Chassis 85517 Number 17 356 Convertible D

[JTR70]

Tacking it back together:
New section tacked in and set just below the cowl height . Tack weld area highlights how much further up I'm taking it from where it was found.

To the inside the edge of it is tacked holding the "slope" in its new steeper and more forward position.

Now that I have my new baseline set I can begin reattaching the skin back onto this corner.

New inner flange tacked and holding the skin in its new higher position.

Before I committed to stiching it in I mocked up the door glass channel just to make doubly damn sure it was all still going to fit and work together, All set...

[JTR70]

Getting it all stitched back together:
Window channel flange all stitched and set. I can begin adding sections of the skin back on now.

First little graft installed. Its a complex area so the only way I could do this and maintain control was in small bites.


I left it a MM or so just below cowl to give me some wiggle room for some solder. My intent was never to eliminate it completely as it should have some. I just didn't want most of it to be comprised of lead.
Inner flange all set and dressed.

Upper jamb corner also now fully stitched together. I was fighting a bit of lead contamination so the welds where splattery but its done and will only need a swatch of solder to smooth things over.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Phil Planck]

Lots of effort, but nice result.

[JTR70]

Thanks Phil! Definitely, a lot of time and effort to bring up that corner.

[JTR70]

Finishing up the back filling:
Initial raw gap now just wider than 3mm. Just a skim coat of solder now needed to take it the rest of the way in.

Developing my new compound curved filler sections to finish this detour out.

Tacked in best adjusted position and now onto the final strip.
Last one. Very tedious little project and was extremely glad to see the end coming.

All tacked together and ready for a final stitching. You can see as it makes its way back down I've allowed it to fade back wider for a cleaner transition in metal. Its a compromise I had to make as I can't justify resetting this entire car. Its factory down there and not heinously thick so we'll leave it be.

[JTR70]

Detour metal work complete:
Fully stitched and just about dressed smooth. Following up with some hand filing next.

Chased it about as far as I can. Finally done...

Achieved the raw gap and transition I was after before any filler.
Before:
After:

Area now ready for some resoldering; Coming up next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

resoldering:
jamb ready for tinning acid.
Again, tricky to work it in where needed without losing it on the floor.

Tinning acid applied to the skin now.
Mounted back on the car for some initial filing.

Lots of hand filing and shaping yet to come...

[JTR70]

Finishing off left door soldering:
Door dismounted again to finish off the remaining soldering to the back jamb. The entire pinch seam needs a coat of it. Stripping off the primer and lead wiping next.

Lead applied to the entire pinch seam run.

leveled and shaped. The remaining imperfections I'll get with sealer and finishing putty like always.

Door remounted and its back to body work. Long boarding for shape and continuity while swatching with putty as it goes.
Getting the short comings in my lead work at the gaps with putty as well. Not nearly as much as before but its needs some.

[JTR70]

long blocking continued:
Overall long blocking down the side continued.

Had this troublesome pregnant profile bulge that I had to shrink disc down in stages as it went.

turned the trick as the lump subsided the filler got thinner on either side and the reflection got more consistent down the side.

chased it as far as I could and was now time again to get it all behind a uniform coat of sealer
And a quick color coat and begin the process one more time.

[JTR70]

Detail shots of those previously reworked areas:
Certainly not nearly finished yet but on the way. After it all cured it was back to long boarding for yet another round.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Its working for you Justin, well done !!

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you Sir!

[JTR70]

Working my way towards the back.

Left lower corner:

Bottom corner and lower skirt are a bit misshapen and flat from old accident damage in the distant past. Some lead was applied to the corner but to no real advantage as its still just not right.


Confirmation again came from an OG reference example.


Bottom lip just doesn't have that finished shape I'm used to seeing.


Solder removed to expose exactly what was going on here. Old damage clearly shown.

As work progressed I was noticing the corner lip seemed a little loose. I thought the bolt might need some tightening but I soon learned that the tang itself was not attached to the skin. Only the outward pressure was making it seem as though it was connected. Didn't pick it up immediately but it soon dawned on me that the tang itself had been mounted upside down as well. The mounting portion should be down low (as shown here) in the turn where the strength is. Not up into the "flats" of the skin where those plug welds that did not take are in this shot. At least I didn't have to break it free to correct. More later...
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin, What a job this turned out to be, but it will be a great result. Tangs mounted upside down I don't know what you can uncover sometimes.

Roy

[JTR70]

Hi Roy, Yes, a lot more steel work than I imagined; I was just supposed to get it in paint....

[JTR70]

Finding all sorts of crazy things along the way Roy. At best they where at least consistent side to side as the right tab has been installed upside down as well. This one looks attached however with a considerable lap weld. Will take a little more doing to correct this one but I haven't crossed this bridge yet.


Recurving the tang profile to match the roll I'll be putting back into the lower skirt.


Both parts curved with tang mocked up into bolted position. That is what I'm used to seeing in here...

Profile is most of the way there but the wired corner is giving me fits. Have to get the fender stabilized before I can go further with that.


Ready to plug weld the tang back so I can get this fender supported and stabilized then its onto correcting the corner.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Finishing out the rest of the left rear corner.
Wire lip was now working against me and holding the flattened post accident shape. Easiest thing to do was to cut it free and break its back so I could reset it to the shape I was after.

edge above the cut line was also rolling inward and tapering too fast in relation with the rest of the skin. I can't have this edge thick with filler to regain that line nor do I want a chamfered edge in the reflection of the eventual paint job if I left it alone. I'm looking to have the reflection end uniformly at the lip all the while not appearing loaded heavily with filler. Heating and rolling this lip outward here.

Upper edge set and now beginning to reattach and reshape the wire lead.
Just a skim coat now needed to carry the line all the way to the lip.
corner fully welded, reshaped and dressed. A little solder added here to catch the remaining imperfections. All set and ready for some sealer. Onto the next deal.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

That series of photos explain well the work needed. It makes it look so easy to do. Of it takes hours and hours to do! Justin just how many people are asking you if they can join a queue with their 356!

Well done!

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you Roy! Sometimes its just easier to cut it free rather than wrestle with it as one piece. Especially these wired edges. Justin