One more thing I forgot to mention— the tires are designed for sidecar motorcycles, so they have a flatter tread profile like a car tire, they are not designed for banking turns like many bike tires.

So I’ve been moving ahead with research for tires for the Ford wheels as I complete the major body work/gas tank project. With the fenders that I have, my best bet for tires would be the 400-19 size. They are just a little bigger than the radials I have on there now, and the low profile should give the car a great 1920’s racer look— exactly what…[Read more]

For the spoke, I would choose the two part epoxy as Gorilla Glue tends to expand as it cures. Probably not an issue for something like this, but I find epoxy easier to work with.

Wow, I thought my project was technically ambitious, that fender job is amazing!

I’ve had a look at the Ford wheels, and I think it’s adapters or nothing with them. Drilling blank drums would center them better under the fenders, but I think there may be problems with the rim construction and how it would sit on the drum. The adapters would pus…[Read more]

Well rather than just doing measurements in my head I entered the numbers into a CAD program, and while using adapters would work, the best solution would apparently be to get the custom brake drums done. If I go that route it may prove slightly more expensive depending on what price a machine shop can quote me for the drill & tap, but it would be…[Read more]

Michael— thanks much for the advice! I am very much leaning toward the Ford wheels.

Just to be clear, I believe they WILL work with adapters. The 2-piece adapters will ride out the wheels slightly, but with the narrower rims I think I will still be under the fenders. I will double check my fitment to be sure, but as you say I can always invest i…[Read more]

Bill— thanks for the input, I will email you for pics.

From a pure appearance angle, I don’t think I can do better than the Model A wheels: They will look period correct because they are. I would have to use a small section width tire of a size more often seen on motorcycles, but given the kind of driving I would be doing I don’t think that’…[Read more]

Here is a good view of that seam on a real Type 35:

Edward– thanks for the input! What you describe is pretty much what I had in mind, I especially appreciate the tips on how to deal with the seam.

My personal preference is to take the cut top to bottom on the rocker panel, but not align it with the rear hood cut. My gut was that having it not align would be aesthetically better because it would…[Read more]

Dale– I must have been typing when you posted. Thanks for the tip. I will run it by my mechanic. I do know he flushed the tank at least twice (I don’t know what he used) but he seemed pretty convinced we need to do a reline.

Image above is immediately after hood removal (there are still a few acorns and such a squirrel left there many years ago!).

If I did the cut for option C, it would be straight up and down directly under the rearmost hood hold down, making sure to go at the point directly between two false louvers.

Another benefit of going behind the hold down…[Read more]

OK— I made most of the cuts, and the hood is now detached. I still need to remove the lip at the front of the hood that attaches to the “radiator” (it will be replaced with a new lip the hood rests on) and the central cut down the hood I still need to sand down on each side to account for the thickness of the piano hinge. But the worst is behin…[Read more]