I've been on the HAMB for a few years and I don't post much cause I don't have much to say. The last posts I made that were worthwhile were from back when I built my T. I am not too good at photo journaling my projects. I do however have a few pics of what I have been up to lately. For those that I have met over the last few years and have wondered what I have been up to...here it is: About 8 years ago I bought a '56 Ford for my wife. I brought it home and found that it was pretty rotten. I was on a tight budget and didn't want her driving a rusty looking pile so I did a quicky patch and mud job on it and shot some primer on it. It ended up like this.... She drove the hell out of it and I did as well when I was building my T. I knew the cheapo body job wouldn't last so over the last year I decided to get after it. Well needless to say I got distracted with a new job, family stuff and just trying to be a good Dad. I also decided to redo my garage into more of a shop before I got to working on it (the garage difference can be seen in the first and last pics). Anyways....the rot had gotten pretty bad so I decided it needed new floors and lower fenders all the way around. I took the doors off and welded in some supports. Next I removed the rotten rockers, welded in a 1 x 1 tube from the toe board back to the door post and back to the rear wheel well. Then I disected out the inner rockers and rotten floors. I built new inner rockers and attached them to the 1x1 support and continued on to fabbing new floor supports and body mounts. Floors were to follow. Next I re hung the doors and aligned new rocker panels. Rear fenders were next. As I cut the fenders off and separated them from the inners I dicovered more rust....go figure. A pic of the driver rear cut away. I fabbed new inner panels/fender lips and welded and hammered and welded and hammered.........thats a lot a friggin seam! The driver side is complete now. I haven't taken pics of the finished side yet...sorry. This is how it sits tonight. The driver side complete and the passenger side cut up and ready for me to fit it all up. As soon as the metal work is complete (sometime next week), I am moving on to installing the bags in it....gotta make it right for my girls. A pic of my daughter "helping"..."Dad, what did you do to Mom's car?" By spring I am hoping to have the body work wrapped up with new chrome reverse wheels and shiny paint...Some of you have seen my T...I like Flake.... Oh yeah...I forgot to show my favorite part.... 292 ECZ-G heads Isky cam...
Very very cool... its great to have a hotrod family that can dig a car like that. It looks real clean. I just found this pic of my pops.....maybe you should radius the wheel wells. hahaha
Nice work, it always seams to be more than you bargained for with rust. I hope you're letting her drive the T while you have "her" car down. lol
Craig, Your ride is sure coming together. I thought it looked good before (the wonders of plastic filler ) but it's really going to be a solid ride now. The last I saw it was at Kustombuilder's deal in Charlotte and that was sure a long time ago. keep up the good work and post some pictures of the final result. Frank
thats gay! but thats why we are freinds looks really good. aaron wonders if you still have the puppy? hmmm.
Haha...thanks. No...Ernie got put to sleep this summer. I think Aaron really did affect the little guy...
awesome pic of Maddy! it's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like all of your dials go to eleven? -Jake
Cars looking good. My dad had a 56 when I was a kid, I really liked that car. Don't know why they were always treated like a red headed step child, they really have good lines. Your daughter is adorable too. My daughter is getting ready to drive, I swear I just brought her home from the hospital. Enjoy, Mike.
Speaking of "big jobs" Craig, how are your balls these days? You must be off the ice pack if you are back out in the gay-rage. Oh yeah, the car looks good too. I hope you can remember how it all goes back together. I always seem to have extra parts. Did you clean just for those pictures? Those cabinets wouldn't stay white very long in my garage.
I was thinking the same thing! Wonderful work space. I've been doing much of the same work on my ride. I should take a picture some time. A real clusterf*%k of extention cords, air lines, creeper getting hung up on it all, looking for the welding helmet that's on your head. I call this "working dumb". It's amazing how long you can work like this before you get so damn frustrated you just have to clean up the place! I am partial to '56's myself. My dad had a Crown Vic. I dig your Y-block, especially the air cleaners.
Again, thanks for announcing to everyone on the internet I had busted nuts. Do you want details of the surgery??? (I know you do, sick bastard) Extra parts??? As you can see, I just cut everything up...no evidence. As far as the cleaning up, I have turned over a new leaf since I remodled. I clean up every night , now I don't lose my tools.....and my cabinets stay white.
Craig's shop is awesome, but it gets a little annoying having to take my shoes off before I can go into the garage....
About time you you showed up you nutless Ape....! Hahaha!!! Typical Wisconsin game of chasing the rust... turning into a complete renovation of every single panel...! Good work Craig...! I didn't realize that it was that far gone...!
The Jalopy Journal
