removed some leaves out of the rear stack tonight. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My plan is to try to clean up one part of the running gear every night. By the end of the week, spray a batch. Might drag out longer but I'm just trying to make small goals to get to completion sooner. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I know the process well.... I'm waiting till summer to fire up the molasses bath again. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Another stash has made it's way into my hands....I'll be moving alot of it on and using what i need! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Keep it up! I too literally try to do at least one thing a day even if it's only as simple as locating three washers, spot welding a single little patch panel, rust hole, or paint on a tiny bracket. Seems easier to stay on it if you do something all the time. If I miss a day it can quickly turn to 3-5. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Well, some of this model A gear has been the hardest to let go in terms of wanting to keep it! But, it will help the 32 progress! I've made my money back and am $1,000 up since picking it up friday! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Wow man you won the Hot Rod lottery!!! when I finished picking my jaw up off the floor I quickly realized that A) I'm pretty sure I've had a pipe-dream exactly like this story (of course in my dream it happened to me )and B) this is my new favorite thread! ....I have always dug finding rusty bits of metal and often daydream of finding some sort of semi intact coupe or roadster... it hasn't happened yet but your story proves even the most far fetched imaginings can happen! Nice work on saving those A 1/4s too! I have a pair of 1/4s that had the "war fuel ration" treatment can you give us/me more info on forming those 1/4 tops either here or by pm? -cheers
Like this?.....Easy you just run a heap of shrinks around the top of the panel then smooth it out in the English wheel with a high crown dolly and bob's your uncle. next step shape the section that go's around to meet the trunk lid and weld together (easy as your welding on the crown of the panels so bugger all distortion) what there is is easy dealt with hammer and dolly. can post some pix of that stage if I can find em, or I can take some more next time I'm down the hanger working on it (28 roadster) cheers Kev.
I paired the quarters up and marked every 100mm down the back of them. Then made templates for the 100mm increments using the more complete quarter panel as the guide for the cardboard templates. The patches were then hammer and dollied by hand, tacked in postion, then finish welded and cleaned up. It was time consuming and enjoyable! This was my first time creating a patch of any sort. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Found a crappy photo of the top section welded on but not dressed out, this started as a flat section which I folded a lip on (The lip is on the edge that meets the trunk channel)then shrunk the lip to fit the curve of the quarter then a slight shrink along the mating edge (to the quarter) smoothed out on the wheel then weld the bits together then dress out with hammer and dolly (which I did after this shot) hope this helps....oh yeah going to make the top front section separate and stick it on.
My coupe quarters have been done for quite a while now. I found working with the cuts around the edge of the existing swage to be the most challenging part. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
this should give a better idea how I shrunk the lip to get the curve to match the outer part of the quarter, this will fit in to the trunk channel.
Thanks mate(s)! you guys do amazing work....i'm going to try drylakes method as I don't have access to an english wheel or shrinker but cool to see the different methods achieve the same results
know what you mean trying to fix stuff that has been messed with in the past can be "interesting" I have spent the last 3 years off and on fixing stuff on my Desoto pickup that I could have just made new but I wanted to retain as much of the original car as I could. certainly not he case with my 28 roadster, trying to prove a point with that I can make a steel body roadster for less than some of the rusty crap parts for sale on line. think so far it owes me one rusty gas tank and bonnet and three sheets of panel steel, total so far about $300 bucks plus chassis and front end...the fun continues. cheers Kev.
Yep more than one way to skin a cat, with this sort of thing there is no real right way, just what works at the time with the tools available.....sticking at it is what counts...u might not get it first time but you will get there.
At the stage i repaired the quarters i had a very limited selection of tools. I ended up using a pipe bender and marking every 50mm along a piece of 19mm square tube and bending it gradually to create the return of the quarter and rain gutter. Hard to tell in the photo but i split the square tube and welded this piece on as the mount for the rubber seal. It might not be a text book method, but it was cheap, easy and successful. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
nothing at all wrong with your repair you guys , too many people spend lots of money on expensive equipement to repair old car bodies. after they buy these machines then the then cant understand how to use the dam machines. I know of 3 wheeling machines blokes have bought to fix the junk old cars and they havnt done anything but wasted time and materials with these expensive toys , best idea ive found is to think about your repair before you start look for panels that you can cut up to repair your rusty or damaged body and then go from there
cool! this is really helpful....I will have to re-roll or straighten my bead (swage) they were tin snipped right along the edge of it so all my welds will be right along this edge ... I wonder how I can smooth the welds down without cutting into the bead or grinding into it with the edge of the disc?
you can also weld from the underside so there is still a weld bead and you only have to shape the weld penetration , use a air sander / drill with a cut down used sanding disc then you don't grind away all the parent metal , metal dosnt get to hot and cause more probs we used this method when working late model cars (thin metal )
I do have some coupe 1/4s although the curvature is different because the trunk sits in a different area on the roadster theoretically for one of the 1/4s I could use that section (that follows the trunk) but I would still have to hand make pieces on both ends and split and widen it too! so probably just as much or more work
dosnt have to be the same type of car to get the repair section from ,just look around in a junk yard its the shape you need then go for it it may be even of a import from any were the humble vw bug has lts of great shapes
yes it would be a great idea to use the copper , I didn't even think of the fact you must be using a mig welder I'm a welding torch bloke no bloddy wonder your concerned re grinding away to much parent metal . if this is the case then weld from behind s much as you can to leave the weld bead intact , sorry I'm a old aussie bloke here
weld gap should be about a sixteenth of a inch , thing is weld from behind works good as metal expands with the welding heat then when it cools it returns to it the shape before you started welding. tack the whole job together about a inch and a half apart , so you can shape your metal were you want then weld from one end to the other , in my experience stitch welding ie a inch here a inch there till its all done creates untold problems , if you are welding and the metal pulls in and goes bad STOP , work out what the problem is usually heat going in the wrong angle to the weld and address your method of welding
id melt the copper with my torch , you do good work speed shop , wish my roadster was as advanced as yours
Thanks again I feel like I have a much clearer picture now! ....tubl i'm really excited to learn 0xy-acetylene welding but not on my roadster panels lol there are guys on here that don't even have to hammer or dress those welds 'cept for a little buff with a flapper!....I'm keeping my eye open for a small set like a plumbers set up