Next Major Steps For The Ardun 33 3 Window Coupe Project 

Time to paint one go all the way SHINY!

Leave it ”shitty”. We all have seen those shiny orange fiberglass street rods. This is a real thing.

I am stoked. Have been waiting a long time to see and hear what was happening with the Ardun and the '33. All of the pieces are there now, so just start putting it together. Full bore. Get the seat done. Get the rear end done. Put in the motor. Paint it. Zoom, Zoom down the road.

Thank you Moon...

Long term id paint it but for now get it running and driving

Yay!! Back to the Ardun! As for the finish, I'd paint it a shiny fire engine red. Make it a real eye catcher. When you're running an engine like that, it's no time to be introverted..

Moon ! You are the coolest dog in RU-vid land ! Love this coupe , killer engine, killer car .

Moon's like WTF aren't we going for a ride?

Dude!!! 🤯 Ron's engines are a treasure!!! And you have one!!! The 33!!! Is now the treasure box to display your treasure!!! Lucky SOB!!!lol!!!✌️

Looking forward to hearing from Ron!

You won't need a radio. Exhaust notes will be your sound. I'd like to see it shine with some flames down the side

It's come a long way

Matt, you've worked so hard to get where you are.Don't worry About your audience.This is your car, make it your way. Moon is definitely the best. We need an update on mike's car too❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

You asked "what it should be in the end". Let's be honest, is there ever an End. There is always something different to do to customs and hot rods. The important part is to enjoy the vehicle. Then change it and enjoy it more. Just remember to bring it to the West Coast so we, over here, can enjoy your work as well. Thanks for all you do to keep the hobby alive

I like the out of the barn, freshened up look and ready to run

Can’t wait to see the real engine in the car and for more progress

Motor sounds fantastic! More on this one, for sure, please.

Keep it the color it is with just the repairs you mentioned. The look it has is very cool as an old hot rod.😊😊

Great to hear your engine is complete!

Exactly what I was wondering lately. Why you weren't getting everything else done in anticipation of getting the engine back. To answer your question, "Shiny" make this one a show stopper. Beautiful lines, beautiful car, make it beautiful.

Paint that's on !!!!

What a great dog so cool.😂

Moon certified!! Haha. He's so cool. Vote for a built, shiney coupe 😎👊

Never been this excited about someone else's project before!!!

I love seeing Moon giving his approval on the video !

Moon is the man! I'm really looking forward to this project coming onto the radar.

Jim never put his ardun coupe on a dyno up here in Seattle, when I ran it figured about 300HP at the tires but I'm not used to cars that lite. Would be interesting to see chassis dyno result on yours and explain the build, also that's the best way to tune them.

Personally, I'd go the full paintjob, but in that same green. Besides, park her outside a couple of summers with minimal washes, and she'll fade with great dignity. But that's just me. Like Mike I'm a bit tall for a channel like that, Love the chop though. . But it's a bitchin' build regardless. Cant wait to see you get into gear with that car. That wee snippet had me drooling! Ive been waiting for a bike engine for like 18 months, then I got to pay da bill! Wish I was half as confident with my guy! You guys (plus your families) have broken the rat race. You sir, get the maximum benefit of expressing your passion. I believe that's pretty cool. Live the Larger Life, awww but I gotta go to work tomorrow...

Hi guys ! What a wonderful sound hearing the Ardun run. Can't wait til you get to do the first test drive.

Flathead Fords always sound so much bigger than they are. One of the best sounding V8s ever

Many people don't realise just how much work is involved in building up a car, let alone modifying a car, and/or designing, and then actually building that car up to the point of making it into a driving machine! A project car needs someone with vision AND ability, plus the wherewithal to manage the parts, the money, the time and bring the project to finalization. It isn't easy, but then again, if it were, everyone would do it and there would be a lot less abandoned projects! I have been working on my one project car since June 1984, it was on the road from 1997-2012, then off the road from 2012-now, but I am bringing it back onto the road again this week! It's not quite finished yet, but not too much more left! All because of life getting in the way, plus parts, money & time becoming available spasmodically!

your dog was giving you the oddest looks at the beginning of this video. around the time before you held the car door for him. Looked like he was checking on u almost. haha

Nothing sounds better than that blower surge! What a sweet power plant! I'm with you on getting it going, then you can go through the stages of perfectly shitty to as shiny as you want it! But run it for a while in rough shape so you can decide what changes you want to make before you cherry it out. It will be an eye-catcher and badass machine regardless of how pretty it is!!! For a roadster-show build, I think one of the luxury car colors of the 30-40s would be cool, wool carpet and seats, and the wings of the seat covered with some nicely textured leather. Bet you've got a blank slate to start with - have fun!!! The zoomies look awesome, but will hem you into track stuff, and require ear protection! 😂

I like shiny. It requires more care though. For me it's worth it. I can't walk away from my car without looking back for just one more look.

