1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Initial battery box assembly mock up:
Wall set screwed into preliminary position. New floor and front wall sections added for the first time to see what adjustments needed to be made if any to the rear walls current location. Very relieved to learn that I'll be able to slip the floor and front wall in as unit so I'll avoid the trouble of cutting them apart and rewelding. I'll take the small breaks when I can get them.
So far so good. The leading edge of the floor butts up against the wall pretty well. The rear wall flexes and contorts a lot so there is plenty of wiggle room so to speak. I'll have add some width to both sides of the floor as they where trimmed to fit the T1 version wall it came as a unit with.
And again will have to add a filler strip along the right side edge where the pre-assembled box unit was built with a taper. That pre-assembly would have missed the suspension mounting flange by a mile.
The final piece for this initial confirmation mock up was the cap.
This section was lined up with its original spot welds along the sides first then the rear wall's mounting flange was inserted and bottomed out fully against the folded leading edge. It nearly went in on the first try. The top of left side walls flange required some slight repositioning forward to allow it to seat completely into the fold . No big deal at the moment but these are all the adjustments that have to be accounted for before you try adding any tack welds. It will punish you severely if you don't. Set screws have now been added to lock in these two panels position with one another.

[JTR70]

Rear wall repairs in basic completion:
Final trimming complete and tacking in from the flanged sides first. I normally like to begin from the center outward but it was more critical that corners and flanged edge continued the line from the original panel.
Once the sides where set then the rest of the run was tacked together.
All stitched up with most of the weld seam grounded back. Have yet to finish up the corners but that can be done anytime before the walls final installation.
Now that I have a basic wall I wanted to begin locating it into its final centered and level position in between the side walls of the battery box.
This walls initial location was sight marked and measured off of the beam and the footprint of this car's original walls attachment point on the left side. This was only a jumping off point however. Every component comprising this final frame structure is now either new reproduction, crash repaired, rust repaired or both individually so with that reality in mind it is safe to say there will be many, many fine adjustments and changes that will be needed during the pre-assembly process to get all of these panels to fit tight and square in relation to one another when its all over.

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy! I agree with you, I can remember seeing reupholstered dashes that looked like over stuffed pillows from my own beginnings and thinking how terrible it all looked in there. The leading edge of the top had a formed fibrous lip that created that nice radiused turn your describing; then a thin padded overlay.
My father and I recovered this dash way back in the late '80's. We used a thin high density foam for the top overlay and it was a must in my eyes that the overall profile shape run as flat and firm as possible.
The original coconut strand formed leading edge was of course crispy and unusable so thick blocks of foam where glued to the leading edge and once set the foam was sand-shaped to contour of that old lip. The final shape and presentation under the Naugahyde turned out just like I had hoped and this old repair/restoration is actually the only feature remaining from the 80's that I still agree with and feel is nice enough to not require a redo except for the actual covering itself. It needs to be recovered in the correct German style grain.
The dash top for this project is now epoxy and top coated completing the prep on this end. Its now off to A.I. for reupholstering. Back to the battery box.

Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin what an interesting two pages of forum read. There is just so much metal to get right. Your effort here in the dash top work I have never seen so well detailed before, I have often looked at my original dash and wondered how it was put together now I know. I am aware my original factory vinyl dash top is padded in a way where the top vinyl surface is actually flat until it has the radius to meet the insturment face. I have seen some cars with too much padding on top and too soft. The work you are doing just looks so correct, well done !

Roy

[JTR70]

Lateral repair flange sections complete; Recycling a little more of the old metal to make them. These pieces where made a while back then set aside while I went back to the beam pulling duties.
Fast forward and these corners are now tacked in. Lateral flange sections also tacked. Repurposing more scrap metal.
Final trimming and fitment of the main repair section soon.
But I had to add one more profile shape in first. There is pleat with a slight kick in the bottom flange along both sides. Over exaggerated bend while installing this detail here.
Relaxed back out and now just about ready to begin tacking this repair section in.

Thanks for looking!

Justin