As for the header, a buddy uses 1"x2" steel tube... he cuts the ends to arch with the roof sections and makes the front side slightly narrower than the rear, like the car does... he welds a small steel plate to those ends, bends them in so they won't crease the skin... he welds it to the cowl's 90*cross brace... he then cuts off the bottom of the "behind the visor" panel, welds the edge that would roll under to the tube... a little silicone from behind would seal it up... a strip of hardwood molding screwed to the tube will let you nail a headliner/upholstery to it... no pix as he races it at the retired Limestone airbase landspeed trials... in storage... he is a hamber… maybe more info if needed... ...hope it helps...
Nearly got all the bulge taken out and both sides are close to being symmetrical....but have to tune up the flat under the window (collateral effect) from the heat below.....nothing is easy. But I feel like I improved the shape. Here's a before and few afters.
IMO... When you get ready to weld... overlap, then [trim where you can't] tack every 3" or so both in and out... use a wizzer to cut a short starting slot, use a metal cutting blade in a sabre saw... it cuts both panels at the same time, grind off the tacks, fit and tack, butt weld them together...
I like the fact that it's going coupe over the horrid coupster, I really dislike those things. When I was but a young whippersnapper of about 9 or 10 I was at the annual carnival in our small town and had just won the game and got to pick my prize. I chose Iron Butterfly's Live in Copenhagen album, mostly for the album art, the carny said "sorry kid but I can't give you that one, it's not for you". At the time I didn't understand why but later in life I found it funny that a carny was worried about corrupting a young kid's mind.
Agree.. I've never done it like that but believe your spot on. I'll have to cut the jamb lip and trunk lip so I can slip them over my car. My initial thoughts are that I'll dry fit the entire roof together for the install plus include a couple of lateral braces connected to the fore and aft upper jambs (I pulled some outside measurements from a straight coupe) those braces will allow me to square the roof. I'll probably suspend the roof during the process.... maybe a cherry picker. Looks good on paper...
Gutter removed for upper 'metal massage' .... was holding rust anyhoo.. a new paint time bomb if ignored. Far easier to replace than straighten the pitted one. And, there's a corner jamb repair that went under the gutter... So it's out.
Hello, With the bi-weekly service being on the rotation for our long distance, daily driver, red El Camino sitting in the garage below, we put off what was important, for a way to calm ourselves down. We listened to great music, sat around on our homemade pillow couches enjoying the simple life and took photos of just about anything that blew past our minds. A time exposure photo of a flickering candle while listening to a 17 minute In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida…baby! The music beat matched the moving flickering candle… The candle was an experiment with some stuff in the wick that made it flicker while just sitting. But, moving the candle flickering, or moving the 35mm film camera all around gave us some nice time exposure photos. Jnaki, It was 1968 and those were the best of times for us, but the worst of times for the USA and the world. (so called war, assassinations, protest marches, violence, troubled society, and of all things, the Hong Kong flu epidemic) Those turbulent times offset by tranquility in our very small, cool, apartment. Low paying jobs, happy little dog, new wife, daily surf sessions, cozy apartment with a garage space to work on cars/photos, new camera, and nice cars…etc. It was a time to do work on old cars while the body was still flexible and young. But, we were still trying to find our way together for the future. Not looking ahead to old age…but time marched on too fast. Although, those early times still keeps us alive and well. Jnaki Good luck on your modifications… nice title of thread, too. Still in LP form in our LP Album collection shelves. But, played digitally and remastered in the current state. What goes around, comes around in all shapes and forms. (pun intended...)
Cool reflection there...was born in 68. Year of the Monkey! Did you happen to notice the hippie flower stickers on the lower cowl panel... suspect it's last build was around the same date.
Are you giving it a late 60s build style then? Seems like a no brain’r. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'd first have to have a better idea of a 60's build...but my initial frame of reference is the over the top show builds...which are cool...that's not going to work for this car. But an interesting idea. Thanks
Evening toil in Boxcar's Garage.. Work continues on the drivers side roof panel. Contemplating the corner stress fracture in the upper jamb I made a square out of scrap to hold the unsupported door in the correct position to execute the repair but in pulling that into square I noticed another issue.. there's a significant twist in the upper (long) roof panel. I suspect that it's been crushed down and it 'henged' along the top embossed line where below the gutter fits in. All pictured below. I'm thinking some steady pressure via my hillbilly soft wheel along the silver reference line could get back some shape to the flatten roof while straightening up the jamb. Clear as mud?
Moultrie GA. Swap Meet....my annual project parts recharge point. Shout-out to Iron Trap Garage for hooking me up with a deck lid!!! Fought off buying old signs till I saw one I always hoped to have.. had to pick it up.
The work continues on 'shaping up' the drivers side roof panel (above the door) Believe someone had beat out roll over damage with a ball peen hammer at one time. Today I melted the lead out of the top (old filler job fir roof insert) a did some metal re-shaping. English wheel really was a help with smoothing the panel. Didn't know how it was going to work out (to date I'd only used it for new panels) but it did great!
Here is a Flop 32-style header. Here's how we handled mine: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...et-strip-model-a-coupe.1159568/#post-13187699
Could anyone confirm whether this panel is twisted or if it supposed to be this way? I'm betting it's twisted. For an orientation reference, the window is 90° from the roof insert nailing flange.
Weld-thru primer.... not working for me! Where did I go wrong? Believe I needed to give another Mississippi. Later... Bigger plug hole, more amps, another 2 Mississippi's and I got it. Temp brace in place to keep from stressing out the corner... more dollies work is ahead. A few replacement window corners.
You are much too generous Sir. But thanks, it was cracked in the corner and I didn't want to risk it after the work I did on the weld and reapply of a new reinforcement tab.
Anyone have any info on this seam weld above the beltline? Both side pieces have it in the same place. I believe it to be a factory seam weld...a gas weld I guess...very good weld. A buddy of mine with much more build experience than myself disagrees... believes it was done later by a craftsman.
Factory, mine has it too. Wish to hell my reveal looked as good as yours. Great work, subscribed. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
1930-31 Ford Model A Coupe Beltline Fabrication https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...rd-Model-A-Coupe-Beltline-Fabrication.581959/ Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Close enough for a few coats of high build primer and a skim coat of filler..... oh yea, and lot's of block sanding. While I did all of the initial tacks on the outside I opted to do the majority of finish welding on the inside. My thought was less metal finishing on the exterior where the stakes are higher. Chased pin hole after pin hole today with an occasional blow out just to keep things interesting!
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