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Projects Modified Lakester Build (THUNDERCASKET)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by patmanta, Nov 12, 2012.

  1. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Thanks! I'm not super sure of myself with this part of the project so the positive feedback is helpful and much appreciated (as would be 'don't do it that way' comments if I'm doing something dumb).

    I got some retaining clips finally and some more bits. Third try with this brake line run yesterday. I hope this works out. I decided to bridge the spring perch and add line protect to give it strength and, well, protection, since it's just there on its own and near the perch bolts. I will be moving on to the master cyl line run next.

    20210512_165757.jpg
    20210512_165742.jpg 20210512_165748.jpg 20210512_165753.jpg
     
  2. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Baby's first brake lines. Got the front NiCop brake lines run and started mockup on the rear where I'd like to run a V up the radius rods. This stuff is super easy to bend; it felt more like I was making a sculpture than running brake lines. I wheeled the whole works outside for the first time in a while to work in the sun and hopefully bake that crap rattle can job on the frame a bit more.

    received_496562908066499.jpeg
    20210520_181817.jpg 20210520_181748.jpg 20210518_180056.jpg 20210518_190148.jpg
    20210520_182515.jpg

    Spent Saturday up until it got too hot slapping, dinging. Shrinking, and planishing what I thought was a few high spots on the cowl skin on the #thundercasket which, as it goes, only made the extent of the damage more apparent. So, lots more hammer & dolly work and cleanup with the shrinking disk & wet rag later and I got it pretty close. There is still a low spot that I can't seem to bring up and a few dings but all the crater edges are shrunk down so I may just say screw it and hit the thing with filler. Close Enough is Good Enough!

    This is as close to a before pic as I took:

    20210521_173814.jpg

    I'd already moved a lot of metal at this point and had realized there was a lot more to go.
    20210522_120156.jpg
    20210522_124026.jpg 20210522_120207.jpg 20210522_120203.jpg

    The last 2 pictures make it look great but this next one you can sorta make out the huge mild low spot I was fighting when it got too hot to swing a hammer. I'm also having some trouble with my shoulder and elbow still so I had to leave the job half done. I may need to put a board up under there or something to hold a dolly for the next round.
    20210522_124021.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2021
    bct, Stogy, loudbang and 2 others like this.
  3. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Sheet metal is beyond my skill set. I always make it worse, usually by stretching the metal.
     
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  4. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    The shrinking disk can undo a lot of that. It's pretty startling. The dent I am fighting now is really a huge low spot that had a couple very evident damage spots that had old repairs done by a ball peen and filler. Once I had those taken down and planished out a bit, I was able to perceive the big low spot and go to work on it. I may end up taking the stud welder and pull hammer to it when I go after the little dings.
     
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  5. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    My buddy Vic was and amazing old school body man, learned it from his dad. Once I was planning a quick 4 day paint job on my '53 pickup but when I saw him sit down in the middle of the driveway with his tools scattered around him and a fender in his lap I knew it wasn't happening. A month later the truck was pretty straight for a few years. The pickup needs him again but he's gone to the big body shop in the sky. :( I wish I'd payed attention but since he was younger than me I thought I still had time to learn. :eek:
     
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  6. Looks good, too bad you could not tie them into the stock shock mount hole by the spring shackle. Its a fun jig saw puzzle for sure. best of luck, I know you will figure it out with a little ass scratching, Ha ha!
     
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  7. Stooge
    Joined: Sep 9, 2015
    Posts: 504

    Stooge
    Member

    I never seem to get notifications for this thread! Really coming along! A little trick for the highs and lows is dykem/ layout fluid, some coarse sandpaper, a file and your hammers and dollies. Quoting my thread since im on my phone and its easier.
    Edit, never mind, it didnt repost the pictures, here is the post link
    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/slow-and-poor-37-buick.1100567/page-9#post-13487662

     
  8. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Yeah, same here, that would have been convenient. But I think I need the extra few inches and milder angle this gives me. I did manage to find a relatively simple solution for hogging out the taper and sleeving the old steering arms that will be my next post once I get back into the shop. My arm was bothering me too much this weekend to get any meaningful shop time in. Gonna have to see the Orthopedic Doc soon I think.

    Thanks, yeah, I thought this was a smaller job when I started but I have realized I need to clean that whole side shiny to get it where it needs to be. I'm probably going to use the pull hammer and then shrink back down. This low spot is in a bad location because of the support structure of the cowl and I'm mostly just hurting myself hitting it now.
     
