! And again, thanks to Creer Sheetmetal for hooking me up with nice pieces from the metal salvage bin. One of the main guys there has a beautiful '39 Ford Coupe that is stunning...Oh Boy!
I will cut the bad zone of each door soon, and make a mirror-image patch panel for the passenger door, too. It is fun, this old car stuff! And I like the idea of making stuff yourself!

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Completion

Here's the orphan car that patiently waits. It's my '64. It is also the first real all-around project I've ever started. And no, it isn't done...but I can finally say that it's getting close. The picture to the left shows the exciting progress milestone-I finally got the back of the car put together! It has been a long wait, but the rear lights, taillight housings, trim pieces, gas door and rear bumper are on! And no, this car is not even close to perfect. But taking this long on a first time car "restoration" is many lessons learned. It is also an irritating cause of wanting to do every prior step over again. As time passes and experience increases, my ability to detect shoddy workmanship (my own shoddy workmanship) increases. I just have to remind myself this is part of the journey, and that I'm not the pro I often think I am.

The '64 is looking great for a careful budget project. Heck, it's definitely worth the "20 footer" status, and maybe even ten feet on a cloudy day! Jokes aside, it is still a cool old clunker and I enjoy working on it again.

The car has, again, been many lessons learned. I made the floor pans and trunk pan from scratch, and welded in 1/4 panel repairs as well as fender patches. Fitting the car together has been a big obstacle, and I realize more and more how much this car has been wrecked, bent, rusted, twisted or replaced.




But I have the back of the car looking like it should for the first time in almost five years! And that was rewarding to be able to do, given my injuries and the junky-ness of this car. The bumper is a re-chromed one from back east, and wasn't exactly straightened like it should be. Also, the rear frame extension showed visible damage from a wreck, but the mounting holes looked right. Well, they weren't right! Here is what I had to do to get the bumper to fit...





As you see, I had to cut the bracket in order for the holes to line up, as well as cause the bumper to twist into proper shape. I tacked the new position of the bracket, put everything together for test fit, then removed and fully welded the bracket, including patch pieces to strengthen the new setup. Again, this shows that the car is just one problem after another. But it also allows me to learn! Besides, I like old cars.

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Going Continental

I may not have mentioned my intention to move to France. Some may have guessed, after I mentioned "driving a lot in Europe" while considering my next purchase, that I may not be long for the UK. Well I can now inform you my specific intended destination is the south of France, somewhere between Nîmes and Perpignan. I'm not sure where yet.

And at this rate, the Lotus and the Fiat will be going with me. Actually, I never really intended to get rid of the Fiat, though transporting it to the south of France could be, um, time consuming. The Lotus, however, is not selling. It seems a global banking crisis is not the best time to try and sell a luxury item. Who'd have thunk it??

Ironically, I think I'll have a better chance of selling it in the Côtes d'Azur than I do in the UK. This is a millionaire's playground, where £10,000 is an evening's bar bill and Jaguar XJ-S convertibles go for £25,000, even though they struggle to reach a third of that value back in Blighty.

I was contemplating this when it dawned upon the French are probably as big in the classic cars scene as the British. It is they, after all, who host the most prestigious classics race in the world, the Le Mans Classic. And when the classic sportscars tour came to Silverstone this month (I got complimentary tickets from a nice chap called Guillaume, who is a classic sportscars organiser from Paris) the pitlane was awash with French accents. Far more French folk than British, even here in Silverstone. In fact, since my car has been for sale, two thirds of the serious approaches have been from French people.

If I were going to move anywhere in Europe, I can't think of a better fit for the classics enthusiast than France.

The Italians love cars, but can't be bothered with old ones (with a few notable exceptions). The Germans love efficiency, so that's that really. The Spanish are indifferent. The Swiss government positively hates cars, and while the Swiss themselves drive around in some of the most expensive cars in the world, the only Swiss person I know who is fortunate (and rich and half English) enough to have a stable of vintage sportscars only bothers to drive them when he's going to France for a few days. The Dutch are up there and enjoy their motorsport, but the French beat all comers hands down when it comes to passion and enthusiasm for classic cars.

I actually look forward to driving the Lotus on French roads for a few months. We're aiming to move in spring 2009 so, savings permitting, I may well be flinging the Lotus around some French country lanes in the spring sunshine.

