Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[JTR70]

Thank you John! Nothing is simple with these cars is it?

11/18/15

Fitting rear inner closing panel

With the striker now stable enough rough fitment of the closing panel could begin. It of course resisted all the way.

It took some doing but once I had my best average between the measurements from that real speedster and these new panels I was finally able to put down the first set screw.

slowly began drawing this panel in tightly working my way toward the rear.

Once the base was drawn in tight I had a good basic fit.


A lot more promising. The "pot belly" profile of that original panel is slowly developing here.

A ways to go yet but filling up this hole was a nice accomplishment.

First issue: The upper portion of this flange will have to be moved back. As it stands now it pushes the striker too far forward at the top not allowing the door to even come close to engaging. Working on that next. Thanks for looking!
Justin

[MMW]

What would you do without screws?

Looking good! You have the patience of a saint, Justin. Coming out very nice.

[JTR70]

What would you do without screws?

I'd be screwed. I appreciate that Mic, Thanks very much!
6/22/15
The wrestling and refitting of this closing panel continued

Relaxed the upper portion of the flange and changed the trajectory just a touch to keep it from crowding the striker into the door.

Flange reshaped and remounted to see if it was any better.

With the panel back in its basic position the door closed fine.

The other thing to watch is that contour corner of this panel run flush with the edge of the striker. Have a little more tweaking to do up top.

Today I learned I got a little ahead of myself with the lower set screw run. Now with this panel in a more correct established position with the striker and the back corner of the fire wall none of the initial holes line up anymore. I tried drilling new ones after the fact but once I started drawing it tight to the frame the panel starts pulling the both the striker and the rear corner to firewall junction out of alignment.

As you can see it doesn't have far to go but its just enough to cause problems as I try and bring it in. I'll stabilize the striker more and may use a little torch heat to take it in. Anyway I'm on the learning curve and its putting up a fight but I'll pound it into submission before its over.

Thanks for looking! Justin

[neilb]

looking good Justin! your doing a great job on this conversion.

do you have a shrinker/stretcher? i ask as it may be easier that heating up that panel, if you stretched the part just after the lock post before the curve along the rail ends it should push the part along the rail together, the bit in red

[JTR70]

I appreciate that, Thanks a lot Neil!

No, unfortunately shrinker/stretcher jaws are still on my wish list; a nice bending brake would be helpful too. Maybe before the years is out as there has been many instances that I wished I had them on hand.

The area you highlighted is an optical illusion due to that excess metal hanging off in space. As you can see from this vantage point its drawn right up to the chassis.

Where I lose it is at and between the first and second strengthening ribs. A little torch heat fixed it right up.

As I stretched that area out and got it close I also began flanging over the lip. The frame made for the perfect hammer form of course.

After a few sets the panel was slowly giving me what I needed.

Drawn in nice and snug finally.

With the entire run firmly set against frame I went ahead and finished heeling the flange along with the excess over.

Dismount(again) and trim to final length.

With that lower flange punched in the panel held the correct contour effortlessly .

Onto to trimming.

Basic trimming complete and remounted.

Its getting closer. I can't tell you what a relief it was to see this finally beginning to fit like its supposed to. Continue refining it tomorrow. Thanks for looking! Justin

[gkw]

It is looking real good Justin.
That is a hard panel to fit because there is a lot happening in that area.
Keep up the good work, Gordon

[bbspdstr]

What would you do without screws?

The first thing that came to me after reading Mic's astute quote was; "and what would Justin do without another car for reference?"

(Of course, getting 'screwed' comes immediately after assuming any step of a restoration will be 'easy.')(unless one is referencing a pleasurable distraction from old cars?)

I'm behind in my 'fun quota' from following Justin's site, but this Frankensteinian creation demands a car to copy! Even 1:1 blueprints would not tell the whole story. What's being done is intuitive, artistic and just plain hard work. Not many are up to that anymore, sad to say.

Of course, the intended result transcends the theoretical debate on what percentage of original metal must be retained to keep from crossing the line separating a "restoration" and a "recreation," but it's still a huge undertaking...and the attention to detail, I'm sure, makes some readers think "plastic....why not just go plastic...?"

Justin, may I quote the Dead? That would be; "What a long, strange trip it's been." So, "Keep on truckin', momma....."

BT, DT,
Bruce

[JTR70]

Thanks Gordon! I know, you wrestled with this same area on your coupe.

Thank you Bruce and so true, The importance of having an original example to work from can't be stressed enough for a successful outcome. You just can't build these cars from repro parts and expect things to just fall into place like they're supposed to. That's just never going to happen. Today's project for example required reference from my coupe chassis. I'd have been sunk long ago without these original examples to copy from.
Thanks again you guys its always appreciated!
Justin

7/13/15
With my obligation to Dean out of the way I am now back on this project as of yesterday.
Fabricating the lower corner gusset cap in preparation for wheel house closing panel installation.

