Thread: A little more progress

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lamin8r, I can see where that would look great on bumpers and all. Pretty rich looking white.

Thanks Ken. Yeah, the car was all together once, so things are going back together relatively easy. Dan also was good about welding nuts and tapping threads into inaccessible places, so we aren't having to stand on our heads too much to get bolts in. He also allowed some extra clearance for when the parts were powdercoated and painted so they would still slip in place. He also drilled some small alignment holes some of the brackets so we could just put a pin in there and the alignment was right back to where it needed to be. Took some time initially, but is paying dividends now.

We had to tweak one door hinge a little last night to get the door to fit right, but nothing major. Evidently, the DP90 and SEM Hot Rod Black are pretty durable because even reshaping the hinge with a rag covered block of wood and a hammer didn't even scratch it all all.

One thing that is really helping is having the cowl cover off. It makes it so much easier to reach down through that opening to install all the underdash stuff, than standing on your head like I have to do on my 23 and 27. What we are going to try to do is have the cab as a completed unit, wiring and all, before we drop it down on the frame.

Don

Planning ahead with this stuff is so helpful. I'm going to cut the dash out of my Dearborn body for the same reasons. I should of done it a long time ago but kept thinking it won't be to bad putting things back in place, WRONG! Making things like that removable will make life a lot easier, might work for your '27 also, just a thought.
Ken

Ken, the stuff in my 27 is so solidly glassed in place it would be almost impossible, but I'm getting pretty good working upside down with my feet over the back of the body.

Dan considered making his whole cowl top flip up on hinges for future repair work, but it was too difficult with this body style. At least the 32 cowl vent he welded in will allow him access to the Kugel brake setup for adding fluid.

Don

Its looking good Don, I like the white firewall but still reckon the green colour would look sharp also, Its getting close now

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

We are going to try to get a little more done every evening, when Dan gets home from work, then on his days off (Friday and Saturday) we will get the big stuff done. Last night and tonight we did a little more on the cab of his truck, like getting the brake setup installed, the gas pedal in, and the passenger door put in place. If we keep whittling away at the things we need to do we might actually have a shot at having it running for Thanksgiving in Daytona...............at least we are sue going to try.

Few more pictures of the brake and gas pedal setups installed, and also the one door we got on. Black is so hard to photograph, nothing shows up.

Don

Thanks Steve. The light green you and Dan discussed when you were Stateside was a contender, but after Dan saw my 27 in the satin he started liking the pure hot rod look it lends. I know a lot of people think a car has to be shiny, but I've commented to Dan that if someone came along and offered me a free $ 10,000 pro paint job on my 27 I would turn it down. He is now feeling the same way about his rpu after we have started getting it shot. I know that sounds like a cop out, but it is the honest truth about how we feel.

But who ever knows if the color you ultimately choose is the best one? I could see his car in so many colors.......maroon, shiny black, the light green, beige, red, blue, etc. Even when I went to the paint store to buy the paint for my 27 I was still up in the air standing at the counter. Then I impulsively said, "give me two kits of the Hot Rod Black." Glad I did now.

Don

The past week has been really productive for us. It is cooling off a little and Dan has been getting home from work at a reasonable time, so we have been going to the shop every night, getting small tasks out of the way. Both doors are now hung and adjusted, and last night Dan installed the door weatherstipping he got from Steele Rubber Products. It is finally starting to look like a car!

We are still thinking that maybe, possibly, we might make Turkey Run at Thanksgiving if we keep up this progress. We pulled up pictures of 3 years ago when Don and I were trying to get our cars done for Turkey Run, and we didn't even get our bodies back from the paint shop until Oct 25th. So in the month we had left we got both cars wired, upholstered, and everything else done. That is giving Dan some hope that we might make it on his car.

As for my 27, I had some time last night while Dan was doing his weatherstripping to do more wiring on it. The back of the car is all done now (tail lights, brake lights, license light, fuel pump, and fuel tank sender) Now I can start concentrating on the dash gauges, engine wiring, and headlights. Pretty sure mine will be done on time for TR.

Here are some pictures of where Dan's car is now. Black is SO hard to photograph, no details show up. The body shop called this morning, I can pick up his finished cowl top at 5 pm today. Having that part skimmed and primed should free up some of our time to do other stuff.

Don

really like those pedals

Looking Sexy Don, the car not you

Barb, I think Dan will have to drive in socks so he doesn't scratch them. Heaven forbid if he ever gets a mark on his car!!!!!

Steve, darned it, and I am wearing my new cologne too!

Don

Looks really good, butt isn't there a pedal missing?
Ken

Ken, believe it or not, I had to talk him out of pulling out the automatic and swapping a four speed in there a few months ago. I could just see this car getting finally done in 2035.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Ken, believe it or not, I had to talk him out of pulling out the automatic and swapping a four speed in there a few months ago. I could just see this car getting finally done in 2035.

Don

What?same year as Lyndas Customline??

This week ended up REALLY good! We got so much done this week and it was fun stuff for a change......no sanding and painting, just bolting the body together for the LAST TIME!

The only thing left to bolt on the body is the cowl top, windshield and dash. That can't happen until Dan gets the wiring done, and he started that last night too. The body shop called me Friday, they were done with the cowl top, and when I picked it up they had done a terrific job skimming and priming it. Having pros do it made it turn out a lot better than if we had done it, and it saved us a bunch of time. Glad we had that done.

We pushed it outside for some better pictures. The doors now open and close easily, and everything is very solid. In the last two pictures you can see the flip down panel Dan built for the American Autowire fuse panel. It flips down so you don't have to stand on your head to change fuses, then it flips up out of sight.

I also got a lot done on my 27 wiring. All switches and circuits are now hot, and I have started putting in the gauges. I pulled a little booboo when I turned on the electric fuel pump to test it.......I forgot there was gas in the system and it shot all over the left side of the frame. Luckily, it didn't get on the body or I might be repainting some of that. The frame cleaned up ok with some degreaser, but the body would have been a different matter. I'm sore as h*** today, been laying upside down with my feet over the roll bar for two days, putting wiring under the tight dashboard. Can't wait to get everything under the dash done so I can move out into a more roomier area to work.

Don

that is really looking great. good job.

This thing looks flawless!!!! What's the finish on the floorboards? Would you mind showing a couple more pics of that "swing-down" fuse panel? Very nice!!