Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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NNNOOO i want to Quit . Going in for laser at the beginning of Dec. besides it will be more income for cars if Momma dont get to it first LOL.

Very well done, your car is now one of my screen savers, she's a real beauty. I would love to go for a ride in her.

Don:

I have learned a great deal watching you put together that beautiful car. I am not usually a fan of Ts but yours turned out beautifully. Everything from the stance to the colors was done just right. It will attract a great deal of positive attention.

Thanks, it was this thread and all its camraderie and knowledge that inspired me to start posting my 37 Caddy build thread.

I know you were hoping it would turn out better. You should be ashamed to drive that crappy thing around. Please "hide" it behind the house so no one will ever have to lay eyes on it again. Then send me GPS directions. hehe

Originally Posted by squire

I know you were hoping it would turn out better. You should be ashamed to drive that crappy thing around. Please "hide" it behind the house so no one will ever have to lay eyes on it again. Then send me GPS directions. hehe

Oh boy, too late. I just sold it to BradC for $ 200. (Really saw HIM coming, didn't I? ) Once again guys, thanks. Ya know 37 Caddy, it's nice that more people are posting threads about their builds. Maybe they saw that a dummy like me could do it and figured ANYBODY could do it. In any event, they sure are fun to look at and follow up on.

One thing I have to say to anyone doing it, please don't be discouraged if you don't get lots of replies to what you post. It doesn't mean people are not looking and enjoying your thread, it is just that sometimes people will view something and not say anything back. There are times when I will read someones updates and for one reason or another do not have anything to say back, but I still loved reading it and seeing the progress shots. I know it is encouraging when others post comments about what you have posted, but it just doesn't happen all the time. That is why I try to chime in and say something when someone posts updates, just so they know we are out here reading it.

And here is a tip I learned: If things get a little slow on your thread, just throw in a picture of a cat or two. Or have Uncle Bob post one of his pinup pictures.

And now for my own update. Yesterday I did what I have been dreading and putting off..............I got the headlights and grille shell prepped and painted black. Not only do I hate painting black, but I am just burned out on painting period. I had to do it last night though because a cold front is supposed to be here today or tomorrow and it might be too cold to paint then. They came out pretty good, especially the headlights. The grille shell has two little runs that will buff out, but it looked shiny when I left last night. Now I can bolt them on and wire up the lights.

My alternator isn't putting out any juice for some reason, but Dan has offered to loan me his from his '29, so I'll get that swapped out today. I'll take mine to an alternator shop to see if it is worth redoing. Back when I was trying to hit the $ 3K number I bought it on Ebay (used but nice) and just assumed it worked. Worst comes to worst I'll buy one at Daytona to replace Dans.

Don's new shorter pushrods came overnight from Summit this morning, and Dan and I are going over to install his interior in a little while also. Lots to do and only 6 days til we leave for Daytona !!!

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

If things get a little slow on your thread, just throw in a picture of a cat or two. Don

Yeah, haven't seen or heard anything about Lucky lately! Did I miss something?

Don,

Sorry just a little behind but you don't need the grill shell, looks great just the way it is.

I think that your T is the envy of many reading your posts every day.

Great job.

Z

Don
I have to admit our furry friends do attract interest. Pretzel the dog helps me out!
http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/c...urrent=003.jpg
We adopted him after our dog passed in December. He is great for our mairrage, and a good companion while working on the truck. I haven't given him the keys yet, since he's only a teenager and the truck still has no brakes.

Pretzel the dog looks like he likes to play alot. Has that energetic look to him. Good looking pup.

Bob, "little Lucky the cat" isn't so little anymore. He's 6 months old, and already bigger than our 4 year old male cat. Our cat food bill had doubled since we got him because he eats constantly. We have researched him a little, and found out he has some "Maine Coon" cat in him............not sure how much, but it is there for sure. They call the breed Gentle Giants because they get so big. They also love water, and as soon as you turn on the sink he is right there staring at the running water.

He's really a terrific cat, and loves people and other cats. Always into something and when I get out my nap blanket for my afternoon siesta he and the the other cat climb up and doze off with me. Not sure how big he is going to get but I have seen pictures on line and they sort of look like a Bobcat. I'm really glad we kept him, he's become my buddy.

Oddcarout, thank you. We actually got the grille shell buffed out and mounted yesterday along with the headlights. As soon as they were on Dan and I went out and played in rush hour traffic. Boy, it was a blast. We were driving along, and I see a Sheriff car coming up on me, but he passed us and I started breathing again. Then a few miles down the road a cop did a U turn and I thought "oh-oh", but he went somewhere else too. In all we saw about 4 cops during our little ride, and luckily they ignored us.

Dan and I worked on putting Don's Total Performance interior kit in yesterday, and if anyone is thinking of buying one............DON'T. They are horrible. For the $ 900 they cost you will be much better off adding some money to it and letting a local shop do a custom job for you. Nothing fit, and the roll at the back is ridiculously thick. We cut the 4 inch foam in half and it still is too thick.........looks like a horseless carriage. Today I am going to pick up some starboard so Dan and I can completely revamp the sides and back roll on Sunday. It is the only way we can get it sort of acceptable.

