Projects Does the HAMB really need another shoebox build thread?

That's one area that I'm not happy with yet, I need to soften that transition area. Not sure how to tackle it yet, but I have some ideas.

 

I like the looks of the headlights! Have you thought of just smoothing the transition with lead? When I molded '40 Chev headlights into the fenders of my '37 Chev truck there was a pretty sharp transition between the bucket and the fender and I used lead to smooth the transition between the two and it worked great.

 

Leading that area was kinda what I was thinking. Just enough to soften the line so it doesn't draw your eye right to it. Otherwise from what I can see in the pic it looks great.

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nice work!

car looks great...... glad that you did not do the googley frenched headlight treatment, I never understand why people do that, ruins the car IMHO

keep at it, subscribed

 

Actually, the phrase came about when a review of the 49 ford first came out... The reporter/writer said it looked like a shoebox. And it stuck with the guys who liked the car. The Chevy guys lifted the phrase from the ford guys. They didn't start using the term till way after 49.

Now this is what I read on the ham ham shoeboxford.com. I thought I saved the link. But sadly not.

 

The real story of the 49 Ford is shrouded in a bit of mystery. It is said that a Studebaker designer who was layedoff entered a contest and designed the 49 Ford. Who really knows. They are prolly all dead. That was back in the day when a car could be built for less than a thousand dollars.

 

Both of these stories are pretty credible with some evidence to back them up. The '49 design was supposed to be released for '48. Can't remember why it wasn't.

My '27 T Roadster build: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Big A, read your thread beginning to end this AM. You are a talented person, both as a metalsmith and a swordsmith. I enjoyed your progress, wish you the best, and will be following along. Subscribed!

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It was too damn cold in the garage over the holidays to get much done, and well, it was the holidays... a time for eating too much, drinking too much and generally being lazy.

I have been pounding away on my headlights and they're still not quite right. I was getting frustrated with them so I figured I needed a change before I forgot my manners.

I got thinking about my dash. Jerseymike did a great job dropping an Olds dash into his shoebox, and I had something similar in mind...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=643347

Way back when I started this mess I grabbed this dash out of the HAMB classifieds (can't remember who sold it to me, sorry)...



It's out of a '59 Edsel Villager wagon. Kinda space-age lookin', in really nice shape and if nothing else I figured the Edsel script on the glove box should confuse the hell out of some people



Nice to work on my bench for a change instead of hunched over some part of the car. Got the dash stripped down, drilled out the spot welds and knocked the "wings" off...



Evidently '59 Edsels and '51 Fords are damn near the same width...



I dropped it in the car for a test fit...



Which is when I ran into a wee glitch...



So after some head scratching, I lobbed it out to the HAMB for some advice.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=855019

The general consensus seemed to be "cut the damn thing you pussy", so I did...



I needed to section 1.75" out of a straight area near the radio and add that section in on the right side of the gauge pod...

Sacrificed the clock...



Tacked the sections onto the right side and got the thing pretty darn close...




Just one problem...

 

Obviously the shape of the dashboards are different, and I wanted to keep the original/stock mounting surface so it will come in or out with 6 screws, plus the defrost ducts will be functional...



Cut the edge off a spare '51 dash...



and did another test fit...



Ok, I've got proof-of-concept so I can proceed, guns a'blazin'. Things line up, the gauge pod looks cool...



Made some new mounting tabs...



There's just one problem...





More head scratching.

Cut it and beat on it. Repeat...



Until it looks like it was born there...



While we're at it, let's fill in the speaker hole...





That's where I'm at.

There's only one problem. The wings, that I was going to graft into the doors, interfere with the window winders, so I need to think about that for a bit, but I'll probably just delete the wings and finish the ends of the dash without them.

 

Wow man, that looks FANTASTIC! I'd love to see you integrate the wings, but overcoming the winder may be an issue.

 

That's insane in such a good way.

-W

 

Thanks guys. I'm still thinking about the wings. I'd really like to keep them, but they're not going to work the way they are...



Something else to think about.

 

keep the wings, add electric windows!!!

 

That looks super cool! Nice work.

 

Andrew,,,, You continue to amaze me, Hope you figure out a way to use the wings.
Don't forget to stop in next time your in town.

 

man looks great, I need to man up and replace my dash with something better looking. keep on goin, youll be at paint before you know it

 

That dash looks cool!
Maybe some photoshopping could help you what way to go with the wings?

 

WOW....I don't know what else to say

 

Im totally digging this !!

 

Looks great , Big A !!

 

keep thinkin' on it... or lob it out to the HAMB.

Someone will have a crazy idea.



-W

 

Very cool! I normally don't have much use power windows, but they would be worth it if it meant using those wings. Just use some early Power window switches.

 

I've been planning to keep everything mechanical, but maybe with the early '60s touches like the dash I can think about power windows. Would make life easier (maybe?). I need to do a little research. I just don't want to push this car too far into the '60s or I'm going to be buying new wheels and yanking the flathead

 

Lol, I think you will be alright with some mid 50s switches.

 

What about extending the spindles on the window crank regulators so they go through the wings or modify the handles to clear the wings - so you can keep the hand crank system .

 

Can you incorporate that downward sweep of the wings into a custom door panel and fabricate new window mouldings that stay tight to the door?
Enjoying watching your build, thanks for all the effort in photos and updates.

 

Nice work as usual. Think about moving the crank lower in the door to clear the wings. Should be easy with your talent. Keep at it, you'll find a way. Couple beers, stand back and think, always works for me.

 

Love the dash Andrew! Where did you get that Edsel idea? i was thinking you might extend the crank shafts with a 1/4 inch socket wobble to fix the angle problem with the wings? Just a thought... carry on sirrrrrrr

 

Holy crap that dash rules. You gotta keep the wings.....