Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[John Pierce]

Great story, Roy. Thanks for sharing.

Justin, for those people considering buying a speedster frame and just popping on new sheetmetal......good luck! Your experience really underscores that you need original parts to measure from and more importantly: you need to skill and persistence to make it a reality.

Great job!

JP

[JTR70]

Thanks a lot Roy! That's a traumatic story which I'm sure would most certainly be burned into your memory. Unlike performing in front of a live audience in real time as you were doing there I have the luxury of time and editing so I don't let myself look too 'in over my head' Hindsight being what it is there are a few changes I would have made like preserving more of the original cowl panel to make my life easier.

I know better because I preserved the original hood gaps and cowl shoulder on my coupster way back in 2000. Was in process of splicing Trevor Marshal's dash in here.

It was a full piece right up to the trough and actual fit like a glove much to my surprise. When I took this photo it literally snapped right over the original gutter section. I debated on cutting it as I was dreaming of "factory" weld joints but practicality soon set in and I realized how dumb it would be to mess with the factory gaps especially with the original hood.

I have since removed the cowl because I have that full original dash.

For a factory part I'll make the exception and the effort to keep it one piece.

I removed this one because I had major cancer to fix a different hood and I needed a clear shot at those splash pan tops etc. Again with hindsight now I could have/should have left more.

John, thanks very much! So true, I'd be at a complete loss without those original components for direct reference. You know exactly first hand how involved and heartbreaking sheet metal work gets with these cars in particular. This cowl section is definitely testing my patience and current skill level for sure. Thanks again you guys! Justin

1/24/15
corner shaping and stabilizing con't

original dash corner profile shows a gentle V-shape trough running from the hoods corner on back.

As you can see the corners needed more heat shrinking to get them to stop "oil canning". The v-tapered trough also helped the problem.

Profile had to roll gently without being too defined so I had to go really slow working it against this shoulder.

After a solid session heat shrinking and adding in the V-detail to both sides it was finally ready for another test fit. I mounted the dash face as well to get a better idea of its overall shape.


A long ways yet to go but I at least feel confident enough that it will all work out okay in the end.

There are still some profile shapes and details that still need improving but its getting to the point where I feel it should be mounted to the car permanently to get those out. Sort of like stretching a canvas out over a frame if that makes any sense.

I am really looking forward to the day when these two pieces are welded in and the W/S mounts are built. What a monumental day that will be when I shoot those pictures. Working on getting a little closer tomorrow. Thanks for looking! Justin

[JTR70]

1/28/15
prepping substructure and cowl for install.
Getting really close to finally mounting this piece on for good. A lot of humdrum prep-work to do first.

Getting the leading edge flanged for the bend along this corner is one of those chores that has to be done beforehand.

Much short lead on this side compared to the right.

Before I could mark the bend line on the skin I had to establish the shoulder on the substructure. I decided to add a few MM's of length to these original sections to close the gap up a bit more requiring less lead once all is said and done.

initial flange roughed in.

a few reliefs to add to make the turn down at the bottom there but not a bad fit for starters.

By looking at the tip of the ruler you can see it will require only a sliver of lead to create the new door gap.


Very raw but its a start

With that I moved over to the right side and realized a fitment issue with the right splash pan I had overlooked before. The corner is way too high encroaching into the bodyline coming off the door.

The skin sits way too high.

Trying to avoid cutting it I heated this area and tightened up the bends and shoulders a bit more though it helped it still wasn't enough. A few relief sections would be needed.

Also adding to this shoulder to tighten up the eventual gap as well. Nothing exciting or glamorous these past few session but all absolutely necessary to be able to move on. More of the same tomorrow.
Thanks for looking! Justin

[JTR70]

2/9/15
Locating and setting the Windshield post mount tubes.

The front cowl is all but ready to be tacked in for good but with the lower base strip pre-mounted and set everything including the windshield post mounts must all be staged correctly in relation to one another = a lot going on all at once.

My initial thought was to tack the cowl first then go back and build the W/S mounts but again with the chrome strip set there is some slight jockeying and adjustment I know I'll have to do so I realized it best to leave it loose until the upper W/S frame and mounts are set.

Initial Lateral, elevation and approach angle carefully being established here. I can't tell you how many laps I did around this car measuring, shifting and remeasuring for a close initial fit.

After much debate and cross checking I was finally at point where I felt comfortable enough to place my first tack-welds.

Tubes tacked in their initial positions. BTW the doors where also mounted to help confirm and establish the correct height of the frame. Skin around the post hole must continue the contour and bodyline of the door's top.

Once the tubes were securely tacked the cowl was refitted and windshield assembly reinstalled with its bolt synched down for the first time. I can't tell you how many times I've repeated that process since this photo was taken a few days ago.

It was surprisingly very close. All that extra precaution in the beginning actually paid off for once. Chrome base tucked right behind the posts as they should and the base rubber laid right into position.

Of course it wasn't perfect; The windshield approach angle lays back just a touch too far creating that gap in the center. It needs to be stood-up just a bit to close this down for a uniform seal.

Off it comes once again to begin tweaking the tube mounts. Another critical fitment issue was the bolt head clearance to the pocket at its lowest point. So far so good but just barely.

[JOP]

Justin, really nice progress
You will soon NOT have that much time for this 356 when your own is back all shiny of the fresh layer of silver on it

Atleast then you can choose on your daily mood and swop between the 2 ..... Clean coupe build up or the raw dirty Speedster
/Per

[JTR70]

Thanks Per!!!!!! Yes, it will be very hard to stay away from my coupe after its in paint. That will mark the official fun part of its very lengthy restoration. Thanks again! Justin

part 2


Beginning with the right side I cut the top tack free and began slowly increasing the angle of the tube by adding in slivers of metal in behind it.

