1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Opening the bumper bracket holes:
The noses location is set , now was the time to go ahead and cut in the bracket openings. The inner diameter of the bracket mount's footprint was traced to the inside of the wall to ensure final opening's location would end up exactly where it needs to be.
Once those foot prints where traced the nose was dismounted to mark out the final opening size and then cutting. Final cut lines have been established here and are based on my original examples.
Openings cut open and nose remounted for a confirmation. Bumper irons should clear fine.
By the way the final lateral cuts where not centered with the original markings. I had them favor to the outside because once the mounting bolts are drawn up tight the assembly moves towards the outer shoulders.
Stuffed the bracket mounts with paint sticks and no signs of interference with the skin.

[JTR70]

New bracket mock up.
Brand new set. Will need lots of tweaking once the actual bumper fitment starts I'm sure.
Brackets drawn tight against the mount and no clearance issues with the skin.
Ample room for any adjustments but most importantly the holes look like it should.
Could have been cut narrower for sure at the insides...
But this was how it was done.

[JTR70]

Onto the next deal...
Begin headlight bucket repairs. Some rust at the bases and old residual accident damage to address. Especially along that lateral leading edge where it had been beaten on by the body shop so many years ago.
Original trim ring installed to dial in the correct shape around the lip where has some damage had occurred.

There was an attempt to beat out this lateral area while still installed in the car but as you can see it still remained too flat.
While hammering progressed on the left , the right bucket was acid bathed to clean up the residual rust along the mounting surface.

[JTR70]

Rust repairs on Right side bucket:
Tried to stay conservative by drilling out only the rust breached areas but as I began trying to weld in the new patches to plug these holes the shoulders kept blowing through. While it hadn't rusted through the inner surfaces where just too pitted and thin. I had no choice but to cut past these compromised areas.
Began paper template for a new section.
Not a big section but a bit of complicated domed shape.
Then onto steel. Relief cut in sections to allow the needed shape to develop.
Only a small portion of this donor will be used once its all over.

[JTR70]

Right side repair patch installed.
Fine tuning the shape. Excess cut away and tack-welding together.
New section just about stitched in.
All stitched in.
A little fine finishing and welding yet but the heavy lifting is done on this one.
Toyed with installing it in for good now but It will have wait until the fender is all welded in. I need clear access to work the back side of the weld joint once the new nose and fenders are finally stitched together. Repeat the left side bucket repairs here shortly.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[roy mawbey]

Well done Justin always a step nearer!! Good job with the new bumper irons great to see them fit so well in th e slots. Does one of these need to be turned upside down through 180 degrees?

Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy! Good eye, Looks like I mocked up two Right sides. Just have to flip it over and move the thread plate to the other side to create a left side.

[JTR70]

Followed that long weld around the lip up with my torch to thoroughly fuse the added backfill strips and to anneal the harder MIG welds for final hammer work and shaping.
Begin introducing the trunk seal. Its thickness adds in the next curve ball for final gap and fitment.
There is some load in there but I was at least able to get it to latch the first time out. The gap has widened on this initial fitment but lots of adjustment as it goes still ahead.
I can make up any unwanted width with lead. At this point, too wide is much simpler to remedy than too tight.
As the backside of this panel can always be seen I added in a Faux clamp strip for the emblem. Speed clips would be used anyway but this strip helps create an original appearance when its on the lift.

[roy mawbey]

Justin I had the original factory hood seal on my car for about 14 years or more till I decided to buy a new one . You have said a number of times how a new seal can upset the hood gap. How true that is. It was only after trying the new one in the 70's did I start to realise you have to make adjustments to get the gap perfect as it was with the old one.

Roy

[JTR70]

Hi Roy, Yes that seal changes both the gap and the hoods height in relation to the edges of the fenders. Its thickness is a huge factor on how the hood will ultimately sit on there in the latched position.

[JTR70]

Taken the nose about as far as I can. Onto introducing the fenders to confirm the flow and fitment from them to the nose; and with the edges of the latched hood. Alot going on at once.
Out of the gate the right side is a natural transition.
The left side by contrast needs a bit adjustment. This side also leans back about 5 degrees too much as my angle finder confirms. These are all the variables I want figured out before I commit to welding the nose on.
Before the fender refitment can go forward I have to repair the rearward flange and the splash panel it mounts to.
Prefab repair sections will need shaping ,trimming then welding. While I'm at it all that old crash damage will also need to be ironed out. Again a lot going on.

[JTR70]

Splash pan clean up and prep:
Before I can even think about mounting or refitting fenders I have address the panels they mount directly onto. Begin cleaning up this right side first by removing the remains of the rusted out skin section to see how much if any of the pans mounting flange is savable.
Skin section cut free
Heavily rust pitted but will see whats left of it after an acid bath.
While the right side soaked I began clean up on the left side panel.
Once I started really looking at it I finally noticed that the inner seal mounting flange was rusted through and swollen. I had already replaced the right side so I already had a plan to fabricate this piece.

[JTR70]

Another rust repair detour:
Began removing that cancered out inner flange run. Lots of heavy rust scale down in there.
Once the scale began coming loose it revealed the rot had also gone through the main wall as well...F*&*K! Rarely is it ever easy.
A view from inside the door well. There were no obvious signs of this breach in here before I started messing with it. Glad it was discovered now before the fender skin went back over the top of this area. This area would have bubbled up shortly after final paint I have no doubts.
I also have a few more small breaches to patch down deeper just above the speaker housing. Little repairs like these almost seem endless and can try your patience.
Began drilling and detaching the splash pan from this rotted portion in preparation for cutting and removal.

More on this coming up.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Upper closing wall repair:
Rotted upper flange run of this main closing wall cut loose.
Recycling more of this cars original metal for the new repair section.
Flanged over and new section tacked into position.
All welded in with splash pan reattached closing out the door well once again.
Inside view shows the lap joint/flap as found originally.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

New channel fabrication went a little quicker as I had my hammer forms were ready from making the other side.
New channel installed completing this repair.
Original seal is petrified so will have to come up with a suitable replacement.
Cleaning and moving down the panel. Some minor pin holes cropped up as the heavy scale was removed along the flange. These will be easily closed up with my torch. Though pitted this flange itself is reusable.
This lower embossed shape has been deformed from previous repair work. If it was higher up I wouldn't worry about it but its always visible in the wheel well so it needs a little cosmetic help.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

If this panel was free I could have messaged the shape back out on my work table but with it mounted access to the back is limited so it was faster and cleaner to install a new one. Cored out the old with my step-bit and cut out a donor from an old dead panel.
Embossment installed. Again, wouldn't have worried about it if it was up higher but its always visible.
turned my attention towards left fender's leading rear edge. Wanted to see how much if any of it I could save.
after some wire wheeling it became apparent that it made no sense to save any of this run even though the rust had not gone completely through. Too pitted and weak to save.
So with that here is the left side jigsaw puzzle I'm putting together now.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Everything is built around the closing panel so I've got to finish remounting this left door first.
I got tired of working down in this corner so left this loose end some time ago and moved onto the floor installation. No choice but to finish up this repair now.
My final frustration in here was that my weld joint closed up and began over lapping right down in the corner. Using a hacksaw blade here to rat tail file it back open for a butt-weld.
Very trying to both weld and finish grind down in here but its done. Also wrapped up the upper corner of the longitudinal area under the eventual hinge mount.
Finally adding the hinge mount back on. Locating back into its original position.

More later...
Thanks for looking!

Justin