Finally, at about 1:30 AM Dan said "why don't we take a half hour and finish the lights and alternator wiring on your T?" so we did. And of course once we had lights and charging we had to go for another ride, at 2 AM! And of course it is on the coldest night of they year so far, about 49 degrees. But we loved it. Put about 10 miles on it and I pulled over and let Dan drive for a while. He looked like he was in heaven. This should give him some incentive to get his done now.

So, here are some pictures of how Lucky looks now, and also some I took last night just before it got dark of my car. Oh, I added two peep mirrors by modifying a Pete and Jake shackle bracket set so now I can actually see behind me.

Don

Man the t just gets better and better. It just has a super clean look to it. I bet Lucky can't wait to jump in a get a snooze on the nice new interior!
I think the thing I like the most is the minimalism approach you taken. It lets things like the interior, engine and exhaust system stand out when you look at it. Once again nicely done.
PS Got my brake spindle adapters in the mail today, so if I complete the brake conversion today, I'll post a picture of it on the Special K link.I've been thinking of painting the calibers red or black. But that can wait till later, this is just a dry fit.

Don, your T (since the last time I seen it) has come a LONG way. And like I said before, you have the EXACT look I like on a T bucket and when I mean exact I mean EXACT from the color (I wanted to do mine in either bronze, silver or black or black and silver) to the wheels, to the stance and interior color.
That is probably either the first or second best T I have seen on here or the hamb website.
Can you adopt me? I don't cost much and I pay my own bills, insurance, gas, etc, etc. All I want is to drive the T some.
Oh and your black and white cat btw, we have one named Whiskers and he looks JUST like that cat and weighs a little over 17 pounds!!! lol He is huge but a very cool cat (I dont like cats at all but I've had a few that I did like a lot). I had a cat like you mentioned that was all black and a runt and he would literally jump in the bathtub with you if you left the door open and if you rode a bike or went on a walk he would follow you like a dog.

Hey Don, Save a little bit of those rear tires for Daytona would ya? . I can tell by those pics what you've doing.

Steve, thank you. BTW, I read your thread about your caliper bracket. Isn't that frustrating when you bust your tail to get it on and they send you the wrong stuff? At least it looks like they are going to take care of you.

FMX, thanks to you also. Nice of you to say that. Oh, the black and white cat is Chewy, he's Dan's cat also. He is my buddy too, and also loves water. He will stick his head under the shower curtain and sit there getting soaked. He is a different cat since Lucky came along. much calmer. He really needed a friend to play with and Lucky is just the ticket.

Gastrick: Oh oh, you spotted the black streaks, huh? Nothing gets by you. I think it is just because I am not used to the gas pedal yet........very touchy. Today I gave the shop a much needed cleaning and found tools we haven't been able to find for a few months. Then I treated myself to about a 3 hour ride in the T. Just drove around putting some miles on it to see if anything wasn't right. Got it up to probably 60 with traffic on a 6 lane (no speedometer ) and it seems to run right along. Got lots of comments from people at redlights, that was fun. Quite a few cops passed me and I held my breath each time, but they just kept going.

When I got back it was a mess, so I spent a couple of hours cleaning it up, and looking for leaks and stuff. Everything seems to be fine. BTW, here is what it looks like from the drivers seat. I would have taken a picture going down the road, but I'm not that coordinated.

Don

Dan made a funny comment last night. He said " I must be getting old........my Dad has a car that's LOWER than mine." lol

Count down till Turkey Run and I come to collect my new T............LOL
BradC

Originally Posted by BradC

Count down till Turkey Run and I come to collect my new T............LOL
BradC

Ok, but make sure you bring CASH!! I don't accept checks that big, ya know.

Don and I put in the shorter pushrods today, changed his oil because antifreeze got in it when we pulled out the screw in studs, and fired it back up. What a difference. Engine is still ratty, but much crisper and solid sounding. He pulled it out of the shop, took a little drive around the parking lot, then I said "let's go play in traffic!!" He had gotten his plates and insurance yesterday, so I followed him in my T and we took about a half hour drive down a main drag in Fort Myers.

The roads were jammed, but I could see the grin on his face as he motored along. Every redlight was fun because people would roll down their windows to listen to the pipes (or lack of pipes ) and some even gave us compliments. I am so happy to see his rod running as he was really getting discouraged. He has been sinking tons of money into it and the car seemed to be fighting us at every turn. I hope all that is behind us now.

When we did a u turn and started back home he kicked it a little (didn't even get into the second four barrel, and it was all I could do to keep up. Darned thing accelerates like a rocket. Tomorrow Dan and I are going to work on the interior all day, and when Don gets done playing he will come help out. Dan is on vacation, so it looks like another all nighter coming up.

Got more miles put on mine today too, still running ok. Little water leak out of a manifold plug, but I permatexed the heck out of it and now the leak seems to have stopped. Four more days till we leave, and lots to do.

Don