Scratch Building a Coupe
- Thread starter rsfyj
- Start date
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Well being Sunday I went out to my shop to do some cleaning up, which was badly needed. I kept tripping over some pieces of Appliance sheet metal, and about the 4th time that happened I said I'm getting rid of you guys. So I ended up after cleaning the shop, fitting a piece of 18 gauge appliance sheet metal to the rear of the roof. So I can say the New years has started off right for me as I accomplished something on the Rod. I am glad I went to the shop nice 55 degree day unheard of here in New England during Jan days. Ill take every one I can get. I have some photos and a shot of the type of hinge I will buy this week. The photo is only half of the hinge, probably used for another project, and who knows what?
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I scaned a copy of my sketch for the rear window frame. It will be made of Ash Wood 3 seperate frames to hold the glass and to seal the outside and inside just using brass screws on the inside frame pieces. The scan is not the best bear with it my artist work sucks. I reaserarched the woods used in the 40s and 50s with the station wagons etc they used Ash and Mohogany. I prefere Ash it takes solid stain better and is more dense to paint. My windshield will probably get the same treatment when ready
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I finished welding the roof piece on. Tomorrow I will get the trunk hinges and maybe some more 3/4 inch tubing. I need more bracing in the rear gas tank area and adjacent to the rear wheels before I sheet metal this area. The temperatures are getting colder here now and work may slow down some according to warmth etc.
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international rat
Well-known member
lookin good, can't wait to see the finished product!
Too cold today 11 degrees, But I did get my hinges and also 48 feet of 3/4 inch square tubing. The tubing is needed to reinforce the rear area near the gas tank and wheel frame work. I also lengthen my ground cable by 6 feet on my arc welder it was always too short. If the wx cooperates with my body and work habits ill get back on the job. The wx will probably dictate my schedule for a while. We will wait and see. The Hinges , By the way , was made in China and compared to the USA ones they are junk. Way to much side ways play in the hinges. I will have to grid off the rivet type pin and redo them. Also have to shim the side play out. Darn I wish America would stop throwing away our pride and USA manufacturing. Thats another story.....
klink
Well-known member
You say'n them Chinese fellas don't make good stuff... Like the build by the way.
Another too cold day, maybe tomorrow it says it will be in the low 30 degree range. That is doable for me. The hinges I complained about cost me $6.00 a piece. I expect to get my moneys worth but here I got scammed good. I will probably shelve the junk hinges and use American made butt hinges I previously showed. Absolutely no slop in these hinges. I'm afraid this is just the start of bad times for America you can't buy much made in USA. Almost everything made else where is junk and falls apart after a short time of use, or it arrives already broken or cross threaded. You American CEOs better start to think of America instead of your personal pockets all the time. Work cant go to China unless you authorize it.....Evidentially no one in China can measure correctly everything is too large or too small, or too loose. See ya all tomorrow...
Perfect day for building in the shop. Cold enough for heat but not severe. I was able to get all the rear braces near the gas tank and rear wheels on both sides.. Plus I took a shot at one of those hinges trying to repair them. I did get one fixed after grinding out the pin and drilling with a # U drill then reaming the hole to 3/8ths size. I had to hammer the hinge ends closed together to get riid of the slop. I have on hinge clamped to the rear. I will try another hinge tomorrow to see if I can use them. The hinge is realy snug now the way it should have been the day I paid $6.00 bucks each for them. Plus I fit a piece of steel to the roof then I ran out of steam for the day. Overall the day was susessful for me I accomplished a lot. I am ready for sheet steel in the rear now at my conveniance. I have photos coming. The hinge photos you have to realy look to see the difference with the cracks that was in the hinge pin areas.
Well I welded the hinges to the trunk and body, it opens and closes well, but looks awful welds. I will fill it in on a 45 degree with aircraft Epoxy . I did my 48 Ford hood hinges that way it was Okay. I welded the roof piece also slow day I drilled and reamed the other hinge also. I will live with the finished looks here no screws or bolts to shift around on me. Photos coming
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Very slow day not many hours worked. I did manage to get one piece of sheet metal in the trunk just to the left of the gas tank. The rest of the trunk floor will be occupied by the gas tank so I wont need a floor there. This is the proposed tool box area I'm hoping to utilise later. Another piece of appliance metal that was free, although it was not 18 gauge it is fairly rigid because of its size and shape.
