Chassis 85517 Number 17 356 Convertible D

[JTR70]

Threshold installation:
Threshold now in its best adjusted position and almost ready to begin the most tricky part of welding it up in and under the hinge.
It of course did not just fit perfectly. With the threshold mounted flush to the rocker skin I had a shortfall/ space at this forward inner flange. A small relief cut allowed the necessary movement outward I needed to close it up for a flush fit under here.

Another small detail before I could mount the threshold on was adding in this 90 degree section that mounts and supports the back of it. This I've noticed seems to be a later T2 addition as my early T1 was just welded directly to the lock post from the top. The previous shop just welded directly like a T1 but while I'm in here I want to correct what I can.
Began welding the threshold panel in for good. Started with the hardest to reach area first; seam welding under the hinge mount.
With that inner area now behind me I could now add in the connection point off of the hinge mount.

[JTR70]

Threshold and door well area completed.
All seam and plug welds completed in and around this area.

A long way from where we started both structurally and aesthetically.
A final cleaning and prep for sealer next.

Now onto fitting the outer skin.

[JTR70]

Rocker skin modification :
Rocker skin in its best adjusted position and now adding in the relief cuts to get the wired edges to line up for a seamless transition.
Corner moved back a few MM's giving me the needed gaps on both sides. Only the corner of the door intrudes, Will trim the door back and reshape to finish out the gap.
Relief cutting the rear edge for alignment now.
The wired edge section just above it is rough and has suffers from some old accident damage. Easier and cleaner to replace this area with a fresh piece. Working on that next.
Lots more prep work yet but its a bit closer.

[JTR70]

New repair section:
Experimenting with some original sections to get the profile shape that I was after. This one was the best and I was tempted to use it but as you can see there wasn't enough to cover up the rest of that hole.
Instead it became my template on fresh piece of steel.
eventually got the flanged profile shape that carried on the line between these two panels.
Just had to carefully roll a new piece of wire in it next.
Newly shaped wired edge completed. Thankfully I didn't screw it up needed shape as rolled it over the wire. Final trimming and fitment next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

repair patch prep:
New section just about ready to go in for good.
Trimmed and fitted to final shape but a few things to finish up first.
Had to soften the step flange for a more even final fit across the panels.
Then I had to finish welding up the corner.
And reshape the shouldered edge of the forward corner. All pettily little things but all had to be finished out before the panel can go on.

[JTR70]

Splash pan Modification:
Forward modifications all stitched up and just about ready to mount this rocker on for good BUT....

As usual there are more slight changes that needed to be made to its mating surfaces. With the rocker now in its more correct vertical attitude the splash pan in this area is coming up way too short. Filling that huge gap with seam sealer is not an option
So paper templates were next to create a contour that was going to give me a nice tight fit against the back of the rocker as well as carry on the bottom of its flanged edge seamlessly in the end.
New flanged corner in steel.
There's the fitment against the back of the rocker that I'm looking for. Tacking this in next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Rocker finally welded into place:

New corner all stitched in and dressed with rocker skin now welded into final position.
Trickiest part a was smooth transition from splash flange onto the new corner section. Went as well as I could hope for; especially down inside here where it really can't bee seen once the car is finished.
Onto welding up the leading wired edge and the lap joint.
Moved to the back where a small roll patch had to be added to the leading edge as well as recontour the shape of the edge slightly to transition into the rocker.
All welded but the leading edge at the door opening will need some more shaping later.

[JTR70]

Welding up the rear of the rocker:
Plug welding along the threshold and moving rearward.
Corner all stitched in.
Now onto welding in the new repair section. Tacked with wire leads welded together.
All stitched in and dressed. More hammer and dolly work before it gets a swatch of solder but only some fine tuning remains.
hardest part was laying on my back and reaching up in here to finish welding these joints up. Made it through without getting burned and just glad this was all over.

[JTR70]

Rocker assembly at along last completely installed and set.
A very long and involved road but this finally completes my steelwork correction duties on the right side of this car. As for the door itself that would be yet another chapter.

The only item I did leave loose is this reinforcement bracket. I'm going to wait until the very end after the entire right side of the car is set just in case there are any last minute slight adjustments that need to be made to the angle of the rocker skin itself.
Back to fitting the door with its new surroudings now.
By sessions end I was having alot of issues with the way this door was rebuilt and skinned. The door bottom is a touch too wide and is encroaching into the skin creating that ridge in the surface. If I would have set the rocker out further to compensate for this then the line off the rear fenders would have been off giving the rocker sort of a stepped ground effect look. The rear fender is original so it was the baseline. Everything else on this side was the previous shops work so it was secondary. Now that all is finished and set the door needs some serious message.
That next...Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Right door shell deconstruction.

Rather than continued relief cuts and other small changes around the edges of this door to get it to fit. It was decided that the end result would be much cleaner if it was just cut back apart and rebuilt again.
Began by melting away the solder on the leading edge.
I was surprised by just how much solder it had.
I remounted the door to highlight just how much was there. Quite a shortcoming to backfill to create any sort of reasonable gap.
Just shy of a half inch of solder needed to create a 3mm gap. This new skin left a lot to be desired between this shortfall and the bottom flange that was put in on a downward angle. Not the fault of the previous shop that put this door together but it at the same time these issues were not addressed by them either. All of this will be corrected before it goes back together.
Backside not so bad.

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Door skin free and removing the new frame bottom next.
Frame mounted to the car just for more basline confirmation before I removed the bottom.
Here's that shoulder that was portruding into the skin creating that ridge in it.
by contrast for the forward section of it seems to be a touch to far in.

[JTR70]

Door frame prep: replacement bottom removal.
Installation of this replacement bottom was quick and dirty.
Double walled on the under side of this mess. Remnants of the original door bottom can be seen here. All will be cleaned and corrected before its over.
Drilling spots welds and getting ready to remove this panel.
Should be a clean lap joint here but they stopped just at the edge and just stitched it together. The remains of the original run under that vertical flange. I'll clean this up while I'm at it as well.
Bottom removed. A lot of peripheral repairs also yet to do on this frame but I'm about done cutting things off.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

Right door bottom prep:
Removing the remains of the old bottom that was left behind.
Once I get the rust cleaned off this area will be ready to accept a new floor section.
New floor section template complete and now going onto metal.
New section all set. Now onto getting the rest of the door bottom ready to go.
Cleaning up some lines and details with it next.

[JTR70]

Original '59 door bottom drains bean shaped not round.
They're both almost in the right spot but not quite.
Correct drain added and will backfill what it came with.
Frame remounted and latched to position the bottoms leading just shy of the edge of the rocker so it won't crowd into the door skin like before.
Rebending the inner flange to accomidate this adjustment.

[JTR70]

more lower door frame prep:
Have some holes to backfill as part of the removal process.
Also cutting away the vertical flanges to expose the remains of the old floor to recreate a full piece and a clean lap joint once its finished.
Same treatment at the back . Taking care of that old rust left behind down in this pinch seam.
Peeling it back down to the base wall.

Bottom corner with flanges rebuilt with a full length inner flange that's now ready for the final vertical flange lap joint detail.