Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[JTR70]

That "donor" would be the absolute dream find today.
It turned out beautiful Bruce, so glad you didn't cut it in half.

8/4/16

Tail cap alterations

Adjusting the taper to soften the profile to create a consistent line off the quarter panel.

Still rolling in where the two panels meet but its improved a lot from where they started. Had to block out that joint for the moment and look past them to see if the outer corner profile of this cap was rolling toward the fender line to my liking.

It took a lot of slight adjusting and sight marking but I eventually got it to sit where I need it. It overlaps a solid 1/4 inch down here at the bottom but then tapers back to its original position at the forward edge.

After much debate and rechecking to make doubly damn sure that this was right I etched in the trim line.

Excess trimmed free. No going back now..

Left cap was carefully retacked evenly into its new position. Excess metal strip to the right.

repeat right side.

same tedious process but it too eventually continued the body line off the quarter panel.

Excess trimmed and right cap now retacked into final adjusted position.

Excess that was removed from both sides. At the very least the alterations needed where about identical... a good sign I think.

It was a huge weight lifted getting this tail back together even if it is only tacked together for now. More loose ends to address but its getting real close to final installation.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[John Pierce]

It would've been easier to receive those panels as all separate and unwelded and then jigsaw them into appropriate locations. What a headache! It looks so much better.

JP

[JTR70]

Thanks John! Yeah, these caps for the tail and the caps on the quarter panels would have been a much better deal for me if they where left loose so I could fit and position them specifically to this car. I don't think he'll sell them that way so these are alterations you may or may not have to do.

8/5/16
Loose ends before final tail installation

Fiddled around the edges as long as I could on these flanges but no choice now. I had to bite the bullet and make the hard push to get them spaced and rewelded. It was a total PIA and was reminded exactly why I had been avoiding it.

Spaced and rewelded the flange on the skin side as it was rolled in way too shallow but after all that I still came up shy on this left corner. If I tried chasing it by synching down the screws to close this up my gap and elevation with the closed lid completely went to shit.

Had no choice but to reopen this section and bring it up. the gap is exaggerated in this photo. Once cut I took my heavy hammer and knocked the edge of the wall higher to close up the deficit. The filler strip ended up being about 3mm. Was not happy about welding all this up for a second time. Several lessons where learned along the way.

Okay, now its done.

What an adventure its been getting this flange in just the right spot.

Another mock just to be sure nothing changed after welding. Its there...

Skin removed (yet again) to prep for a sealer coat for these blind surfaces.

Epoxy

The areas up high will be almost impossible to paint once the skin is on so no time like the present...

inner face of the tail also sealed.

Initial coat of satin black.

With this chore finished I'm only left with making the last cuts to the edges of the fenders then its final install time.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Don C]

WHEW!!

[roy mawbey]

Justin that is an amazing story. I truly would have been off my rocker by now with those end panels, its really almost unbelievable you have got to this stage and that it looks really so good.

All credit to you Justin, especially as you have the eyes of so many like minded people watching your every move, as you proceed on this adventure.

Tell you something, even if I had the time, the correct age and the resources, I don't think I could attempt it. Or if I did, the car would end up so much heavier with all the lead I would have to use.!!

Roy

[JTR70]

You can say that again Don...

Roy, I really appreciate all your kind words and encouragement throughout this build, Thank you very much! I'm no different, these panels and their required adjustments have pushed me to the brink almost daily now. I'm not out of the woods yet as this thing still might need its share of lead solder to be perfect.
My thanks to you once again!
Justin

8/6/16
Final trimming and tail skin installment.


Both ends of these panels where shrunk and curled just a touch too tight as I've been describing with the ends of the fenders being the most severe between the two. I decided it best to remove all the overlap excess from the fender side only to get rid of as much of this exaggerated crown as possible. I'd already removed a good 2 inches through this process and now all that remains is that last 1/2 inch or so.

Though all the alterations so far have improved this joint I still have a healthy low spot where they meet. If I just clamped, cut and welded here the amount of work needed to stretch this joint "upward" would be enormous and the more I have to hit and work an area the more of a "mud hole" I could potentially make out of it. To allow the movement I need with ease requires it be done before I tack it. To allow this movement up means the area has to grow so the butted ends need to be able to move apart ever so slightly. Which means these panels need to be "preloaded" outward so I can scribe in an accurate final cut line for a tight joint with that required growth width to pick up that stubborn low area.

My best solution on hand was a section of heavy strap stock with an exaggerated curve. This allowed me to adjust the curved preload in the skin with the clamp.

I'd squeeze a section at a time and dial the contour in on either side of the strap with my metal ruler; once I it had the consistency across the panels I was after a set screw went into position to lock it in.

A slow process but this was it no more messing around.

both sides now set screwed into final adjusted position. Scribe line as etched in next then the tail was removed (yet again) for the final cut.

Excess removed with tail remounted for the last time. The two edges still had their own ideas so the strap and clamp was used to bring them up into the curved contoured alignment I've been obsessed with.

Sort of the same process with the set screws before. I'd get the panel edges to line up on either side of the strap and place a tack weld. Constantly checking against the ruler as it went.

They're still fighting but the deficit now is well with in some minor pecking and filing. Lots to do up top yet.


After several encouraging tack welds I mocked up the bottom run just for an overview picture of how the back of the body is forming.

