Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I don't think I could afford them. My buddy was telling me tonight he is doing a Lexus for some rapper, and they are putting 24's on it. The wheels and tires alone cost $ 10,000 !! I never realized they were that expensive. They are also doing those flip up doors, and he is having fits getting them to work right.


Don

Just wait a few month's and you will be able to pick up a set on craigslist for $500. It seem's after a few broken leg's from trying to reach the ground and hold their pant's up the 24" novelty wears off.

I was hoping to see a picture of you car at night so we could see how the neon look's.

Ron

Don wrote:

That is why I left Pennsylvania to come here. (try explaining THAT one to your wife....."Honey, we are moving to Florida because we don't need fenders there." )

Don - They changed that law here in 2005, now you can move back. To make it easy for you, I'll swap houses with you.

Originally Posted by mopar34

Don wrote:



Don - They changed that law here in 2005, now you can move back. To make it easy for you, I'll swap houses with you.

That's really good news............now if you can only do something about all that white stuff that covers the ground half the year, I might reconsider.



Man, I am totally stoked today. I needed a grille shell for the T, and the TP one just didn't look right on this radiator. I could have modified it, but decided to sell it on Ebay and look for another one. I wanted a steel one, if possible, because we can cut it up and weld to it to make it fit perfectly.

Problem is, they no longer make any steel ones. Speedway and TP told me the same thing.......the dies to stamp them got old and fell apart, and nobody was reproducing them. Several model T suppliers confirmed that story. So, I had to try to find a used one.

Anyway, I posted on the National T-Bucket Alliance that I needed one, and a member, NH Ben, came back and said he thought he had one that he bought years ago, and didn't need. He went to all the trouble of digging it out, sent me tons of pictures, and only wanted what he paid for it years ago (a very good price). He then boxed it up extremely well, took it to the shipper, and sent it to me Monday. Best part, he didn't want any money first !!! He put his name and address in the box and trusted me to pay him when I got it.

Today it came, and this thing is MINT........no, make that SUPER MINT. It is perfect for what I am doing, and I don't think we will have to do much to it to get a good fit. It really reaffirms your confidence in people when something like this happens. Hot Rodders are right at the head of the class when it comes to good people.........Thanks Ben.

Here is a shot of the shell. As you can see, Lucky likes it too, and is no longer that little kitten we brought home.


Don

Great story and an even better part Don, that baby is going to look very very good!!

That is super mint Don, hope you don't have to cut it up to much, shame to waste such a nice part. Well your not really wasting it on the that slick little T of yours. LOL
Brad

Yep, I couldn't wait to get to the shop and try it on for fit. I'm happy to report it fit pretty well right out of the box, and it looked like just a few changes would make it work perfectly. Dan was nice enough to come over after work tonight and we just got home (2 am). He spent the whole night cutting it up and welding it back together for me. I pretty much stayed out of his way and handed him tools........he likes to think these things out alone pretty much.

The shell was mostly rivited and spot welded together, so the first thing we did was remove the bottom portion. I am probably not going to run that section, just the top and sides. The shell was slightly too short and had mounting ears in the wrong places, so we cut those off and built new mounts that will be skinned over with some 18 gauge filler pieces. We spent about 7 hours and still have a few more to go before it is done, but the hard part is at least finished.

Something tells me this is not a Model T shell. It has no Ford script embossed, and the shape is different than the Total Performance glass one I have. However, that makes me even happier, because it gives the car a funkier/ different look. It fits the radiator like it was made for it.

Here are some shots of where we left off tonight. We put the headlights back on to get the full effect, and seeing the black grille has convinced me the car is going to be black.

Don

Don, Your T is looking great, It really is coming together...

Harmon

Thank you Harmon. I appreciate that.

Don

I would have to say that that is one of the nicest traditioal style Ts that I have seen... Hows your sons truck coming?

Harmon

He is coming along pretty well. The floor is almost done and he has about a months worth of work to do before it can go in for paint. He keeps making changes to it that cost him lots of time, things bug him until he tears it apart and redoes them. But for the most part he should make Daytona in November.

Here is where it sits now. Thanks for asking.

Don

You guys do amazing work. The pu looks killer...So when are you moving back to PA so I can let you work on my POS....

I'm going to Fla and kidnap Don and his son's, then chain them to the wall in my garage so they can only work on my stuff LOL
Brad

I am using your last shot as a screen saver Don, very nicely done. I too llike the slightly different shell, maybe a early wippet sheel, but looks fantastic what ever it is. The orange and the way you have done up the engine yields directly to the black paint IMHO too.

I bet you and your son are having a blast, I am very happy for you. You are a lucky man, that is wealth beyond a mans dreams there.

CHEVYBOY, Brad, and Brick.........thanks guys. Uh, Brad, there aren't any whips involved with those chains, are there?????? I just rewatched Pulp Fiction, and am still having nightmares.

Yeah Brick, I absolutely realize how lucky I am. Both of my Sons have always stuck close to me, and I don't know what life would have been like without them. Just tonight I got to install the starter Dan ordered for my T, and although he has lots to buy for his own car, he still keeps surprising me with parts for mine. The fact that he gave me the entire evening last night, when I'm sure he would have loved to work on his own car, means a lot to me too. He has a good heart.

Tomorrow I think I'll pick up the plugs and plug wire set so that I will have that one more thing out of the way. The guy at the auto parts store is going to let me spend some time in his back room measuring molded radiator hoses also. Hope I can find one that is close or that can be cut down to fit well.

Goal right now is to fire the engine by mid to late August.

Don

Don, the way your going I think you'll have fired up earlier than you think.

By the way, Lucky is a cute cat. He sure is lucky you son saved him, but heck that was only one of his nine lives.