Red arrow marks the newly establish approach angle of the right side. Left side here shows how much it needs to come up to match.

I thought I had it but it moved a little after welding...cut and retry. Fourth time was the charm..

Both tubes securely tacked in their new matched approach angles and cowl and W/S installed (AGAIN) with bolts synched.

That initial center gap in the seal now gone. The eventual tension rod will take it home from here. I think this unit is finally there... BTW don't let these quick series of photos fool you there is a solid series of sessions just getting this to all line up in only tacked together form. This is partly the reason this latest entry is so late. The progress was so slow, repetitive and uneventful that there really wasn't much to say until this evening.

Bare frame remounted for some cross reference rechecking before I fully commit to any welding. Having an original example speedster on hand would of course been nice for confirmation but as this has progressed I've come to realize the only thing that really matters is how all these pieces are fitting together in relation to one another on this particular chassis. So a real reference car is not necessary to move forward confidently; the parts are all telling me if its right or not.(concerning the forward cowl area anyway)

Ready to begin closing up all these layers to firmly root the tubes and create the rest of the mount.

Paper templates begin. Thanks for looking through all of this! Justin

[Don C]

Well done Justin!

[JTR70]

Thanks a lot Don! Its slowly getting there and is tremendous relief to be on the closing end of these W/S mounts.

2/10/15

Left pocket capped and templates for the final enclosure begin.


After 3 generations of templates the cap was ready to go to steel.

flare punched the opening for a cleaner and stronger joint with the tube.

after trimming not much remained of the original piece. ready for a tack weld here and hammer formed in the rest of the way as the welding progressed around the tube.

Cap all welded on this side.

I'll roll the car upside down later and seam weld the cap and tube out here as was done originally.

Templates for the final enclosure begin.

mimicking the reinforcement enclosure as found on an original speedster.

pretty straight forward compared to the pocket cap earlier, just make a box.

The tops will have a flange for a stronger attachment point to the eventual skin/cap.

Began a template on that as well.

That section originally is just part of the cowl however I want a more stout contact point to hold the upper end of the tube in position and a more solid base for the windshield post. I'm going to make these cornered caps out of this 16 gauge plate instead of the 20 gauge stock the cowl is made from. Once complete it will be undetectable from the way it was originally done but much stronger.

Will begin going into metal with these items tomorrow.
Thanks for looking! Justin

[Jack Staggs]

Absolutely right Jack, thanks. I quickly became aware of this clearance issue as I fabricated the mounts on my coupster.

The trajectory of the mount shank and the shape of the cups do begin to head toward one another toward the tip of the bolt. As I was building this mount clearance around the head was one of many issues along with of course proper alignment and levelness of the mounts themselves. There was a lot going on at once to say the least. That's why I would say this part of the conversion is by far the hardest part and most critical to get right. With that in mind I did make this pocket on the deep side as insurance. I forgot to mention that detail so thank you for reminding me! Justin

This one. Good job.

[JTR70]

Thank you Jack! That was my first go around with these mounts.

[Jack Staggs]

Btw, really nice job on the restraint of the heat shrinking of the cowl corners. I know how easy it is to over-do it. Like Roy would say "you really know your onions". I suck at it.

[JTR70]

Jack, thank you very much for that! I have to admit I'm not quite out of the woods yet on those corners. Their close but at this point I need the cowl secured at the edges before I can effectively go any further. So I'm not going to know for sure until its mounted on the car. Thanks again, appreciated! Justin

2/12/15

Post mounts continued

To better stabilize the right tube during repeated W/S test fits as I finish up the left side I went ahead and capped the pocket this afternoon. Not fully welded yet and will follow this initial weld up with my TIG to smooth it out more.

With all this welding going on (you guessed it )it was time for yet another W/S frame mock-up to make sure the mount tubes were still in the right position. So far so good

New metal closing section all ready to tack in after several template evolutions to copy its very specific shape.

Tacked and will finish stitching it up tomorrow. Slits on the upper corners will also be added so I can peel the top like a banana to create the mount flanges. With no more direct access to the tubes you can now see why I had to retest that W/S frame just one more time to make damn sure those tubes didn't move.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

My 'O' my, what a fabrication exercise I am sure so many including me, thought the total project would be so much easier than what has proved to be the case.

Really looking at the w/screen trial fitment must give you a sense of pride. You have done so well so far. Far more to this type of work than meets the eye for sure.

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you Roy! Yes, seeing the windshield mounted does wonders for my morale. It is a lot more work than meets the eye for sure but starting out with such a rusty and bare candidate did compound the amount of total work that's been required as well. Thanks again for the nice post and for noticing all the effort that has gone into it so far.
Justin

2/12/15
Left reinforcement enclosure complete.


All stitched and dressed.

Had to swoop in the bottom just a bit quicker to form fit to the additional reinforcement plate I added. Again all this will all be deep under the dash and hard to see once finished.

For an authentic "feel" once the dash is mounted this A-pillar will be smooth and flush with the pocket undetectable from the inside.

Began Cutting and angle bending the flanges for the cap next.

Will begin making the cap tomorrow. Thanks for looking! Justin

[John Pierce]

Justin,

I agree with Roy: "I am sure so many including me, thought the total project would be so much easier than what has proved to be the case." You've put in lots of extra work to fit all those panels. Do you know if the panel molds will be modified so the next person to use them will have an easier time with it?

Great job! What does your client think about it all?


JP