COE 1941 Ford COE build

DFA4DF29-B8C1-4FDE-8997-974CA03AB0F4 by scott selvidge posted Nov 13, 2021 at 7:58 AM

I decided on this cluster. Going to be in the center of the dash. I as able to work with Dakota Digital to change the font and graphics a bit.

 

that is a very nice piece... Center of the dash will be cool too.... I mounted a donor cherokee cluster in the center of a Wrangler dash with oak trim. came out pretty nice but took some training to look there for the gauges...

 

bad 1959 Impala impression is a FULL FAIL! can't see the gauges sitting in the seat... I tried making just some small bezels and mounting the cluster flat... That looks like it might have promise and is similar to 38/39 round clusters... pics soon...

 

Center mounted Intelletronix cluster in my Triumph Spitfire custom stainless dash

 

...that's nice... I guess it's also appropriate that a British car should have a ROT knob... Does that slow it down or increase it?

 

That tells others to get out of my way! (horn*****on)

 

My 59 Chevy dash unit cut down to fit . The two outside gauge holes has ac vents .

 

it's true, I just want to be like you, Blue! Not sure I've seen a pic of it installed, it's fantastic... Did you need to angle it up some from the Impala's position?

 

No I don’t think so . The flat above the glove box is at the same angle as in our 59 wagon . The gauges are for a 57 so I had all the info and left the two outside open for the ac . I cut the center and ends to match the stock dash and grafted them together . Have fun .
The****** toad gets a decal around-it saying “I use to be a prince , but now I’m just an old****** toad “
The straight on photo is taken from the sleeper at head level .

 

slight change in direction with the help of my buddy at the local welding shop with his CNC plasma cutter...

Test steel items, final ones will be stainless for the rear panel and painted blue for the front one...

 

I could live with that!

 

Happy Thanksgiving guys!

More polishing... Getting there, a bit more needed... Truck paint schedule slipping... Parts and sleeper all bodyworked, truck was supposed to be there this past Monday... Now this coming Monday... and snow is predicted...

 

came out pretty good, still some small scratches... hopefully more polishing will get rid of them.. I really like that original 1941 ford blue...

 

Leaving this morning for finish bodywork and paint.... I realize I should officially be sitting on a milk crate....

 

dropped off... Only a little whimpering from me.. Due back 1st or 2nd week of January... Visitation is approved and encouraged... Now we wait....

 

I splurged and ordered a few things from Wescotts... Those guys know their Fords! I got matching interior door and window handles and escutcheons. (I still don't know how to say that word). Repop vent door emblems since the only one of my originals that was savable is the one above. ...a few other little things (hinge pins, w/s knurled nuts, etc)...

The body shop has one of my SS grill bars. He has a guy that he thinks can fix the dents... we'll see...

 

https://www.google.com/search?clien...nunciation#kpvalbx=_ZgqpYerkDtWdptQPx8mw0AQ21

 

LOL chn

 

Visited the body shop last night... more progress... He's gone over the sleeper again after the first pass and identified more teeny fixes. I never, ever would have found these.. He's started the first pass on the cab... The more I see, the more I think the paint store guy's statement is spot on. He said "with them doing the body work, you will not have to worry about a matte finish to hide anything"...

The body shop's guy that the boss thought might be able to rework my SS grill bars isn't up to the task. I gave him the worst one. We talked about them reproducing something which I wasn't too keen on as they'd be flat. So I began trying my hand at fixing one of my spare pieces... It came out OK. Still a little bit of a hard time getting rid of all the scratches. The routine I used was hammer out a dent, file flat, 320 sand dry, 600, 1500, 2000 wet sand then polish... Maybe I need more sanding steps??

They good news is that two of the bars on my donor grill only have minor flaws, if I can perfect my methods they will work great to replace the two most damaged bars. The bad news is that two others are pretty heavily damaged and the donor has no more decent ones. All the others that were on the truck need some minor fixes, but again if I can perfect the process I think they are within my skill set.

still debating white over blue versus white over blue with tan body line....

 

worked on the stainless a little... I managed to get rid of the remaining scratches that were giving me trouble. 1 grill bar is pretty close to perfect. The next one will require either a little more dent removal albeit very small or filing.. Not sure which yet... Other wise its in pretty good shape... They'll replace both inner SS bars... I also took another swipe at the engine crank hole piece. It's pretty close to prefect now too... getting there... hopefully the truck returns in the next few weeks.

 

Hey Eli,

Any chance you could do one with the body line in white? I'm waffling on the third color and thinking about just blue and white, maybe a pinstripe on the body line...

 

polished up really nice... No need for repops... Simply amazing that it's 80 years old and looks almost new., I can only aspire to look half as good at it's age...

 

nine down, 5 to go... happy with the results, not concourse quality but I think it's ME quality.. I am using the top end of a center punch that's got a similar curve to the pieces to push out the dents. My door panel fastener removal tool to get the ones under the flanges on each side then file, 320, 1500, 2000 and polish... Its surprising how easily this metal moves.. Just very lite taps...

 

BTW: The secret to removing the filing scratches seems to be using the 320 wet sanding.. It takes some considerable elbow grease, but enough of it will remove all the scratches from the file.

 

All done (I think)... Very small defects on some of them about midway... we'll see what they look like installed out in the sunlight...

 

Congratulations! Your hard work paid off big time.

 

I may have to try your straightening ideas. I have a box of spare 1941 grill trim that needs attention. You are so right about them being soft. I put a clip in my show quality trim, it hit the inside and dented the piece outwards.

 

Interesting you should say that... I had a fair number of forward pointing****s and wondered how they happened... Luckily, I could just file them down and sand, no hammering needed. When you say clip, you mean the ones that attach the trim to the grill??

 

stainless and final steel cut for gauge cluster... Now I'll add studs to bolt it to the dash and lights (neon green??) Then the top layer will join Buford for blue paint. FYI: The plastic protection layer is still on the plexiglass.