Saturday, November 19, 2011

OLIVE SAGE METALLIC

This is a stock Honda CRV color called Olive Sage Metallic. Pretty close to the type of color I see the roadster being. 

Friday, November 11, 2011

SOME GOOD NEWS, SOME BAD NEWS.

After a heart-to-heart with my wife over the future of the roadster, I have once again put the project on hold. Fortunately, I've amassed a parts pile including a magneto, an aluminum timing chain cover, a 6X2 intake with carbs. Not to mention a Seller's Equipped Hallock-style windshield. With the economy still in a funk, and my aspirations to build a magazine-quality car unchanged, putting the project on hold was the only intelligent thing to do. The project will continue, just not right now.
Instead, I'll turn my attention to the Tall T coupe that has been on the back burner and will now start building its foundation, beginning with a Mercury Charlie double Z'd frame, which will be happening in December. The difference between the T build and the Roadster is that the T will be far less precious. It will be a real-world driver, using parts I've had sitting around. Namely, the drivetrain the roadster came with when I bought it from Ian Loska years ago.  A cammed-up 425 nailhead, a Turbo 400, and 12-bolt rear end with "highway" gears. The engine and trans will be soon finding their home in a frame built by my old friend, Mercury Charlie. More later.

Addendum: The 12-bolt is being ditched in lieu of a new 9" with 3.50 gears.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

TO CARB OR NOT TO CARB

I came very close to pulling the trigger on 6 new Stromberg carbs for my 6X2 intake, but ultimately decided to invest the money in a business venture instead.
But after doing my research, I did find a great local vendor that I wanted to share. Riley Automotive is based in Denver and sells some incredible traditional hot rod parts. Eric is a good guy and a wealth of information if you have questions.
And no, the attached photo is not Eric. Too bad. It could be good for business.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

PAINT SCHEME


Here's the overall idea for the roadster's look.



Body color: Vintage VW Bahama blue, a solid light grayish turquoise color

Frame and firewall color: A creamy white solid color.

Engine color: Metallic aqua ( a sixties AMC color).
Upholstery: Pearl white with subtle accents of aqua.
Wheels: Vintage torq thrusts on the rear with white walls. Chrome reverses on the front white walls

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A DASH OF INTRIGUE

A 1956 Packard was nice enough to give up its dash for this cool little roadster.
My roadster will be built a lot like this one.
Another nice touch was that the license plate slides left, revealing the trunk latch. 
Every once in a while something will pop up on e-bay that really catches my interest. In this case, it's a 1929 Ford Model A roadster for sale in Medford, OR. So what's the big deal with this particular car? Well, somebody did a lot of custom work on it and it is very late 50's cool. Particularly inventive is the dash board which is a 56 Packard unit. Forgive the photo quality, but we had to photograph the car off of my computer screen using my wife's I-pad. How much do I like this dash on my '29? Well, let's just say I might just steal the idea hook, line and sinker. Of course, it does look like it could use being sectioned a little bit. There, that's really not so much like stealing. It's more about being "thoroughly inspired".

Tuesday, September 6, 2011


WIRING HARNESS RESEARCH AND A GOOD TIP

In researching wiring harnesses, I've come to find that a lot of rodders recommend Rebel brand harnesses. Even though they don't make the cloth wrapped wires I'm currently enamored with, I think this is the direction I'll go. After all, it would be relatively easy to cloth wrap only the exposed wires and run the rest standard, which is a big money saver over cloth-wrapped kits. Another great tip I read about during my research is to use baggie ties all the way up until all the wiring is installed and then replacing the baggy ties with zip ties as the final step.

Monday, September 5, 2011

PARTS LIST UPDATE

Still need:

Radiator and Shroud (Walkers or Rand via E-Bay))
Front end (4" drop)
Headlight bar
Cloth-wrapped wiring harness (Hot Rod Co. OR Sacramento Vintage Ford)
Headlights (Craft B)
Tail lights (CraftyB)
Carbs (Riley?)
Driveshaft
Gauge panel/dash panel
Steering column (relocate column to make room for clutch and brake?)
Steering wheel


Want:
Complete front end (So Cal?)
Wilson Buick drums and backing plates REAR

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

HALLOCK-STYLE WINDSHIELD ARRIVES!

I'm pleased to report that my Sellers Equipped Hallock--style windshield has arrived. And it's every bit as beautiful in person as it is in the photos. Props to Steve Sellers for casting these beautys. I'll be tucking this away in a safe place and continuing the parts pile with one of the major items crossed off of my list. The shot I'm posting is of a Sellers windshield on Nick Garfias' roadster.
Here's what the windshield looks like on a finished car.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

TYLER CHRISINGER/PINKEE's MODEL A COUPE.

The scallops are a nice touch as are the tall tires and understated caps.
Went to a small car show in Littleton today. And there it was again. My favorite car that I'd seen at the humongous Good Guys show in Longmont. The same car I'd seen yet again at the Golden Cruise not once, but two different times. The same car I'd admired in build phase on Pinkee's website.  I was not about to lose the opportunity to get some pics of this spectacular ride. I borrowed Debbie's cell phone and fired away. So without any further adieu, here it is.  One of my favorite A coupes on the planet.

