Model A job

[UGLY OLDS]

OK---OK...   I will try to curtail my enthusiasm....  

 When will we begin correcting the discrepancies in the bolt on outer appendages    :?:  
 I foresee this being a very educational experience for we less talented onlookers .....  :oops:

  Remember ....I do have a collection of willing , (sorta), participants for this exercise ......  :?

 Robert....

[idrivejunk]

By all means shirt tail your enthusigasm there, sport!

I asked indoor sunglasses flat brim ball cap stretched earlobes tattoo drifter with a Cressida guy about fenders and he said they are still on the chassis and are perfect, like new. I don't even know what I have here yet or what to do or if theres plans.

My first raw rain-on-engine idea is to make the required hood side bulges part of some headlight pods that don't look like they cover engine. Or... keep the hood sides intact but widen the engine compartment. Personally I think I might just use flat hood sides with closely-formed lumps and design the thing with only using them if it rains in mind.

So... somebody tell me if A doors fit in their opening or over it please. Gotta start somewhere  

[idrivejunk]

Next question- When fitted with fire breathing knuckle dragging monster V8s, where does your noggin end up in relation to the B pillar?

If we lose the post and make it a hardtop, whats your reaction?

Any tubbed ones you've seen have a single width rumble seat?

Who can take detail shots of a gennie thats "right" or point me at reference images for original kinda panel fit?

[Carnut]

As you can see the stock doors fit over. If you mod to make the doors fit in that would be a major trick item.

The 3 window body has been done in fiberglass and a few are around but the door is extended to make it work

[idrivejunk]

Thanks. You've seen this one, eh?  I had a little something to do with how it looks.  It was once a five window. All I officially did was filler work on it. I think they call it a 31 Model A but the grille is Model B. Grandpa would give me a swat on the head for not knowing these things but to be fair he wasn't very hip to muscle cars either.

[idrivejunk]

I know the arrangement is different but heres how I handled a 33 rocker using available panels:

http://chevroldsmobuiac.blogspot.com/2018/07/33-job.html?m=1

[idrivejunk]

Guys, can any of you school me on what prefabricated roof hole solutions are available?

I heard of a fiberglass insert shaped like cloth, and that cloth ones can be hard to make look good. Hoping someone has been down this road and can offer words of wisdom or spit out a brand name. My googling might miss something due to search terms.

[chimp koose]

With your skills you could make one better than the kits i'm sure . I hope it is going back to a cloth cover however it is done . I prefer the original look to that of the filled ones . MANY years ago there was a company making plexiglass inserts for the moon roof thing . I think it was late 70s

[Canuck]

Matt, what finished look are you shooting for?

I wanted something that looked like a stock Mdl A but without worrying about ballonning or blowing off.

Car still had the beaded/stepped edges around the opening and nailed to the replacement wood surround.  Took the roof skin off a late 60 Chevy 4 dr HT, full size and found nearly a perfect fit after turning around to the roof bows and metal surround, just a slight push down in the front corners, about 3/16".  Trimmed to fit just inside the bead that goes around the opening then spot welded every couple of inches.

Next painted with epoxy primer then covered with 1/8" closed cell foam (Landeau foam) glued down with vinyl top adhesive.  The foam went just over the bead.

Next got some repro decking material from Mdl A vendors and glued that to the foam all around.  Tacked the vinyl thru every second hole in the  original metal roof and trimmed close to the tacks.

The hard part was reshaping the repro aluminum trim they sell for As, flattened out then formed into a U to fit in the groove around the top opening.  Installed with nails, a bedding of RV sealer and RV sealer over the nails before bending the trim down.

https://chevelle406.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/img_1662.jpg    for the finished look

[idrivejunk]

Much obliged, you two. Good replies!  I tip my hat northward.

There has been no briefing on the job yet, the stall it was in became needed. I took it as my cue since I had planned to be done with the Pontiac at this point. But I looked at the A long enough to send thoughts racing through my head.

