Projects The Thomas Rocket Car Restoration

Finishing up the structure before the belly pan.



Bam, new belly pan panels out of the bead roller.

 

Here is a video of making the big panels



Clamping the pre-primed pan in place.



Welded from the top side and tacked around the perimeter.





Now the torque tube tunnel.





Completed tunnel with new heater tube to rear seat.





I then primed and painted the inside of the floor before fabricating the top sections.

 

I really admire anyone with the balls to take on a job like this...and to back it up with care, patience and skill...all the better. Thank you for posting.

 

I am comforted you did what you did and actually have knowledge of this dangerous very popular mineral that was great for everything back in the day. I have lost friends to this substance...and been up close and personal with it a few times with an element of fear let me tell you.

I see fellas here with kids around the shop and every effort should be made to keep exposures to one self and anyone in vicinity of the shop. Our hobby has some nasty elements.

Enough...again I'm happy for you guys.

 

The way this thing was built reminds me of the Chrysler Airflow as well that was highlighted for its strength to get you there safely. when you were taking the floor apart it's being stout was quite apparent.

 

Yeah, thanks. I tried to be as safe as possible. I'm 40 now so mesothelioma at 70 would probably suck. This car is super strong as even with the rot as bad as it was the doors still worked good and the gaps were tight.

 

I'd like to see some decent pic's of the front and read suspension setups please...

 

Josh...

Thanks for the Thread, but more importantly, thanks for saving this rare, early piece of R&C History ! It's always amazing how they accomplished what they did in those days with the tools, equipment, and sometimes, bare-bones resources, they had, plus, the frustrations, and, "roadblock's" they'd run into.

More than anything it took sheer vision, singleness-of-purpose, a lot of time, and, blood, sweat, and tears, to reach their goals...and I'm always in awe at the creativity they exhibited to get there !

BTW: I'm sure Harley Earl had some cool comments on this when he viewed it !

Thanks again,

Jonnie
www.legends.thewwbc.net

 

Very nice Sir.Great craftsmanship is evident in the pics.Thanks for posting.Looking forward to your updates.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Wow, amazing dedication and work! Be sure to read the link in the first post, great history on the car. Apparently used by the Thomas family quite a bit, 96k miles!

 

Thanks. This has been an all volunteer and charity effort. Although this car doesn't have the historical significance of some other cars I thought it was too unique and too innovative to let it disappear into obscurity. Hopefully when it is done people will get to enjoy seeing it for years to come.

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

After the floor structure was complete I made floor boards from more 18 ga. They are plug welded to the floor structure.









With the floors complete I was finally able to remove the door bracing. No more climbing in and out of the car like the Duke Boys!



Next I started to piece the door jams back together.

 

Not only have I been reading the thread, I've watched most of the videos and that car is amazing as well as your patience. I get flusterated with trying to get parts for NORMAL cars to fit together! The original car is a wonder in itself; handmade but it looks like it came out SQUARE on almost every plane! And, the concepts seem sound, if unique for the day (and even today). That platform chassis has my gears turning....

 

Then I moved back to the rear firewall to finish that up.

 

WOW! Hard to believe something could rust away that badly. Great Save! Bob

 

I put a link to this thread on the Automotive Weirdness thread.

 

Here is the video of the floor top.

 

Here are the requested pics of the suspension.
Rear is '36 banjo with custom half shafts and coil sprung swing arms.













Front suspension is coil sprung swing arms attached to fire wall, center steering cross with two tie rods, '36 Ford axle ends, and GM hydro shocks.

 

Quite the engineering feat to build this car, glad to see it's not only getting saved, but getting restored in a way that replicates the original design features, even the ones like the floorpans and stuff that won't be seen.

What's the deal with the fill primer and fresh looking bondo on the body? Was someone trying to repaint it with the floors and whatnot all rotted out? That seems odd.

 

I watched the first video, and it seems that this guy is an expert on floorpans and rockers (for sure)! He got the car from someone that was charged with doing the exterior bodywork, who, I would expect, found the problems with the floor etc. daunting. Since this is sort of a municipal project, the people involved probably weren't car folks and didn't really consider the way a project like this should be handled.

 

You are correct. I came into the project about two years in. The car was blasted and had some body work done, but the rust repair wasn't done. I saw the need, volunteered, underestimated the severity of the work, and over 270 hrs later I am almost done. I got the car in January and am hoping to be done in two weeks or so. I have my own projects to work on and really want to wrap up and get it back to the body shop.

 

I for one, am glad they got it to the right guy early enough. Can you imagine where it would be if they had kept going the way they were and had gotten the car into paint?

 

For some reason these pictures are stuck sideways even though they are straight on my computer. Sorry.



Trunk belly pan where the fuel tank goes.







What the trunk looks like now and what it looked like when I started.



Next I began patching the quarter panels and front fenders.











And then the passenger side.

 

Here is the video of finishing up the trunk pan and tool tray.

 

What a great thread! So cool to see the project progress at the hand of someone with the vision, talent, and determination to get it done.

 

Looks great. Those flush door hinge pockets are a cool feature. Do you plan to fully weld the seams on those body patch panels?

 

No on the full weld. This car is going to live inside a climate controlled building. I'll just use Dura-glass waterproof filler on the outside of the seam and I have already seam-sealed the insides.

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks for posting the suspension pic's.
I was concerned with all that underneath sheet metal that it might have been an opportunity lost to see the suspension.
Great work saving this peace of history.
Any idea what it weighs, it looks kinder heavy with all that metal in it!!!

 

Registration said 3600 lbs. I think.

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app