Hoopty update -- number painted

I know. Dumb.
I needed to do SOMETHING about the bodywork. It's terrible. Maybe now, nobody will notice.

Kevin, below are the breather line connections you asked about.

Cory...Please do not take offense but I don't like where you placed the numbers... I know you can do better, but again who am I to say.
~Esther

I just got done "antiquing" the paint with a scrubbing pad and some rubbing alcohol. I am now officially done for Carlisle. (Start to finish, using a model painting brush, five hours.)

I think it captures the 'vintage' look I'm after for now, and explains the terrible bodywork. Since my girlfriend picked the number, it's actually begun to make sense to me on a few levels. In '36, Hitler approached Porsche about the Volkswagen (no brainer, right?), I'm 36, and it isn't a "real" 356 ... so I'll incorporate a five in a winged logo later on and superimpose it over the numbers.
Seems a good fit to me.

Esther, no worries; these are temporary. When the car gets painted, the numbers will magically disappear and get replaced with better ones, less tradationally done and much more presentable for the modern eye.

The numbers looks pretty neat! I would stick with them (in a somewhat more finished/uniform configuration) even for the finished car. The meatball is over done, the number with pin strip is SO much cooler and fits the period of the genuine Speedster perfectly. Emory has used the simple number sans meatball to great advantage and esthetic!

The placement is really almost dead-on. Way

That's the single coolest endorsement I've ever gotten on this crate!
Thanks, TC!

Cory- That's really cool. I like the effect of taking your car "back in time" a little; it really offsets the high tech engineering with a period look.

BTW, my tub dreams about growing up to be like the Hoopty and Butch someday--whenever I'm not out flogging the 1776 for all it's worth. Yesterday was the first day since I bought it that I didn't drive it.

Cory,
You know I'm all about "old school". Sweet!

Hey Cory, maybe "36" is your girlfriends bust size?

Cory,

Looks good. I like it.

ECB

...and almost twice my neck size!

I think the old-school number placement is cool - kinda reinforces the fact that you take the road less-traveled!

Cory, If you want to get creative with color use 1Shot sign enamel paint. When you get tired of it use easyoff oven cleaner to remove. It works great on base coat /clear coat paint jobs.

TC - ditto on placement of numbers. I went to lots of sports car races in the mid and late 50s. Saw many cars have to change the location of the numbers to make them visible to the score keepers. Many times, the numbers ended up in a location where the spectators could not see them. As a young teenage spectator, I used to keep lap charts on the lead cars. When I could not see the numbers, it forced me to be more observant about the specifics of the car itself. And here I am today . . .

It's tres cool, Cory! As always....

Cory,

The number is way cool. As always your taste/style is spot-on -- this time w/out the spot. I have enjoyed the comments about the old-time numbe rplacments. I knew when I saw your pix here that somehting about it was familiar, but was avery vague reaction. I too used to frequent SCCA events in the '60s, and so maybe saw some of this then, and never paid much attention. Just seemed normal. Whatever . . . Still don't know why you wrapped the exhaust system, but can wait til tomorrow to find out. VERY much looking fwd to seeing you and the others in PA.

The PARTY is on!!

Cory,

I'd highly recommend that, once you remove that header wrap, and have your pipes jet Coated, you immediately send it off/sell it to me! You KNOW that you'll never build another car . . . . your Wrench has retired . . . . and I totally need that wrap for MY next project ! ! !


Seriously.

Thanks, everybody. The numbers were a huge hit.
TC, the header wrap is yours, along with the growing list of "other" stuff in the crate at the house.

Seriously.

Cory, just some passing thoughts regarding ceramic coating and heat wrap.....I originally had good results with a heat wrapped uncoated header system. I then went to a ceramic coated system. It seemed as if my car was running hotter. I placed a thermocouple on top of my carb and did some driving. The net of the testing is I measured temps on top of the carb that were consistently 35 degreess over ambient. On a 65 degree day, no problem. On a 100 degree day, could be a problem, both the fan and the carbs are drinking copious amounts of preheated air, which helps neither engine temps nor engine efficency. I wrapped the ceramic headers about a month ago. It appears as if I am now running about 27 degrees over ambient on top of the carbs.....better but still not what I want....

Not certain how the temps run in your car in the engine compartment, hopefully you have segregated the air in the engine compartment from the air flowing over your headers, I can't readily do that. One other thought has to do with heating the oil by radient heat off the headers as oil flows down the pushrod tubes.... a heat shield may pay some dividends there as well as heat wrap....

Just my .02 worth....