New guy from just south of Albany NY

[frank_a]

Many years ago ('98-'01) I built a hot rod in my garage. A t-bucket, bucket-t, you know, big fat tires out back, skinny ones up front, big motor, etc. At the time, my next project was gonna be a teardrop trailer to pull behind the t. Well, one thing led to another, and it never happened.

I've been in the process of cleaning up around our property. I had an old axle from a rusted out utility trailer out back (hubs, springs, and spring holders) that I drug into my basement shop the other day and started pulling apart to rebuild for sumpin. As I took my time cleaning up this old axle, I got thinking about that tear drop trailer I always wanted to build. So, from inauspicious beginnings, I think maybe I'll do that!

I'm a hobbyist welder, fabricator, carpenter, electrician, etc. I just finished completely tearing apart and restoring an old classic fiberglass speed boat. It's not that I don't have enough projects to keep me going, it's just that I've wanted a teardrop trailer a long time. Maybe the little woman and I could graduate from camping in a tent...

That's my story and I'm stickin to it. I'll start a thread in the project forum later. I take lots of pics! This is a mid-to-long term project due to lack of cash and a bad back, so just be patient with me!

Frank

[parnold]

Good luck and welcome to the fun!

[Cliffmeister2000]

Welcome from sunny Arizona! If you wanted to post a link to photos of your T Bucket, nobody would object....

[frank_a]

Thanks guys, busy here at work.

I'm a member of a very small club - guys that drive the hot rod they built. I've heard it said that 90% of hot rods were started by somebody else.

I'm not sure how to post a pic here. Can I do it right from my computer's hard drive, or does it need to come from a web site?

Just got a price on 11 ga. 2" sq. tubing, 80 bucks for 24'. Gonna have to start saving my pennies.

Frank

[Cliffmeister2000]

check here for photo help

http://www.mikenchell.com/pichelp.html

[frank_a]

I guess what I don't understand here is how I get an album, then a gallery. I looked at that photo help thing, then went looking for a way to start an album, but just too old I guess to figure this computer stuff out! How do I start an album and/or gallery?

Thanks.

Frank

[Cliffmeister2000]

Honestly, I quit using the gallery because I found Photobucket to be much more versatile and fast.

However, this might help.

Look at the top of the page. You will see a bunch of options, one of which is "Album"



Click on album. Look down the page until you see "Personal Gallery"



Click on it.

Then look for the Upload Pic button and click it



Your pictures have to be 640x480 or smaller.

If you open a Photobucket account (it's free) you can set your default to upload photos at 640 x 480. Photobucket will do the rest.

[frank_a]

Like this?

[Cliffmeister2000]

Perfect!

Sweet ride, too. It would look awesome with a 4x8 teardrop behind it!

[frank_a]

Actually it will something bigger than 4X8. This old axle I have has spring centers 51" on center, and I won't know hub to hub till I pick up bearing kits (#21) at NAPA and rebuild the hubs. It's an old 1" bearing surface axle, but a solid 1 1/4" square piece of steel between the bearing surfaces. I think it would work fine. Probably be 10' long too.

This will be slow going. I can buy one length of tubing a month, which will put me in November before I start putting the frame together. Cash only, no charging anything! That's the way I built the hot rod, and how I just finished my old speedboat. Here's my web site for that: http://www.powercatboat.com/Group/FA_14t/FA_14t01.html
Be patient, that web site is 3 pages long. I still have a bit to do on it, and have tomorrow off to do it. Once that's done though, it's tear drop planning time.

Frank

[Cliffmeister2000]

Very nice restoration job! Looks like you have the skills to make a fine teardrop!

[frank_a]

Thank you Cliff. I'm sure like many of you, no task can not be completed, given enough time. You want to have something, you figure it out and do it.

The hot rod I wanted since I was 12 or 13. I wanted to be like Kookie in "77 Sunset Strip." I grew up in boats on the Lake St. Lawrence (watched it get flooded after the dam was built too). After we moved here from the mountains of Vermont about 6 years ago, the little woman said it would be nice to have a small boat. Our last boat had been an I/O cuddy cabin. I'd restored old boats before, but nothing like what I went through with this old speedboat. Plus stuff takes a lot longer now with back problems, bad knees and shoulders. I'm glad I built the hot rod when I did. I couldn't even imagine taking it on nowadays.

If nothing else, we have a good time with our low budget toys.

Take care,

Frank

[frank_a]

With a lot of help, I now have an album started. Where lots of folks buy trailer frame kits, I will be building my own, and starting with an old axle I have. I put up a few pics in my NEW album documenting the start of the process. Pretty boring, but it's the best I can do right now.

I've been messing around with trailers for decades, have built a few in the past, and have restored many. I can't begin to even remember how many I have completely wired for myself and friends. I buy 4 color trailer wire in 100' rolls from NAPA.

You'll find I'm a NAPA nut. I worked for NAPA for many years and keep an account with them. As I work through this project, you'll often read about NAPA stuff I'm using. today I may be using their paint remover on the axle hubs. We'll see how it goes.

Frank

[frank_a]

Looks like I'm gonna buy another axle to make a 5' wide trailer. One I got ain't gonna cut it. Got a Tractor Supply right down the road, gotta go check it out.

Frank

[Cliffmeister2000]

Don't forget to sleep once in a while! Once the teardrop bug gets you, the clock goes out the window sometimes.