Locost 7... Model A Ford roadster pickup?

Here's some more inspiration for you.  Del Long's Dmod Model T.  It was basically a locost built into Model T frame rails.  He ran it 20 years ago, or so?

http://www.sdsefi.com/features/aug9923ford.htm

In reply to Sergeant82d :

Cool project. Are you planning to use a real roadster pickup body? Those things are really hard to come by. I actually considered buying this one a few years back.

In reply to Woody :

I wish... I can't even afford a repop from Last Chance in Colorado... No, I started with a cowl from a 'coupster' - a coupe with the top cut off... I can't find a picture of it at the moment, I'll post one soon. It was yard art that I got for $200. I may have over paid! 

So basically I'm going to build a vaguely A RPU-shaped thing, with a 28-29 grill shell. Sort of. 

Very cool project.

Woody said:

In reply to Sergeant82d :

Cool project. Are you planning to use a real roadster pickup body? Those things are really hard to come by. I actually considered buying this one a few years back.

1928-1929?

There are other ways and other sources of metal...

Awesome project, BTW

In reply to JoeyM :

Yes, that was a '28-'29. With a '35 wheel on the front.

In reply to Woody :

Love it!  I very much want to do something a bit similar using an old Lincoln V12 I have in the shop and was just pondering how the intercooler (I was thinking blower) might look in the grill...now I know :)

In reply to Sergeant82d :

I know that you're thinking along the lines of a '28-'29, and I also know that this is a '30-'31 RPU, but I thought you might find this helpful for laying out the proportions of the cab.

In reply to Woody :

Thanks - I have that pic (and many, many more!) to work from, but I appreciate your looking out for me! 

In reply to Sergeant82d :

Have you found a '28-'29 equivalent of that measured drawing? I searched but came up empty.

In reply to Woody :

I honestly don't know if I do or not... But that's fine (for me), because I'm not trying to make an exact replica, just a similar shape. Sorry! 

I love this build. It is similar to what I wanted to do, just with a slightly more oddball 1930s car.  you just have a lot more skill than me so you're not going to wander in the wilderness for a decade to make it happen.

Okay, a few more small things:

Going three dimensional with the triangulation 

I also made a lower firewall crossmember, with a removable center section. I've been tossing around the idea of building some longitudinal braces around the engine, but ultimately realized they would only add weight, not ridigity. 

The next two major steps are engine mounts and front axle locaters - both front to back, and side to side. 

Looks like it's coming together nicely - color me jealous!

In reply to hedg12 :

Thanks little brother! 

Engine mount drawings (full size) 

Freaking UPS. 

I have a bunch of stuff (mostly suspension pieces - rod ends, etc, but also a new front axle!) coming from Speedway, and it was out for delivery today. The BBT stopped @ the end of the driveway... And then kept going. Kids were in the driveway, walking my wife's dog... Shop doors open... 

Pissed. 

Anyway... 

I picked up a couple of hole saws I need to make axle brackets, both front and rear. Made a couple of patterns, but didn't start on the steel yet. Freaking UPS ticked me off... 

More soon! 

Engine mounts almost done... I need yet another hole saw. Buying them as I need a given size is fiscally responsible and all... But it sure is a pain when you need several different sizes, right now! 

If the kid's stockings are solid, I don't have to put anything in them, right? 

The mockup 

Chamfering edges

I'm not grinding to hide crappy welds! 

Pilots drilled, edges smoothed. I'll finish these and start on the frame side while the nice weather here in Oklahoma holds on... 

Just for the record, I'm using 1/4 inch strap for the back, and 3/16ths for the sides. About 5.5 inches tall, by 3.25 deep, by 1.5 inside width. 

What a difference that adding some lightness makes... 

Top and bottom holes are one inch, middle is 1.25.

Unfortunately, life interfered with getting anything more than these done today, but as always with a complicated project, there is a lot of thinking about details that must be accomplished. Sometimes it may look like you're not doing anything... And sometimes you aren't... But I'm satisfied with how this is going. 

Thanks for reading along. 

Sergeant82d said:

What a difference that adding some lightness makes... 

That's MOSTLY of lightness now, nice  :)

I was able to get my wife, our two older daughters, and one of the girls' boyfriend to help me move the frame and everything around, and get it all up on the low bench. Would have been a real pain without the help.

A little bit of progress - finally got a good handle on the actual engine mount layout.

​​​​​​

I spaced this a little bit closer than I meant to, but it should be good. After some reflection, though, I'm going to move the top out, and the bottom in... Same on the driver's side.

I'm pretty happy with the low table I built in preparation for this. Very solid and a good height for working on. Mocking up the trans tail housing, with the shafts parallel to the ground, highlighted the engine mount issue.  See next paragraph. ​​​​

Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the the engine mount holes in the block aren't perpendicular to the oil pan and head... There is a small, about 3 degree, slant to the bolts... And I need to either oval out the holes, or worst-case, rebuild them, in order to make the whole thing line up. 

Sorry - I thought I had a better picture of the mount alignment. You can just kind of see it in this last photo, how the mount bolt isn't parallel to the centerline (if you use your imagination). 

Anyway; while I ponder what I'm doing about the mounts, I'm going to build the steering box mount so I can get the drag link in.

After finalizing the axle locaters - wishbones, springs, Watts link/Mumford link, etc. 

Can you weld the holes closed and re-drill them? Maybe just leave one hole where it is & pivot the mount verticle, then weld/re-drill the other?

In reply to hedg12 :

Good idea, thanks. I actually did something similar to my hf brake when I stripped the threads in one of the adjusters; drilling it out and welding a plug before redrilling and tapping. Sounds like a good plan. 

I like this kind of re-purposing of a Locost frame. It has been in my mind for 15 years :-)

Control question regarding engine mounts; Most engines I have seen are designed to have a slight lean backwards - have you accounted for that? Usually it helps oil drainback. I would not be surprised if the engine is designed to have the lengthwise bolt horizontal with the correct lean on the engine block.

Gustaf

In reply to therealpinto :

The rearwards lean is for the driveline angle needed to keep u joints happy.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that this thing is getting a Beam axle and not IFS!!!!