Sniper Posted September 7, 2022 Report Posted September 7, 2022 Keep chipping at it, eventually you will get done or if you are like me you'll find something else that needs addressed, it never ends, lol Quote
Mikec4193 Posted September 28, 2022 Author Report Posted September 28, 2022 (edited) Sometimes I wanna be this super fabricator and then I find something I could never make and the price is descent and it is made in the USA.... The former owner had put a nice flat firewall in it but it was rather thin in gauge...one look at these pedals and I was like...we gotta do it a little thicker.... Went to the pile of crusty steel and found some 16 gauge.... All set in place...hope it can stay in this spot... Did a little more hodge podge garage work on the radiator support... Look mom....we have pedals in the car...a steering wheel and column too.... In rust we trust right here.... Next on the docket is getting the brandy new gas pedal assembly and my foot to fit in in next to the transmission hump....I don't plan on driving it much but still would be nice to have to so it works correctly... MikeC Edited September 28, 2022 by Mikec4193 spelling 1 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Posted December 8, 2022 Been busy cuttin and grinding and welding all kinds of rusty metal to this heap...the Cob Job Garage is in full swing for sure... That first hood I built was a hideous mess...I had some round stock from an old fence and some really really thin sheetmetal... cut cut cut....tac tac tac....grind grind grind...the center piece came out of the old trunk floor from the coupe... Had to do brakes on the ole heap...so thankful for Rock Auto... So then we had to plumb some stuff to all those new Rock Auto parts... I have been thinking about the hodge podge deck lid...then I saw what it could do...I kinda like it now Then came something to put gasoline in...Google and Ebay to the rescue... I think shipped to my door for less than $200.00...it is too shiny but we are scuffing it up to make it like it was there all the time...all the mounting brackets I cobbled together from the metal pile in the yard...I think it is 10 gallons... Then came a battery holding device... Had the angle iron from a 1940 Ford stock car I saved a couple years back... Several days of cuttin and chopping and chin scratching and look mom... Quote
Mikec4193 Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Posted December 8, 2022 So the shop was getting kinda gritty so I pushed the ole heap to the edge of the shop doorway... Love the stance so far.... As I toil away on this old heap I get to know it better all the time and one day last summer I heard in a audible voice in the garage say..."Hi I am Judy"...so the old heap is named Judy from now on.... 3 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Posted December 8, 2022 (edited) I forgot about this cobbled up thing I did... So I live on a State Road and we get almost 5000 cars a day racing by my door...so this happens a lot...I had two of these wrecked boxes...I wanted to find a place for them...well I did finally...I stripped them down to nothing and look what we did... We made us a firewall.... So what is an old stock car with out an old street sign...?? She is now an old stock car for sure... Here is another view of the second hood I cobbled together... Edited December 8, 2022 by Mikec4193 spelling again 1 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted May 31, 2023 Author Report Posted May 31, 2023 So I went away for a while...I was in the mid west for a month and then Erie PA for a couple of weeks...been slowly cobbing things back together... So we finally got wheels from the fine folks at Wheels Vintiques...the rear ones took over 6 months and the front ones were over 9 months.. Got everything mounted up nice nice too... So I had built this hood for this heap out of 18 gauge sheet metal that I had laying around and it just never looked right on it...so I cut it apart and made front fenders for the ole girl.. Old hood I cobbled up... New spiffy front fenders shown here...that was the hood.. I did a thing too with the whole rear end set up... Pulled all this nice shiny Chinese parts off the heap... This is how old stock cars should look like from this era... The fine folks at Posies hooked me up...I had talked to them a year back and the fellow I talked to on the phone said they were out of stock but he would touch base with me again when they came back into stock again...took I bet 9-10 months before they came in... Currently hanging a lot of wires and gauges...taking my time as I don't have a clue what I am doing... Once the ole heap is running and moving...then I need to drive it...not looking forward to driving at all... It has been a fun build so far... 1 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted September 25, 2023 Author Report Posted September 25, 2023 Been picking away at it...almost every night except when I am in Kansas...then I work on my snow bird house... Not sure what this piece is called but it had terminal metal worm infestation...so I did my little dance and cut cut cut...tac tac tac...grind grind grind...repeat... This coupe is biggest mess I have had to deal with since my Willys Jeep days...nothing seemed to line up...so I got the tape measure and did some marking and come to find out the rear decklid was not the same length on each side... We are looking spiffy now... Once you try to get one in the right realm then something else wont line up...So I cobbled up some deck lid latches and called it good... Got the new old used racing seat mounted up...it took many many hours of cutting and chopping to get things to fit... We also got brakes that sorta work...I lost a can of brake fluid chasing leaks...every single fitting leaked and 3 of the 4 wheel cylinders leaked...I am so thankful I have all GM brakes on this ole heap... So this car as I have said many times...it is a freak show..I have 2 yellow doors...one side and the roof is brown and one side is black... I have never tried to rework a Mopar before...maybe this is normal Mopar stuff... Quote
65bcoda Posted September 27, 2023 Report Posted September 27, 2023 Loving the tac tac tac - grind grind grind dance Quote
Mikec4193 Posted November 23, 2023 Author Report Posted November 23, 2023 So the ole heap had very very humble rocker and quarter panels on both sides...I had mounted the body and built the floor so I thought I was good to go...then I got looking at it and there was a big hole under the floor when you opened the door... So I had some I think it was 3/8" brake line hanging on the wall...so here we go again... I also had bought some 1/4" square stock for something that I was working on...so why not...let get this thing going... lots of cutting and grinding and tacking again... Oh yeah...quarter panel patches are cobbled in place too... I love saving old rusty metal...makes me smile when I re-use stuff...the quarter on the drivers side is part of the old floor pan patch...the passenger side is 18 gauge sheet metal that I had sitting around... Cowl patches were also cobbled in place...grind grind grind...tac tac tac....grind grind grind... 1 Quote
