Clutch Popper Wednesdays

Well I thought I would share some more of the stuff we Edmonton people do, and with that, I am going to introduce you guys to my car club, The Clutch Poppers.
We are a small club of three who like to build traditional hot rods and kustoms.
I started the club in 2007 with three other guys after I left a different Edmonton club. The other club was more into the Kustom Kulture Scene, whereas I was more into building traditional cars. My idea of a fun club get together is chopping a top, or putting a whole bunch of stromberg carbs on a ridiculous intake. It is not sitting in a crappy bar getting drunk with some pyschobilly band making a racket on stage. Just aint my thing....
Two of the original members left, or were asked to leave, both for their own reasons, and since then we've asked a few to join.
As of now we have just three, and it's quite nice.
There is myself, I'm building a 29 Model A roadster, late 40's style. I also have my 58 Edsel that is an early 60's style kustom.
Dave, one of the founding members is building a 51 Chevy Fleetline, early - mid 50's style kustom, and is collecting parts for his Austin pickup, that he would like to build as a mid 60's style gasser.
And last, but not least there is Johnny. Johnny has a 59 Edsel, mid 60's style kustom/lowrider, and has just started building a 27 T coupe, early 60's style.
Here are some pics of our cars.

This is my Model A
Model A chassis with a 32 K member
Flathead V8 with original Offy Heads, Weiand intake with 3 chrome 97's, isky 400 cam, mallory mag spark igintion, 39 trans and rear end, 40 brakes etc etc... you get the idea.



Here is my 58 Edsel
Lowered 4", kustom grille, shaved, metal flake candied rook with Watson style scallops, 64 t-bird interior and car phone! Lee lens taillights, lake pipes, chromed out 361FE, 57 Chrysler hub caps in front and louvered skirts in the back.


Here is Johnny's 59 Edsel
Lowered 4", pinner whites, flaked, laced and paneled roof.


And this is Johnny's T coupe.
Well at least what it looked like when he picked it up a few months back. ( I have no idea where I put the latest pics...)
He has a 394 Olds for it, Olds 3spd manual trans, 9" rear end, 40 ford front end, 51 Olds dash. Its mostly just a bunch of pieces right now, but over the winter most of them should get bolted together.


And here is Daves Fleetline.
Lowered 4" rear, 2" front, peaked hood, hopped up 235 inline 6, polished Edmunds intake with two Holley 94's, Fenton exhaust, 3/4 race cam, he smoothed all the casting marks off the block, painted the engine in single stage and then had Dave Dunbar come stripe it all up.


Here is a link to Daves engine on the break in stand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dPT1j1OLfk

Anyways every Wednesday we get together at the shop and help each other out. We all work on one car a night, and rotate every Wednesday so everyone's car gets worked on equally. We usually always get up to something on Sundays as well, sometimes working on cars, and sometimes just drinking slurpees in Johnny's back yard.

So I thought tonight I would introduce the club to you guys, and if your interested I would post updates every Wednesday of what we did.

Its amazing how much having one or two other guys around gets you going on your project. If its only up to me I ususally end up on the couch. Not much gets built there. Good on you guys. I'd like to see what you guys come up with each Wednesday. Maybe it'll get my sorry butt out in the garage. I like Johnny's Edsel.

Cool stuff. Keep it comin'.

...thanks for this, and count me in for the Wednesdays events. 'Hard Core' is an overused and trite expression these days, but you guys have the purity of mission, to my way of thinking, that is epitome of what hot rodding/customizing is all about. Vision, skill, experience....you've got it all.....

Nice cars. I have started several clubs over the years. One of them has lasted 27 years so far. Small numbers in a club is a good thing, so is staying active within the club, doing club based events, garage tours, picnics, going to events together, etc. Keep it up guys, looks like you have the right idea. Pat.

Looking foreward to your weekly posts...... it helps keep all of us motivated

Russ

Sounds like my kinda club. Interested in seeing more stuff as it gets done.

Great video I really like to close -ups you made......... Congrats!
Dennis

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

You have some cool little cars with your merry band of members there, good on you.

Great little video, that sixer sounds cool man! Keep up the good work!

Car clubs

Well Bud , your on the right path? I have been a member of the Pandraggers CCC for 39 years. No Meetings , no fees no BS. Everyone is a vise president. When we are together we do stuff. When we are not together we plan stuff. It's about having fun and nothing more. When I hear someone say , point of order Mr President as per the Roberts Rules of Order , I'm out of there , fast ? Regards AL C

Thanks for posting this Lee! I look forward to wednesday night, it has become my favorite night of the week and I really enjoy the other activities we all do together. I have learned alot over the past few years and look forward to the future!

Roll on guys, I for another, would like to see the progress reports after Wednesday night get togethers. I never thought there was much difference in the Edsel years but apparently so looking at the '58 & '59. I think I like the roof line, fenders & quarters of the '58 more so than the squared looked of the '59, my apologies to Johnny. Both are cool looking cars just the same.

bullet said:

I never thought there was much difference in the Edsel years but apparently so looking at the '58 & '59. Both are cool looking cars just the same.

Click to expand...

Bullet, they made 4 models in 58. Two were built on Ford chassis, and 2 on Merc. The more expensive ones had rooflines similar to the 59.

How REFRESHING!
You fellas give me hope..... A great little car club of guys who "get it"

Love the green Edsel....keep the flame lite guys!

...good stuff guys ... great to see how it should be .. keep us posted!!

I remember the Thursday night updates, I'm sure Weds will be just as great. Keep up the good work guys.

Hey this is Johnny here.
It's amazing how different the Edsels are from one year to the next. Almost nothing in common. Have a look at a '60 Edsel. Different again.

Well it's Wednesday, and you know what that means. Club Night.
Tonight it was my turn, so I had to buy supper. Tonight we dined at a Clutch Popper favorite, the New West Hotel. Built in 1959, the New West Hotel, has been a hot spot for West Edmontonians to get their kicks for years. It features hotel rooms with color TV, and telephones for the low price of $60/night. When your hungry, walk in to the fabulous cafe, where for just $8 you can have a delicious four course meal (seriously, it's good, and four course! thats why we go there)
and after dinner, walk over to the Tavern, where you can have a brew and enjoy some live country music. With all this, it's no wounder how the New West has remained open for over 51 years now.


Photo circa 1959, however it pretty much looks the same today.

After dinner we came back to the shop and loaded up some parts from the two cars we stripped on the weekend. On a normal summer day it would be no sweat, however winter finally hit Edmonton yesterday, so it was cold, snowing, windy, and the shops 1946 Transistor Truck Co. forklift snapped a generator belt, therefor the battery went dead. We managed to get the 303 Olds on the trailer before the forklift finally packed it in. The rest was hand bombed.




Once all that was done we worked on my roadster.


Johnny don't fit so well.


Johnny torqued the heads down after changing the head gaskets. ( had to pull the heads to fix a water passage plug that was leaking). Attempted to change the hose clamps to the proper period correct clamps, however they were to big and just wouldn't seal, so he put the regular o'l hose clamps back on. He also took the cardboard off the rad, and mounted the grille shell.


While he was doing that, I finished up fitting the floor boards, installed the ignition switch, and then started to make aluminum covers for the master cylinder, transmission and any thing else that need a cover.




And while I was doing that, Dave worked on the steering. He modified the pitman arm to take a normal early ford tierod end. And then started on the steering arm, and cut the draglink to fit.



And thats when we noticed it was already 11pm. Time fly's when your building hot rods! See ya'll next Wednesday!