Stewart's T

[rebstew]

I have been working on this home made RPU for 3 years now. Nothing fancy just a project I play with when I have time. Here a run down of what's been done so far.
Here what I started with.

I mounted the cowl and used tubing to brace it.

Then I started on the frame work for the body.

 

[rebstew]

I welded the perch on then ground the weld down smooth.

I don't normally grind my welds so I added some gussets.

 

[rebstew]

I got the front end mocked up to see what I had to work with.

Templates again were made and that old jack came in handy again.

 

[rebstew]

Still have to clean up the holes in this picture but you get the idea.

Cleaned the bones and hacked off that front spring hanger.

Some guys to lower the front end drill holes in the bones and run a hanger mount. I didn't have the cash to buy a set from Speedway so I just made these. I've seen it done like this before. I like the look.

 

[skull]

neat

looks like a fun truck,,,,,

do ya still have the 34 dodge?

Later

 

[rebstew]

The 4X8 sheet of 16 gauge was in my way so getting some of it on the body helped open up my entrance to the garage door again. I had to finish the tubing for the tub first and then start measuring for the skin.

Alot of measuring and triming to where you want everything. Then drag out a ton of clamps.

 

[rebstew]

I clamped the top tube and started hammering the top lip over. Two body hammers one in each hand. It's not a brutal thing but a tap from one hammer to the other using the curved head of the hammer to lay it down without crushing the tube. Clamp weld and move on to the next 3 inches and start over.

It's about 2 in the morning at this point. 2am + banging away at loose tin = trouble. I figured I would stop. I sat back and looked at the work so far while I drank a cold Dr Pepper and watch a little tv.

 

[rebstew]

 

[rebstew]

With the skin all cut, shaped and tacked on I grabbed the mock up trans so I could cut the firewall.

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[rebstew]

Just to see what it looked like I tossed on a head and intake.

 

[rebstew]

Added some gussets. Something to be different more than anything. Also a fellow club member said not to do it.

I welded on the bracket and stuck a gusset up to it. I ask him what he thought and he said it looked like crap. So I welded two of them on and rolled them over the top of it. He is worried about what to tell me now so he trys not to answer me when I ask him something. I do everything he says not to just to get his goat.

 

[rainman]

Looking good Rebstew, I like the gussetts!!
Keep up the good work!![cl[cl

 

[rebstew]

My youngest son.

This may send some rat rodders up the wall. I sanded all the rust off of it.

More templates were made out of paper for the lower part of the firewall.

 

[rebstew]

I did some more to the bones.
Here was a pic after I had drilled holes in them.

Some guys back in the day left them like this. I've seen a few bend without holes and I didn't want to take any chances so out came the pipe and 6 pieces were welded in and ground down.

Finished one over the undone one.
It still needs cleaned up some and more metal prep but you get the idea.

 

[rebstew]

The rust converter has dried and turned dark. Time for the epoxy primer over the pits.

My new windshield and frame. It doesn't fit but we will fix that. [

My new Ebay find that I may use in the T. Yeah it run backwards.

 

[rebstew]

As it happens some times I took one step forward and two steps back.
I cut the winshield post down? Well I was going to make a windshield frame and have some glass cut for it but then I got this one. No one knows what it fits but it's close to what I needed. I thought about it and I figured the best way to do it would be to keep this winshield frame and shape the car around it.
Too nice of a windshield to not use it.

As you can see it's too narrow, too tall and the arch on the bottom is off.

 

[rebstew]

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa165/scroungerscincy/029.jpg[/img]
I had to take the windshield and the top post in a use the kitchen table to mark the many bolt holes across the hinge.

The hardest part of this is for me to get the arch right on the bottom. That is one reason I wanted another dash from a 40's or 50's car. A friend came through with a 55 56 Merc dash. The dash work and windshield work is all being done at the same time. It all has to form together.
The dash was a little too big.

13" was hacked out of the middle.

 

[rebstew]

Measure, wrap the glass in the welding blacket and raise it up as hi as I could. Doesn't sound that bad but do it 30 times having to wrap and unwrap every time.
Getting the shape close.

You can see how wavy it is. Putting the first spot weld in a spot where it goes will hold it so you can work the metal as you tack it on.

 

[rebstew]

There is alot more metal shaping to do, The top will be rounded off so it's not so square and alot more welding and trimming.

 

[rebstew]

I was wondering how to smooth out the pits in the cowl. I loaded up the primer and started playing around and sanding and sanding and ..............................

Extra primer I had left over I was shooting on the frame. One thing to another and I got the frame pretty close to where I wanted it. Few more coats and I was ready for the black paint.
Firewall pits wasn't an issue either. I had most of them blocked out and I bought some glaze.

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