Hot Rods Build #2 I 30 Model A"Coupe" AKA Phoenix

I finally got some things buttoned up around the home and shop and decided to start on my second build. This is going to be a long thread that will take quite some time. Once you see the pics you will understand why.
First, I will start with my recently "finished" project. It is a 1928 Model A sedan. I did a small write up awhile back. Needless to say, I learned A LOT! Mainly, what NOT to do on the next build ;-)
So, without further ado, here is the finished Build #1 and the heap-o-rust and start of the next. I think it should be called the Phoenix because this thing sure does appear to have come out of a fire!!!

 

Some more pics of the car in pieces. I could really use some help with close up pics, if anyone has some, of the underside where the cowl panels are up against. It looks like there is a similar profile under the cowl panels but mine are so rusted out I can't make sense of it. Also, if anyone has some close ups of the kick up floor boards that you can see in mine that are shot. I want to make those pieces. Thanks in advance.

 

I decided to start with the base. Obviously the subrails need to be solid for everything to mount to. I landed a pretty decent set because the originals were simply too far gone to even mess with. I went ahead and removed all of the cancer that had set in and replaced it with new life. Not sure what all of the mounting holes are for or if I will need all of them but I transferred them to the patches based off of the old rot.
Baby steps. The full time job certainly does get in the way of more important things so updates will be coming but slowly.

 

Last night I spent a little time playing with a new passenger cowl patch panel. The panel definitely needed to be tweaked to line up. I spent a lot of time with the hammer and dolly but I got it lined up quite well. The pic here was before it was fully lined up and smoothed out. Gives you an idea.
All the pieces will be going in the tank for a de-rusting. Was going to media blast but the metal is too thin to risk warping.

 

Good start !

How about choosing the LARGE picture option when posting

 

Is that what I did or didn't do? I am not that good with posting things or computers in general.


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didn't

 

This is the LARGE option

 

I will attempt to upload larger pictures. May take a few tries unless someone cuts tot he chase and tells me the easy way. For now, I will post progress from last night. Was outta town for son's soccer all weekend.

 

Some additional work. Panels and other sheet metal has been soaking in the molasses bath just under a week when these pics were taken. Amazing to see the rust literally just wash away! You can see where the "water line" was. Rust up top and bare metal below. Too bad the tank wasn't big enough to lay things flat. Firewall looked like swiss cheese but I wanted a relatively "clean slate" to start with before I start putting things back together. The bare shot is after about 35 smaller holes were patched.

 

I made a little more progress but haven't taken many pics and I also got to spend a few days in Vegas for SEMA (gloat)
I will try to take a few more this weekend. Here are some weld in bungs I machines for the split bones. Could've bought them and saved some time but where's the fun in that.



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Baby steps. Got around to piecing some parts together.
I will be filling in the holes on that dash panel. Just sitting there for a poser shot


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So I had a chance to play at the shop the last couple of days. It's slow going but still forging forward.



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Great coupe

 

following along..............great progress so far!

 

Got to see the end game on this build, man you started on something many people would walk away from and I mean fast.

 

Man that's coming together!

 

It is slowly getting there. It was a real PITA to try and find a starting point. Basically, the bottom of both large panels were so trashed and wasted that there was no way to know where to cut. I didn't have a reference point in which to put the new patches.After a LOT of head scratching and back and forth between the mock up and the weld table, I figured out the correct starting point and started cutting. The other problem is that the patch panels were nowhere near a perfect match. A lot of hammer and dolly work to get them to line up. They actually look better in person. The pics give off a glare that makes the lines look off. They actually are real close.
Had to also make a few tools that were contoured to the beads in the panels.
One thing that did make for some fun was using a planishing hammer I built this past year. It worked like a champ and was fun. I hope to jump on the driver side tomorrow morning after my son's soccer game.

 

Nice workmanship!...would like to see a photo of your planishing hammer!

 

Funny you say that. Last night I said "I know you eat an elephant one bite at a time, but dang where do you take the first bite?!"

 

Here is a pic of the planishing hammer. It's an old pic. It is mounted on the E Wheel but comes off and is easily hand held.


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Wow Jack, awesome work and progress...I thought my 31 was bad when I started, but you got me beat for sure....
Inspires me to go pick up the other 30 coupe available.....its pretty bad......Subscribed

 

.....or you can just give me the whereabouts of the 31
Thanks though for the kind words.


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Great job, did you make the rear corner, or was it a repo you reworked ? I'm trying to rebuild mine now and the repo's I got were way off, couldn't use them. If they are repo's where did you get them? Wish I had your skills Thanks


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Dino, they are repos. The quality of the stamping was poor to put it mildly and the dimensions were quite off. Even side by side the d side and p side were off. Everything I ordered need to be tweaked. I have the d side patched in but have to widen it an 1/8" to match the panel's lines. It's that much off.
I can honestly say it took me much longer mocking everything up so I could cut it than the actual welding and hammering. My panels were twisted and mangled so that complicated matters even more.
As for the maker, I forget but the lower quarter patches were from Howells and they were considerably closer to matching body lines. The bead at the wheelwell needed some manipulation on both sides before it all lined up and matched.




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Thanks, sounds like the ones I got too. Appreciate the info, I think they all come from the same place just sold through different suppliers. I got mine from Brattons. Their quarter panels are nice though.


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Had some time to get on with the Driver's side. This panel had a lot of warping. Of course all the patch panels were off and needed work too.
Rear top is just sitting up there.


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You can see how far off the lower rear is off. I had to add 3/16" piece to make it the same width as the actual body panel.


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Insane save. Gary

 

Looks GREAT Grant!