bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
Very, extremely, super nice work.
'36 Chevy Sedan "The PackRat Rod"
- Thread starter RimSpoke
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RimSpoke
Well-known member
Thanks! You're killing me
I've posted some of the others on the Cars of RRR thread.
And there are videos of some of the others for your viewing pleasure if you're interested
Mostly
You're too kind. I've got a long way to go.
tattoodfreak
Well-known member
You do incredible work and have fun while doing it-love the videos. The top chopping was very entertaining glad you can laugh at yourself too-things like that happen to all of us-especially me. Keep up the great work
Flipper_1938
He recycles the right way
The videos were cool. I liked the gokart repair too.
Maybe you can show some Colorado Melons in the next video
Maybe you can show some Colorado Melons in the next video
RimSpoke
Well-known member
Maybe you can show some Colorado Melons in the next video
I did.
' last name's Melon. We live in Colorado.
Flipper_1938
He recycles the right way
I did.
' last name's Melon. We live in Colorado.
Darn. I was hoping for nice looking ****s
RimSpoke
Well-known member
Having finished raising the windshield opening to adjust the proportions from the chop, I was about to move around to the back and go after the last of the major cutting and welding: namely re-doing the rear wheelwell openings. To refresh, the originals fenders swept back in a classic fashion that was very fitting for the time and style of the vehicle but not at all suited to the look of a fenderless hot rod IMHO.
But on my way around to the back, I got caught-up in the ugliness of the floor’s inner sills. The dark part under the fresh(er) metal is not the car’s frame. It is the original piece, lowered when I added metal between the top and bottom during the channel. They looked better before (at least to my eyes), but at some point during the build I had to slice ‘em and put them back together. Later, I cut each one vertically in a couple of spots because of troubles already mentioned with lengthing the doors and moving the posts. All of this work and re-work left me with something that I thought would be better off being replaced… so I did.
I cut the old ones out and threw them in the bucket where they belonged. Then I measured, cut, and bent some new ones out of fresh sheet. It’s nothing that anybody here couldn’t do with basic hand tools and the edge of a bench as their brake.
Same thing - Passenger side:
And one from the top:
But on my way around to the back, I got caught-up in the ugliness of the floor’s inner sills. The dark part under the fresh(er) metal is not the car’s frame. It is the original piece, lowered when I added metal between the top and bottom during the channel. They looked better before (at least to my eyes), but at some point during the build I had to slice ‘em and put them back together. Later, I cut each one vertically in a couple of spots because of troubles already mentioned with lengthing the doors and moving the posts. All of this work and re-work left me with something that I thought would be better off being replaced… so I did.
I cut the old ones out and threw them in the bucket where they belonged. Then I measured, cut, and bent some new ones out of fresh sheet. It’s nothing that anybody here couldn’t do with basic hand tools and the edge of a bench as their brake.
Same thing - Passenger side:
And one from the top:
RimSpoke
Well-known member
And with that out of the way I can comfortably move to the rear of the vehicle to re-do the other area with which I am unhappy.
Wheelwells on old cars and truck were rarely – if ever – circular and whenever I see one that is, I usually suspect somebody who is stuck in the 70′s had their hand in there. The last thing I want on this is something that looks as if it were molded in. So looking from the side, the contours are just fine for me: rounded, but not so round as to look like it was form-fit around the tire.
But from the back, Oh My God – Becky will you look at that butt?!
Actually the problem is that it narrows too quickly. Using the original flare that served as a mount for the fender proved to be a mistake. Where the trunk abruptly cuts-in, so does the fender-mounting flare. I want it to flow back in a taper that is much more pleasing to the eye. Subsequently, the flare needs to be wider alongside the trunk and I’m going to need some sort of line to shoot to to keep both sides the same.
Enter the 7/16″ cold rolled round stock. It’s a little smaller than the stock bead around the opening and by bending it to shape I can use it to run both my new inner wheelwell and the outer flare.
