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BW Wrote: "Wish I had those talents - but I don't."

Well, maybe you do, but haven't realized it yet.  Sometimes you have to get to the living room by entering the back door, right?

A good friend of ours, when we lived in Beaufort, SC, was "Doctor Ralph".  He is an orthopedic surgeon and has a modest car collection, including a 1950 Dodge Hot Rod that he had rebuilt because, according to Ralph, "I don't have all those automotive skills you guys do."  

The Dodge originally had a dealer-added heater which was mounted way out in the engine compartment on the passenger side inner fender, and it originally had a two-foot-long cardboard duct on the back to move the heat into the passenger compartment, but the cardboard, being over 50 years old, was literally crumbling apart.  Ralph always grumbled about not being able to find a new one somewhere - I guess they're made of "Unobtanium" or all the others crumbled, too - and resolved to not having heat in his car......    Until one day he arrives at a show, lifts his hood and there is a beautiful, new, heater duct installed, made of something that looked vaguely familiar.  

"Ralph!  Where'd yah get the heater duct?  Looks wicked awesome!"

"I made it!"  He replied.   "I wrapped fiberglass leg cast material around the cardboard and let it set up.  After that, I just removed the cardboard and I had a duct.  Came out great!"  

And this, from a guy who thought he had no automotive skills.  He had a problem, and solved it with the skills he had.  Did a really good job, too!

Bwkirl posted:

Very well done! Wish I had those talents - but I don't. So how is the car doing now that you've been driving it for a couple months? 

I can totally see the value in getting a couple hundred miles on a car to work out some bugs. I have 100 miles. Car is tight as can be and I am super happy but thought it oversteered a bit so went anti-sway bars front and rear, EMPI large diameter. Had to modify front bumper mounts for front bar, thank you to this site for pics in the subject! Rides firmer but corners like a gokart! Don't love the gas pedal assy so replacing that this week.

Had trouble with Solex carbs on the Porsche engine but the upside to that is now I feel like a Solex expert and have confidence to dial them in anywhere (I live at 6700 feet but want to drive to the beach). Thank you 356 Carb Rescue for your help.

No one had talents when we started our first car but I think just not being afraid and jumping in along with this website you can do it. Unfortunately I didn't find the website till I was almost done when I ran into "aircooled" at a swapmeet. Another key is get something done on it every day even if it's small. Keeps you moving in the right direction. 

James posted:

That looks great!  Excellent work.  I really like the dash pad, more authentic than VS's typical dash.  What did you use for your pad?

 

Gordon Nichols posted:

Hey, Scott - What's the Flathead going into?  About the time I got married, I built up a '46 Ford Business Coupe with a 59-AB that was pretty radical.  The engine came from a dirt track car mated to a LaSalle 4-speed.  Other than that, it looked stock.  Went like a rocket up to about 80 when it was all done.

 

1928 Model A, project from about 5 years ago, now resides in Australia, love to see pic of your Coupe!

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  • 28 model A

This is my coupe, 6 months after our marriage.  I painted it between 5am and 10am on our wedding day, but that's another story.  Kathy had gone to Europe for a business trip for two weeks, so I sourced the Naugahyde locally and stitched up the front seats and headliner with her sewing machine while she was gone - Just spread everything out in the living room and went to work.  They both came out FABULOUSLY but when she heard what I had done with her machine she hit the roof.  Let me tall ya - Sewing machines for quilters aren't cheap, but she got a new one that week.

Fall 74 Coupe

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  • Fall 74 Coupe
Last edited by Gordon Nichols

Yeah, those quilter machines start around $4K these days and quickly escalate from there.  Many years later (down in Beaufort, actually) I found a Pfaff commercial machine at a yard sale for $50 bucks, dropped another $150 in parts into it to make it mint and sold it to a club member for $500 when we left, and THAT was a good deal for him.  Good machines ain't cheap....

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