Actually making money in the resto business!

[GJS]

Any idea what the original materials were finished in? Or were they? I'd assume Maple would have been but have never seen a predominately outdoor piece of Maple let alone a vehicle!

 

[livininharrow]

looks like they picked the right man for the job. that is going to be one project. cant wait to see the progress on this one.

 

[mrfury68]

How cool is it that you can combine your skills & passion on two things you really like & make a few bucks doing it. Good luck & keep us updated on the progress.

 

[commando1]

I'm going to sit back and relax and watch you trying to get perfect joinery...

 

[detmatt]

Any idea what the original materials were finished in? Or were they? I'd assume Maple would have been but have never seen a predominately outdoor piece of Maple let alone a vehicle!

I really can't answer how it was originally finished but it looks as though some of it at least was painted.

 

[MarPar]

I see a few new custom made router bits in your future, Matteo...

 

[Carmine]

So this will be parked in front of a:

1) Randazzo's
2) Salvaggio's

;)

 

[cantflip]

I finally figured out how, as a carpenter, to make money restoring a car or in this case a truck.
I've been waiting to post anything on this until I was sure I clinched the whole job. It looks as though my work in phase 1 has done just that. I thought some of you would find this interesting.
For starters about the truck. It is a 1934 REO Speed Wagon that has been sitting in the weeds in a backlot locally since the mid '70s at least.
View attachment 119400 View attachment 119401 View attachment 119402 View attachment 119403

More to come.

The project is too cool. Thank you for sharing it with us and congratulations on being able to make a profit while doing something so neat.

I am capable of a little framing, but I hate working with wood... I will be watching with a mixture of fascination and horror as you make all those fiddly bits come together.

For a guy like me, this is downright heroic...

 

[halifaxhops]

Really cool need more pics!

 

[detmatt]

I see a few new custom made router bits in your future, Matteo...

I've almost finished phase 1 Mario and made do with what I have, no budget for custom shaper knives or router bits and I just needed to make 1 of everything. There are no stock bits for the large outside radiuses at the leading edge of of the A-pillar so I hand planed those. Not only are the 2 pieces below radiused but they're also tapered from one end to the other and I think there was one square corner.

 

[detmatt]

So this will be parked in front of a:

1) Randazzo's
2) Salvaggio's

;)

Not this one but that does seem to be the trend. Wetmores has the best example of these sort of "mascot" type of display vehicles. That Chrysler made its debut up there in '66!

 

[detmatt]

The first step was to make a simple mount so the parts could be fit and I could really start to make sense out of the pieces. I was not around for disassembly and all I had to work with are the pieces and a bunch of pre-disassembly pictures.

 

[LeBaron1973]

Just brilliant to be able to do this without seeing the original assembly, well done Matt.

 

[Carmine]

Is any of that wood visible from the interior? Seems a shame to hide it.

 

[bulldogchesty]

Good for you Matt.

 

[GJS]

At one point I bought myself a 30's 10" General tilting arbor cabinet saw. It was a gristly old thing with a homemade Beisemeyer knock-off fence but it definitely got the job done .. and actually dialed in quite nicely.

The guy I bought it off was a back yard humidor builder and had amassed a collection of hardwoods that was rather astounding. He sold me the saw and anything from the collection that I could handle for 175.00... I took an insane amount of material out of that deal!

Most all of that is used now save for 4 2"x10"x10' curly maple boards that I never quite figured out what to use for ... cut that into yer REO Speed Wagon n shellac it!

 

[commando1]

Looks like it may have been a fruit peddler originally.

 

[1978 NYB]

I remember those coming through my neighborhood when I was kid. Still had a guy with a horse drawn cart in the early 1970's.

 

[commando1]

I remember those coming through my neighborhood when I was kid. Still had a guy with a horse drawn cart in the early 1970's.

Did you have The Rag Man, too.
Rode through the Boston neighborhoods on a horse drawn wagon singing
"Raaaaaags? Any old raaaaags? Raaaaaaags? "

 

[1978 NYB]

Yep. Now I' m having flashbacks!