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  9. RAJO
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 86

    RAJO
    Member

    Hello Dykema is good$$ but I use a Sharpie Magnum recommended by Wray Schelin works great
     
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  10. RAJO
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 86

    RAJO
    Member

    And it dry's Faster also!! Love Your Build!
     
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  11. 64 DODGE 440
    Joined: Sep 2, 2006
    Posts: 4,421

    64 DODGE 440
    Member
    from so cal

    Sharpies work great, but be sure to get it cleaned off completely before painting as they can bleed through paint and show through many layers. Really frustrating, having been there years back, but when it happens once you remember those things.
     
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  12. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Most of my body work seems to bleed through too. :rolleyes:
     
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  13. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Quick update, I am still chipping away but between that last early season heatwave and (more so) the problems I am having with my right arm and shoulder, I am not getting a lot of work done. My arm has gotten so bad that I pay for doing any hammering, drilling, lifting, etc. type things that need to happen in the shop for days after. I can get like 4 hours in then it's Salonpas patches and Alieve for a couple days. It is taking me several or more days to do what I would normally be able to do in one so I am jumping around between tasks, trying to balance out between "heavy" actions and light work in the shop.

    I got the old ford spindle steering arms drilled out and sleeved over the past couple weeks. Next up for them is fitting, trimming and welding them in.

    20210604_165209.jpg

    20210612_151233.jpg

    I have the Farmall tank cut apart now and I have a paper template for the inner structure or buck started. Not sure how I am going to make the structure yet since I'd like to use 1/2" tube that I have but I don't want to spend like $400 putting together a ring roller setup to work it (the English Wheel bender rig may not be friendly to my shoulder issue).

    20210605_142324.jpg

    I go to see the Orthopedic Dr. this week so hopefully soon I will be able to get back on track.
     
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  14. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Checking in. I don't have anything actually FINISHED at this point.

    My shoulder is still in recovery and I am going to PT now twice a week. I can't really do much with hammers for a while. I built a jig and mocked up the farmall nose over the past few weeks but I am not sure I am sold on it. THe thing looks a bit wide to me (the opposite of the issue I had with the last one).

    So now here I am mulling yet another design change, and going all the way back to the original inspiration for the build that had a narrowed 28/29 shell.

    20210717_172454.jpg 20210718_172303.jpg

    Because this is just feels too big on this little car and while I don't want to scrap it, I am not sure it's something I should put my time and materials into finishing for this car.

    EDIT: Here is a picture of the car that started this all but I was not able to buy (someone on here did years ago though)

    Original_Inspiration_Thundercasket.png

    And Covell has a video on narrowing these shells:
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2021
  15. Stooge
    Joined: Sep 9, 2015
    Posts: 504

    Stooge
    Member

    I dunno, i think it looks pretty good! Do you have a picture of it straight on with the cardboard in place? Does the radiator allow you to go slightly narrower, like say an inch sectioned out of the middle of the orange nose piece would probably make a noticeable difference i think. Does it maybe look too wide because of the way the 'grille' cardboard goes straight down with no taper or something? Sucking it in towards the bottom, or having the grille area slant forwards or back slightly, ( like a much more mild '38 Graham nose :rolleyes:) and might make the area look narrower and wouldnt be a crazy amount of work?
     
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  16. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    I’d hang it on the wall and do the early A grill like Your reference. It just looks right, there’s no massaging and convincing your brain, it just
    Clearly works. Sometimes it’s just the way it is.
     
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  17. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Well, I haven't entirely thrown in the towel, but I hit a stopping point and definitely needed to walk away and digest things a bit. I do have some other shots and I want to wheel it out and take a birds eye from my toilet to be sure.

    I have seen old lakes cars with noses this wide or wider, so it's not like it's out of whack; it's just not 100% what I expected or wanted and I am getting tired of this car not being some degree of finished after so many years. I actually feel pretty embarrassed about how long I have taken to build this car and most of that wasted time has been dicking around trying to get something like this just right.

    20210718_172311.jpg 20210718_172321.jpg 20210718_172324.jpg 20210718_172327.jpg 20210717_172444.jpg 20210718_172331.jpg

    I feel like this nose is no bigger than the one on the 400JR car and, in fact, has a nearly identical footprint (from the back) as a 32 shell.
     
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  18. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    I’d rather spend 9 years and get it right than spend 1 year and have it bother me and have to take it all apart anyways

    my first thoughts are 1: you reference photo is more dirt track, your nose is more salt flats. 2: your reference photo has the grill behind the axle and your salt nose is much further forward over hanging the axle.

    maybe you’re looking at the nose, feeling something is askew and you’re thinking it must be the shape of the nose when really maybe it’s the placement?

    might be worth a photoshop to push it back a foot?
     
