MTFCA Forum

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It's a bit late now, but your bed could have been a foot longer. Yours terminates in front of the fenders. The red one finishes well behind. I made the same mistake when I built my first buckboard. If you could shift the whole tray back on the frame, that would give you a nice space between the body and the tray for your toolbox.
I love the way you have used full width boards in the construction. So many times undersized lumber is used and it takes away from the looks of the original construction methods.

Allan from down under.

You did an excellent job fabricating the box. I would like to buy a roadster and do as you did. Sort of to the replace the one my father had in the 20s and 30s when he had a auto repair garage.
Art Mirtes

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I like it. Are you going to paint or varnish?

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Beautiful box. I love the toolbox idea. I bolted a toolbox on the running board, but it would still be nice to have another place to put some other items. I painted my box, but the wood wasn't nearly as nice as yours. here's a picture of my tailgate latch for reference.

Beautiful work, looks like Poplar, why this choice of wood?

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Here's how we did it on the farm:

Last one. I made my box out of Oak about 10 years ago so it's not as pretty.

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Dean, Just a 1/16 X 3/4 x 15ish strap from Ace. That is enourg "spring" for the aplication

Again really looks nice. The square nuts add to the craftsmanship, beautiful work.

BobShirleyAtlantaTx wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:20 pm

Again really looks nice. The square nuts add to the craftsmanship, beautiful work.

And slotted screws. No phillips

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[/quote]
Thanks for noticing , slotted screws are not easy to find anymore. Some hex nuts used will be replaced at finish, correct square nuts with radiused side with shoulder (built in washer) and flat side are not easy to find ether.
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A marvelous source of antique style nuts, bolts & screws is Restoration Supply Co. They are very good about authentic hardware, to the point that (As far as I know) they don't sell any phillips screws at all. Nor any other modern hardware. The have an online catalog. Their prices are a bit higher than the local hardware store, but they're as close as your phone and ship very quickly. I have no financial interest in the company, but it's certainly in my best interest for them to stay in business.

https://restorationstuff.com

Dick

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Caswell wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 6:51 pm

Well I'm committed now, one done , sand and paint another six or so times and it should be O.K.

HalSched, spring steel or spring, looks good.

Bravo on painting your workmanship! Few take the plunge, but IMHO, it looks so much better painted! Nice work.

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Caswell wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:37 pm

Retro54 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:29 pm

Caswell wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 6:51 pm

Well I'm committed now, one done , sand and paint another six or so times and it should be O.K.

HalSched, spring steel or spring, looks good.

Bravo on painting your workmanship! Few take the plunge, but IMHO, it looks so much better painted! Nice work.

Thank You.
It just looked wrong in the raw wood , I'm 99% sure it would have been painted back when. You have to match that green and give your cut down some fresh paint (on back that is)

Haha, thanks! We would have, but had some weathered Hemlock around and so went the 'patina' look but took care to use vintage fasteners and hand forged parts. Like yours, really tried to look the part. Fresh paint would make the rest of the car look too shabby! Haha. These cars are too much fun!

My Henrietta cut down tourer buckboard has the top made from the bows of the original. It no longer folds, so that made the modifications much easier to achieve. You just need to set the intermediate bow at the right height and set-back, and fix it in place in a manner that suits you.

Allan from down under.

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Caswell wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 07, 2021 6:55 pm

Allan wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:36 pm

My Henrietta cut down tourer buckboard has the top made from the bows of the original. It no longer folds, so that made the modifications much easier to achieve. You just need to set the intermediate bow at the right height and set-back, and fix it in place in a manner that suits you.

Allan from down under.

Hi Allan,
Pictures please.
The kick is I was thinking of making the car look like a 15/16 before I started, Retro54"s car is the look I want, scanning fleabay today and there is a 15 cut off pickup conversion for sale https://www.ebay.com/itm/224523334017 (has the look), I have no connection to this car, posted for reference online search shows a few more around, indicates a common conversion back in the day, cool to me.
I was able to acquire a 15 windshield (no glass) with 80% original paint and no rust, has the Nickle plated glass channel up and down, no loops for roof strap. Also have windshield brackets with cowl lamp holders, I still have to make rear fender brackets (1/2" rod this weekend), and the list grows.

Wow! That is great! What a cool piece.

That's a super interesting project.

Did you do a thread on the removal of the rear part of the body? I'd love to see that!

