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How To Build A Budget Roadster
Rod Test: Hot Rod's '31 Model A
From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom
Photography by Rick Amado, Will Handzel
 |  Everyone should have...  Everyone should have a car this fun." |  "I can take my dog in it,...  "I can take my dog in it, parts, anything." |  "But its a bachelors...  "But its a bachelors car. Women think its cute, but after a block their hair is wrapped 27 times around their head, dirts in their eyes, and theyre done. My fiance wont ride in it. |  It was a nightmare to...  It was a nightmare to package all the stuff under the body. We had to cut the stock running-board aprons to clear the Tanks Inc. sidesaddle gas tanks. I eventually had to add a B&M trans cooler under there, too. I moved the stainless steel battery box under the seat and it routinely cooked batteries. A piece of wood under the battery and on the side where the exhaust passed by insulated it better and solved the problem. |  I originally had the...  I originally had the gas filler at the front of the rear wheel, but if I ever lost a tire, it wouldve ripped the filler off and poured gas on the exhaust for a nice fire. I used a Hagans fuel filler door, but I put it right behind the driver, and if I overfill the tanks, the vent pukes fuel on the back of my head as I drive. The two tanks fill from the same tube, but you have to switch from tank to tank to feed the engine. Total capacity is 14 gallons each, but go 100 miles and youre praying for a reason to get out for gas, anyway. * |  The car was assembled...  The car was assembled and disassembled five times before it hit the road. I learned not to grease anything up or paint it the first time you assemble itwait until you know it all fits together before you detail it. |  The first time we put...  The first time we put the engine in I found out that an 8-inch harmonic balancer hit the steering rods. I had to get a 6-inch one to barely clear them. The TCI engine mounts were in the right place the first time. |  I thought the 8-inch...  I thought the 8-inch rear would be a cost savings over the 9-inch. Guys told me a 70 Mustang unit would be the right width, but it wasnt. By the time the 8-inch was shortened, straightened, and a custom Panhard bar mount was made, I could have just had a TCI/Currie 9-inch. |  I didnt tighten...  I didnt tighten up the pitman arm enough, and even with Loctite, it kept loosening up. My buddy, Troy Trepanier, put a 1/2-inch impact on it and just stood on it. If your car is new and its wandering all over the place, that could be the problem. Also, I originally had a Borgeson rubber vibration damper in the steering and the car was almost undriveable. Ive seen it work on other cars, but with my Conestoga wagon program it had too much play. |  I had Tri-C Engineering...  I had Tri-C Engineering fabricate a bunch of patch-pieces for the body, and even though they did a nice job, theres no reason to do that. Brookville makes everything you need, and it looks very clean. The Brookville parts I did uselike the firewall and the dashfit perfectly. |  The first interior started...  The first interior started with a junkyard seat and Ron Mangus covered it with a Mexican blanket. The bottom foam was glued to a piece of plywood. The old foam broke down and it was like riding on a buckboard. |  The best thing I ever...  The best thing I ever did was the Rich Santana interior, and the DynaMat sound-canceling insulation. I thought DynaMat was stupid at first for a roadster, but I cant believe the difference. Made the doors slam better and everything. I also like the Julianos three-point seatbelts. Tri-C welded in some 0.060-wall round tubing around the back of the interior for the top mount of the seat belts and a piece of 1x1-inch, 0.090-wall square tubing for the seatbelt floor mount. People feel more safe cuz Im such a bad driver. |  I got the windshield...  I got the windshield rake just right, but at 60 mph itd eventually pivot back and I worried about it taking my head off one day. I had Tri-C install some tabs (arrow) to hold the windshield in place. |  It originally had a...  It originally had a cheapy throttle-cable setup I bought for like 27 bucks, but you gotta spend the money on the Lokar deal. The cheap one hung up and stuck the throttle open. Theres not much thats scarier than that. |
Ive never seen a better deal before or since. Weve gotta agree. When former Rod & Custom staffer Will Handzel set out to build his first hot rod, he got an absolutely gut-wrenching deal on a gennie 31 roadster, then turned it into the Budget Beater for Hot Rod magazine. The goal was to have a basic rod for less than $10,000. The buildup appeared in the Sept. through Dec. 95 issues of Hot Rod , and Handzel claimed a total price of $10,402.81, though wed add a Gs worth of fudge factor to that. Five years, 25,000 miles, and several thousand bucks later, the car is still a stone riot. Its been cross-country four times, guardrailed once, and throttled at will. Just enough shakedown for us to get familiar with this typical, entry-level rod, see what worked and what didnt, road test it, and share Handzels experience to help you with the project in your garage.
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Chrysler 300 Research
When shopping for a new car take a look at the Chrysler 300. The 300 has a $2,000.00 cash rebate, which will help you save money on your next new car purchase. It comes with comparable warranty coverage to other vehicles in its class. You also might want to research the Ford Shelby GT500 and the Cadillac CTS.
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