Shnoikies! Your head must have exploded watching that start-up! Sounds and looks incredible! Dude, you've got an Ardun! Love the way you basically "wear" a channeled coupe! Go Iron Trap, keep moving forward!

That's my favorite too Matt. I love Moon. He's a clone for my son's dog Hawk. Even they're personality is the same. Lee Anderson at The Old Iron Workshop has one too. 👊😎👍

With that drivetrain, I'd want the end result to be a finished car with nice shiny paint. But it's your car, so you should do it the way you want it.

Matt That’s an Awesome direction to go with . On the road again !

It looks pretty cool just the way it is.

I'm not an "Old Car" guy like Matt and Mike but I enjoy watching the vids. I am more interested in this vehicle than most of the others (yes they are cool too from the Big Red diesel hauler to the recent 4 passenger rides) and can't wait to see the engine and the trick rear end installed. If all goes well (and I believe it will) i vote for a shiny paint job upon completion.

i,m glad to see your back on this car.

Leave it shity. Like you said. Drive it . life's too short.

Thank you Matt and Mike for the update on the 33 3 window Ardun !

Make it nice for a change its worth it

The Ardun would be my pick of all the cars in the inventory. The non-cartoonish look is a major part of the attraction and the engine is the star of the build. Would make a very nice vintage ride to enjoy, show and racer. Impressive project. It's just plain neat. Do not just primer it. Shoot a color that looks good enough. You can improve it to perfect after you have the bugs tuned out.

Moon! The Hotrod Hound! Coolest Hotrod dog ever!

Engine sounds great, more info on it

the engine sure sounds good

That engine is wild! This will be a scary car to drive when it is wet. I once had a 430 HP 350 Chevy (a real ZZ430 no. 099) in a Vega with a Corvette 6 speed and a 9 inch Ford rear. In the rain it was very easy to do a 360 degree spin without trying too hard. This car will be exactly like that Vega. Driving it will be fun but if you get caught in rain you will need to pretend that there is a raw egg between your foot and the throttle pedal. You will be able to effortlessly make this car scoot very quickly. I like your idea of this car NOT being some cartoon car. My Vega looked stock. I kept the rear wheel wells stock. It looked like a resto-mod car. Your car with the engine stack up and the channeled frame still keeps the engine profile low. In my opinion the 70 street freak look is a no go. The vibe you are looking for is a cool old school Hot Rod. Make the sheet metal functional like you intend to but avoid or save all the detailed body work that you are applying to the SweetHeart car for some other time. Getting the car running and driving is the top priority. That wild rare flathead needs to be run. The seat is cool old school. The customization to the body is old school. Keep your theme and strive to make it drive. Sometimes you get bogged down in the details (the Free T), remember this car is different. It will be a bruiser that announces itself. My Vega had big tube headers and it was loud and made the ground shake. At the cruise night everybody stared. You could feel the power pulsating. This 3 window will do the exact same thing. It will be brash, loud, wild and you will feel it as it approaches! Keeping the finish slightly crude adds to the masculinity and brawler nature. Much like driving a junkyard dog! That is the vibe this flathead brings to the table. Man o man what an engine! I've watched the clip multiple times. That engine is Bad Ass! This will be a neat build to follow. Thanks!

That is a great looking car. Drive it and work the bugs out and get some seat time to enjoy it then paint it. For paint I like the dark green but I would want it dark green with gold metal flake. But it’s not mine and I just enjoy watching the builds so as long as Moon approves your can’t go wrong lol

To Me that is the perfect Hot Rod engin. Classic and super cool. 😎👌

So cool keep going on the 33.

Now THAT'S a motor!! Awesome.

Back in my day your left arm always was tanner then the right from having your arm on the window opening! 😁

Looks good as is ,build it like that ,just drive the sucker 🇦🇺🦘

I've been wondering for ages if you had a whole other set of Ardun heads for mockup, so I was glad to finally hear the answer about them being plastic. After the job is done they'll look good hanging on the wall. 🙂

You can make those seams look really cool. By putting short welds across them and make them look like stitches. Rat rod Bob does it. And it looks killer.👌

Wow That Ardun conversion engine is amazing!!!

Hood top. Yes, I think thats a great idea.

The car should have black satin paint. That’s what we would have done on the east coast back in the early 60s. The car would look so cool.

Such a sweet puppy! 😍

Shiney!

3 window looks great!! & yes ,, paint it!!!

I reckon it should be shinny & badass ! i absolutely love " Perfectly Shitty " but this was your dream car & should be a show case of all your talents & hard work . But I also strongly agree that getting it on the road & usable should be the priority. Body work & paint can wait untill it is dialed in . Thank you for listening to my T.E.D Talk .