That would be nice.

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The Originals

I like cars, old cars! And I've delved into some interesting types, styles and eras. Heck, I'm sure on a kick about early dry-lakes and street roadsters lately, as well as GM full sizes from the golden years of '60, '61 and '62. But these wonderful moves still take their place when my mind reverts to it's original beliefs about cars. The Originals. Original to me. Passed on by dad. And golly molly, very good lookin'!

I mean the GM A-bodies from the early part of the "kings of the road." You know, the "M" word: musclecars (which isn't exactly my favorite word). I hate to admit, but I am very opinionated here: these are the finest examples of what I consider the best automobiles ever made. This section of favorites starts in 1964 and ends in '65.

My picks are, again, very opinionated . Hopefully no one takes offense, but the cars shown on the beautiful 1965 May cover of Car Life magazine (above) are the all-timers, the great ones- with exception of the '65 Coronet. Mopar fans, I apologize. I don't hate the Coronet in the above pick, but it doesn't make The Originals. Not even close. Yes, I admit it is probably faster than all three of the others. But my list of ultimates only includes the other three "supercars"on that cool old magazine cover.

And there are others that don't quite make the list. No Mustangs, no Camaros, and not even the first Firebirds. And the venerable Road Runner doesn't get on the list. No 'Cudas, no Chargers, no chopped Mercs, no hot rods or their many imitations. People, I don't even allow the '54 Bel Air or fastback early GM's like '49 Pontiacs and Cadillacs.

Ferrari and Lamborghini are not contesters, and Bentley or Rolls don't quite measure up. (Yes, even old ones, and obviously the new ones!) I hate to say it, but Porsche doesn't even make the list (although I still secretly desire a pre-'68 911 or 912, maybe even a 356..). And sorry for this narrow-minded judgment I'm about to relate, but Porsche broke old and esteemed traditions when they released an SUV. Porsche SUV!? That's sacrilegious!

Guys and gals, don't hate me...but Corvettes aren't included. I do actually think the Blue Flame Six babies of Corvette's first yearlings are beautiful. I also completely adore a 1960 Ventura, the coolest '60 full size car ever made. I like the beauty and mystery of rare cars like the '62 bubble top 409 Bel Air. I also dig '67 Chevelles in total stock trim. But these above mentioned don't get the list either.

People, I know I am guilty of a simple-minded American old car mentality. And my trumped-up claims of car knowledge are not only biased, they're probably weak sauce! But the blame lays in the old car gene I received at birth. And it suits me just fine; heck, even naturally. I didn't simply learn to live with it, I ate it for dinner!

There's many automobiles I love, but even most of them don't make the list.

Nope, just these, The Originals:

1. 1965 Pontiac Lemans/GTO Either one, they're the same thing. Converts and hardtops.
   
2. 1965 Olds Cutlass/442. Again, same thing, but boy there's something about a real '65 442.
3. 1965 Skylark /Gran Sport Again, same thing! But there is something about the GS in particular...
4. 1964 Pontiac Lemans/GTO 'Nuff said.
5. 1964 Olds 442

Now, one of the reasons I became so sentimental about The Originals is because I had to work on my clunker 442. It is a project car that patiently awaits it's turn for restoration, but I run it every month or so to keep things oiled and seals from cracking. Suddenly it wouldn't start, so I busted it out on Saturday and massaged it back to life. And boy this clunker got me remembering... I walked in to put my tools away and saw the '27 T roadster, my buggy lakes-style car. It looked cool as ever, but for once I consciously remembered what The Original favorites are!

Below the picture of my orphan Olds shows some of the good, and not so good. But it's a cool clunker! It used to have a sunroof chopped into the top, but thankfully came with an entire roof cut from a Cutlass. I replaced the roof when I first got the car. Please don't ask why there are Dodge turn signals on this car. And no, it will not sport the 15" Chevy rally wheels when it is done. Lucerne Mist, correct steel wheels, Olds dog dishes and red line bias-ply's are what it will get. Just like Lansing made her in the first place.



