1949 Bentley Boattail Speedster

[PA41]

On some of those speedsters, wasn't the metal between the fender and body, actually the gas tank? I'm thinking a early 60's truck hood - chevy, ford, or dodge, might give you a nice curve. Or the trunk lid off a late 60's, early 70's car - like a 70 Chevelle or Nova. Mostly flat on top, but has a curve down on the back edge.

As for behind the door transition, I got nothin'! Looks tough. You might want to really concentrate on that spot before you get too far on the tail. You may find you have to 're-arrange' some metal for that part to look right. Only thing I can see by the pics is possibly bending the back tops of the doors in a little to match the curves better? Maybe some kind of bulky trim line break there - like an exposed folded down top or something else functional?

Oh, we only went down to the Current River area - camping and the like. Just not enough days to get any farther.

Yeah, Had I realized the door problem, I'da pinched in the rear door posts in a little--Kinda too late, and will try and make the best of it.. Maybe in a future rebuild if it bothers me enough.. The fold down top is a good idea--hide the flaws--sign of a good fabricator..

The current river is a fun little stream--Rock N Rolls in wet weather. In the early 70s I took a group of 6 canoes from Akers ferry all the way to the White river in Arkansas in high water in 6 days--ran about 50 miles a day.. When I got back to Akers ferry someone had stolden my Truck!! Da good ole dayz..

PA41

 

[PA41]

OK, I found some lets see if I can post'em.
Look at all the curves and the expance of flat panels to work with on those.
If I needed filler with curves I would look hard at these, or other hoods and deck lids also although you might pizz off some truck guys

Thanks for scrounging the pics for me C12--Man--talk about some curves N bends!! I see what ya mean--Enough of those--you could build a whole car!! I bet that iron is not tempered too--be easy to work--I've been messing with some tempered body metal lately--too wild to weld!!.

PA41

 

[PA41]

Thanks for the links Flipper--Couple hours viewing--beats junk TV by a long shot.

Aklap--I can't imagine a truck fullO speedsters--I would have been beside myself.. Woulda tried to crawl in the truck with them--End up doing time for car molestation!! Speedster abuse--would have to regester myself if I moved within 3 blocks of a cardealer..

PA41

 

[Sam_Fear]

The 60's truck hoods are what I was thinking - they all were pretty flat on top with a rounded over front and sides.

Hood off a early 60's t-bird might be good too...

 

[DJ3100]

I see guys that use hoods or other parts for something they weren't intended, sometimes with great results- but it rarely works for me. I cut up a brand new Mustang hood to use for a roof - spend 20 hours, reduced the hood to several small bits, used up several cut off wheels; then decided I didn't like how it looked. I prefer the straight forward approach -design it the way you want it and build it.

Use the 18 ga and have at it. Can't wait to see the results of this weekend!

 

[sammy]

I tend to use the 60s truck hoods. both ford AND chev, upside down for roll pans...Looking forward to seeing how it comes out...Sammy

 

[DJ3100]

I tend to use the 60s truck hoods. both ford AND chev, upside down for roll pans...Looking forward to seeing how it comes out...Sammy

That's the application I think works really well. I have seen some roll pans that were 59-60 Chevy pickup hoods - looked great.

 

[PA41]

-design it the way you want it and build it.

Use the 18 ga and have at it. Can't wait to see the results of this weekend!

The wife and youngest boy and family took off for Lebanon Tenn this morning to some mini truck show he does(Tha Boy ain't right)... I got 3 days on my own--totally UNSUPERVISED!!! I hope I'm growed up enough to handle it. I'm tempted to just get a couple cases of beer and 4-5 bags of pork rines and sit out on the deck in my underware and shoot guns all weekend.



Bend a little metal when I run outta ammo ...?

Good points fellas--thanks..

PA41

 

[DJ3100]

The wife and youngest boy and family took off for Lebanon Tenn this morning to some mini truck show he does(Tha Boy ain't right)... I got 3 days on my own--totally UNSUPERVISED!!! I hope I'm growed up enough to handle it. I'm tempted to just get a couple cases of beer and 4-5 bags of pork rines and sit out on the deck in my underware and shoot guns all weekend.



Bend a little metal when I run outta ammo ...?

Good points fellas--thanks..

PA41

No good - we're expecting results by Monday.
How about changing it slightly. Buy the case of beer and the pork rinds, go out to your shop in your underwear and cut and bend some 18 ga. Eat some pork rinds. Save the bullets to put holes in the parts you don't like - you can show everyone the cool targets you made. Drink the beer when you're finished with the boattail (so what if its a year old). One suggestion - don't weld in just your underwear - burn holes in your undershorts are pretty hard to explain.

 

[bill-der]

Awesome Boattail

Nice work PA41!

I think this was James Hetfields '36 Auburn Roadster that was built by a guy around the corner from me... I took this a few months ago at the Good Guys Car Show in Pleasanton, CA... Thought it might help inspire you this weekend.

 

[rainman]

Thats beautiful, should be some great inspiration!! Did you get any more pics?

 

[PA41]

Nice work PA41!

I think this was James Hetfields '36 Auburn Roadster that was built by a guy around the corner from me... I took this a few months ago at the Good Guys Car Show in Pleasanton, CA... Thought it might help inspire you this weekend.

