1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Hi John, Thank you! I've learned that one the hardway by rushing to take something apart only to be to completely stumped when it was time to put it back together. Its right up there with taking the time to bag and tag small fastening hardware when you're in the frenzy of just getting whatever it is apart. I was fortunate that this side fared alot better than the other side for copying purposes so I had one shot at it. Thanks again for that post!
Justin

5/22/18

Tying up loose ends in prep for closure of this cavity.

Time to finish stitching up this long run.

All welded and dressed.

`Welded the elbow joint back up next. Really tough and tricky getting the blind side of the tube stitched in. Having it on a rotisserie made that possible.

All that is left on this corner is the inner closing wall. 100% solid steel down in this junction once again.

By the time that inner wall is repaired there will be 4 layers of 18 gauge in this corner. Then when the floor is added that will make this flange 5 layers thick... then a 20 gauge(should be 1 longitudinal closing panel on top of that. This area ahead of the torsion housing will be very stout once again.

Finished out the weld joint in and around the new flanged opening.



Just a couple more loose ends to go and I'll be fitting the closing panel.

Right side just about ready to accept a new floor.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

5/23/18

More prep for right longitudinal.

Grinding down the remains of the OG longitudinal flange so I can peel it off.

Trick is to get it thin so its weak enough to peel like a Sardine can but not too far where you're thinning out the host layer.

Dots of OG spot welds are the last to go with just a quick pass of the grinder. Beats drilling them out.

Boxed the twin bulkheads for additional support and stability.

Not original but completely unseen once its all closed up. I want a more solid base for the jack spur to work off of.

Begin rear closing wall repairs. I had thought of maybe reinstalling the original but I had too see how far the rust had gone under that flange.

This section of closing wall is rusted out a bit more than I thought so its going to be a cleaner job to just build it new from a single piece. Working on that next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

5/25/18

Again, once I had more of the flange peeled it was more confirmation that I wasn't saving this old closing wall.

Last bit of the wall removed save for the upper attachment flange which I'll get later.

So very relieved to find the rest of it solid way down in this blind corner.

Thought I might be fabricating this piece but a quick check of the parts stash turned up a pair of new closing walls. So glad I checked first.

Now onto fitting the closers.

Fitting the bottom panel first.

After just a quick clip here and there this panel went most of the way in.

Hugs the contour of the bulkheads snugly

with a nice fit against the new flange run. Almost too easy...

More fitment coming up.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Jack Staggs]

I like to drill a few holes in the longitudals at the heater tube supports, and weld it all together for rigidity.

[roy mawbey]

Justin, really nice series of welding and fabrication. I can see what Jack meant by added support, Of course before that car gets rusty again I guess we will all be so old it won't matter anyway.

Great informative thread this one.

Roy

[JTR70]

With this being only 20 gauge Jack, I was toying with that exact idea. I think I will.

Thanks again Roy! The next time this car needs rust repair we'll ALL be nothing more than an old memory.
Justin
5/28/18
Longitudinal panel fitment

Carefully flattening out some of that flange then trimming back for the eventual seam weld.

Had to rebend this flange a little higher and angled for a tight fit here.

Began set screwing from the center out utilizing the original tack strip holes.

Synched up nicely so far.

Quick mock up with the Original rocker assembly which will be reinstalled.

OG tack strip holes will also come in handy to locate the rocker exactly where it was.

Nice tight fit so far.

Lots of panel prep before this goes on for good but it should work out fine in the end.

Continue fitting.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

5/29/18

Closing panel fully set screwed in final position.


Synched down into final adjusted position working from the center outward.

Will cut and lay the flanges over just as the factory example on the other side shows me.

Rolling it upright next to trace the final cut lines.

Huge psychological boost seeing this all closed up.

Synched up nice and tight

Tracing my cut lines next but will leave the excess in the corner until I have to new flanged closing section built and in. Speaking of flanges, that new reinforcement plate for the bulkheads was flanged at both ends. Have to plug weld the three holes that secure them there next.

Final trimming.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

6/2/18

Getting dangerously close to sealing up the right longitudinal.

Small details of replicating flap overlay on the forward corner.

Remains just enough of it to copy.

Slowly piecing it together.

Plug weld holes added to attach this panel to the bulkheads as Jack mentioned earlier.

The main closing run is just about ready to go on for good so it was time to begin fitting its rear cap.

Began by cleaning the upper mounting flange for it.

Two layers of remains to grind down to get to the base flange. Not fun


Getting these layers thin enough to peel and tear without getting into the base flange.

Took some grinding but getting it down to brass tacks.

Base run cleaned of old flanges and wire wheeled of rust.

Didn't get it all. Remains of both of those old flanges continue on under the striker and seal channel to the other side.

Debated on whether to chase it or end the repair here. After some looking I found more rust in and around this junction so I decided to clean it out the rest of the way.

Old junction point removed.

Entire run now clean so I can do a complete repair.

Now the new section will wrap around in behind the striker as originally found.

Time to begin fitting the new cap. However the more I played with it the more it just didn't seem quite right. While the embossed upper section detail is intricate its not correct...

