Model A job

[idrivejunk]

Further, more apologetic communication occurred. Boss reached out and we have things straight(er). Painter has some explaining to do though. I expect ambitious goals always but that just plain got out of hand. Like a horse, if you keep spurring I will respond with all my ability until lame. That, or if need be start looking for a low hanging limb to run under.    So if you spur me, mean it and remember I'm at WOT, don't just lay a brick on the gas pedal and walk off.

I had been misled about the money concern and operating in crisis mode for weeks due to that. I had a vacation picked out in June but pushed my need aside to press this job forward due to the percieved urgency. Theres nothing less interesting to hobbyists I suppose but the lone commenter here reports seeing progress. Growing pains can be difficult in business, I'll sum it up that way. It IS ok to expect your needs to be met as long as the needs of others are as well.

This is the pic I go to, to see progress and seek reassurance. The body was upended again like this AFTER doing all my metal work, as well. That upset me then but Mike told me the doors worked same with it like that. We were friends then. He don't speak now. At least its a picture.

[idrivejunk]

[chimp koose]

  I have been out of town for over a week and just got on a computer

[idrivejunk]

Thats my ultimate fantasy  

[idrivejunk]

You probably figured to see it painted, eh CK. Oh, I added hood top and one running board to that pile yesterday afternoon. They got it all in the booth then the booth quit working. Electrician lined up for this AM.

Working at this fender currently.

[idrivejunk]

That one is awaiting assessment now, I guess. For primer worthyness. This one has eaten half a day just on this spot. Which is the one spot on a Model A where blocks prove useless-



Every part besides the body assembly and those front fenders are waiting for me to block them out. With the exception of these two which I would not have guessed... that went properly. That is: Filler once, poly primer once, and now in urethane and stashed in the paint shop.



2 down, 9 to go. Oh, except that anything with a break through has to be redone after that. Meanwhile, the body sits with no activity.  Theres chassis activity though, teardown and welding up the header notch on right rail is what I saw. Had Mike take off the mounts for the fender brace supports above the suspension. A third try at making those fit, after moving the headlight bar, was a flop so as criminal as it seems... those won't be going on the car. If the headlights bounce too much, well maybe I'll still have the scraps to work with.

[idrivejunk]

Scratch that one off the list-



But put both front fenders on the prime and sand again in the same nightmare spot pile-



When I think of the rear fenders I automatically make an old man noise. Heres the frame-



There was a fairly confusing array of holes where the fenders bolt to frame so I got asked what to do with what holes. I indicated such by taping washers at the spots and requested slotted tabs there, perhaps suitable for use with 1/4" foldover nuts. Then I thanked for the nice tabs-



I at first said lose the spreader bar holes but that got a suprised reaction and they stayed so... I'll stay out of that. Reckon when I walk in next I'll decide whether to bog on down and go for all fenders this week, or reach for easier pickins. The hood side that got blister enlargement has way more crown and is a bigger challenge to blend in but it already has a re-prime on it.

Its like watching slow grass grow, need megalithic calendar to track progress. Grass in the yard is waiting and needy too so off I go. Hi ho  

[idrivejunk]

First thing, boss let me know they'd shoot just urethane primer on the front fenders so I should be done with those. I scooted a couple easy pickins parts over there by gun time. First thing I grabbed was an apron and it was a booger but did block out.

Here is that done pile (final primed today)-







The rest of my today shown here (just the grey body stuff)-



That leaves these-



Hood side and fender on bench are both in first prime. Fender with tape on it was the worst one but I already went over it and had to tap n wipe at a high spot on the bob job. At the nightmare (reverse curve) rear fender contour of course.

I can see daylight. Just don't know which day yet.

[idrivejunk]

Made 2 outta 3. Half day. All I lack is one rear fender. As you can see, my filler work stacks up fine next to the next guy's but my metal work leaves some to be desired. How it compares, I couldn't say. At the moment I wouldn't call either skill fully brushed up on. What I can say is it looks to me like the painter has work-



Refer to previous statements about right hood side-



After filler and priming twice, that and this might just barely be fixed. The high spot fix on fender ought to fly but I spent a couple hours blending lump ahead of blister in-





A GTX thread monotony breaker  

[idrivejunk]

More final primer. Stuff looks good to go  



I was afraid this one would pooch out too much here but seems OK-



Subtle flat lip at rear, check-











Then heres that very last part





No real bad problems found on that so woohoo, done sanding! Looks like theres a significant collision repair standing between me and the '51 F-1 job yet. Nice 2014 Ford truck had an offroad adventure / sideswipe.

But next up today is this steering column offset unit pocket on the firewall so I get to find out if I can still weld



I guess I should take the firewall cover panel the rest of the way, too.  

[moose]

Looks good from here Matt. Long way from day one! Ya done good

[kb426]

[idrivejunk]

Thank you sirs. Painter has a long row to hoe now. Thanksgiving comes to mind when I think of shiny put together.  







Minor hinge bar clearance alterations at each end of the cover. A few minutes' grinding and I believe thats everything.

[idrivejunk]

Finished that cover panel but no pic, woops.

Heres the frame being cleaned up-



Heres the crash job that I sure hope totals no matter how inflated pickup prices are. Floor crossmembers are kinked-



Multiple issues with that estimate. Made report. Need decision before we can know what to pull in next. If its a fixer not a goner, I apologize in advance for the next extended mood swing.    

Here at the lunch anvil, I have the A intercooler tank (unfinished) and am removing a bunch of tragic surface rust-



Ain't that a funky gas tank? Its from that 67 GTX.

[idrivejunk]

I put a little protection on that tank after the cleanup and passed it back to Mike to finish. The firewall cover turned out slick as a whistle after all. Its made from the top section of a prefab firewall. I think some fender welting around the top might be good.