Modifications: SBC 350, suspension upgrades, s.w. gauges, custom made roadsters, etc.

History: "I bought this in pieces, id: 1st the body then the bare frame. Then suspension, then engine, etc, etc. Everything on this car is either new or newly rebuilt, except the seat."

"Bryce's Street Rod shop did all the work. Paint is and will remain, Black Primer. Interior will have a Mexican planket for a seat cover."

"This car is a reproduction of a late 50's midwest rod. Since everything is new or newly rebuilt, I don't call it a "Rat Rod", just a HOT ROD, Nor a street rod."

Awards: None, the car was selected to be on the poster for the 2007 Rod Festival with Harold Aldrige's '46 pickup.

Misc Info: "Minor bugs are still being worked out. I may build a removable top. Will it ever be "finished"? I doubt it, they never are. It took about 3 times as long to build as i had planned (4 years) and about $4,000,000,000 more than anticipated.

FROM THE GROUND UP

Part One

By Pat Fraser

Back in the medieval ages I saw my first Model "A" roadster hot rod and knew immediately that someday I'd have one. In the ensuing years I've owned 37 cars, including 4 roadsters, I phaeton, and several autos with sun roofs. There have been show quality cars, some that hurt your eyes to look at, a few super fast cars, and, yes Matilda, some real dogs that would lose a bicycle race. But none of those cars was a Model "A" roadster hot rod. About 2 years ago I decided that "someday" had come, it was time to have my dream car.

First I joined the Colorodans to meet other car people, and get involved with the local rod scene. After advice and thought, I figured there were three ways to get my dream car. First, I could buy one from a professional builder. Those cars cost a tremendous amount of money, way over my budget, and mucho buckos up front. I'm on a limited monthly budget. Hey, guys it's a budget NOT an allowance. Second, I could buy a car that was built or partially built from a private individual. Again, lots of cash in one lump sum, but no extra charge to worry about what's under the paint, inside the engine, and all that funny stuff underneath. Yup, Jethro, looks like I gotta build it from the ground up. This series of articles will chronicle the adventures and misadventures of that undertaking.

I started looking for a frame and a body. There were original bare frames available from $100. to $500. Once a frame had been sand blasted, boxed, and straightened, it would rival the price of a new one. For $900 I bought a new Brookville frame. I saw several original bodies starting at $2000. and going way up. They all needed a minimum of $3000. of body work and a jillion dollars worth of new panels, fenders, and running boards. New Brookville bodies were available, great steel reproductions but too costly for me, remember the budget. The alterative was to use a fiberglass body. On a trip back East I stopped at a glass body shop and liked what I saw. I saved my pennies and nickels and a few months later I bought one.

MISTAKES, MISTAKES, MISTAKES!!!

When someone buys a glass body, the number one priority should be to check out the company with the better business bureau. I didn't.

When a person buys a reproduction body, they should seek out both happy and disgruntled owners. I didn't. If you are in the market for a glass body, check out the workmanship, structural bracing, and overall finish quality compared to a competitor. I didn't. Make sure you don't just check out the showroom bodies, try to see ones ready to ship. I didn't.

Finally, if you buy a glass body, try your damndest to pick it up yourself, if you can't, go to the factory and thoroughly inspect your purchase. I didn't. Everyone told me I'd make lots of mistakes. They were right. I didn't think I'd make so many mistakes so soon. I really believed that the rod business was chock full or reputable business people. Once again, I was wrong and I'm paying for it. Hold on to your wrenches, I'll be back.

Part Two
By Pat Fraser

Betcha you thought I'd given up on this project - surprise, I didn't. Since the last writing quite a bit has been done as the photo shows. One gigantic step was getting the suspension installed on the Brookville frame that I bought along with the body. I hunted around and went with a complete kit that has with Pete and Jakes short shocks and their four bar system. The front axle is a Super Bell four inch dropped beam model and the spring is by Posies-a Super Slide. There are 11-inch disc brakes.

The rear end has All American coilovers, and is located by a four bars suspension. The back end sits on an eight-inch Ford rear end that Bill Hinshaw sold me. The bad news is that it needs new drum brakes. Rear drums will be fine with such a light car that has front disks. The good news is that it has a 3.0 ratio, not fast off the line but should get somewhere in the vicinity of 931 1/2 miles per gallon. The other good news is that it was right here in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, so I didn't have to run all over the planet looking for one. Yet another bit of good news is that Bill threw in some junk wheels and tires, good enough for the car to get around on until it's roadworthy.

Incidentally, I may have left you with the impression that I'm doing the mechanical work on the car. Not so. The finished car must be safe, and everything must be done right. My mechanical ability is about that of a two year old. That, coupled with some physical issues, precludes my doing anything but grunt work on the roadster. Fortunately a member of the ColoRODans, Bryce Wollbrink, came to my rescue. He operates one of the premier shops around, Bryce's Street Rods in nearby Erie. Bryce is one of an almost extinct breed ... He and his crew builds rods, they also restore street machines, antique cars and do great paint work. In his spare time Bryce scratch builds and restores pedal cars. His metal work is great. I watched him build a cowl and fender for a 1912 Chalmers using only faint 90 year old drawings as a guide. Try that at your home shop, Buddy!! (Hey Bryce, is that a great plug or what??)

At the same time that the car grew wheels and all that other important rolling stuff, I bought a Chevy small block engine. It's basically stock except that it is .30 over, has flat top pistons, and a mild cam. It is newly rebuilt, never run. I think with headers, a good carb, and tuned intake that the roadster will have plenty of road thrills for an old duffer like myself. Frugal fellow that I am, a great swap meet find was a Model A center cross member transmission mount for $5. It almost fit, Bryce made it work. Before the engine went in there were a few other items that were needed. Motor mounts I bought locally. I listened to friends and then ordered what was essentially a custom built radiator from U.S. Radiator for well under $400. A bargain. Really. At another swap meet I bought a beautiful bright pink Vega steering box that is supposed to be new. Yes, it really was PINK. It's not pink anymore. Who says swap meets aren't the best?

I needed a transmission to go in with the engine. For years I'd lusted after a car with three pedals, I knew REAL hot rods did not use slush boxes. Whoops!! Yet another error in my litany of conceptual errors. An installed manual transmission in my car would run about three times what the automatic cost. Look around at a rod show to see how many cars you see with a stick transmission, pretty rare, huh. Maybe my next car will have stick, I simply can't afford it now. From the ColoRODans' good friend in Broomfield, Leonard Vasquez, I got a newly rebuilt GM turbo 350 transmission. He sold it to me for a very reasonable price, giving me the ColoRODans' discount.

I wish that my roadster was close to being finished but it's not even close. Perhaps with another 57 years and $228,000 I'll actually be able to drive it. This sums it up for now folks, parts and money; money and parts; labor and money; money and labor; parts and labor and money ... You get the idea.

July 2007- The roadster was featured on the annual ColoRODans Rod Festival artwork along with Harold Aldridge.