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The first time that the Bonneville salt flats were used for motorsports was 1912. About 20 years later, things started to heat up a bit. Cars were becoming more common place and the world was not concerned with miles per gallon, instead opting for speed. My road with cars has been different- the stories, people and experiences I have with vintage vehicles have very much defined my life, peers and even scoring me a wife. My last thread got archived, and I've been very busy with life. So about a month ago I got a text from a close friend and former co-worker with this photo, I couldn't believe what I was looking at:  Not but a few days before he and his wife were sitting on our deck, talking about our love of airplanes, vintage cars and our out of control collections. We both have been collecting airplane parts, cars, bikes and all kinds of crap for years now - we were in my garage looking at my roadster and talking about how incredible it would be to build a lakester - aka a car built out of a fuel drop tank from a ww2 aircraft. He works for himself and has plenty more time than I do these days, so he found a deal, drove to Reno NV and sent me this photo. The text sat there on my phone, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, pupils dialated - I took a drag of the cigarette I was smoking and responded to the text "is one mine?" "yes" Fast forward to yesterday:         - all ideas, good or bad start somewhere..   cost? I traded him some propellers for this. the plan: custom frame, early ford suspension, quick change rear, buick straight 8, 41 buick transmission. lots of time, lots of money.
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Sep 4, 2018 07:17
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InitialDave posted:Oh, this should be good. I want it to be as vintage as possible - the rules have changed a lot since the 40s and there is a lot more cage work to be done - the early examples of lakesters were all open top, most built these days have serious cages, aero and other modern tech behind them - I'm working on getting a physical copy of the rule book to sift through while I'm on the shitter - The good thing about this is that there are 2 of us working on this, so there is a possibility of actually running one or both of them for real - there's plenty of other events that don't require the same amount of safety equipment to participate, including TROG, RPM Nationals, Antique Nationals ect - however most of those are drag races and nothing even close to LSR kind of stuff. Applesnots posted:I hope you leave that danger stencil on there. this actually scared me the most about transporting it - it says DANGER EXPLOSIVE SQUIBS INSTALLED on the side of the tank - I got a few bewildered looks as we were driving down the street - one guy pulled up next to me and called me out on exactly what I was doing "thats a drop tank from a corsair on top of a 1948 buick roadmaster, no one has or ever will see this sight again" Kurten posted:Needs a shark mouth, louvres (LOTS of louvres) and brushed plain steel flat disc wheels. Also tall whitewall bias plys. You got it correct minus sharks mouth - thats been done to death, and while it would be cool, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for the livery of this one. Krakkles posted:I’ve got a guy who can help you with louvres, too. He built my jeep and knows his poo poo, and has been fascinated with salt flats stuff lately. Have you been out to El Mirage? We’re talking about going to the next run. El Mirage is probably where we will go most of the time with it, bonneville is the long term goal, but EM is so close, we could take them out there on the weekends and run around a bit. - about the louvers - big possibility on meeting up with the fella - these tanks tend to overheat pretty darn quick so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. some_admin posted:Leave it on top, like a Thule cargo carrier. Also sell advertising on the sides. Thought about leaving it up there, but my little silly cargo rack (from the 60s) was barely man enough for the job - it was creaking and groaning the whole time - I thought my roof was going to be dented in by the time I got home, thankfully it was not! The v12 is a fantastic idea, but my dream is to have an inline 8, with 8 pipes coming out of one side of a high polish silver bullet. - also space is going to become an issue pretty quick, I'm 6'3, the I8 i want to use is about 3.5' long and the transmission is questionable - plus a banjo quickchange.. its going to be tight, I'm not opposed to doing v8, but it will have to be a special motor - like a cadillac, buick or olds or something weird - I've also though about doing a GMC big straight 6, flathead I8, cadillac flathead
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Sep 4, 2018 21:19
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While we're at it, here's some more stuff for you all to be entertained by:  anyone remember that car?     firestone tire factory inside  firestone tire factory outside       from our feature in hot rod magazine:    and from last weekend at pebble - a few friends hanging out:  more later!
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Sep 4, 2018 21:37
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Chillbro Baggins posted:"GMC big straight six" Hudson has crossed my mind, but boy those loving things are hard to find.. Even the full cars are expensive. I found a dirt cheap Packard I8 flathead with 3 carbs for sale that crossed my mind briefly. The GMC i was thinking about are the early "big" 6 motors that were found in trucks and busses - 302 is the most common, and they are often raced.. boxen posted:Driven directly by the crank? Edit: Apparently it's a specific brand of supercharger I've never heard of, Potvin. Trust, this thought has crossed my mind too, however with space at a premium (tank is 13.5' long and I'm 6'3" ) I dont know if I can get away with something that silly (cool) ishikabibble posted:He returns! I was missing your threads man, they're always a joy to read. Your comedy option is a real option - in fact most of the belly tanks out there are "banger" driven - Banger referring to the ford 4 cyl flathead - The Model T block is so close to the A block, and the B block (which is just the next generation of the A block) Here's my hopped up banger in my 30 roadster - That other winfield head is a High compression High Speed head developed in the early 30s - it promises speeds of 70-80mph! WOW - the original engine had an updraft carb, iron exhaust manifold and some other slow stuff - Right now we're developing a cam, based off a early 50s Iskendarian racing cam that we will run for the specific events we hit this year and next, just playing with the grind to make it more streetable, and functional with the modern production winfield heads...
