Here are the scraps I started with when I built my rpu. 28? Dodge cowl, 31 Ford sedan doors cut down, 28 ford pickup back panel cut down. It kinda lined up but not really. I had to do something to finish the swage line in the door. I first made a cardboard pattern of the shape I needed.
Then I cut it out of 1/2" plate a little oversize and started grinding. When I got close to the shape I wanted I switched to an angle grinder with a sanding pad and a little filing and I was done. I tapped a couple of holes in the back and bolted them on. It took quite a while.
I trimmed the top of the door and curved a piece of 2"x1" tubing to fit. I curve it by placing 2 4x4 blocks on the ground and moving the tubing across and smacking it with a hammer. It's not exaclly fine metalwork but I feel like I made something out of nothing, I have $250 in the whole body of this car including the grille.
Well, that's one way to do it - and damn nice job too. Not only do they work to terminate the body line - but as armor plate, too.
Couldn't you have just done the same thing with bondo? I wouldn't have thought of whittling down a piece of steel stock. Another idea to put in the trick bag.
Good tech Kev. Actually, I thought you were going to use it as a hammer form to press/pound sheet metal into to get its shape. How did you do the patina on the driver's side door handle?
those fine pieces of hand shaped steel need to be chromed now dammit. and convert them to fr/ rr sliding door latches too.. if you really had all the raw steel why isn't the rest of the body done this way... remember to sprinkle all the filings over the car for replacement kool pics paperdog
The grill is from a 36 De Soto Airflow. I bought it several years ago at the Calif' Hot Rod Reunion swap meet for $50. It had already been sitting there for half a day. I trimmed some off the bottom.
That's what I thought, too. And then, all of a sudden, the hammer form gets bolted to the rear corner and it's done and looks great. It was a clever surprise.
I saw a cool story in a magazine once where a guy made cool light weight aluminum bumper for his race car by using the steel one as a hammer form. Weight was not an issue with this P.O.S.
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