1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[merbesfield]

[JTR70]

11/3/17

New door skin finally mounted.

Pretty much had the skin in its best adjusted position here.

Forward corner of the rocker sags a little but it still needs to be removed to repair the longitudinal so I'll have my opportunity to clean this line up against the final finished shape of this repaired door.

But before I could lay down my first tack weld I noticed this really strong crown or bulged at the center in relation to the rocker. The rocker is slightly bent inward but the threshold line is still straight and the center of this skin was hanging out way too far.

Once I dismounted the door and removed the skin my straight edge highlighted the problem. The lower flange is bowed at the center. I checked some original examples and the best I can tell is that there is some slight bow in the factory flanges but not this pronounced. As more confirmation the new repair section for the right side isn't this curvy.


A little hammer work to reduce some of that excess curve. Always something.

After a few more rounds of trial and error I was finally able to tack it on. I finally won.

The entire upper run is a slight overlap and I was in no mood to remove it one more time just to get that last fine trim in.


But first began joining old with new permanently at this upper rear corner and would work my way forward to chase out any potential "bunching" along the way.

Decided on zip wheeling the excess on a very steep approach angle versus straight on to reduce the gap width of the final joint.


It really turned the trick as once they were pushed into level position I had a close gap. I also had angled edges which seem to blend together really nice on this convex surface.

I took it in stages and ground back to each of my initial tack welds then carefully set and tacked these small runs into final position then repeated the process. At this point I just have a little more to grind out at the front but she's almost there. Much to my great relief this joint is holding the shape I need so far.

Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[JOP]

This time I let you write what your "green arrows" mean before I ask

Good that you catched the missalignment before having done everything and bolted it back...

So often that you se wrongly made doors, front fender and back that dont follow a line on older renovations.... I think people are a litle bit more aware of it today! Also thanks to guys like you Justin that takes the time and photo to blog/write about the "traps"

As always you do a good job that doesnt need to be shown in a dimmed poor lighted room

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

I would have liked you around over 40 years ago when I welded my self fabricated half door skin. Trouble is you were only a very young lad then I guess.

Really nice result been wondering how it would go for you.

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you Per!

Yeah Roy, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been much help to you back when you did your doors. Thanks once again you guys; Always appreciated!
Justin
11/4/17

Entire upper run all tacked in. Placing a lot of tacks in first then once close enough I'll zip-weld between the spots.

This area felt right with the forward run still overlapped but now that its all level this area felt a touch high now. Zipped the tacks and reset it ever so slightly lower. A few years ago I wouldn't have bothered and just would have seamed it right up thinking I'd correct it later. Heat distortion aside if you "lock" or set the material in the wrong place to begin with its only going to get harder to correct after the fact. Just one of those hard knock lessons you pick up by failing at it few times first.

After that adjustment I welded and finished this rear corner and edge first.

This run will have some rollers in it before its all over for sure but hopefully I'll get it all ironed back out.

Repeat more of the same process tomorrow.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[badsix]

cool, neat trick with the cutoff wheel.
I just put a lower skin on mine, the door was fine but the pinch weld at the bottom had some rust in it. so I took care of that with the skin. anyway my door undamaged had a curve to it much like yours with the level on it. it fits my threshold good as it has the same curve.
Jay D.

[JTR70]

Yeah Jay, the doors are not supposed to be flat and should have subtle curve but my repair had too much curve in it.

11/6/17

Finishing up the new skin installation.

This long upper weld joint fully stitched and ground.

A great relief to get this one in the books and with minimal distortion.

A quick pass with a body file highlights the irregularities. Nothing serious

and will pick and file this run right after I have the back side ground smooth. I'm going to hold off until the rest of this skin install is complete.

moved onto crimping down the flanges.

Door skin jaws crimp down only so tight so once initially set I followed it up with a hammer and dolly to draw the flange even tighter still.

Part 1

[John Pierce]

Looks great Justin. I too used MIG as the mating of the old and new metal doesn't go that well with TIG. Maybe due to the thickness difference.

JP

[badsix]

LOOKS GREAT, i'm sure glad i'm past that stage. now if I could only get some ambition.
Jay D.

[Scott B]

Can you show a photo of the tool you used to crimp over the door skin along the edge please.

[JTR70]

Scott, you can see it in the second to last photo above to the right of the door resting on that angle iron. Its nothing special, I bought that from Eastwood almost 20 years ago.

Thanks John! TIG is a softer and easier weld to work with but I am just too slow at it and I am up against the clock here so my MIG is the best option to knock it out in a timely manner. Since this weld is harder there is a concern about it cracking as its worked but I've got it dialed in enough to where it hasn't been an issue. The coupster body was almost entirely MIG'd and I Picked, filed and literally beat the shit out of some of those joints to get the contour I needed; all with no cracking I like the TIG weld more but I just can't spend the additional time on this door.
Thanks again you guys!

part 2 of my earlier post

After crimping down the flanges the door was reinstalled (again) and as you can see it grew a little and closed up the bottom gap. I'll compensate for this change when the rocker is reinstalled.

Very happy with the initial shape and transition off the rocker; the straight parts.

Not all good news of course as strong crown or bulge remained on the more forward section. I didn't get it all on the first try before the skin was installed. Some of the rocker is bent here but its more than that as there is just a general bulge in the lower skin in this area.

Block sanded the area to highlight that troubling high spot.

The skin is snugly against the bottom flange in this area so I know for sure its shape is translating through the skin. Tried carefully hammering it but with no real change.

Its not much just a couple thousands high but just enough to piss me off. My foremost concern through this problem was not to F-up that beautiful new skin as I chased this.

I left it for the night and came up with trying to carefully apply pressure while tapping the bottom flange to try and get it to collapse a touch the following day. Didn't work and I was getting pissed.

I tried to avoid it but I ended up relief cutting this section of flange to get it in so that unwanted crown would relax.

That turned the trick. Hard to tell with the damaged rocker but the general shape of the door is now there. It sure wasn't much as this area was brought in literally only the width of my cutting wheel but it gave me the contour I needed in the end.

Moved onto the vertical joint and should have that knocked out tomorrow. Just about have this door rebuilt.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

I bet you were so pleased with your decision to leave the top portion of the original door skin in place. Great result

Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy, that decision seems alright now as its falling into place but had it fought me more I could have just as easily regretted it.

11/7/17

Left door shell repair and welding completed.

Most of the vertical run welded up and dressed smooth here.

Then it was onto finishing out the lower forward corner.

Lower corner complete.

Gas weld details replicated as found on the original section.


Moved to the rear corner to heat and roll it over tight. Relief shape not quite right.

Referred to this original.

Horizontal flange continues onto the edge and since this will always show a small patch was added for the right detail.

Welded and dressed. The vertical flange will eventually be smoothed over in lead as originally but I'm not soldering just yet.


That long relief cut along the bottom fully welded and dressed. This officially capped my welding duties on this door shell.

Remounted on the car to see what I finally ended up with.

Like the rocker the front fender shape suffers from old accident damage which will be repaired to work off of the shape and contour of this door.


leading edge is original so I maintained factory gap which won't require a ton of lead.

Fender also suffers from rust too so this leading edged section will need to be cut open and replaced but again it leaves me open to reshaping it to suit the "new" door without the need for a lot filler to be right.

At least now I have a finished and committed closing panel shape and size to build around.

What is left yet to do is lead soldering and the planishing on that upper weld joint; all bodywork related from here on in. A long road to get here and I did savor the view from this tiny plateau but its now time to start down into the next valley.

Right door shell repair next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

Great set of photos and text to go with them. Anyone welding a door would find them invaluable.

Roy

[Don C]

+1!