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Sep 13, 2018 01:39
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boxen posted:Silly? What's the name of the forum again? If you're trying to make it look roughly period-correct, how concerned were old racers about leaving room for themselves to sit around the engine? lol - Yes, that is the name of the forum! Most of the traditional tank cars have the engine behind the driver and use primarily early ford parts because they're plentiful. The most successful ones use early ford engines as well, both early v8s and 4 bangers. The transmissions in them are traditionally 39+ ford transmissions with 1st gear removed, and the rear ends are typically quckchange style center sections and early tubes bolted directly to the transmission. This means most of the rear ends are solid mounted because... no driveshaft... no slip yoke... no "torque ball"... no suspension - which is fine and dandy for the salt but for the street, not so much.. there are a few which use 40 ford trailing shackles and a perch to run a buggy spring, but I have no clue how they get the travel from the trans to the rear end...  heres a typical view of the front - note the single buggy spring in the front - also note that the frame it self is actually a model T frame - the corners and the rivets give it away.. This one is pretty well known and has a great look, although my tank is almost double the size of this one.  here's an example of a solid mounted rear 
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Sep 13, 2018 09:22
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48 Tuckers were made - I'm pretty familiar with them... hehe
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Sep 14, 2018 02:17
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Kaptainballistik posted:You could probably brutalise a Formula vee/Formula ford/ locost chassis plan to fit that all in! That's a bit too modern for me - Independent suspension is cool and everything, but I have to keep it authentic looking. PhotoKirk posted:Me too. The decapitator look is truly authentic although I do value my life and probably will make a bit more off a head hoop than this one shows, but I'm not gunning for any sort of "approved" 20 point cage type of thing. if - My buddy who I'm building this with wants to be a bit more serious than I do regarding this, I want to be able to drive this thing... on the street.. maybe.... and compete in some light racing events - which brings me to my next topic! I'm readying my model a for a really fun event at the end of October called the RPM nationals - its pre 1936 ford powered cars - its not a sanctioned race, its not a quarter mile, its not an 8th mile, its a guy with a mechanical stop watch on an old air strip in a private ranch in central california. https://www.rpmnationals.com/ so here's the list of to-do items: relocate battery install axle safety keepers install seat belts service brakes paint livery  1st is relocating the battery to the rear of the car - as it stands the battery was located under the floor board and hung down like a big buck tooth under the car  you can see it here and its rather unsightly - with the fenders and the running boards on, it is well hidden, but when it comes to hot rods, they are often located in the rear. here you can see the underpinnings of the car with the wooden floorboards removed  note the brake master cylinder thats bolted to the transmission - its a fantastic kit that is no longer made - engineered by a retired man specifically for the model a platform. it has a fail safe valve in case any of the soft lines blow, the brakes that were not effected will will still function, either front or rear. it even has a...gasp... modern pressure activated brake light switch! - hurrah! here is the battery and tray removed:  I'm in the midst of cleaning up the wiring - I made the harness myself - have to order a few longer cables I took some time to create a livery for the car:  thoughts?
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Sep 17, 2018 07:47
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M-M-M-MEGAPOST Just got back from a trip to the east coast- my wife and I are known for taking these odd kind of exploratory vacations, pick a destination and find everything old we can, this time it was new england - the trip had a purpose, my wife had some business to attend to in rhode island so, we made a week long adventure out of it. Modern diner - one of the many diners we visited - this was made by the sterling dining car co and placed in 1941 i believe - mostly original    Al Mac's in Fall River MA - this is like the ultimate aluminum diner, the area is very depressed, but the diner remains a very prominent part of the community and the food was mind blowing - the picture with the old cars has been on the cover of just about every "diner" coffee table book for the last 2-3 decades   I expierence my first clam cake at Rocky Point which is in Warwick RI - this stand is wacky as hell, they have a bunch of coin operated kiddie rides and cheeseball concrete statues of animals in the front - from what I gathered from the workers poor communication skills, this stand used to be part of an amusement park that closed some time in the 70s  we also drove past the famous Rosebud, which was not open when we were there  and finally there was the ultimate NE tiki chinese food palace Kowloon - opened in the 50s, its remained a larger than life chinese food place - In stark contrast to the west coast tiki places im familiar with, that focus on polynesian fare, this was a straight up greazy chinese food place on steroids  I have a few more pics of this place, but imgur's being a bitch right now Now, having connections in the car world is very helpful - a good friend clued me to a few car related things we had to hit including the hot rod fallout which is new englands best hot rod and custom show.       It was a really great show and people were beyond friendly - as soon as they found out we were from LA the flood gate of questions opened wide up - made plenty of new friends We were also clued in that we were there on the last day of the indy car exhibit at the heritage museum & garden in Sandwich MA:       Antique stores are also out of control there..     theres more... a few things may or may not have followed me home..  