Mirroring the front curvature to the rear worked for the profile the first time, so there’s no reason not to repeat that performance again. The only problem is that I tossed my plywood pattern when I “finished” this the first time (The pattern is visable about half-way down in this post on my site). Never, Never, Throw anything away!
No bother. I’ll just bend it around the stock front opening and swap each one to the other side’s rear. I made two, symetrical pieces this way.
Then I removed a small section of the offending bead and slid the round stock inside.
Here's a look at the line from front to back.
I'm alternating back and forth, doing each step to both sides in an attempt to keep it all symmetrical and this is where I left off for the night. It's much more what I was looking for. I'm glad I cut back into it.
Wheelwells on old cars and truck were rarely – if ever – circular and whenever I see one that is, I usually suspect somebody who is stuck in the 70′s had their hand in there. The last thing I want on this is something that looks as if it were molded in. So looking from the side, the contours are just fine for me: rounded, but not so round as to look like it was form-fit around the tire.
But from the back, Oh My God – Becky will you look at that butt?!
Actually the problem is that it narrows too quickly. Using the original flare that served as a mount for the fender proved to be a mistake. Where the trunk abruptly cuts-in, so does the fender-mounting flare. I want it to flow back in a taper that is much more pleasing to the eye. Subsequently, the flare needs to be wider alongside the trunk and I’m going to need some sort of line to shoot to to keep both sides the same.
Enter the 7/16″ cold rolled round stock. It’s a little smaller than the stock bead around the opening and by bending it to shape I can use it to run both my new inner wheelwell and the outer flare.
Mirroring the front curvature to the rear worked for the profile the first time, so there’s no reason not to repeat that performance again. The only problem is that I tossed my plywood pattern when I “finished” this the first time (The pattern is visable about half-way down in this post on my site). Never, Never, Throw anything away!
No bother. I’ll just bend it around the stock front opening and swap each one to the other side’s rear. I made two, symetrical pieces this way.
Then I removed a small section of the offending bead and slid the round stock inside.
Here's a look at the line from front to back.
I'm alternating back and forth, doing each step to both sides in an attempt to keep it all symmetrical and this is where I left off for the night. It's much more what I was looking for. I'm glad I cut back into it.
Snake Farm
Ol school snake charmer!
. It's much more what I was looking for. I'm glad I cut back into it.
[S All that work for something no one will even notice you did.
That's what makes it so cool! It's the little things.
Very nice work, I'm lovin' this build. [cl[P[P[P
RimSpoke
Well-known member
The temperature may have dropped a little (single digits) but progress is still being made:
Shea Laking
Well-known member
BEAUTIFUL!!
RimSpoke
Well-known member
With the major body modifications out of the way, I started to make one sweep from front to rear - hitting all the little things that weren’t a priority at the time – before moving onto the more traditional bodywork. There were a couple of small mounting holes left in the firewall that have now been welded shut. There was also some rust damage that needed repair where the front fenders used to bolt to the body. I had considered filling the area below the curve with some sheet and simply welding the holes shut, but I took the extra time to repair the curve and fix the holes. This way I can replace the bolts to keep with the effect of having just torn the fenders off the car.
Working my way back, I wanted to deal with Chevrolet’s lack of provisions for windshield defrosting in 1936. I marked the location for holes in the dash directly in front of both the driver and passenger & far enough forward that they’ll be under the windshield trim. A few well-placed dremel slots in the trim will direct warm air flow to the glass.
Later I’ll adapt a 12V heater box under the dash to deflect heat either up or down and fab up some ducts to mount underneath the new slots.
Staying with the "front-to-rear" discipline led me to tightening up the kick panel supports and welding the original door hinge mounting pockets & bolt holes shut in the ‘A’ pillars. Then I blocked-off the original latch pocket and a bunch of other holes in the passenger side ‘B’ pillar. You can still see the gap between the outer body skin and the ‘B’ pillar in this picture.
