Time to finish my roadster pickup

donsrods · Jun 29, 2018

I started this car years ago, but it got pushed into a corner when I got sidetracked building my Mustang. The body originally belonged to my son Dan, who built it from a four door 1929 Ford Murray body. He decided to buy a new Brookville body instead, and he gave me this one.

He and I built the frame, used a lowrider S10 rear suspension setup, mounted to an 8 inch Ford rear, with a new center section from Speedway. The front suspension is a NOS 1934 Ford axle I scored on Ebay, with 46 Ford brakes, and Speedway split bones up front.

The engine is a crate 350 from Summit, the transmission is a B&M 350 Turbo, and the tripower intake was a birthday gift from my two sons. I am going to have a local driveshaft shop make me up a driveshaft this coming week, then I just have to run some brake lines and install the new PRC aluminum radiator I had them make a few years back. The headers are a set my son Dan built for me, with internal baffles.

Once the running gear is done I can get on the bodywork. Not sure of color yet, but I may sand through the paint to age it a little, I like that look.

I tried Dr C's tips on posting large pictures, but I am a computer flop, so you will have to click on each picture to enlarge it.......sorry. Thanks for looking.

Old Iron · Jun 29, 2018

I'm glad to see ya back to finishing this one.
[P[P[P

Torchie · Jun 29, 2018

^^^^^^ X's 2 ^^^^^^^
[P [P [P
Torchie

forbigpicture · Jun 30, 2018

Me too........

[P[P[P

DozerII · Jun 30, 2018

That’s shaping up to be a real cool car

donsrods · Jun 30, 2018

Thanks, guys. Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting this one finally on the road. Should be a more comfortable long distance cruiser than my 27....a little roomier.

donsrods · Jun 30, 2018

I just found some pictures from years ago, that were the beginning of my rpu body. The first one is the sedan Dan cut up to start the project, then how he framed in the back, cut off the windshield, and finished it up. He put in a lot of time and work, and I was only too happy to take it off of his hands.

The last two pictures are when we started mocking up my car. I used a 394 Olds at first, but then decided it was a money pit, so I bought a crate 350 instead. The date on those pictures is 2011 ! Wow, it has taken me a while to build this thing !

Bamamav · Jun 30, 2018

Was wondering if you ever finished this car Don. I remember when you sent the suspension off to be powder coated white.

ssimpala · Jun 30, 2018

!!!! Been waiting on this one!

Tripper · Jun 30, 2018

Looks like it was built by one of those "California" builders... hahaha! [ddd[ddd[ddd

Glad to see you back on it... always one of my favs!!! [dr

BoB

eyesore · Jul 1, 2018

That is gorgeous work. Looking forward to this one! [P

iSore

zzrodder · Jul 1, 2018

Glad you're back and working on it again.[cl Sorry to see the Olds go but I understand the $$$ it takes to build vintage engines like that. There's a zillion SBC Chevys out there, but they are just so darn simple, cheap, and reliable, tons of parts available - hard to beat...

joedoh · Jul 1, 2018

pretty nice start!

donsrods · Jul 1, 2018

Bamamav said:
Was wondering if you ever finished this car Don. I remember when you sent the suspension off to be powder coated white.

Haha, yep, and I think it was on this car that the power coater did the parts in black instead of white. When I went to pick them up I had to tell him he did the wrong color again......he does that occasionally.

Tripper said:
Looks like it was built by one of those "California" builders... hahaha! [ddd[ddd[ddd

Glad to see you back on it... always one of my favs!!! [dr

BoB

I just play a famous California builder on TV, Bob !

Thanks, I have to admit I am pretty excited to get this one going again.

eyesore said:
That is gorgeous work. Looking forward to this one! [P

iSore

Thanks !

zzrodder said:
Glad you're back and working on it again.[cl Sorry to see the Olds go but I understand the $$$ it takes to build vintage engines like that. There's a zillion SBC Chevys out there, but they are just so darn simple, cheap, and reliable, tons of parts available - hard to beat...

I had the Olds machined by one shop, and they did a crappy job, so I put it in a second shop, and it sat for 6 months without them even touching it, so I ****** it out of there and sold it. SBC are so much easier and I can get parts anywhere if I break down.

joedoh said:
pretty nice start!

Thank you !

I-R-POPS · Jul 1, 2018

Good to see this on the front burner again. Great build.

05snopro440 · Jul 3, 2018

I can't wait to see you finish this! Let's just link to the other thread for those who don't remember all you've done on this!

http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20556

donsrods · Jul 5, 2018

05snopro440 said:
I can't wait to see you finish this! Let's just link to the other thread for those who don't remember all you've done on this!

http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20556

Wow, I hadn't seen that thread in years, thanks for posting it !

I read every page last night, and I found that I had a few of my current facts wrong, after reading it.

The transmission is not a B&M, the convertor is. The trans came from Jackson Racing. Also, the rear center section is not a Speedway, the Speedway went into my 27. The rear in this one is the original that I had a shop down the way from me put in new parts and 3.50 gears. It was funny to read about the powder coating fiasco, where he coated the frame in the same white as the suspension. I thought it was the other way around.

When I look back an realize I started that build in August of 2011, it hurts my head that it has taken this long. I found it funny that the thread stopped abruptly in the spring of 2016, that is when I shoved it into the corner and started the Mustang build.

Thanks again for posting that link. I enjoyed going back in time and reading all of it.

Skip · Jul 5, 2018

I think they call them "alternative facts" nowadays. [ddd

bob w · Jul 5, 2018

Great to have you back and working on the RPU, Don. Even with the faulty memory. I got one of them too. Must come with age.

smallfoot · Jul 5, 2018

At least it's not full blown CRS!

Time to finish my roadster pickup

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