Model A job

[idrivejunk]

(pirate voice) Don't go green at the gills yet, laddie! T'will be a long year at sea.

Be strong, my friend.

[Canuck]

Typical A coupe.  Wood body mounting blocks started to rot, body started flexing at back of cab and cracked.  Repaired by local garage with coat hanger and a set of torches.  Body looks pretty decent compared to most up here.  In very good condition compared to what I started with.

I know you are up to the challenge.

[idrivejunk]

Typical A coupe.  Wood body mounting blocks started to rot, body started flexing at back of cab and cracked.  Repaired by local garage with coat hanger and a set of torches.  Body looks pretty decent compared to most up here.  In very good condition compared to what I started with.

I know you are up to the challenge.

Thanks for the word of confidence. I was thinking the same thing, the world has been fairly kind to this specimen. All the pitting up high on the body concerns me though. I believe I will end up suggesting blasting of some areas.  Boss was leery of blasting initially but then was pleased when the metal was exposed. "Hey, that don't look very bad!" Relatively speaking, of course.

You guys can pause for refreshments and stroll out to the lobby for a few, I'll dim the lights when the show is about to start back up.  Smoke em if you got em.

[UGLY OLDS]

Ahhhhh....Matt .....About those cinder block "Jack Stands" ......  :!:  :?:  :-}

Bob...

[enjenjo]

Ahhhhh....Matt .....About those cinder block "Jack Stands" ......  :!:  :?:  :-}

Bob...

Yes, about that.  $90 will get you four 6 ton stands from Harbor Freight.

[UGLY OLDS]

Ahhhhh....Matt .....About those cinder block "Jack Stands" ......  :!:  :?:  :-}

Bob...

Yes, about that.  $90 will get you four 6 ton stands from Harbor Freight.

Or less with a coupon on "sale" day .......    


Bob..

[idrivejunk]

I ain't bringing mine from home, they would disappear. Theres not two here that match as far as I know. These match. Not something I'd put under a dually for sure but they beat frame on floor for now. Extremely unsafe, eh? :oops: At least theres one jack stand in some pics, I did look around first and these were right outside. You'll appreciate that straight out of the gate I requested another larger set of wood wheels. No go. Boss plans to get "some of the metal ones" which raised my eyebrow. But this is now and here. Remember I did re-tire my GP after your paint job dealy.

Focusing today on that coat hanger fix, to assure that the area is usable. About to start straightening it.

[Carnut]

Wow! You guys really get some strange metal work challenges in there.

[idrivejunk]

Yessir, its a non-stop bop.

I put a pair of jack stands under it first thing after chow.

[idrivejunk]

I just continued triage stripping this afternoon-

[kb426]

What are you using to strip it?

[idrivejunk]

What are you using to strip it?

Oh, I used a heat gun and light slapping spoon sharpened on the front edge, upside down, to warm and scrape the thick mud off. Then I went at large areas with 40 grit on an 8" DA. Then 40 grit on a 6" DA. Then 80 on same. Then put a red scotch brite under the 80 DA. Then the Crud Thug (oversized pneumatic wire brush thing on steroids) for mud down in contours. Then 3" rolocs that look like mule hide (brown, fuzzy) for crevices, and purple 3M Clean-n-Strip XT discs for pitted areas. Wire wheel on drill for pits also. Then scrub with cup brush on drill and red scotch brite on DA while metal is wetted with Picklex 20. Wipe, rinse, repeat multi-times. Sand with 80 on DA again. Clean with wax and grease remover until rags are clean...

Then wipe Picklex on again, wipe dry, take pics.

Brighter areas in pics have been scrubbed and cleaned but the rest is just sanded and all bare areas are picklewiped, to keep overnight. If we end up being able to blast, this work should help prevent damage because light blasting for pits is all thats needed.

[kb426]

I was curious because in the past, most jobs were blasted.

[idrivejunk]

Gary didn't want to send it first for fear it would disintigrate. After I had exposed the left quarter metal, about an hour in, he walked past and said "Hey, that don't look that bad" in an enthusiastic tone. So I am going with my assumption that once everything is apart that will be apart, and everything that is to be cut away is cut away... and I ask to have the things blasted, that I will get the response any reasonable person would give.

Me stripping it now tells me what there is to do and helps up plan. I needed to know what was going to be involved in that problem kink spot so I took it further. That piece is $300 (retail), just around the window. I also scrubbed below the line to see if I could get my mind around saving that part of the quarter up next to it. When I have exposed all the panel faces, I'll probably just move on to floor construction since that is the next largest unknown labor area. All the things will come up in due time, and our pro process does follow a different path from that of the hobbyist at times because its not our car. But if theres gonna be blasting I don't want just panel faces done, I want both sides of flanges done and stuff so I'll wait. But we know what we have this way better.

[idrivejunk]

Should I use 20 gauge cold rolled steel to make patches with, or 18 gauge? We don't keep 20 gauge around.