51 Ford

kb426 · December 30, 2020, 02:52:04 PM

Matt, the new chassis should have the wheelbase offset built into it. From a real foggy memory, I think I slid my front end 3/4" forward from the stock location.

chimp koose · December 30, 2020, 06:09:41 PM

I did a Volare clip on a 53 F100 years ago and I think I moved it 3/4" forward to fit the wheel openings better.

chimp koose · December 30, 2020, 06:41:49 PM

IDJ if I were you I would not concern myself too much with how long a job takes you . If the vehicle owner could do it himself you would not have the work . If the owner tried to do it himself and couldnt , you would then be doing MORE work to get it done . If you are having to do some learning as you go , based on your prior knowledge and experience , you can probably figure it out better/faster than someone with less experience . Crash repair vs custom work is like comparing painting a house vs doing a painting. I have run into this with machining . There are guys who have done nothing but work from a blueprint (crash work) and those of us who have done mostly repair/fab work(custom). When I do machine work for car guys , they usually show me what they have and what they would like it to do , and then leave it up to me . Most of the time they are surprised by the little extras you can add to the design to make it easier /better to use than what they were thinking . What is hardest on a skilled tradesman is when someone with no idea/appreciation of the skill/experience it takes to accomplish these tasks expects something for next to nothing or thinks that it is all just busy work with no job planning and is not prepared to pay for the level of time/expertise required to accomplish the task . It seems like your boss is pretty good at weeding that type of customer out .

I still remember the Camaro you did years ago where you figured out that the roof was low on the pass side rear! Blew my mind ! I would never even have thought of that and neither did the guy who worked on that car before you. Dude ... you have skills.....now about that book!

jaybee · December 30, 2020, 09:27:31 PM

That is almost wildly asymmetric. When done it will be a major improvement to the look, but most people won't quite know why.

idrivejunk · December 30, 2020, 11:31:04 PM

Ah!

Thanks, men. I figured at some point it would become documentable and the template is the answer to all. Thought of doing that way back before starting to fix it, but couldn't scare up the right cardboard until now and had kinda passed over the idea thinking it was a bit nuclear. Long about 20 minutes into today, I could see that anything else was futile. I think it will be the key to success here, and is something to remember.

Wading through, starting here. Target line is bottom edge of tape-

The reference line gets tough to track in all the mess, but slap template up there and ah. Guesswork and brain work minimized. Said aw hell yeah last check of the day... this should get it close enough easily.

So when I got home I was feeling scribbly and started poking around Grand Prix folders on the PC. This old unfinished project idea for somebody edited photo image thing keeps sitting there and I click past it but lo and behold, today I ran across a pic with my Camino in the background. I had taken a walkaround pic set of a model T at the pizza joint and that was the clear hi res side view I lacked. So I opened the cobwebby "ckt" file and fixed the last revisions I recall it needing... with a traced sketch because hand wanted pencil time.

That represents chimpkoose's extended cab, "fleetside" T pickup idea. I totally dig it now that... well... I finally see the profile. Pretty cool idea there, CK.

You never know if I am gonna color stuff like that one day either.

Perhaps what prompted my spurt of enthusiasm was a tidbit I ran across at a Camino site. The 36-7 Chevy Coupe Pickups. With beds that slide into the trunk, and your trunk lid came in butcher paper in case you wanted it. First year had fender mounted spare, second year had none because roads were improving. There was a canvas bed cover if desired and the first year was the smaller coupe and had a blind and unobtainium 4' tailgate but 37 the option was on big coupes and used a fullsize scripted gate. How * cool is that? I want one, or to use the idea. It was brilliant. Perfect. First el Camino. Today I learned that.

idrivejunk · December 31, 2020, 12:16:16 AM

Woop, back to that question and thanks guys for the input. Funny you all mention 3/4". When mounting the cab I somehow concluded at one point that I needed to shift the cab forward 3/4". But mounting bed and boards did not prove that out and if a bed to cab conflict persists I, just me and just on this truck, know it is in the crown on back of cab. Knocking along the horizontal panel portion at bottom, between bend and cross brace, should fine tune that if need be. So I am fairly certain where things go, and not certain theres an issue. But with wheels straight there is no getting an arm in past the tire ahead of the hub. Acres to spare behind the front wheels though. :?

kb426 · December 31, 2020, 08:43:13 AM

I dug out the file and checked. It was 1/2".

idrivejunk · January 02, 2021, 10:39:06 AM

That seems negligible.Ignoring.

Truck front looks a little better. Have a couple pics but no urge to post. Later maybe. Only an hour of progress since last.

idrivejunk · January 02, 2021, 02:50:38 PM

Speaking of ignore, I did get one cool response on the T thing. And I was glad to see my hour did more than pick up a paycheck... I can see improvement already. These gaps don't look wrong to me now-

I lied earlier, about most of what I already did as hasty corrections. But, this looks better so far and somehow the actual issues are more obvious with the "fixed" area improved-

Looks like the fender extension is as guilty as the fender. It is holding the valance all kinda crooked. Template indicates a lesser issue at the ext/fend gap (see marks) but not sure yet which panel causes the pucker you see along it here-

kb426 · January 02, 2021, 04:21:44 PM

Do you know the brand on the hood and fenders?

idrivejunk · January 02, 2021, 06:56:34 PM

Quote from: "kb426"Do you know the brand on the hood and fenders?

No. It is my understanding that all vendors sell same item, for which there is but one manufacturer. That may be wrong. I'd ask Gary but that is the response I would anticipate... overseas, nobody knows and if a brand name is given it is likely to be purposefully misleading. Vendor name is probably as close as I could get. If I found that more than one manufacturer makes them now, it would raise an eyebrow.

Rear fenders seem to be of impressive quality however, but thats no help assuming that the manufacturer of those does not make fronts.

It would do me good to be able to somehow provide assistance for you but am aware that the other way around is more likely. Assuring you that I won't draw your truck unless you want that is probably best I can do on that. However, if for example you were hiding door hinges or wanting billets for the hood, I may have helpful info. One if I had it to do again thought that nags my what-iffer... is unitizing some pieces for sanity on the front end. Taking my second to last ignored sketch idea another couple steps.

Best of luck finding a viable set of options / solutions for your new build which meet your expectations.

idrivejunk · January 04, 2021, 10:03:58 PM

kb426 · January 05, 2021, 07:59:37 AM

This is making the decision to use the f6 fenders easier. I can change the wheel well openings with greater success than recurving the fronts.

idrivejunk · January 05, 2021, 08:40:54 AM

Quote from: "kb426"This is making the decision to use the f6 fenders easier. I can change the wheel well openings with greater success than recurving the fronts.

I had half a mind to suggest to you that you hang onto those, in case swapping a new fender's skin onto your F6's other piece(s) would / could offer an additional option.

Had I known the extent of the F1's mismatches fully at the start, or had this been my truck getting fixed up at home... that idea may have presented itself earlier. Ponder on it if it strikes you. Gonna be working with pretty thin stuff either way.

Owner asked for update yesterday and seemed happy about progress, so... well anyway I am kinda anxious to get to the part where I get the valance sitting straight.

idrivejunk · January 05, 2021, 01:43:22 PM

I find my faith in the template difficult to maintain, looking at this. It is one of them has to look worse before it can look better deals.

Think my next move will be doing the passenger side half of the latch panel. Next step after that is the next line down. Bottom of the top of the grille opening. That one is a Lulu, just look at it!

Extended the other back corner of the center panel while I's there. With nice trimming of inner fenders, that will look tidy.