Projects 34 Boost Coupe

Thank you sound advise for sure. I'm starting to sand the body down and finding more issues...

I'll update soon.

 

Good to hear, but unless the work you are doing is to preserve the body until it's ready to fix, just concentrate on the frame.Sanding the body is going to lead to grinding the bondo, and 10 other things that don't move the project forward. You are going to find a bunch of issues that will take focus away.

 

Thanks for all the advice it really helps a lot.

The plan is frame up but didn’t want to get that deep till I knew what I was dealing with on the body.

Front portion of the car hood and side panels no bondo and straight. Not sure if I will be running them either way. If I do I’ll put a fiberglass hood on it with a cutout for the blower and hat.

doors and trunk lid straight no bondo.

side of the body no bondo.

but the roof looks like hell lots of bondo and kind of a hack job filling in the roof.

not sure what they did front center. Kind of needs a roof. I don’t have the tools to work sheet metal and really don’t want to throw a gallon of bondo on it either.

needs a new firewall and assuming floor.

decisions I’ll come back to after the frame. Throwing some primer on it and will forget about it for now.

 

If you are going to the expense of a 34 style frame, you would probably want to do a proper 34 style subrail and rebuild the rockers to look correct too. If just keeping the shortened lower edge, don’t worry about the more expensive 34 style frame.

The roof skin is an easy repair compared to the bottom of the body.

 

Let’s see, vehicle of choice, check, build plan, check, engine, check, rear axle, check. Looks good so far. Carry on.

 

I'll make one request, when you post pictures please select full size images rather than the thumbnails, it makes it much easier for those of us that want to follow along to see what you're doing and where you're progressing.

 

I do need to figure out what I am going to do before I make any further decisions.

It looks like a good 4" off the bottom for sure.

I am not 100% sure what to do yet.

Both doors to deal with as well.

 

Looking at patches is my only real option without sheet metal capabilities here.

Question I have is there a good body diagram with exact measurements anywhere?

 

SAR has made reproduction bodies so there are exact reference dimensions out there, BUT I doubt that
1. they are freely available and
2. Useful to someone who is not versed in sheetmetal fabrication.
Skip to 5 minutes in for an example of the scan

 

Thank you

I can fab and tig/mig pretty decent, I am lacking the tools to form sheet metal.

Looking around I do see patches, quarters and rockers for sale. I don't see an issue if I can find the exact measurements.

Might have to search for a 34 to make templates from.

 

The problem is, exact where? Every part of a car is curved, with very few exceptions.
You are talking about measuring in all three dimensions, with hard to define points.
Take this door for example

You could measure every inch along the bottom to the first body line above the outside handle at exactly 90 degrees to the body line. The front would have no measurements, because it extends forward from the door at that line. Also, measuring with a tape or cloth measure will be longer than just point to point because the door has a crown, meaning it bows out. This is a fairly simple section to measure, and does not take into account any creases or other typical changes you would find on say a door opening. So asking for exact dimensions so you can reconstruct the bottom 4-8 inches of the whole body (and confirm the rest of it is in proper shape) is going to require a precise 3D point of reference.

 

It’s like measuring an egg. Sure you can get tip to tip, but it’s not going to do you any good if it’s somewhere in the middle that you need to replace.

 

I use cad quite a bit and could 3d scan it. Someone has got to have done it already. If not then I could find a 34 to scan. I have no reference. Only other option is buy some doors and go from there if I can find them. A reference is preferable.

 

pm sent

 

I live and breathe behind a computer, 3d cad and programming. Kind of my thing. I build and sell RC drones and have a CNC here I make them with.

I could get a handheld scanner. I'll look into them. I think laser is the best way. I have lidar but I don't think it will work well for this.

It might work... Haven't tried it by hand but worth a shot.

Then throw the scan into cad and it will produce any measurement from any angle.

Would have to find the right car and owner willing to do it.

Maybe someone here in Ventura or Los Angeles County, CA has a car worth scanning then I can share the scan on the site.