The tail lights are super tasty and understated,


The metal while not perfect is remarkably straight for an old gal. 

The aircraft style gauges are all business, I sure would like to make this car a custom shift knob. 

I assume the three gas cans tied in to create a unique 15-gallon tank.

Even the divide in the grill is understated and unique.


As you can see the 32 frame rails create a graceful look.

Even the larger headlights look super tasty.

Even the 6X2 with four holes blocked off reinforces the understated quality.

Note the tastefully shrouded electric fan. Trick. 


Saturday, August 13, 2011

SUEDE FADE PAINT FOR THE '29?

Stole these images from Facebook. This car was at the Concrete Massacre and while I don't know the owner's name, I'd like to personally thank him for getting me thinking about how cool suede paint and subtle fades are. 
As any of you know, I've been going back and forth between whether to paint my 29 a metallic color or a non-metallic color. But seeing the shots of this beautiful "fade and suede"job has got me weighing it as an option that offers aspects of both metallic and non-metallic. The suede punches because of the metallic base coat, while the flat clear makes the paint look suedelike and less shiny. 

Still digging the idea of a very light turquoisey/seafoam color. Clearly embracing suede with fade, would be a much more unique option.  It would also afford the opportunity to dabble with a couple of different values of seafoam/turquoise.                          





Sunday, August 7, 2011

GOLDEN INSPIRATION



I went to the Golden Cruise last night and had a walk around with my youngest son. It was a great source of inspiration. We showed up around 8PM, which was a little bit later than we usually pop into the Golden Cruise.
In-progreess shot See Pinkee's website for more. 
 The same Model A Coupe that I'd seen at Good Guys was there again. Every time I see this car I'm reminded what a huge difference a shop like Pinkee's can make on the build of a car. In looking more at the interior of the coupe, I was taken by how much subtlety is at play. No one detail jumps out at you. But it's the cumulative effect of the many small touches that makes the car badass. The aircraft style gauges. The three 5-gallon cans connected together for gas tanks. The steering column mount. The recessed gauge panel. Wow. This car has it all.
(Shot pilfered from Pinkee's website.)


On a seperate note, I saw a guy breaking down his drum kit, after his performance. I struck up a briaef conversation about his aqua metal flake drums. Most likey a surf band, from the looks of the woodie he was loading his kit into and the floral shirt he was wearing. I told him I was toying with the idea of using the same sparkly material for a dash board and he told me about Precision Drum, where he'd bought the material to refinish his kit. He explained that the material comes in sheets, is pretty thick, and that getting it to stick is no problem assuming you use a quality adhesive and your surface was relatively flat and uniform. He had used a 3M rubber cement product with good results. 
Now granted, So Cal Speed Shop has sold Fender instrument clusters for a few years now, so let's not suggest I invented the idea. But while I liked them a lot, I want to do one-off. Something more along the lines of the reference shot I pilfered from Bob Bleed's Facebook page.
 

















I'd be using my own color, of curse, probably an aqua metal flake like the stuff I saw last night, or like the Fibes drum kit color I referenced a couple of years ago in this very blog. Yep, it always comes around full circle with me.




Tuesday, July 26, 2011

BAHAMA BLUE


Here's another example of a really cool exterior color that is quite nice and subtle along with some fabric samples. I'm beginning to think that using reference material like this could contribute to a very unique roadster. Something that looks like it came right out of the late fifties or early sixties. I'm definitely leaning away from the metallic as I look at the traditional style hot rods that impress me most. I'm also attracted to the idea of using unexpected reference material to achieve something that appears period correct. To that end, why not vintage VW?

Saturday, July 16, 2011

WHAT A VINTAGE VW CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT COLOR




We hit a first annual Vintage VW show today here in Denver. In all, there were probably less than fifty cars in attendance. But a good crowd it was, and there were some really cool VWs and people, ranging from tasteful restored vans and bugs to Cal Bugs and Karman Ghias. A handful of vans, a squareback or two and even one notchback were there as well. As Deb and I walked among the cars in attendance, I was struck by how tasteful and restrained many of the stock colors were in the late fifties and early sixties. If I had to cite my three faves, they were all subtle, stock colored beetles with custom mods, tasteful rims and stock fabrics used throughout their interiors. Their exterior colors were extremely restrained. Not a hint of metallic. One was a very light tan color and another was a medium gray. A third was a very light value of seafoam green. As I looked at these beetles, and their cloth material interiors on stock seats, it reinforced to me how a restrained color and fabrics can really set the stage for bringing out the custom mods. I'm definitely onto a restrained track with the colors I'm considering. But maybe I won't even use metallic. Yep, there it is. I said it.

