Model A job

[idrivejunk]

Yes. They are new and pre-bent and I have them. There was a pic somewhere along the way.

[idrivejunk]

Today I found a shape we like for the right side roof profile-



So I made a matching pair of 18 gauge angle strips that follow the contour. The right one is shown and the left one is in and helping but I quit in the process of getting the left side adjusted and screwed.





I had been struggling with the shape of various support methods for the insert, so I brought out the original insert's wooden support and used part of that which seems to have helped. It seems the thing to do is make angle strips for underneath each rib, running fore and aft. With cross braces as well. FYI, the insert barely covers the hole now. So if I shove the roof up more, I run out of metal. So the insert has to be screwed in nice and evenly before any attempt to add crown to the insert. These ribbed inserts do tend to appear almost flat, do they not?

[idrivejunk]

The dark piece in the second pic is 16 ga, and over the pillars. Ahead of that is an 18 ga one and they are tacked to the 18 ga side rails. Planning similar brace at rear but today I also added a connecting strip at the upper windshield piece that fills in behind the visor. That helped guide the overall shape but some of the ribs are not perfectly curved yet.





I have to show you this one so you can behold the phone camera distortion... the tubing on the roof is not bent and the pic can speak the rest.



Tell me what you see there, if anything. Here are other pics just to brighten your brief day if I may.

[idrivejunk]

Anybody know what this is? :?:  :?

[kb426]

Question: will you use step rollers on the bead roller on the top insert to make an offset so the insert is the same level as the outer edges?

[idrivejunk]

Butt welding it everywhere.

[416Ford]

Matt, it looks like the center is sagging a little, will you be putting the wood back in to keep its form and give it the original look or are you installing metal supports?

Another question- I have only ridden in one Model A and this is just an observation from that ride. The visor was an original one with no vent in it and those cars were not driven at 70 miles an hour back then. The visor on the car I was in rattled bad from the wind. Are they going to louver the visor?

Keep up the good work, it's looking good.

[idrivejunk]

Just lost my whole post, "no post mode specified" appeared when I either hit preview or made a mistake. No going back with the browser. So thats all gone and it was complete except the last pic. Some of what your asking is right on this page already told and I am out of time to start over from scratch on the post. When theres more time and inclination to squander, I'll do so.

[idrivejunk]

Just the pix-









The roof wood was partially used as reference when making the permanent metal roof support pieces. You are seeing a rough sketch, nothing is ready to fully weld. I need pieces together to work with, thats all. The visor will not be ventilated and will be welded. More answer when theres more time, if need be.

[idrivejunk]

Sorry about that guys it just ticks me so bad when I suddenly lose the last half hour's work. If I've skipped a question, shoot. These pics are just the half day's continuation and they explain themselves pretty well. But look how bent the frame seems and how bent that cross tube appears... I gotta run through camera settings.    With every android system update, another app goes to crap by the name of "upgrade". My kingdom for a desktop once more... soft keys just throw away life.

[idrivejunk]

Moved the whole mess over to the lift today.  

With the roof insert secured and upper and lower supports in the passenger cabin, the body became stiff enough to do this:



Building for keeps now, I moved last week's temporary crossmember and made it the B-post / seat mount's rear bolts... brace. Then one for the front bolts that hops over the trans yoke.



That scrapped together center may not be for keeps but this is a start. I mainly focused on getting the side pieces laid in right.



To keep from boogering up any more rivnuts, I made these pegs with smaller bolts that drop slightly into the bolt holes on the frame. They allow me to draw the pan up against the structure and keeps my four corners in place.



Last was the 42 incher out back, it follows the angle of the frame and pan kickup. Ends of that will end up stuffed inside the bottom rear corners of my quarter patches, and that will be a tire clearance hotspot as well as the launching pad for rear body structure. This is as much fun as metal finishing!



Once this structure goes all the way to the back, I'll get rid of all old rocker plus more. Keeping just the outer door jamb sections as a cap over this but I already cut one side up, woops. But theres enough framework present in the lifted body right now that I can do whatever at the bottom, and once I remove the old rockers this baby will sit right down on the new stuff and ah... I will be able to corral this wiley elusive vehicle body and tame it.

[idrivejunk]

Finally I can at least lift it by the pan. :!:  

[idrivejunk]

Latest developments, for your perusal



Hood line seems to flow alright



Claws and poppers are in. We had the big ones but are using the small ones (cowl side) and it was handy to provide a side by side comparison. They are from Autoloc.



These-



Go here-ish



Trunk stuff taking shape-





The angle iron foot stays, the 1x3 goes.



And yes, rear control arms are adjustable and body shell is positioned based on mount holes in chassis. Wheel too far forward but arms are sll the eay adjusted short.

[idrivejunk]

I have the main trunk bracing tacked up. Probably going to have to make a door jamb for the quarters before proceeding with bracing, so I can nail the quarters to something that holds still. Lots to do. Lots.

[idrivejunk]

First thing today I welded up cuts on the drip rail area braces and cut an upper hinge brace. Did not like the looks of it as a straight 1x3, it would mess up interior space. So I stared at it. Then I tacked one drip rail brace to the A post and hung a junky corner piece and short down extension from that to get a visual for the best way to make the C pillar.



By the way, that drip rail brace does not come closer than maybe a quarter inch to the roof side.

Ignore the upper hinge log here, its going away.   I will attach to the gutter up at the hinge area instead and with 1x2  



Not enough 1x2 on hand. So while that run was being made, I started on a door jamb. My pattern comes from a door end for the contour (will add bumpout if needed at body line) and my plan is to force the quarters' front edges to conform to the pattern. Hoping that works!