Projects 1930 Sportster, shortened cockpit, tilted post cowl, door caps.

I’ve seen the seat back tucked under the tulip panel.Then when you move the panel forward the 5 inches you don’t loose much if any leg room

 

There is nothing to lose... shortening the cockpit is the same as leaving the package tray in a coupe.
same 5"... doors are a couple inches longer than the roadster, quarters are a couple inches shorter...
seems to be enough interest here that I can't not do it...
10 body mods so far, another can't hurt.
pix as I go.... more snow and real cold coming....

 

im the opposite,no nails needed ,stainless screws would work.

 

The area I am going to splice had a gradual dent, about 6" x 9", couple other dings...
Took the left quarter to a buddy's house...
He banged out / in the dents and dings... looks a bunch better.
Figure I will make a couple cuts when it warms up... to 20* or so...
pix then...

 

Following this build now! Finally someone doing a coupester right


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No going back now...
Cut out the upper quarter this morning, removed the 5" DEFECT...
Slid the upper quarter forward 5", welded all but [3] 3/8" slots, ran out of wire, ground lightly...
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A little hammer work to flatten and then trim the removed large beltline bead the defect will work to fill the 5" gap under the quarter …
I slid the lower half of the gap forward as the smaller beltline bead curls down as it flows rearward...
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little tougher to fill in the quarter near the tulip area...
going to town for a spool...
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I have been following your progress for quite a while. I like your solution to the door top problem. It looks like you are going for a cabriolet look instead of trying to create a roadster which has doors that are less tall and a slimmer side profile as has been mentioned countless times before. Cutting the windshield posts hard and laying them back just a few degrees beyond that of a stock cabriolet will give you a very good look.

Probably too late now but making the doors less tall in the process of capping them so that the door tops are level with the rear seam which goes around the back makes a big visual difference, especially if you are going to shorten the cab opening. My car doors were done this way 'way back when it was first turned from jalopy racer to hot rod (many owners ago) and I'm very happy with the side profile. It doesn't have that "tall door" look any more and the doors flow somewhat gracefully into the tops of the quarters even without shortening the cabin opening. I took another 1 1/2 inches out of the windshield last year so that it is now approximately the same height as a 2" chopped roadster windshield...and it's not quite enough. Maybe another inch or so and a couple more degrees lean-back are in the future. Who knows...it's an evolution in progress.

BTW: I'm a Down Easter too, living in Texas now. Stay warm!

 

Thanks M D...
I did shallow the doors, I removed everything above the crease that runs above the belt and around the window... about 2" but added 1/2" with the caps... 1.5" drop.
I narrowed the w/s posts L-R and F-B, tilted back for a cabriolet look...
I stopped at 9* as the bottom edge of the w/s frame seals at that angle
[used a '31 Vicky's filler panel]...
as for the rear seam I will weld on a 4" long section of door cap, then the quarters will match the doors...
The doors were shallowed, and narrowed L-R as were the A pillars... B pillars to come...
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I will weld the 4" caps to the B pillar and quarters... leave a few inches of the stock cockpit rail exposed, and then add a wooden roadster tackrail around the cockpit...
bodies outer skin to outer skin ; 1928 = 50.5" wide... 1930 =52.6" , $89.00 …
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thanks for the tape measure work boys...

 

It was -5* in the garage this am...it didn't want to warm up much, [slow],
I came in to warm up so I will post pix...
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Removed this 5" section of beltline...
Trimmed it to fit, hammered the upper contour change front to back...

Slid the quarter top forward 5"...
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Filled this hole with the 5" section I cut out...

Cut, fit, welded, some grinding done...

 

Used the lower bead from the panel below the decklid... I split the pieces leaving the whole flat, needing 2 pcs. to make one trunk bead... the piece with the 90* goes against the trunk, the other half I cut off the 90*... lined up the bead edges, marked and cut the 2 to weld together
when sliding the upper quarter forward I found it needs to be 1" wider as the body tapers narrower towards the rear and the lid gets wider at the top, the quarters must do the same...
not for the faint of heart...
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note the seam welded in the trunk bead, that is the 2 sections of lower panel...

 

...Man you've been busy Sloppy...looking good...

 

looking good Smitty!
-13 here this morning, 35 now so I am sending the warm weather to you

 

Gotta fill in the square hole where the upper quarter meets the tulip...
then a couple hours of grinding… hate it, but leaving out milk and cookies hasn't got it done...
then I get to do it all again on the right side quarter....
thanks to STOGY's photo shopage I got to see what it looks like before I had cut anything,,,

 

Much warmer, thanks vtw…
cut, slid, clamped, welded the right side panel this am... got the tough, upper quarter / trunk patch to go...
plenty of time, waiting for the superbowl to start, a game that I will probably fall asleep on !
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shows the way the upper quarter must be moved in for about a 1" tapered patch...
The defect, to patch the beltline hole, the [2] chunks of lower panel bead with a little skin on one to help fill the trunk edge hole... need to be trimmed to fit...

