1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Refitting the deco trim:
Couldn't get past some of the weld shoulder out here.
but its close enough to leave for the chrome shop to fill with either solder or copper.
Right side bar complete. Onto the left side but first,
I wanted to fit the new deco strip in first.
I filled in all the original deco holes freeing it up to be mounted directly at center with the uprights recess openings. This way there is no alignment issues or a forced fit when it all goes together for the final time.

[JTR70]

Right side overrider bar modification:
Bar shape remains smooth and still fits against the back drop of the tail panel itself. Once its rechromed the alteration will be completely undetectable a big relief, especially after cutting up original parts.
End of the tube terminates right where it would in relation to the deco and the tip of the bumper before both these parts were tightened and shortened.
Contour looking down the assembly will look stock and appear unchanged as well.
Bar fits tight into the guard as well as the bumper without being forced into position. Making everything fit together with minimal tension was top of the list.
After that confirmation fit the bar was removed and the rest of the weld joint was ground smooth and semi-polished in preparation for rechroming.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Right tube welded back together:
Tube mock ups began. Fully bolted down snug with the outer section indexed slightly for a smooth transition across this joint and a flush fit against the bumper out at the tip. My weld joint ended up being twice as wide as I had wanted. I was looking for a 4mm gap for a root pass with a good remaining weld shoulder left once it was all dressed even smooth for replating. I mistakenly made the final cut on the wrong side of my marker line creating too large of a weld joint.
A bit too wide to back fill with weld so I cut a quick filler ring. Two welds instead of one but I was just relieved that this mistake wasn't too serious.
Tack welded to hold the final needed shape.
Dismounted one more time so I could Zip it all together.
Shoulder at the contact point ground down quickly as I was anxious for a confirmation fit. Bolted right back up where it was before welding with a snug fit inside the bumperette recesses. So far so good.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Getting ready to make the first cut.
Before cutting the bar it was slid inward by that one inch that was removed out of the bumper to establish where the tip of this tube needs to end up to fit and look correct.
Same paper template procedure to locate the mounting hole as was done on the inside. By this time all the original deco holes were welded closed as they needed a reset as well.
Commitment time. As planned the weld joint will be to the outside of the original upright mounting hole.
Both ends of the tube mounted onto the bumper highlighting how much needs to come out...about an inch.
That one inch section removed here but it won't go into the trash. Its being repurposed as reinforcement sleeve across the final weld joint. In the process of removing width out of it here so it will snuggly fit into the I.D. of the tube halves.

Thanks for looking.
Justin

[JTR70]

Best place to make the changes:
Tube mounted directly to the upright as starting point.
Not only too long now but swings very high and wide with the other end just about where it needs to be.
Everything to in the inside of the guard is stock so this end of the tube would be established first. This 90 degree bend really dictates the uprights orientation. If its not just so the end of the tube would not reach the surface of the bumper. So as you assemble, they tell you exactly where they need to be in relation to one another. The cut and following changes would be made just to the outside of the bumperette mounting hole. With the tube cut I'll not only shorten it but I also be able to index it slightly for a flush fit to the bumper.
This bumper was a Euro-version so it was a clean slate as far as the tube mounting holes went. To locate the hole in just the right spot this temple was taped to the tube end and once I had the tube exactly where I wanted it was peeled free from the tube and simultaneously taped to the bumper. Ready to confidently drill the hole.
Inside of the tube bolted up snug for the first time. So far so good. You can see by this point the bumper mounting bracket has been welding back in for good. Cutting and modifying the bumper through the exhaust arches was the best place to make the changes as this bracket only conceals the weld joint but also reinforces it. Cutting the tube the in half next.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Going to have to cut the overrider tubes.
The bars at the stock length mounted into the bumperette with the stock hole reach way too far now making the end of the bumper look stubby.
Exploring different options like sliding the tube inward an inch...
but the shoulder would crowd into the shine up light "window". It wouldn't collide or touch it but would just look too busy and not correct.
No matter how we sliced it the required modifications will require rechroming once its all over. The tubes provided are new with perfect chrome so it seemed such a waste to start cutting on these.
What made the best logical sense was to acquire a donor pair of good originals with tired chrome for our purposes. Fortunately our buddy Matt Howard from Deluxe had a nice pair of donors for sale at just the right moment. Now the cutting can begin.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Hi Roy, I can understand wanting that small change. Those exhaust ports can get very sooty if you don't stay on top of them.

