Well I made a slight detour on my rpu build in the last couple of weeks, but I am real excited about it. I got most of the major fab work done on the frame, everything is pretty much mounted, and it's a roller. I started mocking it all up to get the steering box mounted and came to a disturbing conclusion-my body is, well a little rough compared to the rest of the project. It still required a ton of finish work, and MANY man-hours to make it acceptable. And, it will always be a cut up fordor sedan. All the work in the world would never make it a true roadster. So I bit the bullet, and decided on going with a new Brookville 30/31 rpu body, but I decided(thanks to one of my dad's forum friends advice) to buy it unassembled. This helped out in many ways-BIG savings in delivered price compared to a full assembled body, no funky Brookville primer to strip off of a full body, AND I could get the Hamb Alliance discount since it's not an assembled body, and no wait time to get it. Brookville service was AWESOME-quick delivery, well packaged, a pleasure to deal with too. So this will by no means be a step-by-step documentary, there are too many steps. But I will show the different aspects as I go. First we built a platform to assemble the body on out of 3/4" mdf & 2x4's supporting grid framework under the mdf to keep it from flexing. We drew out a centerline and also lines every 6" front-to-back for easy measuring to keep it all square. We then laid out the subframe and screwed it down, using measurements from Wescott's website as a guide, along with common sense. We shimmed the subframe before screwing it down so that it was just 1/8" above the platform, to allow slipping the rear body panels & cowl panels under the subrails as they should: I won't be using the wood floor, but used it for alignment: Then propped up the rear 3 panels to get a little idea of what it would look like: Once we got the subrails lined up and bolted down, we could start assembling the body from the cowl back. The cowl is the heart of the whole body, if it is off, nothing will line up right. We bolted the panels together after a ton of fitting once we had it lined up right. I will plug weld thru the holes for final assembly, in similar ways the original panels were welded together on a ford body: Once the cowl panels were together, I got the front cowl quarters tigged to the door jam and mounting feet, and welded the front up. Then did a quickie test fit-it's starting to look better!! Here's a quick throw together mock-up-COOL!!: Still LOTS to do, but I am excited. I now spent time to really line up all the cowl panels as best I could before finish welding up the cowl, and got stuff fitting nice. I got the windshield stanchions, and cowl support panel all mounted up too, and the cowl is really rigid now-the gaps and fit-up is really pretty nice now: So yeah, I still have a lot to do, but I think the hardest part is behind me. We must have had this thing together & apart a million times before I could weld it up, but I am really happy with the progress. Next I will hang the doors, channel the subframe, and mount/fit up the rear body panels. Sorry for the long post & all the pictures, hopefully it will be useful to somebody though-thanks for looking, I will post updates here as I get more done Dan
Thanks for all the pics, looks like it's a lot of work - but probably is easier than repairing the original steel.
Little bit more than a "slight detour" from where you started originally, lol. I have never been to Brookevilles site before. I didnt realize they made this type of thing. Watching your fab skills via the board I know this thing is going to be nice.
Excellent tech. Well written and well photographed. Is it the standard length RPU body or the stretched one? Looking from here I'd say standard.
You do great work, but I think you could have built three cool cars by now! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Dan, your pics are almost as good as your Dad's! Actually I've been following your build and got a feeling that this is going to be a great finished project. Keep posting the pics. As I told your dad, I wish I had your craftsman skills. This is going to be one sweet RPU when completed. Maybe if I am lucky I'll get to see it at the Turkey Run.
Yeah, the sight of all brand new sheetmetal is great to me, I HATE bodywork/rust repair It will really make this a way nicer finished car I think After I finish this body, I am taking it full circle and converting this rpu body to a fordor sedan body This IS the final change, I promise. Even though it is a little work to build the body, in the long run it will speed up the overall build for me. And the money that I spent on this sheetmetal will be saved in money I would have spent to get the old body prepped & ready to paint Yeah, it's gone through some changes. I think I am finally seeing light at the end of a long tunnel. Check out Brookville's site, lots of cool stuff: http://www.brookvilleroadster.com/ Thanks man, I appreciate! You are correct, it is the standard length body. The extended version is 6" longer behind the doors. I would like the room, but didn't like the proportions as much on the extended version. I have been reading lots of your posts for future info on doing 32' windshield posts too! How come nobody believes me when I say this thing will be done soon.................. My dad is a picture taking fool I have to take about 100 pictures to get 10 that aren't blurry-too much red bull to focus haha. I will have this thing at Daytona this year, I mean it this time!! My craftsman skills are only surpassed by my complete lack of good judgement.....What do you mean completed.....you mean these things should actually become usable at some point???
If you can afford new stuff.. that's great. I'd love to have new tin. Hey.. can I have your old stuff????? Lookin' good. Nice work, as usual Dan.
Standard length cab. Right on!! I got no use for those fat man things. Model A's are too pretty to ruin the lines lengthening them. if you can't fit behind the wheel of a Model A roadster, build a sedan! Great shots, and beautiful work.
Thanks man. In all honesty this body unassembled is about the same money-wise as an og rpu body that would need lots of work. Granted, it's not an original ford body, but I am fine with that. I donated my old body to pop's to build a little modified out of, it will be a cool project, and he actually finishes his That is when you know that you've made it! Actually it is a display case for the cars I have actually finished in the past 3 years Yeah, I really like the standard length lines a ton. Plus I am running a full length model a bed with it, and I think it would look too long with that & the extended body. I am excited to set this on the frame
"I donated my old body to pop's to build a little modified out of" Keepin' it the family. That's cool. I like the lines of a standard length too. Happily for me I'm only 5'5" (when I stretch) so I don't need more. Mine is still loose body pieces I'm gathering, fixing and setting aside for assembly. It's VERY hard to find decent parts around here so I have to find junk and fix it or make panels. I'm not able to "focus my finances" on good stuff right now. Looking forward to your next installment.
My grandad had an axe. He owned that axe for 64 years. When he died I got the axe. It's great to have something that has now endured more than 80 years. I put a new handle on my axe last winter, only the forth handle that axe ever had. Next winter I think I'll lash out and give it a new head. That will only be it's third head in over eighty years. God I love that old axe.
Hey Dan, I just decided what I want to do for a living................................. Drive garbage truck in Ft. Myers, Florida. Great work as usual.
Thanks for the input guys. I am so anxious to get this body together, as I REALLY am at the point that I want something to drive rather than just work on forever And even though I took the LLLOOONNGG way, I finally am at a point that I have what I want, I just need to get it done.................... btw cool story Striper! And Mo, garbage night is on Fridays
Thanks for sharing your pictures. Looks really nice. When I bought my closed cab pickup, it was channeled, with no floor or subrails and I've been wrestling with it, trying to get things to line up correctly ever since. It's nice to see, in detail, how the subrails and floor actually go together with shiny new pieces, and how everything is SUPPOSED to line up! Thanks again!
Great post..........in the pic's I see some cleco's..........did the Brookville sheet metal come with the holes that the cleco's are in. The reason I ask is that I would think it would help with the locating during assembly. Now you can say you built the body........ with the help of Brookville!
Thats pretty darn cool, we just did mine and it took quite a few days to make all panels to fit. I gave up taking pics since every single panel had to be "worked". I now know why Brookville says it takes them 40 hours to assemble a body..... -Jason
Killer build. I’m doing a 29 RPU. Good idea t line everything off the frame. Are you going to channel it? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Too bad you didn't see this 11 years ago when thread was new. It was a great build that took some twists and turns.
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