Hi all Greetings from Finland. Here is my long journey to convert my 1934 Ford 4D Sedan (or some parts of it) to 3W Coupe! It is difficult to write about your own car. It makes things more difficult also the fact that the entire story spans more than 10 years. Some of the details must have evaporate from my head. Any way one goal, or dream is now true – a 1934 Ford 3W – is at my garage now! (And sorry my "not so perfect English) During years I found some guys on the internet that had made a standard four-door Ford Sedan to a five-window coupe. In the pictures it looked really easy. Of course there would be a lot of work! October 2010 I got a phone call from my friend Tommi. He told me that he got '34 Sedan roof and rear doors laying around. "It is cheap, he says". I asked will it fit in my Volkswagen Transporter Van? Sure, said Tommi! Well, it didn't fit, so the roof was cut up in smaller pieces at Tommis yard. IMG_9439 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM _MG_9440 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM _MG_9441 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM I stored the roof in my backyard several years. I was still working with my A-Coupe, so no time and money to build two cars. I found ’33-34 Coupe rear quarters that were made in Sweden at Lazzes sheet metal course They were cheap and I bought them. Pieces rested at by backyard until 2014, when I moved to another town, Karkkila, Finland. Situation did not change much at all. Now the parts were lying in the backyard at Karkkila. However, I was keeping my eyes open and antennas out to find more parts. I need a cowl and front doors. I tried to buy those parts from Sweden on local websites and Facebook. No luck! Then I got a phone number to one Finnish guy who was willing to sell extra cowl to me! Great! That happens in October 2014. Now there was a little more pieces in by backyard bu, not enough! I found one 4D Sedan door (outer skin) to the driver side and one Tudor door to the passenger side! Now I had enough parts to start the build!! Cowl2 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM It was summer 2016 when I built the frame jig using a 60 x 100 mm beam. Then I placed the frame on top of the jig. The frame was straight so I started to throw body pieces to the frame.… sounds like easy Assembling the body on the frame was difficult lack of rear axle. Or I had one empty banjo rearend but there werent brake drumes. So I made the 7.50 x 16 ”rear wheels” out of plywood to imitate rear wheels. IMG-20160720-WA0001 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM In the winter of 2016-2017, the car progressed piece by piece. I welded the body together whenever I had time and inspiration. WP_20161026_18_24_38_Pro by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM 20170413_181614 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM 20170713_184027 by Kontra posted Oct 30, 2022 at 11:26 AM In the summer 2017, the basket case was already piled up so much, that I wanted to have the car outside to see what it looks like. I couldn't get a car out with plywood wheels, so I put "search on" for rear brake drums. Then I found complete banjo axle. Same guy was selling a running 21-bolt flathead and three-speed trans. Of course I bought them too! I install the rear axle in place and I screwed the wheels. There was already some kind of axle in the front end and wheels in place, so basically the car was rolling. It was a little challenging to get the car from the jig alone Somehow it worked out and on September 12, 2017 was the great day!! I rolled the car out from my one car garage! It was very interesting to see what it really looks seen from a little further away. It was a totally shit! Awful, Ugly! What ever you want to name it! The A-pillar is way too upright and the rear part of the roof is also too vertical. Somehow the proportions just didn't match at all! Reality hit straight to my face and I pushed the pile back into the garage!. At this point, my inspiration disappeared completely. I moved it later autumn 2017 to storage, because the A-Coupe new paint was on duty in the winter of 2017-2018. So stay tuned, this "saga" will continue!! Ari Berghäll Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4GhpSsUJEFZPOuNk9-EGg
Im in. With the soaring prices of 3W model 40 coupes and bodys these builds are particularly interesting.