Thanks BD--that shot is killer! I think Shea was talkin about that one earlier--not just your standard speedster..

PA41

 

[PA41]

No good - we're expecting results by Monday.
How about changing it slightly. Buy the case of beer and the pork rinds, go out to your shop in your underwear and cut and bend some 18 ga. Eat some pork rinds. Save the bullets to put holes in the parts you don't like - you can show everyone the cool targets you made. Drink the beer when you're finished with the boattail (so what if its a year old). One suggestion - don't weld in just your underwear - burn holes in your undershorts are pretty hard to explain.

Multi Taskin!!! N Undershort weldin... If those skinny tatted up girls in the mags holding a cutting torch wearing a G-string can do it--then so can I!!

Man you can get alot done if ya ain't got all those interruptions!! (Mowin the yard--changing oil in the Toyota--(Honeydoos).

I cut and rough shaped both the rear inner fenders Sat N Sunday, and even watched the 500!! There are some lumps and grooves I need to roll out --I have tomorrow off, so will get them wheeled some more and maybe welded in tomorrow..Screwing them on is a good idea--easy to fit and see how they look, and remove and E-wheel some more. They are all screwed on now.

When do you decide its time to stop E-wheeling and start bondoing??

I built each inner fender in 3 pieces--the botom part was almost to big to use the roller on, also the freebee tool wouldn't hardly bend it--18ga is too much for it in large pieces. The lower section is not a compound curve--just a simple bend on a 45--I just repeated the bend from the factory side.. The 'peak' doesn't split the fender in the middle--kinda runs up the side a little, but it works. I used the peak as the edge of the panels and the flange as a attachment point.. I hammered the compound curve pieces after initially rolling them, then E-wheeled out the hammermarks, and they worked pretty good--time consuming-and ya gotta develope an 'eye' for it, that I may not quite have yet. Lots of lumps and grooves to massage out. I might lightly spray paint them and sand them a little to see the high/low spots. Quite alot more fitting and welding to do on them tomorrow.

Different work for me--pleasant--but my hands are kinda arthritic--been broken alot, and they hurt at night from all the hammering and wheeling--that's what Aleve's for--

PA41

 

[Unkl Ian]

Now you are making progress. [cl [cl [cl

 

[earthman]

I'm startin' to believe that you can really do this PA

 

[Sam_Fear]

By the number of spelling errors in that last post, I'm thinking you got into the beer.

Fenders look great! Really gotta be proud of yourself. I say bondo goes on right before you buy a trailer to tow it around on.

 

[PA41]

By the number of spelling errors in that last post, I'm thinking you got into the beer.

Fenders look great! Really gotta be proud of yourself. I say bondo goes on right before you buy a trailer to tow it around on.

Funny what beer does--Makes ya sing and dance GREAT, but trashes your spellin!!?? I've edited that post 5-6 times, and even my edits were wrong, so I just gave up and went back to singing.. Rollin Stones--& some Dire Straits--I'm gooood, missed my callin

Thanks Sam--I was pretty proud of the fenders at first, then I started seeing the lumps and grooves in the hammered pieces, and am kinda gettin over myself... Man--they built whole cars this way!! Thats when men were men!!

Pachew -- Guess what that sound was!!!

Pop a top again..

Pachewwww--(shook that one up)..

PA41

 

[DJ3100]

Lookin good! I think you bondo when your patience runs out. They say 90% of the time is spent on the last 10% of the metal shaping. So get it 90% and start spreading filler. Just remember, you can't fill high spots, you have to beat them down.

 

[hotrod preacher]

man, PA that's beginning to take on the shape of a show car---er, i mean a good lookin rat, that is

i was hopin to get back down there before now, but my 46 has scared me a bit, so i'm gonna see what the awful noise is that makes me think the front wheels are about to fall off before i drive it any more

keep up the good work--and be careful with drinkin -n- weldin you AND the panel your working on will wind up warped[

 

[PA41]

man, PA that's beginning to take on the shape of a show car---er, i mean a good lookin rat, that is

i was hopin to get back down there before now, but my 46 has scared me a bit, so i'm gonna see what the awful noise is that makes me think the front wheels are about to fall off before i drive it any more

keep up the good work--and be careful with drinkin -n- weldin you AND the panel your working on will wind up warped[

Thanks Preacher--it's been an interesting build, Different for me- I feel like a new guy in the car world. Wheels commin off is a bad thing--Had a rear wheel come off my truck once going down Ramsey Mountian, I didn't know it happened till the wheel passed me!! I quit drinkin years ago--I can't hardly function sober--I'd hate to see how a build would come out if I was drinking--Roofed a house once with a buncha drunks--had to take it off and start over --it was kinda fun though..

I'd like to get the Speedster up to Cave City for the watermellon feed, but thats pretty soon. July? I'd like to do the park cruze, if I can get the body pieces on--probaly not enough time.. I like cruzin through the park and talking to the folks, and seeing the kids reactions--fun stuff.. You gonna show up this year and bring the 46 (all 4 wheels please)?? I guess I could run the snakes outta Rusty and drive him.. Maybe see ya up there..

PA41