It was a toss-up today between writing about one of my many projects or writing about another Junkyard Jewel. Writing a blog on my own work seemed a little pretentious, so a Jewel it is!
I'm not the kinda guy who does a lot of stock builds of ANYTHING. Know-it-all that I am, I know for a fact I can improve on anything that's ever been done by anyone (note:humour), so building right out of the box or to duplicate a stock 1:1 car isn't very me. Sometimes though a stock part can actually be the inspiration for a whole new build, a long way from what the original designer intended. Which brings us neatly onto this wheel.
In fact, unusually, I got a whole set of these in a parts lot, and they're all immaculate. Nicely moulded, GREAT detail on the sidewalls, just a lovely piece. Presumably discarded in favour of something more modern by someone just like me. Old wires are OK, but you wouldn't be seen dead with a set of these on your street rod coupe or roadster, right?
In these wheels though, I can see a whole build in my head. Imagine a fenderless 30/31/32 roadster, bright red. Or black. That particular old black that isnt quite as glossy as restorers always think it is. No, red, definitely red. Maybe a home-painted racing number on the side. Number two maybe. Yeah, two is good. A big "2" on each door to show the world this is a race car. Being as this fictitious amateur racer originates, say, late thirties early forties, it'd be running a very mildly warmed over Flathead. Home cooked, if you like.
No headlights - don't need 'em on a racer. Just a drivers seat - again, extra weight. Stock drum brakes all round. Plenty of stopping distance at Bonneville. The car sits pretty high and the big heavy windscreen is gone to gain an extra little speed, so the driver has to crouch over the steering wheel in his slightly grubby (he works on his own car, you see) white helmet and flying goggles. Salt sprays up in rooster tails from the skinny stock tyres as that flathead feeds them a little more than they're used to. Just a man, machine and a long long road of salt.
"Donald Campbell went 300 not so long ago", he thinks, "I wonder what this old' jalopy will do?".
I'm not the kinda guy who does a lot of stock builds of ANYTHING. Know-it-all that I am, I know for a fact I can improve on anything that's ever been done by anyone (note:humour), so building right out of the box or to duplicate a stock 1:1 car isn't very me. Sometimes though a stock part can actually be the inspiration for a whole new build, a long way from what the original designer intended. Which brings us neatly onto this wheel.
In fact, unusually, I got a whole set of these in a parts lot, and they're all immaculate. Nicely moulded, GREAT detail on the sidewalls, just a lovely piece. Presumably discarded in favour of something more modern by someone just like me. Old wires are OK, but you wouldn't be seen dead with a set of these on your street rod coupe or roadster, right?
In these wheels though, I can see a whole build in my head. Imagine a fenderless 30/31/32 roadster, bright red. Or black. That particular old black that isnt quite as glossy as restorers always think it is. No, red, definitely red. Maybe a home-painted racing number on the side. Number two maybe. Yeah, two is good. A big "2" on each door to show the world this is a race car. Being as this fictitious amateur racer originates, say, late thirties early forties, it'd be running a very mildly warmed over Flathead. Home cooked, if you like.
No headlights - don't need 'em on a racer. Just a drivers seat - again, extra weight. Stock drum brakes all round. Plenty of stopping distance at Bonneville. The car sits pretty high and the big heavy windscreen is gone to gain an extra little speed, so the driver has to crouch over the steering wheel in his slightly grubby (he works on his own car, you see) white helmet and flying goggles. Salt sprays up in rooster tails from the skinny stock tyres as that flathead feeds them a little more than they're used to. Just a man, machine and a long long road of salt.
"Donald Campbell went 300 not so long ago", he thinks, "I wonder what this old' jalopy will do?".
JB
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