Above is a shot of the valance part way through being made. The outer flanges that fit over the chassis have had extra metal welded to them. The reason this was done is because there is only so much metal that can be formed. working out the best place to put the joints is a big part of the skill of making panels.
Here you can see the joint I put in the flange of the valance. I only use gas welding for butt welding panels. The speed and quality of gas welding cannot be matched by any other method. No grinding is needed. Here I have just started to dress the weld.
This is the valance once dressed out. The front number plate will be fitted to this once the car is finished. In the photo above I have also begun to make the windscreen frame. I did not make the complete windscreen frame, I only made the curved section and to save cost the customer wanted to finish the rest. I did have to mount the screen posts and I had designed the mounts into the scuttle frame at the beginning of the build. It is also crucial that the skin fits the frame so that the posts don't dent the panel-work when they are bolted in place. I will post more on this soon. David
Cheers Bob! More to come 62rebel Cycle wings (fenders) next and details of the windscreen. I was teaching at the college tonight again so no time now. Taught the students gas welding this week and last - amazing how quickly they learn the process. David David
the techniques you've been showing us are inspiring... if i had a suitable frame to work up from, i think i'd try to emulate this build using the powertrain from my '62 Falcon, including the peanut 3speed tranny... i really do appreciate the many interruptions to your OWN progress to take pics and describe your processes. this makes HAMB almost as good as a tech course online!
That's classic work David. I mostly work with aluminum myself, so your threads are really quite inspiring and motivational. Ken
This is some good stuff right here. Im impressed with the fact that you have the patience to do this type of work, that in itself is admirable. Maybe i missed it, but whats that grill shell from?
Hi 62rebel, You could always build a frame. or buy something like a repro deuce frame. Thats the problem over here in the UK we used to be able to build what we wanted a few years ago but now its not possible. The car has to be an old car, then you can get away with modifying it. David
Kenb Thanks Ken, you do some nice stuff yourself. I was pretty impressed by the ally vase you made. hillbilly4008 Glad you like the thread. The grill shell is the original shell from the Riley, I think it is a very nice style, not all Rileys have the same shell. Everything is original on the car apart from body. The photo below is of a Riley Kestral which is what this car probably started out as. David
ON WITH THE BUILD. The next few photos show the windscreen (windshield) posts which were bought at an autojumble previous to the car being built. I used these when I made the scuttle frame at the beginning of the build. I designed mounting pads on the scuttle frame to accept these posts. This can be seen inside the body skin in the photo below. The posts have to be a pretty snug fit to the bodywork without digging in, everything has to sit square so that the frame can hinge correctly. This is as far as I was asked to go for the frame. The brass channel section can be pought so I just had to curve it to fit the shapr of the body. The screen pivots and folds down when done. David
The photo below shows how I jigged it all up to ensure the posts sat square and straight. Nothing too elaborate but it worked. David
Nice work David. Is the brass channel you use for the windshield frame a U shape or and H as it can it accept a rubber seal on the bottom edge? And where do you get it from?
On this car it was a H shape, I think it came from vintage supplies (Paul Beck) here in the UK. As you say it would have a rubber seal fitted along the bottom. David
Cheers Terry! This car was a special long before I got hold of it. The Kestrels are fairly common and not particularly valuable so a very rotten example will still be turned into a special on occasion. They have an in line four cylinder engine of about 1500cc so they are not hugely powerful as standard, putting a light body on the chassis makes them a bit more sporty and some people hot them up to the point where they go pretty well. I will be putting up some photos of the wings (fenders) soon. David
Hope you don't mind Dave, but I thought the Hambers might like to see this one which was at the Tasman Revival last weekend. It went as good as it looks
Bob That is ugly!!! to me it has lost all the character of the original car. I have seen similar things done to Austin sevens.
below is a photo of the bonnet catch and the beginings of the lower catches that I made. The next two photos show how the lower catches and how they fit to the car also you can see the landing panel for the bonnet and the holes for the bonnet tape. David
How did this thread get to eleven pages before I saw it?! I love this stuff! Specials are very much my cup of tea; so are coachbuilt cars of the late-Vintage era. My '31 A project, still in the planning stages, is intended to be part hot rod, part special, part coachbuilt fixed-head coupé. Consequently I'm looking at a lot of the sorts of details you demonstrate. In particular I like the trailing edge of the bonnet being some distance behind the firewall, so that the footwell is exposed when you open the bonnet. I've seen it on a number of cars of that era. I particularly like that it gives one easy access to the back of the dash. I was wondering how to do the flange detail at the rear of the bonnet, and the hinge, etc.: thanks. How will the bonnet be sealed over the firewall? I suppose it's less critical with an open body, but mine will be a (fabric) coupé. I'm thinking perhaps a fabric strip on the firewall (I'm using a '31 Model A part) and a hollow rubber profile on the inside of the bonnet where it would be less visible. Great work! I'm looking forward to the rest. Subscribed.
Dowie, When the bonnet extends past the firewall you would need to clad at least the top of the opening to prevent the footwells from becoming flooded. Or use a gutter strip to catch any water. I have used bonnet tape for all areas where the bonnet meets the body and rad shell. this was done by the owner in this case. I hope this helps. David
The cycle wings (fenders) were made on the wheeling machine, they are a simple shape and all I needed to get them the same was the buck in the photo this gave me the contour and I simply used a profile gauge to ensure the profile was the same on all the wings. There was no need for anything more elaborate. Once the wings were wheeled to shape I formed the wire edge. I use a hammer and dolly to throw a flange as per the photo below. David Then close the sheetmetal over the wire..... ....and that gives me the simplest of wings...
are those grill shells a common piece over there? i looked on the net and can't find one to purchase- there is a badge on ebay but thats it
Thank you guys. Nightperson No cars from the thirties are commonplace over here, many cars were scrapped for the war effort during the second world war, (they even cut iron fencing from parks and peoples gardens) we don't have much space on this little island so people don't have the space to store cars. In resent years the few old scrapyards left were cleared because of strong legislation. Parts are quite rare and expensive. I make radiator shells for some of the more valuable cars because they don't seem to have stood the test of time. (SS100s, Talbot105s and others) David
What a brilliant thread, so much technical information all in one place, a true craftsman sharing his skills with us, thanks for posting with all the photos showing the various stages of this project and pasted challenges. Why is there so much negativity towards gas welding? to me seems to be the right way to go, youv'e given us to proof. Surprised that your customer didn't have the chassis prepared prior to you starting your work or will that be done later. Thanks for the head-up, makes a good read and technical document.
[Z5R "Why is there so much negativity towards gas welding? to me seems to be the right way to go, youv'e given us to proof." I gas weld most things I have a good mig and a powerfull tig but gas is best for bodywork- especially aluminium. Z5R "Surprised that your customer didn't have the chassis prepared prior to you starting your work or will that be done later? I have been waiting for someone to mention the chassis. The car is being built to be driven. The chassis will stay as it is in the photos. When these cars came from the factory they were given a quick coat of paint and no more so why do more now?. David
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