What are you doing today 2016?

[chimp koose]

Nice t bird . A buddy of mine has one and we just got it running reliably last summer. I noticed a dual master cyl. on that one and was wondering if it has disc brakes up front and if so what vehicle are they from . That would be a great upgrade to my buddies bird. Its a 62 as well.

[idrivejunk]

Thank you all, gents. On behalf of the band and myself, lol. I found the big bird fans it seems!

I can ask about the brakes. Its probably all aftermarket because it was a crossmember swap with rack and pinion. I just don't know what brand.

Take five and have another. I did all the trim assembly on this one awhile back, and again a tricky quarter save thing. Not quite as extensive a build. I like both these cars and I'm not sure which most. One is muscle, one is salt lake. I think...









One encore... this one was done before I started there. No good pics of it, just this-

[idrivejunk]

Oh almost forgot...

Today I spent about an hour cleaning cypress tree sap off my 99 GP GT. What a pain but I gotta park it exactly there. Its tough sap I tell ya, takes WD40 to cut it. Feels like sanding when I use the clay bar and wash mitt. I am reminded that my broken wrist is still kinda forever broken even after a year. Thats when I reached down to honk and the airbag went off dadgummit.

[kb426]

Restomod for me. A 63 bird is fine if you just want the looks but if you're going to drive it everywhere, I'm all for modern equipment. Several years ago I drove an original 57 ranchero. The old memories instantly came back. I don't want to relieve them on a regular basis.

[idrivejunk]

Likewise! I did my share of miles on all drums. I'm told that the crossmember was a TCI unit made for 50-7 Ford trucks. The brakes were seperate from that, but yeah thats how that went and the literature is probably with the car, that tell the brake application it uses. Heck I had a hard time finding a shot where I could see rotor but its got fronts anyway. The underside is pretty too but I didn't catch a shot of it.

I think I got some long-awaited good shots of another car that went home today. Gotta see how they came out.

But first, a personal gripe If I may. I could spit nails, man. A year ago a kid failed to yield, a cop failed to locate a witness, a clinic doctor failed to find my wrist fractures, a radiologist failed to notify me of found fractures, two insurance companies failed to place fault, and now the only willing attorney booted my case. Just got that letter. I just can't... arggg. End rant. OK.

[idrivejunk]

Crack open a freshy and play like we're in the garage passing prints around like the good ole daze...

Thats "LS7 427" on the shaker. Hard to read it from here. The shaker scoop is functional and the filter hides in there. Its a mast Motorsports soup of the day LS7 (late model Corvette mill) backed by a T56 and on a Roadster Shop full frame with IRS and not an inch to spare anywhere. The rails are inside the rockers, technically its a unibody now I reckon. I didn't do any of that stuff, just some tricky exterior sheetmetal finishing et cetera. Others on the build team simply amazed me. Note center exhaust and split rear bumper plus fancy steel work underhood. Floor and tunnel were masterpieces. I modified the flares to fit the puffed wheel openings.

I will say also that those are 2002 Grand Prix trunk hinges (from the 40th anni car I flipped over) used as hood hinges, grafted to the stock 'bird upper halves and aided by lift struts for scissor doors. The stock hinge location would be inside the wheel travel area now. The car is only about four feet tall. I qwiky fabbed those hood hinge covers in glas and all they got was spray paint, but those and the GP trunk hood hinges were my personal brain farts.





































What I did today looked kinda like this. I hear it got away from a lube tech and ate a wall or bench. Getting an all-over now.

[Carps]

Like them Chunderburds, but the sporty * Chief is probably more to my liking.  Looks like it can handle a bend as well as a straight line and I enjoy that in a car.

You do nice metalwork.

[Rrumbler]

Love the pics, Junk, you are a master of the trade beautiful work.

I understand your rant, happened to us, too.  Sometimes you just gotta bite it and spit; sorry it happened to you.

[idrivejunk]

Thanks guys. I hope to continue doing bodywork on 20th century cars far into the 21st. Not that its been kind to me but I enjoy it. You all are very kind though. Again, I'm just one gear in a whole transmission so to speak!

Today I realized the this newfangledy debit card with a chip they gave me now... is too new for gas pumps so I no longer have the option to pay at the pump. Hows that for progress? They can't leave things that work alone.

[kb426]

I've had a chipped card for a year. So far it has always worked at the pump so I assume I have something to look forward to as retailers upgrade their equipment.

[enjenjo]

Started on a new project. I am doing some brake work on a nice 39 Ford standard.

