Chassis 85517 Number 17 356 Convertible D

[JTR70]

Dialing in top frame mount:
Top mount located on the new section close enough vertically to drill the holes and weld together.
Fore and aft placement is also set as close to where it was as found.
Mounted the top frame on for the first to see how much I missed the mark. At the very least the top frame mated right up as best as I could hope for.
Now I can see the purpose for that stepped feature in the wall. Just a relief the top frame itself.
So far so good. Now for the real test of extending it out to the windshield frame.

[JTR70]

Full top frame mock up:
With the windshield frame fully synched down snug the header bow and its alignment pin overshot it by a good quarter inch. Par for the course.
Removed the initial set screws. Reset the frame so the bolts where centered in the top frames slotted holes (for any future adjustment options) Synched those down then errected to the top frame into its fully locked position with the windshield frame. There entire mount moved back that needed quarter inch. Once I had this more neutral position I clamped it down with vice grips, removed the top frame assembly and redrilled some new set screw holes. Top frame remounted here and ready to try it again.
Scrounged up some rear tabs to mock up this frame fully and completely.
Header bow locked right into position. Left side crowds and fights a little and will address that later.
but the side I'm concerned with now at least falls into place. BTW: these top frame mock ups where very stressful as its fully restored and assembled. The car is dirty, I'm dirty and that hounds tooth headliner picks up and holds any crap it contacts. No choice though, just had to make sure my hands were clean and move cautiously. Oh yeah, all the while taking car NOT to scratch that back window.
New top frame mount all set. Welding it on next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Two steps forward and one step back:
It was all going to plan so nicely...
Then on the third top mock-up I went to start the rear bolt on the left side top mount and the bolt shank slipped right in. WTF! After I got the top frame back out of the way I realized the capture nut broke free. Now I have to come back and fix the "good" side. It was at this point I became thankful that it failed before I got a bolt in there. Otherwise I'd been forced to cut the head off to get the top frame free; that would entail sparks and metal shavings being thrown at that new headliner. Could always be worse...
I'd like this mount set back just a few MM's for better alignment with the windshield frame so I may do that since I'm now forced to fix the capture nut. I'll put a new nut in the forward hole too . I want no more future surprises. Especially after its in final paint. Won't disturb any of this until the right side is rebuilt with all welding details copied.
Capped the ends and finished out the new right side top mount.
Grafting and welding in this upper mount/channel next.

[JTR70]

New mount welded in:
New mount section all grafted and welded in.
Left original Forward corner of this mating flange is rounded and fused along the edge for about an inch or so; replicated here.
Begin refitting the lock post to see how much is needed to create a sealed off section where they meet.
Have to move the fold in the lower closing wall about 3mm forward and also add about that much to the end of the frame mount to seal out the wheel well. More of that fine tuning I knew I was in for to get all these pieces to fit together properly.
Making those adjustments next.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Completing closing wall repairs:
Lower gusset fully installed.

Leading edges of both the wall and the top mount were also now finished out with a mating flange and just about ready to accept the lock post. Still had one more nagging repair on that lower section though.

This tiny triangle shaped relief area was paper thin with the bend in it now in the wrong position.
Doesn't seem like much but a PIA to get the bends in the correct spots. Ready to weld here.
All stitched in and now ready to start adding in that leading edge channel I had to fabricate.

[JTR70]

More clean up work:

More weld slag and an incomplete corner weld from the previous shop's repair attempts.

Part of the reason for this I imagine is that it really just can't be reached with that outer sheath to the left installed.
With that cover out of the way it was clear shot to clean and weld up this corner completely.
On the other side of this corner was another giant blob of weld. I'm not relying on undercoat to conceal that so some grinding and smoothing was next.
When the lock post was removed another section of unsecured longitudinal flange made itself known. Will plug weld this run securely before the rocker sill goes on. It never seems to end...

[JTR70]

Leading edge install:

Leading edge channel installed. With that lower corner and last closing wall patch out of the way I was finally able to install the final piece that I had to fabricate for this little detour.

OG spot welds lived on this side so it looks pretty much the way it did before I started cutting. Will stitch the base in later.
Outer sheath/ closing corner reinstalled in its original location to see how well it fits up to the new channel. Would have been impossible to make any of these repairs with this in the way.

Lines up pretty well. So far so good.

