So I figure some of you have doubts about old car parts found in swamps and think negatively about them. Today I show that they are actually viable.
(Not sure if these were shown here before?)
A cowl, A frame, And a few other bits and pieces.
Floorboard riser made from off cuts of metal.
Found some door skins in a dumpster.
Drew the outline out on some sheet metal & folded it to fit.
As you can see. Some metal strap was riveted inside to retain strength.
Time to make some hinges.
As you can see, the doors got a light coat of grey primer about the time they were fitted to the cowl.
Random shot of making the subframe. Didn't get many pictures of that...
Those rivets are mighty expensive when postage & tax comes into it.
Looks like Richard Eagle has some competition!
Well done.
I know you're an advocate for using what ya got. Hope you post more build pics. Great profile picture as well Kep.
The back of the seat was basically a sheet of metal with the ends curled up. So that wasn't too hard to replicate. Neither was the stamped bit where the turtle deck went.
Note the rusty piece I used as a pattern sitting on the lip of the panel.
Bolted to angle iron subframe uprights.
Making the floor for under the seat with a chisel, A piece of re-bar and a block of wood. And a hammer BTW. Chisels don't make much of a mark without a hammer.
Starting to look the part of a '26 roadster, right?
Didn't get too many pictures of making the turtle deck, But it wasn't all that involved.
Basically the area around where the boot lid opening was, was framed with very light angle iron and had the sheet metal riveted to it. That's how I made it at any rate. I have never seen a factory one.
Notice the finish is rough at first. It became smoother after many hours of hammering with a big carved block behind it to act as a dolly.
The filler strips are basically impossible to get here. So those ones were formed from a strip of metal about 3 inches wide? the edges folded up about 1/2 inch (May have been one inch) from the edges, then wrapped around a piece of smooth metal rod.
Once the rod was removed the folded edges were pressed together in a vise and the rounded part smooshed to the profile with my hands, And some persuasion from a small hammer.
The windowrame was prototyped from an old bicycleframe and wood until more scrap became available. It took much filing to get that piece of broken 1990 intake manifold to be a tapered cone for the friction fit windshield tilt mechanism.
Overall, it looks and functions much like the real thing. More so when glass is fitted to it.
Considering I had the cowl light brackets, i might has well make use of them.
Each light was made in about 3 pieces and pieced together later. Each one took a whole day to make, Plus the chimneys which took a day on their own.
At first, the lenses were plastic cut from milk bottles.
The diff' was found in a swamp, even though the axles are only really good if you wanted to make a narrowed diff' for like... a doodle bug or something, the internals were in great shape.
And some slightly better radius rods that turned out repairable for $10!
The radius rods for repair.
Fantastic! Thank you for the excellent pictures showing what can be done by those willing to resurrect pieces that most consider "too far gone".
Thank You kep, I do hope to see more.
The eat frames and stuffing were from the swamp too. Lucky I knew someone with a saw bench or that wood would have taken much longer to shape.
And the padding was reeds tied together with flax (a fibrous plant) also from the swamp. Covered with a canvas cloth, not bad for a zero dollar seat. I had no money at all at this time you see.
Surprisingly comfortable.
Kep
without a doubt, some of the most impressive work to save parts I've seen yet.
In fairness to folks who were warning a fellow recently on a somewhat similar project, I don't think our 19 year old Seminary student would have been up to a time or skill challenge like you've just presented.
My hat is off to you for doing what you've done.
How do you know I wasn't an unemployed student living on food I found in the dumpster behind the general store when I decided this would be a good waste of my time? Actually I grew half the food.
(Message edited by kep610 on December 26, 2017)
hi that subframe is great maybe there is hope yet
So, were you in fact actually an unemployed student living on 1/2 food from a dumpster and 1/2 food you grew yourself?
Where did you plug in your welder? Extension cord to the general store?
I didn't live in the dumpster!
So anyway, here is the starter motor. I probably have half the starter motors in my entire country.
Remember that starter motor thread people were saying that those people in the video were doing it all wrong?
How's this?
Once again, Bicycle frame tubing to the rescue.
Shoelace wire insulation wrapped with fibres from the swamp.
And for your amusement I present...
Special timer re-cycling! This thing had no contacts left inside it.
There is only one problem. The lid for the oiler is on the bottom form a RHD car. Makes it really difficult to oil.
Great Job! Makes what I do just a guy who replaces parts.
I hope you'll be posting more pics! And I used to think I had nothin'... I had a little bit. :-)
This is the reason I can't throw any model T parts away. Someday/somewhere it might mean something to a fella.
Sorry Kep, I can't help it. The ad in the newspaper under your starters: Rhinos starting at $2990! :-)
Kep
I am smiling and enjoying this thread immensely.
thank you
That is fantastic work. You should be very pleased. I wish more of these less than perfect parts would find their way to someone willing to spend the time to make them useful again.
What an accomplishment.
Thanks for taking time to share the story and photos.
Rich
Kep, pretty amazing! Now I'm going to feel guilty every time I throw something away.
Kep, please keep this thread going. I like what you are doing. Ive said for years a person should never throw a T part away. ..!!! Someday they may be all we have to work with like Kep. Keep up the good work....
I've the greatest respect and admiration for the ingenuity and skill both Kep and Rich E. bring to their work. I certainly agree with Donnie, I cringe when I think of the parts and sheet metal that's been discarded as "unusable" or "too far gone". If you can't use it, at least, please, don't throw it away !!
This is Awesome! Pics when it's on the road...
And no, I might be able to pull something like this off, but I don't have a garage to work in so it'd be impossible. Currently I'm sticking to regular antiques, mostly phonographs...
and it's a '26 Roadster too. What a great model to end up with!
Real nice work!
i am impressed.This is why i have alot of parts in piles others would throw away.Alot of stuff can be fixed.
It is just a crying shame shipping is so dang high to get parts overseas. Alot of stuff here could help others out alot.
Gosh Mack, it's higher'n a cat's back to ship even half way cross country ! Communication here can often link members who are traveling, and that helps. Keep it up fellows !
I have always believed that this is what restoration means, easy to buy new but much more satisfying to repair and restore original parts. KGB
No one should ever again say, "It's too rough to fix!"
Thread of the year for me. Thanks for taking the time to post it. Skills of Richard and thriftyness of Steve Jelf makes for a great combination. Well done. Looking forward to more pictures.
Just the way Henry's guys woulda done it, only they had better parts, speeded it up some. Dave in Bellingham,WA
One dozen throw away coils become 5 useable ones.
Speedster guys, please try this at home.
Judging by Kep's post 12/28 @ 1:53AM he is a teenager that doesn't have decades of fabrication experience behind him. Determination to use what is available is what drives him. Have enjoyed this thread, and now even more
Thanks for sharing. Looks great! have a happy new year
I am very impressed and glad to see such rough parts coming together again.
After 1 year of driving, this happened. It is tempting to re-assemble it and keep driving as it functioned almost silently but is likely to break more seriously soon if driving continued.
Somebody wanted to see how tight the space in a right hand drive car was. It is tighter than more people would be comfortable with. But not as tight as most cars from the late 1990s onwards.
Curious luck. Although I am taunted with a life unlike any I have observed, I still happen across things like this. The 11 tooth pinion became a 10 tooth, A 10 tooth was found. In horrid shape, but it exists.
Not sure the drive shaft will live much longer though.
I hope this thread carries over to 2018.