Projects 39 Standard Tudor build thread

Very nice, makes me want to get home and back on my DeLuxe.

 

Following along, great car! Looking forward to the wood grain.

 

Very nice-looking good!

 

On the dual exhaust - my 41 which was started to be mildly customized in in the late spring of '41 had the drivers exhaust similar to your idea but mine curved straight down and under do the frame did not require to be relieved - had to slightly dimple the pipe by the clutch pedal to clear at full travel - other then that easy peasy! My 41 is also going to be @ the Autorama - see you here

 

Well I posted it in the Autorama thread, not gonna make it. I hate rush/deadline stuff as it is, not going to deal with that this year. Too much little shit to try and find, some stuff taking longer to get than I anticipated, I'd rather do it all right, one time. Both sides of the exhaust are run from the manifolds to the frame. Time to get it up in the air and run it all back. Got an 8 circuit Rebel harness for it, woodgraining should start next week too. I'll shoot some pics this weekend and add em later.

 

Sometimes you find stuff in the weirdest of places. In the old roof from the Singlefinger Impala, there it was. A 39 Standard glovebox door.

Well it looked like it to me anyways so I dug it outta there. I can use the whole door shell to shape it then swap skins. I sized it up and rolled a starting fold innthe border.



After that it got clamped together for some initial shaping, inner corners trimmed, getting a start on the arc of the face. My weapons were a couple body hammers, a bench vise, dolly block, a standard size vise grips and a blunt 6" brick mason chisel. I ran the top and bottom hemline 1st, trimmed the sides and began the side edges with the vise grips and some hammer/dolly time.

After that I ground the edge of the old deluxe skin and peeled it back, the goal being to keep the original shape intact as a checking tool as the new one proceeds. 3 sides near done, one to go, I'll have it powder primed for final finish. More on that later. Here's where it at for now...

 

One more picture, hit post instead upload. Duhh...
Ok, 2 pictures...

 

Real nice lookin' '39, Jocko. Good luck with it.

 

RICKYBOP! Holy shit man, how you doing??!! Havent seen you on here for a long time! Send me a pm if you want.

 

I really like the car man, enjoying watching the build. I thought the stance was nailed when you got it, but good on ya for making it suit you.

 

Don't want to hijack your thread, Jocko, but damn Ricky, holy shit for real! So glad to see you on the HAMB, you have been missed.

 

Time for an update. I finished the glove box door and got my parts back from powder coating. My next task is the center pieces for the choke, throttle, etc parts in the center. Being as elusive as a glove box door I decided to fab those up too. I started with some 1 1/4 tube left over from my sled exhaust. The centers fit into these bezels:

I made a cut in the center of the tube, sliced of about 3/4" and then gave it good smack on some suitable flat stock:


The ash tray piece needed to be angled to sit flush against the back:



In one of my famous (infamous?) "...kinda lazy like that..." moments I decided to cuth the face plates from the existing old glove box door skin. Saves me having to shape em just right, they're already there:



I still have to roll the bottom of the ash tray face since it flattened out while edging and hemming. In other news, the headliner and extra yardage arrived Fri and I have some material coming in this week for a little "extra" styling exercise in the interior. That may be a cp0l weeks away by the time I have something to show. To finish up this coverage, here's the final glove box door on the dash:

 

Looking good.. I like the dash color too.. Or is that the back ground coat for wood graining of the dash???

 

Yes, woodgrain base coat.

 

Good to see you at 'rama bud, enjoyed the visit.

 

The dash center plates are done and fit real well. I'll weld the pockets in next then set the depth for the control knobs and lighter. If anyone knows how deep they are (as in you have a std or dlx) I'd like to know. These can go off to powder as well once I have that dimension. The details make the difference, no?

The rings will go on the back and allow enough meat to grind a nice finish radius.

Got my stainless material in today but y'all have to wait on that one. I hope it looks as kool real as it does in my head. Stay tuned for more, same std time, same std channel...

 

I feel like a dunce, but I don't understand what this modification is supposed to accomplish. What am I missing?

 

It's more like what I am missing. Mine should have no clock, I'm also missing the center tins that surround the choke and throttle levers as well as the ashtray face and cigar lighter bezel. Other than the clock and chrome top trim as seen on this pic of a deluxe version, you can tell what I'm fabbing up. I simply got sick and tired of looking for the parts, missing fleabay bids by $5 and 30 seconds, etc, etc. I got a "case of the ass" and decided to make the stuff. I also figure that's just about the time all the things you want sprout like weeds in the spring.