oldodge41 Posted November 24, 2023 Report Posted November 24, 2023 I really enjoy following this build. I love the old stock cars from that era. Takes me back to my youth attending races with my Dad. Quote
Mikec4193 Posted November 27, 2023 Author Report Posted November 27, 2023 On 11/24/2023 at 10:23 AM, oldodge41 said: I really enjoy following this build. I love the old stock cars from that era. Takes me back to my youth attending races with my Dad. Hey Olddodge41 I have to say this has been the bucket list build since I went to my first race at the local oval track in 1965 with my dad...I was 4 years old...I have raced oval track stuff and I have really enjoyed it but then this project came on the market...I had to grab it... I still smile every time I go out to the garage and bang away on it... I am thinking about another Mopar project when I get this one up and running...My parents had a 1939 Plymouth 4 door back in the early 1960s and then my dad had Pilothouse for several years in the mid 1960s when he was building the house I grew up in... I am in my happy place when I am making sparks.... Thanks for the reply. 2 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted December 20, 2023 Author Report Posted December 20, 2023 Ok kids....lots of sparks are flying again in the hodge podge garage...I think we had more fun than we should have... So thankful for more what I think is 3/8" brake line...there was a big hole in the trunk lid area...had to do something How does it all go on here again...tac tac tac....grind grind grind...cut cut cut...repeat... way too much fun for one day...still grinning about it tho... So I get both sides done and I grab ahold of it and it is still flopping around....more chin scratching...more 3/8" brake line and some scrape "U" channel too... A strip of 20 gauge sheetmetal...it still was flopping around...l was told years ago...triangles were a strong shape... Had to add more supports to the inner rockers that I had cobbled together too...more 3/8" brake line...grind grind grind....tac tac tac...repeat... I have a date with my mechanic friend he is going to go over all the wiring I did and make sure this old heap will fire up...once we get it to run...then I will be putting and exhaust system on it...then tow it to the garage to get it inspected...hopefully it should pass... I have spot on my lean too where I think I will store it... I have had way too much fun rebuilding this ole heap...looking for the next project as we speak... Quote
Mike15 Posted March 5 Report Posted March 5 I admire your work. Do you have the original 39 engine/block? I am currently restoring a 39 and could use an engine. Quote
Mikec4193 Posted May 12 Author Report Posted May 12 Been awhile since I last posted.... The first race I saw was in 1965 as a four year old kid...many of those old jalopies had this painted on the rear deck lids... Finally got the lights to work on the old girl... Cobbled up a 1951 Ford rear view mirror.... Found an exhaust kit on Amazon... Did a lot of pipe smoke on this stuff...way too many cups of coffee too... I added these little sheet metal wings to the old hood I had cobbled up earlier in the build...I was not too fond of the master cylinder not having any cover over it... got it fire up too....put some really cool glass in the windshield...had it shipped from the state of Oregon to the state of New York... I am taking a break from it as I grabbed this old guy for a quick flip and then back on the Plymouth... Life is good.... 1 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted September 18 Author Report Posted September 18 Back at it again...a lot of small stuff to do... I got the ole girl back in the shop...noticed the front brake drums were two different depths...well that cant be right...bought the same part number at the same time from Rock Auto....hmmm... Well quick jump online and find the last one that is the same depth as the one on the left here... Then I start looking at the whole front end of things...what a mess...so I rip stuff apart to try and fix it... Sometimes you just gotta get rough with these old ladies... So thankful for Rock Auto and more thankful that someone before me took the time and cobbled on this early GM front clip...I kind of understand how all this stuff works as back in the early 1980s I had a 1967 Camaro oval track car and this is the same front clip... Took me probably better part of 2 weeks to finally get all the parts back in and hopefully now it will run down the road a little better... 1 Quote
Mikec4193 Posted November 27 Author Report Posted November 27 So I got back on the old Plymouth again...finally sold the Willys Jeep...what a relief that was...took a total bath on it too...lost every penny I spent it...oh well...old Jeeps and me...I think I need to stay away from them unless they are free Jeeps... I kept looking at these doors and the lack of wing windows was getting to me...so I put a wanted ad out on a Mopar Facebook page and low and behold...I found a fellow in the mid west with a 1939 Plymouth sedan he was turning in to a street rod and he was putting electric windows in it... So the parts started showing up at the house.... The stuff was original 1939 stuff so I was thrilled to be able to use it... A lot of cobbleating going on here to make it all fit...cut cut cut....tac tac tac...grind grind grind...repeat... Quote
Mikec4193 Posted November 27 Author Report Posted November 27 I was in my element again...cutting and fitting stuff...love to weld rusty metal...and I did.. . Some of the metal on the door was cracking....nothing that a little MIG welding could not fix right up... Everytime I start to feel bad about making this into and old Jalopy I run into rust where rust really should not be and then I dont feel as bad anymore...here the A pillar is rotted...well was rotted...I filled it in with MIG wire and ground it off...does not look that bad really... So my new favorite place to hang out is inside the old girl...she makes smile...I even found a young fellow who live a couple counties over from me who might this spring come out and take her for a spin... In the mean time...I think I am done with it...had a blast saving it...have no desire to drive it tho...the traffic where I live it is brutal...it would be suicide to try and drive it on the roadways and it is not safe enough to run around at the local dirt track...the thing would fall apart...if it was a paved track maybe... On to the next project...still not sure what I want to build...an old Dodge truck maybe???...I was thinking about another Morris Minor maybe (rat rod)...I need stuff to work work on this winter...might even think about another VW bug or maybe an old 1950s International truck...they are pretty cool trucks too... I did it.... Quote
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