After 7 Years, it's on the Road!!!

TomT/Williamsburg

TomT/Williamsburg

Well-known member
Well guys, it finally happened - I got it finished last night and took it to b-fast in Smithfield with Al Casteen and the boys - about 20 miles away. Thanks Al for your help, inspiration, and the pictures! Again, my smile would not fit my face - the weather looks good all weekend so you know I'll be in it all weekend!!

BTW, Lee, a contributor here on the 'Barn (his handle escapes me at the moment), was on his way up to NY from Fl and stopped by last night while I was thrashing away on the coupe. We had an enjoyable visit but altogether too short - I hope there's another opportunity to get together when we can sped more time and cruise together. Good seeing you Lee, adn we'll see each other down the road.

Thanks again, one and all, for all the inspiration, help, suggestions, ideas - the Fordbarn is as much a part of the build as anyone or anything - thank you Fordbarn and its members! You are the best ....
 

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congrats, Tom!!!!....after watching the build happen thru time on the 'Barn, it's good to know it's on the road....enjoyyyyy.....now drive the heck out of the flathead...lol....Mike
 
Tom, Glad to say I was there the night before the maiden voyage. I only wish I would have rode with you over to see Al and the breakfast crew. We ended up skipping the second day at Colonial Williamsburg and spent the afternoon on a tour at Gettysburg. A real history weekend. Tomorrow we're on our way to Intercouse, PA, should be in Buffalo tomorrow night. BTW the route north was great, like you said, only about five miles of interstate all the way.

Between seeing you and Al, I'm pumped to start putting some flathead parts together with my son on his project. Now if I can hook up with Thunderbirdesq and Pothole Jim in Buffalo I'll have a boatload of flathead inspiration to take back south with me.

See ya out on the blacktop somewhere soon.

Lee
 
Thanks for all the kudos guys – it did come out exactly as I had envisioned it would - it's been fun building it with ya'll!

After b-fast w/Al and the boys, the wife an I went for about a 60 mile cruise – the car died once on me but that was because of a battery cable falling off – after that, we were back cruising. After that, I took my 86 year old Dad for a cruise in town – we “cruised the loop” in CW. For a guy who is always asking when I’m going to stop building these old cars (I tell him as long as I’m able and above ground!), he certainly enjoyed the attention “he” got! He’s been in my 40 coupe but never a real hot rod – he had a blast!

But, like all cars you build, the first day that started out so nice ended in problems. The first, and an easy fix I think, is that the car will not start now – no clicks, nothing – dead. I put in a new starter solenoid – still nothing. I do believe the generator died as I remembered when the battery cable fell off, if it was charging, it should have kept running. I also remember some noise that I thought was something else. So, I have a spare but does anyone know of a good rebuilder of generators? Mine have been converted to 12-volts.

Second, the car will not idle – this has a “Y” setup and I’ve got to take the front carb apart and perhaps put a new kit in it. This was a decent carb that was on my 40 before the new set I have on it now. So, I knew it functioned and I did have to modify it according to the specs given by Charley @ Vintage Speed. No worries though – just a minor setback.

The third and more troubling issue was the radiator has a crack in it right by the upper pass side neck, at the seam/weld point on the outside. It’s in a bad, stress point spot where I don’t think I can repair it effectively in the car. I’ve loaded a pic but I don’t think you can actually see the crack - just where it is. I’m going to call Walker as it was a brand new radiator, never really used except for my maiden run, and see what they might be able to do for me. I’m going to have to pull it though and there will be some time before I can get either Walker to replace/repair it or have it repaired locally (the nearest shop is about 30 miles away or so to me). I’ve loaded a pic for as much as you can see in it – the only way I found it was the fact I kept seeing antifreeze on that side frame rail. When I investigated I saw where it was coming from. Too bad ….

I was kind of bummed out but hey, it all can be fixed and it was much better it happened at home (the car was actually half-way in the garage when it quit!) then somewhere on the road. So, that was a good thing. I do have a laundry list of things to do anyway so I can get all of that done while waiting on the radiator situation.

Thanks again, boys - I'll keep ya posted ....
 

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TomT/Williamsburg said:
Thanks for all the kudos guys – it did come out exactly as I had envisioned it would - it's been fun building it with ya'll!

After b-fast w/Al and the boys, the wife an I went for about a 60 mile cruise – the car died once on me but that was because of a battery cable falling off – after that, we were back cruising. After that, I took my 86 year old Dad for a cruise in town – we “cruised the loop” in CW. For a guy who is always asking when I’m going to stop building these old cars (I tell him as long as I’m able and above ground!), he certainly enjoyed the attention “he” got! He’s been in my 40 coupe but never a real hot rod – he had a blast!

But, like all cars you build, the first day that started out so nice ended in problems. The first, and an easy fix I think, is that the car will not start now – no clicks, nothing – dead. I put in a new starter solenoid – still nothing. I do believe the generator died as I remembered when the battery cable fell off, if it was charging, it should have kept running. I also remember some noise that I thought was something else. So, I have a spare but does anyone know of a good rebuilder of generators? Mine have been converted to 12-volts.

Second, the car will not idle – this has a “Y” setup and I’ve got to take the front carb apart and perhaps put a new kit in it. This was a decent carb that was on my 40 before the new set I have on it now. So, I knew it functioned and I did have to modify it according to the specs given by Charley @ Vintage Speed. No worries though – just a minor setback.

The third and more troubling issue was the radiator has a crack in it right by the upper pass side neck, at the seam/weld point on the outside. It’s in a bad, stress point spot where I don’t think I can repair it effectively in the car. I’ve loaded a pic but I don’t think you can actually see the crack - just where it is. I’m going to call Walker as it was a brand new radiator, never really used except for my maiden run, and see what they might be able to do for me. I’m going to have to pull it though and there will be some time before I can get either Walker to replace/repair it or have it repaired locally (the nearest shop is about 30 miles away or so to me). I’ve loaded a pic for as much as you can see in it – the only way I found it was the fact I kept seeing antifreeze on that side frame rail. When I investigated I saw where it was coming from. Too bad ….

I was kind of bummed out but hey, it all can be fixed and it was much better it happened at home (the car was actually half-way in the garage when it quit!) then somewhere on the road. So, that was a good thing. I do have a laundry list of things to do anyway so I can get all of that done while waiting on the radiator situation.

Thanks again, boys - I'll keep ya posted ....
Click to expand...

Tom,
Two years ago, on the way to Bonneville, one of the cars in the group had the same failure. We cleaned it off really good with Acetone and applied a bead of JB Weld. It held up from Wyoming to Bonneville and back to Newport, Rhode Island. I'm not sure, but I think the repair is still on the car. I know this isn't how you want to leave it, but it could salvage the rest of the season for you. When the car is laid up for the Winter, you could pull it out and fix it right.
 
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