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Oct 11, 2018 20:26
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always be closing posted:Nice dude, I was at the fallout as well, had some electrical problems but ended up getting there around noon. Satin black 48 Pontiac on torque thrusts, I was parked in the back corner by the hill. That show rules. That's awesome! great car too, its like a cooler fleetline! that show was so different for me, my first east coast show. Boaz MacPhereson posted:Did you buy the front end of what looks like a DC-3? trying to hash a deal - and yes it is the cockpit of a DC-3 beep-beep car is go posted:Wait, those diners are famous? I’ve eaten at all of them. Not famous, just interesting to me - I was trying to collect as many photos of diners as I could.. The only one remotely famous to me is Al Mac's because that image is in every 80's 50's diner book, cheesy light up wall art, and roadside attraction book. ought ten posted:Holy poo poo, you went to Kowloon. Took me about 15 years from the first time I drove past until I walked through the doors. I was expecting more Easter Island head drinks and less black marble and mirrors. This is what gets me - tiki bars and restaurants here on the west coast are all Polynesian themed - a friend that lives in NE basically told me that there is none of that kind of thing there, they are all Chinese restaurants - but oddly enough, back in the 40s and 50s, the roles were reversed, west coast places served chinese food and east coast places were polynesian
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Oct 12, 2018 07:45
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ishikabibble posted:Um Same as a car probably 1500-1800 - it also fits in HS container and taller semi trailer - its getting a crane to crane it in to my back yard that's the hard part This particular one was brought to the east coast from Venezuela by boat for a cost of 3000 - the owner has 2 of them, the other one is sticking out of the back of his home in to his back yard. This plane last flew in 2010. He is currently restoring the other one with correct gauges and interior I can probably find one locally for cheaper. this one belongs to a friend here in LA - he bought it from someones back yard in south central: 
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Oct 12, 2018 19:12
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Boaz MacPhereson posted:Ok, if you manage to get that thing and I manage to get my car swapped and driven to Santa Monica, I'm gonna come by your place and sit in it and make airplane noises. DC-3s own. my obsession with the plane runs very deep - my grandfather started work at douglas in 1937 and was forced in to retirement in the mid 70s. He started as a machinst and worked his way to handling government contracts. at the time of his retirement he had a nationally recognized top secret clearance. During the war he oversaw line of the C47, Dauntless and Havoc- post war he continued with the DC3. After that he was known for his work with the X3 and Thor ICBM program. He will always be my hero and a big part of why I am the way I am.
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Oct 13, 2018 09:07
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Grakkus posted:Out of curiosity, what are you going to do with a plane cockpit in your backyard? Other than sit in it and make plane noises of course! Eccentricity has taken me pretty far in life, when I'm gone I want someone to say "this loving guy had a god drat airplane cockpit in his back yard" outloud - as ive said aloud about the strange things ive seen in peoples collections.
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Oct 13, 2018 19:34
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AdiaBOOtic posted:Truth. Normal can suck a big ol bag o dicks truth! I don't get a long with most people I work with because they are clueless as to why I do the things I do! Chillbro Baggins posted:I have that same L. Coes wrench. It's surprisingly useful for everything but wrenching (though I'm sure it would be great at that too, I just haven't encountered a bolt big enough to use it on since I got it, would've been perfect for the 1-1/8" transfer case fill plug on my Jeep back in the day). It's served as an ersatz hammer (that's why the back is mushroomed, it's been used as a hammer for 100 years), sheetmetal bending brake, and C-clamp when I'm one short on actual clamps (which is every time, that's the nature of clamps -- just like every rope is six inches too short, you always need one more clamp.) Surprisingly, I thought I was just going to clean this sucker up and put in in the box for that one special day I needed to un-do a big old nut, but I was modifying the seat in my roadster last weekend and it came in perfectly for bending the sheet metal - then beating it in to place. It is a versatile tool. as a side note: I have a rather unhealthy obsession with Kennedy tool boxes - for those that don't know, Kennedy is still in business and specializes in tool boxes for machinists (Ex. Lots and lots of drawers) They have been in business since 1911 and make a killer product - they are known for their beautiful felt lined drawers, krinkle finish and silky smooth drawer action. here's a small part of my collection   So while I was in New England I came across this beauty at the same sale where I got the wrench:  It's a union steel- machine style box - couldn't pass it up, so I sacked up and had the thing shipped back for more money than I paid for it! The big wrench now lives inside this box /sidenote Charles posted:DC-3s and B-52s will be flying long after we all die According the FAA - the lifespan of the DC3 airframe is "yet to be determined" - meaning yes. they will. I got the chance to fly on one a few years ago, it is a rather uneventful plane to fly in, they are so smooth and awesome! and there's a guy somewhere in the south that will give you your certs on his for "the cost of fuel and a 12 case" Speaking of airplanes, I installed these BA bomber belts in my roadster - I'm getting it ready for a race in 2 weeks!   in prep for the race, I'm doing some lettering   I learned this tecnique from a dear friend of mine and amazing pinstriper Mad Mike who passed away a few years back - You apply grease pencil to the back of a paper, then trace the outline with a ball point pen and it transfers the design from paper to the body of the car.. like so   just getting in the halloween spirit! 
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Oct 17, 2018 00:15
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Raluek posted:Are they good? I like how they look, and their layout, but I've been disappointed in the drawer slides every time I try one out. And the metal gauge always feels flexy and inadequate. Lean into a drawer and try to close it, and the slides kinda crunch and stick, rather than the effortless glide I would expect from a high quality USA-made box. I mean, they are old as gently caress - the only one I have from after the early 50s is one from the mid to late 60s, the earliest is one from the mid 30s - They are not roller bearing, I usually take the drawers out, clean, brush and re-grease the slides before I even put a single tool in it. I can't speak for the new ones, all of mine (including my grandfathers standard issue box from douglas aircraft) are perfect. The big roll away sections have a lot of weight in the drawers and they still open smooth. The sheet metal is very thick for what they are and vary between what the intended use of the drawers are - the smaller drawers have a smaller gauge metal as they wont be holding a lot of weight, the bigger drawers have thicker gauge - I love them for what they represent, but if you a want roller bearing slide with easy close, powder coated professional mechanic box look elsewhere, I'm not a pro by any strech of the imagination, but I have collected a lot of tools (both vintage and modern) and I can fill these boxes and know where everything is... most of the time - at last count I had over 80 drawers and one big cubby for power tools.