 

Like I said in the PM this is getting out of HAMB friendly.
Also, once you have a perfect set of measurements in the computer, how does it translate into metal to be assembled on the body you have? I hope the links I shared will help you come to a set of skills that work for you.
The HAMB links I posted prior show some great metal working on a 34. I'd suggest looking at others here who have done amazing things. Look for others under Projects.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/build-the-bass-coupe-build.104217/
Note that all of them start with the frame and a plan! This part, thinking about the big task is fun mentally, but you gotta work on the plan and the frame.
You can go with a tube frame and channeled with the bottom cut up, like the car kind of is now, a stock style frame and reconstruct the bottom and keep it channeled, or go stock style frame and restore the body.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/radiator-help-34ford.1296323/#post-14914648
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...4-3-window-build.683056/page-99#post-11868108
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-recognize-this-60’s-orange-channeled-‘34-5-window-from-new-england.1229149/page-10#post-14756041
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-cad-powered-1934-ford-5-window-project.1296247/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1934-ford-tudor-my-first-build.698262/

along with video of other projects in metal. EXAMPLE
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPwxVM7Kly7Pfb8c8E_Pk-mwmLtUnqPPU

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ford-coupe-that-raced-in-my-hometown.1252274/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL53GZjjiBnq0I4s_p0SLW8ZIgKFcCatcI

 

I don't think it translates to hand working anything at all just a reference. Something to go off of where I have nothing currently and it's not a difficult thing to do with todays tech.

Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it.

I have a bit to do before decisions for sure.

 

I have a 34 five window, have a 34 roadster and my first car was a 34 sedan - I know these cars pretty well. Given what you have, it is a very serious question as to what exactly do you want it to be in the end and how much time and money are you willing to throw at it to get it there?

This is going to sound harsh (not meant to be that way): Given the number of what I'll call "messy" modifications to the body and the whole frame/suspension setup, it will be a huge multi-year adventure to get this car to look like any sort of traditional/vintage 34 coupe. Every aspect of this car has had some pretty poor workmanship done to it . . . just a fact. So, you really need to decide how much time, money and aggravation you're willing to put into it - and the time to make that decision is now. Building/buying a whole new frame/suspension and building a new drivetrain is the EASY part of this (though a lot of $$$ involved).

Where the real problem is - is with the body. I've never seen a 34 coupe that had the bottom portion so bastardized. If you're not seriously skilled in extensive metal work, the cost to "fix it" back to a stock shape/design - by any shop will be FAR MORE than this body is worth . . . by probably 4 - 5X. If you're not "that guy" that can do all of this himself - and loves the work (with many hundreds of hours of work and $$$ parts involved), then steer the heck away from even thinking about it.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade - it is just that I've been here before. I bought some projects that were so badly done (and I overlooked so many bad things), that later on I realized that I'd gotten myself in WAY too deep to ever really get the job done to my liking. I'd never be able to look at the bottom of the body you have and not want to fix it back to the way it should be. But, in saying that . . . the job is extreme and probably not worth doing (unless you can do it). Truthfully, you'd probably be a lot better off starting with another car - than sinking the untold amount of time and $$$ into what you have . . . to get it into any sort of what I'll call "traditional HAMB style build".

My apologies for being so direct, I'm just trying to help you in the initial big decision of exactly where you want to take this. Really think about where you want to head, what your vision is for the "end product" . . . do research on all that you'd have to purchase/pay for to achieve whatever vision you have - then take whatever $$$/time you think it will take . . . and multiply it by 3X.

I wish you well!
B&S

 

Ditto

 

If you’re in the LA area, I have the Polish blueprint in my garage you can take measurements off of. I also have a good set of doors you can borrow if need be.

 

Man, just been reading your post on this coupe. No need for CNC or lasers or 3D scanners or any of that tech stuff. Your overthinking this. You just need to call Tom Bay and order up all his lower patch panels a set of Subrails and put your computer down and Grab the tig torch. Rough measurements from another member who has a 5 window are all you need. Plenty of guys here I am sure would be glad to provide them for you. I would but I don't have a 5 window anymore Only 3 windows. I know an old custom car builder who is pushing 80 years old who would probably Gas weld everything and would have that body looking pretty good in a couple weeks time.

 

If you want a 34 that looks like a 34, the frame is a must. Then, get to work cutting off just enough of the fugly to be able to use the IanJay loaner doors (massive, huge offer) to locate the body relative to the new subrails and lower patch sections. Huge project, but if you have massive patience, some ingenuity and a deft touch, you can make a silk purse out of that sow's ear. Please save her.

 

Or as others have stated, I’d consider selling what you have and start with something closer to my end desire such as the one linked here. But I’m not good at metal work

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2TQUAhvII7/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==