My new project 1951 Buick

This is what all the fuss was about this winter . Rear window readjustment with a more flowing slope from roof to catwalk . 15 degrees to now 25 degree slope . Looks a lot better in my opinion . What do you think ? Sorry the pics. are so dark , Andy...

 

Now THAT looks great Andy! Much improved.

btw, those mounds of snow look like the sand dunes I have down here in Florida. ;-)

 

Thanks Dave , yeah I am glad I did it . Sucks to have to go over stuff twice but when it dosen't feel right you have no recourse . Referring to the mounds of white stuff I'll trade you anytime my friend . We've had a total of 15 feet this winter . I am ready for spring . Andy...

 

Yeah,that looks better,Andy!
And it looks like you have a lot of that white stuff on the ground,luckily we didnt get that much at this year.

 

Thanks Antti . I am some glad I took the time for this slight adjustment . It makes the car flow better . And yea , the white stuff , well we just won't talk about that as I am ready for spring to break . Andy...

 

Wow, looks great. Nice flow!

 

Thanks for the feedback . Stay tuned , more to come ..

 

Looks good Andy.
More importantly, your confidence and skills have evolved greatly.
The little time it took you to make a drastic change
And pulled it off making look like it was easy, is a testament to the fact.
Keep going and enjoy the journey.

 

Thanks Shane for the vote of confidence . It means a lot . I want to shake down run the car summer 2016 so I have about 15 months to get this into a complete mock up and running car . It's gonna be tight . We'll see . I am in the shop right now and am starting on the drivers side cruiser skirt build. I think I will do a separate thread so others can see how I pull this off . Andy...

 

Have you thought about color Andy? Just trying to visualize your car in a nice shiny paint. Also, going back to the first page of your thread and looking at what you started with.....amazing work. I know you've learned a lot on the journey.

 

Hey Dave ! Color is down to a Ford color of the early eighties . A very dark green . They called it (I think), Midnight Teal Metallic . I used it on my 51 M - 1 half ton I had back in the mid 90's early 2000 ' s . Color two is a Burgundy shade of some sort . I feel that two many customs are already using this color and I am a little hesitant on that one . Although that said not up in my neck of the woods is it used to much . I just don't want a cookie cutter color . A distant 3rd is a dark gunmetal variant . I already have the interior material bought . It will be 2 tone crème / tan . Interior dictates that the exterior needs to be a dark color . Thanks Andy !PS if there are any photoshop experts out there watching this thread feel free to indulge now that I have some half decent side profiles . Thanks

 

Heres a couple that Moose did in photo shop today . Which way to go . These are somewhat close to what I am thinking but not 100% on the mark . Good for reference , enough to go by for sure . He did a excellent job . Andy..

 

I think I'd go with the green. Maybe not too dark. I've seen some beautiful green customs and the color just accentuates the flowing lines.

 

I leaning heavy on it as well but one never knows what one will see before now and painting of anything .

 

Moving forward on this skirt for the drivers side . 5/16 CRS and 18ga. sheet metal . Wheeled up the first panel moving rearward . For more detailed description look up Cruiser skirts A to Z here on the HAMB . Thanks for your interest all , Andy..

 

More progress but not as much as I would have liked . Oh well better days ahead . Andy..

 

More progress in closing up the driver side of the car and building the cruiser skirt . Made an exact duplicate of the other side out of paper . Lots of measuring , and attempting to mimic the right side. This gives an excellant guide as to what your after in regards to duplication of one to the other . As you can see even through that process I am still off at the front of the wheel house . That don't matter none as this will be covered by the transition part of the skirts anyways . It's just, will my OCD allow me to leave it alone ?? Time will tell . I wheeled up this here panel as well . I have to shrink that discolored area that you see there as there was a slight bulge that developed there . It's not to bad though . I was attempting to build all in one piece but a man needs to know his limitations ! Andy...

 

Thats a lot of hard work man. Even harder when you have to mirror match the other side.
Do you have a pic of the english wheel that your using?

 

I looked in my archives of pictures but you know I've never taken a picture . I will , when I go to the shop this morning . I built it myself and ordered the dies from Hoosier Profiles . I think their in Ohio but I am not quite sure .

 

Heres what I came up with for a E Wheel . It works the very best for these smaller panels . 1" wide and the top anvil is a 4" bearing for a forklift mast and as mentioned Hoosier Profiles are the lower anvils . Frame is made from 1 x 2.5 and some 1" x 1" stock .

 

Thats nice. better than mine for sure.

 

Agree. Really impressed with the substantial amount of metal work you have tackled on this build. Your skill level has increased right in front of us over time. Inspirational.

 

Thanks Jimmy, honestly I do feel like I could take on a more challenging project with all my new found abilities . In all seriousness I do look at things in a different light when it comes to figuring out how to accomplish a metal issue . Thanks for the vote of confidence ! Andy..

 

A vote of confidence from me too! Nice work!

 

Thanks to you as well Eric . Now get out there and paint something will ya !!!

 

Started wheeling up the skirt on this side . 10 minutes on the wheel put 90% of the shape I needed . I will have an abundance of time this weekend which should yield some fairly decent advancement in the build . I have no room in the shop to take a decent picture but you get the idea ! Andy...

 

I am sure you seen this is one of the other photos . This conceptual drawing is rattling around in my head . What do you think ? To loud ?

 

Not too loud at all. Looks great to me!

 

Well that idea just was shot to hell as my daughters' 2009 Jeep Patriots engine shit the bed tonight . Sooooo , I will be spending the weekend in the shop alright but not on the Buick . It's my one and only daughter . Dad's gotta do what a dad's gotta do . Andy..

 

Thanks , 55caddy62 . It's rattling but hasn't been decided yet . I don't know if I have the personality to wear the traditional flames . They draw a lot of attention , that's for sure . Andy..