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A teaser video

I've posted info on the car before here on the CEG , but it's been a while , so here's a quick recap . As many know , I'm a died-in-the-wool Ford dude , so ya know it's a Ford , LOL ! I picked up this 49 coupe a few years ago , and did the rust repair & all the boring stuff right away . The car wil be a custom , as it would have been built in the late 50's , so I'm tryiing to stick with mods & methods used back then . Most of the filler used will be done in lead , not bondo . I did an old-school french on the taillights , de-seamed the rear quarter panels , filled the trunklid & a couple other little mods like that . I decided it was going to have a late-model engine , so it can be used as a daily driver & make a trip down route 66 with my pop in the near future (hopefully 2015) . I knew from the start that it wasn't going to have a "belly button" drivetrain (i.e. small block chevy , like everyone else does) , so I dropped in a '70 FORD 302 . It's an auto for now , but will be a t-5 5-speed as soon as I get all the needed parts gathered up . We made the exhaust ourselves , as we did everything else . We made up our own dual circuit brake system using a Ford truck master cylinder , and installed front disc brakes to be safer (I know , not 50's , but ya gotta be able to stop in today's traffic) . We just recently put a new headliner - that was quite a job . I don't have a lot of experience with that . I have been building this thing for a few years now , so I'm excited to see it driving around under it's own power . It will be roadworthy in the spring . I'll try to get a bunch of pics together & post them up . I've been posting them up on the Jalopy Journal forum ,so they're hosted there . You can see the whole build by clicking HERE .
Here's another video we shot - a ride along this time . Just ignore the laughing , giggling fools sitting in the seat , lol !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZuQzOmIKTo

Stay tuned for more !
 
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Glad you didn't drop a Chevy motor in it. I'm all for the ease and economy of Chevy engines...but you just can't put a Chevy motor in a Ford. That's blasphemy.
 
It certainly is a good feeling to run a "new" build around , even for a short trip . I get a kick out of it every time we build a customer's car , but it was certainly a bigger kick being MY car , LOL !
The guy who had the car before me had a Chevy engine in it , but wanted too keep it (not that I wanted to do that anyways) . I could've easily kept with the SBC & run his old mounts & stuff (even the fuel line needed to be run down the opposite side of the car - stuff you don't think about) , but I wanted to keep it all Ford . It really wasn't that hard to install the Ford over a Chevy . I just needed to run the proper oil pan . IMHO , some people are just too lazy/cheap to do anything but the Chevy bellybutton . It really wasn't that much work or money to do the SBF & I'm glad I did . I've had hot SBC's in the past , and they were great in my Chevy , but not for this build .
 
You build cars for people? Really? I did not know that!

I wouldn't say it's laziness or cheapness when it comes to SBC motors..especially LS based ones. It's bang for the buck. I mean, even a stock LS1 is a stout motor...but these days you can find them for next to nothing. Heads/cam and you're pushing well over 400hp. These days LS2's are coming around more and more too. And of course the 5.3 performs well also. And iron block truck motors are even cheaper. There's a reason people dump them in to everything...
 
I've been building cars for people full time for more than 20 years (vintage british sports cars) . It's starting to get old , to tell the truth , but I need to make my mortgage & eat , lol !

I had to LOL when I read your excuse as to why it's not being cheap when putting in a SBC , then you pointed out how cheap they are & there's no wonder people put them in ;) . Sounds like cheap to me ! I understand completely though , but it's just not my style to always take the easy way out . Hell , if mine would've had the flathead in it , THAT's what I'd be running - and it might , before I'm done (after my rte.66 trip) . VERY expensive to rebuild though :( .
 
