Chapter 45: Solution to boat-tail storage and adding rear lights

Well, I left the last chapter with a lot of finish welding and grinding to do. Given the closed garage, and my lack of momentum, I decided to wait with any filling, sanding and priming for now. I really do like the present “in process” look. I do on all hot rods. It allows the observer to see how something was done… which is more interesting to me than seeing the finished product and having to guess what is under all those layers of bondo and paint. Kind’a like when the math teacher says “show your work!”. I think a true hot rod is never done…. always something new to play with. I don’t seem to shut those doors.

So, scratching my head about how to access all that dead space in the boat-tail, I thought about making a little hatch in the center of the hood. That would work, but not very good if I wanted to water-proof it or work on the gas tank/fuel pump or put anything very bulky in there. I had the “bustle” on and off many times, and perching the thing on it’s back edge, I noticed that in swinging it up out of the way, it didn’t interfere with the frame or cockpit. Off to the hardware store netted me some big hinges which I clamped in place at the back of the frame. Proof of concept!!!

I had to beef up the hinge area if I was going to get rough with it in use. Ordered some gas cylinders like they have on hatch backs and rear van doors. More beefing up.

Now, the whole thing will lift up with little more than a gentle wind!

Now I realized that I would need to revise the fuel filler set-up. I decided that the whole thing should stay in one piece and somehow the bustle would just come down around it. Cut a big square hole and trimmed it with some copper to carry the dashboard theme….

will be adding brass rivets like in the dash

Now that I got the bustle to pop up and down, I fashioned an old belt into a strap to pull it up. To keep it down, I ordered some hasps, which I soaked it a solution of vinegar/Hydrogen peroxide and salt to give them a weathered look. These pull everything into place like a pair of suspenders on an old man!

Finally I was ready to determine where to put the tail-lights. They needed to be visible but out of the way enough to miss the bustle when it was “up”. The red lights really accent the back of the roadster!