Termites and Bowties- Early Chevy Group

What color are you leaning towards Doug? Unless you haven't made a decision as of yet...

 

My cars are always undecided of color-the car picks it's color during the build !

 

I’ve had about 100 different colors in the last 6 months lol. I just bought one and was like aight well now that it’s paid for I can’t change it.. even though I could just paint my pick up lol.

Even once the the paint got here and I looked at it I was like meh

 

Chrome will get you home

 

Looks tough brother! Next task - paint the body (if your new color works well), plan for your interior - skinny pleats?

 

Thanks Mike! Yes sir, it’s been rainy here in Texas, but tomorrow I’m going to doors and all the bare metal back in epoxy now that they’re good. This weekend the goal is to tighten up the body work to try and get it in high build by next weekend. Interior will be after paint; hadn’t decided on what to really do.

A buddy of mine did this cheap carpet idea and it came out good. Not sure if I should go that route and save a few bucks. May just do some smooth panels for the doors although pleats would look cool.

 

New parts order arrived today for my 34 coupe. Big order. All new front suspension components from Posies including some Pete & Jake’s parts. I’ll start mocking this stuff up in January.

 

Beautiful addition to your '34! Curious as to which parts are from Pete & Jake's. My front end came from Speedway Motors, boasting that their kit was "all chrome"... It was NOT. Their batwings was plain steel - would you believe it? Your eyes are marveling over the chrome front suspension, and suddenly stops when zeroing in on the batwings that are NOT being chrome parts. So, Pete & Jake's had the batwing I wanted in chrome, even having the extra mounting hole to install a front pan hard bar in chrome as well.

One question though, what are you planning to do with your front frame horns with those original leaf spring mounts?

 

I need to inventory the parts before I know what parts are from Pete & Jake’s.
The front frame horns will remain as is for now. I need to get the build further along before deciding stuff like that.

 

Sounds like a smart plan... We're looking forward to your excellent progress Jay! Another Bowtie hot rod hitting the streets soon enough!

 

Parts inventory.
Parts labeled or stamped Pete & Jake’s are in red.
I have more parts scheduled to arrive this week from P&J.
Parts delivered thus far.
Super Bell 4” drop axle 46” KP center line width (box labeled P&J)
Front shocks
Tie rod ends
Bolt on lower shock mounts
Caliper mounting brackets (have Super Bell cast mark)
Reverse eye spring 29” spring eye CL width
Shackles
Front rotors/hubs/bearings/spindles (unlabeled)
Steering arms (unlabeled)
Front spring perches (unlabeled)
Front U-bolt kit (unlabeled)
Drag link (unlabeled)
Upper shock mounts (unlabeled)
Front crossmember

Parts yet to arrive:
Engine crossmember
Hairpin kit

 

do you have everything done on the body and now you're transition towards the frame?

 

Body is still in multiple pieces. I need to create the door sills and floor crossmembers. The time was right to order parts.

 

Last of the parts order arrived today. Outer box labeled P&J. Parts bag labeled Viper Suspension Products.
Hmmm. I don’t see the engine crossmember.
I’ll call Posies tomorrow.

 

what parts are you using for brakes?

 

I will have disc brakes all around.

I officially did something to the 34 coupe today. It’s been a long time coming too.
You deserve a short explanation for my recent abscence.
My job requires certification. I studied a little nearly every day for 4 months and then took and passed my exam 11/1/24. Hooray!
Home projects piled up during that time, a funeral, a vacation, a job related conference, it all took time away. It’s easy to lose momentum.
Update.
I splurged and bought a bunch of new parts from Posies. Turns out that a lot of the parts came from Pete & Jake’s even though the entire order was done with Posies.
Today I cut a 1.5” x 3” floor beam to create a dogleg so the beam that comes back from the frame at the base of the firewall fits flush with the rocker. I’ll weld up the dog leg after I pull the body into shape but I first need to secure the door pillars to the sill. It has been a real challenge deciding what order to do things and I’m still not sure I’m using the best approach.
The struggle continues.

 

Weather permitted more work but no welding.
I mocked up both door sills and hung both doors. Hinges have new bushings. As you might imagine, both door sag a bit and are tight at the top.
In what order would you frame the door? I don’t have a working knowledge of the correct terminology, so I’ll just do my best.
I’m thinking I’ll put the piece that goes across the top of the door in place.
Then I’ll create the A and B pillars and connect those to the piece at the top of the door.
That way I can pinch (or spread) the A and B pillars at the bottom.
Changing the angle of the A pillar can help align the door because that’s where the hinges are.
Lastly, connect the bottom of the A and B pillars to the threshold (sills).
The yellow bars on the picture represent 1.5” square tube that will run between the door sills. They will rest on top of the frame. The place where I drew the yellow lines is not necessarily where they will end up.