No idea about the overall look desired. If history is a clue, we'll need to be done with rust repair to talk about the rest. Pretty much give me a solid body adapted to my chassis then lets talk modifications. So stock look is a safe assumption and the boss will surely follow a logical order in coaching the roof choice starting with the simplest. Don't know if this is a repeat customer but I believe the same person has a Karmann Ghia out back thats next, for a hairy V8 build after this.

My thoughts require that you bear in mind my crash tech background and age.

A roof plus inner structure off a W body like my 99 Grand Prix could be used, smoked power sunroof and all. Turn down the edges where it fits into the hole for the appearance of a metal insert with a tight gap, no molding, around it. Weld on corner tabs to attach with studs and bed the skin in windshield urethane and nut it down, trim studs. Or something like that.

I do like Canuck's method. Thank you sir. It sure looks neat and beats other options for simplicity.

Actually I have been wondering about alternate materials for an insert. I like the idea of a flowing and tightly fitted insert because if its nice, the gap would not stand out.

But user Waynep just sent me a video link about carbon fiber. Hmm.

Yeah, yeah but what about stainless, or aluminum? See, I better just stick to rust but I have my new meat buzz on and you know how it is.

Thanks for that picture also. I get it now, the doors overlap at the back but not the front. Man, I could so fix that. Bear claws please.

I get the feeling though, that I'd rather make door hinges than baby these. If our hero is a married man, he may want checks and detents on the doors.

As I've said before... I can only do what I get asked to.  (but I can drop all the seeds I want)

[idrivejunk]

So far, so... uh-oh  





Modification list includes top chop, flush doors, hidden hinges, bear claws, etc!

[Carnut]

Gee, I've done stuff like that once upon a time, in my younger days.

[GPster]

Years ago (45) I had pieces of a '30/'31 Model A  coupe. It was a body parts donor for a group of restorers.. The restorer I got it from wanted the firewall. His had been cut for some after market manifold heater. All the wood was gone  and the back window, trunk lid and the trunk surrounds from the quarters. I used the back window section from a Model A sedan and brazed it in. The sedan's window section is wider than the coupe's and the bolt-together flanges were rusted off so I just trimmed it to the width I needed for the coupe and stuck it together. I used the roof from a '57 Chevy. I had the whole roof panel and I just placed it on top of the coupe's body and slid it around  til it touched all of the coupe' roof opening's edges. I marked the coupe's roof opening on the underside of the '57 roof panel. I cut the '57 panel to the outside of the marks and brazed it to the coupe's roof overlapped. I padded the whole roof and covered the padding with  vinal (sp?) from rain gutter to rain gutter, visor to back. The back edge of the padded covering was done like the roofs of '28/'29 sedan roofs from end of rain gutter to end of rain gutter across from side to side about half way in the bend from roof to back window. The body had no wood in it, It was channeled the width of the frame rails and I built strong floor braces. It was solid enough that I drove it daily for five years. I sold it after back surgery ( it wasn't the cause ) and the guy tat ended up with it drove it for years and then it just kind of vanished.  '57 Chevy roofs have gotten scarce in the last 45 years but I suggest something welded in rather than trusting wood joint to hold everything solid. GPster

[idrivejunk]

George, I'm hitting it at 52 rather than 25 so its probably gonna seem like work part of the time.

GPster, theres a $600 ribbed steel roof available. Thats what we're getting.

And it will have a trunk, not rumble seat. Hood top without hinge, smooth hood sides with fabbed lumps, smooth cowl top, quarters are a grand apiece so I'll make stuff. Door skins are available. Flush, shaved suicide doors with hidden hinges (detents!). Delete seam at roof sides. I think thats it for now. During stripping this afternoon it got a tad more encouraging but not much. Could be a lot worse, I reckon.









Of course it started pouring rain at quitting time. I swiped over the bare stuff with Picklex 20 so it will live. Right quarter is bare in pics, first two pics have Picklex on.

[kb426]

I'm gettin' better at this. I didn't have to grab a trash can!