Two Wheel Tuesday

Saw this picture on a thread over on Jockey Journal but so far I haven't been able to find out any more information or pics but apparently it was built by Cole Foster for the owner of Japanese Mooneyes. This appears to be Cole's twist on the Japanese BratStyle. Super clean bike.

Zebra Wood

Work was slow yesterday so I decided to take the day off and head down to the shop instead. We've been pushing hard to get the Neff '56 done and a big part of the project is the custom zebra wood trim. Coming up with creative ideas is one thing but making it work in reality is a whole separate issue. It's a little intimidating to sail into uncharted territory when you are creating something from scratch with no references or plans to go from. Add to the mix a rare and expensive wood with little to no extra material leftover and the pressure is on.

Thanks to my dad for helping cut the wood into usable material. We were both covered head to toe and standing in 3" of sawdust by the time we got done but the planks came out great.



I laid out a placement for the support shims and then individually measured the profile at each point and transfered it to a piece of 1"x1". Each support was cut to shape on the band saw and set in place. Next a pattern was made using craft paper to accurately trace the outer curve of the body line so it could be transfered to the zebra wood and cut to shape. The edges were then routed with an 1/8" curve bit to provide a pleasing flow.



Each piece will be hand sanded to a smooth finish and sprayed with a gloss finish to protect and seal it before being attached. I still need to create the 2 other sections of trim for the doors which haven't been hung yet. I'll post more updates as progress is made.

Ford Update

Zippeay sent me the final update on the Ford seat...It's done!!!

Seriously...I Hate The Snow

Just 48 hours ago I was sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in and now I'm shoveling 12" of snow off my driveway. The older I get the less I like the snow. I'm not sure if this a direct correlation or not but I could really go for a warmer climate about now... aka sunny so cal I miss you already.

Shop Time

I realized tonight while working at the shop what I enjoy so much about it. I work all day for an internet based company where everything I do is completely digital and intangible. Turn off the computer and I have nothing to show for my hours of work. There is no start and no end. At the end of the day it's rewarding to build something real using just your hands and a few tools. There's a beginning and an end and when you're finished you actually have something to show for it. Yin and Yang I suppose, balance is good.

I worked on finishing up the last of the door panels for the '56 and this time I took some pictures. This is my first time ever making a set of door panels from scratch. I only had to start over a few times but I finally got it sorted out. For the rear panels I had to make a pattern using butcher paper to give me a starting point to transfer it to the hardboard. For the front panels I did have the original door panel which was from the original 4 door car so the panels were about 7" too short but gave me a good starting point. Once they are mounted I can mark the top and door edges and give a final cut to finish them off.








Then I spent the next couple hours sanding my car. Still trying to get it all cleaned up so I can start repairing all the small dents & dings before we start the long journey to prep and paint.

Triumph On The Move

Got the Triumph loaded up and moved it down to the new shop. I'm hoping to have all my parts put together by the end of the month to get started.

Ford Seat Update #4

Zippeay has been hard at work on the seats and the front just needs final adjustments. I'm pretty excited.

Two Wheel Tuesday

Recently while doing some web research for an upcoming motorcycle project I came across these superb Japanese bikes. It seems there is yet another gem of motor vehicle that we in the USA do not get to enjoy, I.E. the Yamaha SR400. These common little commuters make a great basis for some spectacular custom motorycles as can be seen in the examples below. I am quite a fan of this Japanese "Bratstyle".

'50 On The Move

The Ford on its glorious adventure to Happy Valley.

Ford Seat

Zippeay sent me another photo update tonight. He's got the bottom seat cover completed now. It just needs to be stretched and hog ringed into place.

Chloe

James & Karen asked me to take some photos of Chloe for her graduation pictures instead of the cheesy school offered sort. We got lucky and were able to squeeze in a quick shoot just days before the first snow fell from the skies. I'm pretty ok with how these turned out considering they were just in the backyard.

Ford...Seat Update

Zippeay sent me a photo update on the progress he's making with the seat. I'm pretty excited and can't wait to see it finished.

Niccoli Designs New Home

Last night we started the build out of the new home of Niccoli Design. GJ scored a great shop space just off Center St. in Provo. It's still in the early stages and needs some attention but when it's finished I'm confident it will be a fantastic shop. I was tasked with painting while GJ and crew started constructing the work benches for the different shop sections. Once the space is finished I will be moving the Ford down there for the next few months while I complete the body work and paint.

I am helping James out by listing one of his cars for sale on eBay this week. To help facilitate the sale we made this quick little video on Saturday. Brian was kind enough to drive his roadster for the camera car, which made filming much easier.

Throwback

From arguably one of the best 80's movies ever made. If you aren't familiar with this film it's probably too late because it just wouldn't be the same to watch it now. I rented this movie on VHS every weekend for nearly 8 months when I was a youngster. One listen to "Thunder in your heart" and I'll be darned if you couldn't take on the world. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Ford

Worked on the Ford a little bit last night. I used my new propane torch and a scraper to remove all the old body filler. I did find a couple of little surprised that I'll have to fix but not too bad.

Rambo Truck Ride Along

So my buddy Brian just got this vintage ex military truck which has been dubbed the "Rambo Truck". He had it over to Lavery's house this weekend and I happened to have my camera so I shot a few little video clips of my ride along. I was able to find the theme song to Rambo II on itunes and threw this little clip together last night just for kicks.

Ford

I got the passenger side door done this week after having to rebuild both door hinges . Tyler got the door adjusted properly and we got the door top fitted which I finished welding up this week. James got the floor braced up and was able to move the brake booster up another 2 inches for much needed ground clearance. It's getting down to the details now before it goes off for final body work.

Ford Update - Tuck 'n Roll Baby!

Zippeay just sent me a photo of the progress he's making with the seats for the ford. Just seeing this much makes me very excited. I can't wait to see them finished. All white naugahyde with 1.5" pleated inserts for that traditional tuck 'n roll interior.

Upcoming Winter Project

As if I don't have my hands full enough as it is trying to get the Ford finished this winter, I recently picked up this 1964 Triumph project. I hope to start this in January so I have time to get it ready for the Autorama in March. I plan to upgrade all the electronics, build some custom handle bars, replace the back half of the frame with a new bolt on hard tail from David Bird, add custom headlight, tail light and a one of a kind oil tank. This will be long, low and mean when its done so stay tuned.

Ford Update - More Lead

Tyler and I finished up the remaining lead work that needed to be finished. This time around I took a few more pictures of the process.

Here you can see how it started out with the new ring welded in place and ground down. Notice how the profile of the fender and new ring are not continuous. The lead will provide a smooth transition between the two.

Here are the tools used.
Flux - used to prep the surface and give something for the lead to stick to.

Paddles - Used to shape the lead and move it around. The paddles are dipped in wax to keep the lead from sticking to the wood.

Lead - This is the actual lead which is technically an 80/20 mix of lead and tin.

First step is to heat up the surface and with the flux brushed on.

Next is "tinning" the surface with a small amount of lead. Since the surace is warm the lead will melt on contact and once a small amount is acquired you rub the lead into the surface with a rag to embed the lead.

Once the surface is properly tinned it's just a matter of melting the lead and spreading it with the paddles to the desired shape. This is much akin to frosting a cake.


Then you use a body file to smooth out surface and remove any areas of high build.


When the process is complete you have a smooth uniform surface.

Spotted...

Saw this cool old work truck on 13th East this weekend. Just like the one Tyson has been looking for.


Spotted this nice T-Bird in the store parking lot today.