Thread: Starting New Build-39 Chevy Master Deluxe

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great work again-i envy your ability to be so fastidious.
do you have to bolt the whole car together again to check fitment of everything before painting?
thanks for all the pictures
mark

Originally Posted by sharpmark

great work again-i envy your ability to be so fastidious.
do you have to bolt the whole car together again to check fitment of everything before painting?
thanks for all the pictures
mark

Hey Mark,
Yea--Once I've got all the panels blocked, I'll bolt everything together and check that all is well with fit and alignment. This build didn't start out like this. She was going to be a driver, but I wanted to touch every part on the car this time. Don't know if it's my last build, but it certainly my most extensive one.

I've really got to learn how to develop a plan and then how to FOLLOW that plan

I decided that I didn't care for the louver vents in the front fenders on the 39. SO----had to cut them out and fab up some panels to go in.

The stock fender

01A-FenderCustom1.jpg

I cut the louver out and cut some patch panels from 20ga CRS:

01A-FenderCustom2.jpg

Got the patch panel in place and started tacking in place:

01A-FenderCustom3.jpg

Panel completely tacked in and ready to grind and hammer weld flat.

01A-FenderCustom4.jpg

I'm with you! All my plans are forgotten moments after I make' em

Should be very different without the louvers.. I guess I'll have to wait and see the new "look".

i reckon it'll look far better.
i think louvres should only be on bonnets or boot lids
mark

Very nice work here gator! When I was collecting parts for my old 39, I swear the most expensive trim part were the chrome vent pieces that went on these front fenders! I always wanted to do what you are doing. I bet it'll look amazing. I'm also thinking of smoothing the deck lid on my 40 and putting the license plate in the roll pan. Then install a backing camera, but not real sure how to execute it yet. Keep up the great work!

Originally Posted by 34_40

I'm with you! All my plans are forgotten moments after I make' em

Should be very different without the louvers.. I guess I'll have to wait and see the new "look".

Originally Posted by sharpmark

i reckon it'll look far better.
i think louvres should only be on bonnets or boot lids
mark

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Very nice work here gator! When I was collecting parts for my old 39, I swear the most expensive trim part were the chrome vent pieces that went on these front fenders! I always wanted to do what you are doing. I bet it'll look amazing. I'm also thinking of smoothing the deck lid on my 40 and putting the license plate in the roll pan. Then install a backing camera, but not real sure how to execute it yet. Keep up the great work!

Thanks Guys,
Although I've built several cars, I have never gone this far with a car before. I watched a lot of YouTube videos and went to a body shop near where I live and watched as they replaced panels etc. I figured the worst I could do was muck it up in which case I would take it to a guy near me that does very nice restorations.

I've talked with him quite a bit, but is naturally reluctant to give me TOO much guidance. And despite the fact that I would NEVER be his competitor, this is how he makes his living.

I actually have all the trim parts for the car, but I just thought that the car would look better without the vents, door hinges and all the stuff that hangs off of the trunk. It is a moordoor, 9 door(if it has more than 2, it may as well have 9) etc. so anything I can do to smooth it out will assist in the looks of the car, to me anyway

The biggest challenge has been the hidden hinges. I do a little, fit the door up on it, then do a little more. They really don't give you a lot of guidance when you buy the kit. I'll post some pictures up on that soon.

The deck lid had several holes in it.

The large hole, with smaller holes on top and bottom, was for the tag light housing.

deck-Lid2.JPG

The smaller hole at top was for the tag bracket. I will probably put a fold up tag bracket on the car.

deck-Lid3.jpg

And of course, I had to fill the key tumbler hole as the trunk will be elect. popped.

deck-Lid1.JPG

Stitch welding is the only way to do this without getting too much heat onto the panel and to keep from burning through.

deck-Lid4.JPG
deck-Lid5.JPG

I hammered and ground the welds down flat.
deck-Lid6.JPG

I applied a layer of Duraglas. Sanded most of that off and applied a layer of bondo.
deck-Lid7.JPG

I sprayed some black "guide coat" on and began block sanding it off. I try to get it as smooth as possible before applying a final coat of primer.

deck-Lid8.JPG

Very nice work! I'll be doing this to my car this winter. I'd really like to do hidden hinges as well but i've heard it's one of the hardest mods to complete correctly without ruining your car. I don't know If I'll do them yet or not.

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Very nice work! I'll be doing this to my car this winter. I'd really like to do hidden hinges as well but i've heard it's one of the hardest mods to complete correctly without ruining your car. I don't know If I'll do them yet or not.

Yea Ryan,
Ya know, I talked to a lot of people and posted on several forums about hidden hinges. I had not, previously, attempted hidden hinges although I had thought about it often. I, too, heard horror stories and warnings of dire consequences for failing to make the right cuts etc, etc. Truth is, unless you cut out one of your pillars and through it in the scrap heap, there is nothing you can do that can't be undone by the right person.

That is the mindset I finally arrived at after talking to people that I was certain had performed the mod. I first searched for videos of the mod on YouTube and found a couple by Hagan Street Rods that were very good. So---after watching Hagans videos, and a couple others I found, and talking to a guy online that had done it several times I decided to forge on.

Believe me, making that first cut took me about 3 hrs One of the Hagan videos I watched suggested that you should allow 20 hrs for the job. I've got one hinge done and I've got about 20 hrs in that one alone

I bought my kit from Rocky Hinge Rocky Hinge Welcomes The Street but many places sell the kit. Rocky Hinge and Hagan Street Rods are the 2 that I use the most. They guys at Rocky are VERY helpful and will talk you through anything you need. I'm sure the guys at Hagan are just as good. I'll post up a few pics of the door hinge now.

*******I put the hinge up on the pillar to mark the location.

01A-HIDDEN-HINGE-frt.jpg

*************Got the hinge in and braced on the back side.

01A-HIDDEN-HINGE-install-2.jpg

*************Finish welding and cleaning up.

01A-HIDDEN-HINGE-install.jpg

You can do this Ryan!!

Thanks for the pics and info. Oh yeah, and the nudge. Haha

Before I finish the hidden hinges I decided to take care of the remaining rust in the roll pan and tool tray (trunk). Here is what I was dealing with:

There was rust in the roll pan where the bumper brackets went through. The body is "2 piece" in that area which was an opportunity for water to settle and start the dreaded process

03A-ROLLpAN-OLD.JPG


The rust extended into the area where the rear fenders bolt up as well.

03A-ROLLpAN-OLD3.jpg


Both sides

03A-ROLLpAN-OLD2.jpg

Rust in both corners of the roll pan.

03A-ROLLpAN-OLD4.jpg


So----fabbed up a few panels and welded them in.

01A-ROLLPANNEW2.jpg


01A-ROLLPANNEW4.jpg

The area at the side of the roll pan where the rear fender bolts up showed beginning signs of rusting. Decided to cut it all out and weld in new metal.

01A-ROLLPANNEW3.jpg

Both wheel wells, where the rear fenders bolt on, showed signs of rusting. Particularly around the captured nuts.

Cut it all out and installed new metal.

01A-FENDERWELL1.jpg

While I was at it, I cut out a piece of metal to fill in the cowl vent.

01A-ROLLPANNEW1.jpg