Ok, the cat is out of the bag!!!

[donsrods]

And more parts.............................

 

[donsrods]

Looks like a big jigsaw puzzle, huh? To assemble it we built a wooden platform that is totally square and level, and has marks down the exact center and crisscrossed every 6 inches. Here is how we did the platform.

Don

 

[donsrods]

The idea of the platform is that if we screw the subframe very squarely to the platform it will give us a very straight base to start building the body off of.

The first thing we did was layout the body subframe and assemble it on the platform. We started at the back and worked forward toward the cowl. We are not going to use that wooden floorboard, it is only in there to aid alignment.

Don

 

[donsrods]

And one last picture of the subframe assembly...................

 

[donsrods]

Next we just had to see how the rear section looked put in place, so we clamped it up to the subframe. We are actually going to start at the cowl though.

Don

 

[donsrods]

That is pretty much how far we got on Tuesday night. Not bad for one night's work.

Wednesday night we started putting the cowl together and it was a little more challenging. Henry Ford was never known for tight tolerances on his early cars, and Brookville is using the same presses he used, so their panels are very good, but not perfect. We had to push and shove to get some of them to line up, and we found that the smooth cowl top piece was a little too big. We removed a stock model a fuel tank from the sedan in our loft and it dropped in perfectly, so we are using it to build the car. We will probably work on the new one and make it fit later on in the build.

We are finding out it is a little bigger job than we thought it would be. Every piece has to be in exactly the right position, or everything else is thrown off. We will get it built, but it is far from a snap together car kit.

Here are some pictures of the front going together. That rusty red cowl top is the original Ford one that fit perfectly and will be used in the early stages of the build.

Don

 

[Gastrick]

Very nice Don. Are you guys going to have to recess that firewall?

 

[donsrods]

Very nice Don. Are you guys going to have to recess that firewall?

Thanks Bill. No, we built the frame long enough to have a big engine room. This body is a little shorter than the original one he built out of the fordor, so we are going to shorten the frame by about 4 inches or so once we get the body together. This car will also have a much lower transmission hump and driveshaft tunnel than the first one because the car isn't bagged to lay out.

Don

 

[donsrods]

We have been putting in some time putting the new body together and it is finally starting to come together. For a while we had our doubts because it is really hard to get everything to line up exactly, and even being off 1/16 of an inch throws ever other part off and things don't fit.

But we have finally turned the corner we think. The top cowl panel now fits and we have some of the bracing installed under the cowl. The doors seem to fit fairly well when we propped them up against the body and the back panel will fit too. Still a lot to do, but we aren't as frustrated as we once were.

Another good thing is that Dan finally broke out his Tig and used it. He got it two Christmas' ago and hasn't really used it yet, so I was happy to see him doing some stuff with it. Tig sure is a nice process, quiet and clean. Here are some pictures from last night. Starting to look like a car !

Don

 

[Gastrick]

That looks good Don. I looked at the pictures before I read the text and the first thing I thought was, Hey Dan's using the TIG. I can't wait to see the completed body on the chassis. Is Dan going to be able to use the windshield parts that he already bought for the other body?

 

[Bonehead]

Project is looking great. Tell Dan to get a chair... looking at him bent over kills my back.

 

[ratty 46]

So I guess now I'm the hold up ....... looking for parts STILL to arrive from cally .. SOON!!!

Construction is looking good.

Ratty 46

 

[donsrods]

Thanks Bill, yep, he used it more today and really is starting to like the way it welds. As for the windshield parts he bought, they came from Speedway and he never opened the box until recently. The quality of their 32 windshield is horrible, the seams don't meet up and the chrome is not good. He is going to send it back and get a 31 windshield for this new body. He is going to get it unchromed so he can chop it and then have it dipped.

Thanks Bonehead. Hehe, he's feeling it tonight. He just came and got some Excedrin Back and Body pills from me. Neither of us is as young as we once were.

Paul, you aren't holding me up at all. But I bet you are anxious to get started on your car, what are they telling you about the delivery?

Don

 

[Twisted Minis]

Very impressive. I saw it a while back when it was a 4 door. I liked it a lot back then too.

 

[donsrods]

Thanks. I sort of miss the fordor too. Plus, it would have probably been done by now........

Don

 

[sgo70]

Don you gotta do us all a favor and HIDE THAT SAWZALL!!!! I want to see this one done. I'm starting to rethink some of my work that I'll have to go back to and make it look better.

Sean

 

[donsrods]

I'll guarantee you Sean, if he starts to change directions again on this car I am going to disown him!! I think he is finally happy with the way it looks, I see him smiling more lately.

Thought I would update everyone on where we are putting his body together. Even though this has not been a simple little job, we're glad we bought the body unassembled because we are getting it to fit pretty well, plus we would have had to tear it apart anyway to channel it, so it cut out that step.

That is what we have been working on, building the channeled subframe to drop it 4 1/2 inches over the frame. Originally, we planned to use the stock subframe and simply cut out a section, move it up the 4 1/2 inches, and then fill in the gaps with new metal. Dan spent a couple of days kicking around ideas on how to do it best and finally decided to have some new siderails bent up at a local steel supply house and not use the original subframe at all. That's $500 worth of parts from Brookville that we ended up not using, but we did need them to get the cowl section put together in the first place, so it isn't a total loss.

What Dan ordered were 3 pieces of 1/8 inch steel plate bent into a 110 degree "L" shape. One leg is 5 5/8" and one leg is 2". They are 4 feet long. We ended up using only two of them, but he wanted an extra in case we messed one up. These sections form the two sides of the new subframe and are one inch higher than the channel because we are going to slip 1 x 2 box tubing under and across the subframe to act as crossmembers.

Here are some pictures showing one new rail in place and one old subrail. The other pictures show how we cut out the old subrail and welded in the new ones.

Don

 

[donsrods]

After we got both new subrails welded in we made up a temporary crossmember setup and clamped it all together so we could try the body on the frame for a trial fit.

Here is how that came out.

Don

 

[donsrods]

Finally, last night he and I put the back panel of the body together. It is made up of 3 pieces and took a lot of grinding and cutting to make them fit well. We got it pretty close for now and put the front and back sections together to see how it would all look. Starting to resemble a car!!

Still a lot to do, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel. This has been a really tough job, more than either of us thought, but I think the end result will be worth it.

BTW, you will notice Don's blue T is missing from the garage........he was out cruising last night. Nice to see it is finally running right.

Don

 

[Gastrick]

A lot of work for sure Don but I like the way it's paying off. That's turning out to be one sweet rpu.