Model A Ford garage

[dykstra]

Lookin great Bobby!

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks Dykstra! I hope to start posting daily once everything is set up and all the farm chores are somewhat under control. Have a lot of projects too that are made in the shop but not necessarily considered garage work so I don't want to waste anyone's time. For example, my wife broke her pizza cutter and wanted to keep the wheel so I made her a new handle out of live oak which is the same wood as the masts for the sails on the USS Constitution. It is very strong hard wood. We have a 300 year old tree in the front yard and it is made from one of the trimmed limbs. I then pinned it with a stainless steel pin I machined from an old SS bolt. Looks and works great and she loves it but I felt that to post pictures of the operation would be boring for most. Anyway, I thought I would throw that out there.

 

[madoc1]

do post pics of anything you do. all your work is interesting. nice carb cleanup!

jim

 

[bolensboneyard]

Been chasing my tail again but have just finished making valve covers with "hatches" in the top of them so I can adjust my lifters on the fastback without making too much of a mess. They are installed but not pretty. Carburetor is on and connected to the gas. PCV is temp.blocked and the dist. is in just past the number one cyl. at top ctr. Will connect the radiator tomorrow Waiting on the fan. Heater hoses are connected. Need battery cables and a battery and to put in some gas, once we get the tank filler in, and she should be ready to fire.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thought I would let you all see what I am going to attempt as my first project once I get my wood shop garage section put together. A friend of mine owns an antique shop and has this beauty in his shop. I wanted it bad but it is out of my price range. He just sold it and I have spent the last two days taking pictures and making measurements and sketches. It will be some time before I can get started but making it is the only way I can have this perfect transition from mechanical to wood hanging from my ceiling. It will not be covered as the beauty is in the design and craftsmanship. Mustang will be ready to fire up next week. Pictures after she runs. I understand the kayak was built in Maine around the 1920's? It is now partially covered with old canvas.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Wow that kayak looks a treat.

All the best with the Mustangs first run.

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks half cup. I do believe drawing it out will be a greater challenge than building it. Then there is picking out the right wood. I don't know why it should matter as I intend to hang it, but doing something half way has been ingrained for so long I can't change now; wouldn't be able to sleep.

 

[dlcwent]

That going to be an interesting project for sure Bobby. I'm sure you'll build the thing to perfection. If I can do any legwork research from here, please let me know. Any details from where in Maine it was built?

 

[bolensboneyard]

Dan I wish I knew. If you know of any old time boat builders up there ask them what a kayak keel and gunwales would have been made out of back in the day. I suspect spruce but I really don't know what's there for wood any more in the fir, pine, spruce family. Was there ever any Sitka spruce in Maine? Lots of questions at this point. thanks Bobby

 

[Justanoldguy]

Maybe someone here can help out.

Need a measurement.
on a '30 Model A .
Measure at floor level across body at back of doors. (roadster)
Or is there a site somewhere with body measurements on it.
I had these sizes and lost them somewhere.

Cheers.

 

[bolensboneyard]

I have a pickup I could measure but I do not know if this would be the same. However, if you can wait a few days I will contact a friend of mine who has a roadster and ask him to make a measurement. Do you need it inside the sill or outside the sill? Never owned a roadster so I don't know how hard it would be to get the measurement on a restored car; or how willing someone else would be to break the seat down so I can't promise results with the roadster. I believe the pickup would measure the same. They use the same doors as the coupe.

 

[madoc1]

bobby, I bet you could find your answer as to what wood to use at woodenboat.com.

jim

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks Jim. I will check it out.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Maybe someone here can help out.

Need a measurement.
on a '30 Model A .
Measure at floor level across body at back of doors. (roadster)
Or is there a site somewhere with body measurements on it.
I had these sizes and lost them somewhere.

Cheers.

Mine measures 1165mm outside to outside at floor level.

I trust this helps.

Regards

 

[CornwellTools]

Nice!

 

[Justanoldguy]

Mine measures 1165mm outside to outside at floor level.

I trust this helps.

Regards

Thank you very much.

I had it at around 1150 to 1155 and didn't think it was quite right.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks for the help.

 

[dlcwent]

I did a search on Sitka spruce. I can't say no for sure, but if there was, it would have been in the mountain area, and probably not a tree they would have used. I do know a couple of old boat builders that I'll ask next time I see them. But my thinking may be in the wrong direction, as a kayak may have been built inland for lake use.

 

[iceman510]

Haven't been in this thread in a while. Nice to see the Mustang progress, and LOVE the forging hammer restoration. I love seeing these old machines in museums and figuring out how they work. Even better seeing one put to use. Nice job!

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks Dan I have contacted the Maine maritime museum and they believe it was brought in possibly from the pacific northwest. cir. 1920's

 

[bolensboneyard]

thanks to all for the kind words. Just about finished drawings of the kayak. Weather has been poor here so starting the Mustang has been pushed to next week. Been busy splitting wood for the stove.

