Second Wind - a Packard Gasser

[05snopro440]

If those are the same mufflers a local guy ran, it will be surprisingly quiet.

I have Jones Full Boar chambered mufflers on my 62 Bel Air with a mild 350. They're a Flowmaster copy that came with the exhaust kit I bought for it. They are pretty loud and aggressive, especially for 2-1/4". I would be amazed if the 3" bullets are quiet.

 

[zzrodder]

I personally know only one other builder as good as you. And you are ten times faster without sacrificing design or quality.[cl

Coming from you Bob, that means a lot - thanks!

Got the steering column mounted today, had to shorten it 4", which took some head scratching to get done without messing up a brand new part...[S[
Whittled up an upper mount from a piece of 1" aluminum bar, bolted to the roll bar crossmember and added a lower mount to keep the u-joint happy...

 

[bob w]

Nice office. I can hear it now...

 

[zzrodder]

Todays project, mounting the rear bumper. I didn't want to cut holes in the rear pan like the stock setup so I chopped up some original bumper irons and reimagined them to come out just under it, tucked in about 6" closer to the body than stock.

 

[Couper]

Looks great ZZ!

 

[Flipper_1938]

I like the bumper fitment. Everything you are doing is improving on the factory styling.

 

[Old Iron]

I like the way you pulled it in closer

 

[zzrodder]

Worked on the dash today - I don't have any original dash parts and was missing the center panel so custom it is...
Filled the left side panel and mounted the speedo and tach, made a new center panel to hold the other gauges - ignition and other switches will go there later. Filled the clock hole in the glove box lid. I also reworked the top bar of the cage with a bit of a curve at each end to get it above the front window...

 

[oneeye]

Great work!

 

[05snopro440]

Looks great!

 

[zzrodder]

Popped the cage out to work on some of the more mundane but necessary things. Chopped and reformed the window garnish mouldings, made and installed the tack strip rails around the perimeter of the roof for the headliner, made the bows for the headliner and a couple braces to keep the roof from weebling in the wind. Also bracing to keep the rear window in place and tie it all to the door frames - basically making from steel what was once wood...[

 

[zzrodder]

Starting on making the trunk lid, fortunately I have the original hinges, but thats it... First step is to make a perimeter frame of 3/4 tube - to that I will add a sheetmetal strip that follows the edge of the opening. Then the fun job begins - cutting the skin to size and crimping it around the edge of the perimeter strip.... Pretty much how the original lid was made, except the framing was wood.

 

[Old Iron]

[P[P[P

 

[lowbudget50]

Very well done!!!!

 

[Rockable]

very nice work, as usual![cl

 

[zzrodder]

Back to work on the trunk lid. Had eye surgery last week so it's kinda hard to weld or do just about anything for a while - depth perception is way off but it will get better.....
Adapted a trunk latch mechanism from a 36 sedan lid, still need to find the right handle.
Added sheet metal pieces to the perimeter of the frame, the skin will get folded over it.

 

[Old Iron]

[P[P[P

 

[zzrodder]

Got the skin attached, not exactly a pro job, far from it, in fact. My little Eastwood english wheel is not the best for this size of sheet and not having a helper to wheel it was a real problem. Adding to the fun is the extremely malleable nature of this particular roof skin resulting in a whole lot of ridges and unhappy spots. Buzzed the paint off, now a couple days of hammer and dolly therapy should make it more presentable - definitely need a little help at the end from Mr. Bondo...

 

[05snopro440]

It may not be a pro job but you did something that would stump most home builders. Nice work.

 

[Couper]

Your not giving your self enough credit ZZ..... looks great!