Hot Rods The Belly Button Bucket Build Thread

The actual parts have flanges, not showing in their pictures. I'm thinking a hybrid of what Tim has done using the kit for parts and pieces. I'm going to try to make the wood like Tim did, and because I've got a spare door, I can cut out the door leaving some extra material to get a fug snit on the opening. But until I grow a set, and get to it, well it's just guessing...

 

I know you're like me and spent plenty of time thinking it through. Once you start making the pieces to glue together, your brain will see the order of operations necessary to get it done. I have been thinking about how I was going to do this for many years, also worried I would eff it up. Once I mentally committed to get it done, it took a couple weekends is all. So don't be scared. It's not as bad as it seems. Like dropping in on a ramp on your skateboard for the first time - once you eat shit once and figure out it doesn't hurt any worse than slamming on concrete, the successful drop in is usually the next try.

 

Treading water further into the deep end with no life guard on duty…. The driver side door reveal is effed up and in the wrong location- going through the windshield post instead of being a couple inches back like the passenger side. My “plan”, if you want to call it that, is to make a mold/tool to recreate the door reveal from the passenger side, fill the reveal on the driver side from the inside with fiberglass matte strips, sand it smooth from the outside, repeat all the door construction steps from passenger side, then once door is cut out, use the tool to re-create the door reveal on the driver side door. Today, I started with the fiberglass of the inside, as that will take some time to cure.

This evening if I haven’t melted from heat, I’ll make the door reveal tool and test it out on something to make sure it’s a working process.

 

Bet that cures fast in this 100 deg. heat.

 

I hesitated to hit"Like" because, ouch!!!
Best of luck with the redo.

 

By the looks of your eyes, either your respirator straps are too tight, or the funes are getting to you regardless...

We're learning a lot from your posts. Keep them coming, but remember to hydrate.

And no, beer isn't that good for hydration...

 

i have had several t bodies that had that same problem. i was told by some glass manufactures that it happens because their molds are made from bodies that had that problem. instead of being made from original steel bodies.

 

I remember reading about it in the Street Rodder T bucket guide from the 1970s. I was just lucky enough that it applies to me and the body I ended up with.

 

Made some decent progress considering the temperatures.

I made a couple templates for the door reveal- seems to be different front to rear so might as well carry that over to the other side.



I also managed to sand the door reveal smooth, as much as I could anyway. I’ve got some low spots and a couple areas to address- that’s a problem for tomorrow. First pic shows the process of removing via sanding block at the rear reveal. Second pic is about as far as I wanna go.

 

I suppose mentioning these at this point might get me put into the penalty box.

https://www.vevor.com/doors-bolt-on...-for-benz-audi-ford-subaru-gmc-p_010362860220

 

Today was fairly nonproductive as my garage may as well be an oven, but I managed to get a couple things figured out. Marked where the driver door should be, took a template of the passenger door opening, transferred to driver side, and luckily, the door marks lined right up to the template! Now I’m at the point where I can repeat what I’ve done on the passenger side. In the 2nd photo you can see how far back the door will be in comparison to the molded in door reveal. Sigh….

 

Moving that door back will have a added bonus of getting in easier! My door is about 4" farther back then your layout line and mine is still a bit hard to get into.

 

All those small things really take time.

 

Looks productive to me!

 

I can only imagine how much work this must be Tim, though it will be very gratifying when finished, nice work you're doing.

 

I've never noticed the door being to far forward on any, not that I was paying attention though.
Mine is in the right spot and I wish I would of made them working, 17 yrs later I'm getting to old and fat to be climbing over the side repeatedly lol

 

In all honesty, it isn't that bad of a job. If you have some basic woodworking tools, you can get it done. Maybe next time your car is due for paint, you can add a door or two?

Additionally, assuming I can pull off the re-creation of the door reveal, which I think I can, there's no reason why one couldn't add a couple inches to their door openings in the same process. I was thinking about that yesterday - if I ever do another one, I'd just buy a bare shell body, do the floor myself (unchanneled), lengthen both doors about 2" (basically from dash to seat riser is all you get, so that's what I'd shoot for), then do the bolt-in steel structure as mentioned last week to tie everything together. I think this could be achieved rather efficiently now that I've been through it.

 

Hind sight being 20/20, I'd do a perimeter style frame under the body to make more room for the brake pedal and master cylinder, lengthen the body a couple inches while making the doors work, have a top and and lol
I'll leave all the changes up to my son since he will take over the reins, the car as it is is super reliable so I doubt many changes will take place.
Being fortunate enough to have another old car if I want doors and a roof I'll just drive the other one.

 

Scary part is over. It’s only 95* in my garage, so it’s a great day for long sleeves. Got the angriest playlist going and went after it. Now to make it look like I know what I’m doing…

 

Looks like my door bead tools will work- will probably take a couple sanding sessions to get it perfect, but so far so good!

 

@Jacksmith was amused when he saw me stepping over and into mine.
Great addition to yours! Will make using the planned top much more human friendly!

Pantera, KMDFM, Ministry?

 

Don't give that man any more coffee! Or sugar! Nice going on the doors. When you're done drive it on over here to the east coast and have at mine! I use an old fashioned percolator for coffee, so I can get you to the same transcendent state of mind!

 

I don't know if it's coffee. Judging from the size and shape of the garage window behind , he might be exposing himself to old lead-based paint! There's a chemical influence somewhere!

 

I’ve been off caffeine since March, and significantly reduced my sugar consumption - sugar is my weakness. I basically need to have none of it or all of it- no balance.

I’m also a metal head, so that’s where the energy comes from. Insomnium and Amon Amarth fueled me to dig out ~1,000 cubic yards of dirt by hand and put down 2,000sq ft of pavers over a 2yr span… Winter’s Gate and Twilight of the Thunder God are two of the greatest albums of all time in my very biased opinion. I know the majority of this audience is my parents’ age or older, so I don’t expect to connect on a musical level lol.

First round of sanding on the door bead went well. Gonna put on another coat of filler, then take a break to go get some more gloves and cool beverages (sadly sparkling water is as hard as I’m going today haha).

 

Haven't heard of them, but willing to give it a try.
I tend to be picky on what I like, but mostly willing to give things a try. Don't cost nuttin'!
Glad to hear you are taking some precautions and responsibility for your health. I want to see this thing finished!

 

Tim, here's a funny one.
My neighbor girl always had tunes coming out of her shop when she was working on her VW's, I could never place the genre let alone the artist so I asked her one day what she listened to, she said Queens of the Stone Age (I had to look it up), Nirvana, (I recognized them), and a couple others I didn't recognize.
I too usually had music on in my shop so she asked what I liked and I said mostly late 60's/70's rock music like AC/DC, Santana, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton etc.
When I said ZZ Top she says "arent those guys old", I said well, yeh, HELLO (pointing at my bald head).

RIP Heather!!!

 

Pearl! Saw Janis at Tanglewood when I was 15. July 8, 1969. Fantabulous!

 

Second round of sanding done. Gonna do one more round then call it good enough for now.

 

Will need some more sanding to fit nice, but getting closer:

 

Nice! Feels like you need a little wood burner stamp for your name on the wood frame