 

[dlcwent]

Then the Sitka spruce is probably what was used, from what I read.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks for the input.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Proud to report that the Mustang fastback has been started and run for 45 minutes and no adjustments had to be made except to fine tune the tappets. No leaks or major problems. Oil pressure sending unit new but either defective or wrong. Will address this tomorrow. Details later.

 

[gkbedard]

Wow cool little shop! You really squeeze a lot out of a relatively small space, and still keep everything organized. Makes sense you have a submariner background! One day before I die I will organize my garage shop.....

 

[1/2 Cup]

Proud to report that the Mustang fastback has been started and run for 45 minutes and no adjustments had to be made except to fine tune the tappets. No leaks or major problems. Oil pressure sending unit new but either defective or wrong. Will address this tomorrow. Details later.

Looking forward to it.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Good thing I did the run yesterday. I spent the whole day today chasing my tail over an oil pressure sending unit. Turns out that the unit they sold me was for idiot lights and the gauge unit is different. It is also larger and does not fit in the space the small one fits. Come to find out you need an extension that puts it at an angle and out past the oil filter. But, you have to hit the turn exactly straight up and exactly when it is tight. Should be fun. I'll let you know.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Was going through some pictures looking for something. Ran across some work I did back in 04/05 thought you might like to see a Super A Farmall I restored. Before was taken in 2004 and after 2005

 

[madoc1]

nice work on the tractor! brings back memories. my first tractor was a 1939 "A". not restored, but once I replaced the coil, it ran great. had a drag behind shredder on the back.

jim

 

[bolensboneyard]

Finally got around to taking a few pictures. still have to start a few more times to make minor adjustments and check for leaks after I put in the oil press. sending unit; if it ever gets here.

 

[1/2 Cup]

That engine looks sweet, well done.

Regards

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks! Still have to figure out why it is still starting hard when cold but maybe that last adjustment to the automatic choke will do it. It's all starting to come back to me why we put in manual chokes when we were kids. Or maybe it's a learning curve; how to pump the gas and depress the pedal just the right amount of times before starting. Computers and fuel injection does have its place, although I hate to admit it. Oil press switch is in and not leaking but they sure don't make them as good as they used to. This thing is barely better than an idiot light.

 

[madoc1]

engine looks great! what size it? you prob already mentioned it, but missed it and don't want to reread 22 pages. lol

jim

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks! Engine is 289 cu in four barrel. I just finished tweaking the carb. and it took me two days because of all the new not made in U.S.A. parts that failed shortly after start up. For example, the starter solenoid shorted and fed power to the coil while I was at lunch. I came back to see the severed head of my new baby lying on top of the chrome valve cover. Once I found the problem and fixed it I double checked the points for any bad scorching before starting and found that the center contact for the rotor button had the end broken off at an angle, which would account for the erratic pattern of firing I mistook for fuel/air imbalance. Glad to say it is running sweet now. I need to let it cool and try once more as I made warm engine adjustments and want to make sure nothing changed cold. I still have some dimming and brightening of the interior lighting that I am hoping is not a result of a potential grounding in yet another of the wonderful parts we are now expected to work on even though they are new.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Update; I have been using a coil that I had around and don't know where it came from, or if it is good, until I get a replacement. It has been working fine, and I have checked it for getting hot just in case. The engine ran very little today, and coil was heat checked several times. It was barley warm and never hot. When I took it out to put in the replacement Ford coil (made in China) I could see the emergency coil had been leaking oil out one of the terminal posts; I believe the dist. post. I do not believe this was caused by the Mustang electrical system components. The replacement, that I had just chased down twenty miles to get because UPS would not let the driver leave without a signature, and paid to get here over night, turned out to be one that had been used before. It was repainted over scratches on the bottom with gloss black when the coil is flat black, and, in addition, it looked like the factory glue that seals the top on had, at one time ,run down the sides. It still did not look sealed as there were holes in the seam. I believe that it is bad, and the first buyer doctored in up, sent it back because it didn't work, and nobody checked. The sad part is that no one checked the shipment before it went out to me either. What the hell has happened to people?? What the hell is wrong with the businesses that are fortunate enough to still be in business? Sorry about the rant. Who else would care but a gang that still believes in quality and craftsmanship?

 

[JoeArt98]

I'm new to the site but ran across your thread. I own a 1931 Model A coupe "Norma Jean" named after my wife's mom Norma Jean. Attached are several pictures. I know I will probably be asking some questions of you in the future..

 

[bolensboneyard]

Nice looking "A". Ask away anytime. Norma Jean. Knew of a girl once by that name. She changed it to Marilyn Monroe. Last I heard she went to California??????

 

[Bears Fan]

Wow! I can't believe that was the same tractor, Nice job! That GT looks fantastic too! And can't believe the size of that motor that came on that planer you picked up! Great to see the updates

 

[bolensboneyard]

Thanks. The GT is running like a clock. All the bugs have been sprayed, and hopefully will stay dead! Time to split some fire wood and get ready for the next phase.

 

[fergus]

Hey Bobby. Ever get to using your power hammer...or the rest of the smithy?