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Oct 18, 2018 18:51
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sharkytm posted:I've used and been around Kennedy toolboxes both newer and older for years. They were the Cadillac of toolchests decades ago, but they don't hold up to modern rails and slides. Sure, they're old-school awesome, and I love the special drawer on lots of them specifically for the Machinery's Handbook, but I'd never spend big money on one now. Even well-lubricated, cleaned, and with an even drawer load, they don't slide like roller-bearings. My HF 44" has far nicer slides, drawer detents, and a paintjob you can actually clean easily. Used, maybe if it was in good shape and inexpensive, but they often fetch high prices due to the nostalgia factor. Hey, I get it, there's a reason that old cars are worth money, and it's not because they're faster or easier to drive or better handling than new cars. You gotta compare things within their era. Exactly! pro they are not and things have come a lonnnng way, but back then they were used by the best of the best. sometimes when looking to buy a kennedy, you find them filled with old precision tools that are completely valualbe to vintage enthusiasts. My dream would be to set up a complete shop with period accurate tools, and do things as they did back then. A full stack "script" kennedy box would probably set you back 600-1000 depending on the seller - like i said, if you are a professional, these are not the boxes for you (although i dont know about the modern ones) I've heard harbor freight is the ticket these days
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Oct 19, 2018 22:54
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Chillbro Baggins posted:If you're buying new, look at Homak. Half the price, same quality as Kennedy. (Disclaimer: I got a cantilever box, it's pretty skookum, I assume the ones with drawers are of similar quality.) I've heard of the Homak's, I didn't think they had a crinkle finish box... hmmm I'd make a methhead skin rug out of any gently caress that fucks with my tools. and I'll be damned that wrench is the same as mine, and in flawless condition. surivdaoreht posted:I've always loved reading your threads in the past... I'm pumped to come across another. Post a pic of that box! - So if you work for Hamilton, you must know of Chet Baker, he's been with the company since ww2 and still consults on the older stuff, he's in his 90s and still spry as hell. Speaking of hamiltons, I traded my 3 big hamilton blades for the tank! - which I cannot find a photo of - they were 7' tall blades, no hub, and they were electric!  This is my grandfathers box - its from the late 30s (because of the squared top) - it has his name written on it and it has a douglas aircraft sticker on it - The pink sticker on the front is a hand written note from my grandmother who did it shortly after my grandfather died "this box and it's contents are property of *me*" - my dumb gently caress cousins came in after that, ripped part of the note off and stole things out of it. Here's some Hamilton wearing friends....  back when I got to take the 48 out on to the tarmac at burbank airport for a photo will the ill-fated liberty belle   we flew on this one a few years back -  this belongs to Clay Lacy and lives at the Van Nuys airport. I was looking for photos of the blades and I came across this photo of me shooting a BAR:  Here's another oldie, back when 2 tuckers and I were out drivng... 
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Oct 22, 2018 07:58
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DJ Commie posted:I'm just about ten minutes from the site of RPM Nationals, hit me up if you're going to be there! I'll be there on Friday at some point, shooting to be rolling in there at 2-3 camping at the ranch in my buddys hauler overnight - its been awhile man.. come to the race or just to hang with us surivdaoreht posted:I don't work at HS, I just work on all HS stuff at a prop shop. dat cam doe - come across those often?
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Oct 22, 2018 23:55
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So, I thought I'd be slick about it and have my seat reupholstered before the big race this weekend (DJcommie get at me dogg) - I made this super simple representation of what I wanted, but we went over exact sizes, materials and details there in person.  I literally made this in about 15 seconds, one handed, holding my laptop in the middle of an upholstery shop he said it was good to go, and promised me they'd be done by Wed night - I'd swing by after work and pick them up So he texts me "hey man, your seats are done, but we have a problem" then sends me this..  hahah - I mean, its not bad... but its not what I wanted, so he just gave me the seat and told me to run it for the race this weekend, then when I'm back, just bring the car over, he'd do it the right way, and make door/kick panels out of the bad cover..
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Oct 25, 2018 23:02
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So I spent some time getting my roadster ready for this race, loaded it up and set off with some friends to central California to participate in the RPM Nationals - a pre 36 flathead ford race  the race takes place at Santa Margarita Ranch.. which is a functional cattle ranch and event venue, back in the day they built an airstrip there that is used as the track for the 1/8th mile race - there is no timing machines, there are no starting lights or staging, its a gal with a flag, and a finish line - its about as authentic as it gets..    I knew my car didnt have much power so I was there just for fun - the day starts at 7am and we run the cars over and over and over again until they take a little break for lunch then start with the eliminations.   my friends sport coupe   out "team"  all in all my car did great, didn't get hot and started every time - now I have about a year to get ready for the next one and maybe start the belly tank car - I raced about 10-12 times and won about 4 times, one race was really close and neither of us knew if we won or lost so we called it a draw..  big things planned for this little mill... LobsterboyX fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Oct 31, 2018 |
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Oct 31, 2018 18:54
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IOwnCalculus posted:Boost it to the moon? Boost it to the moon. I can't compete in the classes I want to with any kind of forced induction, and that class is where the big money players kick it... - I was thinking more like head, cam, carbs and maybe balanced crank (because model a cranks are not balanced) and lightened flywheel from ~70lb down to about 45..