Part 2 In this hobby, it's great that you get to know many new people. In autumn 2017 At the Yankee Car Show in Lahti, Finland. I talked to one guy who happened to have a similar one project in the middle of Finland. He has bought a fiberglass 3W body as a template to his own project. The body would will be unnecessary at some point. I promised to buy it when it’s free. That date was end of summer 2018. In October 2018 I want to see what the car would look with the a fiberglass body on it. I admit, It was close to using a fiberglass body but gritting my teeth, I continued with the steel body. In the fall of 2018, I tried to shape Sedan door upper sills to follow new roof curvature. I tried, I cut, I did everything that I can, but the steel doesn’t bend like I wanted! Painful! Idea in the entire project was that I'm in no hurry, and no schedule. I challenge my skills and I'm trying to learn something new. At this point I had to raise my hands and scream out loud: I can't! I was wondering if I buy for an English wheel and other tools for my all ready too small garage. I have to sit down and list the different options: Option 1: The car would not be any more ready, even if I buy a garage full of new sheet metal forming machines because I don't know them use! Option 2: The project has ”burn” a lot of money, and it looks like shit, anyway. No one wouldn’t pay even half of the money that have spend. Option 3: Take the car to a guy who is more professional sheet metal guy than I am. I choose option 3!! So stay tuned, this "saga" will continue!! Ari Berghäll Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4GhpSsUJEFZPOuNk9-EGg
Okay, folks. Story continues… I decided to go with option number three and have a help for person who all ready have all the tools and experience to use them. I contacted one guy who promised to take my project in the winter of 2019. That date moved and moved month after month… It felt like I couldn't get a car never under work. In the fall of 2019, I talked to my good friend and Ari Talus about my case. Ari happened to have too much free time, and he was very interested to start project like that! So, I towed the pile to Ari in Lieto, Finland in end of the November 2019 Ari got down to business right away and at the same week my whatsapp started to pop up project photos. Things started to progress in excellent speed! I delivered a fiberglass body to Ari and it was great to notice, that rough-looking pile is starting to like a complete car! On January 20, 2020, I get the car back home from Ari.I was impressed when I saw the car first time outside in one piece. It was absolutely great. Chopping, shape of the rear roof, the tilt of the A-pilars…everything caught my eye very nicely! Absolutely great work and craftmanship! Ari Berghäll Päätoimittaja/Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE +358503007823 www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/@primer_magazine
This is such a cool Build. A tudor is much easier to make a 3w from. A four door is a natural for a 5w, but you are building what you want from what you have. I love it. Here is a few pics of my pile of parts made into a 3w, as well.
Reminds me of some of the builds you see BAD CHAD do but without ending up looking like it was hacked up with a chainsaw and with no thought of design or the lines flowing like they should. Yours looks like its going to turn out VERY nice. Just proves persistence pays off in the end. Can't wait to see it all finished with you grinning from ear to ear sitting in the driver seat.
Thanks for the all comments!! January 2020 Metalman Ari had done excellent job, but, there was still a lot of welding and grinding to do. I have to replace firewall, weld Bear Claw locks, chop the windshield frame, adjust the gaps in the doors, repair a few rust holes, replace all wooden body supports and made new structure from square tubing, etc… in total for a year of that. The body was completed in February 2021 and I took it to my friend for sandblasting. After that body was sprayed acid paint. I sprayed four layers of water-thinned Noxudol soundproofing compound to the body. I sprayed it total seven layers to the body. Good and sufficient material! No hum! It was strange to see the body in one color for the first time and I was "forced" to put the body on the frame and take some pictures of it! I already started to test different colors in Photoshop. So, the body was ready, and I left it to warehouse to wait painting time. I towed rolling chassis to my home garage. I fabricated boxing plates for 4 mm steel, and welded them to the frame. Then I made new motor mounts, steering box plate, and a new straight rear spring crossmember and millions of othes "small things". One quite big job was fit ’39 pedals and master cylinder to the chassis! It was surprisingly tricky trying to figure out what is the right distance for the pedals, when the body was missing! I put a 21-bolt first into place, because I wanted to know if it works. There was a rumor that it was running engine when I bought it! That was also true! When everything seems to be working I remove all parts of the chassis for a painting. In May 2021, I sprayed the primer to chassis and the gloss black 2-stage car paint. I did paint axles, brake plates, brake parts and more small parts shiny black. I wanted to paint all parts with real car paint. No spray can. Ari Berghäll Päätoimittaja/Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE +358503007823 www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/@primer_magazine
