I'm pretty sure that you're being sarcastic, but I gotta say this. I really hate this trend of calling rust and neglect "patina". It's like some all encompassing term that makes it OK to let a car continue to rot while you drive it. The real ironic part to me is that people usually spin the practice as being "more authentic" or "more true to history" or some other such hogwash. That's not honoring history, that's letting history be slowly digested by oxygen and time. If everyone "honors history" like that, there won't be cars like this in another 70 years. You can respect history while maintaining and protecting the steel from corrosion. Rust is for weathering steels and folks who are too lazy to paint their cars. To the OP - Good on ya for saving this one. In reality, almost nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. It may take a lot of time/money/skill/etc, but just about anything can be done if you're willing to do whatever it takes. I will definitely be watching to see how this one turns out.
awww hell! what y'all worried about that'll buff right out! seriously tho, good on you for saving it, looking at the start you made on the roof I'm sure its in good hands. .
MURIATIC ACID WARNING I have used it with great success, but it's a handful. 1. the vapors with grow rust on all bare metal in your garage. I would suggest only use it outside, as far away from your valuable metal as possible! 2. - it lingers if not completely washed away. I SUSPECT (I'm not a scientist or even particularly smart) that it will stay "inside" any rust speks or areas that are not completely cleaned down to bare metal. And wreck what ever finish comes later. 3. The 'lingering' is especially true of lap joints! Which is like any place that was spot welded at the factory. I cleaned the snot out of lap joints and left them bare metal that had been washed and pickled with metal prep for a couple weeks and you could see the rust poking out from all the lapped seams. Muriatic has it's place - but it can also ruin otherwise good stuff if not used as properly as possible. It also eats away the parent metal a heck of a lot more than metal prep type stuff.! Just my comments, you milage may not match mine. -90% jimmy
Harold Murphy saved El Matador so you can save your 40. Keep at it. Perhaps you could contact him to get some advice. He lives in West Palm Beach, FL http://www.hotrodsonline.com/halloffame/Matador/index.html and http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=El_Matador and http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71936
WOW this is so cool.... because that car was my dads car!!!! I can tell by the roof that looks like a roof caved it on it (because it did) and the wheel tubs in the back. We had a house fire Oct 2007 and lost almost everything ( including that '40). That car was one of my dads favorites. It was flat back with beautiful halibrands on it, finished interior (matte black plether), 383sbc w/4speed. I am so happy to see it being worked on!!! Pm me if you want some more info on it. I included the best pic i could find of it when we had it.
Yeah, this is your dad's old car. I'm sorry for the loss you suffered in the fire. I had never seen the car before the fire. It looks like it was a nice ride. I don't know how many hands it's passed through since the fire, I got it from Chris at BAR Customs and he got it from Oney. Chris is building a gasser and found a complete roller at an auction so he wanted to sell this one. Chris kept the burnt doors and hood and I got the ones off the car he bought so it's only rust on those. I think Oney kept the rolling chassis. I'd had my eye on it since Chris got it wanting to see how the repairs would turn out, but he never really got started. I always wanted to try to see if I could do it. Now Ive got my chance. If you ever want to stop by and see it you're welcome. PM me for directions.
Well i hope you have some fun with it!! I think a 40 ford gasser will be very cool and out of the ordinary project. Ill let you get some more work done on it before i come out to see it. But i definetly will come out. thanks for the invite!!! and GOOD LUCK JGRAFF
I'm really partial to 40s so any attempt to save this one puts you in great standing in my book! If the roof is any indication of your work, you will very likely have this body back in really good shape. I look forward to more updates ....
I'm digging the Bucks Down Dirt Tracker build idea! Make it handle and that could be a total blast to drive and big time attention getter!
WOW! The repairs are turning out great! Keep plugging away at it. Heres an idea, how would CLR work on it???
