It is that time of year. We are all bringing down the garage doors and turning on the heater in the shop... With goals set for having our cars ready for the spring car shows... The Hard Luck guys and I got together to chop Hazmat's '49 Shoe Box. We started last night with all the prep work. Paint removal, cross bracing, glass removal etc...
My wife wants the top chopped on her '51 shoebox. Looking foreword to seeing this project. (She asks..... "do you want to chop another one???" Hint, Hint)
Due to work schedules, we only had a few hours to make the cuts and set the top back on. It is hard to believe how quick this part goes. About two hours from the 1st cut to this point. Very far from being done of course... We will get back on it later in the week to make get her setting in here finial resting place. Matt said "Johnny Cash in the front, Ward Cleaver in the back"
CDD, 4" in the front, 6" in the back... the pic of the sail pannel with the blue tape is sitting at 5"... this way we could "trim-to-fit"...
The A Pillars are tacked in place. The rear window is welded in at the top. Today starts the E-Wheel action and the sail panels...
It don't get any better than a group of good old boys chopping something in a home garage. To help out a fellow gearhead.
You are so right!! Matt and I trade welding for pinstiping... He said I get anything I want striped for life after this. It is a good trade.
We took Sunday off. All I did was put away tools, air hoses, power cords and pick up all the steel laying around...
So here is an update from the weekend... Started rolling the sail panels on the E-Wheel. This is an area I wish I had more skill... It took me 3 hors on the 1st one... 30 min on the second. They are not finished, but they are getting close. I'm going to keep rolling and trimming a little at a time until both sides match.
Small Update... The holiday schedule has prevented alot of work on this one... But we are moving forward. I am off work after Christmas, so we will get to rock'n this thing... I was able to tack in the left sail panel. I had to re-make the right one... What took all day the 1st time only took 30 min the 3rd... I guess that means I learned something...
ever have the desire to visit alabama? lol i have a perfect 49 f1 cab.not one bad spot on it floors are perfect also.and im gonna chop and channel this thing. maybe. if i can work up the nerve to start the sawsall.id be so scared right now if that was mine. dont know why but i would be!! good work bye the way!!!!!
another update... This roof must have hosted dancing lessons at some point.... there are tons of dents... oil canning, highs and lows... as I started fitting the tops of the sail panels... they presented me some big challanges. Think goodness for a shrinking disk... That thing is magic! The left side B Pillar is in, along with the window corner. Right side goes in today along with the A pillars... then the doors.... I see the light...
A lot of work was done between Christmas and New Years. I had to spend a lot of time working the dents out of the roof. I can not say how much I love the shrinking disc for this! It is like metal magic! Rob (Hotrob) came over and we taclkled the doors. it was tricky to figure out how we were going to fab a new door section, but once we figured it out, it was simple... Matt, Stephan and Ricky all came over at one point or another and lent a hand too. Good times for sure! We are very close to being done. Lots of finish work left... Interior trim work etc... Rob left yesterday for his tour in Afghanistan. I was very glad to get to spend some time in the shop with him.
The Jalopy Journal