Paper templates began for the closing cap of this gusset.

Correct shape achieved with the second generation template and went to metal from there. Ready to spank the lower flange run in represented by the black line on the template.

As I got to looking at the original in my car I noticed that its not a simple bend as it sort of Double backs on itself.

Going back to Bruce's point, I'd be up Shit's creek without this original to copy from.

Double bend in. A silly detail but I wanted to try and replicate it so the finished product looks right.

Cap now in final adjusted and set screwed position. That leading edge is now ready to be stretched and heeled over with a little heat.

Back side shot.

Edge now hammered over to final contoured shape.

Closing panel reinstalled to check for fitment.

Some final shape trimming and hole punching are all that remain.

New gusset cap complete.

Both panels now prepped for final installment and welding.

Begin gluing these in tomorrow.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

7/14/15

only Gusset finished today as it was a short session.



Closing panel goes in next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[bbspdstr]

Great work with the Devils...er, I mean Details....where the Devil lives. That reinforcement looks great, but it's not as strong as a roll cage....which likely wouldn't take as long to make. I had to redo that/those area(s) on 84255 when the cage came out (all but what's hidden) to make it 'streeterized' again.

Man, you have patience! You are an inspiration to us all. Thank you.

-Bruce

[JTR70]

Bruce, Thanks once again for highlighting just how much effort went into making these two silly pieces that make up this gusset. Definitely, a roll-bar would have been a lot quicker and stronger.
Thank you!
Justin

7/15/15

Double checking rear closing panel orientation with NOS speedster quarter panel.
Rusty Tubs was nice enough to lend me this piece so I could make sure that its in the right spot.

The fender is very raw with years worth of shelf rash and slight damage but its still basically intact meaning this factory piece would still give me almost as much fitment trouble as probably a new Trevor Marshall panel. Due to this shape I had to only concentrate on getting the cap and few inches below it lined up with the door. The rest of the fender as you can see I just let it lay.

Again just establishing the top contour to continue the line off the door.

The real question I had was in here. How off was the top mounting flange going to be to the inner rail? Much to my great relief it almost sandwiches together evenly. I just have to rebend the first few inches or so. If I closed this gap I'd loose the line on the striker post so it either one or the other.

Seeing this old frame take on even more of a speedster shape was very rewarding today. Welding in the closing panel next.
Thanks for looking! Justin

[JTR70]

7/20/15

Welding and final shaping of closing panel to original fender.

With the quarter panel in alignment with the top of the door you can see that forward section of the flange will need to be raised to seat correctly with the inner rail of the fender.

In the meantime plug-welding continued for final attachment to the striker and chassis.

Welds finished here. I stopped just ahead of the firewall as the engine compartment closing wall must mount underneath this panel so I can't finish this up until that's in.

gusset attachment completed.

Just glad it followed the wall tightly.

Chassis flipped over to weld up the lower portion of the mount flange.


Welded and dressed.

Forward corner was seam welded as originally done.

With that complete I started working with the upper section of the panel to both concave it a bit more and reset the flange to match the fender.

flange relaxed here which helped to allow the panel to roll-over more.


Getting the profile a little closer to that "pot-belly" shape of the original.

Won't be perfect but it will be close.

Just about ready to add the upper flange back in.

That swollen profile about up to the fenders flange is the detail I'm after.

Adding the flange back in.

Wheel house upper inner flange details are ever so slowly getting there.

A few things to fix just yet but its very close to "fender ready".

This photo is one of those small glimpses I get of what one day might be. A ways to go but closer all the time.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JOP]

Justin, U R really good on your details to orginality.
What year was the other Speedster that you were going to inspect and take photos?
Taken all detail photos that you need to complete this project?
The door post looks nice
/ Per

[neilb]

your making a nice job of this Justin! I've just made my inner fender for the r/h side, just starting the outer panel this week.

hope it turns out as nice as yours has!

[JTR70]

Thanks again Per, I greatly appreciate it!

Very fortunate in that the reference car is a T1-A just like what we're shooting for.

Thank you Neil! I've seen everything you're doing on your coupe and I have no doubt it will turnout way nicer than what I just did.
Thanks again you guys!!
Justin
7/21/15

Left closing panel finishing touches.


With the newly established flange profile in the first few inches of the forward flange now ended up considerably short. Had to add a section on and is ready to tack on here.


Welded and dressed. Ready to trim excess away next.

New flange all set.


Part of the finishing touches was heat shrinking the upper wall profile so it would taper into the striker.

When I first began I wasn't sure wheather I could get that "pooch" in the profile to develop but it turned out closer than I thought it was going to.

taken it about as far as I can go until I begin fitting the actual part going on this car.

A lot of wrestling but it finally submitted.

Getting this one ready for a fender has been a real confidence builder as I was at a serious loss when I first began fitment.

repeat other side. Thanks for looking!
Justin