First Test Drive...!!!! 23/09/2012

After starting this project in January 2007 and about 3000 hours in labour it was time to take it out for the first test drive. The car is not entirely finished but is close to it.
 
At this point in time I need to thank my brother Joe for all his help, support & advice during the whole build. Without his help the car would not be what it is today. Thanks Joe.
 
I've uploaded a few videos from the first drive. They only go for 20 second each. I will add a couple more in the next few days.
 
 Slide show.
 Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
 
 


 
 
 
 

Almost there.. 09/09/12


Made new radiator support rods to suit the 5 inch air cleaner.
A few modifications to the dash cluster. Had to move the ignition and headlight switch 


 Under cowl wiring is all clipped up. It was going to black wrap everything with loom tape but if I have problems down the track I wont be able to find which wire is faulty. I also had to leave some of the dash cluster wire long enough  so I can pull the dash cluster out in one piece.
 
 
Windscreen frame was Chopped, stripped & painted. Wiper motor was dummied up and converted to tandem wiper arms.
 
Heat shields fabricated and painted to help prevent burns and melting paint. The trumpets are also wrapped to help keep the heat in.
 

 
Rear window garnish mould was chopped 4 inches, paint stripped and painted. Picture was taken in etch primer.
 
 
Side window garnish moulds were also cut down.
 
 
 
Seats, seat belts and covered side panels were fitted.
 
 
 
Rear and front tyres cleaned up. Ribbed trims fitted. I have spyder caps that I need to mount to the centres.
 
 
 
Console, shifter, carpets fitted.
 
 
 Cowl & lower wind screen trim refitted.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

July Update - Its Alive !!!! 14/07/12

All the wiring was finished this month. A couple of small things still need to be fixed and it all needs to be clipped up.

We fired it up today for the first time. Initially there was no oil pressure but after the dizzy was removed the oil pressure was brought via a 5/16 socket on the oil pump drive and an electric drill.

A couple of small hick ups with some loose fuel fittings but all in all it went well.
Thanks for all your help Joe.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

June Update. 24/06/12


I could have bolted the fan through the radiator but didn't like the idea of bolts going through the core.
The brackets I made are overkill for the job. I drilled holes in them to lighten the weight.
Trial fit of thermo fan with mounting bracket in place.
Close fit. About 12mm clearance between the fan and top pulley.
Trans cooler mounted in place. The unit is designed to fit along frame rails.
Its long....
Had to notch out a small section in the floor so the fuel hose is not on a sharp angle facing the fuel tank.
The floor was notched for the Nitrous fuel pump. Blue section between the pumps and tank are the in line fuel filters.
Close up view of the notch outs. If the fuel pump is not fed properly I will have to run the fuel line under boot floor.
The start of the fuel pump relay wiring and main power wiring.
Fuel pumps relays mounted in place.
Fuel pump relays wired up.
Had trouble finding an auto elec who would come out and do the wiring so decided to do it myself. I bought a pre wired fuse panel and mounted it to a small flat sheet. The six nuts and bolts will be used to earth the various gauges and components.
Fuse panel mounted behind the dash panel.
Organised kaos. I think know what I am doing. I have got a problem with the brushes in the Nitrous pump that I need to fix.
The head light bar saga or better known as "How hard is it to get something chromed". Here's how the story goes.
The head light bar was painted the same colour as the car when it was built 82 years ago. Most people either chrome them or replace them with a dropped head light bar. I like the original height so I went to chrome mine. Here's where the fun starts.
I rang up Harchrome and asked what time do you close on Saturdays. 12.00 was the answer. I went to Harchrome on a Saturday before 12.00..I got there at 10.00..They were closed...No problem I'll go back during the week. Went back on Tuesday. The sign on the front says that they open at 8.30...Im there at at 8.30,,no one there...I wait until 8.45 still no one there. I cant wait any more so i leave. I thought that I can drop it off at the platers in Prahran on my way back from  a work thing that I had to do in Richmond.
I pull up at the front of the platers in Prahran and there is a massive hole in the ground where the platers used to be and a billboard for appartments that are going to be built on that block. I'll try somewhere else.
Rang up pro platers that are not far from the head office. I needed to go to the head office so I went there on the way. "Yep we can do it, 150 bucks" For that money I can actully buy a new stainless one here in Melbourne but it they are the dropped type which I dont want. Thanked the bloke for his time and left.
Tried my luck again at Harchrome..As a i get to the counter the bloke says "yep no problem we can do it". It will cost 120 bucks but i wont be able to do it for a couple of weeks. It was at the point that I officialy gave up trying to get the thing chromed.
I gave it a light scuff and painted it in some quick dry silver


Whats left to do ???
  • Mount the front indicators.
  • Mount the Wiper motor.
  • Mount the number plate light.
  • Mount the front apron.
  • Cut down the windscreen frame.
  • Paint the windscreen frame.
  • Make the door trims.
  • Fit out the door locks
  • Get a tailshaft made.
  • Remove the diff centre and swap out the diff gears.
  • Fit the tailshaft loop.
  • Wire up the whole car.
  • Fit up some mirrors.
  • Cover the trans tunnel with fabric.
  • Fit up the interior & seat belts.

May update. 09/05/12


Have made some progress on the car over the last few months.
  •  Fitted braided fuel line for the engine & Nitrous.

  • Fuel line from regulator to the carby fitted up.

  •  Fitted up the dash & gauges. A dash header panel goes over the top edge to finish it off.
  • Fitted up the extractors. I need to make covers to make them legal. Not worried about that at the moment.
  •  Original 9 inch headlights dummied up. I have some smaller 7 inch aftermarket ones that I will use until I restore the originals. 

  • Trial fit of the 5 inch air cleaner. The support rods need to be modified to clear the air cleaner.

  • Or I can run a smaller 2 inch element that will fit under the rods. A bit of 2 inch cardboard used to see what it will look like.

  • Mounting frame and fan mounts. The mounts aren't finished in this photo. Im still working on them.
  • I wanted something with 351 in it but all the combo's I wanted were taken.
  • Nitrous switch and mounting bracket. Switch will activate the nitrous at WOT (wide open throttle)
  • Radiator trial mounted in place.
  • Braided hoses for fuel pumps fitted under the car and bulk head mounted to through the boot to the pumps. 
  •  Fuel pumps dummied up. The one on the left is for the engine. The one on the right is for the Nitrous.


  •  Engine fuel pump & in line filter mounted.


  • More sound proofing fitted.
  •  



Whats left to do ???
  • Mount trans cooler and trans cooler hose's.
  • Mount horn.
  • Mount the head lights.
  • Paint the front apron.
  • Mount the glass when it comes back from being cut.
  • Cut down the windscreen frame.
  • Paint the windscreen frame.
  • Make the door trims.
  • Fit out the door locks
  • Get a tailshaft made.
  • Remove the diff centre and swap out the diff gears.
  • Fit the tailshaft loop.
  • Wire up the whole car.
  • Fit up some mirrors.
  • Fit up the interior & seat belts. 
  •