Projects 39 Pontiac Coupe (series 25 small body) build

Fitting it in.

 

Slow and steady progress fabbing up repair pieces for missing metal.

 

Some real nice work.

 

Finished **** welding the new EMS tailpan. Very happy with EMS! Great fit and heavy metal fab.
I also took some time to build a 4ft metal brake from a s**** big *** angle iron I found laying in the neighbors field. He said i could have it for $0. Sweet. I'm also in work beefing and motorizing my HF bead roller. Sometimes ya juz need to stop and improve your resources.
Now I'm working the trunk floor. I screwed in some 2×2 lumber to the remnants of the old floor to support my cardboard template. Getting close to cutting up a piece of 18 gauge.

 

That brake looks great! Wish I had the space to have one that large set up all the time. I have a small 36" table top brake, but I only set it up when I need it, and then store it away the rest the time. A 48" or larger is much nicer to work with.

 

Got the floor basically built and in for the first test fit. Getting there...

 

Your metalwork is flawless, esp. considering your 'lack of tooling'!
I know guys in this area that have use of excellent rollers, brakes, etc. Don't hold a candle to what you keep doing.

Great thread, I'm subscribed. Thanks for all the pointers on rubber channel, as well as other sources.

 

Did you add a third brace to the trunk floor down the center? I don't recall this brace on my '39 chev trunk floor?

 

Yep. The old floor was pretty ragged and had a droop down the middle. There was a lot of space between the two stiffeners, so I figured I’d put one down the middle to remedy that.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Sometimes I just sit and stare at it wondering if I’m in over my head..

 

Final work on the floor and trunk area done today. I grow weary of put it in, take it out, put it in, take it out... The next time it goes in it should stay there...

 

Ok boys & girls ..it is IN.
Got a little finish welding to do and then on to the next cancer stricken area.

 

You are doing great work on this old indian! Keep on, my heart and me continue watching!

 

Well, I'm back to work. Decided after MUCH deliberation to cut out the lower front cowl sections. They do not make re-pops for these. I thought the 39 Chevy re-pop would fit, but after crossing my fingers and buying one...No joy. Odd, because everybody and their neighbors all say the 39 Pontiac series 25 IS a Chevy body. I bought a Chevy tail pan and it fit perfectly. I **** welded it in with ZERO t******* or mod.
So now I'm cutting out the lower cowl and attempting to make a suitable replacement part. I have never attempted a part this complex, having different curves and bends which need to marry up to the fender.
What could possibly go wrong?

 

Struggling along. I made a buck from s**** plywood. I used a basic HF contour gauge to help get my desired shape, then plowed it with a wood grinding disc from Amazon. I'm on the third attempt at fabbin this part. First attempt was a disaster trying to beat a piece of 18 gauge into compliance. Second try I used 20 gauge and made relief cuts which worked much better. Now I'm back to 18 gauge applying lessons learned. Getting close.

 

Wow that turned out good. You thought it through and did it. Hot rodding at it's best.

 

Nice work! I was too lazy, and not good enough at shaping metal when I did mine, so I made it in pieces and mig welded it together.

 

Yeah...I've never made stuff with compound / complex bends before, so I'm feeling my way through it. I'm cutting up old 18 gauge government surplus shelving thats been taking up spacefor too long. Driver's side pretty much complete. Working on the other side now. Then back underneath to work on the rotten inner rockers. Oh joy...

 

Forward lower cowls are in. Working underneath again replacing rotted inner rockers on the driver's side. P***enger side next and it is A.F.U. to say the least. Started removing the rot and its getting scary...

 

Also managed to snag a couple 200-R4 ******s at the local GoPull It. $120 each complete with torque converters. Should fit nicely.

 

The inner rockers were the easy part, and just a 90 degree bend to make them on a 4 ft. sheet of 20 ga. The outers a few more bends, but also all 90's, and easy to bend and install once the inners were done. I had to splice in metal between inner rockers and floors as there was almost nothing there. I made up a U shaped piece of sheet metal to cap where inner and outer rockers met so it made a nice rounded edge for the carpet to **** to, and also dressed up that lip.






Good deal on the 200R ******s! If I didn't already have a rebuilt 700R4 sitting here I'd have much preferred the wireless 200 over the 700!

 

Good thinking on the 'U' shaped cap! Looks factory, very clean edge there.
I also note other repairs done, always neat finish work. Enjoying the whole thread!

 

Nice work! Yep, I’ve been staring at the outer rocker and getting ready to do the deed. The challenge will be the rear where it attaches to the lower quarter….which is eaten away. But, things have a way of working out.

 

Yeah mine was rotted everywhere, so had to do the same and start with outer rocker located first, and then inner attached to it. Then one end at a time cut back to good metal and repair the areas in both pillars to make them solid too. Then finally floors, and the filler strip between floor patch panels and rockers.
If I ever did it again I'd not waste money buying floor patch panels. They didn't fit well since they are designed to be universal '37-'39 patch panels, and were only close up front. In the back they were totally useless and I tossed them.

 

I was actually advised to stay away from buying floor panels by others who also said they're not worth the $$. I bought a sheet of 18 gauge for the big stuff and have been slicing old 18 gauge shelving for the rest.

 

Damn...little parts take as much time as big parts.
I'm definitely no master metal smith but we're trying. At least now I have something to attach my rocker to.

 

Actually all the Poncho V8 engines. 326, 389, 400, 421, 455 were all the same block with differing cranks, rods, pistons to make the different displacements. Even the little 4 cyl.in the early 60s was just one of those blocks cut in half. All great engine choices for your old gal.

 

Well, the Poncho body is getting close to being ready. New p***enger and trunk floors, new inner and outer rockers, and new lower cowls a**** other odds and ends.
Now I’m getting ready to attack the frame. The PO hacked out the X member and I’m thinking I can build a new one in its place based on various designs I see on line. I see no reason to box it, as I’ll only be running around 250 hp.
What could possibly go wrong?

 

Back at it..
I decided to go ahead and pull the rear end and see what I own. Rear end had a decent amount of oil but pretty black. More on that later.. Starting with the wrapped springs. I removed the steel wrapping as carefully as possible, but they're already pretty crusty. I'll deal with them later.
Inside I found eight leafs, wrapped in canvas as the shop manual said. Lots of *****ed out grease which was encouraging. So far the leafs look pretty good. I've got them separated and will clean and paint them. So far I've just opened the drivers side. I'll now open the p***enger side to make sure they're salvageable.
What could possibly go wrong?

 

I had the same 8 leaf setup with very thin leafs that made the rear sit too high. I had purchased a '58 Chev truck axle for the front of my g***er '39, and no plans to use the front leaf springs on it. So I kept the main leaf from the rear and drilled a new centering pin hole 2" back to relocate the axle in the center of the rear fenders. Then I used most of the thicker and flatter springs from the packs to build up new rear leaf packs. I also welded my new perches on the 8.8" Ford posi, and welded a piece of 1"x2" box tubing to the perches to lower it another inch and get the stance exactly where I wanted it.
I used the Ford 8.8" U bolts, and spring plates and they had enough length to work great. 3 full leafs, plus the '39 main leaf, and one short length leaf to make the whole pack.