Thread: Lethal Weapon, Project A-Bucket

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Ok I guess I'm gonna have to figure this junk out. So here's an update. Made a frame work for subfloor from 1" 14ga box.

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Next I reworked my $125 Woodward Fab bead roller. I added a couple of pieces of 3/8" bar stock to back and a piece of ford I beam axle to the back bone to prevent flex. I saved a couple of wheels off a discarded wheel chair and it made a perfect drive wheel. It is easily opperated with one hand and I can guide with my right hand. I fabed a piece of heavy angle and added some feet on the other side so I can clamp to my work table or bench. I don't have the room to make a dedicated stand, besides I don't know how much I'll use it anyhow. Also after these pics I took the crank that it came with and made it into the tension adjustment handle. I had to replace this bolt after several uses. It was metric, and loosly fit threads, and was starting to gall. I resized it to a 7/16" bolt and also welded a grade 8 nut to give the bolt more threads to spread load on. Works great now.

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I rolled some beads in the floor pannels and used the step dies to make flanges so I could lap pannels. I didn't have a piece big enough to do one whole side so I pieced it. I hope I can get by without buying another whole 4 x 10 sheet of metal. They came out pretty good. The one crooked bead on the passenger side is where my daughter took a stab at it. Hey most 14 year old girls would be in painting their nails or somthing.............

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Next was a removable trans tunnel. This is not my strong suit, as observed by my patched forward tunnel section. I took an empty freon jug and sliced it and added a section to lenthen it and bent some flanges, rolled a bead down each side and screwed it down. Those really sharp will note that there is an extra set of holes in the passenger side...........opps............. measured three times and still hit the wrong side of the framework.......... oh well. Just a little more welding.......


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Well here's the door I wasn't gonna have. Used MG roadster hinges and std bear jaw latch. Works good. Will weld 3/16" rod to edges to get my 1/8" door gaps.

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I went with a pass side only door, and a 3/4 door so as not to touch the lower DOM side bar. This bar is right a bumper height. I hope it will look ok. But what the F. I'm getting too old to climb in. What was I thinking............

Next little bit was hinge brackets for the tailgate. Got them made and tail gate hung. I think I'm gonna cut the heads off the bolts and weld them into the lower hinge. I used the stock holes but the bolts are really too close to the sides. The bolts are barely turnable. Also it would look cleaner if no bolts showed on the lower hinge brackets............ What do you think?

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Also, side note. As you might notice in the bed is a pedal car. I'm redoing for my Grandson, Bubba. His birthday is the 15, and he will be 5. I completly rebuilt steering and drive, and put those no flat 10" tires on it. It had plastic wheels and steering linkage. Now the axle stubs are made from 47 Ford F1 steering shaft. It has ball bearing in the steering column. Heim joints for tie rods, donated from a junior dragster, and it's all adjustable and greasable........... 33 was my last car number.

And lastly for today, mounted radiator and grill shell. Now I know someone is gonna give me crap for the low shell. But thats what I think I want. It's not as low as the Graffiti coupe, or The kookie car. But I like that look and wanted somthing different. We shall see when it's done if it stays that way. I purpously used a glass shell, easy to put the pieces back together if i don't like it when it's done.

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Hey you like the lower grille shell so it shouldn't matter to anybody else,but I will vote a yes as I like it too as it suits the curvature of the "A" cowl . Very nice work and yes doors are so good.

Love the freon tank as a tunnel cover! I'm for finding stuff lying around and using it for something else. Looks like your making some major headway.

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Hey you like the lower grille shell so it shouldn't matter to anybody else,but I will vote a yes as I like it too as it suits the curvature of the "A" cowl . Very nice work and yes doors are so good.

Thanks Whip, I think I like it. It's really only 2" lower than height if I was to run a hood top. Once I get the body skinned and maybe some primer I'll know for sure. I saved the 2" I cut off, easy enuf to glass back on if I choose. Glad to hear the knee is going ok.

Originally Posted by stovens

Love the freon tank as a tunnel cover! I'm for finding stuff lying around and using it for something else. Looks like your making some major headway.

I never would have got one bent up that fit that well. The radius was perfect. And the bottom will make a nice transition to the drive shaft tunnel. I wanted one that was removeable, so I could remove the shifter. Trans x-member is welded in and tunnel is tight to you can't get it out with shifter on. Got the verical door bars cut and welded in today. I hope to pull body tomorrow, finish welding bottom of subfloor, and a few other little items and have ready to start skinning next week................... I hope..............

Looking good, and love the "use what you got" build attitude. Did you make the beads on the tailgate or did it come that way? Can't wait to see it done.

Jack.

It's funny, I met another member on here in person(Evolvo), and he had shared that people used to cut up wheel barrels and use them as tunnel covers, which is also roughly the right shape!

Originally Posted by stovens

It's funny, I met another member on here in person(Evolvo), and he had shared that people used to cut up wheel barrels and use them as tunnel covers, which is also roughly the right shape!

Had not thought of that. But then I didn't have an old wheel barrow laying around. I've heard of guys using part of wheel barrow for a firewall recess though. I did the drive shaft tunnel today, two more jugs. It came out pretty good. Looks alot better than the square tunnel in my 48.

Originally Posted by Jack F

Looking good, and love the "use what you got" build attitude. Did you make the beads on the tailgate or did it come that way? Can't wait to see it done.

Jack.

Thanks Jack. Sometimes it's a money thing. And other times it's taking somthing I have or can get easy and cheap to make what I don't have the skill or equipment to fabricate. The bead was already in the tail gate. I'll post some more pics tomorrow, I did some lettering for the tail gate with the bead roller. Not positive I'll use, but I think I will. It came out pretty good for a first try. Need a little hammer work. I've got a piece of 3/4 round stock, left over steering shaft, that I will make an anvil to clamp in a vice to finish it out.