"Winter Project" Too far gone? 34 Ford Tudor Sedan Deluxe

Well heres the project I have been working on that has been keeping me from the "AREA 51" Mercury. Its a 34 Ford Tudor Sedan that I got from a guy that due to circumstances, had to let her go. At first glance its not for the faint at heart, but had all the potencial. The frame had been butchered and someone cut the floor, what was left, out of the sedan.
Heres how she looked last summer.

 

Here I brought it out of the basement and got it into the shop. These are a few of the damage pics.

 

First I had to get some stability in the body and cowl for what was to come. I contacted Bitchen products and ordered a firewall and full floor with rear toeboards. I contacted a few other venders for the rear tailpan repair panel as well as lower cowl and quarters, rockers, and complete subrails.
I installed the firewall and repaired both doors with the pan and skin patch panels that was included with the Tudor purchase.
I then installed the doors onto the sedan body, centered them into the opening, got the gaps the way I wanted them, and welded the doors to the body.

 

The original frame was so butchered we had a new set of rails ordered and farmed out the assembly and welding to a shop in the Carolinas.
We needed a good foundation to build off of and the old frame just wasnt going to cut it!!
Out with the old, in with the new.

 

I had to assemble the floor and subrails on the new frame before I grafted the Tudor onto the permanent rolling assembly.
Lots of measuring, subrails first, then floor. Miles of welding wire. When finished, I removed the floor assembly for lots of grinding.

 

Now for the fun part!! After getting measurements from a good Tudor body, I welded bracing into the inside of the Sedan. I removed all that was left of the floor and subrail, being carefull not to make matters worse with the already rusted attach areas.
I slung the body overhead with a hoist , slid out the old chassis, and rolled the new underneath. Lowering the body over the new chassis while measuring and messaging as it came down. When all that mattered was right, I started tacking, clamping, bolting, and bracing the Tudor body the the floor assembly.

 

To get to the point that I could unload the body from the hoist I had to start replacing rusted corners of the sedan body. The more I replaced the more secure the body gets. This thing used to sway like a bad Dumbo commercial!!!
Lower cowls, Quarters, rockers, tailpan, and wheel well fixs all had to be completed before we could unleash her from the ceiling.
Man when did I sleep this winter??

 

Installing the powerplant, a Ford 302 and AOD trans.


Time for a brake!!!!! A little attention to my 51 Mercury project.

 

I filled the cowl vent and added a smooth roof fill from an early 80 Cadillac. With a little advice from a HAMBer, perfect fit and contour!!!

 

Very cool. Good to see you saving another one!

 

Here are a few pics of the finished floor with the body completely attached.

 

great work! Saving another 34, I can't get enough of them. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

The doors are now cut loose and door gaps worked all the way around.

Heres how she sits awaiting final fit & finish before body and primer. Lots of stuff to do yet but I need a brake!!!

Good luck to all with the "Winter Project" contest thread and special thanks to Alliance vendor BAILEIGH!! (Just a little brown nosing there!!!)
But really, THANKS, ETHER

 

Thanks guys. Its been a ton of work, and the things that had to be done or fabricated that I didnt take pictures of is endless. Hopefully it will be a driver this time next year. ETHER

 

"If you shake it more than twice, you're playing with it!!! "

147...148...149... can I stop now, I'm going blind

 

Come on now, we all know you probobly didnt make it past 27!
149,,,,Thats damn near a record!!!!! LOL

ETHER

 

It is nice to work on something small for a change, no?

Nice work, -Abone.

 

The Merc looks pissed in the backround, I'd be afraid to walk near it...

Nice work.

 

Damn. You do some NICE work Ether.

 

Nice work Chad!! it's good to see your staying busy in the shop.

 

Wow, nice work. And at a really nice pace too.

 

Nice work. The floor look great.

 

Wow, really coming along great. Saw the thread, and was drawn in by the pics of the work in progress. Not much of a welder here, I have to hire my work done in that department. Hey, I'll rent ya a room in the back of my shop!!!! Great work, the Merc is bitchin as well.

 

Lookin good.....

 

Man, that's some nice work! I always loved the Tudor bodies and you've done this one really well. Glad to see you using fenders, too. Keep us updated.

 

You are a machine!

 

very nice work and car.

 

Lies!! Lies I say!!! How can this be a winter project when there isn't snow in a single picture??

Very nice fab work, by the way.

 

Great stuff, Chad
reminds me of my own 33 Tudor.
Keep the candles burning.
We will get to that beer one day.
oz40 (Tom)

 

Another great "SAVE", very impressive work dude, thanx for sharing with the rest of us. Proving that saving some near gone jewels is possible!! Love it and the patient Merc. as it sits calmly by waiting for its turn to be touched and massaged by its owner!! Rock on brother!!~Sololobo~