Roy, thank you for that very thoughtful post. The photos and descriptions here are of course just a quick glimpse of all the required planning, trials and tribulations between each progress picture. I try to be very mindful about self-editing so I don't get too deep in the weeds on detail and bore everyone to death. At the same time though I want to relay the truth about this being in no way as simple as: "fold here and put A-flap into B-flap, step 2 and so on". Your last post leads me to believe that a balance seems to have been maintained which I was glad to read. Yes, Bruce is far better equipped than I am for dealing with twisted or chopped in half chassis. If my project frame was severed or severely stuffed behind the suspension points a frame dozer would have been a must, no two ways about it. BTW: its looking good Bruce. Aside from the dash and cowl area you well into coupster conversion territory with that car. Sorry to hear about your firewall difficulties. You know as bad a time as I had with Hogue's dash and cowl I will give credit were its due and say that his fire wall and upper substructure where right on the money. I've had zero fitment issues with those two items. Trevor's new cowl mated together with it almost painlessly so I guess all these various replacement panels can be like a "box of chocolates"... you just don't what you're gonna get. The secret may have been that my hinge mounting holes were not drilled and was left up to me to find and locate them for this specific application. Much like the rocker assemblies I find most parts much easier to use when more is left "loose" for me to fit it to the car versus making the car fit the part. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Thanks again you guys!
Justin
2/21/16
bulkhead rear flange set.
My best average gapped fit against the lid finally set. Save for maybe a bit more ultra fine jockeying as the fenders are added.
It took some doing as this tail would flex and slightly shape shift as I began the process of adding screws to synch it down. The gaps along the sides would especially change causing all kinds of grief.
I'm still obsessing about 3mm side to side but I finally figured out that it was pointless to worry about that fine of an adjustment until after the fenders have been fitted. A lot shifting will be going on as I begin wrestling those on.
Once I had the tail skin in the sweet spot I was confident enough to locate and tack the mount flange into final position. Skin removed so I can continue stitching it up.
Some small irregularities against the latched lid profile but all within striking distance.
Welded the nut plate back on which also tied the flange back on the wall.
Some filler strips yet to add toward the sides but I really got bored with it so I'll finish it off later. I really wanted to get back on fitting the panels.
I pushed the tail skin fitment about as far as I could go on its own and was now time to begin fitting a quarter panel to help complete the puzzle.
Thanks for looking!
Justin
Thanks again you guys!
Justin
2/21/16
bulkhead rear flange set.
My best average gapped fit against the lid finally set. Save for maybe a bit more ultra fine jockeying as the fenders are added.
It took some doing as this tail would flex and slightly shape shift as I began the process of adding screws to synch it down. The gaps along the sides would especially change causing all kinds of grief.
I'm still obsessing about 3mm side to side but I finally figured out that it was pointless to worry about that fine of an adjustment until after the fenders have been fitted. A lot shifting will be going on as I begin wrestling those on.
Once I had the tail skin in the sweet spot I was confident enough to locate and tack the mount flange into final position. Skin removed so I can continue stitching it up.
Some small irregularities against the latched lid profile but all within striking distance.
Welded the nut plate back on which also tied the flange back on the wall.
Some filler strips yet to add toward the sides but I really got bored with it so I'll finish it off later. I really wanted to get back on fitting the panels.
I pushed the tail skin fitment about as far as I could go on its own and was now time to begin fitting a quarter panel to help complete the puzzle.
Thanks for looking!
Justin
Comment