Hot Rods Rich's Coupe - a ten year odyssey

These moldings are available from all the Model A suppliers.

 

The rest of the A moldings

 

The juliano kit.

 

I strethed the vynil over these 1 by 4's, and layed it on the roof. I located the holes for the front
molding with scratch awl . I had pre drilled the alum strips for screwing in roof, I
redrilled alum for clearance of screw threads.

 

Excellent info, definitely saves me some time trying to figure out the same thing myself on my coupe.


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Love coming back and seeing such great work!

 

dam that insert looks good rich! are you sure you didn't work on henrys assembly line at one time or another? on the other hand, ford wished theres fit that good!

 

I would have to be 88 to have worked on the Model A line !
I wish I had a set of their fenders , and doors.

 

Doing all this painting I thought I would show my 2 car garage paint system.
I have a 2 bay shop with a dividing wall making the paint side 18 x 30 . I have to
cover everything with plastic to paint. I have the fresh air intake in the ceiling
between the joices . It has window screen to keep bugs out, filters for clean air. It
should be twice the size of your exhaust fan. The exhaust fan has sealed motor,
and 2 speed with shutters. I have the vent duct directing over spray towards the
ground where I wet the grass down while painting.
I have a nice Finex Sharps detail gun for areas like the trunk to keep blow back
to miniman. I buy my cheap primer guns from Northern tools, and have a real
nice Divelbiss Tekna for finish coats. I try to never paint in the summer or winter
, fall, and spring are best. also paint shipped in winter can be ruined by freezing.

 

I am by no means an expert at body work , and may not do any for a couple years
while doing other parts of a project. We all see the spoon being used to finish a panel
with little to no filler, usually only primer, and block for finish. I like to try this myself,
but need brushing up on my skills after long lay off.
Most spoons all have a polished surface which experienced users have no problem
hitting the mark, relying on the sound of spoon off, or on dolly.
I was shown years ago how to use a file to help see the area I'm working on. I make my own
slapper from Nicholson Bastard 12" files. About 15 dollars on Amazon.I just heat it up, and
bend it to suit me. this one cracked so I just welded it up. the cross patch surface is visible.

 

My car had been stored in a gravel floored shed, and some one had walked on the hood
as I found it on the ground. This panel is ackward to repair as it is not attached to car.
I managed to clamp it down so I could exert dolly pressue while working on it. I spray the
work area with dykem the low spots are blue after using long board with 60 grit.

 

I start on the outside of the area working in slowly. Some vixen file marks are visible
in some areas.

 

This pic shows the dots from the slapper file that help me progress around the low
spot. Some are shiny others duller as they are lower.

 

Here I have finished the panel as far as I will take it. The black marks are from
my shrinking disk, which will be removed by the DA.

 

The final pic after epoxy primer, and a few coats of blocked primer. I hope
this may help a few get started. I'm just an amatuer, and maybe some of the pros
will give a better method.

 

your teaching us rich! nice finish on that hood.

 

Looks good. Something very satisfying about using a metal file and you can feel the results just by the way is slides over the work area. Don't get the same "vibes" cutting plastic filler.

 

I know what you mean loudbang !

 

Amazing work Rich. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to share your passion for excellence with us.

 

I got out of the service in August 64, and by
September I was in night school on the G.I.
Bill. I took Body and Paint on one night, then
Stick welding, and Oxy acetyline cutting, welding
the next night.
I was shown this method of using a slapper in
Auto Body. The teacher had his own Body Shop,
and taught 2 nights a week. He got me started
doing paint jobs. That was all after work though
as I was making to much money working in the
Steel Mills by than. The 60’s was a great time!

 

Thanks for sharing your process using the slapper. Merry Christmas!

 

Such an amazing read. Incredible craftsmanship, imagination, creativity. A labor of love.
Hats off to a true Craftsman.

 

Thank's guy's!
Here's a few pics after painting was finally done.

 

Getting the body back on the frame for the final time is a milestone in the build.
I have the overhead hoist making it much easier, but now I don't want to chance
screwing the paint up now. A few friends over help to line every thing up.
I did this same thing about 1970 with my first build. I remember going to Peoria
, and not having my Coupe ready for the first Nats.
My friend Chuck was there, and is back 50 years later for the same thing!
I had the frame done from the firewall back, and finished the rest later. I'm
under the body lining things up, and they are doing the bull work. View attachment 4523533 View attachment 4523533

 

Getting it together.

 

Here's a couple pics of that first Coupe. I made a lot of Nats in that Coupe.

 

boy they sold a lot of tunnel rams in the 60s and 70s! I remember I had a couple 2 or 3

 

I had Holley 450's on there, and it ran great with them.

Rich

 

did your brother make it out?

 

No, he got an infection, and his Doctor won’t let him leave New Zealand.