Projects Rusty 47 Ford Reserection

Looks the part. you have been busy.

 

I always try to weld keeping the shape as much as I can .
It seems you weld the fender , but it still need a lot of dolly / hammer work . Is it right ?
If this works , I ll try , it will be faster

 

great pics of the 47.i have just stared work on my 46 fordor .just about the same shape.looking good stay with it

 

looks good Steve
You've been busy LOL

 

Great idea, looks great!

 

Thanks guys!

 

This is a great build! You're a master of your trade

 

Love this build! Especially considering you started with a 4 door sedan. Crazy. Out of curiousity, what gauge metal do you use for making the various patches and such? I know you've used a lot of factory steel from your parts car, but I see you've also made some patches too.

Thanks a keep up the fantastic work!

 

Thanks! I try to use 18 gauge, but I didnt have a big enough piece for the tailpan so I used 20, and the pieces to mold in the back fenders are also 20 mostly cause they arent structural and were easier to shape...

 

Wow, this build is incredible. I just spend hours/days reading through it. Really makes me wish I had kept my 46 Ford coupe.

 

Thanks for the info on the gauge metal you use. The local "hardware" stores around here carry 20 and 16 gauge but don't carry 18 gauge so I ended up having to go to a local AC/heat ducting manufacturer to buy some.

 

Most older cars (like pretty much everything on this site) had 19 gage body panels.

Nobody sells 19 gage anymore, so everyone uses 18 gage or 20 gage.

Thickness wise, 18 ga is 0.006" thicker than stock, and 20 ga is 0.006" thinner than stock.

I figure with 70 yrs of oxidation and any grinding/filing at all, those panel edges are going to be closer to 20 gage than 19 gage, so that's what I use for patch panels.

That 20 gage is easier to work with, and cheaper than 18 gage too.

It's easy enough to check the thickness of your existing body work.

18 gage = 0.048"
19 gage = 0.042"
20 gage = 0.036"

A sheet of copy paper is ~0.005" thick, if you need something to compare to.

 

Maybe its time to get another one then

 

Wow that's a shit-ton of work you've done on that old girl! she's finally getting her figure back lol

 

Managed to get a few hours in this weekend to take my mind off not being at GNRS to see the Kustoms

Finished up all the welding and grinding on the drivers side





I really love the look of the smoothed out belt line that some of the cars built in the 40's or early 50's had, I suppose they were just leaded up back then and since that wasnt an option for me ,I tacked a piece or 3/16 cold rolled rod in the center of the belt line. This will give me a uniform height for sanding . I put some masking tape on either side then gave it a coat of Marglass to fill it out.

 

Then I started on the oh so fun task of getting a coat of marglass over all the patches and sanding it out...

Pass side started







If I had some extra marglass I would have done the rest of the rough in on the tailpan but I ran out, but the 1/4 panel will only need a skimmer of mud to be looking pretty good! I need to wait for a slightly warmer day though , as you can see I used every heat source I had and still had to put the 1000 Watt light on to help in cure.

 

Same story for the drivers side 1/4...ready for a skimmer of mud, I used some rattle can self etch prime to cover the bare metal, everything flash rusts so damn fast here...





The next chore is to get the trunk lid fit dialed in, I am not real happy with the fit, but I think 90% of the pics I have seen of 41-48 coupes the fit is shitty, so maybe I am closer to stock than I think That wont make for exciting pics but I will be glad to get it out of the way...

 

I'm confused as to what you're doing with the beltline, so you tacked a piece of rod in there and filled it in? I don't get what that's going to do. Very curious to know since I like following along with this build.

 

I can fix you up with one!

 

I'm picking the rod gives him a good even line to fill to.
Sounds good to me anyway

 

Ya thats pretty much it, gives me a nice even level surface to work with and less fill this way as well...a friend who is a body man said just fill it, but that would have been too easy

 

must be warmer where you are to use the 'glass... Ive hibernated the last week or so lol

 

I have nothing but absolute admiration for your work and dedication to your project. Spent the most of this sunday aft reading and looking at your project. Unreal metalworking skills, and damn I can already see her in her glory.
Appreciate it
Dan

 

Not really lol , I just wanna try and drive this year , a little progress is better than none !

 

Thanks Dan...one thing is for sure a project like this really helps the ol metalworking skills

 

Steve a trick I learned when filling in the cold. heat up the can of Glass or filler.I have places them on wood stoves!! then heat up you panel with a heat gun or a propane torch so it is warm to the touch then mix and apply. Works. I have did some strange thing in the winter to do body work.

Just don`t throw a old thinners rag in a stove that you think is gone out!! Bad thing to do.I know!

 

Lol Ya I know all the tricks Fitzee ,its colder in Ottawa than around here, the 1000 watt lamp gets the panel pretty warm, plus the infared heaters above the car keep the whole body fairly warm, then the can of fill in front of a small heater as well the shit we do for the fun of doing bodywork when its - 10 !

 

all i have for heat is a cigarette lighter and a 100w light bulb.. ,lol

i wanna drive this summer too,, i better get cracking huh..

 

Pick up one of those radiant quartz shop heaters 115V put it on the ceiling above where you are working or mount it on a stand and aim it at yourself they are about $50 now ,really takes the chill off , I have two on the ceiling ...

 

Hey Steve,you sure are making progress on your ride.I like the beltline treatment,gonna look like slippery slope when painted.I digg it.