59 Catalina

[idrivejunk]

When we sat it up on the firewall there was one lone stud sticking out so we put pallet wood with a hole in it across there. T'was fairly steady for under floor work that way. I put that pic up for enjenjo in case he would catch a enjoy off it.

I'll try to show some different angles here.



I'd had that diagonal hiding in the shadows partially welded to the floor frame and rear window shelf but I added 14 ga L tabs for a solid connection. You can kind of also see how the rear facing panel does have some bulge to it. It would clear if flat but this looks less hokey.



In this one you can see where I've lopped off part of the hinge pocket brace and anchored everything to the intact pocket. Another plug welded panel will close the trimmed area. Both that diagonal vertical tube inside the trunk and the diagonal flange seen here sit close to the front edges of the pocket but I do not plan to weld there unless a need is percieved. Might make it easier to seal things up. Anyway where the inner big panel goes out of sight on top, theres a flange on it that meets the tray plus crosses the L on top of the tube. Right where the corner of the window bed panel is. So theres layers tied together. Seen at front are three welds which connect to the remnants of the big V braces behind the back seat. The rest of this will get built with actual wheels n tires because we don't know just how low we can go until then. Lastly, squint up at the very top of the well and you can see rust throughs where the roof rail connects to the wheelhouses. Um, I don't know yet on that.

[idrivejunk]

Did not get an end of the day pic but the inner wheelhouse and rear lower extension are welded in and the trunk floor corner patch is made and prepped. The rear panel is made and screwed in but lacks steps on edges and top flange work plus could have a little more bulge to it. Thought I had to swap jobs Thursday morning but found out I can keep going a bit more before passing it to Keith. I hanker a vacation, and how. Mental pulse weak.

[idrivejunk]

I just laid the trimmed out center pan section in there with a couple screws, and thats the original fill neck passage just sitting in place loosely. CAD gas tank design begins early Monday then the epoxy work starts. I have a 5 hour Friday to lift it off the frame, finish welding under the body, then set it back down.





The wheel fitting contraption doesn't hold it straight or even centered but we can get an idea of lateral clearances here-





You can spot half the body mounts in this pic-



Yonder lurks old blue... get used to it!

[idrivejunk]

You know that hand gesture when you finish something and act like you are knocking the dirt from your hands with smug expression? "Thats that." :?:

Yep, got under it and finished, then put it back down. For the next guy.

[idrivejunk]

These enormous back to back jobs hurt. No rest in between is just contrary to my spirit somehow. The long term fatigue is impossible to shake if a guy can't heal. Whew. Did anybody get the license number of that truck? Ow.

[idrivejunk]

Still need an aspirin. The new job is a nogginful, wow. Anyway, heres the start of a gas tank mockup. Its 7" tall so will need a 2" pump hump at top center and a sump hump of about 1/2" under the pump.



They hung a door and took molding clips off the quarter. I hear the core support needs to come down more.

[idrivejunk]

Both doors still fit good :!:  );b(  >

[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

That bumper looks like 150lbs.

[idrivejunk]

It is a chunk, I guarantee. Reason why the baffle thingy is still on the core support is that its part of it. Be a good place for bolts, but no. Its spot welded.

[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

Everytime I look at this, Big Bertha comes to mind.

[idrivejunk]

Everytime I look at this, Big Bertha comes to mind.

A lot of powder would sure fit in the trunk. Probably be easiest to toss it off a B-29 though, you'd need pipeline for a barrel to fire it from. Railway mount would not be big enough, it would have to be a ship. I was just clearing all that up for Keith since he's on it now... they were saying the car is a land yacht. No sir. Barge? Getting warmer. This heres a liner, boys. The owner is going to need a generously sized sized harbor.

Anyway yeah, no pics but Slick has whacked the front horns off the original frame and is adapting them because they are sort of complex and the frame is half a foot narrower at the front now. The reason you can't see any of that is that darn welded-on baffle. He needs to drill that off to proceed, I think.

I sure am glad to see him focusing on what to actually do with that headlight mod thing from the rendering. At least if it does end up like the Pfaff rendering and with tight hood clearance, we could plumb a hat to the "eyeblack" ducts.  I tried like heck to do a photo edit with different treatment. Wasn't working out. Now would be a good time to push a better idea through

I may have to resort to pencil, theres a wicked and simple front end treatment in my head for it. Bonneville-esque but kustom.

[idrivejunk]

[idrivejunk]