You need to give it a nice paint job to show off all the work that you have put into the car and with the Arden motor it will be a killer 33 3 window

Sounds very good Matt Very good upgrade rear end Will look good with nice paint on it

First thing first, that engine sounds AWESOME!!!!! The 33 is really coming together, yeah it still needs a touch here and there but altogether, it's looking BITCHIN'! Awesome job (as always) Matt!

With that Aurburn, shinney and wild.

What an incredible sound!

Engine sounds amazing! Looking forward to seeing this one come together

Definitely make it shiny.

i can,t wait to see the finished car.

Like you said Matt, just get it on the road as is, and maybe later if you feel it, you can give her a shiny coat. Love this thing, it's awesome as is. '33/'34 is my fave era ... cannot wait to hear that Ardun donk growling. TJ

The engine is a beast! Moon maybe a PITA, but he's SO cute.

Runing and driving first, body and paint later.

Nice project.

Great job. Bad Chad got a hold of some heavy duty hinges from a guy so he could also get rid of the 3rd hinge, he might give you a line on who that guy was. Also what breed/mix? Is Mr. Moon. He is definitely your little man dog child!

I never realized, until I started watching your channel a couple years back, how compromised/recumbent the seating position becomes when you channel these cars. 😬 You gotta be hardcore to drive a hot rod like this. Sure looks cool from the outside. 😎

I like where you are going with this build. Maybe you can enlighten us on the Arden engine. Is it a Ford flathead with bolt on parts or a completely different engine? Was it put in a production car or just aftermarket? Maybe you can do a video on this engine.

I like the current chop and that it is turning into what in perod was the dream build with the rear, blower, Ardun heads etc. I'm about the same age as Matt, it is cool to drive what was our parent's maybe grandparent's magazine gazing dream build. I'd want to build what the car was to beat at the local drive in. So whatever seat is period to cruise in and beat a piss yellow deuce coupe. I think the National Corvette Museum has an Ardun on display but I don't believe I've ever heard one run in person. Agreed get it running and then figure out paint. IMO if you do paint it down the road, again go with period colors but I'd go with a color that reflects what someone with the budget to buy the go fast parts would have at the time. Looking forward to hearing about the Ardun and further progress.

The motor sounded really good 👍

With your choice of the premier Ardun conversion and rebuild (expensive?!), I would like to see it shine like the beautiful motor. Moon is part of the Iron Trap team so let him be Moon dog any time your filming.

I wonder if it is possible to mount the seat on some tracks that won't add too much height. It would allow adjustment for different drivers and the ability to move it back so it would be easier to get in and out. Moon is one cool dog.

I really like where you are going with this '33 build. I'm really old skool so I've dug the Lakester 3-window look like forever and am happy it's back in vogue. I know you aren't going for that look completely but as far as paint finish goes, I think color in simi-gloss would fit right. An example I like of that is the Opposing Cylinders Special 413 coupe. The color on it makes it so it doesn't look raggedy but it's simi-gloss so it doesn't really look too slick. Always dig all aspects of your show, love watching the projects coming together.

Man! that engine sounds great, going to be nice.

Engine, firewall, exhaust, rear axle, wooden bench seat, driver door, pounding out the rough edges. Leave the paint as is. Regular spit and shine.

Shiny

I like the finish like it is . I plan to paint my project with Hotrod Flatz red oxide for the primer look with the protection of paint. I don't want to feel anxious about the finish whenever I drive my truck which would kill the fun factor in my opinion.

I watch a lot (too much) of You Tube, mostly channels like Iron Trap, with a focus on old cars. I'm past the doing, but still enjoy the process. For me personally, if I have paid someone else to do something because they can do it better, or faster than me, there is no question I want the rest of the car as nice as possible, and that certainly includes shiny. Full disclosure, I am not a fan of the primer/patina look, and likely will never be, but that is me, and I understand it is an opinion. But mine is, if you're gonna build a car, build a nice car.

I say paint it. Satin clear and drive it!

Everyone's got an opinion, but a creamy flat (matte) Corinthian White would look KILLER on your '33 Ardun Coupe. 💥

Great video. Reduce the channel by two inches. Looks great.

Oh shit! Listen to that cam🥰🤤

Moon is the best! I like the seat frame but it might need to be reinforced on the back, I would hate to see it break when you’re driving enthusiastly, or worse in the case of an incident, I’ve seen seats break in light accidents and it causes injuries that were easily avoidable.

There are many black ones. Go for the same green.

Cool car! Good stuff!

Leave it alone, shows its history.

Shiny How about nice Forest green with large gold metal flake under a nice clear coat. Interior a nice tan Diamond pleat. Now that we're going over the top. How about those wire spoke wheel (re chromed first)

Shine!

Although I like the patina finish on most of your cars, this one should get some nice paint to go with that awesome engine.