And don't feel like a dunce. I probably missed explaining the reasons a page ago. Sorry...

 

Something else that's been elusive since I got it, the stainless trim that finishes the hood sides at the grille. I got some 1/2 round 1/4" stainless stock from McMaster-Carr. Nice stuff, polishes up real easy and bright. I started out with a fit gauge out of welding wire:

I cut the stock at 14 1/2" and gently bent it up at the back end, over a tire on the front to get close to the proper radius:

A little persuasion with a rubber mallet and it fit like it grew there:

I did some practice silver braze on the other stainless to hold a "nail" as seen on some interior trim parts. I'll be doing some stainless trim on the inside door panels and 1/4 trim panels. The heat anneals the wire just right to allow nice bends and even 2nd and 3rd chances of bending and straightening. Since these are only 1/4" I'll do the same vs trying to drill n tap. I'll just align a bendable nail to the 3 holes in the hood side. the 39s really need all the bright trim in the front. Looks naked without it. More to follow...

 

Getting ready to close off the inside and get the carpets cut and bound. In order to that I need the trans cover in place and repaired. I have 2, both of which are less than nice so I decided to start cuttin up some sheet metal and get 1 out of the 2. You can see how the "wings" of this part were pretty lacey looking. I cut the offending metal out and then made a paper pattern. Took some electric shears and cut the shape I needed, rolled the bead into it for strength, then took some hammers to it for the clearance bumps (they go over body bolts).



Once it was hammered out and I tacked it into place and checked the fit. Just right, landed where it needs to be.
The other side was much worse and needed more surgery that this one. For right now it's close but the point where it lands to the floor moved a bit so i cut it apart and got it close, clamped it into place, and that's pretty much where the shop took over my time. It's getting closer though. The center of the floor will be covered in the same vinyl as the seats and will run the length of the driveshaft tunnel. On each side it'll be trimmed with neutral tan hogshair carpet bound in the same seat material as well. A carpet sample, a very natural and organic look and pretty darn rugged too. This was for the 30 Packard roadster but the remnants will work just right to run down both sides.

I'm aware that the exterior of this car will be 180 degrees different than what's done inside. Outside all genuine and worn like only time can do. The inside will be new, fresh, have a few artistic and custom touches. I want it nice where we'll live and gennie as she passes by. Also getting a couple more parts back from powder and then I'll start the woodgrain. Til then...

 

I guess I have a "ta Daa!" moment, and my "biggest fan"...

Finally got the right one thanks to my dear friend Roy Nacewitz. I've also finally scored a proper glovebox door hinge so some of the hold up items are moving forward. I've also been graining as seen in the Friday art shows, so while I was at it I tried a couple examples. I think I want the 37 grain pattern. I like it, it's one of the more difficult and unique Ford grains, in all reality it's not far off from the 39.
The 37:

And my version:


I still have to finish the center bezels around the dash knobs, get em off to powder, then I can run full tilt and get it all grained. Picked up some weather seal, some floor padding/insulation, the dash knob set and a few other items. Moving forward...

 

With so many other things in life popping up at once I miss working on my car like I was. I have been able to get a 1/2 dozen parts woodgrained, and I'm not sure if I'll stick with this or change it up some.

I'm also considering a satin finish for it vs the hard shine like the rest have always been. I took a look by sanding this one out to 3000 grit (not one of my parts), and I think I like it, a lot. Feel free to express an opinion, full polish or satin...?

 

I know what you mean about the time to work on stuff! I've been having a tuff time getting back on my 39 as well. I be back on it this weekend and i'll look through my stash and see if I have that grille stainless you were looking for...I haven't forgot, just don't have time to breathe lately! The wood grain looks killer by the way. cant wait till im at that point on my 39!

 

The grain looks so real, been wondering when you would shoot an update. BTW, I vote for gloss

 

While I like the satin which gives it a more realistic look I sure do prefer the gloss. I think it brings out the woodgrain more which I'd want to show off after all that work.

I understand the time problem. I started working on my '39 last night after more than a year of hibernation. Felt good. Miss driving the car.

 

You have my attention, a couple of months ago I acquired a '39 two door standard sedan. Looking forward to watching your build thread.

 

Is semi-gloss an option? If so, that'd be my vote.

 

Satin, semi-gloss, same same to me. I've been doing grain work on these old cars since 73. Never did one in a satin finish but thought of it more often than I can recall. Here's the kool part, if I don't like it I'll just polish it all but I'm thinkin....

 

I like the satin. Not only does it look more like real old wood, it also matches the exterior of the car better.

 

That looks very "British"...