Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[neilb]

it's still going dude, sometimes slow sometimes just a little slower than slow lol.

anyway of contacting you via pm? or sms?

[JTR70]

I'll send you an email here shortly Neil.

9/22/16
Welding details complete on right anchor point and other related loose ends on this side.

One such loose end was finally finishing off the heads along the floor pan. Couldn't put it off any longer.

Rear anchor finished out. My OG anchor points show that it was seam welding all long the top with a dab of weld at the lower corners of the flange.

Also replicated was a small blob of weld at this flange junction.

Last of the original seam weld details in this area is a run the length of the lap joint on the floor pans with one more the span of the forward delta-V relief in the wall.

After all that heat I mocked it up again just to make sure nothing changed. Slid forward and back just fine. All done on this side.

Repeating this procedure on the left. Thanks for looking!
Justin

[JTR70]

9/24/16
Left side footings complete.

Unlike the right, this side required a little modification to the rear anchor bracket.

As this mock shows the rear bracket is too tall and tips the rail forward.

Once I take the rail off the bracket and rest it directly on the pan's shoulder all is well.

Need to modify this bracket so its as close to the pan's shoulder height as possible.

I'll be flattening that step and removing an equal amount from the other side so it will sit square again.

The rear footings are not a matched pair as the one used on the right is raw steel and this one is galvaneil. So I suspect different vendors. The coated one seems taller in this photo too. The raw one turned out to be a more correct fit; for this car anyway.

Inner flange pounded flat and mocked up to determine how much to remove from the outside.

A few MM more than I was thinking but that's what it told me.

Done. Also had to Zip out half of that inner bolt head to get the needed clearance from the pan's shoulder so the studs ended up in the right spot.

Ready for a tack weld.


Tacked and mocked up with the seat bottom again to make sure its going to slide. It did

Fully welded here and tested one last time. Full range with no binding.

Front seat mounts completed. Since this was my very first experience installing these I was a bit worried as again I've heard all the horror stories but as long as you're watching for square and level its pretty straight forward. An original or correctly spaced seat base is also a must to eliminate the guess work.

Along with track mounts the remaining loose ends in and around the tunnel and under the dash were also completed. All metal work inside the cock pit is complete.

Working my way outward on the A-pillars by reinstalling the forward seal channels that had to be removed for a clean shot in and around the lower hinge boss area to repair all the rot way back when. This side is a little short too as the lower run was shot. Will repair and install next. Just more PIA loose end detail work as I'm making my way to the front.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[bbspdstr]

Justin, the repro pressings for an early pan strike again. I typically need to section the rear riser mounts 3/8"-10 or 11 mm, as the risers are copied from originals where the rear pan draw is less deep by...."about THAT much..."

(Though I had warned of that some time [long] ago... )

Great work!

Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Gotta bring this up. Many of us have seen what happened to John Warshawsky and his woman friend in his Speedster accident. 3 pt belts might have saved a life and prevented serious head injury to John. Would not this be a good time to ask the Doctor if he would like some attachment points added to accomodate 3 pt belts?

Phil

[bbspdstr]

Phil, I'm sorry to hear of an accident in a Speedster but I know nothing of the one to which you refer. I do agree that better restraints and ideal mounting is always a good idea. A rollbar can also be used for 3 or 4 point belting and also a place to mount a head restraint over any low seat back, like those in a Speedster.
Having owned and driven at least 14 of those things and involved in a serious crash myself, I must say that I would not have survived in a stock Speedster with a stock "Speedster" seat. A wood frame? Front hinges with rear adjustable bolts for rake...making it a catapult in any slight front 'sudden stop'? Even a lap belt is of only 'some' protection.
I had an aluminum Butler-built race seat in 84255 that was fine in a ~70mph oblique rear right hit but the original seat riser to which it was mounted, simple sheet metal, pulled up..... and even with 3" harness only slightly stretching, it sent my helmeted head into the padded roll bar diagonal. Bad concussion, but the "horse collar" held my head/neck and my injuries overall were very minor.

Back to Justin's seat mounting issues. Here is what needs to be done for a T-1 that was built in late '55....when they were using-up old T-0 parts. We mentioned early on the mix of pre-A floor halves with T-1 halves but didn't note the changes in the single-stud mounted risers.







Different depths and different spacing, similar ideas as they evolved. Trying to match even the best repro with original on all the details requires 'hand work.'

Bruce

[JTR70]

Bruce, I do remember that warning. That and a few other shared horror stories of track installation issues I've read all contributed to my slight anxiety during this stage. All I can say now is that I am so glad that its behind me. Even more thankful after looking at the floor modification you're in the middle of.

