I spent 2 or 3 hours trying to fit the captain Chairs I took from my Windstar van. But no matter how i done it i was still too small of an area for a 2nd seat. So I scrapped the idea and I will have to go the route of plywood and steel to make a curved bench seat for 2 occupants. Too bad them Captain Chairs look good and are comfortable also. I loaned my angle plate for my miller I wanted to use to mill 4 or 5 degrees off the carb mounting pad on the intake.I will do that soon as it is coming back soon.
Scratch Building a Coupe
- Thread starter rsfyj
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sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
You know what they say...
"Nothing ventured...nothing gained".....now, was that my mother or my grandfather that used to say that??? [S
"Nothing ventured...nothing gained".....now, was that my mother or my grandfather that used to say that??? [S
Dirtyrat
Got Fins?
I think I have the same seats in my basement.... Have not decided if I'm using the 2010 Van seats or the older winstar ones...
nice seats but cant use them in the Coupe. So I added 2x8 wood bases and will use them in my Porch of the house on the east side. hehehe nothing gets wasted here. I have them all done now just putting a coat of stain on them so I can use them. The bases are 7.5 inches high with a plywood base to bolt the factory brackets to the plywood. just take off the hooked bracket that Ford used to attach to the floor. 5 studs in all took me a few hours to fab and my wife just painted them we will use them tomorrow.
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Well I finally got something started on the Coupe. I bought some more steel tubing so I could start building the running boards for the Coupe. The steel came in and I got a start on cutting and fitting some pieces. I want the running boards to be bolt on so I can take them off if need be. I designed it so I have 3 bolts in front and 3 bolts in back. And one extra one right in the middle going to the frame.. I used 1 inch square tubing should be sturdy enough as they are only 43 inches long and about a foot wide at the most. I dropped the position 3.5 inches lower from the front fenders and the rear fenders. It looked better to me and nicer to step up onto. And easier to get out as i will step down 3.5 inches as opposed to sliding my feet out at the same height as the Coupes floor. I drilled and tapped the holes 1/4 by 20. Got a few photos...
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sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
I think they would hold about anyone....
those are some stout boards.....by the way...your wife good with those seats?? My wife would make me but them in the basement.....LOL...
those are some stout boards.....by the way...your wife good with those seats?? My wife would make me but them in the basement.....LOL...
My Wife loves these seats she always loved riding in the Windstar because the captain chairs are so comfy and adjustable. originally planed for our porch but my Wife moved them into the TV room and got rid of the other mis matched chairs that were hard etc.
Shea Laking
Well-known member
Anybody who's got a wife who'll let him furnish with car parts is one lucky guy in my book... 
Hey, I'm lovin' what you're doing with this build too... It takes pure cajones to build an entire car from scratch! [cl Gotta go back and catch up on this thread, hadn't seen it in awhile.
Regards,
Shea
Hey, I'm lovin' what you're doing with this build too... It takes pure cajones to build an entire car from scratch! [cl Gotta go back and catch up on this thread, hadn't seen it in awhile.
Regards,
Shea
Well I finished the drivers side framing for the running boards. And I started the passenger side My brother owns a Body Shop and he was over to look see he said he may have some steel or aluminium diamond plate around from jobs etc. I will wait a few days before I decide what to top these running boards with. It would be cool to bolt on some 1/4 inch Aluminium to the running boards, hmm but we will see what develops I can always do them with 18 gauge steel sheet., as I have the boards braced well for any top. I can put a step plate of another material over the 18 Gauge steel
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The cross braces on the running boards are scraps from other projects and left overs. Nice way to use up scraps. I built a set of Running boards once with steel sheet it had 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of clear and then I had 2 Aluminium shiny step plates with the word FORD embossed on them in large form. They came from a real Old Ford in the 1930's I had them laying around. As I remember the contrast was great and I had lots of comments on how nice they looked the step plates were located right where you would put your foot to step in the Car.
It didn’t take me long to use up all of the tubing. I managed to finish the passengers side running boards. All the framing is done and all bolts have been tapped etc. ill wait and see what my brother comes up with while I wait for my 18 gauge sheet steel to arrive, I fooled around today with a piece of 1/2 inch EMT and I bent it around the outside edge of my front fender. I tack welded it every 3 inches or so and hand bent it some more . Then tack welded it again. I continued this operation until i reached the other end of the fender. Its not perfect but Ill try to do the same bends on the other side from a Template made from this one. This gives me a round finish the the sharp fender edge I had. Plus it gives me a ending for my Body Filler when I apply it to the fenders. Ideal drip edge. This will be the same all around the cars edges fenders, running boards, rear fenders, rear valance under trunk area. I will attempt to join all of them so I have a continuous EMT trim through out.
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Dirtyrat
Got Fins?
Just thinking out loud here, you seem to be good at using what you have around, a wood template would work well for forming the tubing over as well, perhaps some plywood cut out in the shape you are hoping to duplicate, that would at least get you the shape in two dimensions...
sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
You never cease to amaze me....
and yes, it does take a crap ton of cajones to do this.... [cl {P
and yes, it does take a crap ton of cajones to do this.... [cl {P
At my age you have to keep moving fast or I will seize up. Like an Engine with no oil. My Dad always said make hay when the sun shines, don't let any grass grow under your feet, never put off til tomorrow, what you can do today. And there are more but I'll drop it now.
sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
Yep.......got a ton of those adages
A rolling stone gathers no moss.....all the stuff our parents and grandparents would say.... Either way......keep moving....want to see this driving...[P
A rolling stone gathers no moss.....all the stuff our parents and grandparents would say....
Either way......keep moving....want to see this driving...[PMade a little more headway today. Sheet steel late arriving so I bought some 1/8th inch thick flat 1inch wide steel to frame out the Wind shield. This is the back lip that the glass and sealer will rest against when i install it. it will be 13 and 3/4 inches high by 32 and 3/4 inches long and all flat glass. I also did a little prep on the passenger fender outer edge to get ready for some short pieces to get my downward angle before I add the EMT. And I did some work on my rear window also. I did some more trimming on the red wood frame so it fits better, I will get it ready for a frame of flat steel around the outside edges of the wood. The idea here is so I can bring body filler out from the body to the edge of the flat steel at an angle. This will give me an inset window, and a drip edge for water. I did my last Hot Rod number plate frame the same way and I liked that, so Ill add that to my Coupe.
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I started a bunch of things today. I cut off my rear valance that I was going to lower. I needed to cut that 1st as I wanted a full piece from a 8 foot long sheet of 18 gauge. That's done and I have it clamped to the rear to see what it looks like. I like it so its a go. Ill do that down the road but I have the piece to work with. The next thing I started was the odd angled pieces of the running boards. The are short pieces so I can cut them now as I already took the longest piece i wanted. I spent most of the day figuring out how to attach this piece and still have the running boards unbolt if I ever need to do that. I will have to bolt this piece to the side panel under the hood area. And I will weld it to the running board on the bottom. So this piece will come off with the running board. I also set a piece of 18 gauge sheet steel on the frame of the running board and found it was strong enough with the cross bracing I have. So I guess I wont wait around I will cover the boards with 18 gauge steel. That was my day I have a few snaps.
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sgtpontiac
Older, Wiser and Still Buildin'
Sounds pretty productive......
Drive on.....drive on.....[P
Drive on.....drive on.....[P
