Bonneville styled 1932 tudor build

Chris great work. I look every few days to see what is happening. I want to thank you for taking me and 3 friends to your dads(you hoped) place lol on speedweeks. We also went to daves for a tour. Thanks again and I will get you the 35 roadster door to build when I get the body straightened.

 

Chris, I seem to check back to this thread every day or two, and I'm never disappointed by the progress that you've made and the quality of the work you are doing. As others have stated, you have a very bright future ahead of you. Can I be so bold as share three things about you tudor that are bothering me? Your chop is perfectly proportioned until you get to the back window. I know some people love the mail slot back window thing but to me it comes at a cost..... first visability, but second, it throws the proportions of the beautiful three converging horizontal lines below the rear window out of whack. My eye says the space between the rear window detail line and the body line is too broad. If you were to section the rear window down the body by and inch or so you would improve visability and improve the proportion of those three reveals. The other two things that bother me are that it seems that the front and rear track width seem marginally too narrow.

I hope you don't take this as criticism, just an honest comment from one builder to another. '32's are something I'm passionate about...... and I know I've spent way too much time looking at them.

 

I definatly encourage comments and opinions. I know what your saying about the rear window. I thought about lowering the bottom, I just am still up in the air about it. I might have to do some photoshop work to see if I want to or not.

As for the track width, what exactly are you refering to?

 

hey would you mind if you are going to fix another panel to do a step by step on how to grind and blend the welds ..what size grinders and sanders you have used to get that beautiful finish. your work and skill are amazing..

 

Here is a quick photoshop picture of lowering the rear window. It really doesnt do anything for me. I think the nail slot helps with the overall intimidation factor that I am going for.

 

Ive had other people ask me the same question about my finishing techniques. I enjoy sharing details on my large tools, and how I use them cause I dont feel like I am giving away any of my major secrets. Most people working out of their garage usually cant afford the big machines, and the shops that have them already know what I am doing.

As for my finishing of my welds. I feel like that is an area that distinguishes me from other work. And where I am doing this for a living I like to keep those techniques a mystery.

I'm hoping that the appearance of my metal finishing and work will be almost like a signature. Where people will know it was done by me just by looking.

 

i understand...

 

Man, truly a great craftsman! Chris, your skills are sick! I need to get back in your shop and check the progress in person! You gonna paint it before B'ville?

 

A build of beauty!

 

Chris: You are absolutely right, I have not seen many of the greats give away their secrets, they may teach the basics to the masses but keep a little something back for themselves. Just remember down the road when you've made your millions and get old to pass it on to another generation.

 

I like the redo on the rear window. good call, go for it.

 

I like the mail slot. I agree it makes it look more aggressive. Great work by the way.

 

Keep the mail slot! It's a Hot Rod!

 

Definitely keeping the rear window as is.

So today was a very eventful day!! I had a local buddy trade me my drop axle for a stock 32' heavy axle. Ive been wanting to change the axle for some time cause it just didn't fit the late 40's look I am going for. Plus it was going to be insane figuring out steering arms.


So first thing this morning I got it switched around. It looks 100% better to me. Definitely has a more vintage look. I just have to get the bottom leaf re-rolled to make it all work. It raised the front up a couple inches, but now the car looks more drivable.

Then this afternoon I got a complete set of Lincoln Zephyr hubcaps. And I think I want to run the finned beauty rings instead of the smooth.

 

Hell yeah! Way WAY WAY better with the 32 axle.

Where'd you get those caps? Looks good!

 

Great work on the door skin fabrication Chris, I think you have nailed it with the heavy Deuce axle. Looking good.

 

Whoa, that was a trade for the axle? If you didn't throw in any extra $ into that deal, you made out like a bandit!

 

The extra difference between my axle and his was that he came down and I taught him how to use the english wheel.

Both the hubcaps and axle came from eric, better know as "milkweed".

 

The black one has a straight 3 inch chop whereas the maroon one has the same chop with the window moved down by an inch. I prefer the more chopped look but understand the visibility issue. Steve Davis did the chop on the maroon one.

 

Wow, this is my first time seeing this build thread.

Your craftsmanship is amazing and kept me reading through the whole thing. I definitely cant wait to see this car finished up.

 

Yeah, Eric's a good guy. Had I only known he had a deuce axle...

Looks good, man. I dig those caps.

 

I think them hubcaps might look better just hanging on my garage wall they left a mighty big empty spot.................

 

I think its a little too late for that This morning I worked on the caps to get them to snap onto the rims. I took some crapy ford caps, and removed the inner part that snaps onto the rim. Then I welded them to the inside of the Zephyr caps. So now they snap on like they were made to.

 

I don't know what you are thinking for color, but that yellow on the front rims is acually pretty cool. And the look of that '32 truck grille has got me looking for one.

Thanks for all the updates and inpiraition!!!

 

I plan on keeping that color on the rims. I like the contrast.

 

Just had to give you shit i think they helped the look of the car come together........

 

Beautiful.

DD

 

caps look perfect on there ...

 

Now that you've widened the front tread width...and it looks so much better, let's talk about the rear tread width...

It looks like if you were to get a couple of 1"- 1.5" spacers and mount them on the rear, the rear tread width would be more in proportion to the front tread width.

It looks like the tires are tucked into the wheelwell too far...ya know?

 

I dunno Larry, I kinda like then tucked in a tad.