COE 1941 Ford COE build

slow progress... More welding on left door, little by little, trying for minimal warpage (and my welding skills ****). Left door mocked up for the first time.

 

How do you plan to make the front fender wheelwell work with the wheel itself? Photoshop needed?

 

Oh my!! A Photoshop would be awesome... Plan is to take the PO's crashed front fenders from the door edge to the wheel opening and use them as the "sides" for the fake firewall. fake firewall cowl will run from the windshield maybe up over the wipers to about the rear of the fake valve covers. Fake firewall itself will run side-to-side, top-to-bottom connecting sides and cowl.

Then the nose will be from a 1961/62 Chrysler 300 (if I can find one). I'll shrink it side to side so it's about the same width as the Vette front frame and covers the air filters, radiator and maybe the MAF, etc...

color scheme is the same as the donor 4 door with maroon where it's red/primer and tan where it's white.

Colors (but in donor scheme, tan on roof and fins, maroon on body):

Nose:

Fenders...

 

Buford's transmission due back tomorrow...

realized the Dodge Boys built Coronet front doors with different leading edge contours in 1959. Not a huge deal for me, but weird... Off by about 3/8" at the beltline. Same width top and bottom. Stange..

 

This was my original, rudimentary Photochop using a Studebaker... while looking for a decent Studey, came upon the Coronet... Obviously, I'm not doing that T bucket type front end.

 

Transmission is back. $1500 from a "buddy"... If only this PNW weather would stop in New England so i could repaint it before going back in....

 

Finally a break in the rain... Trans and TCase painted... should go back in tomorrow...

 

Buford moves again under his own power... But only in the garage so far since my friend the rain came back again....

 

Out on the road and running fine! Wife needs to learn just how long he is as she rubbed the right rear tire on a curb...

 

Put this together today, I believe this is close to what you have in mind. It actually works pretty well, the wheelbase looks like its about 18" shorter. The roof is chopped at the bottom and leaned forward a few degrees, hood and front fender stretched a few inches.

 

Not exactly what I had in mind forward of the windshield, but holy **** it's freakin gorgeous! My plan was open engine compartment, no fenders and only a foot or so of front grille/hood/fenders but shrunk side-to-side and maybe 3-4 feet wide... damn it, I like this so much now I may have to go find not just 1 nose, but TWO! It would hide all the modern under the hoodmuch easier than my fake firewall idea...

 

Hey and not for nothing Eli, but those colors? I hadn't thought about anything like that but they are fantastic... Thanks once again for the great work.

 

The nose I had planned in my warped brain was similar to what's on this he**** 'cept using a 1961/62 Chrysler. Cut down, but complete (ish)..

 

That may be a factory color, here's the original.

 

I get it, kinda like Brussels Sprouts.

 

Exactly! Someone likes them...

 

Added an overlay for a bit of perspective.

 

wow! The difference is amazing...

 

Martha, that man backed right into that pickup truck!

 

First mock up... Pretty sure Eli had a plan to sway me to putting a full nose on Boris..... and it's working!

 

Do you have room in the front to move the clip back and "relocate" the wheel opening further forward?

 

Great minds think alike! I looked at this last night and I think I'd need to move the Corvette's front crossmember back about 4 inches. It might be doable but I'd have to have that welded by someone other than me. I'm also not sure I could move the car around with a new piece just tacked in place without upsetting other geometry.

It would be great if I could make this work and avoid creating two more top-to-bottom seams that I need to make pretty.

 

Just a quick n dirty, gets ride of the "overbite" look.

 

I knd of like this look.

 

wow... that does really make a difference... I was wondering if I could just move the sheet metal in front of the tire forward, but I suspect the wheelwell would be too wide and I have to move the entire opening as you did... First question I need to answer is if I can steer the thing....

 

Cut the front frame horns and pushed the nose back about 6 inches... "Step by step, inch by inch"...

 

.. should I be concerned that the nose on Boris is lower than the VW golf parked beside him?

 

Not to worry, just move the VW.

 

Looks like I need to raise the wheelwell opening about 4 inches... don't really have a clue of the best way to do this and not screw up the lines...

In other news, the COE's fixed, white interior panels that were yellowing have been dyed and first impressions are looking good. Really hope I can put this issue to bed.

 

You remember the guy that shamed me into doing my own bodywork on the COE? And I promptly bought a shrinker/stretcher and slowly learned??

I went and talked with him... He agreed with terminating the body line coming in from the headlight at the wheel arch. But, instead of cutting and trying to relocate the existing wheelwell 4 inches higher, take a piece of 1/2" square tube that I can bend and shape and make the new wheelwell lip. Cut the wheelwell arch front and rear where I want to extend upward and extend with 1/2 square tube. Then connect to existing sheet metal cut 4" up... simple (sort of...)