wack-a-mole

The hardest part of chopping a top isn't the metalwork,
it's figuring out all the glass.
Each piece is custom,
and I'm realizing its a slow process.

wack-a-mole aka Jakob

With the help of mole man Jakob,
cardboard templates were cut for each hole...

stool time

...then transferred to some cheap MDF.

window templates

I found a great online supplier of different window seals.
Hopefully this link will work but if not search Rock Auto Parts.
This was the biggest concern with the window installation,
as the original 1940 ford window is pre-molded to the shape.
In addition the front window is modified with the center strip.
One night I found the rubber moulding on ebay,
then cross referenced the Fairchild manufacturer
and they had the cheapest deal.
Hey it's worth the $20 savings!

perfect chopped window rubber moulding

There are a ton of different sizes,
and this had the smallest dimensions.

chopped 1940 ford coupe

Well I'm finding out this is a hassle.
It's not a quick evening project that's for sure.
My templates were way to big.
I think there needs to be mores slop to fit the rubber seal.

chopped 1939/1940 ford rear windows

No problem really,
as I also found out the insides of the window frames need a ton of work.
I'll probably use the scrap plexiglass I've got for the rear windows,
like I did for the green 40,
and pretend to change it out later on.

Later!

TP

planets and comets

An event happened last week.
An occurrence most similar to a comet,
crossing paths with planets gravitating around an invisible sun.

LC & TP

In this case,

one of my oldest friends from way back in 3rd grade came into town.

A lucky guy that is in the beginning stretch of a trip around the world.

Something not even in my realm of imagination,

especially with the gravitational pull of a wife and kids!

gogol & pixies

Now based out of New Zealand,
it had been a couple years since his last visit.
Fortunately for him there are many old friends in the area,
as it was virtually impossible to pry me out of my comfort zone.
After all these years,
it was good to hear about recent festivities that rival our high school days.

are we there yet?

As  I get older,

living vicariously through friends and family is more real.

Instead of sleeping through a slide show dinner party,

or slogging through an intricate scrapbook,

we now can get daily or weekly online updates at our own convenience.
Hey that's what you guys get on here!
One of his concurrent missions is to document his travels.
It will be just like being there,
only without all the spilled beer and epic tales of woe.

sojourniac.com — Perspective from abroad—one sojourn at a time

A good read - he's got a knack for writing.

huh?

Before the sendoff to his next stop in Iceland,
he got a chance to pop his eardrums with a little hot rod cruise.
Nothing like open pipes and raspy exhaust to clear out the head.

Travis Perich, John Anderson, Lindsay Maw

To top it off,
another friend showed up to wave goodbye.
It's hard to believe that the three of us were in the same 3rd grade class.
From the looks of our uniforms we've all grown up huh!?

Anyway good times...

TP