Da Body!

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ivaldes1
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Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:11 pm

We picked up 'Da Body' firewall and hood former for Hay wagon to Speedster Project, a 1912 body yesterday from John Tannehill. It is so cool! I will send pictures in 2 parts. Lots to do on it though. I am curious how the curvy cutouts might have been done. The grain direction seem to switch from one side of the foot step to the other. I wonder how those are created?

-- IV
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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:16 pm

The rear crossmember humps up high inside what was the Mother-in-law seat platform. I don't plan a Mother-in-law seat at this time but would like storage. I think I would need to put a wood shelf support higher than what it comes with.

I am going to have to figure out a way to lift the gas tank to fiddle with the battery. The floorboard to be built for the gas tank I plan to lift up from the battery box (drivers) side but a rigid fuel line will be a problem. So either something I can temporarily remove like a outboard motor type fuel line clip or a flexible fuel line that will move with the tilt? Does that exist for T? The tank outlet is the same side as the cap so if it is on the passenger's side it won't move much on tilt up but it will have to move. Also some sort of rod or stand to keep it tilted while I fiddle with or replace the battery?
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TXGOAT2
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Re: Da Body!

Post by TXGOAT2 » Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:21 pm

Modern style batteries don't need much fiddlin' .... if you get a good one.

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Rich Eagle
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Re: Da Body!

Post by Rich Eagle » Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:23 pm

That's great. It's always fun to see someone's work. There are some very nice things about it.
Rich
When did I do that?


DHort
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Re: Da Body!

Post by DHort » Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:43 pm

Under the mother in law seat you want the floor as low as possible or you lose storage space. Cut a hole in the base, and cover the cross member with a piece of leather or vinyl. An Optima battery will fit better than a group 1 battery. They are not as wide. If you can put it under the seat you can use a battery box to hold the battery and then put the gas tank wherever you want. Front seat is then hinged so you can lift seat to get at battery.


kmatt2
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Re: Da Body!

Post by kmatt2 » Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:26 pm

Ignacio, Because you have that nice oval gas tank to mount behind the seat I would make a solid platform to mount the tank to and not try to use the stock T battery mount location. You could get a Rootleb wood speedster tool box with out the false bottom mounted. Reinforce the mother in law seat platform and mount the tool box on platform. You can mount your battery in the tool box plus have some extra room to carry some other stuff. You may want to lower the seat and mother in law platform to get the speedster lines you want. There should be plenty of room for under the seat for storage even if lowered.

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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:25 am

Thanks. How high does a speedster seat wood base rise up off of the floor board?
kmatt2 wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:26 pm
Ignacio, Because you have that nice oval gas tank to mount behind the seat I would make a solid platform to mount the tank to and not try to use the stock T battery mount location. You could get a Rootleb wood speedster tool box with out the false bottom mounted. Reinforce the mother in law seat platform and mount the tool box on platform. You can mount your battery in the tool box plus have some extra room to carry some other stuff. You may want to lower the seat and mother in law platform to get the speedster lines you want. There should be plenty of room for under the seat for storage even if lowered.


kmatt2
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Re: Da Body!

Post by kmatt2 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 4:18 am

You will have to mock up your seat on the stock highth riser and see how it looks and feels to you frist. The back platform top only needs to clear the cross member. On the speedster body I have the seat platform is about three inches high. Check out pictures of a stock 1912 to get a idea of how it looks stock, you could leave it stock hight if you want.

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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sat May 01, 2021 11:20 pm

I am building a new body with some modifications with the old as a template so I don't destroy the 1912 body needlessly and I don't have to strip the paint or rough it up. I am to the point that I can scalp the front seat base lower for a speedster but haven't yet, see the markings on the first picture. I am told 3 inches above the floor board on the leading edge and 4.5 inches above the floor board on the trailing edge for comfort, 6.75 inches off the bottom edge of the body front part of the seat, 8.25 off the bottom edge at the back part of the front seat. I am wondering how to build the top part of the seat? I am told that if you have a seat bottom template that you can attach, bend, and cut sheet metal for the back. I don't have a seat bottom template.
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schwabd1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by schwabd1 » Sun May 02, 2021 1:11 am

Is that making the seat lean forward? Shouldn't it lean back?


DHort
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Re: Da Body!

Post by DHort » Sun May 02, 2021 1:55 am

David is correct. You want the front of the seat higher than the back of the seat. Then I suggest making a platform for the seat templates. Hinge the platform to the front riser with a latch on the back. Then you can swing your seats up for access to the area under the seat. Your seat templates will be square in front and curved in the back. You will then attach these templates to the platform. If you would like pictures of how I did that, I need to use a camera, and I will do that for you. This software will not accept photos from my phone. :(

Humble Howard and others did a study on tilting seats in a speedster. Perhaps someone can pull out their speedster books and tell you what they found.

