Technical Anyone assembled a brookville 3-window body

I’m having an issue with the A-pillars. Not sure what is off or how to correct it. I know Ben built his 3-window but I can’t get ahold of him.
Tony

 

Pics might help. I've not built one, but have one.

Chris

 

Pics man


Pics

 

The A-pillar assembly is straight from top to bottom.
The body has the windshield A-pillar leaning more forward and not a straight line.
Just not sure what’s off and how to correct this issue.


It just doesn’t follow the body side.

 

Watching

 

If bought from Brookville, may be best to contact them?

 

If I'm not mistaken, isn't the whole side of a Brookville body a single pressing? That's the rear quarter, sail panel, roof side, a pillar and cowl side. Not sure about the rocker / sill but the joins suggest that's separate. That being the case it must have some flex in it. I'd guess the tying in to the adjacent panels would require the door to be in the aperture first.

I know Walden assembles them and has his own jig that fits inside the body to provide alignments.

Not that this helps you but it might help you trace your steps?

Chris

 

If the doors fit the opening (should, B-Ville uses a uni-side stamping) then the inner A post would need to fit the uni-side

 

Can someone run a straight edge on their 3-window and see if the body is supposed to be dead straight at the front edge of the door opening?
Yes, The sides are stamped in one piece.

 

I’ve been waiting months for doors. Kenny tells it will be months more before the stamp them.
I wish I had a door to go off of.

 

Seems like you would need the doors before going forward

 

I certainly wouldn't be trying to assemble it without the doors.

 

Here is a pic of one that’s currently for sale on here , not mine .

 

Just checked on mine. Looks very straight. A 2 foot approx straight edge shows its straight accross the side molding on the A pillar, so about a foot either side.

My door aperture (painted) measures a hair over 39" at the side molding height.

Hope that helps.

Chris

 

Maybe someone with a finished Brookville can shoot photos of their doors and take measurements across the top, bottom, and midway at cowl level.
Is it possible you have a Frankenstein of mixed car and truck pieces? .......or different years?

 

The bottom bead and point look off from the one thats for sale

 

It’s futile to try assembling any puzzle without all the parts. What if the post was tweaked, and now you’ve welded it solid to the cowl top?

 

Might be some helpful photos on this Thread...
"UNASSEBLED 3W COUPE, HOW TO DO IT”

 

Here is a photo of my OG 3 window. Being black it is a little hard to photograph. I held a straight edge up to the jamb and the top of the door opening in maybe 1/4 or 3/8 forward of being dead straight

 

Here are a few pics. The front is pretty straight between the arrows in the pic. Couple detail shots too.





The broom handle was the only straight thing nearby............

 

Thanks for all the help. It looks like I need at straighten the body sides at the A-pillars

this build is my personal project at work. I only get time to work on it at lunch. So it’s been 3 years already.

3W Larry got me hooked and the Rolling bones guys keep me going. I’m going the full Schmidt here.

 

Here is a side shot of one from with many moons ago.
(Chopped)

 

Could be the angle of the pic but the windshield post angle looks strange

 

here’s the parts.
A-post look straighter

 

I've done a couple Henry 3 windows and have one in the garage. Something just doesn't look right. As said before the complete side is one stamping. The post above should give you an idea of what it should look like. Have you contacted Kenny at Brookville? Several of the go to guys who knew what was happening have retired so I'm not sure who to tell you to talk to?. I do know that when I was assembling Brookville roadster bodies in the late 90'sto early 2000's I did have get a little creative to get everything to fit. Sometimes I felt maybe there some seconds being sold? It all worked out and the bodies were fine, but.

 

I think if I push outward at the crease line it will help straighten the body out? The stamping must be correct and it just got pushed in at the weak area from stacking them on top of each other or pulling them out of the dies stressing that area or something?

I’ll try calling Kenny at Brookville tomorrow and see what he thinks

 

Not sure if this would help....

 

Shrinkage from welding the cowl pulling it a bit? Possibly the hook tab A to Slot A Tab to slot B thing got out of the step by step order. Simply meaning that if you don't put the structure in this spot before you weld that spot that spot tweaks this spot.

 

Either wait for your doors and chop it, or do heavy Rolling Bones style chop now, lean the pillars back, and then make the doors fit. I'd personally wait for the doors. Especially if you're already 3 years into it.

 

Really difficult to tell from pictures, but my gut reaction when I first saw your pictures was the A pillar looks too upright. I didn't want to comment, because optics can be deceiving. Having said that, I agree with the others, wait for the door and use them as a datum. Especially if chopping, you can do whatever is necessary to make things right.