Headlight stone guard mock up.
David Rose acquired his first Model A Ford hot rod at age 13. Since then he has been building and trading hot rods throughout his life. Today, David is 75 years old, a disabled war veteran and retired from three professions. In his retirement, David has converted his small single car garage into a fabricating shop with plans to build a custom hand made speedster on a 1930 Model A Ford chassis. Progress reports will be posted here, so please check in often to watch the progress.
Friday, October 20, 2023
The engine condition.
Picking up the chassis.
Hello everyone. I traveled from Tennessee to Kansas City recently to pick up a 1930 Model A Ford chassis. It was running, driving and stopping when I acquired it. The body was removed. See the pic of the chassis as I received it. Also standing with me is the 92 year old owner.
It is my plan to cut and bend a lot of stock flat metal to form my own speedster body and sew my own interior from a cow hide. I will rebuild and modify the engine or replace it with a modified B. I already have a few go-fast parts that I hope to be able to use.
My shop is in the basement garage of my home directly under my bedroom and den, so I restrict my work time to only times that I am home alone as to not disturb my family with loud noises like an air compressor and hammering metal. I don't want to get kicked out of my own home. Also, I will not be welding in my shop because I do not want the gasses to find their way up into the house.
All of that restricts my building time and choices of fabricating techniques. That's OK. I will get it done. I am also disabled and I will be working in great pain. My goal is to have this project completed by October of 2024 in time for the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Concours d'Elegance. Here I go. Yahoo!