 

It looks like it will be worth the trouble, I'm taking notes so I can do the same one day. Thanks.

 

I'll try and take plenty of pix in case you need any...
… out to lunch... nap... fit and welded the defect into the beltline...

 

looking real nice Smitty, lots of work and lots of grinding but it will look great when done

 

kinda like quilting in steel... 2 small quarter to trunk edge patches to go... bunch of grinding...
started with this this am...

filled the beltline hole....

the sections of lower panel bead...
note the slightly wider gap, it is to fit the panel clamp and not have the wider gap to fill with weld the length of the seam
... 2 to make 1...

one...
the gap is the amount the trunk edge must be moved inward....
the quilt is ready for grinding...

left quarter mostly ground... you can see the lower mounting holes from the shorter flanged below the decklid panel patch edge...

I used this chunk of late '30s mopar hood top [front] to get the slightly compounded curve I needed for patches...

 

Fresh look at the '28 stantions this am...

nope,
looks like I was trying to trick someone into thinking it was a roadster...
its a Coupester…
well, maybe a ... "Sportster" … part sport coupe / part roadster...
also the alterations came out ok as it is... View attachment 4183635 View attachment 4183633

 

You're doing a great job putting it all together. Very thoughtful approach. Thanks for taking the time to post pictures. I'll be watching.

 

What a difference, great job.
Looking forward to more Smitty

 

ground the right side quarter... done for the day... carpal tunnel doesn't like grinding at all !
can't hold up the camera... pix later...

 

I know it is a little cabrioletish but I am going to weld a 3" section of door "cap" to the quarter above the B pillar …
cabriolets hid the gap between the B jam and B pillar by letting the upper rear quarter extend out over the door just enough to hide the jam's gap...
I will also change the door to quarter seam's angle
so it can fit tight and not let the door hit the quarter as it swings closed...
going to use this short section to let the door and quarter profile match...
most cabbies used a shorter section but I am going with 3"...
need to trim the bottom 1/4" off so it matches the door...
going to cut the rear radius 1/8" too long, will wizzer some slots every so far...
then heat and bend the edges over 90* and tap with a hammer...
weld a strip, narrower than the section so you can grind it and have the rolled over radius match that of the top of the section...
taking a piece of the section I cut out, trim it to slide up under the front radius to double the gauge..
top and outside edges will be welded 100%, sanded to resemble a roll over stamping...
one more thing, I will have to recess the top flat section of the door into the quarter extention as the door sides overlap the quarters, the top doesn't......

 

That extension also allowed side door glass to blend with the roof. I like the look myself, even if you are not using side glass.

 

Carpal tunnel and a back problem have put me on short term hold...
so I got the "air" half of a "bel-air" emblem, going to mount it to the deflector under the cowl vent...
now I can't decide which font I want..... figures.

 

Had back surgery in October. I am fortunate mine actually worked. Can't wait to get back out working in the shop.

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Do what they say, therapy really works...
oh, and if your marker starts to roll off the bench, let it go, a quick lunge for it will put you back in bed...
get one of those 24" clamp thingies that a wheel chair patient would use to get stuff from the cupboard...[have 2]…
you definitely want to bend some, but no [bending, reaching and lifting], common sense will tell you when to use the clamp...
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Had 3 discs and the back half of 2 vertebra removed 30 years ago, worked for 10 more
then a bad car crash... dr. says my body said no more and quit on recovering from it...
doing stuff on model A bodies is a therapy of sorts...…….. keep doing that !

 

your a tough Mainer Smitty, not many would still be at it! Keep up the great work

 

I am doing exactly what they tell me. Therapy does work. I had L4 and 5 fused and routed out to take pressure off the spine. Four titanium screws and two rods. Your's sounds much more complicated. I am enjoying the build.

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This is the font I chose for the word "Air"... it was not hooked to the Bel...
$20... mounts with 3 studs...gonna mount it on the face of the deflector under the ventlid…
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The deflector has a raised bead left to right... cut, hammered flat, welded and ground it...
View attachment 4189363
Coat of spraybomb... View attachment 4189365
Made a paper template to drill the 3 holes...
View attachment 4189368
Transferred and drilled the holes, set the emblem in...