The gap exists because that skin was previously the rear door and there would’ve been a weather seal between them when the door was closed. It was a simple matter of cutting some curved strips and welding them in place… but between bending the blank pieces, patching the old holes, and filling in the gap between body and pillar I was on this one piece for the better part of the day.
At the end of the day I hung the door in place to check the alignment & rear gap. It swings easily through its full range of motion and even though there are no latches yet, it closes nicely. Although many people will still have the habit just because “it’s an old car”, slamming the door will not be necessary. A slight push and the simple click of a properly adjusted latch should do.
With this much done I can jump back around to the driver’s side and repeat the same on the ‘B’ pillar for that side before continuing with the rest.
Working my way back, I wanted to deal with Chevrolet’s lack of provisions for windshield defrosting in 1936. I marked the location for holes in the dash directly in front of both the driver and passenger & far enough forward that they’ll be under the windshield trim. A few well-placed dremel slots in the trim will direct warm air flow to the glass.
Later I’ll adapt a 12V heater box under the dash to deflect heat either up or down and fab up some ducts to mount underneath the new slots.
Staying with the "front-to-rear" discipline led me to tightening up the kick panel supports and welding the original door hinge mounting pockets & bolt holes shut in the ‘A’ pillars. Then I blocked-off the original latch pocket and a bunch of other holes in the passenger side ‘B’ pillar. You can still see the gap between the outer body skin and the ‘B’ pillar in this picture.
The gap exists because that skin was previously the rear door and there would’ve been a weather seal between them when the door was closed. It was a simple matter of cutting some curved strips and welding them in place… but between bending the blank pieces, patching the old holes, and filling in the gap between body and pillar I was on this one piece for the better part of the day.
At the end of the day I hung the door in place to check the alignment & rear gap. It swings easily through its full range of motion and even though there are no latches yet, it closes nicely. Although many people will still have the habit just because “it’s an old car”, slamming the door will not be necessary. A slight push and the simple click of a properly adjusted latch should do.
With this much done I can jump back around to the driver’s side and repeat the same on the ‘B’ pillar for that side before continuing with the rest.
RimSpoke
Well-known member
RimSpoke
Well-known member
I had always pictured a set of '50 Pontiac taillights in the lower corners of the trunk lid but the idea of having the lights go up whenever the lid was open got the best of me.
I'm sectioning the lid just a little more than the channel to increase the height of panel below. Now I'm thinking of a pair of those same lights on each side, just below the trunk.
I'm sectioning the lid just a little more than the channel to increase the height of panel below. Now I'm thinking of a pair of those same lights on each side, just below the trunk.
Attachments
racer93
Well-known member
nice
looking good,...
looking good,...
I hadn't opened up your build before. Nice work! I like how you did the rear 'fenders' - that area always looks unfinished if just left as is. Gonna have to go back and watch the videos too - it looks like I might learn something.
RimSpoke
Well-known member
Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback.
I've got the taillight panel half-welded in and it'll look better this way than my original intentions of putting the lights in the trunk lid. I've been motivated to get done with the cutting & welding and move on to the "regular" bodywork.
Most of us have heard the, "No panel on this car was left untouched" and have walked away thinking, "I can think of a couple he should've left alone". I don't want to be cutting parts just for the sake of modifying them, but am glad I cut back into it here. It's much better for the overall look... at least the hood will be stock.
I've got the taillight panel half-welded in and it'll look better this way than my original intentions of putting the lights in the trunk lid. I've been motivated to get done with the cutting & welding and move on to the "regular" bodywork.
Most of us have heard the, "No panel on this car was left untouched" and have walked away thinking, "I can think of a couple he should've left alone". I don't want to be cutting parts just for the sake of modifying them, but am glad I cut back into it here. It's much better for the overall look... at least the hood will be stock.
Old Iron
Well-known member
I think the idea of widening the rear roll pan is fantastic. I'm gonna steal that idea one of these days too.