 

I’ve been trying to get body work done on my car.. and my doors are absolutely kicking my behind. Where my car was chopped is giving me such a rough time. Not having fun

 

I can't really help with the doors since I did my structure differently. But I hung my doors first , put in the strikers and bear claw latches. After that I went back in with the inner structure. Since I was driving my car I just wanted my doors to close at that point. After that the inner structure was added. Had to go back in and move the strikers after and fix the A pillars. I had to add metal to my doors so it was all over the place.

 

Dang, I just stumbled into this and can't believe it was 2009 when I first posted those photos. The car has been done for a while. It was an on again off again build like a lot seem to end up. I cleaned up a lot of the lines I didn't care for. I made a lot more motor compartment space by building a total new firewall and pulling it back a fair amount. I did everything up to paint then it went into Paint Prison. Most that see it like the end result. It hasn't been parked next to a stocker yet. Maybe that will happen this coming summer. I guess that will be the Tell All about everything I did.

This is how it sets in finished surgery and metal work ready for paint prep. At this point it could have been driven if it was wired and brakes bled.

Now you get the idea what went on with the Fender opening. I also hand built the new running boards. You can also see I did a little work to the Firewall.

 

Seemed to have problems posting photos so I'll try again. This is what went on around front. I removed a bit of the Overbite and took the edge lip all the way to center. I just couldn't get behind the overall front fender lines, so I changed them.

The owner added the turn signals himself. His call. I think the edge coming together looks a lot better than the lack of it at all and the cutout for the Bumper irons to mount through. Just a little clean up.

Yes, that's a Stock insert. It just took 2 graphed together to make what you see. The Crank hole just had to go.

The Hood got a little attention. The Tops open as stock but don't carry the sides with them. The sides can be removed, and the tops fasten without any hardware hanging below the reveal line in the tops. When I did the Chop, I adjusted the bottom of the windshield opening a bit and moved the Wipers to the bottom through the cowl. I just hadn't filled the top holes yet. The Customer is happy, I'm glad he's happy. Mostly I'm happy I'm RETIRED now and done with this stuff for others. My Turn finally.
P.S. I did not want to fill the soft top but the Customer is always right.

 

I kinda feel your pain. Kinda. I sort of envy it because I am no where near that point which I know will eventually come one day.

 

I think once you get to this point you'll have such a easier time. Since my car was gas cut and welded it's a bit rough trying to fix these body lines. It's no show car but I want it to be nice as I can make it.

 

If a guy wanted to buy replacement Wood for these cars where would he go today? In the past there were several long running Co's out there. Seems they are all drying up and closing. In the past I had bought from Auto Wood Restoration in Penn but they are gone now also.

 

I've only heard of Kc Wood MFG, but I've never actually bought anything from them

 

At least for the closed cars there are books & drawings, Fisher bodies. For the early open cars like my '26 roadster there is NOTHING! There is what wood survived on your car and what survived on someone else's. You are lucky if you can find that before someone who replaced wood with steel has their usual bonfire celebration.

 

The only ones I knew of making wood were KC Wood Manufacturing and Auto Wood Restoration, as already mentioned. I don’t think either are in business anymore though. I tried email, phone, and their sites trying to get some main sills made a few years ago all without any kind of response at all. Multiple times, nada. Finally gave up and started making it in steel.

 

Same here when I first started the project. I did finally receive a full wood kit for Both Doors from Auto Wood Restoration. That was a 2 year wait program. Somehow, I lost track of the receipt and no longer remember what that cost me. You can read that a Total out of pocket Loss to me being I couldn't charge the Customer for something I didn't use. I never even opened the box being I had already built the doors. That has been over 10 years ago. I'd like to pass it along at a fair price but simply don't know where to start. There is now Zero Wood in the sedan I posted the photos of.

 

My car isn’t a Chevy ( it’s a ‘31 Pontiac), but I have replaced all of the wood (except the front floor) with a wood kit from Jim Rodman at Autowood.net. in the early 2000s. He was good to work with and even accommodated my request make the affected wood pieces for a 3” chop at the windshield and 2 1/2” at the back window. He used ash and oak due to their resistance to warp and twist. After 9 months and about $3600 I received the kit with no instructions. Jim said I should call him when I got stuck and needed help. I never did.
Glad I got mine when I did. About 12 years later, I had heard there was a 3 year wait.

 

That is very cool!