A refresher look to the other side shows it as a simple sweeping panel with no embossed corner details.

Not sure what car this piece was copied from; maybe a Karmann panel? One thing for sure its not correct for this car.

I'll be making my own. Begin paper template off the remains of the original.

Good basic shape. Moving onto metal

This also gives me the opportunity to make it out of 18 gauge like it should be.

Cut to basic shape now onto form fitting it.

Again it should be just a smooth sweeping panel without that stepped cornered relief shape.

Form fitment to come. As its 18 gauge its not going to be as forgiving as 20 gauge so it'll need some extra persuasion.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Phil Planck]

Very nice work Justin. That rear panel was tough to fit on my T6, but at least had the right shape.

[JTR70]

Thanks a lot Phil! Its a complex shape and a tough panel to seat fully. Every time its removed, reworked or not it changes ever so slightly.

6/4/18

New end cap finally tacked in.

Pushed further into basic contour.

Slowly adding the inner flange run.


Flange better defined with each try. The tricky part is its gathering in that corner so a some heat was needed to keep it going.

Heat added to the corner and a bit of force fitment to get to sit down deeper as it went..

Inner flange defined and set enough to be able to commit to the outer upper(car is upside down) flange run.

As you can see the car itself is making for the perfect hammer form.



After a few more rounds I finally had the rolled inner flange shape I was trying to copy.

With each round I'd lock it in with set screws which had to be redrilled a couple of times as the panel shrunk in tighter with each pass.

Basic roughed in shape with just one more detail to add.

Need to add in this curved delta relief shape for the heater conduit.

Relief shape added with one more comparison shot of supplied closing panel with what was actually needed for this car.

Relief shape was grafted in. I foolishly thought I was just going to pound that shape in cleanly on the first try. It went side ways real quick so it had to be made separately for a clean shape.

First refit after all the changes and final adjustments.

Probably wouldn't have bothered with that shape relief otherwise but its a T2 thing and it will always be visible.

My original T1 closing panels showing no relief shape.

Would have had plenty of clearance without it but in the end the details have to be right.

First of the tack welds...On for good.

More shaping and probably more heat as it goes in but its at least installed.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Phil Planck]

WAIT, WAIT. You need to loan that to Restoration Design, or your favorite repro metal supplier before installing.

[JTR70]

LOL Phil! I don't think any of those vendors would be interested in my handmade interpretations.

6/4/18

Almost ready to close the right long up.


Inner flange seam welded as originally

Some divots and details I still need to clean up on that weld seam yet but leaving it for now and moving onto the next flange run.


Started from the back and worked forward. The forward corner needed more stretching to lay down in there tight like I needed.

After a few rounds of heat and dolly work the corner finally relief stretched down in there so I could finish plug welding.

PIA working in18 gauge! 20 gauge is awfully tempting.

New closing wall finally mounted and set.

A very long road but I am now down to sealing the inner surfaces and punching the rest of the needed plug weld holes.

With most of the severe heat behind this area I can now shoot some sealer down in here.

Prepping for sealer and a good coat of paint next. Almost ready to close this cavity up.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[bbspdstr]

Justin, I have to say that I have never seen (or can't remember) as exaggerated a clearance "delta" as you made. New to me. I have always thought of the differences in that shape in the closing panels I've seen as being created "as necessary" during the building of the body...any A body. Some were almost unnoticeable, some were much more pronounced. I suppose you copied yours from an original that I have not seen..... ....as I do not remember that detail in a new original spare part. Maybe Ric can chime in.....

And, I am VERY familiar with going sideways.......regularly.

Bruce

[JTR70]

Hey Bruce,

You had me digging through old photos just make sure I hadn't screwed up.

I may have gone a little strong on the shape but it was definitely a pressed in feature. Here is the original from this side. It was struck with something, probably a hammer during the factory install that has flattened it but the pressed in lines are still clearly visible.

The other profile is a little more pronounced and undisturbed which is what I copied from but it too was hit just as it meets the corner there.

The 1958 coupster donor chassis also had this relief feature.

This is where I first took note of this difference as I thought it a weird add on as it was still an "A" chassis and my A coupe didn't have it so why?


Then looking back further still and I ran across this old photo of 1957 Speedster 83142 a "latish" beehive T1A and it too had the relief. So I was wrong to assume its a strict T2 feature. So when was this was introduced? Another one of those mid 1957 changes I can only assume. This photo did put my mind at ease as the shape seems just as pronounced as the one I just made. I suppose I could hit my mine down with a hammer for a more authentic look and feel. Thanks for the post Bruce... I'm always learning.

Justin

[bbspdstr]

OK, Justin, I see where your interpretation of that shape is coming from. I personally have just not seen that shape being that long. You do also illustrate a shorter shape which is my 'normal.' With no real documentation or data, I can just say "most" A models I have worked on had that clearance.

And we know it's not a "California thing."

My theory of such differences being done 'on the fly' during body construction comes from those differences that I have witnessed. I have seen more than one original A with no clearance compensation on that panel, FWIW. Now I have seen a greater difference in that shape through this site and your presentation...so I'll say 'thank you' again!

Bruce