Stop laughing, the above-pictured car really is one of the best...no really...! And if you think I'm a redneck, go see my little brother. He has two documented 4V- code '65 442's. One hardtop and one convertible. And if you're weird like me, you'll be excited to unearth such rare classics. These are The Originals. I've known it since I was a little peanut: it's an actual passed-on gene characteristic of the slightly more common "old car" gene. And I got my old car gene from Dad, of course.

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Attempts Successful...Kind Of

Having been electrocuted and all the extras that came with it has been, in summary, exhaustion. Even though the whole list of effects from such an interestingly extreme injury is about ninety feet long, exhaustion seems the biggest reminder now. The others are bad enough they don't deserve attention. But man alive I get tired! I mean tired!

Today I started the legendary Saturday as close to normal as I have since getting zapped. I put on my work pants, my dirty shoes and a Clydeco shirt, and headed out the door toward the fit and deserving pastime of Saturday. I naturally accessed the situation inside my drafty garage, realizing that another test drive was in order for the '27 Model T. I also justified such a move because the little car shop was a mess, and I must move cars in order to properly clean where they live!

So the job began. I started first by putting tools away. Everything I found appeared like a surprise- I honestly don't remember leaving my electrical testers and wires out, or my welding helmet on a rafter. And I didn't remember buying a generic wiring harness for the '27 which I found in its box. I had to look at it, and then I remembered. I thought, "Oh yeah, I was going to start wiring that little buggy, I remember why I bought this harness now." Weird feelings. It's like I lost contact with life for a century, and finally the memories are coming back.

And then the job progressed! And the time came to sweep the floor! And I saw the little T roadster, and felt he needed to come out in order to do a good sweeping! So I hooked him up to 12-volt negative-grounded DC voltage and mechanically pumped carbureted gasoline, and pulled that hot rod out.

I drove my hot rod, the little buggy, out of the shop and into the front yard. My neighbor's young boy called to me as he saw the car through his front screen door, and proceeded to tell how he made a goal in his little soccer game today. The funny kid then asked me what I was doing with "the buggy car." It caused an immediate grin from me. Another memory came back- this little boy originally called my '27 a "buggy car" the first time he saw it. HE came up with that- I didn't teach it to him. And my smiles kept coming. He's absolutely right-he shows the purest opinion and observance. How come adults can't tell the difference between a "rat rod" and a little buggy car? Or a real classic car verses a tricked out monster machine? Like I said, he's right. It is a buggy car. It's my beetle-bug car. And it's supposed to be traditional.

After these small moments I took a quick seat on one of my roller stools (covered in dust), in the car shop. And this "quick" break turned into a long break. I was completely exhausted. I looked at my old walls, at the Kendall Oil sign, the old ads and parts I stick all over the place for decoration. I looked at my cracked concrete floors and the shifters hanging on the wall. I got up, put away a few more tools, and sat back down again. I just sat and rested, again totally exhausted. And I noticed how drained I really was. Looking outside at my tarp-covered collection of old cars in various states of disrepair, I remembered what the little neighbor kid said. That '27 Model T is a buggy car. It's my beetle-bug. And I continued to sit, just sit there, enjoying that little boy's statement.

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The End Of The Roundabout

I note with some sadness that the highway powers that be are removing the last of the roundabouts from the A1, a secondary (though still major) dual-carriageway running the length of the country, from London to Edinburgh. Most motorists will rejoice at this, but not the Elan pilot.

The only fun bit of driving from London to Newark on the A1 is the roundabouts. Without breaking any road traffic regulation, it is possible to enter a roundabout on such a road, drop in to second, fling the car through the effective chicane and boot the throttle.

This is great fun! You get to use all of the cornering and acceleration of these fantastic little sportscars and roar away up to 70mph then just knock it over from 3rd in to 5th gear and continue on your way, with a broad grin on your face.

Sadly, this era is coming to an end. My drives from London to my parents, in north Nottinghamshire, are about to become an even more tedious experience. Ho hum.


On a more positive note, a nice French chap, who took an active interest in the Lotus, turned out to be the organiser of several well known classic car racing events, including the prestigious Le Mans Classic. Even though he hasn't even met me yet, he has sorted me out with two VIP, all access, guest tickets to the 1,000km of Silverstone (AKA the 6 hours of Silverstone).

What a thoroughly decent fellow. Clearly a gentleman and a scholar. I'll take the Lotus up for him to have a play with, naturally. Looking forward to it.

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