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  19. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    I pushed it back and added a hood top based on your metal. Grill got shrunk a tiny amount to make up for technically Being further away from the camera now. I did try to keep your hood top center line as best I could. So it might not be 100% what it would look like but it’s pretty damn close 942E9BD1-FC7B-4503-9527-E4CC16F16CBB.jpeg i do shit tons of renderings like this in my scribble time during the week for my
    Projects. Helps to visualize it even if you can see it in your head :)
     
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  20. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Before and after for comparison 743768CD-993A-4BC1-AC5B-410702C400D0.jpeg 574C6A97-52F0-4390-B8B6-3071FCDB12B7.jpeg
     
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  21. Stooge
    Joined: Sep 9, 2015
    Posts: 504

    Stooge
    Member

    I think i agree with Tim on pulling the nose in, but this really needs to be rolled outside for a good side or 3/4 view. I might be confused, but if your reference of the early model a grille is what you want, why not find one to use? it will look really good and its what you wanted to begin with, and it'd probably simplify things and move it along a bit.

    If your still having fun and enjoying the build, i wouldnt worry about how long its taking, it will take as long as it takes! But if your getting burnt out on it, it doesnt hurt to take a little time off of it and play with something else for a bit. i spent 8i'ish yrs on a truck that snowballed alot, and the last yr of it i was already kind of tired of it., but stuck it out to finish it. I've probably only driven it 100miles since i finished it a few yrs ago, and now im doing a bunch of it over again until im happy with it, and im also interested in it again and look forward to working on it.
     
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  22. Stogy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 26,345

    Stogy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I prefer your wild thing aluminum nose with the lightning holes but do as your heart desires...

    ThunderCas2TOTL.jpg

    :rolleyes:...The pointed nose nod to a past great neighbor...Ole Tommy...

     
  23. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Thanks for all the thought and effort guys; I really do appreciate it, and YES, @Stogy I miss the sharp nose a bit now too (it just wasn't made quite right enough to really work structurally or flow).

    I have a few inches I can cut out of the back of the thing to pull it in to the radiator more, but I am not changing the stance again. I need this car done. I have been in this hobby for closing on a decade and have never had my own hot rod to enjoy one single driving day out of and it is becoming a real drag not to have a toy and feel like such a big poser (LOL).

    I am putting my feelers out to see if I can put my hands on a decent T hood to help me figure this stuff out better.

    Here is an image of a car with a narrowed shell to further go down a rabbit hole on this.

    9980116274841.jpg

    I may make a posterboard mockup of a 28/29 shell full and one narrowed to settle my brain on that issue.

    At the end of the day I am going to stick to the deal I made with myself a while ago to not let the nose stop me from driving the car. The engine is still with the machinist, otherwise I'd probably be focused elsewhere.
     
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  24. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    I didn’t change anything stance wise just moved the grill. I agree to getting it outside for a good look either way.

    that super narrow Bugatti looking grill is neat! Wonder what it does for a radiator?
     
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  25. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    I'm sure it was built in the days where there was a radiator shop in every town doing all manner of custom work at prices someone could afford. I have that old sprint car radiator that likely came from a shop like that in this car. THis new nose renders it obsolete though since I might as well be running a 32 rad now. The original nose that I shelved needed the narrow radiator.

    I just got crazy sticker shock at how much Speedway wants for their 28 shells now. I checked an old order I did where I got one (I later traded) for $99 and now the same SKU and part is $260!

    I had like 3 or 4 28/29 shells for a while but I think I'm out now. Maybe I'll throw a $100 32 shell on there just to have something.... or maybe I'll cut one of those up.... or maybe two...
     
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  26. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,095

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Yeah steel went up like 400% in the last two years. Even the stuff in the new catalog is a good 25% off if it’s made of metal.
     
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  27. Stooge
    Joined: Sep 9, 2015
    Posts: 504

    Stooge
    Member

    Yeah i like the looks of that! I've never narrowed a grille shell, but i could probably figure it out if need be ;)
     
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  28. Stogy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 26,345

    Stogy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That is one very cool Hotrod...new to me...
     
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  29. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    The nose has to be your call.You are the only one who can move around and see the angles. It is not just front or side shot.
     
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  30. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,181

    wheeldog57
    Member

    Pat, I love that you have experimented with the many looks of the Thunder casket.
    I have to say I like the look of the grill out ahead of the axle. The proportions (from this angle) look good to me. Keep at it, tweak it till its cool
     

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