1937 Chevy Coupe
- Thread starter Dr Crankenstein
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Dr Crankenstein
Rocket Surgeon
Thanks once again for your comments, guys. 
We have both original mechanical struts, but they're both missing the assist springs as seen below... so yes, we're going with gas struts at the same attachment points and length as GM calculated 83 years ago. After some frustrating research, I found a Canadian manufacturer/supplier who builds struts to your specs. I spoke with the owner and he was very helpful. (He burned 45 minutes with me and I would recommend him to anyone.)
Nolan @ https://lstechnologies.ca/catalog/
The blue car has the original latch mechanism, it's just hard to see in that photo. (We also have the original mechanism and we're going to keep it.)
The stops are obviously a makeshift afterthought. Of course, the lid needs stops of some sort to keep it flush when latched, so we're going to follow GM's lead again. The original stops were attached to the lid, also illustrated below...
Those stops would "bottom" in the channel, approximately as I've drawn here. (We'll likely fabricate/fit/fudge/attach "something" to go in that area and leave the lid clean.) Though it's tough to see in this photo, the channel is double reinforced in the same area for the latch bar, which runs back and forth, across a plate welded to the backside of the channel.
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We have both original mechanical struts, but they're both missing the assist springs as seen below... so yes, we're going with gas struts at the same attachment points and length as GM calculated 83 years ago. After some frustrating research, I found a Canadian manufacturer/supplier who builds struts to your specs. I spoke with the owner and he was very helpful. (He burned 45 minutes with me and I would recommend him to anyone.)
Nolan @ https://lstechnologies.ca/catalog/
The blue car has the original latch mechanism, it's just hard to see in that photo. (We also have the original mechanism and we're going to keep it.)
The stops are obviously a makeshift afterthought. Of course, the lid needs stops of some sort to keep it flush when latched, so we're going to follow GM's lead again. The original stops were attached to the lid, also illustrated below...
Those stops would "bottom" in the channel, approximately as I've drawn here. (We'll likely fabricate/fit/fudge/attach "something" to go in that area and leave the lid clean.) Though it's tough to see in this photo, the channel is double reinforced in the same area for the latch bar, which runs back and forth, across a plate welded to the backside of the channel.
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Dr Crankenstein
Rocket Surgeon
We've been away from the project due to other commitments and one of those commitments was a "celebration of life" for my good friend Gerry. I can't say enough about Gerry, but I'm having trouble finding the words...
Back on the blood sucking coupe. We completed the weatherstrip channel yesterday, beginning with the (almost) finished piece below...
According to plan, we removed the tail panel and plug welded the piece from the inaccessible bottom/blind side.
Temporarily back on the car...
We then formed and fit the final piece, an inverted mirror image of the first. The panel came off for the LAST time and we plug welded the final piece to the first piece.
The completed assembly, fit, trimmed and tacked in place...
At long last, we are done fighting with this damn thing! All that's left, is to weld the joints and grind them smooth. I usually hate grinding, but in this case, I'm looking forward to it...
.
Back on the blood sucking coupe. We completed the weatherstrip channel yesterday, beginning with the (almost) finished piece below...
According to plan, we removed the tail panel and plug welded the piece from the inaccessible bottom/blind side.
Temporarily back on the car...
We then formed and fit the final piece, an inverted mirror image of the first. The panel came off for the LAST time and we plug welded the final piece to the first piece.
The completed assembly, fit, trimmed and tacked in place...
At long last, we are done fighting with this damn thing! All that's left, is to weld the joints and grind them smooth. I usually hate grinding, but in this case, I'm looking forward to it...
.
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you`ve come a long way already [cl
DozerII
Well-known member
Glad to see you won that war Doc, it came out great. [cl[cl[P[P
forbigpicture
Please stand by.......
Looks great Doc !!! [cl[cl[cl
[P[P
[P[P
Skip
Well-known member
Old Iron
Well-known member
You and B-tard should have a celebratory shot and a 12 pack. If I were there I'd furnish all the libations.
zzrodder
It ain't grey hair, it's chrome!
Nicely done, a real milestone passed ! How will you bridge the gap between the trunk floor and the new tailpan?
Dr Crankenstein
Rocket Surgeon
Thanks for your comments, guys, I appreciate them all!
B-tard can fend for himself. Seriously, we live nearly an hour apart and I quit driving under the influence many years ago... but I did drink a pail full when I got home. [ddd
We have a factory style "floor extension". The skinny little flange is drilled and plug welded to the backside of the tail pan's skinny flange... evenly spaced, unlike my crayon marks below!
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B-tard can fend for himself.
Seriously, we live nearly an hour apart and I quit driving under the influence many years ago... but I did drink a pail full when I got home. [ddd We have a factory style "floor extension". The skinny little flange is drilled and plug welded to the backside of the tail pan's skinny flange... evenly spaced, unlike my crayon marks below!