I've been thinking about a direction for this build, I really liked a photochop someone here did of my Dodge as a B'ville racer, so much that I thought of changing direction halfway through that build. My wife made up my mind on that. I found a great side shot on Google and started playing with Photoshop. I'm not quite sure how I would accomplish it full scale, but here's what I came up with. Concept_left_side by 1/2done posted Oct 22, 2017 at 11:03 AM I know it's a shitload of metalwork and I'll probably need some experienced help, but damn I really like it.
I did a little bit more tonight. I've probably got 18hrs in it so far. Basic shape roughed back in. DSC03434 by 1/2done posted Oct 22, 2017 at 9:59 AM Guide coat. DSC03439 by 1/2done posted Oct 22, 2017 at 9:59 AM DSC03423.jpg High spots revealed. DSC03440 by 1/2done posted Oct 22, 2017 at 9:59 AM A lot of plannishing and shrinking later. DSC03469 by 1/2done posted Oct 22, 2017 at 9:59 AM The tendonitis in my left arm is slowing me down a bit. Reaching in to do the center should be a real treat. The shrinking disc has been a real help. Amazing what a little friction can accomplish.
Thats some cool ass shit! My dad used to say 2 things that stuck w/ me forever. 1. If you didn't turn a wrench on it, it aint yours. 2. If you've cried, sweat, or bled on it... you deserve it. Looks like you own and deserve it, I bet that sunuvabitch is gonna be bad ass!
Looks like your off to a good start, judging by the roof this car is gona come a long way. keep us posted.
Sorry to hear about the sale of your gasser, but as stated earlier you gotta do what ya gotta do. Wow that sure is a project, but props to you for jumping in with both feet. And again, as stated earlier most people walk away without even trying. The work you've done so far shows great potential!! Keeps up the good work!!
A wood fire like that will add carbon to any surface that it touches (it's called carburizing), making it harder than it was to start with. You'd be better off just annealing as you go, with a rosebud tip on an O/A torch. I really think that the carburizing mechanism is what makes cars caught in house/garage fires such a bitch to work on later. If the fire gets up to 1,600 or 1,700 Degs F, the carbon monoxide in the smoke will provide sufficient carbon to carburize (also called case harden) any car body engulfed in the flames and smoke for at least half an hour or an hour. Add a nice quench from a fire hose, and you could end up with a car body case hardened to 25-30 Rc. That ain't gonna work by hand any more. In fact, there's a very good chance that the additional carbon now held in solution will prevent you from ever truly annealing the steel down to its original hardness. That all said, however, if the thing wasn't in the hottest part of the fire, and wasn't enclosed in such a manner that it was engulfed in smoke for at least half an hour to an hour, you'll not see any real increase in dissolved carbon in the steel (IE change in alloy), and thusly ought not have any trouble annealing and/or reworking the body. IMO, it's foolish to write off a burned car without at least trying to fix it first, especially when it's something as desirable as a 1940 Ford Coupe.
with the work youve done thus far on the roof of the car id say its in good hands , i will follow this thread for sure ,
I have a buddy that had a '57 Bel Air burn to the ground years back. It is a beautiful car now after tons of work. People tried to talk him out of it but this was HIS car and that was the one he was going to own. It is a beautiful car again, We replaced the top becaus it was too warped to use but most of the panels are original. It can be done.
I have almost the exact twin to your 40. My coupe was an old 70's rod, judging from the Sun tach on top of the dash and the hood pins pointing up on the cowl. But I have since found most of the roof from another coupe to replace the tough stuff on mine. And I'll need another cowl and floor donor since mine was left outside in the weather for years after the fire. Good luck.
1/2done, Keep swinging and it'll get done. Good for you and good for us that will learn a thing or two about using a shrinking disc. How about a tech post showing just one of the roof dents, start to finish?
Looks like the roof is coming along nicely. Ignore the naysayers, many of them dont have the guts to try what you are doing. Ive met too many people who have no interest in learning how to fix things, when they can just buy something better or pay someone to do the work. Its refreshing to see someone who wants to learn how, and isnt afraid to just jump in and have at it! Good Luck!
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