Impressive, quite a transformation! I'm loving the irony in modeling a steel body off of a glass one! Ha ha! Chris
Inner door skins are from........... (drum tremolo).... from VW Beetle!!! :=) Ari Berghäll Päätoimittaja/Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/@primer_magazine
At the end of November 2021, I got the chassis ready to drive first time! My friend built me totally rebuild 21-stud flatty many years ago. It was on the storage waiting to go between ’34 chassis rails. Engine is totally stock, except headers. I had bought a new Stromberg 97, and new Stromberg electronic ignition, new starter, new fuel pump and a new alternator for it. I didn’t want use old parts on these “critical” places. One important moment is test drive on a bare chassis! I did it end of the November 2021. I was +2 C outside, but for me it feels like a summer I did some minor jobs to the “almost ready” chassis in the December. I had made a schedule, that I should have to take body to the painter right after Chrismas 2021. Day before I promised to take body to the painter, I suddenly got an idea to took body from my warehouse, put I to the chassis and drive it before the painting. Sound very wise, but I really want to see (and hear) how it looks and sounds when it’s moving! So, I took the body back home from the warehouse and with the help of my neighbor, we pushed it to the chassis. I bolted the doors, and tailgate into the body for a few screws. So, I did a small test run in the snow 27 December! That happened in the morning and couple hours ago at the same day the body left to the painter!! For my eyes car looks like it should look! I was happy! Ari Berghäll Päätoimittaja/Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/@primer_magazine
Looking good so far! Although I hope you didn't drive too far with only 2 nuts holding the front wheels on! Can't wait to see further progress, I really like it.
For some reason, when there is a deadline things tend to work out. I signed up to a car show at 1-2 of April 2022. While the body was at the painter I try to do every small things that I could do on driveable chassis. I even take a notebook and I wrote an note if I found something than I can do before the body is back. Of course there was lot of things that I couldn't do until the body was painted. Choosing a color to the body was just as much pain in the ass as it always will be. In last hours there were two options: something blue, or dirty yellow. You know how nice it is to make a decision on small color sample…. There weren’t no time to spray some test color, because Markus (the painter) was in a hurry with "real jobs". So…. I decided yellow! Not any typical color for me. I saw one French 5W Coupe on that kind of color on Instagram and that was it! Let's make it yellow! Finally, on Friday 11 March 2022, I went to the painter to took the painted body back to home. I took a risk and I have to admit that the color was shock! The yellow was incredibly bright! No can do anymore! A rolling chassis was pushed into the yard and four of my friends threw the body onto the chassis in a few minutes. So there was about three weeks to get car ready to the show!!! I had agreed on an Jari Kedonperä that he will paint to the body some "competition numbers" and other stuff on Saturday 12 March. In my thoughts it was also possible to do some patina to the paint. It was a pleasure to watch the work of an professional. While Jari painted his things, I piled up the body so that I wouldn't be in Jari's way. The competition numbers and other things came ready the same afternoon. We agreed that Jari will continue next Saturday body patination. Too bright yellow color bothered me all week no matter how long I was staring at. Jari Kedonperä came next Saturday to continue his magic. After an hour of work, too bright yellow color was a memory. Jari did his "magic treatment" the paint showed exactly what I had thought in my mind – dirty and patinated surface! I had promised the car to the exhibition in Tampere, Finland which was organized on 1-2 April 2022. The coupe was show-ready on Thursday 31.3. at 3:30 p.m. There was only one day i didn't build a car when I cam from a work so late. All other days I was building a car! "If there was no deadline, then nothing would ever be finished". At the exhibition It was a great surprise, when I won the "Special Award"! There was a smile on my face! Still plenty of work to do. Electrics, lights, registration.... Ari Berghäll Päätoimittaja/Editor in chief PRIMER MAGAZINE www.primermagazine.fi www.facebook.com/Primerlehti www.instagram.com/primer_magazine/ https://www.youtube.com/@primer_magazine
The Jalopy Journal
