Projects Rusty 47 Ford Reserection

Wow Rikster awesome work.

 

Top work Rik! These cars really do walk a fine line when chopped - nice to see that this one is in some capable hands.

 

Nice design Rikster.

I agree on the stone guards. They are a must on a '41-48 car with fender skirts.

 

This is both an amazing and inspiring thread! Keep going!

 

I agree with the stone guards too Rik but I didnt realize anyone was reproducing them! All I have ever been able to find on-line has been the ugly rubber ones , I will have to look into them, I should get a pair before I repair the bottom of the front fenders so I can make sure they fit properly. As far as skirts I am planning to make my own along the lines of the factory ones but flush fitting them , still trying to decide what might be the best way to build em, I have a few ideas floating around in my head. Since I dont have an E wheel I will prolly use the roof skin from the 4 door roof , and I am tossing the idea around about making some kind of hammer form to do the edge flanges.

 

Hey Steve..
Hammer-forms are very nice to use They do take a little while to get "right".
I made a bunch years ago to make the wheel-well openings for cars I worked on.
Building in a compound curved opening isn't so bad at all with a little patience of forming.
My problem was that I dislike working with wood!
Lots of online info if you haven't got much experience with them.

Now here's a question.. why haven't you built an e-wheel yet?
They aren't THAT hard to make unless you are trying make a $4-10 grand unit.
Mine is cheap, strong and simple (like me except for the strong part).
I guess you have done so well without one so why bother. Maybe a winter project.

 

Chad told me I could borrow his...its a homemade one with only 1 die , so I am not sure if its worth the trouble ...the other option is to cut the opening a little small and roll the lip with a home made dolly , I am having too much fun working on the car to stop and build an E wheel and I dont care for working with wood either ! There was a good thread on here a few yrs back about making some flush mounts for a tail dragger I will have to see if I can find it, but I do have to get a set of those stone guards

 

E wheels are great fun.I built one from a kit off ebay a number of years back. Problem is I can`t find the time to play with it.Princess Auto are selling them now.Very cheep and with some mods to it they should work great.

Can`t wait to see this car up close. See ya the weekend.

 

I do like the stainless stone guards. Just that little bit of adornment will go along way to breaking up that expanse of color. As far as the skirts go, I haven't checked, but I would bet that the fordor top has a bit too much contour. Years ago I remember someone making some using the roof panel of a Fox bodied mustang, ('79 - '93). might be worth a look.

 

KK if you like PM "FC Ute" he has made some hammer forms for several of his projects. They are simple and really effective. He is a nice guy and will probably lead you through the process should you want.

 

Thanks I will do that !

 

One anvil wouldn't be enough to keep you happy, Steve.

But I tell ya... If I would have had my e-wheel and planishing hammer (both cheaply built by me) when I used to do this stuff for a living I would have been able to do a lot nicer work with a lot less effort and body fill.
The attached pics show a 1' sq piece that I beat the crap out of with a ball-peen hammer, then plannished it and wheeled it.
Once you have them.. they are useful.
The Princess Auto ones are a good place to start unless you have $$ for the fancy ones.

 

Lol I dont even have the money for the Princess Auto ones !!

 

Its actually fairly flat in the middle I got lots to do before i start making skirts ..I used the hood off the donor S10 to make the skirts for the wifes 64 Pontiac really recycled that truck lol .

 

I've got less than 80 bucks into mine (remember.. I'm a cheapskate). But I can't see you taking the time away to build something else now anyway.

 

Kool kemp , I love what you have achieved so far,you have great skills and imagination.
I love the profile that Rikster has photoshopped for you but I would love to see a pic with the driprail put back on as I think it would make it look swoopier and the door and quarter window would better flow together.

 

I'm a big fan of drip rails as well.

 

Sorry guys... wont happen.. at least not by me.
I love the look of early customs.. and if you study them, you will see most (if not all) had the drip rails removed, for that ultra smooth melted butter look... I love it!
Some cars look good with drip rails, but the 41-48 Ford/Mercury's looks so fantastic with them shaved.

 

I hear what you are saying but I was always thought that the top of the door and the top of the quarter window look like they dont line up, with out the drip rail, even though the widow openings are in line.

Found a pic of a car that has the drip rail to hopefully show what I mean.

 

To me the drip rail results in conflicting lines on the C-Pillar when you chop the top like it was done on the green car, and on Steve's and many others. It only looks "good" when you vied the car from a dead-on side view. If not then the drip rail does do strange things in my eyes...
Take a look at the photo of the same car below. And how the shape of the C-Pillar is completely different than the drip rail. This really does not help with the flow of this type of body... at least thats my opinion

 

I see what you mean with the C pillar but this could be over come by making the drip rail flow more with the c pillar.
More like this.

 

Steve
I have the 2x4 tubing if you have the time to build a frame for an english wheel.
We could lay it out and weld it on my shop floor.

 

We all have different opinions on drip rails. I myself don`t like a car that is smooth and everything is filled.To me it looks to thick,or a sod box.That`s the bodyman in me,But that is just my take on customs,everyone is different. I like seeing drip rails cause it makes the roof look lower. That dark green one is nice,the drip rail don`t flow with the rear window that good but other then that is it sweet.

 

I always like the front on this car (till the B-Pillars). But the chop has some issues in my eyes. The rear quarter windows are to short, and the rear of the top could have been chopped half an inch or so more to get a perfect balance... or perhaps call it a late 40's perfect custom. Also the forward angle on the B-Pillar could have been done a bit more dramatical...






Dave McKee photo's

 

Perfect sample for sure.... one of the better once... but this is a relatively mild chop which helps.

 

Thanks for the template Rik I am gonna try and get it printed at work today ...as far as the drip rails go, I personally dont care for them on a car with a heavy chop...such as mine they can look great on a mild chop , but they are also a huge rust problem on anything but a dry southern car, there was no way to save them on this car. I feel the same way as Rik about them....on an early 50's or late 40's style build they dont belong. Besides Gene Windfield told me at is workshop that they dont belong on a custom

 

I'm not going to argue with Gene........