Dream car into reality, 32 Victoria in glass.

Ok, progress today. After a lot of test fitting, sanding of the windshield glass and its resting area, it got installed. Along with quarter glass and rear window.





I also got the A/C(gasp) condenser modified and mounted it up, along with the radiator she'll and grill. Talk about a tight squeeze. 3 hours of fabrication, grinding, tweaking, drilling and adjusting and its in.




Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Looks GREAT! That body is very very NICE! Good work.

 

More progress today. Fender welting, stainless hardware going in, headlights. Even started some cleaning.

Ghost flames up soon I have decided too.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I like it until I heard ghost flames. I'd save that for your next streetrod.

 

Gloss black flames would look awesome

 

Haha. Thanks guys.

My issue is, since I painted the car outside, on a slightly windy day(10-12mph), I had to get a little closer to the panels then normal. So I see a few "streaks" that I don't like. So my idea was, rather then painting those areas again and possibly get a repeat result anyway...
I will mix up some clear, with a touch of pearl, lay out traditional flames and airbrush the edges in only, using the satin black as the outline where they overlap.

It looks really cool in my head.

I'm going to try the roof first, where the satin is pissing me off the most and see how it looks. If it sucks, I'll redo the satin black again instead. The only areas I don't like now are the roof and drivers door. But if I'm going to add ghost flames, it will be with a 70's flavor down the doors and roof and maybe the half way down the front fenders.

My 49 Chevy I used two shades of blue with a different style flames.



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Today I'm sad. Lifted my car and took driveshaft measurements(31" u joint to u joint), did some clean up underneath that body work left messy. Set the car down and noticed a 2" crack in the lower left corner of my windshield.

Grrrrr.


Now I'll have to find a custom glass cutter to make me one. I thought it might be s little snug in the body's recess, but never thought it would crack. Crap.

Who makes glass to order near central Florida?


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

That sucks

 

Yeah, getting worse now that it's started.... Have to find a glass cutter local to central Florida.


But, I did install the distributor, crank and water pump pulleys and engine oil dipstick.

Nothing fit correctly as per usual, so some filing, fitting, measuring and repeating was needed. But got it done.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Maybe you've already mentioned this and I missed it, but are you gluing the windshield glass in?

 

Any auto glass shop should be able to cut it. While most everything in cars is curved now, there's still a lot of flat safety glass used in big trucks and construction equipment. They stock the material and cut it regularly.

Any pressure from a point of contact between the edge of the glass and a hard surface will cause the glass to crack every time. If you could trailer your car to a glass shop, they can make the glass to fit your opening. They usually have big stationary wet belt sander that makes it easy for them to grind the edges, and they know from experience how much clearance they need all around the glass to keep the edges from contacting the recess it sits in.

When the glass is glued in place its also common to use setting blocks to support it so that it can't move around while the urethane cures. Setting blocks are just little pieces of sheet rubber available in various thicknesses from 1/16" on up. They can be cut in narrow strips as necessary with scissors or a utility knife. Any glass shop will have plenty of setting blocks as they're used in all sorts of glass installations.

 

X38, yes, I glued it in with glass urethane adhesive, primerless type. All the glass fit well, with good clearance, other than the windshield. My inexperience helped me gain experience with this. First time, attempting it.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Thanks metlmuncher(?). I'll look into it ASAP. I did use some small removable wood supports for the other windows. The windshield was snug in the opening after clearancing the body where I could. I should have had it cut rather then hoping it would work.

Learnt.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Worked on the radiator shell lacing today a bit. Slow at work Christmas Eve. Only had a Duramax to diag for a no start, Dodge van needed a broken seat bracket welded and a Honda Accord cooling fan assembly install. So 10:00 to 12:00 when we cut out early was my time!
Took some pics of what I did. Not sure how others are doing theirs.





Used a punch on a steel work table to make the holes, guided the rivet in by pushing the punch out with it. Then chiseld the rivet open and down onto the assembly on the work table. Looks crooked in the pic, but it's not. Came out nice. A little hammer work to flatten it for proper hood fit and whalla!


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Note since my Vicky is a glass version, metal hooked into the fiberglass didn't seem like a long term viable option. I'll use small screws and nuts instead. So I flattened the included brackets and drilled them.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

got a good glass cutter here in st.cloud. you have a pattern ?

