Projects 53 Business Coupe Build

Loving the dash and the chop, very clean !

 

Looks even better outside at a show/event
Knowing your going to drive it is the best part.

Godspeed
MrC.

 

Yeah buddy! Any more pics from the cruise-in? Here are my pics from Arlington, pure awesomeness: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8146482#post8146482

 

This is an incredible build. Keep up the great work!

 

I didnt know they made a 53 Business Coupe. I wish I had your skills, your car looks fantastic!!

 

Been a while since I have posted on here and it has been just as long since I have had time to get out and work on the car. Started cleaning up around my gas filler door last week to get ready to weld in a filler piece when I noticed some bondo below the hole. Turns out my 53 has been in a few accidents earlier in its life and were all fixed with loads of body filler. Decided to strip all the paint off both quarter panels to see the extent of damage and get everything cleaned up before i start the tail lights and rear sheetmetal fab.



All I can say was that this job sucked and it made a complete mess of my garage. I was gonna stop after this one side but decided to keep going while the mess was there. Then do a good clean afterwards.



Passenger side had a bit of damage as well, nothing a bit of hammer and dolly work can't fix.



Tonight I finished cleaning up the quarters and decided to start building a filler piece for my gas door hole.



Gas door filler tacked in place and ready to gas weld it maybe this weekend.

 

Wow! that blue and a silver top would look so bitchen on it!! Nice work!!

 

Good to see you back at it. Good to hear youre going to gas weld that rear quarter...that 53 rear quarter can warp bad after filling a gas tank door. Ask me how i know...

 

I have yet to decide on any color scheme for this car. I have a few ideas in my head right now. Its gonna be simple and classy.

How do you know? haha jk. There is some body damage right below the gas filler so im going to smooth it back out while im hammering the quarter.

 

Nice job on the dash it looks bitchen! Your car looks great!

 

All right, let's get something done today!

 

you guys do very good work, car is awsome.

 

We got something done today, new rear bumper mounted!

 

I love watching this car evolve.

Keep up the Great work

 

I feel ya!
I never get tired of watching this build!

 

This thing is bitchin

 

I like it.

 

I love this car. You have mad skills and a good eye.

So maybe its my eye that's "off" - but I don't love this bumper. Are planning to tweak that thing, maybe?
Walt

 

You've come a long way in less than a year!

 

Thank you guys.

I am sorry that you dont like my choice in bumper Walt. I have already tweaked it a bit and I guess everyone is going to have their own opinion on what I put on my car. To each their own.

Once I have completed the tail lights and moulded gravel plan, lets see if you have the same opinion of it being "off"

I was just thinking that today as it will be a year November 5th and short after when i started tearing my car down to begin the suspension last year.

 

Yesterday was a good day and Schaefer came over to help me out in installing the 1955 Pontiac bumper I had to fit on my car. It went pretty smoothly and I am super happy with how this bumper flows with the back of the car and will look awesome once I finish the rest of the rear sheetmetal.

Here you can see that I had to tweak the bumper a bit to make it flow more naturally with the curvature of the rear pan and trunk. I made a relief cut into the center override and kept bending it until the gap between the bumper and the pan was even around the back of the car. It also closed up the gap between the ends of the bumper and the quarters. After it was tacked, I now like the look of the override better with the kink than when it was straight.



Another few angles of the new bumper.







Next step will be to start fabricating the sheetmetal for the tail lights. I will be putting 1955 Chevy tail lights.

 

Good form..ive always loved that bumper. I have 56 packard clipper bumper and the rear quarter sections for the lights, but ive bigger fish to fry for now!! Keep at it. Meat.

 

Sweet car and I think the poncho bumper is a good choice. Can't wait to see the 55 tailights.

 

Quick update for a monday night. Got a few hours out in garage tonight after work. Decided to try an idea out for the end of the dash where it meets the door jamb. I didn't want to just cap the ends of the dash as its too sharp and wont flow with the rest of the dash.



This is as far as I got but I'm really happy with how it looks. I'm still trying to figure out how the lower section of the dash will flow into the door jamb.

 

great car brother

 

Thank you sir


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nice work!!!! we're watchin!!!

 

Got some hours in the shop this week. Decided to do some smaller jobs as I only had an hour or two a night. After installing the 59 impala dash, my steering column needed to be moved over 1.75" to line up with the center speedometer and the center of the pods. I built a new piece instead of trying to cut out the old piece and move it. I also wanted to make the hole in the firewall smaller as my shift linkage is not going into the engine bay.



Here I bolted the column back in to see how it fitted and where i will have to mount in underneath the dash. I was wondering if i would have to shorten my column a bit for clearance when sitting in the car but i dont have too much room before my shifter hits the dash. Might have to change to a wheel with no dish.



So the plan is to use the original belair powerglide shifter with linkage modified to work with my 700R4 transmission. I have moved the linkage from the engine back to up under the dashboard to keep my engine bay clean and simple. I will go in to depth later on when I am making it actually work with the transmission.



Wednesday night I got to try the Miller Dynasty 200 my fellow club member graciously lent to me while he is not using it. I have wanted a TIG welder for ages now and this was my first try on mild steel sheetmetal with one. I have to say that it is awesome and I look forward to using it more as the welds are so malleable for hammer/dolly work.



Here is the gas filler fully welded. I need to do a bit more hammer work because of the old body damage below the door but its pretty close. I love how little grinding it involved with tig, wish i could have used it on my chop!



My latest ebay score. Set of 1955 Pontiac caps for $50. They are in incredible shape for the price, few little dings to be fixed and polished to be good as new.



Got really excited and had to go pop one on to have a look. They are not as big as the caddy ones and a bit more of my rim is actually showing when installed. I placed a chrome bullet over the center and i think i will be putting them over all four. The cream bit still showing will either get polished out when i get the caps polished or i might color match them with the paint on the body.



More progress to follow, im off to my garage to get cracking.

 

I've got a 53 coupe and have had a few before because it's a rare body style that just "works" by itself. I never would even consider chopping one and thought it a sacrilege to do so...until I saw yours. Good proportions. Nice work!

 

Great progress on the 55 chevy tail light swap. Got driver side light mounted and one piece fitted in place. Here is a picture of my pontiac caps on to get an idea of how they look, I love them!



Rolled up some sheetmetal to make the backing plate for the tail light housing.



Tail light is fitted.



Another angle of the tail light tacked in place using rod. Now to start forming a piece to be the upper panel to the quarter.



Sorry for no midway shots. Top panel is fitted and flows perfectly with the top of the quarter.



Another angle.



Schaefer and I played around with some card to get an idea on how the bottom panel will look. I will be moulding in the splash pan as well. More to come next week once i have rolled some pieces to work below the tail light.