59 Catalina

[jaybee]

Interesting stuff as always. Looking at your pics it reminds me of an old thread which I still have bookmarked from when you were pretty new around here. It was about considering where to strengthen a body and where to leave it weaker just in case of an accident. Looks like your floor braces are made to transfer side impact loads into the frame to keep intruders out of the passenger compartment.

[idrivejunk]

Thanks, guys.

Jaybee, the braces will also connect over the tunnel like the old ones and there will probably be some body mounts in the front passenger area that it did not have before. So the floor and rockers might withstand a T-bone hit better. The doors are still just wide open unsupported skins though, 50's style. By the way, the rearmost brace on those passenger floor supports will move, because when I tentatively placed them I had forgotten to consider the rear footwells.

Some proposed tire sizes are being tossed about at the moment, and I currently believe a 12" wide wheel with 5 1/2" back space will put a 335/30R20 in the stock well without widening but with some clearance modification to the front third of inner and outer wheelhouses.

Here is the latest update, 15 pics of repairs to the roof rear edge. Still working on other updates. Posting is murder with only a phone, no PC. Please bear with me.

http://chevroldsmobuiac.blogspot.com/2017/11/catalina-repairs-rear-window-area-upper.html?m=1

[idrivejunk]

Trying to stay more caught up on pics... now onward to the next area.

[kb426]

I believe that trunk rail will be nice.

[idrivejunk]

I believe that truck rail will be nice.

I am hoping I can work with it. The bead roller is my new best friend.

[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

Less rust is a good plan.

[idrivejunk]

Only a few more weeks of this and it will be worth building! :?

[idrivejunk]

With those long patches made, for the front section of the trunk weatherstrip channel, I took the opportunity to backtrack for half a day and do some badly needed warpage straightening from the nearby window bed repair.



Then I went back to nailing down the fit of the pieces. Ready to start tacking it together and planning to check it with the lid on before final welding.









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[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

Lots of hours in that trunk rail.

[idrivejunk]

Must have been pine needles.

[idrivejunk]

Lots of hours in that trunk rail.

What do you reckon a fair number would be?

I only got in about 15 minutes worth Friday but the rust holes in the right rear corner of the channel are fixed now, too. And that one spot on the fin.

[kb426]

Matt, I have no idea about time. I made that statement based upon a guess of how long it would take old & slow. I see you have more white marks. How much is left?
I sure like those low rider wheels.

[idrivejunk]

Aw I know what you mean, any comment beats none.  I don't have any idea either. The other marks around the wheels may or may not reflect reality but I just don't want to cut there yet, for a couple reasons. As far as whats left, other side of the channel may not need that much fix. I have a rocker and will use part of it at the right rocker to quarter seam area, maybe a foot of the face of it. After that, weld up the drops and rear lower qtr patches. That will leave only the wheel opening lip repairs of quarters and outer wheelhouses to go, as far as rust repair. The reason for me leaving the lips until last is that I have the thought to not cut a section out of the quarters, but to work from the backside on the rotisserie with the wheelhouse lip gone. That is a possibility if I wait until theres floors in place. Plus with tire and wheel fitment still up in the air, it leaves more options open. Does not matter to me if the wheel lip repairs are last before paint shop.

By the way, the proposed rear tire size is currently 335/30R20, and I figure that just fits within the stock well width on a 12" rim with 5-1/2" of back space... but will require modification of the front third of the inner and outer wells. The wood wheels are 24" and those are 28" diameter so the car will raise up a little but those high angle pics make it look like a hovercraft. Ha, it had skirts when it came in.

Hey um... Murray Pfaff did front and back renderings of this build with some imaginary mods... do you guys think its legality wise OK for me to put those up here?