[GPster]

Ordered a copy of "Tex" Smith's autobiography from Amazon. I'm getting a used copy. I hope it's not a warn as it will be after I get it. It should be here before the end of the month. I guess that will give whoever bought it new a chance to read it again. GPster

[kb426]

Gpster, I bought a copy of that but haven't had time to read it yet. I have a huge pile of books waiting for the day I don't go to work. Today I pulled the 32 apart. The yoke on the pinion has been leaking. The last one I took apart had silicone under the nut. I've never had to do that before so I didn't. What a mess. Not only did the rotation of the driveshaft throw it everywhere, the wind caused it to travel rearwards as well. I pulled the bed floor up and gave it a solvent bath. I washed all the frame and suspension parts with solvent as best I could without spending a whole day on it. I bought a solid pinion spacer kit and installed it. New seal and silicone under the nut. Fresh grease and it's all back together. I hope that's the end of this. I started making new tail pipes for the 51. The parts are cut and ready to weld together tomorrow. The ones on it were leftover from the 32. They worked but didn't hang symmetrical. I hope that version 2 is correct.

[Carps]

Yesterday I forgot to go to the swap meet at Berwick, probably just as well since I'm packing up to move out of my house and I really don't need MORE stuff.

Later in the day I got jack of housework, so jumped in the car just to get out for a few minutes and two hours later I ended up in the small coastal town of Queenscliff, where it seems there was some kind of old car event happening.

As always, I just happened to have my camera handy, so I thought I'd stop and take a few photers.  Took a bit longer than I expected as I lose track of time on a regular basis and continued shooting until the light was completely gone and the camera got a bit antsy, coz it needs light to do it's job.

Rolling into town there were cool cars like this one parked everywhere.



And this one too.



There was even the odd and I mean that in the nicest way, muddersickle or two.



The main street of town was closed off and the cruising got started with a vengeance around supper time,.......



.......... thanks to perfectly placed roundabouts at each end of the main street, it was a breeze to trurn around and head back, ......



.............. whilst the conga line of cars seemed to have no end.



It seems that some folks were even happy to let the kids drive, at first I thought this one was LHD but it was later revealed that the driver was in fact hiding in the right hand seat.    



John Davis took me for a blast in his freshly completed  and very neat little T bucket,.......



it's a great car with three pedals and I was getting quite comfortable..........



.....until he pulled over, told me to get out the invited this personin to take my seat.  Some folks have no shame.   :LOL:  :LOL: :LOL:



So, being stranded I had to stick out the thumb and try to htch a ride and this guy was the only one stopped to offer me a lift.



Seems he was running the 'Uber' Hot Rod Taxi Service as he was at the wheel of a different vehicle each time he rolled past.



And he would just stop and load it up with whoever asked for a ride.  If any of these look like yours, now you know where they went.



He does seem to take his work to cultivate the next generation of hot roders very seriously and all the kids treated to a blast had a great time, the adults too.  Thanks Pete.



It seemed as time dragged on, so too did more cars join the action.





This looks like one of those 'gangs' we read about in the news media and see on TV, they were spotted loitering around town all weekend.



Was good to see Tony's A coupe so far from home, despite the forecast for rain.  :LOL:  :LOL:



And the line of cars grew ever longer.



What is it about hot roders that they can't let other blokes occupy the passenger seats to cruise with them?



Some of the participants were exhausted early in the evening.



Others appeared ready to party all night.



Almost everybody was smiling and those who weren't were laughing.



We definitely aint in Kansas anymore Toto.



Good to see a lot of Aussie body styles among all the recent imports.



I kick myself every time I see this one, years ago I considered and rejected this colour for my sedan and now it looks soooo good!  



Green works and it's a good safety colour when it can be seen from the moon.



Cruised from St Louis to Louisville in this car's twin last year. I figure like Ed's this one is a great long distance cruiser and looks good doing it.



Do't be fooled by appearances, the exhaust rumble gives away that all may not be as it seems.  Under the stock sheet metal is a race prepped 502 big block and matched drive-train, it runs tens all day long at the drag strip and carroes the front wheels for the first couple hundred feet out of the traps.



Curly's A Tudor is one of the classiest model A sedans you'll ever see.



And on the subject of good looking model A sedans, here's the other one.



Little Willys looks great in orange.



A car so ugly as a stocker this Packard should not look so good, but it does prove that hot rodding is the right medicine for many old cars that may otherwise end up as unloved orphans.



Great to see the old Ken Brownlee tub back on the road where it belongs and being enjoyed to the max..



Yup, definitely not Kansas.



Another fresh ute that would make the perfect daily driver.



Did I ever mention that wood is good?



A different approach to a traditional hot rodding graphic treatment.



Tin?  I guess there is some tin used to make steel.  ;-)



Proof that there's enough younguns involved to keep our hobby alive for years to come, all we gotta do is encourage them.



A winner running 11s on the drag strip, Noel's T looks a treat on the street.



Some guy named Kurt was asking about the gal at the wheel of this one.



Neat license plate illuminated by original lamp.



It just got darker and darker.....



Until even the big old Ford headlamps couldn't help.


 

[chimp koose]

Thanks carps , you make our winter seem easier with posts like this one.