I'm now onto refitting the lock post. More on this next.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Upper lock post conversion:

Have to get the lock post in its final form before I can fully commit to its placement. So I at this point I am kinda back to where it all began.
This new arch relief needs some cleanace room to allow the rest of it to mate flush with the closing wall.
Shaving portions away as needed to get the fit. Unfortunately I didn't see how this was originally done so I'm piecing together what I can and also allowing form to follow function to create a seal from the wheel well.
New profile tacked into final position.
All stitched in and ready to make the next bend along that marker line

[JTR70]

More upper lock post:

Next little bend added and now shape checking it against the profile of the door .
Last piece of this little puzzle.
Trimmed and tacked into final position.
All stitched in and on for yet another test fit.
More clearance trimming needed to get this new feature to go. Staying conservative with the trimming as it can always come off later ; nothing more aggravating than going to far and having to add it back on.

[JTR70]

Additional lock post issue at the door gap:
Test fit with the latched door. Much to my great relief there is ample space for the eventual body skin to wrap over that shoulder and leave at least a 3MM gap along that newly added upper corner.

The rest of the posts flange runs very inconsistent with the edge of the skin which also represents the new baseline gap. Shoulder runs somewhat even toward the bottom
But at the door handle area its encroaching way too much.
The simple approach would be to just push this shoulder back even with the edge of the metal but by doing that I'll loose contact surface in the latch mechanism in its relation to the "flipper" on the door side. Right now I have the lock post set as close as I can to the back of the door as it swings closed so the latch mechanism contacts and engages as fully as possible. This of course is the most important thing so the post must stay where it is. Most of this flange run will have to be relief cut and moved back separately . Just par for the course with reproduction panels on a "handmade" car.
More on this lock post adventure next.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin, I now know more than I ever knew, how the Convertible D bodywork was formulated and the areas so different to my 'A' Coupe. You really are doing an amazing fabrication and welding job on this car. Everything so rotten and you have to find the datums for all the parts to fit and work. No wonder they never removed the outer rear fender lockpost area to expose the rusted out items. They must have seen all that for sure but, were no doubt frightened stiff to even attempt that work.
Trouble is its not until you are faced with work like you have just done on the pages 16 and 17 of this thread , that they must have realized they didn't have the required experience to even try to start repairing it.

Very instructive and great photos Justin. An exercise in proving anyone with a rusty 356 requiring repair needs a guy with expert eyes to give a fully detailed written quotation with the proviso that probably certain defined areas might need separate quotations during the work process and the reasons why.

Well done again !!

Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy, Glad to hear that you are finding this interesting enough to read through. This is one of those repairs that becomes a lot more involved than you think its going to be until of course you begin actually tearing into it. Justin

[JTR70]

More lock post prep:

Outer shoulder run cut and moved back out of the way of the new door gap leading edge.

Now an unobstructed 3MM+ gap which allows for a new quarter panel skin flange.

Double checking the seal contour with the door. All good.
Continue to nibble little portions of the upper flange away to allow for a flush and tight fit against the lock post.
Soon moving onto building this upper corner once the post is in for good.

[JTR70]

OG side shows this tiny subtructer feature just under the corner which will be copied.

Outer flange run in new position fully welded and dressed.
Lock post stricker in adjusted position for best latch mechanism engagement now with an outer flange that does not encroach into the eventual door gap.
New quarter panel skin mount flange. Again so nice to be able to repurpose sections of the old parts.
New stepped flange will seat down into the outer shoulder relief as it would have originally. Onto stretching this piece into profile shape next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

New fender leading edge:
New flange stretched to profile with the lock post.
Begin test fits with the car. After some trimming and adjustments the next step is to reinstall the lock post.
Before I could do that I had to finish out the welding loose ends on the car before it can go on for good.

Gas weld detail secures the tip of the new channel as was done originally. Blew out a small section there but will back fill it when the threshold is installed.

A long road but the lock post is finally ready to go on for good.

[JTR70]

Lock post reinstallation:

The outer shoulder of this lock post is a tortured piece of metal at this point but required to fit the car so the outer panel will only need minimal amounts of lead filler in the end.
This vantage point replicates pretty much what I was seeing on the left side with its intact OG top mount.
Begin dialing in the lock post.

Lock post tacked in and fitting the new quarter panel flange .

Door latched with a healthy 3mm gap that should only need a skim coat of lead to be perfect when its all over.