Thread: Project "Left Overs" is back alive !

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Tomorrow we are planning on welding the rear mounts for the lower bars to the rear end housing so tonight I went to the shop to get a jump on it. We needed a way to hold the two brackets totally square to the housing and to each other, so I made up a simple jig that will hold them in place while welding.

I didn't want to waste any good steel so I used a piece of 3 x 5 angle iron we had and then I cut up two pieces of 2 x 4 box tubing for the parts that go inside each bracket. The inside dimensions of each bracket we made is just a hair over 3 inches so the 3 inch tubing will keep it totally square. I clamped it all to our welding table, squared it up, and put some tack welds on to make it one piece.

We can also use the same jig to hold the front brackets that go on the front end of the lower bars until we get them welded onto the frame. That way the front and rear mounts will be exactly the same distance apart eliminating any bind or misalignment.

I also squared up the rear end under the car in the exact position it will end up, then slid the jig and brackets under for a trial fit. A couple of blocks of wood shoved the jig and brackets tight against the rear end, ready for welding. Tomorrow we will set the yoke angle at 3 degrees up and weld it all up.

Here are some pictures from tonight.

Don

Don I have the utmost admiration for anything you and the boys do in your shop, having been there and attempted to work with Dan in the heat I'm surprised you guys get anything done at all, when I was there it must of been around 100 degrees in the shop and everytime I sparked up the TIG sweat ran straight in my eyes and I couldn't see nothing !!!

Yep, it takes some getting used to, living in the tropics. I have to say this has been an especially brutal Summer, but you left too soon, Steve, it is starting to cool off (just slightly) and it looks like Fall might be coming. The humidity is the killer here, it really is tough to keep bare metal rustfree for more than a day, so we keep chasing our tails keeping it at bay.

We got some more time in today, working on the lower bar mounts. It took a while to get the rear end exactly square in all directions, but we finally got it right where it should be. Then Dan put a couple of welds on the brackets to hold them in place until we can remove the rear and do the final welding.

Tomorrow we are going to work on the mounts that go on the frame and hold the front of the lower bars in place. Still a lot of work to do on the rear end mounting , but getting closer. Here are some pictures from tonight.

Don

Today we worked on making the mounts that go on the frame and hold the front of the lower bars. Seems like such a simple task, but by the time we designed them, cut them out, shaped them, and got them welded up, it took all day. We still have to weld them to the frame and will get that done one night this week. I kept telling Dan they don't show, but he just ignores me.

Not a lot to show, but here are some pictures from tonight.

Don

Don - looking great as always.

Can I make a suggestion without getting slapped silly? At your frame rear kick ups - add a triangular gusset inside, under the body as well as above your new mounts. They only have to be 2-3 inches, max, on the weld side, but will 'triangulate' the chassis under acceleration loads particularly. Myself, I would probably fish plate it inside, but that's my tendency to use 5 nails when two will hold a piece of wood

You guys do beautiful work, I wish my welds came out as good all the time.

Did you start out with C channel for the lower brackets or bend flat stock?

Thanks, guys. Dave, you are exactly right..........when we weld it to the frame it is going to get triangular gussets on the outside and some bracing on the inside to hold the mounts firmly to the frame. That is why we quit last night, it was getting late and we want to think about the next step and the best way to gusset it all.

Mike, each mount is 4 pieces. Two rounded sides, a 4 x 4.5 inch back plate, and a 1 x 3 top section. Dan welded on the top section first, joining the two sides together, then rounded over the edges so it looks kind of like a stamped piece, then welded that back plate on to the whole thing.

Here is a picture of how we gusseted the last one we did, on the 39 Dodge pickup. This time we were able to center the bars more on the rail so it won't hang out that much, making the gussets a little smaller.

Don

Nice work. I like the extra details and info(encase I get the nerve to try doing it myself )

Steve, you would do fine. It really is pretty simple, just takes some thinking to get it all in line and moving in the correct plane. It could be done a lot quicker than we are going but we have no deadline and spending a little more time on each bracket makes the whole end result just a little nicer.

If Dan keeps pushing me in this direction I may have to rethink painting it with a brush. One night I told him I was going to distress the paint on the suspension to make it look old and he looked as if I had stabbed him in the heart. So I guess we won't be doing that.

Don

Words fail me......almost... Looks real nice,Don..Hey,carry on with the brush painting idea...Just get a new brush...simple..

Don I've seen a few high dollar distress jobs around here! I think you should do what you want for a finished look. I like the old faded business signs on the doors, or something like nose cone art on a ww2 bomber plane!

You mean like this:

That's pretty cool. I am thinking of putting Don's Speed Shop, est 1945 on each door, then scuffing it to look aged. I guess I could also tell the sign painter to not fill in the letters all the way to help that out. They also sell a lot of vintage decals on Ebay, even class winner stickers. I am thinking of putting some of those on the cowl and maybe A/A on the back of the body. If you are building a fake you might as well go all the way.

Don

What for me is even cooler about the car I pictured is that the speed shop was owned, now many years closed, by a 50 year friend, even though he never owned a '32 roadster. Lots of stories I could relate, but wont publicly.

Dave that's the ticket, very nice example!
Or something like these: