Projects 39 Standard Tudor build thread

God bless America.
Looking awesome Jocko.

 

Nice work man, you would have made a great farmer
I like the cpvc, prolly never wear out.

How did the vintique parts work out?
Many old timers ***** about the quality of their parts
I’ve found the vintique parts that I have purchased to be very acceptable

 

I'm gonna call em ok, like 80%. I had to reshape all the window felts, 1 out of 8 was close. I used the back of the garnish moldings for final fit, and was caught unaware on the rears. Would you (we) believe the rear windows are different side to side on an early Ford? They are. Almost ¼", both the body and molding. The new channel for the right rear had the stop screw hole off-center. I was ready to weld and re-drill/tap but thought I'd try a fillister head 10-32 1st. It squeezed in there and stops as it should, but no forgiveness. The forward stop "leg" bends easier (way easier) than it should. The whole install is a major "secret handshake" process that CAN NOT BE DONE without help. Of course we won the fight but like said, scars and anger management.

Hey, Merry Christmas to you and yours brutha!

 

Yeah, installing felts, window channels and gl*** in these things can be "interesting"... to say the least.

 

Those back window regulators can definitely be fun to get in and out. I had to pull one to fix a broken crank. They only seem to take a buck of running and twisting In just the right direction to get them to come free.

 

As I said there's secret handshakes to the whole job. The rear regulators, crank stub up, main body (long side) toward you. Ease to the back near the wheelhouse, push toward the outside. Drop the main/long end down a bit and gently raise the crank end higher up behind the inner sheetmetal. Don't force to the outside as that's finish metal. BE CAREFUL, DON'T WEDGE OR BANG THE OUTSIDE. All of a sudden with drop and a turn you'll be facing the right way and ready for the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment which is getting your big glommy hands in there to hold it in place to start the screws. You need a scratch awl or small drift to align the holes, perhaps 2. I liked a small thin one to hold the small sheetmetal screw that locates the final ***embled position. Once in you have to crank the mechanism up to where the roller/slider studs are about 1¼ to 1½ apart. The rest? During ***embly and slider alignment I even called it the dreaded 'C' word. Front in, try for the back, front falls out. Move it just a little, back won't go in. Whoops, there we are. No, we're not, back fell out. Ok, keep at it...for the 5th, 6th, 7th time. And it's dark. And you can't see what you need to see unless you're trying to emulate some Phillipine contortionist from an old Ed Sullivan episode. Once it's in, just hope you didn't bend the wide bar that pushes the gl*** fwd or the stud that it pushes on. Then they miss each other and the window doesn't work after all that mess. I'll bet Leo and Stan in 1939 had it down to a literal science on the ***embly line.

 

Sounds like a scene from a **** movie
I’ve always found like in *** finding the best position is paramount

 

Ok, I haven't been slackin, just doing some rather mundane, boring, and certainly not pic-worthy work. Well, ok some of it is. I'm on what seems a neverending task of completing the firewall insulation and cover. The wiring isn't coming out as nice as I wanted but it isn't hateful. Should be ok once it's all ***embled and connected. I did make another move that, at least in my mind, will be a fitting and elegant touch once done. I'll get there, gimme a minute. No firewall job in these things doesn't include the floors. To that end I had to address a couple other details. I started using some serious heat insulation acquired from a dear friend in the refractory supply biz.

Good for up to 2500deg, but the size was right. I made separate panels and covered em with the same vinyl I used on the trunk panel.

Just above the wood floor you can see I saved and used the original panel retainers because, why not.

On the uppers I didn't bother with vinyl, just painted em black. Can't see up there anyways and WWHD.

I also won the argument with the cowl vent. A little more clean up before it disappears behind the dash but it fit perfect and won't leak.


More to follow...

 

On to the floor, specifically the trans tunnel. Now usually a front rubber floor mat is the norm but I'm not really normal in some ways. I have 2 pieces of stunning neutral hogshair carpet left over from a big Packard job. They're just wide enough to run both sides of the trans/driveshaft tunnel. To that end I pondered how it might look if I upholstered that and ran the carpet down each side. I padded and upholstered the trans tunnel.

With the carpet running down each side I think the final look is a hit.

That's not the hogshair but the color and texture was close enough to get an idea.

Then I got another idea since my brain was in luxo/elegant mode. I was thinking about chrome plating the shifter. Nah, too easy, almost cliché. I pulled the stick and gently wire brushed it to reveal a nearly perfect swan shifter under the original paint.

So I sanded, and smoothed, and shoe-shine "buffed" it out to 400 grit, then finished with a ridiculous amount of scotchbrite polishing.


The end result will be a satin nickel, or butler finish. Maybe such subtle elegance is a bit out of place for the overall car but I don't care. The interior is the focal point, and likely a paradox to what expectations there'll be when viewing the car from a distance. The adventure continues, and the fruits of the labors are beginning to show. See ya soon, same HAMB time, same HAMB channel...

 

Are you going to wax or lacquer the Shifter? I do a lot of that with the work I make. The lacquer can scratch and the rust can get it there. Wax, either bees wax for wood or Renaissance museum wax works really well, and gives a semi gloss finish. https://www.preservationequipment.com/renaissance-wax
Just apply it to a warm surface, so the wax gently melts and soaks in to the metal. when cool buff up. Easy to re apply if needed as well.
Enjoying you build, that refectory insulation is amazing stuff, I also use that, but to line gas forges, really does contain the heat.

 

The stick will get nickel plated, thats just the bare steel. Once plated, yes I'll wax it well the get the "look" for sure. Gonna check that link, thanks...

 

Nice to see ya spending time and energy on your 39
Nice touch with floor tunnel and nickel is my preferred finish

 

I apparently missed this thread earlier. What great paint and looking hotrod. Can't wait to read thru when I get some time.