More slight adjustments needed especially at the bottom but did I mention that this tail is on for good now? Back to tack welding.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/12/16
tack welding continued from earlier this week.

Slowly working up from the bottom.

The low area is a wide band and is marked with arrows. The flat stock is set spring it outward as its welded.

Relief cut was done with shears and this shot shows how much the end of the fender had to be relaxed to line up with the tail.

Went as high as I could before bottoming out my vice-clamps.(18 inch)


Went online that evening and found out a 24 incher is available. Ordered it that night. That should take me the rest of the way up.

Once the clamp was removed the panels did relax back low but not as severely so the extra effort with the "spring" and clamp did pay dividends.

The continued line off the fender was encouraging.

Your eyes don't deceive you there is still a slight roll inward where they meet. After all that cutting and modification so far they still have their own ideas but its very close and well within range of picking and filing that joint to take it the rest of the way.
I shutter to think of the alignment and contour issues I'd be having if I'd tried to fitment as delivered.

While I waited on delivery of that new clamp I moved over to the right side.

This side was a bit more stubborn yet as once the pressure from the clamp was removed the joint rolled back in. Both panels were just crown a touch too tight. I'll pound them into submission before its all over.

Now up as high as I could go on this side. It was really nice getting that long nasty relief cut tacked back together again.

Have a ways to go on those joints yet but the overall symmetry is keeping me from panicking.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[JOP]

I know your secret now Justin
You are so good at patch work so you must have been doing this before
Love the work !
Hmm, I would like to have these looong 24" vice clamps.
Keep updating your tacks 4 us

[JTR70]

a quilt, maybe...

But a few nights ago I was thinking of it as my little Frankenstein.

[JOP]

Well, you and Dr Frankenstein are commen that you both are doing wonders to build and assemble something from scratch to build YOUR dream

[JTR70]

Thanks per!

8/17/16

New extra long clamp finally arrived. I used to think that old clamp was ridiculously long when I first got it.

This will turn the trick and take me the rest of the way. Just barely though which is why I held off mounting the lower run until I had this joint fully tacked together.

Circled area very high domed area and another contour issue against the profile of the tail.

Another relief cut to gather up this area and shrink it down into a smoother transition into the tail.

Entire run now tacked in. There is a lot of bumping and file shaping for contour to do before I'm happy as its a touch flat generally but at least the panels are tacked even for starters. That was my initial concern. I will wait until I have it completely seam welded before I chase the final shape.

With the fender and the tail pretty much set now was a good time to weld on the mount tab.

Once the tab was welded its onto locating and trimming for the lower valance section.

That next thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/18/16
Fitting lower left corner.

Superimposing this OG tail section gave me a lot of needed confirmation about all the slight modifications I've had to do so far to get it all to line up better.

I knew the outer tail light hole had shifted a bit through all this but did not know by how much until now. I can easily fudge that into position.

Bottom rolled edge lined up pretty well with mid section but the corner of the fender will need to be rolled tighter. Not aiming to make this tail match an original exactly. I'd just like it close and to look good while doing it...its within striking distance.

Lower corner in best adjusted position for lateral contour with the quarter panel and for levelness with the mid-tail panel at the lower edge and the bead roll.

Checked once again against the OG section. Runs almost even but the forward section deviates and goes too low.

Part of what's causing that issue are the irregularities in the way the flange was rolled in. You can see how it turns downward after it makes the corner. Some smoothing and correction will be required.


Its slow but its coming...

Trimming away the excess in prep for some tack-welding next.
Thanks for looking! Justin

[JOP]

Justin, you are lucky that you got all your various "templates" to build a Coupsteer
Splash some nice color onto that body and it will be stunning

[JTR70]

Thanks Per, definitely been fortunate enough to have access to an original speedster and related components.

8/21/16
Left lower rear corner.

Removing the excess. Took a little more width out than I expected but that's what the overlap was.

Lower section tacked back into position.

In the last post I highlighted how the leading edge turned downward too much in relation to my OG cap I had sitting on there. I'm going to cut this joint a ways back and bring it up. As you can I have flat spots and other shape issues here anyway. looks like old Trevor just got tired of seam welding and said to hell with it... its on the bottom.

Now ready to finish up this wired corner.

Will replicate what the factory did.

Corner shaped for final contour and the leading edge fused to the wire lead.

remaining tail tacked to the skin at the tip like my OG fender shows.

Joint cut and repositioning this last bit for correct overhang and approach attitude. There is some overlap to remove.

Now came the task of getting the lower fenders corner and this tail section to agree on shape for a smooth transition over the joint. It of course fought me.

Starting to look like a normal 356 under here at least.

Almost ready to tack that lower area together.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

8/24/16

Wanted to get it over with and stitched up lower sections. Tapered the lower lip as my OG fenders do.

Lots of shaping as it went to get these two to match but its close.

Need to reopen the bumper bracket hole.

After welding there will be a lot of bumping and filing to get the areas along the joints right but its all straight forward finishing on this section. Its now basically built over here on this corner.

Moved over to the right and will weld small runs on the left in between fitting this lower section.

Same issue as on the left this profile is a smooth roll on my OG panels where I have more of a corner along the weld seam.

Also rolled that flatten corner tighter.

Before I mounted that lower section now was the best time to tie up the loose ends here on this corner. Mount tab welded on and wired edge trimmed for shape and fused together as was done to the left side.

Beginning to roll the bottom inch or so under for correct contour. Fitting the last piece back in next.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin