the "what have i got to lose" shoebox section job

Even when done right it doesn't look right. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but what I just read is that you're going to destroy your old car and keep a group of old car guys updated on the progress. Brutal. I know I'm not the only one that wants to be proven wrong here so best of luck on improving your skills and situation in the process. We'll see.

 

go ahead and section it. we did my 56 merc 2dr hardtop at the kkoa show in salina 2 years ago and it wasnt that bad.i made adjustable inside supports. we cut car 3 inches and the loosened supports and slid body down. then we could get it all lined up, adjust our inside supports and start tack welding body. hint-- cut doorjam then come down door post and make your cut near rocker. after you drop body you trim off excess and your seam is now in rocker and not in middle of quarters.

 

So I said this, then I saw this car in another thread. This thing is pretty sweet.

 

the thread that motivated me INTO this had a car with no toeboards, most of the floorboards out, and it still came off okay....
besides, it's just another rusty POS shoebox. nothing anybody would want. that's been proven time and time again at my end of the street.

 

Sectioned shoeboxes look like clown cars...

 

You are right that is the way to go on the doors

 

No matter what you will have to make repairs to the floor so why not start there and get a good foundation to start with. Plan, plan, plan then lay it all out and let it sit while you think about better ways to do it. If it is any thing like the 50 I just did at work the floors did not look that bad but as I cleaned of the undercoating I found I had to replace the trunk floor and the front floor to the back seat. The inner rockers were rusted and I replaced the outers and 9'' up in front of the rear wheel.

The front fenders can be done the same way as the doors and then radius the fender wells up. If there is rust in the lower quarters just cut them loose at the bottom and around the wheel house and let them slide down. Cut the back at the bottom of the trunk lid and around the compound curve of the tail about a foot then straight down so you have minimum amount of welding in the middle of the quarter. Cut off bottom of trunk lid. Hope this gives you some help in how to. Jim Ford (55willys)

 

I don't know when mine will ever get done but you know I'm a fan.

 

If you can hold the body solid with the floors and rockers missing (lots of EMT bracing), I say go for the section! Then, if the section turns out OK, put the time into repairing the bottom end. If the section doesn't turn out, hey it's only a rusty shoebox Ford.

If the section gets a little wonky and some gaps don't line up, it is the perfect time to "fix" those when you are welding in new rockers and such. You can make the rocker gaps whatever you want. And if the tops of the doors are a bit off, then chop the top to align those doortops.

 

This is some real grate advice. However it needs just 1 little change. Where it says " If the section doesn't turn out," it should say, When the section doesn't turn out,
The Wizzard

 

Alchemy,
I actually do rust repair first, maybe not the floors. I think it is easier to work with a solid body. Maybe it is just a personal thing for me. Your idea sounds doable.

 

I'd prefer to do the rust repair first as well, but he didn't sound like he was sure his section would be successful. It would be a shame to go to all the work on the bottom end and screw it up with the section.

 

Exactly !!! There is one of these on eBay right now for less that 7K, if this is the look you want, it would be much cheaper and a ton less work ! The other sectioned shoeboxes shown here to me kind of look like 60's Corvairs. Years ago a club member started to section a '51, got about 1/2 way and gave up, wasted a good body that could have been saved.
Your shoebox does not look that bad to me, don't waste it.

 

Another vote for do it... study hard,measure over and over,stare at it,and look up every old article about sectioning 50s cars,and plan ahead... I love sectioned shoeboxes.. make sure your welding ability is up to the job,too

 

That looks great!!

 

yea I see your point, it is just a shame to think that the old shoebox may become a dawg food can at some point.

 

I like the looks of the ones posted here with no chop.

 

For the amount of work it takes to the look of the end product, I don't get it....

 

This was floating around for sale in MN. Might still be for sale, I dunno.

 

Any of us that have been there can see where this will end up. It's like building a House out on the Beach with No foundation. If you can't or won't do step 1 why do step 2 or 3?
The Wizzard

 

what's the story on the Minnesota car? who did that section? hard to tell, it looks more like five inches out of that one....

i don't even have the cutting tools out yet for christ's sake. just making and taking measurements.

and i never thought of the Ron Dunn car as looking like a clown car... not that i'm claiming to have the talent or skill to duplicate his. but i have the willingness to learn how to do it.

 

Was the Minnesota car the one Titus started and now owned by Allison?

 

I'm not exactly sure if Jeff started it or if the other Jeff owns it still. It was for sale for $5000 and it seemed like a swinging deal for the work put into it.

 

heres my build thread on it. and it was a 5" section.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252303&highlight=sectioned+shoebox

Alot of people say sectioning is hard, well i dont really think it was, i finished the section job structurally but never got to finish the sheet metal work like welding the quarters up and finishing the pasenger side, i just had way to many other projects in limbo so this one went to the back burner. So Allison ended up with the car and finished all the sheet metal work on it.

JEFF

.

 

Looking at this finished result, I would like to say that if your rockers are really gone, put some work into carrying the bottom of the door all the way down. the break for the door bottom distracts from the section

 

Looking at this finished result, I would like to say that if your rockers are really gone, put some work into carrying the bottom of the door all the way down. the break for the door bottom distracts from the section

 

Don't cut it, surely someone will want it as is. If I didn't have three projects going at once I'd be interested in it.

Trade ya some mini bikes for it.

 

I'm not a fan of sectioned shoeboxes, but if you are and think you have the skills for it, read these threads and go for it...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=539443

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=512524

 

hadn't considered the idea of carrying the door panel all the way down/under... it would simplify repairing the rocker immensely, as i would build it from the bottom of the A pillar all the way back to the rear wheelwell. i have a concept forming on how i'll do the rockers in one continuous piece anyway...

 

Except for youll loose all your strength in the body, youll still have to make some rockers they would just be inward some and then you have to figure out how to make sure it will be strong enough to supprt the door jambs

when i went on the search for a car to section i wanted to find a decently solid one, the car i found had a little floor work and had some rockers put on, the job that was done there was desent as the doors worked really good before the section, so when i did the section job they still worked good after. to me it would be smart to get the door fitting and working first and then section it.

jeff