Model A job

[idrivejunk]

Door on hinges, no tabs



Quarter has major problems, needs to come off



C pillar roughed in

[enjenjo]

Anybody know what this is? :?:  :?

I'm thinking a drum roller for a readymix cement truck. I may be wrong though.

[idrivejunk]

Sounds possible.

Today I did a bear claw. Glad we waited for the backorder on small latches and poppers, I was able to set up a conventional position with latch against window channel this way. Thought I would have to put the latch behind the dash, but after beautification this should present a minimal intrusion of interior space. Mikey liked it!  Hey Mikey!  I will refrain from posting a pic of him posing with a box of Life cereal.

Be sure to see the downward pic of the latch, it shows the excess hangy-outy-ness of the supplied mount plate. Remember I love to chop and can't stop now.

















Shuts like a bank vault!

That was the morning, stand by for the rest.

[idrivejunk]

Moving along, towards just getting panels situated. I managed to straighten out big issues on the quarter some more, and once the patch is back up there I can go farther. But it sure looks to me like the door itself is a contributor to the lack of flow of the body line. Probably time to hack the lower door skin off and get serious. The other side can wait until I've encountered all the adventures over here. That way I'll be "experienced" and have a lighter task on the passenger side.

[jaybee]

I've always heard flush mounting the doors on these cars is an enormous amount of work. Seeing your pics of this project I'd say that's an understatement.

[idrivejunk]

I've always heard flush mounting the doors on these cars is an enormous amount of work. Seeing your pics of this project I'd say that's an understatement.

Of course, I don't speak from gobs of prewar Ford experience but it is adding up.

If all a guy set out to do was just flush the doors on a clean, undamaged, stocker...

that is correct :!:

What would take experience to "estimate" the job is what happens when you get it flush and see what I'm seeing. Which is not unlike the job of shaving drip rails on oldish pickups.

Looking at an A, you see cutting a slice off the front of the quarter and putting an inside corner there. One might see the complications from the wood and do well to figure pulling interior and running board for no burns. Same with pickup drip rails, about the interior and layers of metal.

A guy walks up, does or starts the job and then oh... reports um, the car and the door are completely a different shape. Um, I cut the drip rail off but the door is an inch different from the roof edge in places. Many hmmms follow. :?

With the grapeshot approach to the laundry list on this baby, flush doors are like one more T shirt in the wash, no big deal. If not moving hinges to the B pillar, plywood would be fine as a door jamb at the quarter. Truth be known... after explaining my cowl cut theory effectively then demonstrating the amount of pillar movement required (about 5/8" if you ask me today)... chassis man quietly mentioned that in a situation where firewall is to be modified, the body fit difference down low might be negligible. I can add to that though, that spacers would be needed to move the visor and front roof wood and metal pieces forward. Perhaps not that much. I just haven't had it all pinned down well enough to say half an inch is enough but I'd bet you a :T)  that it is.

[idrivejunk]

[idrivejunk]

Quarter is just loose at the front edge now, but it mates to the door contour well enough that I put the patch on. I wanted to be at that point before I stuff a permanent hinge pillar behind there. Current setup works for mockup but the hinge tubes are too far inward.

[idrivejunk]

[idrivejunk]

Spent the half day welding up hinge pockets on the door and forgot a pic before putting the reinforcing panel back on.



Anybody remember this one? :?:  

[kb426]

I remember.

[idrivejunk]

Certainly was a mild pleasant weather weekend. Today too, and more on the way and the leaves are stunning this year.

This morning I added a gusset atop the left upper hinge tube, built the bottom section of the pillar and it's rearward brace, and tacked the sheetmetal lower quarter flange to the qtr. Tacked a strap to the weary area of the qtr front flange just outside the upper hinge, to hold it when the quarter comes off. and until I can fill in between it and hinge tubes.



Over on the right side now, and coming right together. Measuring plenty and looking OK on position now, so trimming the quarter and making the new flange is all thats between me and trying the door on. For a Monday, I did alright.

[idrivejunk]

Today I achieved a sufficient number of matching comparative measurements between left and right side to proceed. It was quite the challenge. Also among things I'd rather forget is impromptu straightening of the Cat roof skin which nobody saw coming. Three "Hey Matt" sessions of an hour apiece or better. Each time with monstrous oil canning and each time my bum right hand was numb by the three minute mark. Guys, if you're gonna use an 8" DA one handed while daydreaming about turbos and fat girls... lift a little.

My current mental state is precarious, I am frustrated.  :evil:  Burying myself in a heap of westerns and various documentaries because a strong tree bends in the wind and does not break. Trying...

Current state of affairs: Lots of carnage to solve after the panel fitting thrash this week, but the door swings in the right spot and sits like this. I think I can work with it. Glory be!

[idrivejunk]

So much more at ease today. The rest of this should be longwinded but fairly downhill. Thanks for following along.

Trimmed rocker corner, fine tuned and tacked quarter patch-







The war zone. With a temporary brace helping to position the post-





Angle finder confirms both doors at same angle when open. The rest ehould follow.

[kb426]

This has made me aware that if I buy a Model A somewhere of how much should be done to make it good.