Inspiration at The Roadster Show

The L.A. Roadster Show ruled.

I could've snapped a thousand pictures but the truth was I was having too much fun to stop a moment and take pics. Here are a few of the pics I did take.

I finally got to meet the guys from Ionia Hot Rod Shop.

Here's their booth (and my frame).

An amazing 35 Roadster. They're pretty high on my wish list. This one was super-clean

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Love the Casny Coupe...

The only thing missing on Father's Day was my dad. I'd love to get him to fly out with me next year. If you'd like to see more of the show, this man took TONS of pics.

More, more, MORE!

...from Ionia Hot Rods!

They flipped the frame and fabbed up the front wishbone mounts.  This will pull the mounts more toward the center.  One reason I wanted the "bones" this way is for a cleaner look.  Many times people mount the bones to the frame at the leading edge of the reveal.  While it's traditional and it works, I've never been a huge fan of the look.  Plus, pulling the ends of the bones in may improve the suspension characteristics but that's a whole different conversation. I'm a sucker for details too.  The rivets really make a rather simple modification look like it was done by the factory,

I'm excited to get the frame here and get the body on.  However, that moment is being postponed.  Originally it had been planned to be here around mid-May but Matt and I spoke and the frame is going to the L.A. Roadster show with the fellas and is going to sit in their booth.  I think that's pretty cool.  They're going to hand polish the frame and I'm sure it'll look stellar.  Like always, I'll keep the blog updated.

Shave and a Hair Cut...

Folks, this is the moment we've... err, I've been waiting for!  

First things first,  this is how Chris described his process:  

I will be chopping this as close as possible to the way Jimmy Shine chopped his model a in the July 2008 issue of rod and custom. The only difference is that we will be taking out 1" under the rear window instead of the full 4".

First I figured out the areas that I want to take the sections out. Then I sprayed the layout die over those areas. Next I will layout the chop and scribe my lines.

Here's what it looks like, pre chop.  In these photos the lines are not yet scribed yet.

Doesn't look much different, huh?  After some tape here, a scribe there, and a couple squints while holding your thumb up like an artist you can break out the saw and this happens...

Lift off!!!

A much more distinct profile!

Here's a good look at how the rear window was dropped an inch to give some more visibility.  I think this is one of the little details that will go unnoticed by many.

That's it for now... next is welding it up.

The Genesis

Here's the plan:  Take a 1930 Ford Model A Coupe that's just a shell of a car and turn it into a traditionally styled hot rod, a car you might have seen in the little books in the late fifties early sixties.

The roof will be chopped four inches and continue the "T" molding from the sides of the rear window and continue it to the visor. The drive-train is a fifty-nine Chevy inline six 235 with a 53/54 Corvette intake and exhaust running into a T5 then to a 40 Ford rear. Everything will be fixed to an Ionia Hot Rod Shop 32 frame.

While there will be a lot of traditional stylings, there'll be some fresh takes on a very familiar theme.  

Here's what I started with:

This is at a stop for fuel somewhere in Oklahoma after picking it up.  It fit perfectly in the back of my truck. However, traveling through the headwind in Colorado wasn't fun.

You can see the rare, late 1931 firewall. This car is a 1930 so the firewall will get replaced with the correct firewall.  

It looks decent from the side.  The doors line up well.  It does have a share of issues and who knows what's hidden under the 5+ coats of paint.  It needs sub-rails, the lower panel beneath the rumble lid, and inner fender-wells. All in all I think this is a very decent platform to begin with especially because all of the areas I know have issues are areas that I wanted to modify anyway.  I'll get to those details when it comes time.