1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Hi John, Sorry for the late response I've been dealing with a family issue that we all face eventually. Thank you so very much for all the great words of encouragement through this build. It is appreciated more than know. My very best to you! Justin

[roy mawbey]

A lot of people would have given up on getting to where you are now Justin on the cars front crash damage. It really makes you realise just how many things have to be considered and thought about no wonder some restorations, cost so much to do. Well done indeed!

Roy

[jjeffries]

Hi Justin, from Connecticut, I wanted to let you know I’m following all your posts … master classes as far as I’m concerned. so between Roy and me, you have at least two Limeys keenly paying attention. Each installment reminds me how complicated these simple little cars are to repair properly.

best as always, John

[JTR70]

Initial right fender mock up:
Lowered the hood down and latched for the first try. Yikes, about as bad as I expected. The initial gap runs heinously wide with the edge of the fender a touch low. There is also some wiggle room with how the fender is laying. Right now it wants to flop over exaggerating this poor fitment so all that has to be taken into account too.
The other half of the problem is with this shouldered relief shape. It will need to be messaged down to allow the rest of the panel to seat snuggly against the chassis. This will eliminate most of that wide gap issue.
Inner Panel seems to need raising and tilting slightly also soedge will match up with the latched hood.
Once its close then I can begin adding in some set screws along the bottom edge of this panel. No way to dial this in accurately with the fender; just be guessing and guessing wrongly.
A ways to go but I'll eventually have this front group dialed in and gapped around this latched hood. Continuing on with the process.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Upper closing panel fitment and positioning continued:
Fore and aft position set and now onto tightening up the rearward lap section against the door well panel.
My final position ended up making a gap with the R.D. trim line but its just par for the course and will be sealed out entirely when its all set.
Now onto determining the final flange height for the top of this panel. I needed to mount the fender on top to figure this part out.
Tacked the top section back on to determine the fore and aft placement of the fender on the new closing wall flange.
Set screwed into initial fitment on the new wall.

[JTR70]

A hinged and latched hood.
Hood once again gapped and set against the cowl dictating where this lower base mechanism would sit. Mechanism/base was engaged onto the upper shank then the hood was lowered down and the back of the base was marked at the center line.
Then the for and aft placement was dialed against the installed closing wall. Bottom slid forward until the Lower base edges rested against the wall as my original undisturbed reference example showed.
Hood officially latched closed for the first time in a while. No danger of getting locked out of the trunk so now was the time to find if the angles and placement was good or if it was going to jamb. Released just fine though the true test will be after the upper part of this base gets a tack weld. A promising start anyway.
Now with a mounted and latched hood I can go back to dialing in this new panels flange height. More on this later...

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Thank you Roy! No need for apologies, thanks for sharing and congratulations on improving the gap and overall fitment of your hood. There really are a lot of contributing factors on how the hood ultimately sits in there once its closed fully. Even a slight bend in the latch shank can pull the hood to favor one side or the other depending on how that bend is oriented. I've been through all of that before. This is my main reason for having the hinges and latch all fit tension free out of the gate. If its a force fit the gaps and fitment will change slightly every time its messed with. Thanks again. Justin

[roy mawbey]

Super effort Justin I have learn't a lot on this exercise. I think if I were 50 years younger I would have liked to try some of the things you have been doing but left it too late! But.. I mentioned I had a small gap issue on the front bonnet lid on my car well today I got my 14mm spanners out and would you believe really improved the gap no end. I was delighted. Once you carefully think about the hinge adjustments and the closure of the front locking bolt I have now got it back to when the bonnet lid was when I bought it in the 60's. I have had the lid off a number of times and obviously did not pay good enough attention. It is true now the hinges alignment holes are only as original on the l/side the r/side one does not now line up perfectly as before but the gap is so much better!

Sorry to mess up your thread with my efforts today.

Roy

[JTR70]

Onto installing the latch mechanism and getting all these loose edges to fit together.
The car is getting a little closer to having a face once again.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Hood repair and reconstruction complete.
Finished out the gas weld details around the edges that were there originally.
Same up front along the lap joints.
Remounted for another test fit. After all the welding the flange did draw in ward a touch but a couple of raps with a dead-blow hammer brought it right back.
No issues on the right side.
Now that the hood is repaired and in its final state I can confidently begin construction of the front end group around it. The hood will still need some shape adjustments along its edge as the progress continues but for now we've got a hood that operates just as it should.

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy, I've delt with a couple of hoods that were sort of a forced fit and the gaps kept changing on me slightly as the bodywork progressed all the way past final paint. Didn't want that issue again so the goal is a natural relaxed fit right out of the gate. Since we're almost starting from scratch the Datum holes were filled on the mounting flanges and will be redrilled to match the hinges once again to lock in the final gapped position after the front end is reconstructed. Justin

[roy mawbey]

Very neat way of getting that aii sorted Justin. Nice the hood can be taken off and on with no drama. Will you still use some datum holes in the hinge plates as they did at the factory to always get the hood in the correct position? ( maybe the original ones are close )
Roy

[JTR70]

Here is the correction from where it sat originally. The front of this flange is pretty much where it started but the back of it was swung outward about 5MM give or take so that it would sit flush against the hinge while centered in its pocket.
Hood remounted for another test fit after all that heating and hammering just to be sure before I committed to anymore welding. So far so good, everything staying centered and flush without force. No amount of beating to either the hood or hinge would have overcome that 5mm's worth of misalignment. It would have turned into a mud hole; this way it all fits together natural and nice and the hood will be available for removal and installation with hinges installed as it should be without too much drama. I'll be testing for that here shortly.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Hinge mount remounted.
Fore and aft placement of the flange on both the hinge and hood itself back into position before all the cutting. Initial tack weld laid down.
Eventually got enough tack welds along the outer edge to hold this sweet spot for hood removal. Backed the bolts loose to test for any tension. I'm shooting for a natural fit with no lateral loads going through the hinge from being forced over. So far so good.
Removed so I could lay down some good beads along the outer edge where the old gas welds originally were. I needed this side fully secured before attempting to work the other side into shape.
Going to have to use some heat to get this side over for a shaped fit. This mount is every bit of 16 gauge and the much thinner hood frame would stand little chance against it cold. The substructure would conform more to flange versus the other way around which is what I'm after.
After several series of heat and hammer work this side was now very close.

[JTR70]

Hinge mount refitting:
One more shot of the initial hood fitment just laying on there loose. Corner is tucked a little low here but all these misalignments are well within striking distance. The hood has to be mounted and latched before I can take it any further.
Now time to reset and remount the left hood hinge mounting flange.
Its pretty much going to go right back into its original position though with a slight change in approach angle so the hinge can remain centered in the pocket.
The original hammered over edges where limiting the amount of lateral movement so I hammered them back out flat and will reshape them over the substructure as before once its tacked into the needed position.
Mounting flange is bolted down to the hinge where it was marked in its best adjusted position before I dismantled the hood. Ready to tack weld this flange back into the sweet spot.

Thanks for looking!

Justin