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Dry-lakes scratchbashed '29 Ford/Ardun: Front 4-link, etc., Jan. 26


Ace-Garageguy

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Bill, this is such an interesting (in the best way) concept and build. it's easy to see why everyone likes it. Any thought on blending the bodywork on top that sticks up at the rear of the cockpit and blending it in to the headrest fairing. When you show the awesome side profile I'm "seeing" a beautiful curved line following the rear fender that would blend so nicely into the front hood. It would require a bit of tapering and shaping on your part but seeing how much you've accomplished (successfully I'd add) I think it might be worth the effort. I hope I didn't step on your toes. Either way, you've got a winner on your hands. I'll be sure to follow this one. Great engine choice too btw!

Cheers,

Tim

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Thanks again, everyone, for your continued interest and comments on this one.

... Any thought on blending the bodywork on top that sticks up at the rear of the cockpit and blending it in to the headrest fairing. When you show the awesome side profile I'm "seeing" a beautiful curved line following the rear fender that would blend so nicely into the front hood. It would require a bit of tapering and shaping on your part but seeing how much you've accomplished (successfully I'd add) I think it might be worth the effort. I hope I didn't step on your toes.

No toe-stepping going on Tim. I appreciate input and ideas.

There is actually a reason I won't be blending the hard tonneau into the helmet-fairing. The tonneau is going to open, as is the hood and deck. The parts will be pinned together with the pins hidden. The story is that the tonneau would have to be hinged to enter the car (which it may actually be) and that the helmet-fairing would make it unwieldy for the driver to handle alone, if it was attached and faired in.

The helmet-fairing is also kinda intended to represent an addition that the builders might have added to mediate some buffeting you could get with the windshield the way it is, at very high speeds. Might also pick up a MPH or two from a little more drag reduction.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. B)

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Thanks again, everyone, for your continued interest and comments on this one.

No toe-stepping going on Tim. I appreciate input and ideas.

There is actually a reason I won't be blending the hard tonneau into the helmet-fairing. The tonneau is going to open, as is the hood and deck. The parts will be pinned together with the pins hidden. The story is that the tonneau would have to be hinged to enter the car (which it may actually be) and that the helmet-fairing would make it unwieldy for the driver to handle alone, if it was attached and faired in.

The helmet-fairing is also kinda intended to represent an addition that the builders might have added to mediate some buffeting you could get with the windshield the way it is, at very high speeds. Might also pick up a MPH or two from a little more drag reduction.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. B)

I'm glad to hear it. It's easy to lose sight of these things when a project gets rolling, and the inner designer starts to take over. It's one thing to build a race-inspired street rod, and yet another to make a stylishly-designed racer. I also believe that, while it's wonderful to sculpt elegant lines, the original car's body and design has to be respected if it is in fact a Model A roadster and not a clean-sheet concept.

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I'm glad to hear it. It's easy to lose sight of these things when a project gets rolling, and the inner designer starts to take over. It's one thing to build a race-inspired street rod, and yet another to make a stylishly-designed racer. I also believe that, while it's wonderful to sculpt elegant lines, the original car's body and design has to be respected if it is in fact a Model A roadster and not a clean-sheet concept.

Agreed 100%. I want to maintain the instantly-recognizable A roadster shell this thing would have been built on. SCTA did actually have some rules as to how much a "roadster" shell could be modified before it became a "streamliner", and I'm already pushing what I remember as the limit to cowl mods as it is.

I probably ought to look it up.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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Thanks Scott. This is another one I'd build in 1:1 if I had the resources. Thank the gods for modeling. :)

In a nutshell, that's why I build.

Bill, this is really coming along great. I look forward to seeing it done, but please, take your time... this one is too cool to rush.

Edited by johnbuzzed
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What would be the difference between a dry lakes car and a salt lake car ?

Speed, mostly. The dry lakes like Muroc, El Mirage and the rest didn't have long enough runs to get some cars as fast as they'd potentially go. El Mirage is still in use (Muroc is now Edwards Air Force Base) and the acceleration run is less than 1.5 miles. Bonneville gives you 3-5 miles to get up to speed, so cars capable of over 200MPH are more comfortable there.

It's a little more exclusive, so I understand, to do a 200MPH run at Mirage, as the shorter runup takes more power, and the dry mud surface is said to be not as "fast" as the salt at Bonneville either. Less available traction on dry mud than hard-packed salt, so you see the difficulties with a shorter acceleration distance.

Muroc, Mirage, etc. were also within relatively easy driving distance from the LA / SoCal hot-rod scene at its good-old-days peak, and Bonneville is a pretty long haul.

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Very cool project. Do you know of or could recoment headers that will fit the 392 out of any modern kit?

I guess that all depends what kind of headers that you're looking for. The AMT Phantom Vicky had a 4.6 mod motor with port spacing and placement very similar to a 392, so those would make excellent headers for the early Hemi in a fenderless car. Revell's ProStreet Willys coupe kit had a 392 with nice headers for tucking it into just about any full-bodied street car. Modern, non-turbocharged lakes cars tend to use more tuned, bundle-of-snakes designs. I feel the best bet for these is to take four pieces of styrene rod/tubing, use them to create a custom collector to fit your location/application, and then attach four equal lengths of fluxless solder, bending them to meet the cylinder head in a manner that you feel clears any framework/steering/suspension components, and still appears "right".

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Thank you for the suggestions David.

I`m not really sure i`m there yet as for constructing them from scratch. The headers i`m searching are

going on a 32 Highboy with no fenders or panels wich usually covers the engine on the sides.

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Thank you for the suggestions David.

I`m not really sure i`m there yet as for constructing them from scratch. The headers i`m searching are

going on a 32 Highboy with no fenders or panels wich usually covers the engine on the sides.

As David said, it depends on what kind of headers you're wanting. The AMT Phantom Vickie headers David mentioned come from this kit ...

1336825954326-1380542397.jpeg

They look like this from the side, and are the old-school short-primary, megaphones with a dump for a full-length muffled system underneath...

(NOTE: The red Vicky below is NOT MY BUILD. I need to make sure nobody thinks I'm trying to take credit for it. :) )

P1030091-vi.jpg

The headers in this particular build (the one I'm doing here) are made for a Lincoln but have primary spacing suitable for a Chrysler 392 also, and come from this kit...

amt626.jpg

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hokay, she's still moving, albeit slowly. After making up some front engine mounts, I shot the frame in SEM self-etching black primer, and then started filling the ugliness left behind from its gluebomb days.

FEB%20%208%202015%20025_zpszff9qfl4.jpg

Sanded, re-shot with SEM. Much better, but still have a way to go. The SEM really shows up flaws, and also takes the Bondo-brand filler nicely with no adhesion problems. This shot also shows the very nice steel Ford wheels kindly sent to me by Joker. Mounted on old old AMT ribbed tires, they have the right look and diameter for the front.

FEB%20%208%202015%20033_zpscax2cune.jpg

Not bad, but not done.

FEB%20%208%202015%20034_zps3ucrv5qy.jpg

A little more careful fitting, filling the corner and matching the curves of the bottom of the bellypan pieces. Now just have to copy it for the other side.

FEB%20%208%202015%20036_zpsglptujda.jpg

Opened up the tonneau more for the base of the windscreen. Have to get Lefty to sit in her one more time to make sure everything is right.

FEB%20%208%202015%20035_zpsncku9e3y.jpg

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