My current goal is to fill in the holes that I see when looking at the pictures at home.
This is an older shot, about a week or so ago,
but there was one sliver that has been tugging at me.
Last night I went to sleep thinking of how to do it,
and today after finishing a small work project,
I was wound up like a toy tin car ready to go.
First was finding some scrap large enough to fill 42" x 5".
I would have been happy with 2 pieces 21 inches long.
No luck.
The 4x4 piece thats been getting kicked around the shop finally found its first use.
Fortunately my brother invested in a nice stomp shear!
A line was marked following the decklid,
I was betting that the decklid was symmetrical left and right.
Using the same hammer tools I showed you all a couple days ago,
a small lip was hammered out.
It was close enough to work.
The last inch or so of the body was really rusty,
and relatively flat,
so this patch panel would extend up higher than the little corner pieces.
It was easiest to tack the patch panel to the decklid,
securing a decent gap,
than fitting the patch panel to the body.
This is the easy part as the little mig tacks don't warp too much.
It is tough to MIG it all though as its relatively thin,
and my mig machine is a Miller Vintage,
basically a 250, definitely not made for sheetmetal.
Plus I like tigging anyway,
so in little runs it was half buttoned up.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
let's take a little musical intermission...
(sounds best loud)
dead weather - cut like a buffalo - good chit
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Oh yeah,
this is a tool I figured out when this project began.
Someday I'll get a shrinker/stretcher machine,
but this little thing does the job for now.
Since that hammered lip makes the patch panel stiff but flat,
or actually inverted the wrong way a little,
the perfect lip needs to be mashed up a little to allow it to curve down.
Later on I'll hammer it and maybe make a relief cut,
or just weld a drip lip, we'll see.
The hinges are attached to a temporary tubular support,
used when the body had no strength,
actually when the rear part was nonexistent.
Unfortunately the tube is right near the new weld seam,
and its tough to hammer, especially with the decklid in the way.
Next time I get a chance that will all be removed,
and a new hinge support/body stiffener/inner wheelwell frame
can be figured out.
While its far from done,
not having to imagine that piece gives me some much needed brain space!
Now this is what I was hoping a chopped 40 ford coupe looked like.
Ouch,
1 step forward, 2 steps back.
If anyone wants to send me a decent digital camera,
I'll be happy to use it!
For now, the blurry cellphone shots...
TP
Leavin ya with some more...
Dead Weather - "will there be enough water"
Thank God for bands that sound better live than studio!
 |
| holey chit |
This is an older shot, about a week or so ago,
but there was one sliver that has been tugging at me.
Last night I went to sleep thinking of how to do it,
and today after finishing a small work project,
I was wound up like a toy tin car ready to go.
 |
| marking lines please be symmetrical |
First was finding some scrap large enough to fill 42" x 5".
I would have been happy with 2 pieces 21 inches long.
No luck.
The 4x4 piece thats been getting kicked around the shop finally found its first use.
Fortunately my brother invested in a nice stomp shear!
A line was marked following the decklid,
I was betting that the decklid was symmetrical left and right.
 |
| trusty patch panel tools |
Using the same hammer tools I showed you all a couple days ago,
a small lip was hammered out.
 |
| wow looks good at 640x480! |
It was close enough to work.
The last inch or so of the body was really rusty,
and relatively flat,
so this patch panel would extend up higher than the little corner pieces.
 |
| tacked in |
It was easiest to tack the patch panel to the decklid,
securing a decent gap,
than fitting the patch panel to the body.
This is the easy part as the little mig tacks don't warp too much.
 |
| half-welded |
It is tough to MIG it all though as its relatively thin,
and my mig machine is a Miller Vintage,
basically a 250, definitely not made for sheetmetal.
Plus I like tigging anyway,
so in little runs it was half buttoned up.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
let's take a little musical intermission...
(sounds best loud)
dead weather - cut like a buffalo - good chit
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Oh yeah,
this is a tool I figured out when this project began.
 |
| hand shrinker (tm) |
Someday I'll get a shrinker/stretcher machine,
but this little thing does the job for now.
 |
| hand shrinker (tm) in action |
Since that hammered lip makes the patch panel stiff but flat,
or actually inverted the wrong way a little,
the perfect lip needs to be mashed up a little to allow it to curve down.
Later on I'll hammer it and maybe make a relief cut,
or just weld a drip lip, we'll see.
 |
| temporary support |
The hinges are attached to a temporary tubular support,
used when the body had no strength,
actually when the rear part was nonexistent.
Unfortunately the tube is right near the new weld seam,
and its tough to hammer, especially with the decklid in the way.
Next time I get a chance that will all be removed,
and a new hinge support/body stiffener/inner wheelwell frame
can be figured out.
 |
| spiders eye view |
While its far from done,
not having to imagine that piece gives me some much needed brain space!
Now this is what I was hoping a chopped 40 ford coupe looked like.
 |
| un-holey chit |
Ouch,
1 step forward, 2 steps back.
If anyone wants to send me a decent digital camera,
I'll be happy to use it!
For now, the blurry cellphone shots...
TP
Leavin ya with some more...
Dead Weather - "will there be enough water"
Thank God for bands that sound better live than studio!
cool tunes Travis - I love Dead Weather and the Kills, Alison Mosshart's other band...
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to some live recordings,
ReplyDeleteand they put on a great show.
I think it sounds better than their studio stuff.
Email me I'll send you a CD or flashdrive!
TP