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Oct 31, 2018 20:51
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Yes, the Roof is a beautiful piece - over the years there have been a lot of overhead conversions, offenhauser namely - some guys have adapted oldsmobile heads to them... the rabbit hole goes very, very deep. aside from the Roof head, these aren't things that one could just order - you have to know someone, get friendly and then commit to the process of forever chasing that extra mph or hp. The guys who do the overhead stuff have a lot of time on their hands
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Nov 1, 2018 20:35
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Brain droppings and other stuff: Well, the wild fires this past month claimed one of my favorite custom cars ever... The Timbs Buick :  We also lost Paramount Ranch  a really big movie set in malibu, but before it was a movie set, it was a race track: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Ranch_Racetrack The wife and I went to the 55th anniversary of my favorite movie ever:    Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World premiered at the cinerama dome in 1963 and played for almost a year- JFK was supposed to attend, but had to go to Dallas instead. One of only a handful of movies shot in 70mm - Cinerama domes never really caught on, but it sure is stunning to see this movie in its original format! I picked up the Mystic See'r for $5  finally got my awesome tee shirt from the east coast show:  another yearly tradition:  costume ideas for next year...   also, some changes to the house: out with the old - stopped working, tired of de-icing it every few months...  in with the new, that looks old:  and finally, we take a trip to Palm Springs and something follows us home:   we saw this scorched 57 buick wagon there too:   I'm guessing one of the transmission pumps failed and sprayed the hot pipe with trans fluid and it went up.. hopefully no one was hurt and hopefully they'll restore this beauty! we also checked out elvis' honeymoon house:  its for sale too... 2.6m - gladly taking donations now, plan to turn it in to the coolest airbnb in the world. but this was the real point of the trip...  I just couldn't stay away from the whizzers... this is a 1947 H code motor on a schwinn b6 autocycle of the same era...     coolest part:  I need to contact the AACA and see if this is legit, I'm assuming it is, but I'd love more info on it. the chrome work on it alone is worth the price i paid. I got a mind blowing deal on this thing, and helped out a really nice guy, who actually drove to palm springs (half way point) to meet me from arizona, just to make this deal happen. The bike needs some work to run again, but I just couldn't say no to this deal. and lastly - my buddy bought a really weird 40 Buick:  more later.
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Nov 26, 2018 09:35
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Seat Safety Switch posted:That bike is rad. The Buick wagon fills me with a deep sadness though. It's an easy fix, I didn't talk to the guy, but a lot of that looks like it would wipe off, on the drivers side at least.. I can imagine it toasted the transmission pretty good too - I'd be willing to wager that it wouldn't be a big job to fix it, but he's probably waiting on an insurance payout or something. I'd be first in line at a fire sale 
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Nov 29, 2018 19:57
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SOooooo I went down to San Diego to check out this lexus truck - it was really nice, but the guy wanted just too much for a 15 year old car with 150k on it - I've been looking for a land cruiser now for at least 2 years and I've been unable to find one thats clean enough for me  Our roommate recently moved out, in our guest house I had my 1950s Allsteel desk! I checked the going rates of these things these days, and was really excited to see that they sell for over 500 bucks regularly. So I recently dug out this convertible top frame that I bought when I first got the car, it was very cheap, far from stock and somewhat poorly made. at the race we did in october I got burnt to a crisp, and with a few events coming up in spring, I kinda want to have a little bit of refuge from the sun  Started by assembling it, because my windshield is chopped 4 inches, I had to modify it to get it to fit and still be able to fold.  I got a rear window from a friend that was obviously on a much larger vehicle, went ahead and chopped it to fit.  Installed a new tack rail which surprisingly stiffened up the body a lot, my doors close a lot easier now.  Started the tape mockup to check my shapes and see what it would look like, get window lines ect..  I moved to photoshop and got this unpleasing result - I dont like how the rear bow is wider, it looks a bit too old timey for me - I have to re bend the rearmost bows and shorten the rear cross bar - cutting the bar is no biggie, but re-arcing the bows precisely is still something im trying to wrap my head around...  I really like the side profile - I'm going to talk to the shop that will be doing it but, I'm thinking about side curtains as well  This "lol high compression lol" head is next..  some new decor' Got this beatiful 1940s DeWalt radial arm saw - also known as the Power Shop - I paid $10.00 for this and it works great. This is the original finish on this saw, and vintage tool guys struggle to re-create it. I have to find it, but there is an ad from the 50s that shows this machine in the trunk of a car, as well as a man ripping a sheet of plywood by walking it past the spinning blade near his stomach. Needless to say, these are dangerous machines, but can handle quite a few interesting cuts    more soon
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Jan 4, 2019 08:10
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Bump to keep this out of the archives - Have been super busy with work, but here's a few shots from the local car meets I attend weekly..        heres the link to that article: https://www.hotrod.com/articles/cruising-southern-california-coast-odd-squad-car-club/       
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Feb 5, 2019 00:30
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Phew, almost archived - saved! Huggable Bear King posted:Dude your model A is awesome. I love the font you used for the numbers. Did you re-locate the gas tank or is it still in the cowl and gravity fed? I have the cowl tank - it is still mostly gravity fed, but I do have an electric pump on it, mounted inside the car and runs on the key. - I'm not a huge fan of my setup, its cool to watch peoples expressions when I pull up to the gas pump, but it is also like riding around with a bomb on your lap - I'd be very much happier with a tank in the trunk or even a 32 style tank at the far back of the car. plus, if I move the tank that means I can install a later car dash That speedster is so drat cool - I love the simplicity of these cars, they are so modular that you can do just about anything to them and the result will always be cool. T body, A frame - 32 frame, T or A body... .Speedster.... Belly tank? I recently did something very cool for a car stereo in the A, but I'm uploading the pics as I type this!
