Model A job

[GPster]

There is one thing that I would worry about making that body wider at the bottom. The running boards have square edges on all four sides which kind of limits the placement of the fenders. With the rear fenders put in place by the rear fender wells rather than the frame you might be looking at a lot of things that will have to be moved. GPster

[idrivejunk]

Matt,
Don't stress yourself too much about the measurements of the Coupe body. remember you are building a modified hotrod. The body mounts on a flat platform so as long as it is close and the doors and trunk lid operate then the battle is won!

Point taken. I am told "a lot of it has to be just your eyeball". True, that. The black or white no grey mentality really doesn't apply here. Confidence stems from knowing my numbers are right, and normally I disregard eyeball until I am loosely comfortable with numbers.

[idrivejunk]

There is one thing that I would worry about making that body wider at the bottom. The running boards have square edges on all four sides which kind of limits the placement of the fenders. With the rear fenders put in place by the rear fender wells rather than the frame you might be looking at a lot of things that will have to be moved. GPster

This mirrors the admonishment from chassis guy. Let me be clear... I have no intention of altering the stock body location or width dimensions, just don't know how to find those. I didn't think it would be hard to find somebody willing to measure between bolt heads at the bottom of their B pillars or the wood at the tops, but it is that and beyond. My guesswork thus far was based solely on: first, the statement that the body was too skinny at the bottom. Second, on flow of panel faces. Now, I am back to an "Its too..." statement as my criteria. Thats with "Hey... this is YOUR baby!" as the default response if I have an idea of my own. Perhaps the statements are coming because I made a vow to not ask any Model A questions of anyone at work except the boss. The boss who signs the checks, that is.

I don't know that I'm far enough along to mock up running boards and fenders yet. I do suspect that the rear window panel width has been throwing me off. Hopefully my next stab at it will be more productive, and having the new sheetmetal on hand will help. Periodically, I must remind myself that I've been given an exceptionally confounding task based on abilities I have shown, and that if just anyone could do it, I probably wouldn't be.

[idrivejunk]

Difference in new door skins-



Difference in old quarters-



Left drip rail off-



Pillars off, roof insert in background. Firewall in foreground-



Had 3hrs on it today. Smooth cowl top should come in tomorrow.

[kb426]

[idrivejunk]

 back.

If any of you can suggest an order of operations that could help this go smoothly, I would like to hear that. We must gain lots of ground immediately and without slip-ups. I've got myself in a bad situation by trying my way, not having stuff, and listening to changing parameters.

If not, wish me luck and walk to see the wizard with me. Either way, I'm going!

[idrivejunk]

Spots where I MIG'ed then wet rag-ed to tame stretched metal-













Only had a tape measure out once today.

[idrivejunk]

Reckon I'll slide that pan under it and give her ye olde heave-ho somehow. Boy I wish I'd had the sheetmetal sooner.I believe the order was placed before Labor Day. I would be more sane now. But now I have the stuff to do the things... except door latches and trunk hinges which are both quite important for what I am about to do. Oh and I do plan to take my own advice and put the roof in from the bottom. But this will do for the moment.

[idrivejunk]

[idrivejunk]

Cut tabs and opened doors and of course they are crazy again. Took the tail reinf off for the time being. Leveled the frame and body and tacked enough bars in there to hold it kind of still. Using the upper half of the support fixture again. Right now there are body mount bolts at the four corners and the aprons are blocked up where the quarters sit.



Roof is crooked as can be-



I am using the stock rocker remnants to tack to at this point and am working my way up to position things but in my book, tpday was huge because I have side to apron looks that might work, fore / aft body position seems OK, and heights of most points forward of the axle and below the roofline match side to side. Centering it should be not bad or is already close enough.





So the plan I have in mind now is to mark everything for the chop, remove doors and rear window panel, trim the A pillars and cut the quarters at rear and top of the side window. Then we can look at it chopped and confirm likes. Then finally I will have a clearer path which starts with doors and should be an epic saga.  

[kb426]

This is interesting to watch. All the chops I've watched have been on a solid body. I'm pretty sure most weren't measured everywhere to see what was out of square. Every year at Salina, I observe some chops. The bodies are all on frames and not in pieces.

[idrivejunk]

This is interesting to watch. All the chops I've watched have been on a solid body. I'm pretty sure most weren't measured everywhere to see what was out of square. Every year at Salina, I observe some chops. The bodies are all on frames and not in pieces.

Good point, Bill.   What goes on at Salina?  

I brought a preconcieved notion to the table about what might be out of square, but maintain that the logic behind it is undeniable.

What also might set this job apart from others seen is the nature of existing damage above the drip rails. I would venture that this specimen is relatively poor in that area.

You are right about this path, the footprints fade to grassland just beyond the trail head of this hike.

A traditional chop is said to be about a five hour job excluding metal finishing. O....K.....

In my mind, theres no escaping the fact that a traditional chop is... shall we say... half hearted.
The body is ruined for me that way, it can no longer be disassembled fully as intended and the welding cannot all be done.

Perhaps its another nievety of mine is to think not doing the can opener cut with it all together can be a success. I am looking at the stuff I gotta use, and in light of the horrific extent of invasive repairs required every step of the way here... concerns for getting the chop (one man's) "right" are fluffy blowaway concerns at this point. Its safe to say that proper, extensive rust repair on early Ford cars is one of the more counter-intuitive tasks which a man of my background can encounter. But once you learn to ride, its all down hill ain't it? Never forgetting how.

[idrivejunk]

[kb426]

Matt, at Salina they do 2 chops each year. From what I know about this, you submit a request for your car and info about it. They pick the ones they want and it's free. I have a friend that had a 40 Merc done a few years ago by Keith Dean. I know it was no charge. The others, I don't know about.

[idrivejunk]

Matt, at Salina they do 2 chops each year. From what I know about this, you submit a request for your car and info about it. They pick the ones they want and it's free. I have a friend that had a 40 Merc done a few years ago by Keith Dean. I know it was no charge. The others, I don't know about.

How bizarre! They would probably stone me so I hid behind my shirt sleeve.  A 40 is a difficult one, isn't it? Glad my first is "sandbox" difficulty!