[roy mawbey]

Justin, my original 59 356A has no embossment for the rear light as you show in your 30/6/25 photo. Actually I had a question on the rear bumper when I went to look at my car in the late sixties.
I was told by the previous owner my car would have had exhaust pipes going through the chrome overriders but the first owner did not want that as he disliked the way the chrome became black with exhaust smoke and he wanted anyway a two pipe sports exhaust system. All could be returned to the 59 exhaust system if I wanted but I prefer also the sports exhaust. He also advised me the first owner wanted the smaller 400mm diameter steering wheel the same as a Speedster. This has of course remained on my car.

Roy

[JTR70]

Next issue raises its head:
Excess removed then onto shaping and heeling over the arch flange.
Locating the best bumperette profile shape fitment against the bumper. Confirming whether the existing mount hole for it was still in the right spot.
Bumperette hole redrilled slightly over into the needed location. Welding complete with the exhaust arch in nearly completed form. Getting dangerously close to being done on this side.
Again the bumper was dipped at some point so all the inner surface are clean and ready to go. Applying a quick coat of sealer to these surfaces before this mount goes back on for good.
We have both shortened and tightened the radius on this bumper so now the overrider tubes themselves became the next fitment issue. That next...

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Hi Roy, I meant to ask you a while back; does your car have that raised embossment for the 356B reverse light? Thank you! It was very nice to scrounge around and find a suitable donor to fabricate that bracket out of but its double edge sword as it becomes the wrong kind of positive reinforcement. I won't throw anything away as I may need it later! LOL! Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin, so much work on that bumper many would have scratched their head and given up ! I think you have done so well on that. I measured today my factory original rear bumper deco position. My 1959 car was finished March /April that year and arrived in the UK early May. The distance from the end of tip of the deco to the end of the bumper is approx 42 mm and from the end of the rubber trim that the aluminium deco rests on the the distance is 40mm.

Because the ends are on the bend measuring is not so easy but yours looks like it is just right. Also how useful you kept that piece of scrap steel with the correct gauge to fabricate that part. You never know when these parts will be so useful !!

Roy

[JTR70]

Reestablishing the exhaust arches.
Paper template traced out from the original shape. You can see the remains of the old arch has just been moved over that one inch.
Trimmed back with both sides of the arch flanged over.
Time to reinstall the bracket temporarily so I can mock up the bumperette with funnel to check for clearance.
Initial mock up confirming ample clearance with the funnels' neck and out at the sides with the "bell".
Flipped the template over and repeated the process.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Repair patch complete. New bracket mount fabrication:
After several rounds of hammering and filing I had chased it about as far as I could. Deco mounted for a test fit against its final shape.
Will only need a swatch of filler to get that last 10% out. Onto the bumper mount bracket, second half of this repair.
The brackets are a heavier 16 gauge and the thickest I had on hand was 18 gauge and that's too thin to make these out of as these brackets deal with and mount directly to those really heavy gauge bumper irons. In desperation I was onto digging deep into my scrap metal box and eventually ran across the perfect donor. This is an old deflection shield from my bench grinder. Turned out to be the right thickness, with just enough width to cut out a complete part. It even had a shouldered bend at just the right spot; it was meant to be. New part traced out here for cutting.
Remains of the donor shield, paper template based on an original and the newly finished replacement bracket.
All set, only some final trimming and bending on the flanges left to do and the capture nut. Looks like the originals but most importantly its thicker like the originals.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Rust repair patch:
Began with a flat piece of 18 gauge.
Gradually planishing in a soft rounded shape to match the bumper profile.
All stitched in then onto picking and filing in the final shape.
Most of this patch will always be visible from the backside so some extra work was required to get it close and as clean as possible on both sides.
Onto a quick work coat to high light the lows and high spots that still need a bit more finishing.

[JTR70]

Rust and old collision repair:
Here is how a stock 356A deco now fits. Like the bumper it would had to have been cut and sectioned just like the bumper.
By contrast here is how short that deco ends up being on a stock 356A bumper. Its no wonder the guy sent it back to me.
To make the needed changes to the bumper all the internal mounting backets needed to come out. The previous rust and collision damage made this bumper an even more viable candidate for the application.
The left side inner double bracket was cut apart so I could straighten the residual crash damage back out. This bumper was chemically dipped clean with only some trace amounts of old rust remaining in between the joints.
The right side lateral mount became packed up with moisture holding muck at some point and completely rotted both it and the skin pictured here. A new bracket would have to be fabricated.

Thanks for looking.

Justin