Projects A late introduction-Junior Conway coupe build

I'm guessing a loan to a museum ... that would have managed exposure for sure

 

I've got to get this car detailed one more time. I'm going to have son Dan come out and help. I've gotten all the stainless/chrome under the hood done. Just a little polish on the painted areas.

 

nice

 

love this car !

 

Jr is getting an intense detail.

 

Dan is gettin' after it on the week ends. We will pull apart the grille bumper assy for access.

 

Sorry, I've been neglecting this thread. A little repair work on one of the skirts.

 

It's about managed exposure. Any more hints on this Jer ! sure is looking nice..

 

***

 

Hmmmm...

 

????... *** >>> hmmm

 

My "Hmmmm..." was my way of wondering what Jer's "..." meant.

Didja' follow that?

 

just thinking the same... lol

 

Ok, for those that have read this entire thread, you will remember the terrible experience. I had trying to make the perforated brass sheet work in between the moldings. I could'nt get it to stop corroding, no matter what I did, after time, it would corrode. I finally painted the brass with brass spray artists paint, and clear coated everything with eurethane clear. This has held up very well, but isn't exactly what the original car looked like.

Well, as We're getting this car ready, I'm playing with it again. I''ve actually got a quote to have them gold plated.
It was way out there, but in this process I've discovered that POR-15 now has a clear. I thought that with the well known corrosive resistant properties of thi s product that I would call them up. They said that they did have this product, but it wouldn't work in this application because it doesn't have a UV screen, and would deteriorate exposed to the sun. I got some and cleaned up the surplus brass that I have laying around. I sprayed the POR-15 on it, and followed that with some eurethane clear (both sides) for the UV screen problem.

The first pic shows the surplus brass after being outside in a hot/humid/dry environment. The little circles mark the excisting marks that were there to start with. After about two+ weeks I might be seeing a few very small spots (corrosion) on the back of this panel.

The second pic shows the painted panels that are on the car now. I don't know what to make of this yet, but I'm VERY reluctant to disassemble the moldings, strip off the paint, and roll the dice again. We'll see what happens.

 

I love your attention to details Jer but if it were me I would leave it alone.
You may find that the new way turns out worse in the long run.
Much like the issue you are having with the plexi rear window on the Lopez coupe being replaced by real glass these panels staying the way that they are in no way diminish the quality of your reproduction.
If you didn't point them out you would be the only one that knew.
Just my 2 cents.........
Torchie

 

I'm with Torchie on this one Jerry. Unless Junior gets a big kick out of it, then maybe it's worth it.

 

As I have said earlier on Junior’s build thread, and this one, I’ve been out of the loop for about 30 years as I ran my business. I had been exposed only casually to the custom car world, magazine wise. The mags that I was mostly familiar with were the ones from my youth, Car Craft, Custom Cars, Rod n’ Custom, and then Custom Rodder, and Street Rodder.


As Junior’s car neared completion he mentioned that the big image magazine that had the best photography, writing and respect, was TRJ. I had no idea what TRJ was because I had not come across it on my local newsstand. All of that has changed since then of course.


With Junior’s status, and the authenticity of the recreation we were anticipating that the car would be in this vaunted publication. Junior has many friends and contacts with all the custom car media as you would expect. I need to mention here that I did receive respect and admirable “nods” from people that I later found out were highly respected people in the custom car community at the 2011 GNRS. That whole experience was so “other worldly” that it was only after I got back home and looked over the pictures that had been taken that I realized who these people were.


Just prior to the 2011 GNRS I was contacted by Luke Karosi from Kustoms Illustrated. He wanted to fly out and do a “shoot” of the car before it got to the show so that he would be ready and scoop the world with the car on the cover etc.. Having become aware now of the magazine landscape, I didn’t think twice (I should have) about it. Kustoms Illustrated is an excellent magazine that is fashioned after the early Rod n Custom “little book” that I was very familiar with.


Luke did an excellent job and it was an honor to see the car, and how it was done in his magazine. This was as much for Junior as it was for myself. I’ve always connected with the owner/builder guys more than the shops the cars were built in for some strange reason. This has caused trouble for me, and hurt the promotion of these cars a bit.


After the GNRS, TRJ was contacted by Jr and myself and the process of having them do the car was entered into. There was genuine interest and they expressed a strong willingness to do the car. I did come to realize (over time) that having the car in Lukes magazine did not create an immediate “need” too do this. There had been a “cooling off” with the conversations about this when Curt Iseli contacted me months later about doing a “retrospective” article about the “Then and now” show in the first part of the year. He had questions about the car. I mentioned to him that all the questions he had (and more) would be answered in the build thread. I later learned that when they read the thread they “went nuts”. With Jr’s contact, and now mine (Curt) we were told that they definitely want to do the car (and Jr’s story), just “not this second”. The retro article was outstanding and recaptured the “vibe” of that unique show. They did a two page “spread” on Junior’s car that was incredible. I bought several copies and cut them up to make a great framed picture out of the article. I did one for me, and sent another to Jr.. I was told that when it arrived and was unwrapped, all work stopped while the office wall was redone to put this up. Seeing my name with Junior’s in the header was a real thrill. I kept thinking about the young “jivin jer”, and what he would have thought about this.


That was 5 years ago. So, the learning curve is steep, but I am learning. Some years back I was told that when Jesse’s car is “completely” done to call them. Jesse did mention awhile back that after seeing how Jr’s car didn’t get the respect it deserved, he hoped that wouldn’t happen to him. I do want to say that Jr’s & Jesse’s recreations can’t be separated from themselves. It’s always been about the era, the person, and the shop. All these things are intertwined.


So, I think the position that I have to take is, no exposure until TRJ is happy. Any show that I would bring Jesse’s car to would put the mag shoot in jeopardy. I’m sure you can see this and understand. Jesse and this car must meet, but there are many different ways and time frames that that can be done in. When the time comes to notify TRJ that the car is ready, I’ll be sure to show Jr’s (ready) car in the reflection of some of those “intro” shots”. I have no idea how they would want to do this, so both cars need to be ready.

 

Tulsa 2012.

 

Rubba dub dub.

 

Finally getting some much needed touch up on the pinstriping, thanks Mark.

 

Well I've lost my help, and I don't do as well as I used to in the heat, however I've almost got this one "put away".

 

Such a sweet custom.

 

A candy apple angel came by and shed a few tears for the cause.

 

Nighty night.

 

Jer:

That car is just fantastic, I love it !!!!!!!!!

BB

 

Awesome! I love that you're not only bringing back a piece of hotrod history but a piece of custom history as well. Great job and a great story.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Outstandingly Beautiful car!!!! Bill

 

Guys...your comments mean A LOT to me. Thank you.

 

Not too many people can say THEY built TWO awesome tribute cars.