Progress to date

Lofting out

Lofting Completed and Frame patterns all made

Stripping down the 1939 Ford Truck 24 Stud flathead that was meant to be in "running order" - two pistons needed to be removed with a very large punch and hammer - the engine is now at the reconditioners.

Engine update - this block had a few cracks in it so its been scraped. I have got hold of a new/old stock French block - Simca (and who can remember the Simca cars) made the Ford flathead engine under license for the French Military and they only ceased production in the 1990's. I have added to this a stoked Mercury crank and over sized pistons - so it will be a 295 cu inch engine running a Isky cam, alloy heads, magneto etc so should produce some good and reliable HP.

Nice to start with a new block - and of course it will be running Hilborn injection. I will load a few more pics of the engine as we get going on assembly.

Other bits and pieces collected along the way - on the right is the chain coupling. The engine will be mounted back to front and driven off the front of the crank directly to the prop shaft via this coupling.

Frame material cut out. I am using Kauri - a strong bit light native timber that has nice straight grain.

Engine bearers set up on the building jig  - these are also Kauri backed with 1/4 ply for added strength and to prevent possible splitting of the bearer.  I am doing the initial frame construction on the bearers to ensure an accurate fit

Frames all made and ready to fit

Frames threaded on to the bearers ready for gluing and bolting into final position.

Running all the "long member" timbers through the thicknesser - what a job

All the long members ready for fitting - the frames will need to be faired as we go. Its almost starting to resemble a boat.

Long members fitted and faired.

and from the transom

Checking the shaft fit.

Just scored this off ebay - brilliant

Fitting the bottom panels

Framing up the sponsons - I am surprised at the amount of work in this, lots of cross-checking measurements etc

as apart from making sure I have the correct angle of attack etc there is a lot of shape changes happening on every

plane through the keel, chine, shear and carlin lines, then they all twist in/up/down to meet on the curved part of the

hull chine - the next trick is to do an exact mirror on the other side

The sponsons are taking shape and the skid fin and mount/reinforcing bracket is fitted

Ready for the bottom panels

Almost ready for its final sand up and paint, but meanwhile I have been working on the trailer

I picked up a middle axle section of a trailer (they were upgrading to a dual axle) and have been steadily working on the "bolt on" balance. Pictured here its upside down getting its final welds. I have made an extendable draw-bar as its a float on/off and I want to be able to launch anywhere. I am making the guards from '36 Ford spare wheel covers which should look very trad.

Trailer pretty much complete - still working on the guards - but now the hull is off the building jig and have finished the final sand up and will get some paint on the bottom before turning her over

Got the final coat of paint on the bottom - decided black would work well with mahogany decks. Next job is to turn the hull over and install mechanicals.

The engine mounts are made and trying out the fit of the tail and helm cowling. The standard sump just fitted so no surgery required there.

The engine is mounted back to front and so drives off the front of the crankshaft via a double roller chain coupling. The engine mounting is solid so alignment is checked using feeler gauges on the couplings faces - got it within a thou. Also note the coupling on the engine side has had groves machined for a Gilmer belt to drive the mechanical fuel pump for the injection - will add shields front and back of these grooves to keep the belt in alignment plus keep the chain and belt

separated.

Building the exhaust headers. Also note the fuel tank just forward of the engine - its an oxygen cylinder from a B17 WW2 bomber

I've been looking for an original rudder for a while now with no success so making my own. its all machined up here and ready for the water pickup to be added to the trailing edge at which time I will trim the last bit of the bottom and finish the final welding. I machined the blade to a wedge shape to keep constant pressure on it at speed.

Deck panels cut out and staining and underway. I am going for that old school dark red mahogany look so after doing some test panels I do a first coat of red stain (rear panel has the first red on it) followed by 2 coats of mahogany and a couple of initial coats of vanish to protect the surface whilst I glue them down.

Originally I thought that I would have black as the main colour but have now decided to go with a powder blue and very happy with it

I gave the cowling a Bomber Girl - Miss Moonshine

Still needing a few coats of Vanish and the paint cut and polished but basically ready for final assembly.

I made the guards in fibreglass using the centre piece of a 1936 Ford spare wheel cover set into a widened motorbike guard and they are easily removable if needed for launching

After having problems with the vanish blooming I finally finished up painting the decks.

Was upset at first but now very pleased with the outcome 

The motor is back in, I've done some sign writing, and I'm taking it to a friends shed so the boys from my Hot Rod club can finally get to see her in the flesh during our annual "shed raid". Next will be the wiring and other final assembly jobs.