I recently took a 'Welding for Artists' class at Chabot Junior College in Hayward, CA. Yep, I've been messing around with old mechanical stuff for over 50 years and never learned how to weld. ;-)
I thought you might enjoy a few pics of my art project. The inspiration came from my kids. My daughter printed a pad of paper for me 20 years ago with a picture of a cartoony antique speedster on it. My son gave me two old baby buggy wheels and an old car heater cover. The rest of the parts I pulled from my stash of rusty gold:
- 1953 Chevy pickup bed support rails as the chassis
- A brass grease cup for the radiator cap
- An old Model A light
- 1928 Chevy distributor cap
- Old chainsaw spark plugs
- A lawnmower carburator
- 1937 Fairbanks Morse stationary engine gas tank
- A Stewart Warner bicycle speedometer
- Sheet metal floor from a four-drawer filing cabinet I cut up
- Spare tire holder from a shelf support
- Fenders cut from an old air compressor v-belt shroud
- Some other stuff whose origins I know not
I made the seat frame, but had it upholstered at San Leandro Auto Upholstery.
The wheelbase is 48 inches and is now sitting in the bedroom on my dresser. The mirror was an attempt to provide the illusion of having four wheels. ;-)
I drove Justin to school the last day and used him to transport the art car home.
Cheers, Dean