Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[J. Robinson]

The next step was to bolt the short tubing pieces to the side bars through the holes. Then it was a matter of bending and cutting the upper braces to fit between the short pieces and the lower bars. This was pretty much a "cut and try" process. Once I got one side looking like I wanted, I used it as a pattern to match the opposite side.

In the last picture, everything is solidly tack-welded together in several places. I will finish welding them when I disassemble the car for finishing.

[J. Robinson]

Aha! We're back! I 've been off to visit relatives in Indiana. I was too late to attend the Goodguys event in Indy (which was partially rained out), but I did make it out to the Speedrome to watch some figure 8 racing...

I was reading some of my previous pages here and ran across the one where I had bought a piece for my front nerf bar at the Billetproof run. I said I would keep it a secret until I was ready to install it. Well, I almost forgot about it altogether until I read that post. So.., I dug it out of the top of my toolbox, welded it into the front nerf, and here it is.

[oldrodder43]

Very Cool Jim. Actually, I did have a sneak preview back in April, but see----Never let it out. haahaaa. Glad you had a little vacation, R&R? Now for some real progress on the Track T??? Perley

[Hotrod46]

Lookin' good J.R.!

I've been wondering how your project was coming along. Glad to see I haven't missed anything.

Mike

[Itoldyouso]

We were just talking about you the other night........Dan asked how your T was coming. I like the nerf bar adornment, very cool. Do you think it will make Turkey Run?

Don

[J. Robinson]

Thanks, guys. I wanted something different than just plain vertical bars or a circle which were common on those old cars. I considered putting my initials in there like some of the old-time buiders used to do, but when I saw this little flame-cut Jolly Roger at the Billetproof run and it was the only one cut from 1/4" plate, I knew it was meant to be.

I have done a couple of other small preparatory things (removing junk from the engine, taking measurements), but nothing that is picture-worthy.

I am tenatvely shooting for the Turkey Run. I only have 3 more major steps to complete before I blow this thing apart for finishing: (1) install the wood in the body (2) acquire and mount the windhield (3) fabricate and mount the 4-piece hood. Everything else (wiring, fuel & brake plumbing, upholstery, etc.) will be done at final assembly. Time will tell...

[FMXhellraiser]

HURRY HURRY HURRY! No time to waste, so that means no sleep, no food, no fun. Work work work, all day and night long. I can't wait to see it finished.

[J. Robinson]

Alright guys, we have our marching orders. FMX says no home maintenance, no job, no sleep, no food, no fun, no nothing until these cars are done! So, get off your asses, get to the garage, and get to work! Jeez, what a task master...

OK, here's today's progress. My objective, ultimately, is to fabricate the hood. Like most of these fiberglass T bodies, though, this one has no lip around the firewall to support a hood. So.., I gotta fix that. I began by making a poster board pattern of the firewall. Once I got the shape correct, I trimmed an additional 3/16 inch off the outside edge all the way around. Next, I transferred the shape to a piece of 1/2" OSB board (could have used plywood or particle board) and cut out the shape. This piece was used as a "buck" to form the 1/2 x 3/4 - 1/16th wall aluminum angle.

Some of the actual shaping is done by simply bending the aluminum angle around the buck, but it has to be persuaded a lot with clamps and a hammer & dolly. I made a lot of trips between my two vises and even used the concrete floor as a dolly to flatten the kinks and wrinkles out of the back side. I don't know if Professor Hammer would do it this way, but I am completely self taught in metal-shaping and it works. Aluminum is soft and the body hammer moves the molecules pretty easily. Eventually, I got the aluminum angle shaped so it fits snugly on the wood buck. When I attach this to the firewall, it will form the lip needed to support the hood.

[Dave Severson]

I like using the wooden bucks, the old hammerforming method is still a heck of a good way to form metal..... Are you sure using aluminum isn't cheating though?????

[Itoldyouso]

That's a good way to make it Jim. Are you going to make the hood from aluminum too?


Don

[J. Robinson]

The hood will be made from steel. In keeping with the old hotrod principal of "use what you have lying around", recycled industrial shelving to be precise... First I need to finish the firewall & lip and add another lip to the nose. Stay tuned...

[Dave Severson]

The hood will be made from steel. In keeping with the old hotrod principal of "use what you have lying around", recycled industrial shelving to be precise... First I need to finish the firewall & lip and add another lip to the nose. Stay tuned...

There ya go JR, take what you got and make it what you want!!!! I always figured if you make the part yourself, and nobody really notices it or thinks it came that way......Ya done good!!!!!!

PS---Just thinking out loud, but how much blower do ya suppose an old Iron Duke 4 banger would tolerate????? hmmmmmmm.

[oldrodder43]

You continue to amaze me Jim. "Take what you got and make what you want". I got no imagination, except, paw through books until I see it, then I can make it. Great job as with your Coupe, Great Workmanship! Perley

[J. Robinson]

With the firewall lip made, the next step is to make the metal firewall cover. First thing I did was put the pattern back in place and tape it to the body. Then I used the rubber side of a dead-blow hammer to tap on the areas where the master cylinder and bolt holes need to be. Tapping with a rubber hammer caused the poster board to deform slightly and leave an imprint of the holes on the back side. In the picture, I have drawn in some of the holes with a Sharpie pen so they would show up better, but the real imprint is on the back side.

After cutting out the holes in the pattern and checking them for fit, I transferred the shape to some .025" aluminum sheet. (I actually prefer .040" aluminum, but .025 was all Lowe's had and since it's going to be laminated to the fiberglass it will be OK.) I cut out the aluminum with ordinary aviator snips and then taped and clamped it to the buck that I used for shaping the lip. With a solid backing behind it, hole-sawing and drilling the necessary holes was easier and safer.

The firewall and lip could be drilled and installed at this point, but I want this car to look like a high-end race car from the late 40's - early 50's, so... One thing that was popular on early race cars was an "engine turned" finish on aluminum (and sometimes brass) panels...

[Itoldyouso]

Pretty cool , Jim. As I mentioned, you have been the topic of a few conversations while we have been working in the shop. Dan was intrigued by the torsion bar suspension on your coupe. He says one like that would have solved a lot of engineering issues in his own car.

What is neat about what you do is that you can take very normal parts and turn them into something else altogether. Me, I'm kind of a 1-800 send it now kind of guy. I'm really enjoying this build of yours and can't wait to see it IN NOVEMBER?????? If not, maybe at Billetproof next year.

Don