Projects winter project - "so let's chop a 40 coupe (and fab everything else possible...)

Looking good Travis!

 

Nice work!

 

Cool build.

 

Travis, Car is coming right along. There is a guy on the HAMB who sells those Stude tail lights. I bet you could work a deal with him for a set of tail lights. It's a Kustom. Needs them Stude tail lights !

Dave

 

Dave if I had $450 there are about a 3 dozen other things on my shopping list!
TP

 

I read through your bell housing thread, and I have to say, you do dang fine work! If I didn't have so many projects I'd try to build my own adapter for my Hemi. But it wouldn't make sense to seeing how they're affordable. I love your power plant choice. That thing is a beast!

 

Hey 40,
This thing was supposed to have an industrial drag/race/roundy-round car look,
and somehow it's spiraled into what it is now.
If there's a choice between spending money or spending time,
kinda obvious which one I'll pick!

*********************


A couple months ago I pounded out this dash piece,
and lost it.
Last week I found it,
and after some hemmin and hawin,
decided to just tack it in and see if it was gonna work.



It's basically a larger copy of the 40 dash top.



The plan was to let time do it's thing,
and see if was going to be ripped out or grow roots.



It was supposed to rain today,
so our job was pushed back.
I ended up staying up late last night.
(and of course it's not raining)

So that dash piece had grown on me a little.

I was kicking around a zephyr like dash
with that center waterfall type piece.
With no huge zephyr gauge,
it seemed like it would look more like a street rod center console.



I do have a nice '36 speedo,
and mixed with a '32 shape,
came up with this.



Using my trusty hammer block,
pounded this out.


For some reason the edges were tough to fit.

I nicknamed it the muffin top dash.

When staring at it,
it looks a bit big,
but this is the main view most people will see.


I'm also planning a dash insert or overlay,
so with some finish work, gauges and paint,
it shouldn't be so overbearing.

It's only tacked in so I've got some time to let it grow on me.
I'm surprised how much it stiffened the cowl up too.

Looking at this pic makes me want to go finish it up.

TP

 

I can dig it

 

Dash looks killer, hell through the progression pics its grown on me. would be nice if you ran some thing round stock vetically along the center to give it a raised edge.

 

Like it! I love this build. So incredible.

 

I love this car more every time I look at this thread. So awesome.

 

Travis, Looks like you are getting just the right look for your '40. I really like the windshield divider. Keep up the good work.

Dave

 

Glad you guys dig it!

Here's some late night action...



I was thinking 7 gauges,
but couldn't think of why I would need 7 gauges,
so went to 5.

waterL-waterR-volts/am-speedo-oil

Looking in my gauge stash,
found a forgotten fuel gauge,
so went back to 7.
What more is there?



This took a long time to do,
cause each hole had to be fit as my hole saw was 1 3/4 or 2"
and a 2" always make the hole too big.



It took even longer to match the holes to the aluminum plate.
The dash insert is an important part though,
and if I didn't do it now it wouldn't get done soon.



Lotsa grinding later...



It's roughed in enough to do the job.



Yeah the dash needs alot of finish work still,
but I couldn't resist rattlecanning the dash black.



If you look closely the gauges are just random gauges,
so don't look too closely.



This was about midnight,
and it was weird to actually see the progression from cardboard to metal.



Some parting shots.



TP

 

Kiler!

 

Dash looks amazing...!

 

I love it Travis ! It really goes with the theme for the rest of the car. A stock 40 dash would not look right in this car...in my opinion of coarse!

 

TP... where are you going to put the ignition and or head light switch? It looks bad a$$!

 

thanks guys!

I almost forgot the title of this thread!

There's some tricks up my sleeve still.
Just ran out of time right now!
That 2 week deadlines gonna come quick for the 27!

TP

 

The dash turned out great!

 

Pretty good work from a caveman on a car with a turtle shell bellhousing.

Jeff

 

I'm the opposite of your build.
I had to do the chop first - even without a frame!
so it would motivate me to want to continue on.
This dash has done the same thing for me.
Instead of a carrot on the stick it's like 2 carrots.

Everything looks good at 640x480 right!

TP

 

Travis, Dash and insert came out real nice. Looks good with the '36 Speedo. Nice layout for all the gauges.

Keep on working, car is making really great progress. Will be a super clean and different Hot Rod/Kustom ! Find thos '39 headlights yet ?

Dave

 

Trying to get back in the groove here.
I had a batch of that epoxy primer to throw down,
the perfect reason to finish the dash.

The shiny black rattlecan wirewheeled off,
and some hammer bumps softened a bit.

Than all the corners filled up,
as well as the window frame area.

The bare metal looks cool,
but it's tough to keep it from rusting.
I'd like at least one part of the car to look nice and finished!

It was a short burst but now I don't look at it and see what is missing.

TP

 

So kick ass, very inspiring!

 

Just read about your trip about fetching the car, great read that makes me want to take the next plane home to My moms and drive my -66 Volvo Amazon the 750 kilometers home as à roadtrip!

Also, wow what great work you are doing! It blows My mind to see what progress you have made to it. It will turn out killer so keep up the work and keep posting bunches of pics!

Cheers from Sweden

 

Travis, Been a while since we talked. Hope that you are keeping real busy there in the shop.

Any progress on the coupe or the roadster ? I would love to own this radical custom '40 Coupe - it just rocks !

Dave
AKA - Gandalf the face of TPS

 

That dash is really cool!

 

Time for a little update Zibo !

 

Were's the up-date!!!!!!

 

Thanks for all the comments and interest guys,
and, well extra thanks for getting me off my ass here!

I've been forcing myself to finish the sheetmetal welding on the body,
before adding any more.
There was over 20 feet and it's been little by little over the past month.

Now that there is only a couple feet left,
it was about time to do something fun like the floor.
Or so I thought.
It's been so long it was tough to know where to start.
Finally I decided on the missing subrail.

This piece would be the frame for the floor and the fenderwell.

I dug out this old hand bead-roller and decided to begin the floor.
I'm not practiced at this at all and it was alot tougher than I thought.
Instead of getting the hang of it on some scrap,
I went straight to the freshly fitted panel.
Of course it came out a little wavy,
but I couldn't waste it so in it went.

The tube looking frame is actually 1" tubing cut in half.

Than I made a base to fit the bead roller on using the hammer stand,
instead of the table/clamp method.

Much easier to work with.

Next was the driveshaft tunnel.
We have a really handy roller at the shop.

The ends needed to be flattened out to make a U.

With the tunnel tacked in,
the gaps could be filled.
That first piece looks alot better as a shelf!

The tunnel diameter looks extra wide and it is.
There are 2 torque arms going down the middle.

The same half-tube trick was used at the base.

A friend told me about a metal store up in his neck of the woods,
and they had this 1x1 sheetmetal angle.
It made the transition from the tunnel to the floor quick and easy.
Not pretty though but hey it's a floor.

This really helped cause the fitting didn't have to be exact.
I wasn't worried about a little overlap on this part,
only 1000 of us will know about it.

If you noticed the sheetmetal bumps weren't symmetrical on the angled part,
it's cause the plan was for the battery to be stuck in there.

All this work has been over the past week,
a couple hours every evening.
This morning I rallied up (wife works so kid duty!)
and got the start of the battery box.

And that's where I'm at!
The best part is the project is back.

TP