 

Track T, I have the glass in the car now, that I know now is just a tad tight in the frame. :/
I guess I need to cut it out in one piece and use it for a corrected windshield?


I painted my dash and tail light brackets pearl black btw...



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I always put a dab of Elmer's glue on the ends of the cowl and shell lacing, stops it from fraying and doen't show.

 

I got my door handles installed and operating. I also mounted the hood tops and realized my calculations were off. So much for avoiding fitment to get it done right. So today I shimmed the body up 1.25 inches in front to get the hood components to line up. This is what it took to get the firewall square the the frame rails and have the hood sides line up with the main body.

Doesn't look right and now the doors don't close, so I need to find my sag and correct it next weekend.

Sorry no pics, I was too bummed to bother.

 

Ok, added 1/4 inch to my center body mounts and lengthened them. Sag is fixed. Now onto mounting the stainless hood handles, hold downs and getting the hood sides mounted up.

 

Ok haven't touched the car for a few weeks. Knee surgery has me on the mend. But I did keep,checking here for any feedback on my body mounting concerns...nothing. Everyone's busy working on and showing off their own cars, I get it.
Anyways, I consulted my chassis builder. He informed me that there is no way the body should be raised 1.25" off the frame at the cowl. My EBay radiator is likely too tall. So once I'm able to get around without these crutches I'm going to remeasure my damaged walker radiator and compare it more closely to my EBay "deal," radiator.
Then most likely buy another, or modify this one at the tanks, etc, if it can be done.

Which means putting the body back down and scrapping all the steel mounts I made for nothing. This is fun!!!

 

Fun and games,if it was easy everyone would build hot rods! HRP

 

Haha, I'm lovin it! Seriously. Just knowing I'll be driving it to Old Town and on cruises to Daytona soon keeps me going. And saying I figured it out the hard way!

 

I feel for you brother had one knee done 3 times and the other once.

 

It's rough being home from work, but not being able to get much done around the house or especially on the car!

I did measure the radiator I bought on eBay yesterday though. Even though the mounts and shroud tabs are in the correct location and the overall height is correct, the tank corners interfere with the grill shell and force it to be raised...wait for it....1.35 inches.

Now to see if this radiator can me modded, or if it's scrap since its way past warranty/return time frames now.

I'll work it out somehow.

 

Next week the doc says I can walk without the crutches, so the work will restart on the Vicky.
Lower the body back to normal, remove the grill shell and see what can be done with this radiator. Either moving input forward and fabbing the tabs to properly locate and mount the grill shell, or trimming the upper tank. Maybe both?

Once I can get past this, complete the hood mounting, spray the ghost flames, basically where I thought I was two months ago. Install the door glass and channels I bought a few weeks ago finally.
Then my alternator starter and wiring go in. Vroooooommmm!

 

Great news, just don't overdo it and cause a setback, the Vicky will wait awhile to get done, even if you would rather get it done very soon. Oh, I love the looks of a Vicky, they are the coolest rod IMHO.

 

Hey you can count hours moving around the car as REHAB hours

 

Thanks guys!

I did get some stuff done on the car this weekend. Brought the radiator to my aluminum welder guy who raised the mounting tabs .750 and cut 1" off the front corners of the tank to drop the grill shell.
Looking more closely at it, I'll have to cut the grill she'll at the bottom where it was already nearly on the fenders. One of the wonders of a fiberglass car I suppose?

At this point if I had the money I'd buy a steel body and mount that instead. But the budget isn't there so I'll keep plugging away to make this one decent.

Getting a bit disgusted with realigning the doors and the gaps are moved now....looks like more bodywork and paint touch up.



I'm also wondering what everyone is using for weatherstrip on a glass car? Time to do some more searching and customizing I suppose!

 

Ok, radiator is in. Had to cut the corners off the front of the top tank, raise the mounting tabs .750 and cut the grill shell 1.3 inches. Also clearancing for the spring clamp locations since the radiator basically sits on them.
Now I have to find a way to rebend the condenser inlet and outlet. It looks like copper, so should be doable. Just need a better tubing bender.

Is there a side outlet condenser available that sneaks out between the shell and radiator side?