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I'm late to the party, as usual... But have been told my RPU is likely a cut down touring, although it was a roadster when my dad got it done 35 years ago. I took the turtle deck off and built an abnormally long bed for it, asi wanted to haul at least 8 foot boards with it. It was made from locally harvested and milled ash. I planed them for consistency, then squared off the edges. I didn't want new paint to contrast with the ummm.... 'old look'n' crappy body, so used amber shellac with small amounts of black lacquer hand rubbed in, with another layer of shellac over all ... To give the look of worn off black paint. The bed sides we're done in 2 stages (bed and 2 boards..... Then the seats, backs and support irons), several years apart, so they don't quite match. I used galvanized lag bolts for the bed, and some modern carriage bolts on the irons,until I get off my but and source something more appropriate.

You have done a great job on yours, And I bet the forward tool box will be very handy!

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Have you worked out what you're going to do about a top?

Honestly, that's the only thing keeping me from diving into this right now.

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Here is what I did to install a one-man roadster top onto my cut-off touring / pickup. The process might be slightly different for an earlier two-man top.

I found a set of one-man roadster irons and rear brackets online, then bought new top sockets and bows from Lang's. I bought the top kit from Classtique. The seat back upholstery hadn't been installed yet, so I had clear access to the inside of the tub.

The angle of the ears on the rear brackets didn't match the tub, so I had to cut off one ear and fabricate a new ear from some strapping material for the bracket to fit properly. I also had to add shims to the remaining bracket ear to get the angle of the pivot irons right as they came through the body.

The scariest part was cutting the holes in the body for the top pivot irons to poke through. I used a long rod between the rear brackets to locate where to drill the pilot holes in the body, then finished with a hole saw.

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Dean: What is the source for your tailgate hinge hardware? I'm in the process of building a pick up box.

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It’s not “lacing” like the later style hoods that have woven padding threaded in-and-out on the radiator and fastened flat to the cowl. The brass cars use leather pads on the underside of the hood panels, slipped into a crimped channel like this…
There are little “barbs” that can be set into the leather with a small punch or the edge of a screwdriver to secure it better.

Thanks for asking the question, because you can see in the pic at the lower right, on my ‘14 touring, I need to fix that pad to protect the aluminum hood, right at the top curve of the radiator. The top right front channel and the front segment of the hood center hinge, formed from the top right hood panel are currently buggered up (by the previous owner) and the front channel rivets need to be tightened to get the hood, channel, and pads to lay better. Luckily, the exterior paint is not the greatest, so the touch up afterwards won’t be too critical.

Keep cranking’
Eric

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The thickness of the leather pad is "zero"...like anti-seize on the pitman arm...there should be zero

the ramifications of having anti-seize on that union can best be described as "dire". You want that joint to be completely locked up. It is designed as a non-releasing taper for a reason.

Caswell wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:39 am

Does anyone know the correct thickness of leather pad that goes under radiator mounting tabs ? I'm having alignment problems with the hood.
Hope to get the fender irons made today for the rear fenders. Also may install a flat bottom instrument dash as I have a NOS one, I know for the year style I'm going for it would not have one at all but I don't want to change the coil box/ignition switch etc., back in the day it may have been an upgrade anyway.
As a side note when I installed a new pitman arm on the steering a few months ago I used aluminum anti seize in the cone and woodruff key (spelling) area when it came to removing it a week or so ago it came right off with a light tap of the wrench used to remove the nut.


So close to removing the balance of original body and building the cab section in picture below and combining it with the rear I have already done.

You are converting a 23 to a 15 ish with an unusual, aftermarket radiator. Trial & error.

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Removed by OP, thread looks to have run it's course and figured I could free up some forum data space.

Dean

I don't dislike you. I've never met you, and until this, have only commented once on the thread with this being the second.

I scanned down the top 2/3 of the thread and saw you were cutting up a black touring to make a pick up...even your last picture of the vehicle you NOW want to reproduce is a later T with an all wood body...I did not catch the fact or see the recent pictures that somewhere in the middle of the project/postings you are now backdating it.

Speedy gave good advice for fitting up parts on a home-made affair: trial and error

As for not following every posting to remain relevant, I am sorry...with regards to the anti-seize, I had a friend driving on the interstate at over 50MPH during an endurance run lose steering because of a pitman arm coming off (there is no need to help it along). I'm glad you understood my point on the anti-seize as I've been on a tour where drivers have been killed (once) and injured (multiple times) due to equipment failure, so there would not have been an apology for the anti-seize comment

good luck with your project...you have a lot of good folks helping you...I'll avoid the thread from now on.