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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun May 02, 2021 9:03 am

Yes 1.5 inch lower in the back than the front is confirmed. Glad I asked. Yes please on the pictures. I am attempting to find the pictured hinges for the seats with no success so far. They are 4 inches long they may be called 'butt hinge' but only one side is butt and I am so far unable to find them this large.
DHort wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 1:55 am
David is correct. You want the front of the seat higher than the back of the seat. Then I suggest making a platform for the seat templates. Hinge the platform to the front riser with a latch on the back. Then you can swing your seats up for access to the area under the seat. Your seat templates will be square in front and curved in the back. You will then attach these templates to the platform. If you would like pictures of how I did that, I need to use a camera, and I will do that for you. This software will not accept photos from my phone. :(

Humble Howard and others did a study on tilting seats in a speedster. Perhaps someone can pull out their speedster books and tell you what they found.
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ivaldes1
Posts: 913
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:32 am
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun May 02, 2021 3:07 pm

Could the hinges in the picture been hand bent?

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RajoRacer
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Re: Da Body!

Post by RajoRacer » Sun May 02, 2021 3:18 pm

I'd venture to guess they were !

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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun May 02, 2021 4:09 pm

Should the skirts sandwich between the body mounts? See in the picture my used skirts have been cut out for 2 of the mounts and running board hangers but not for the middle mount. How is it supposed to be?
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kmatt2
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Re: Da Body!

Post by kmatt2 » Sun May 02, 2021 5:05 pm

Ignacio, Make sure the hinges you use are strong and well mounted to the base. One year a long time ago on the SF Bayarea endurance run a seat broke at the hinges going around mountain curve, luckey the injuries weren't major but the car was not as luckey. With that type of body you will have to get the Ford type frame to body mounting brackets that bolt threw the side sill. Your 1926 frame will have the mounting points in different locations thain pre 26 frame. The body should be down on the apron when mounted to the frame. Yes the seat should be higher in front to help hold you in your seat.

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ivaldes1
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun May 02, 2021 5:20 pm

Yes I am acquiring the Ford frame to body mount brackets. I don't have them yet. Not shown in the pictures is a 2 inch by 3 feet length of stock steel on the inside rear part of the body right and left that gives it quite a bit of additional strength. Since I am cloning the 1912 body I can put the mounts where needed on a 26 frame. Still not sure how the skirts are fastened though. Whether I need to scab in some sheet steel on the skirts where it was cut out or some other method?
kmatt2 wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 5:05 pm
Ignacio, Make sure the hinges you use are strong and well mounted to the base. One year a long time ago on the SF Bayarea endurance run a seat broke at the hinges going around mountain curve, luckey the injuries weren't major but the car was not as luckey. With that type of body you will have to get the Ford type frame to body mounting brackets that bolt threw the side sill. Your 1926 frame will have the mounting points in different locations thain pre 26 frame. The body should be down on the apron when mounted to the frame. Yes the seat should be higher in front to help hold you in your seat.


kmatt2
Posts: 558
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:41 pm
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* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 26 T Coupe, 16 T Open Express, 21 TT Flatbed. 15 T Roadster, 13 & 25 T Speedster , 51 Mercury 4 door sport sedan, 67 Mercury Cougar
Location: Madera CA 93636
MTFCA Number: 11598

Re: Da Body!

Post by kmatt2 » Sun May 02, 2021 7:48 pm

Ignacio, You would be better off getting new 1912 , or 1915, splash aprons from Rootlieb and drilling the new aprons to match you frame to body mount locations. The splash aprons are held by the body to frame brackets and the running boards. Your current yellow aprons have been cut up in the area you need and they still need paint anyway.

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ivaldes1
Posts: 913
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Re: Da Body!

Post by ivaldes1 » Sun May 02, 2021 8:54 pm

Thanks Kevin, so if the splash aprons sandwich between the lower and upper body bracket I have a MIG welder and can scab a piece of mild steel onto the cut out area...
kmatt2 wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 7:48 pm
Ignacio, You would be better off getting new 1912 , or 1915, splash aprons from Rootlieb and drilling the new aprons to match you frame to body mount locations. The splash aprons are held by the body to frame brackets and the running boards. Your current yellow aprons have been cut up in the area you need and they still need paint anyway.


DHort
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Re: Da Body!

Post by DHort » Mon May 03, 2021 4:36 pm

st2 (1).JPG
Seat riser with a slab of solid oak on top
st2 (2).JPG
Piano hinge the length of the seat. I was at the store and they had 4 hinges, 3 were brass plated and 1 was solid brass. You have to look. I did not want it to rust over the years as the plating wore off.
st3.JPG
This is the underside to show you how the seat platforms were screwed into the oak slab
st4.JPG
This is the clip that holds the seat down in the back. There are neoprene washers because otherwise it goes click, click, click down the road.


DHort
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Re: Da Body!

Post by DHort » Mon May 03, 2021 4:41 pm

st5.JPG
I did not want to have to crawl under the car to get to the battery, so I cut a hole in the floor and installed a battery box. Look at all the storage space I have under here. To the right of the battery box is a converter that is not hooked up yet. 6V to 12 v for the cigarette lighter socket for my phone.
st6.JPG
This photo shows you how I braced the four corners, again with brass, Speedsters get wet.
st7.JPG
This is looking down at the bottom of the seat and how it was bolted to the oak slab.

This is just what I did. I hope it gives you some suggestions.

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