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May 6, 2019 23:21
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DJ Commie posted:Doing the Time Trials at Santa Margarita Ranch event again this year Danny? I'll make it this time, I promise! I met the tech inspector a few weeks ago at a yard sale, interesting fellow. Dont know if im doing the time trials, but I'm going to be at the RPM nationals in October.. I'm racing it this weekend at fontana...
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May 7, 2019 15:51
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Charles posted:How goes the DC-3? The particular one I posted, is going to be one of those things that will happens if he gets desperate, I can swoop in and get it reasonably. Ive seen a few more come up that are way out of what I want to pay for yard decoration. It's a waiting game. I've been very, very busy with work, but I feel some free time coming up and I have A LOT to do.. uploading pics now.
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May 7, 2019 18:49
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cool poo poo update: So I've been super busy with work, so getting out there and digging has really been kinda tough over the past 4 months, but there are a few gems BOOM!  5" 38cal (not .38, but 38) shell fired in 1944 out of this:  giant airplane model built in the early 50s  proudly hung:  1939 City of LA Dietz lantern:   I have this one and another that I got working pretty well with smokeless kerosine... speaking of lamps:  I've been working on a secret project thats not so secret anymore... in theaters soon! my friend painted this amazing sign which is a replica of the real one in Nashville!  speaking of Nashville, been playing a bit more lately too  A buddy of mine was cleaning out a house and came across this little cutie - old "Made in Japan" tin 54 buick wagon    On to the car stuff - I've been dying for some tunes in the roadster but my need for period correct stuff has always gotten in the way of things - another one of my friends who is a professional guitarist for a huge artist recently had an guitar amp made for him out of an old radio, he passed along the contact of the guy who was making them and I reached out to him- I've had this speaker for a lonnnnnngggg time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to run it - Square Amps out of texas built a 100 watt bluetooth system inside of this little speaker, which is all self contained, runs on batteries and opperates compeletely independantly from the cars old bullshit electrical system  As you can see the controls are on the bottom, so its completely stealth, sounds great  https://i.imgur.com/6b746jIl.mp4 I also finally got my Winfield high compression aluminum head on there - and what a difference - when you only have 40-50 horsepower, compression realllllly wakes these things up, at the expense of the bottom ends.  I also got this super rare chromed Stromberg 97 -  Finally got new correct springs for my 48...  my roses are in full bloom  my wife and I visited the Eames house:  a little background on this incredible place: https://eamesfoundation.org/house/eames-house/ Should I take this cool old trailer for a few hundred bucks?  any of you guys want it?  those are wooden wheels.. it has a model T axle - its pretty cool, they need it gone, along with this pump organ from the late 1700s...  More coming... LobsterboyX fucked around with this message at 23:15 on May 7, 2019 |
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May 7, 2019 23:11
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Picked up this this set of "bigs and littles" for the hot rod from a friend who had fallen on some hard times - They came with a really nice set of '40 ford wheels -   so I've been in the process of changing them over to my 36-39 ford wide 5's  because im swithcing out these beautiful 16" ribbed goodyear all weather delux tires, I need to find some 16" rims for my buick! these are, IMHO the most beautiful tire ever made.  also in the deal I got back my 39 Wards Hawthorne that I sold to him over 7 years ago! its a bit rougher now than it was when I sold it to him, but it will clean up nicely!  of course my wagon is chugging along nicely - of all the cars ive ever owned, this is the best runner I've ever had - it floats so nicely, stops great and is pretty fast for a 50s car.  I also bought some canned butter, just because it had a cool vintagey label  according to my prepper friend, this is very very good stuff. and lastly, I've added one piece of modern tech to the garage... to watch shows from the 50s and 60s... 