I'll show YOU a belly button! Haven't been on the HAMB since the end of summer...you've really made some progress since last I've seen, niiiiiice
 
I'll show YOU a belly button! Haven't been on the HAMB since the end of summer...you've really made some progress since last I've seen, niiiiiice


Any time you want , baby , I'm lookin' - LOL !!
I keep looking for an update on your ride . Now I know why I haven't seen it :) . Have you guys been using the hotrod ? You know damn well when I'm passing through to get to rte.66 , I'm stopping in to see you guys . It'll hopefully happen fall 2015 , so be ready for me ;) .
 
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looking forward to it, we'll be ready for you guys! It's exciting to see how far you've come! :D


I haven't really updated for fear of getting run out of town there lol. We tried to take it out at least one day a week when the weather was nice, maybe a little over 500 miles this year. It's on jackstands & covered for the winter now, put it away a couple weeks ago.

This pic is the latest incarnation...don't mean to hijack ;)
 

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I've been building cars for people full time for more than 20 years (vintage british sports cars) . It's starting to get old , to tell the truth , but I need to make my mortgage & eat , lol !

I had to LOL when I read your excuse as to why it's not being cheap when putting in a SBC , then you pointed out how cheap they are & there's no wonder people put them in ;) . Sounds like cheap to me ! I understand completely though , but it's just not my style to always take the easy way out . Hell , if mine would've had the flathead in it , THAT's what I'd be running - and it might , before I'm done (after my rte.66 trip) . VERY expensive to rebuild though :( .

Yeah...I figured you'd say that. But there's a difference between being cheap for the sake of being cheap, and being cheap because it's a no brainer.

You know?

Whatever you paid for that 302...you can literally buy a 5.3LS for $500 that makes almost 100 more hp, and will always make more hp dollar for dollar.

Like I said though, much respect for staying with the Ford motor. I am not a fan at all of putting chevy motors in ford cars. Especially the classics.

I think your car is great. I really do.
 
I know where you're coming from with the cheap vs. cheap thought . I know a lot of poeple in the hotrod/streetrod community , and it always amazes me how many are brainwashed into thinking that a SBC is the only answer for a v-8 into an old car , when a SBF will just as easily fit into an old Ford like mine . Even if I had a SBC sitting here , I would've sought out a SBF - just on principle . Besides , Ford guys like you & me appreciate it :) .

I know ya mean no ill will - no offence taken on my end - it's all good . When she's done , you'll really dig it !
 
looking forward to it, we'll be ready for you guys! It's exciting to see how far you've come! :D


I haven't really updated for fear of getting run out of town there lol. We tried to take it out at least one day a week when the weather was nice, maybe a little over 500 miles this year. It's on jackstands & covered for the winter now, put it away a couple weeks ago.

This pic is the latest incarnation...don't mean to hijack ;)

The car is lookin' great - I can't wait to see it in person ! Glad to hear that you're using it . That's why it's there , right ? Keep doing what you're doing & enjoy it .
 
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Yea man...nice T-Bucket! I'd love to build one of those someday! It would, more then likely, be black, too.

Thanks! I have all of the original late '60's Car Craft plans mine was built from if you can fabricate...otherwise, today's kits - Speedway & CCR are your best bet!


Yeah Allen, the T means a crap ton to me & trying to drive the p!$$ out of it...we jump in it to go grab a burger & end up just driving until we need gas. Not planning on babying it.

So, I was thinking, you & I should collaborate on a tail-dragger, once you get some paint on that shoebox, respectively. Kimmeh agrees to serve cold beverages. Or, she will. Heh



Pretty sure I mentioned it before, but your dash & gauges are badass. I love your vision for this car.
 
That T was built to drive , so it's great that you're hitting the streets a lot . T-Buckets are great fun - fast & light , the perfect combo .

I'd love to put our heads together to come up with taildragger ideas . I love 'em ! To tell the truth , I forgot all about making the gauges light up red , till I hit the light switch for the first time after wiring the car . Then I was like "Ohhh yea , baby !" LOL !
Looking forward to seeing you guys when we're passing through on our trip , and maybe taking a spin with ya in the Bucket (and vice-versa , of course) ;) .
 
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