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bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
Oh boy, that's a lot of head scratching and work for such a small bit of geography. Sure looks good though. Good you're not paying some high zoot hot rod shop. Sorry about you friend Gerry.
I've got too many old friends who have departed and come to mind when I'm working away in the garage.
I've got too many old friends who have departed and come to mind when I'm working away in the garage.
Torchie
Well-known member
My condolences Dr.
I suspect that your loss for words about your friend is the ultimate tribute.
Work looks great as usual too.
Peace and strength to you and Gerry’s family
Torchie
I suspect that your loss for words about your friend is the ultimate tribute.
Work looks great as usual too.
Peace and strength to you and Gerry’s family
Torchie
The multitude of hours show. Sorry for your loss Doc.
Dr Crankenstein
Rocket Surgeon
Thank You for your sentiments, guys. Gerry was a very good friend to me and he leaves a BIG HOLE in the hearts and lives of many, many friends and family.
Back on the coupe.
All welded up, ground and sanded smooth... aside from a few craters and the sunken valley we created...
We never had a proper trunk handle for this car. When it came to us, it had a StanleyTM garage door handle crudely attached. [S
B-tard bought new door handles long ago, but trunk handles are reproduced in small numbers and apparently, not very bloody often! So, we decided to repurpose one of the old door handles. We had to modify it (considerably) to fit and operate the trunk latch properly, which it does, with some help from our loyal sponsor, the letter F. [ddd (I didn't take any pictures of the modified handle, but I will next weekend, if I remember to...)
With the trunk closed and latched, we are VERY pleased with the fit and nearly perfect gap, but I still have reason to whine and complain... though the shop is very well lit, the same wonderful lights make it difficult to eliminate glare and freaky shadows. This really frosts my onions at times, because it gives the illusion of irregularities where they don't necessarily exist, even when your face is two feet from the work. We're constantly tilting our heads and shifting positions because the damn thing is just too reflective and refractive under these lights... anyhow, you'll have take my word for it. The lid fits flush and the skin is quite smooth, despite the image below.
I'm now itching to smear some filler and shoot some primer, but we have some more metal work to do (elsewhere) before that'll happen.
.
Back on the coupe.
All welded up, ground and sanded smooth... aside from a few craters and the sunken valley we created...
We never had a proper trunk handle for this car. When it came to us, it had a StanleyTM garage door handle crudely attached. [S
B-tard bought new door handles long ago, but trunk handles are reproduced in small numbers and apparently, not very bloody often! So, we decided to repurpose one of the old door handles. We had to modify it (considerably) to fit and operate the trunk latch properly, which it does, with some help from our loyal sponsor, the letter F. [ddd (I didn't take any pictures of the modified handle, but I will next weekend, if I remember to...)
With the trunk closed and latched, we are VERY pleased with the fit and nearly perfect gap, but I still have reason to whine and complain... though the shop is very well lit, the same wonderful lights make it difficult to eliminate glare and freaky shadows. This really frosts my onions at times, because it gives the illusion of irregularities where they don't necessarily exist, even when your face is two feet from the work. We're constantly tilting our heads and shifting positions because the damn thing is just too reflective and refractive under these lights... anyhow, you'll have take my word for it. The lid fits flush and the skin is quite smooth, despite the image below.
I'm now itching to smear some filler and shoot some primer, but we have some more metal work to do (elsewhere) before that'll happen.
.
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Torchie
Well-known member
Great job.[cl [cl
[P [P [P
Torchie
[P [P [P
Torchie
bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
Nice butt.
DozerII
Well-known member
Job well done Doc. [cl[cl[P[P
Old Iron
Well-known member
"This really frosts my onions at times, because it gives the illusion of irregularities where they don't necessarily exist, even when your face is two feet from the work."
Know the feelin.
Drives me bat crap crazy when a wheel doesn't look centered in a wheel well, in a pic, and I know it is
Know the feelin.
Drives me bat crap crazy when a wheel doesn't look centered in a wheel well, in a pic, and I know it is
Dr Crankenstein
Rocket Surgeon
Illusions and delusions... it's a love/hate relationship.
A little progress...
We buggered with our "door handle to trunk handle conversion" for a while, but stopped short because we need a better tap and die set to finish. This quality steel does not cut with a die made of MMM (Mongolian Mystery Metal) so next weekend, I'll take my good (inherited) set with me and get it done.
Literally moving forward, it gives me great pleasure to turn a corner and see this thing from a different perspective, despite this fuzzy photo.
We have a rotten cowl corner and we need to repair the rocker on this side. I figger the cowl vent drain ran into this area, because it was packed with fine silt. The driver side is clean and rock solid, so that's my theory, not that it matters...
We had cut the infected rocker section out long ago, when we were working on the floors... knowing we'd have the body on a stand sooner or later, we left the job until now...
Next, we had to replace a section of the inner rocker and a section of the inner cowl. The two replacement pieces are spliced together and welded to a body mount, which is just peeking out below. This part of the job is nearly done, a little welding left to do and we'll get busy fabricating the outer panels.
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