More bumping and grinding
The sheet metal portion of this project is going to substantial. While the body is solid and rust free, it is going to take a huge amount of work to get everthing straight and properly fitted as it should be.
Today was another day of bumping fenders, but also of undoing work that was done by the previous restorer. Case in point: the rear fenders should each havea brace that mounts behind the wheel well between frame and outer fender. Instead, this car had 1/4' rod welded all along the lower edge of the fender to stiffen it. Why they didn't use the correct brace is a mystery to me, but I had to grind the welds holding this rod in place to remove it. That made a mess of the lower edge which can be fixed, but at the cost of more time. Ken estimates 2-3 days work on each fender, even after bumping.
Out of focus, but here's me grinding off the welds:
And bumping a rear fender:
We will use a spare RH rear fender I got from a parts car that is solid but rough, and doesn't have the steel rod welded onto the lower edge.
We also sprayed the headlights with the Sand Dune Cream color I am considering. It looks like a real contender for a final choice, a very distinctive color. I'm not very good at looking at a small piece of something and projecting it to the entire car, but the three of us who saw it all think it would be quite striking. Here's what one headlight looks like in that color. The 1st photo is Chris Clark, Ken's son, preparing the light housings for paint.
Black pinstriping, tires, running boards, etc. will be a great accent. Still need to compare it to the top material and upholstery.
I also got the steering box reassembled and installed, the left rear shock mounted (3 others should arrive this week after rebuilding) and the gas line clipped into place. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, but every little bit represents progress.
I hope we have the engine ready to go in next weekend. The 2nd set of rings turned out to be the wrong size as well, so had to order a 3rd set on Friday.
55 degrees today!
Today was another day of bumping fenders, but also of undoing work that was done by the previous restorer. Case in point: the rear fenders should each havea brace that mounts behind the wheel well between frame and outer fender. Instead, this car had 1/4' rod welded all along the lower edge of the fender to stiffen it. Why they didn't use the correct brace is a mystery to me, but I had to grind the welds holding this rod in place to remove it. That made a mess of the lower edge which can be fixed, but at the cost of more time. Ken estimates 2-3 days work on each fender, even after bumping.
Out of focus, but here's me grinding off the welds:
And bumping a rear fender:
We will use a spare RH rear fender I got from a parts car that is solid but rough, and doesn't have the steel rod welded onto the lower edge.
We also sprayed the headlights with the Sand Dune Cream color I am considering. It looks like a real contender for a final choice, a very distinctive color. I'm not very good at looking at a small piece of something and projecting it to the entire car, but the three of us who saw it all think it would be quite striking. Here's what one headlight looks like in that color. The 1st photo is Chris Clark, Ken's son, preparing the light housings for paint.
Black pinstriping, tires, running boards, etc. will be a great accent. Still need to compare it to the top material and upholstery.
I also got the steering box reassembled and installed, the left rear shock mounted (3 others should arrive this week after rebuilding) and the gas line clipped into place. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, but every little bit represents progress.
I hope we have the engine ready to go in next weekend. The 2nd set of rings turned out to be the wrong size as well, so had to order a 3rd set on Friday.
55 degrees today!
posted by Bob Shafto at 7:08 AM
1 Comments:
Bob, I've enjoyed sharing your project. The daunting scope of the job is really evident in your excellent pictures and narrative. What a great way to document the restoration. Bravo, Sam Selby (Hug to India)
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