Monday, July 4, 2011

THE PERFECT COLOR



You just never know where or when it's going to hit you. The perfect color reference. 
Not a photo. Photos can be deceiving. Nope. I'm talking about a genuine, bonafide physical object. Something with shape, curvature, edges. Something you can hold in your hand and admire in direct sunlight. It happened to me yesterday as Drew and Debbie and I toured the local thrift shops in search of mid-century objects, beaded dresses, vintage snap shirts and vintage costume jewelry to make into custom shift knobs.  

I rounded the corner and there it was in all of it's glory. Viola'! 
A helmet in the exact color I've had in my head. 


I picked it up in my hand and was instantly amazed by how it looked both silvery and light turquoisey (yeah, I know... it's not a word). It reminded me of the curvaceous pieces of metal that you often see paint samples displayed upon at major car shows (SEMA, for instance). I naturally had to buy it. Now all I have to do is visit a good paint store to find the same color. Or cruise mall parking lots on busy days with helmet in tow. Here's a shot of it. Just for grins, let's see how close it is to some of the references I've already pulled. As you can see, the helmet goes more to the blue side than the Charger, which was my color of choice until yesterday. 
I know have the exact color. I'll keep you posted, 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Here's an example of a chopped Duvall. 
Haven't posted in a while. I'm letting the parts budget build to the point where I can pull the trigger on a Sellers Equipped Hallock-style windshield for the roadster. Not cheap, but well worth it. So bear with me while I ride out the next month or so. The plan for the windshield is to mildly chop it for my '29. An inch or inch and a half, tops. The brown car up above is a perfect example.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

LIGHT TURQUOISE COURTESY OF KEITH WEESNER


Came across the perfect light turquoise color reference on Keith Weesner's website. If you're unfamiliar with Keith's illustrations, you're in for a real treat. http://www.keithweesner.com/

It looks like Keith's color is a wee bit more silvery than the Charger's. 
Keith's illustration is the color I want to paint the Roadster. There. I said it. 

Sunday, June 5, 2011

More thoughts on color

As many of you might already know, I've been thinking about going with lime green metallic in a satin on the roadster for some time Yesterday I spent a good few hours at the Good Guys show in Loveland, CO. As I walked amongst hundreds of beautiful cars I found myself reflecting on just how much I appreciate subtle colors on cars. There's something to be said for showing restraint, especially when one could have  just a easily have gone bright and blingy.
To that end, my favorite car of the show was a bare metal model A couple with red scallops. Subtle. And it really got me thinking about going with a subtler shade on the roadster. If any of you have followed my blog from the beginning, you may remember the aqua Fibes drum kit color.


Well I'm leaning back that way but in a far more subtle shade, like the Charger pictured above. I figure a lighter, almost silvery value of aqua would be very tasty. The engine could be painted a richer shade, like the AMC engine color seen here:



Imagine these in a much lighter silver or white.
In terms of interior color, it would really open up the possibility of a pearl white or a very light silver which would open up the tight interior confines. The frame and firewall could be painted to match the interior color which would nicely tie it all together. It would also harken to some of the kinds of interior treatments used in the late fifties and early sixties.


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

PROPER CARE & HANDLING OF FRESH METAL HEADERS Pt.2


www.ppcbest.com
PPC manufactures a complete line of unique surface care products that consistently produce the professional results you are seeking. Our products are developed using the latest, most innovative chemistry available today.


After looking all over Denver for the product Matt @ Lake Pipes so highly recommended I picked up the phone to bug him about where I might find this stuff. He referred me to the company's URL and I ordered a gallon of Phix Corrosion Treatment which while being formulated for removing corrosion, is equally effective at preventing surface. 

Thanks, Matt. 

Saturday, May 7, 2011

PROPER CARE AND HANDLING OF FRESH METAL HEADERS

This is one of those note to self entries. Matt and I had a follow-up chat after I received my handmade pipes in the mail. The subject? The proper prep and storage of fresh metal pipes, prior to installation. Matt advised that since I would neither be installing the pipes right away, nor ceramic coating them anytime soon, avoiding flashing was something I'd want to be mindful of. I told him I'd be storing them indoors (which he was glad to hear) and here's what he advised. Coat the headers in a metal prep product that contain no silicone base (which can make coating them problematic) and load 'em into large trash bags. Seal the bags and keep it as warm and dry as possible. Thanks, Matt. Off to the hardware store I go.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

A CLUSTER OF FUN-- 1959 PONCHO


We had a good walk around the Bandimere Drag Strip's swap meet yesterday, just a couple miles from our current digs. I came across a really cool instrument cluster out of a 59 Pontiac. I'm interested in putting this cluster in the '29, or perhaps the 26 tall T. The '29 will get first crack at it, since the Tall T isn't slotted to be built right away. Of course, that's another blog altogether. 
I bought it because I really like the three piece bezel and think it would look great centered or free floating in my model A or model T's dash. As I was googling to confirm its lineage, I came across a company that is making some beautiful instrument bezels themselves and while they may not appeal to the hardcore traditional rodder, I certainly do like what they're doing. I'll let you judge for yourself: CCM Rod Shop Check 'em out.