I really like what you did to those bolt heads! Great stuff…the little things take the projects to the next level 
Great videos too!!
Great videos too!!
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1929 Model A Sport Coupe to Cabriolet conversion
- Thread starter markg
- Start date
Thanks and thanks for tuning in!I really like what you did to those bolt heads! Great stuff…the little things take the projects to the next level
Great videos too!!
Lowered floor......
So with the passenger compartment's floor lowered to the bottom of the '32 frame rails, our heels are now 6" lower than in a regular '32 or Model A. As mentioned before, this is great for leg room and knee clearance when running a proper 17" '40 Ford steering wheel but in reality you cannot drop the seats 6" too.
My plan from the beginning was to make 5"-6" deep seat mount boxes and create storage space under the seats to hide some of the junk that we'll bring with us on road trips.
The usual drill, drawn in Autocad, cut out of 1/8" sheet on the plasma table, tig welded together, powder coated, with ball bearing drawer slides and click latches. Slight 5 degree incline on the top panel to have the seat rise slightly as it slides forward. You get the idea.....
So with the passenger compartment's floor lowered to the bottom of the '32 frame rails, our heels are now 6" lower than in a regular '32 or Model A. As mentioned before, this is great for leg room and knee clearance when running a proper 17" '40 Ford steering wheel but in reality you cannot drop the seats 6" too.
My plan from the beginning was to make 5"-6" deep seat mount boxes and create storage space under the seats to hide some of the junk that we'll bring with us on road trips.
The usual drill, drawn in Autocad, cut out of 1/8" sheet on the plasma table, tig welded together, powder coated, with ball bearing drawer slides and click latches. Slight 5 degree incline on the top panel to have the seat rise slightly as it slides forward. You get the idea.....
Pretty damn nice..we’ll done..great ideas..I’m sure some of us will be using those ideas in our rides.
With all of this lowered floor area ..where are you going to run tour exhaust?..below the frame?..turning of those bolts was a great idea..adding it to my ..have to do someday list..
Yes, below the floor.
Nascar style ovalized tubing.
I posted a couple video clips a while back. In them you can't see the exhaust from the side when the car goes by....
Door cards and interior panels.
Decided to use 1/16'' utility grade aluminum to be able to form the panels for a better fit.
One of Troy Trepannier's (Rad Rides by Troy) fabricators, Adam Banks ( abanksbuilt on IGram ) posted their method for attaching clips to their panels on Instagram so I copied their method. Never too proud to steal a great idea LOL!
It involves drilling a 1/8'' pilot hole through the panel and door, dimpling the panel with a home made die set and then inserting the Au-ve-co 807 clip and then epoxying on a 1/32'' aluminum disc to make the panel flush on the upholstered side. The dimple is only .080'' or so deep on the clip side so not at all noticeable .
Still deciding whether to upholster the trunk panels / battery box or just powder coat them with a krinkle finish black or interior matching krinkle finish burgundy, I guess it'll depend on how much the upholsterer quotes for the job, HA!
Upholstery side with 1/32'' alum disk epoxied over the dimple + Au-ve-co clip on test panel
Pilot holes drilled, panel cleco'ed temporarily into place.
Dimpling the panel in the arbor press.
Marking the inside door release and window winder holes with transfer punch inserts
Decided to use 1/16'' utility grade aluminum to be able to form the panels for a better fit.
One of Troy Trepannier's (Rad Rides by Troy) fabricators, Adam Banks ( abanksbuilt on IGram ) posted their method for attaching clips to their panels on Instagram so I copied their method. Never too proud to steal a great idea LOL!
It involves drilling a 1/8'' pilot hole through the panel and door, dimpling the panel with a home made die set and then inserting the Au-ve-co 807 clip and then epoxying on a 1/32'' aluminum disc to make the panel flush on the upholstered side. The dimple is only .080'' or so deep on the clip side so not at all noticeable .
Still deciding whether to upholster the trunk panels / battery box or just powder coat them with a krinkle finish black or interior matching krinkle finish burgundy, I guess it'll depend on how much the upholsterer quotes for the job, HA!
