Custom Mopar ????

[Dr Crankenstein]

AAAARRRGH!

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[Bamamav]

OK, so the frame is toast.

Have you gave any thought on building your own frame?
Some 2"x3" channel should be strong enough. Cut, splice, weld until it looks like what you want. You have a couple of frames for patterns. You might go with a front clip onto a frame you build if you want to get away from the Dodge suspension, or you might rather use the Dodge clip. Lots of ways to go about this. You could even go wild with a leaf sprung straight or dropped axle.

Just dropping some suggestions......

 

[Torchie]

You are a long distance mind reader. I have been considering it , Bama.
Even looking at G platform cars around here again is showing me what I dealt with the first time around. Anything affordable had rotted frames.
I’m just not sure I am up to it physically any more.
I wouldn’t use and parts from the stock frame. If I go to that solution I would look at either a clip of perhaps a Mustang II front suspension.
And I would have to hire out the welding as I trust my welding for sheet metal but not for that.
At this point I’m just going to concentrate on stripping parts off the donor and doing what I can to the custom body.
Torchie

 

[kenny c]

Good plan to keep working with what you have. A frame solution will present itself when the time is right. Just keep your eyes open.

 

[Bamamav]

Nothing wrong with farming out the heavy welding. You could fit and tack everything together and let someone else make it one piece. MII sounds good, Welder series is probably the cheapest start for the cross member.

I'm sure you will find something you can adapt.

 

[Torchie]

More cannibalism.
Cut out this piece to use on the custom body. Solid except for the very edges. I will just be using pieces of this. Not the entire thing.
Was hoping that I could also use this area on the custom but it is too far gone. So that will be new metal.
I know that some wonder why I just don't use all new metal. The pieces I'm trying to salvage, like the lower trunk lip/ weather strip channel are the ones involving multiple bends and such. Once I blast these pieces, if they are still useable, Great. If not plan B. Make them all.
And as far as the wheel wells go. I'm looking for strength and being sealed up. Not how pretty they look. It's all going to be under coated anyways.
Thanks for looking in....
Torchie

 

[Torchie]

You could make a couple relief cuts and hide them with a plate frame.

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Good Dr. It would seem that not only are you a secret custom guy but run in the company of giants. [cl
I received a e mail this morning from Rik Hoving from the Custom Car Chronicle site, where he outlines what Barris did to one of their Iconic customs from the Golden Era.
Pay attention to Rik's thoughts at the very end.
Torchie
https://www.customcarchronicle.com/forums/topic/torchies-new-project/page/37/#.X6AQNCrPyS4

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Thanks Torchie.

I'm not a secret anything. I've been fascinated with cars since I could push a MatchboxTM on the kitchen floor. I'd probably be a custom builder if the autobody trade didn't turn me off in short order. Collision and repair work were NOT what I wanted to do, but that was the work available and still is 'round here.

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[Torchie]

Did it as a pro myself DR crank. 1975-81.
Stopped in my 2nd year of cooking school. At that point I had worked my way up to Painting only in a big Detroit area dealership.
I just couldn't see myself doing that the rest of my life.
I wanted to open a custom car shop but that was right at the point that customs really had no appeal to the average old car person.
Oh well.......
No progress as I have been taking care of family stuff. Hopefully back at cutting off parts from the donor tomorrow.
Restarted the frame search. Many people on the Mopar sites recommend a Dakota for the frame swap. Looking a some of their frames I'm not sold on the idea.
I found a beautiful G body frame. All body parts stripped. Good shape. A roller.
$450 OBO.
Too bad it's in the Detroit area and I'm 300 miles away.
Keep on keeping on.....
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

Something will pop up
[P[P[P

 

[Torchie]

Something will pop up
[P[P[P

Indeed OI.
That one caught my eye because of it being stripped down to the frame already. Makes for a much better inspection. I haven't counted it out yet.
Everything I have found locally suffers from the dreaded" G body RFS" ( Rusted frame syndrome. ) AS has most of the Dakota frames I've looked at.
Must not be the right time yet.
Removed most of the inner fender well on the donor today. Plan on using parts of it to clean up the one one the custom that I really had to piece together.
AT this point I will be moving over to the custom body to work on the rear DS well and then the DS rear fender. At least that's my plan....today.[ddd
Torchie

 

[Torchie]

We are experiencing a week of Indian summer here so between finishing up the out door Pre real snow chores I have been doing a bit on the Custom.
Since I had a hopper of sand in the blaster still I pulled it out to get a better idea how bad the lower trunk lip section really is.
Pics tell the story on the PS.
The gravel pan is good but the rest is mostly toast.
I'm not even sure there is enough good metal to build off of.....
So my thoughts now are to separate the body part from the pan( 3 bolts ) ao I can get a better idea of what I have to do to duplicate this area.
Dr. Crank... If you are watching what gauge metal did you use to form all that area on the Chevy Coupe? Or was it pre bent channel?
Thanks for looking in...
Torchie

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Dr. Crank... If you are watching what gauge metal did you use to form all that area on the Chevy Coupe? Or was it pre bent channel?

18 gauge, same as original. A friend (with a brake and shear) provided three 90° strips, which we then formed individually to fit the car and each other, like this...

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[Torchie]

Thanks, Crank.
I doubled back to you thread to refresh my memory of what you did, but didn't see the metal gauge used in it.

Two of the hardest things for me to do physically anymore is.... 1. Get up off the floor. (My leg isn't designed to bend that far past a 90% as it stretches the sleeve that holds it to the stump. )
2. Climb a ladder.
So I picked the lesser of 2 evils today. up and down the ladder to move the chain falls yet again and gave the Dodge Custom a "California" rake. [ddd
Now I can sit and work on the inner well. The bonus is that I can leave the strap in place as a safety measure as it's not in the way. Also I can still lift it more as needed.
Seems like my life has become nothing more then lifting and moving big, heavy, objects.
I think that I will need to get Duke his own welding goggles.
Moving forward.
Thanks for stopping by......
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

[cl
[P[P[P

 

[Old Iron]

18 gauge, same as original. A friend (with a brake and shear) provided three 90° strips, which we then formed individually to fit the car and each other, like this...

.

[cl
[P[P[P

 

[Torchie]

Giving my leg and back a break after this mornings fun.
I received this picture from a person on the Custom Car Chronicle site.
This is what he did to solve the issue of using a 49 Plymouth rear bumper on his DeSoto.
57 Cadillac plate guard turned upside down. Works for me. [cl
Yet another creative solution along the lines of the Good Drs. thinking
I would just have to make sure the lower trunk edge clears it as I don't have that much of a area under the lip. Although I could have. LOL
Torchie

 

[DozerII]

That's cool Torchie

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

I think that I will need to get Duke his own welding goggles.

Just this week, a friend told me about a welding shop and their blind shop dog. Coincidence? I don't think so.

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[Torchie]

Just this week, a friend told me about a welding shop and their blind shop dog. Coincidence? I don't think so.

.

Exactly Doc.
I’ve read where dogs are really mesmerized by the arc and do go blind .
I’m going to have to keep him out of the shop when welding which will be no small task.
Torchie