1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

repair panel #4 continued.
Committed and initial opening cut it.
Gradually opening it by rolling the lip inward so the end of this tube will actually fit in there. The rolled lip will eventually be seam welded to the end of the tube as originally.
After several tries the end of the tube finally slipped in.
Good preliminary fitment but there is still some tweaking needed to allow the tube end to swing in into alignment. Close enough to leave for now.
I can now commit to the lower flange placement. Adding that in next.

[JTR70]

Wall #4 Continued:
New lower flange heeled over.
Once again, thank god for reference parts. I would have never thought to add in this cutout shape to the back of the flange. Still needs more trimming but good for right now.
New flange clamped flush locking in this sections final position. The tube end still lines up like it did before.
More fine trimming and tube end alignment and welding are about all that remains. Dangerously close to installing this on for good....but.
before I weld the end of the tube section back on I want the ability to remove and reinstall these bulkheads for repair. That coming up next....another little detour.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[roy mawbey]

Your detours Justin make me smile! That's a lot of work you have done there I am so pleased I caught mine very early before rust had set in. None of this work is easy and even harder if you have no chance to look at a good example to copy.

Well done

Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks! they have the exact opposite effect on me Roy. LOL Yes, absolutely sunk without a reference car or section.

[JTR70]

Lower bulkhead repair sections.
Replicating the sweep of the lower flange profile with some heat and a relief cut at the apex of curve.
Flange follows my template profiles closely enough. Adding the dimple detail next.
My punch an die set provided the needed shoulder size to replicate this detail as close as I can.
Relief shape added completing this repair section.
One down with one more to go but its mirror image this time.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

A very handy punch and die there Justin!

Roy

[JTR70]

They have gotten me out of a lot of jambs Roy, even when I use them as not exactly as intended at times.

[JTR70]

Finishing up bulkhead repairs and prepping for their reinstallation:
In the end only a thin strip of my repair section was ultimately used.
one more to finish stitching together completing this repair.

Simultaneously prepping the area for their reinstallation. Threshold run marked out for its cut and weld joint line.
Amazing how quickly things begin to look up once the damaged and rusted portions are removed.
Begin trial fitments for the new flange repair run.

[JTR70]

Final cut line will be very low saving as much of the OG as possible.

Had to angle up a bit towards the end as the rust got a little more advanced at this lap joint.
Starting to trim back the excess here. Repaired rear bulkheads in for test fit.
Original rear tube section cleaned of all remaining rust and scale. Wished I could have treated the entire run of it this way but I can only do what I can.
All the new and old repaired pieces slowly fitting together.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Begin reassembly on wall layer #4
All the new and repaired pieces all teed up and ready to be tacked into final position.
Broke it all down one last time to clean the remains of the outer longitudinal flange around the bulkhead area before I tack them back in for the final time.
Bulkheads tacked in and beginning to tack weld the new lower flange run.
Shortly after the old tube section was positioned was seam welded along the inner lip as it was originally.
Other than some additional trimming and plug weld holes this piece is ready to mount.

[JTR70]

Rear heater tube section finally tacked in for good.
Final trimming and hole punching complete.
One more thing to do before welding.
Inner surfaces slathered in sealer before it goes in. Again I don't know how much of it will survive after welding but I tried.
Begin welding it in. A long road to get just here but its a nice mile marker for sure. Finishing this up next.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Well done Justin, very neat job even though the repair will never be looked at when its all together. Says a lot for restoration photos and being proud enough to show them. This sort of effort sells restored cars. What you can see and what you can't see by eye is so important !!

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you so much Roy. I agree the devil is in the details and what you can't see is where the true test is. In the beginning I found myself more caught up in the final presentation but after a while it became clear that what's more imperative is that the final product has actual structural integrity. This why I make all the chassis related components out of 18 gauge. Its harder to work with but the final repair is far stronger than if I had made it out of 20 gauge and the thickness of 18G replicates more closely what was used originally. The final repair is structurally sound...and also looks as close to original as I can get it.

[JTR70]

Lower torsion housing cap install:
New cap from 18G in basic shape the remains of the original/pattern lying next to it.
Tightened up the shape and the corners and now ready to weld on for good.
Lap joint detail replicated and gas seam weld continues on from the original section.
Its half way in, I'll have to run another seam across the top just under the spring plate studs.
A ways yet still to go before this closing panel goes on but I wanted to do some checking as its going.

[JTR70]

Twisted off spring plate bolt removal:
Nipple of weld carefully added to the heads to ensure a good bond before I plug weld on the nuts.
Nuts welded on and now ready to add in some torch heat and see if these things will come out.
Successfully extracted without destroying the mounts. These where fused in there tighter than a bulls ass, the original bolts had no chance of coming out cold and in one piece. It took several rounds of heat and yielded just a partial turn as it went. They groaned and squeaked with each move but the nuts held on allowing for a successful removal.
Began running the final gas welded seam along the top of the new cap and of course before I could finish I ran out of oxygen.
Continuing on with this after I get back from the welding supply.


Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Scott B]

Great progress Justin. Great trick with welding nuts on to remove bolts!!!!

[JTR70]

Thanks Scott! My dear old friend and mentor Greg Parker shared that trick with me back in the early '90's...

[roy mawbey]

Justin, the ' cap' you have just replicated and gas welded in place is exactly the item I replaced on my car 45 years ago. I am so pleased the tiny pin prick holes I saw then on the bottom of the cap made me cut it off and remake a new one. I remember looking inside the cavity and seeing no dangerous other rust so I just sprayed inside the cavity with zink paint. I gas welded mine same as yours. Actually my car was at that time only 17 years old. But UK weather no doubt and the fact that cap was always used to jack the car up 'incorrectly' with the trolley jack must have paid a part in its demise.

Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy, copied the best that I could. It is a good place to jack them up provided they aren't too rusty and weak there but like your car even at the tender age of 17 the area can rot out very quickly. Though my car did not rust through I have no illusions about the rust that still lurks in there. I did pump a bit of old used motor into those cavities to help slow down the process which is the best I can do short of opening them up...

[JTR70]

Well I've been hearing and reading about the coming disruptions in the supply chain and this last Friday I got my first taste of its effects. The welding supply house was all out oxygen so I could not Exchange my empty tank!! He said they were hoping to get a shipment in this Thursday but could not guarantee it as they are having a lot of supply and delivery issues as of late. A scary harbinger of things to come.....

So while I wait for that to hopefully come in I'll carry on with other things:
I like to tie the twin bulk heads together to box this unit adding further strength and rigidity to the area for the eventual jack spur to work off of. I'm repurposing a section of this cars original door skin to build the bridge. Love it when I can give original metal a second chance.
Plug weld holes and Knockouts added.

This new/old piece is ready to go in for good.
Most of the seam and plug welding completed at this point. I still have to flip the car upright and finish out the weld along the top of the heater tube relief.
Wrapping this portion up next.

Thanks for looking!!

Justin