Upholstery side with 1/32'' alum disk epoxied over the dimple + Au-ve-co clip on test panel
Pilot holes drilled, panel cleco'ed temporarily into place.
Dimpling the panel in the arbor press.
Marking the inside door release and window winder holes with transfer punch inserts
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Door panel clipped in place. The hole for the window winder will be punched later. The interior door release lever is a mid 60's El Camino tailgate release lever.
Dan fitting the back panel. Held in place with four 10-32 bolts across the bottom and the two shoulder seat belt mounting bolts in the top corners.
Same dimple + Au-ve-co clips method for the side rear panels.
Dan using the hot rodder's tried and true method for putting the radius in the trunk forward panel.
A small trunk gets smaller.....the panels will either get fastened with Dzus fasteners or velcro. TBD.
Steel battery box in the right rear of the trunk, held in place with four dzus's. Still undecided on the butterfly or flush type, decisions decisions. What do you guys think?
A small trunk gets smaller.....the panels will either get fastened with Dzus fasteners or velcro. TBD.
Steel battery box in the right rear of the trunk, held in place with four dzus's. Still undecided on the butterfly or flush type, decisions decisions. What do you guys think?
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Been futzing around with various things here in the shop while waiting for snowbanks to melt. Patience is a virtue, or so they say LOL.
Have you seen the new old School Vintage Air heater? Nice looking but plastic cover and pricey. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/VTA-660066
I had two old Stewart Warner South Winds gasoline heaters laying around that the boys on the HAMB said were easy to convert with a BLUEBIRD school bus heater core. Challenge accepted.
Before gutting the old unit.
Some new brackets made up to cradle the new heater core, fan switch and resistor pack.
90 degree elbows to clear the firewall.
3 speed switch mounted so it peeks through the hole in the cover.
Adapting the OE Stewart Warner badged knob to the new fan switch.
Have you seen the new old School Vintage Air heater? Nice looking but plastic cover and pricey. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/VTA-660066
I had two old Stewart Warner South Winds gasoline heaters laying around that the boys on the HAMB said were easy to convert with a BLUEBIRD school bus heater core. Challenge accepted.
Before gutting the old unit.
Some new brackets made up to cradle the new heater core, fan switch and resistor pack.
90 degree elbows to clear the firewall.
3 speed switch mounted so it peeks through the hole in the cover.
Adapting the OE Stewart Warner badged knob to the new fan switch.
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Oooh I see why you took on that challenge!! Looks fantastic 
Agreed that the plastic covers of the “Vintage Air” look out of place in a Vintage Metal Hot Rod… I kept ours way up out of the line-of-sight….happy that it works way better than it looks.
Congrats, another well done effort.
Agreed that the plastic covers of the “Vintage Air” look out of place in a Vintage Metal Hot Rod… I kept ours way up out of the line-of-sight….happy that it works way better than it looks.
Congrats, another well done effort.
More futzing.
When I made the license plate bracket out of 1/8" stainless sheet, I was sort of planning to use fastening bolts with LED's in them. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Stainless-Steel-Lighted-License-Plate-Bolts,2416.html
In the end I thought they weren't traditional looking enough and went with a United Pacific LED plate light. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/upd-39909
Instead of making a new bracket I just cut out an add-on piece from the same 1/8" stainless material to hold the light.
We'll wire it in and we're good to go.
When I made the license plate bracket out of 1/8" stainless sheet, I was sort of planning to use fastening bolts with LED's in them. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Stainless-Steel-Lighted-License-Plate-Bolts,2416.html
In the end I thought they weren't traditional looking enough and went with a United Pacific LED plate light. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/upd-39909
Instead of making a new bracket I just cut out an add-on piece from the same 1/8" stainless material to hold the light.
We'll wire it in and we're good to go.
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Oooh I see why you took on that challenge!! Looks fantastic
Agreed that the plastic covers of the “Vintage Air” look out of place in a Vintage Metal Hot Rod… I kept ours way up out of the line-of-sight….happy that it works way better than it looks.
Congrats, another well done effort.
Thanks!
Your patience leads to perfection. Thanks for posting.