Chevy/Reo?

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At a boy Sam! He is good like that. Just because he has the skills and tenacity to modify a more door Olds AND have it look good he think we should all do the same!:D

Oh, and it does look better with the crossmember moved. [P
 
Yeah, 'ol Sam is a trouble maker :rolleyes:. Being open to doing something over again to get it right is the mark of a true craftsman [cl. You have to make yourself happy first... Too bad inspiration always comes after thrashing so hard in the wrong direction [;)[S:confused::mad::cool:
 
Uh..... I just wondered what it looked like from the side?! I liked the crossmember in the pics.

...never did see a side shot....
 

I stuck the license plate in the middle but pushed it up almost against the wooden trunk, so it is recessed. Would be cool if I can run an original 1928 license plate. It's legal here with government approval.

Sam, your request for a side view caused me to take pics and really look at where the project was going. Sometimes I get to thrashing on a project and don't step back to see if the parts are melding into a harmonious whole.

In the beginning, I selected a cheap crappy body figuring if I ruined it, no big deal. That way I could take chances on the design of the project. The proof in determining if this project is a success will be when it is on wheels and outside. It's possible it will look like a miss mash of poorly selected parts haphazardly thrown together.
 

Not able to leave "well enough alone" I found a spreader bracket of unknown origin and put it on. It is temporary, just a test.

If the spare looks too big or bulky I could use just the rim without the rubber.

In keeping with the "no aftermarket or new parts" build approach, I took a look at the dashboard. The Stewart Warner gauges look wrong. Need to find a set of gauges out of something old.
 
Bob, I don't think you are gonna be able to get a feel of the side view until you get the large tires on it. I think it will look a lot different with big tires. They should make the rear look smaller...?? JMO.

Lynn
 
I like the spreader. Maybe a little forward tilt and drop an inch or two on the spare? would make it seem smaller[;)
 
I don't know what the final look you're going for is, but I like the mud tire look. With the spare, they give it a look of purpose. Like it was made for Pikes Peak or similar.

A little more tilt may look better on the spare. From that side pic, it looks like you need about 3" more behind the axle for balance. A bumper will fix that.

Gauges - I instantly thought hour meter. Something from old industrial equipment - the only problem with that would be finding something like that that actually had a speedo. I like the tach in my F100 because it say 'overspeed' at 3800RPM's.

(just my unsolicited opinions, of course!)
 

I lowered the spare tire 2 inches. Wanted a little more but that would've required major bracket surgery. It gained a little more tilt in the process. This looks acceptable to me.

Yes Sam, I've even thought about military tires. That part is unsettled at this point. The concept was originally, "What if Ivanhoe or the headless horseman had a hot rod back in those times?" It would be dark and sinister. It would cause people to shiver when it appeared suddenly out of the darkness. Maybe the final finish, whatever that may be, will help evoke that image.

The spreader is gone at least for now. It is too narrow with the tire lowered.
 
gauge hunt

check out the boat repair places for gauges. my friend has a boat repair shop and some of the boats that come in have some neat looking gauges.

people are always scrapping old boats.

old airplanes or places that sell used parts, we have two of those here and some cool stuff shows up on the shelves.

old fork lifts, really old generators, heavy equipment. we had a scrap yard here that was full of this kind of stuff and the gauges were really unique and cool looking on most of them.

old/retired race cars may yield some things ya need.

antique shops.

l figure you've already looked at E-bay & craigslist.


these may help you find what ya need.

Later :cool:
 

The ice and snow finally melted off my "pile 'o crap" and I found a rear wheel that worked for this mock up. Missing are headlights and the exhaust side pipes. Also, these are not the wheels that will be used. Other than that, this is pretty much the way this thing will look. I have a unique plan for the roof and have yet to decide on how to finish all the sheet metal.
Some statistics: Wheelbase - 103", Overall length - 12', Height - an inch under 4 feet. Rear wheel - 29 1/2", Front wheel - 27"

Thanks for the gauge ideas, skull. A couple of my breakfast buddies are on the way to the Pate swap meet in Texas. They'll be shopping for me. I've got a 1930 Chevy truck cowl with decent gauges that I could use. Problem is I have plans for that cowl...
 
Really neat look you've got going there. Definitely not going
To see another one like it while you cruising around in it.
Great build.
 

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