Attaching a new cowl and windshied to my 33 chev body . Would you cut it at the body seam or just beyond?? At this point the body is still attached to the old cowl and needs to be cut . New cowl has been cut off an inch away from the seam ,still leaded .
I have never messed with a 33 Chevy so I don't know what the seam looks like on the underside. But I think I would actually totally remove the original type seam and add in a smooth strip.
Cut it at the seam, anywhere else you'll end up with two seams. By the way nice weld, but then again it should be as the guy who did it welded that seam all day long.
X-2! IF that is/was a factory weld seam.....this gives proof a "good" weld does not hafta be a 'row-of-dimes' to be called a "good weld"! I like to call some welds "gorilla-welds"........Big-Strong-and Ugly!! Nothing worng with that weld, its held up for.......almost a hundred years!
Cutting it at the seam will only require one lot of bodyfiller to deal with. Cutting next to the seam will give 2 spots that need filler .. the original seam, and the spot you cut, which will also require work to fix warpage and still nead filler after fixing the warpage anyway. Cutting at this seam since theres already filler there anyway will be quicker and easier to do, putting a strip in to replace the seam will take longer, generally require profiling of the strip on an english wheel or itll pull the curve out of the original roof towards the flat strip and warp it more. Longer planishing time etc.. At the end of the day for me, therell be filler there whether you put in a strip or not so redoing filler on the original seam is waay less work and time. if the seam has been fine for this long itll continue being fine for years after, so that negates any argument for ‘keeping the original seam tight’. Also, if any repair NEXT to the seam is tight enough to do, keeping the original seam tight after redoing it is also a moot point.
Can you post a pic of the underside of the seam..? Because, in the body shop world, if theres a joggle joint there, we would cut it where you have the sharpie line and grind off all the seam from that side,l to the joggle joint, then do the same on the opposite side of the mating piece and weld them backtogether EXACTLY the same as they were originally if that made sense.... Itll also give you a chance to clean any rust in the joint and zinc it before welding.. this rust could be who knows how close to popping through if you dont get into that original seam to see..
The original seam is a good . Trying to get it cut down the middle of the seam , grinding off old weld and lead , I decided to leave the seam and cut a new one an inch or so back .So now it is done , no turning back !!!!
Honestly I would cut it where you feel most comfortable. If you can cut behind the seam on a nice flat area that is easy to Weld and dolly as you go then I would cut it there. If you feel you can cut the original seam open and match the old original seam to your new seam then I'd do it there. Amount of bonds is a no big deal to me, what's another tablespoon behind the original seam your going to bonds anyway? .
If you cut the original seam little bits of lead will make welding it back together a pain in the ass.
Well since ya asked ….. You can eliminate that lead joint totally by cutting the new piece forward of the factory seam. Add a new piece a couple inches long, then fit just behind the original seam. 2 welds, no lead joint or issues with previous lead.
@wood remover I think you made the right decision! All along on this project you have shown both good judgement and good workmanship. Trust your instincts! Ray
Thanks Ray !!! No rodding friends within a 100 miles ,just moved 2 Yrs. Only my wife to run things by. Lots to do , always thinking 5 -6 steps ahead .
I am entertaining the chop as well !!! Once I get the body solid on the new subframe Got to change out both wheel wells as well at some point .I left the insert in the roof for now ,just to add some stability to the body while I moved it off the other chassis . Pop riveted in by previous owner in the sixties .
I can well agree with the way you are doing it, What we have to work with no is a lot different than the factories did then or what a bodyman might have done back pre WWII. Overlapping, welding or spot welding and leading was the way then but may not be the best way every time now.
Yeah , figuired if I do the chop, the roof will have 2 seams regardless ! I do have the roof pieces from the 4 door so I can cut some decent pieces to weld back in .
These are the wheel wells I have to cut out and weld back in . Will be a bit slowed down now as I have to sand blast a few areas to weld . I thought it was a good Idea to blast and epoxy prime ,but now I am wasting a lot of time removing epoxy to weld !!
As alluded options vary but as long as its invisible as a repair to the naked eye AND the fact it's not an OEM restoration but a Hotrod a repair free of lead contamination makes the most sense to me...
Really happy now ,to have the body on the good chassis , and the old one rolled outside Was a pain in the ass having both chassis in the garage !!!
Well , one step forward and 2 steps back !! Doors didnt seem to close right , so Ted (33anda3rd) got me some measurments from his car Thanks Ted Turns out the sub frame is too wide between the B pillars . Off comes the body and out comes the sub frame .
Pulled the sub frame on Sunday , was nice outside, cut it all apart ,corrected my measurments ,reinstalled it on the frame and tack welded it . Spent the day cutting and grinding , at least I saved a big mess in the shop .
Now I have to pull it back out and finish welding it (again) ,but can see it will fit much better . Pulled the roof insert out now the body is on the other chassis ,was pop riveted in with a few tacks of braze , who cuts a roof insert with a oxy/ acet torch and installs it ??? Much of the car was this quality of workman ship . The engine crossmember was wedged in between the frame rails ,no bolts ,no weld no glue ,no spit !!!
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