Human Fly; did you cut the tops off of your doors, or did you only trim the upper skin at the top? If you did have to lop off the entire top of the sedan door, then that's how I would align the front and back half of the body. Once to door top is out of the way, then you could align the halves with the door, to get the beltlines perfect, and get the lower vertical door gaps perfect. In the last pic, it looks like both the front and rear roof beams above the door, are bent down?
No, i pie cut the A pillar section as that height is correct to the cowl. Pie cut the middle of the window opening to flatten the top section out and allow the feature lines to come down parallel in the B pillar section. If you take the whole top section off to align the B pillar section/feature lines, the A pillar is going to be too short. What your trying to do is take the angle of the window opening out......not drop it down......if that makes sense. That last pic looks like a 5W door and F&J is correct is stating the roof section looks dropped on that side. Screw in a section of angle iron to the wood to flatten that out and see whats going on.
The duct tape idea is a good one, going to do that! Can you put the two doors you have together and measure them both, as i think the door on the drivers side looks to be a 5W door.
On the subject of machine turned, I heard you can chuck up a lifter in a drill press. Have never tried it so I don't know if it works, but might be worth a try on a piece of scrap.
THANKS RYAN FOR THE iPHONE APP!!!! Photos are SO much easier! Both doors measure 27-1/2" long at the beauty line. They look the same to me???? How can you tell a 5W door by looking at it? The '32 5W doors are 1/4" longer at that measurement.
McTim, I'll throw in a 292 Y-block if you come down and help It would be MY honor! We'll wait a month for it to cool down. Too damn hot in my garage. Yeah, there's quite a few threads in here on the topic. The firewall is about 100 miles off my radar scope!
Posting this for reference, as well as for anyone else who can use it. Since I dont have a CLUE as to what is ahead of me, I decided to look through the TECH Files over at R&C. I now have an idea what I need to do to my doors without trashing them. A million ways to chop a top... Rolling Bones chop Poteet's 5W http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0712sr_chopping_the_top_on_a_deuce_five_window/index.html http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0711sr_chopping_the_top/index.html Bill Stewart at So-Cal Speed Shop chops a 5W http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/custom_top_cutting_techniques/index.html Bobby Walden at Walden Speed Shop skins a 5W door http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0601rc_1932_ford_five_window_coupe/index.html
The wood that is in my header section has been sawed along with the metal. Since it's in good shape, could I just have a woodworker repair it, or is there too much structural stress on that piece? MEaning, I'm trying to keep this body as "1932" as possible, and am having separation anxiety when I think about cutting off/out pieces of this 80 year old GOLD!
not just yet, but YOU SIR, will be the first I call when it is time. I'm going to use them for the initial mock-up. The backspace is where I need it for now.
I am confused from the pics, dont know if its stuff in the background or what, but one looks 5w and the other sedan. I have both at home, I will measure the width of both and post it. What is the dead give away is the angle upwards of the window opening for the sedan doors, one looks angled the other does not, it may be the roof giving that impression. As i said i will measure tonight and post it.
Here's what I'd do: Buy or borrow a cheap (or expensive) laser level, shoot a line along the beltline reveal, shim the body up so it is horizontal along the quarter and at the cowl. Mount the door on its hinges in the opening, make sure the gap between the door edges and the post and jam are even top to bottom, make sure the door beltline reveal is also horizontal and lined up with the body. You could temporarily tack the door in the opening. Join the front and rear halves of the body along the drip rail so that the line flows, then cut the door window frame as necessary to fit the opening in the body. Do both sides,one at a time, then take a whole bunch of measurements (lots of diagonals) to square the body, pull it with ratchet straps or light cables and turnbuckles if necessary, then tack some bracing into the body to maintain its shape while you fab a floor. Does my description make any sense? Hard to describe...
Subscribed! I will be following along! I didn't know this is what you were workin with! Good luck man. (The guy from Dutton, that you met at Billetproof-WA)
I dont think they are 5W doors, was told they are Tudor doors THanks, both of my doors measure the same, measurement above (slips my memory) makes perfect sense I jsut need to figure out how to get my body enough wiggle room to actually move. Right now, all gaps are TIGHT and the body doesnt have any slop for motion. It'll be easy this weekend when I take the time to actually step back and see what is doing what. that's what we're thinking...you ever sell that body? Didn't you PCS to TX? Going deer hunting this year? I should be up there late Nov... Finish your 36 so I can watch YOU make the mistakes!!! haha the invite is open to ANY HAMBer who wants a free vacation in FL!
I have to take it all apart again to get my chassis finished this weekend. When I do, I'll stand the doors next to themselves and check each and every measurement to make sure they are identical doors. Looking at the car in person, I do see what you're saying. I think the roofline is Jedi mind-screwing us.
Here are the measurements i got" 5 window door: Width at belt line - 27 7/8" Width at belt line inside - 26 1/4" Rear end (B-pillar) of window opening at the end of the tight radii - 13" Front end (A-pillar) of window opening at the end of the tight radii - 12 7/8" Sedan door: Width of door at belt line - 27 9/16" So, the 5 window door opening is pretty square from A-pillar to B. If yours are sedan doors, as I have said before, you will need to take out the extra in the b-pillar to bring the window opening close to square. Its not a hard job, I have done it and happy with the result.
The sedan door measurements you provided match up to my doors. I'm gonna blow this pile-o-80-year-old-gold apart tomorrow! Get to finish up my chassis welding and the chassis will FINALLY be a roller!!!! Someday, I'll get to post pics of my build progress!
What's up with the build, did you ever get them doors figured out? $ Remember forgiveness is always easier than permission $
I just saw your thread jump back up to the top. Where you planning on huntin at? Let me know if you make it close to San Antonio! How much progress have you made?
I havent been home much. I was able to scrap a few layers of paint off, but that's about it. Taking the month of November off so I can get some work done on this thing! No out-of-area hunting for this cat this year. I THOUGHT I could make it, but, life goes on! How's TX Treating ya?
Slepe, you said earlyer that some Ryan helped you with an iphone app to be able to upload pics easy. I want that one too. I might be wrong but if your project was mine I would have started with a set of new subrails and brookwille rear floor. Bolt and Tack it up while it is on the frame. Build the front floor towards the firewall. I know these parts are not cheep but a +10 k body might be worh it. Reason for this is that the body is way to loose to work with without the floor, you dont wants to end up with a twisted body after all the chopping and welding. When done with the floor start with mounting up the front of the body, then the doors and go backvards. Just my 2 cents as you Americans says Anyway, awsome project Slepe
I just went through Jeff Norwell's (& every damn 5W hread in here) & found some killer pictures of how he's re-doing his floors. Im out of town on "business" and will share link/ pics next week. Oh, this "Ryan" you speak of owns the HAMB. He has an application for the iPhone that lets you snap a photo with your phone & post it directly in here. No fiddle-farting around Thanks for the help! Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
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