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May 14, 2019 23:16
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Kurten posted:Love the stromberg. Is the chrome a custom job? I only remember seeing them in brushed or plain steel. Used to spot em for sale at car shows all the time but I don't remember ever seeing a chrome one. apparently it is a stock thing that they made in the early to mid 50s - or it could be an earlier custom job This morning kinda sucked:  turns out it was just a dumb rubber cap that I used to cap the heater hose outlet from the bottom of the radiator...  got the tires on the roadster last weekend! drives like a different car, turns way easier...  I've been getting a bit too deep in to this kerosene lantern game...  1930s Embury's Air Pilot  Dietz Model 100 City of LA traffic lantern  late 20s early 30s Dietz Hy-Lo (high efficiency, low cost)   a few places in LA that we are in jeopardy of loosing.  my dogs favorite hiding spot is about to go away for a little bit - This car will be going to the transmission shop for a new ring gear next week!  got these back from the framer - these were souvenirs from the GM Autorama in 56..  weather is getting warmer and this thing is getting a few more miles on it as of recent... more soon
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Jun 6, 2019 01:48
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sharkytm posted:Man, your life is just the coolest. I'm so envious. Life is too short to be a normal person, if you are in to something, live it, and the people that are also in to the same kind of thing will find you, as you find them. My job is weird, my house is weird, my wife is weird - but its completely normal to me! The dairy has been open for over 100 years as a family owned business, the true name of the dairy is Broguiere's and they have been known for being the last dairy in southern califronia to use glass bottles for their milk:  it is also one of the most high quality milks you've ever tasted, it is sourced from local farms with herds of less than 100 cows - their chocolate milk is like drinking a milkshake and the formula is a closely guarded secret, it really is/was one of the best things I've ever had. I've been drinking this milk since I was a child. You'd buy the bottles at the market, drink them and bring them back with you and give them to the checker - people often would complain about the price, but it was literally a 2 dollar bottle. Also, eggnog... November 20th had always been the day.. when the eggnog showed up. It was so thick, they couldn't run their bottling machines (that are over 70 years old) at full speed because the mix was too thick. It was the highest quality stuff you could get, and has been a tradition for LA natives for as long as anyone could remember, tradition beyond tradition. Anyway, the current owner (6th generation) Ray is getting up there in years, and his son had no interest in running the business. when the news broke, my wife and I decided to drive down there and hear what was going on. The car guys also took note and all went to pay their respects and beg them to stay in business. We went down there, talked to Ray for at least 2 hours, about old times, cars, history - we (him, me and pretty much everyone that joined the conversation) cried a lot, people came up to hug him and share stories and traditions and it was truly heartbreaking. The outpouring of support for him was really incredible, people from all walks of life that enjoyed the product he devoted his life to.... He assured me that he would try to remain in business as his son was having a change of heart after seeing how important they were to LA, but he told me there would be at least a 2 week shut down, this was last week. So there's hope. I need to call him and see whats going on. He made it clear to me that it was not a money thing, but rather regulations becoming tighter and more strict in regards to using the glass bottles- storage, ect.. and he was getting tired of dealing with them. he also made it clear that he was not a fan of these pencil pushing idiots. What drives me nuts about it is that LA has successfully almost banned the use of plastic straws, yet something as recyclable as a product in a glass bottle had to undergo the kind of bullshit that LA is best known for. The BBQ joint has been open since 46 - the original spokesman for the place was Tennessee Ernie Ford, and the owner of this place went on to make much more money with his other restaurant Coco's - the business was recently bought after the currnet owner wanted to retire by a group... they claim they are going to keep it the same, but time will tell. I offered my design services for free to preserve this place for generations.
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Jun 8, 2019 09:50
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Well, I don't have much content today, but I did get some sad news that may strike some of us forum veterans, I found out that PaulBoz MR2 (i cant remember his exact user name) has passed away- He was a friend IRL that I met here on the forums, however he lived in the south and I didn't keep in touch as much as I should have on social media - we spent some time together here in LA, I showed him the old car scene and we always had just such a fun time hanging out. I found this out last week and I've really been upset about it, thinking about it almost daily. He had a pretty long string of very bad things happen to him, but I'm extremely hopeful he's found peace. I'm uploading some photos to get back to my usual vintage crap, but I thought I'd get some hurt off my chest and perhaps let some people know that may have known him. RIP Paul.
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Sep 5, 2019 03:16
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back to the regularly scheduled program: its been pretty hot here in LA been doing a lot of work on the banger:     and the 48:  im collecting more lanterns, and there's a dog:  bought this giant model of a DC-3   I also got these shrunken head tiki mugs of gilligan and the skipper:  and yes, that is the same model radio used in the show. I made this model of the first in-n-out location:  and planning to start building a gas station in my back yard:  details to follow
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Sep 5, 2019 23:12
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obscure_reference posted:As a fellow lover of "vintage crap," keep it coming! That bluetooth speaker solution is bad-rear end. good eye, its a Parker pen - I got that from an antique store that was going out of business, i paid $20 for it. - they also had some OLD diner stools that i really regret not buying. always be closing posted:Looking good LBX. You coming over for the fallout this year? I've got a freaking wedding that day and have to miss it. I dont think so this year, although it was super fun - I think we're headed to florida this year to see my family in miami
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Sep 6, 2019 19:04
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So yesterday a bunch of people started messaging me in the AM that my car was top on reddit - I havent been on reddit in over a year so that was kind of shocking. not only was it on reddit, but it was the top post in /r/pics... hmmm - guess it will get recognized more often now. anyway, I've been super busy, but figured I'd share these... I recently digitized my grandparents 8mm footage from the 1940s thru id say about 65-66 here are my grandparents riding their bicycles on the 101 freeway here in LA before it opened in 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS-586q_cxc this is what they took from opening day at Disneyland in 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AVSdtzzHPs and here is Travel Town at griffith park - its a train museum and public park - I also got married here in 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HL28Sd9XY I've got 4 hours of footage, a lot of it is oddly... videos of my family swimming - but there are a few more choice scenes from the past that I will share, including the 1951 Rose Bowl, Yosemite and Indio fair in 1953
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Sep 25, 2019 18:54
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The RPM Nationals were beyond incredible this year -         if you look closely on this one, the throttle is wide open anyway, it was a blast.. starting to work on the wagon a bit, now that the 48 is up and going   our halloween was pretty fun!  ebay score of the century:  Edmund's dual intake for the buick 32 straight 8. these NEVER show up, and when they do they are usually about double what I paid for it. I'm collecting the correct carbs for it now, - I also have to build a linkage too. its going to be a bit before I get this on there. another interesting score:  and finally, this is how my wife and I announced we're having a baby... 
