Projects Recreating the jesse lopez coupe

Well, there's lots of room on the R. side, not so much on the L.. Here's a look as the mock up starts.

 

I didn't check back with Mike for a couple of days and when I did I found out that he'd gone up and over that steering box.

 

Interesting Jer. I wondered how he was going to deal with the steering box.
What did Jesse do on the original?
Torchie.

 

I do like how this looks but, I've got to check With Jesse about this.

 

Don't really see how it could nave been done any other way Jer.
If you look at a stock 41 exhaust set up they used a kind of a Y pipe set up across the bottom front of the engine to avoid dealing with the steering box and then the exhaust ran back on the passenger side( At least that's the way it was on mine).
To get the pipes under the box would require hugging the block and hanging them down low then dealing with other supension issues as well.
It will be interesting to hear what Mr Lopez has to say......
Torchie.

 

I think most exhaust shops don't do custom headers because the labor and headache involved is more than most folks are willing to spend. I could easily see 12 hours in a set of custom headers that the customer doesn't want to pay for, that the exhaust guy got screwed for. At least thats what my buddy who does exhaust has experienced.

Jer, I know you're not one of "those guys" and probably made it clear you'd take care of the bill, just saying this is what my buddy says. He's got several headers hanging on the wall that weren't paid for to remind him to never do it again.



'27 T Roadster build: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734383

 

Well, if they're going to be lakester type headers I'm thinkin' they have to go down not up. Jesse confirmed that to be the case.

 

Wow, mucho trabajo, greybeard360 (Mike). Both ways look great, impressive work. Yet again, dogged determination (Jerry)to get it right, equally impressive.

 

OK, that's better. I do think that I found the right guy for this. Great job Mike!

 

Lot's of great detail that will go unnoticed for the most part. Job well done.

 

I had a little problem with the welder on this side. The tubing came from 2 different sources and for some reason didn't weld the same. Not as pretty as I like. On to the other side!

 

The other side.

 

Those look great. I've been wondering how to run lakes headers on my '41... now I know.

 

It makes a HUGE difference when everyone involved in a project operates with the same high standards. I would expect no less with your recreation Jer. Good stuff greybeard360! I'm lovin' this project!

-Dave

 

Thanks !!!

It took some comparing from side to side to decide how to run them. I knew the car would set low and had to contend with the steering, clutch and suspension on the left side. Right side was almost easy !

We didn't have any old photos of the headers themselves but did have a side shot and I could barely make out the bottom of the pipes so I knew they were tucked up nice and tight.

 

Jesse ran all this through stock mufflers. Mike was ready to continue but, I want my old exhaust shop guy to do that part. Unfortunately the pic of the muffler in place won't upload.

 

Looking good Jer, haven't kept up on the thread... well done... Keep the pics coming..

 

OK we're home. It's time to think about the next thing.

 

Well. If the drive train is installed and it's time to mount the body, that firewall has to be painted the correct color.

In the middle of doing the taillights awhile back the color was talked about and the degree of difficulty I was experiencing nailing it down was revealed. John from Clean Cut Creations (here on the HAMB) pm'd me and told me that his shop had done a high end resto on a '51 Chrysler convertible a couple of years ago that was the Andante green color Jesse had used on his car. This guy was very picky and wanted everything to be correct on his car, especially the color. John said that he had all the spray out cards that they had used to get that color right. Would I be interested in seeing them? YOU BET!

There were about 18 cards. I told Jesse about this and I wanted him to look them over and pick two that he thought were the closest to his color on his car, mark them and send them back to me. Jesse's reply when he saw them was yup, that's the color.

I took those cards down to my paint company and they looked at that color with a device that could analyze it and come up with a formula that would duplicate it. I had had these guys mix up what we thought was Andante green from a translated RM formula and sent it to Jesse earlier but it wasn't close.

So the HAMB comes through again. Thank you John. You're a life saver.

With some sparkle added I feel very confident about this color.

 

That is a beautiful color and I'm glad to know it will be on this car. Jesse has good taste.

 

It is a great color Jer but I guess that I am a little confused.
What year did Mr Lopez paint the car? Didn't he start the buld in 48? If so how did he come up with a 51 paint color or was it 3 years before he had it in color.
In an earlier post I asked how long it took to for Sam to chop the top originally. Were you able to find that out. Thanks for all your effort in documenting the rebirth of this great car. I hope to see it in person one day.

 

I can't address the questions for Jerry about when painting took place, but this color is shown as a Desoto color as early as '47.

 

Chrysler Corp offered that color over a number of years on all their makes under different names.

If I remember right I think Jesse said it took him and Sam a month or so on that top. Jesse was doing all the "grunt" work he could to keep costs down, so it probably could have been done quicker if it was just Sam.

What is interesting is that Jesse was a quick learner and I think he said he did the front of the car. That was the last stop on the build (I think).

 

Thanks for both replies ne'erdowell and Jer. After I posted it, came to me about the paint color most likely being offered for more than one year.
It would be interesting to know how long it usualy took and how much it would have cost to have the Barris's chop your top. I will have to do some internet searching this winter as I am sure the info is out there somewhere.....
Torchie.

 

Whoa! What the heck are those exhaust dumps?



'27 T Roadster build: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734383

 

Those look like the 'taps' what we use on big resin drums at my other job - neat idea!
I'm guessing they'll be hooked up to some kind of lever/cable remote release?

 

OK, remember, this is a one man job.

 

Why the "extra" white shock?

 

Looking real good Jer! One of these days we'll have to park them side by side

 

The white shock is for mock up. Jesse had the overloads and the inner stock type. When the chassis is fully loaded we'll see what kind of shocks (lenghth) will be needed.

Partssaloon, I'm sure this can be arrainged. Maybe the Yellow Rose Classic.

Regarding this remount of the body- you need to stage your chassis on a prearainged spot on the floor that will put it exactly under those mounting areas. There are only four main ones. This is VERY doable for one guy with everything set up this way. The winch is a $500.00 Grainger that I can easily take in and out of my trailer.