Deuce parts, progress and 30th

Well, its been a while since I gave a decent post on here and reason being is that there has been so much on. First up - very good friends, Mike & Kathie Craig of Campbell CA, USA visited the Thursday before the Kumeu Hot Rod Festival. I first met them when I worked at Pro Topline back in 2002. They ran a Jr Fuel car back then with Kelly their daughter driving. Now they campaign a 5 second Nostalgia Top Fuel digger. Awesome people and we had such a fun day together. We first went for coffee at Deus Ex Machina - a funky little motorcycle shop in town with a cafe - great place!

The Friday of Kumeu was special as it was the estate garage sale of the late Ian Golder - a founding member of East Bay Rods with a penchant for '32 Fords. Four of us went along and didnt come away empty handed. I scored a firewall, 4pce hood, cowl vent and other bits and pieces for my roadster. It kinda made going up to Kumeu seem like a bit of a deflator (if there is such a word).

Saturday I fitted all my parts up and it was a real shot in the arm of enthusiasam. Then the next few days I worked on remounting the engine so that I could mount the column better with the big Bell wheel. This past weekend was a very special surprise 30th birthday at my parents and what a night it was. I got a set of SW gauges for the roadster and a voucher for Ian Goodwin Upholstery - it all blew me away. Even the cake - with the late Pete Dore roadster on it - the car I am patterning mine from.

Project progress

Along with progressing on TJ's car - steady progress has been made on my 32.

Today we mocked up TJ's roadster to work out ride heights and diff measurements

I am still carrying out body work and mounted the rear lights

New Years Day Show & Jalopy Dust Up

We went to the New Years Day Show at Whangamata - great turnout of cars and also of public. It was at the Whangamata Club and featured a wet t shirt comp, bike show and the Beach Hop roadster and Harley was on display.

Then on the 9th it was the Jalopy Dust Up - heaps of cool cars and people - a great day and made me more determined to work on my 32 for next year!

Xmas/New Year Progress

Due to my arm giving me grief earlier in the year - I got quite a way behind with progress down stairs with my own 32 roadster, and the two jobs I have - a 28 roadster and 32 Tudor build.
My T went just before Christmas Eve to its new owner and the cool thing there is that they plan to carry on the build as I intended! I was able to get the Tudor's BB Chev and Turbo 400 trans mounted and while I waited for more steel to arrive for the Model A chassis job, I worked on my 32.
After Christmas I had the roadster body attached to its inner steel structure for the final time and then I completed some steel work in the cowl area in order to hang the doors and make the door frames.
Then just a few days prior to New Years I have been able to make the rear chassis kick up's for the Model A project.
I can now guilt free go away for a few days content with what I have achieved and think of the next few stages for each car.

Queen City Roadsters

In the 500th Issue of the NZ Hot Rod Magazine I wrote the article on the club history as it was always something that I had a great interest in – after all – roadsters are the epitome of hot rodding right?

Speaking with Mike Gearing, Vern Hoskins and the Dolores family was a real pleasure to hear first hand of what it was all about. Here is what stood out in my mind:
1) The L.A. Roadster Club was a huge influence in the formation of QCR.
2) The quality of the roadsters in QCR and how they were presented was of a high standard that would be more than acceptable today
3) The members had the vision of a line up of roadsters cruising together
Why start the club?

The Queen City Roadsters is something that I had always wanted to recreate and the timing of the article and also my own ’32 build led me to think the timing was right. The beauty of this club is we are all on the same page in terms of what we want out of rodding and our own cars. There is no rules, there is no expectations, there is no leader, there is no affiliations – its just about a group of guys wearing the shirt, running the decal on the screen, enjoying the picture of roadsters travelling together etc etc.

If you wanna go for a run somewhere or have a BBQ – let us all know – its low key – its fun and when its not fun anymore we just hang up the hat!

Who are we?

Greg Stokes – ’32 Roadster
Paul Servantie – ’32 Roadster
Troy Weeks – ’32 Roadster
Mark Barton – ’31 A-V8
Ted Morgan – ’28 A-V8
Kelly O’Donnell – ’28 A-V8
Mark Stokes – ’30 A Rdstr P/Up
Rob Watkins – ’40 Convertible
Nigel Oliver – ’30 A Roadster
Alan Hulse – ’32 Roadster
Brian Smith – ’32 Roadster
Graeme Belsham – ’32 Roadster
Dale Clothier – ’28 coupster
Steve Keys – ’32 roadster
Grant Stables - '32 roadster
Paul Grace - '27 T Modified
Ian Taylor - '32 roadster
Royce Everett - 32 roadster
Peter Tomkies - A Tourer
Neil Baker '28 A Roadster
Keith Golder '28 A-V8 & '34 roadster
Chris Hornblow/Larry Beck '32 roadster
Bill Smith - 27 T Roadster
Tony Johnson - '28 A Roadster

Shown here is one of the window decals that I have had Chris Walton at Decal Productions print for me.

Here is to going TOPLESS!

Fabrication Progress

After the problems I had with my arm, I am about a month behind on the fabrication work I do. I have sold my T now and that leaves my 32 roadster to build. But I also have a Model A roadster and a Deuce Tudor build on the go.

Deuce Tudor progress - fitted trans mount that I fabricated to look like it was a stamped piece - awaiting actual engine and other components.

Model A roadster chassis - steel to be folded has been ordered to make the centre crossmember and I mocked up the block and gearbox and then ran wide mask tape where the general layout of the cross member will go.

My 32 - lowered the headlights, worked out a way to mount the steering box, fitted the 5 gauge Stewart Warner dash insert, getting the body ready for some fibreglass work and started to make the frame for the new decklid as well as worked out a way to fit a cowl vent in.

East Bay Rods Christmas Lunch

Another great day out to Mangawhai for an excellent lunch. Highlights included Nigel Oliver's black 30 A roadster, Paul Servanties red 32 roadster, Keith Golder's Model A on Deuce rails.

Great weather and more reason to get stuck in and work on my 32!