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Nov 19, 2019 17:33
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Congrats on the baby! Won't it be weird to have something that new in your house? bravo! Krakkles posted:Nice! Congrats, dude. That's a heck of a life change, and you're going to love it! i needed something to shake it up a bit - I know I will love it, he's going to grow up just as weird as I did. blindjoe posted:Congrats. Im interested on how you are going to mount baby seats in the classics, I want to take my kids out in my dad's 56 buick, but with no way to install kid seats, and no grandfather clause for no belts (that I know of) I am not sure how to not get pulled over. well there's always options like this:  or a slightly modified version of this:  most likely is I'll probably put some anchors in the back of the wagon and maybe the 48.. wife made it pretty clear that he's not going to be allowed in the roadster for a few years - but my argument is that its the only car that already has seatbelts... ww2 aircraft seatbelts to be exact. I distinctly remember riding around in my dads 54 buick convertible and him saying "ok, if we are about to get in to an accident I want you to just grab hold of me as hard as you can", and I also recall driving around in my grandtathers 72 torino wagon in the far back... no seat.. just rolling around joat mon posted:I foolishly thought things wouldn't get any better than the RPM Nationals pics. Congratulations! applications closed - before the pregnancy i was looking for a child to adopt with a larger bank account than mine... but the c-rats are dated 44, and were found, completely in tact, with cigarettes, at a garage sale. I smoked one of them already... they are currently pending sale 
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Nov 19, 2019 19:06
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well that escalated quickly, yes both my wife and I have modern vehicles. in fact there's pictures hidden of my modern vehicle in this thread - I used to be a champion of "OLDIRON IS WAY BETTEUR AND SAFE" but hey, thats just not true. Obviously you take a whole bunch of risks operating old vehicles like mine, and obviously accidents happen. I drive these cars to work occationally, but rarely do I depend on them anymore. my 58 used to be my daily driver, I commuted in it and depended on it - I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I actually enjoy having a new(er) car, but then again I didn't expect to be a functioning adult either... Truth be told I still plan on exposing my boy to this culture and my interests which, for the most part, are shared with my wife, and its on him if he decides to take to it, great, I just don't want to turn out like this article: https://thehardtimes.net/culture/child-of-rockabilly-couple-constantly-wondering-what-the-gently caress-is-going-on/ but it might be unavoidable. speaking of functioning adult... I took a big step and listed my precious cadillac for sale. 
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Nov 21, 2019 20:28
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astute! the FJ is mine, I'm gunning to replace it with a lexus, but I just can't seem to find one that is clean enough for me. My wife drives a Wrangler 4 door. Story time! I used to work for the NFL and every year I had to travel to the super bowl host city- way back in 2013 it was in new york. It had been a tradition for my mom and my girlfriend (now wife) to take me to the airport and cry as I left because I was gone for a month. My mom had a 2001 Lexus LX 470 that she bought brand new, it was her baby, she was an interior designer and used the massive truck to haul stuff back and forth from LA to Santa Barbara where the majority of her clients were, when it was new the lexus was so nice, she wouldn't let me anywhere near it, she would put a towel down whenever I had to ride in it and drove it so softly and smoothly. I loved the car, I loved the power it had, I loved everything about it - it was my guilty pleasure. Right before the super bowl, I was at my moms place for a dinner and she brought up the fact that I was doing so well for myself, and that it was time that I stopped driving my g'd up 95 buick roadmaster wagon every day. I dont know if any of you recall the car, but it was slammed on steel wheels, thinline white walls, tinted to the moon, huge system - in a gold with wood grain grandpa cruiser wagon with seating for 8.  She said that she would love it if I was to take her lexus so that she could finally buy a "cute convertible" like she always wanted, I was really happy for her, because that meant she was finally starting to think about slowing down a little bit, she was in her late 60s and had accomplished much as a designer, and she was the driving force behind me becoming a designer. For once I didn't balk at the idea of having a modern-ish car, this was a turning point for me as I had always been obsessed with my old clap traps. So they were both teary-eyed as I got out of the lexus and began my journey - on their way home they were involved in an accident that totaled the car, they were both ok but my Lexus was gone. They both kept it a secret the entire time I was gone, which to this day still boggles my mind. When I got home they picked me up in my moms year old Audi wagon - I was crushed... a few weeks later I settled and bought my FJ, because it was a quirky weird toyota I lost my mom in 2015 very unexpectedly and she never got her cute convertible... but I had a void in my heart for my Lexus that I never got, and I've been looking for one ever since, but every one that I've been to see has not come close to what I want... there's always something fishy about them, now that i'm going to be a dad, I need something with 4 doors, and damnit, im going to get one of these lexus' soon. Yes its a mom cruiser, yes its a gas guzzler, yes its probably the most boring years for the land cruiser series, but whatever.. I love them.
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Nov 22, 2019 03:43
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