Projects 54 Chevy 210 custom "THE ORPHAN"

You didn't see? I already have it mostly straight using a hammer lol

 

See? Lol. Still some work left on the tail panel

 

Was meaning the fb one

 

Oh lol. I'd be afraid it'd just pull off of the car lol

 

Well worse case you’re ready for the new metal lol

 

Funny part is until my 54 was unloaded at the shop I figured I'd need to go ahead and replace the rear section of the quarter. Luckily it was one of the extremely rare cases where it actually looked significantly better after being pulled from the brush lol. Body sitting flat on the ground off the frame it looked like the whole thing was bulged out and distorted. Of course I really couldn't get a good look at the rear of it because when I bought it it was backed up to a fence. Turns out most of the damaged is in the rocker patch panel area..... irony as it already has a replacement patch down there.....that I'll likely be fixing permanently with a patch panel lol. Sticker with the application, on and company that stamped the panel is still on the inside of it and readable. Gonna try to order another from them because a lot cheaper plus their patches go up higher

 

So messing around with the door I managed to get a decent gap. Not perfect perfect but it's close enough I'm happy. Also took the trim off. And while I was in it I got to thinking. All the window channels and felts were in good shape on the doors. And honestly by the time I'm focusing on actual side glass I'll want to put in new channels. So I took them out with the intent on trimming down and using in my 53.

 

Also the door handle patch/filler I made ended up being dead on. Masked out the b pillar patch too.

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/uAFuag6NZT4?si=acWyqOJV-MpRucyU

Made the patch for the b pillar. Easiest patch ever lol

 

Did you hammer that out of flat or is is off a passenger door? Video wasn’t 100% clear but sure looks like it aught fit well!

 

It's the top section of the rear of a passenger door. The 54 210 @fastcar1953 started building to replace this car he ended up chopping the top on. When I received delivery of this car there was a bunch of chopped up bits of window frame and garnish moulding left over from when he did the chop. In the pile was a complete b pillar from a passenger door. This is cut from that. Actually came up with the idea while making a video not long after the car was delivered lol

 

This video. You can see the piece I cut it out of lol

 

Nice!

 

It's getting to the point where I'll need to just bring my cheap Amazon welder to work and run an extension cord out to the car and start welding. So far I've made two patches and templates for three more. And planning even more lol. So it would be wise to start burning them in before I need a U-Haul to haul the patches to the car lol

 

So it's been bugging me that I still haven't decided on a name for this hoopty after owning it over a year. Usually I have a name within a couple weeks of buying a car. Sometimes before I even get it home.


So anyway when I bought this car I told @fastcar1953 one thing I liked about it was that it had been messed with with no significant documented history. My 53 was insanely complete and untouched when I got it. To the point I bet over 90% of the hardware hadn't been touched since it was built in 1953 in st Louis. And I knew the history of the car all the way to new. So that on top of it also being my first complete true vintage car there was and is a lot of stuff I'm hesitant to do to it. Meanwhile this 54 while a majority of the parts were there it was nearly completely stripped. A lot of repair and custom work had already been started. And any history of the car beyond a decade is vague at best and even that only goes back 15-20 years. It's basically an orphan in the vintage car world..... meaning I feel more freedom in building it

So I'm thinking "The Orphan" is a good name. Cool vibe, retro gang sound, not too psychobilly, and were I to letter it on the trunk I don't think it'd look out of place. What do you hoodlums think?

 

I did kind of make it a orphan. lol Kicked it to the curb.

 

And like I said that was part of the appeal of the car to me. Like I can do what I want with it without second thoughts. Only things to limit me on this one is my finances and personal ability level lol. Usually when you find cars with no history they aren't worth fixing. But this one is actually pretty solid and a 2 door 210 like my actual preference

 

I think I'm caught up with planned patches to make now lol. I'll find more to make lol

 

And just to see how well my firewall patch fits. Seems to fit pretty nice. One spot I gotta grind a lil to clear the hood hinge

 

Gave up trying to turn the broken bolt out of the bottom of the driver fender. Ended up drilling and retapping it. While I was there I went ahead and welded up a dime size rust hole just above it. All things considered this is still a very solid fender. Only the bottom inch or two has any rust beyond just surface rust. And most of that I'm able to slagweld closed.

 

Well was trying to avoid ordering anything for either car this week in an attempt to not spend so much money. But.....I found a full bearclaws kit under $50 shipped so I comprised lol. After I get the latches fitted and the window trim holes weld up along with the door handle shaving plates in I can do final bodywork and get the doors painted. Actually already have the primer and paint

 

Bearclaws came in. Nice for Amazon

 

Where I'm thinking I'll mount the latches. Seems to be a good bit of room that way

 

The "Orphan"...I like it!

 

LOL, I share your pain, trying not to order parts until I sell some things. Argh!

 

Yeah the orphan gives off a vibe of something from a 70s/80s greaser movie in my mind lol. Like something off the movie "the wanderers"

 

So I decided how I'm doing the doors. After being inspired by the junior Conway shoebox clone and realizing how much break over force my door latches will need I've decided I'm going to shave the interior door handles too lol. Be chrome buttons somewhere around the center of the dash that will trigger the solenoids. Figure I'll mount an extra solenoid in at least one door with wiring ran but not hooked to power as an emergency backup in case a solenoid fails. Told several people here when I was debating it and they seemed to think it was a cool idea. Then I told it to my non car guy nerdy childhood buddy ....he thought it was really cool. I like the idea of the car appealing to non car people....thats how you get new car people lol

 

Got the solenoid and popper kit ordered today. And ordered a bunch of butt welding clamps because they're cheap and will come in handy on this project. Unlike the windshield project on the 53 I'm actually looking forward to getting down on the metalwork on this. Will quickly change the look from abandoned project to the clean custom I have in mind

 

Had initially planned on leaving these off as not only was this car missing them I was planning on a lot of trim shaving. But in last weekends marketplace haul I got a pair of them in pretty decent shape. So here I am polishing them up lol. Both had noticable superficial scuffs..... pretty sure from sitting around on a shelf and getting shuffled around a decade and a half. Been sanding on this one with 1000 grit sandpaper and chrome polish and it's getting pretty close

Also got the door solenoid and popper kit in. So soon I'll be pulling the passenger door back off to bring home and begin metalwork. On that note. Initially I'd planned on filling the lock knob hole in the window garnish mouldings since it was getting shaved door handles. But now I'm thinking on using them to do an emergency mechanical door latch release in case the solenoid fails. And then just disguise it as a lock knob

 

Finally got around to cutting apart the mockup 55 Chevy rear bumper so I could swap out the wrecked center piece with the straight one the guy gave me with it. I'll take it to work to put with the car tomorrow. Should be able to fabricate bumper brackets for it easy enough with as small as they are