That's a great point Phil. Anchor points for restraints will be added eventually.


Bruce, here is the accident that happened a few months ago that Phil is referring to. A woman smoking a bowl (was still hot in her center console)crossed the centerline into the Speedster. This is the good side BTW as the driver's was obliterated with the front wheel shoved back and upward about a foot. The back of the door lapped the quarter panel by about that much too. I think he had lap belts in it but no shoulder restraints so it didn't stop their faces from going into the dash. His passenger died of her injuries.
Building this project has sure educated me on just how light these cars were constructed and how easily they can wad up. Any sense of security/ protection from the body that I might of had sitting in my car years ago I now realize to be an illusion. Oh well, life's a gamble right? Still a little safer than a motorcycle.
Too true Bruce, Funny and sad about how those Speedster seats were mounted into these cars. I thought the same thing as I turned in the short wood screws that held the upper tracks to that OG wood base I used to locate the footings. Not quite DOT approved.

9/30/16
More loose end details on the way to the front end.

Channel back into original position.

Onto a paper template for the rest of it.

One down.

Repeat right side.

seal channels complete. One more PIA detail in the done column.

As I make my way forward I finished off the "hundreds" of plug-weld heads on the under side of the pan. Done and following up with spot weld detail.

Lastly was finishing the seam weld details at the back of the longitudinal caps. Just more of those things that I could put off no longer. All done with the underside of the cock pit area.
I'm officially onto the front end details; the final stage of metal work for this project.
Thanks for reading this!
Justin

[JTR70]

10/1/16
Left front fender trial fitment.

With all the loose ends finished up to the splash pans I feel ready to begin building the front.

Like all the panels before everything will be built around a fully adjusted, hinged, and latched closing panel or hood this last time around.

I'll gap and center the hinged hood with the cowl first then work forward to the nose.

Removing those remnants trough sections first in preparation for initial fender mock up.

Left section peeled first to make way.

Aligned the cowl to fender corner profiles and troughs for best initial fit.

Best average fit along the mating flanges for starters. This of course is going to change as the hood will dictate its final position.

I knew I was going to be short here but at least for now its not as wide as I had first anticipated. Even have some overlap toward the hood opening.

As a drew the fender down tight vertically I was pleasantly surprised to see such a close alignment of the wired edge openings at both panels.

Just like the beginnings of the rear mock up, a long way to go but some place to start.

With all that I've been through so far I am already anticipating the drama I'll have maintaining a proper hood gap against lining up the fenders with the nose for a correct and smooth contour transition. Maybe it'll go better; hope springs eternal.

Maybe its just the excess length at the front but the wheel opening is giving me the impression of being perhaps a bit too tall or open?? But like I said it might be just an illusion at this point. I'll make another cardboard profile template like I did for the rear and will cross check against my original fenders to be sure. Continuing on with fitment tomorrow.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin,

Great effort on this car of late. I have no idea how you keep it all
going forward so well. I have no idea on how you could ever quote for this restoration or alteration,let us say and come up with the right guiding price. It would defeat me for sure. I guess Bruce and Jack as well would find it so difficult. But your effort is working so well really amazing.

I was shocked with that speedster accident photo. No fault of his and everything is lost. I drive my car 3 times a week at least but its local. That might not influence anything but you just take a chance.
My car was fitted with lap and diagonal belts from new but nothing in the back. Used to take all 3 of my boys out in the back, would never do it today. I don't have head rests either, often wondered if the existing ones would work well probably better for your neck in a shunt from the rear than nothing?

I attach a photo of my diagonal mountings and a photo of 2 boys ready for run in 1974.





Roy

[JTR70]

Thanks Roy!

"I have no idea on how you could ever quote for this restoration or alteration, let us say and come up with the right guiding price."

That's easy, I didn't and I would not. I've had just enough experience with the cars working on my own and one rusty project speedster to know that its always more work and heartache than you're counting on...Always. This project of course proved that right ten times over. I know real professional shops like BBE must normally agree to a set budget and work within the confines regardless, win or lose. With me this is not how I make my living and this project is into my personal free time. The time when I'd be working on my cars. I signed up for this with the understanding that it would be strictly by the hour. The out for the Doc is that he is always at liberty to pull the plug at any moment if it no longer makes sense to continue. Its happened so many times during this build, I'll run into another unforeseen problem and go "AH F**K!" If I was up against a budget I'd have to short cut it and find ways to burry it in the buckwheat. However, safe in the knowledge that my time is covered I get mentally reinvigorated to cut, paste and chase out whatever the problem is to the best of my ability. Anyway with the degree of difficulty involved and my temperament this approach is the only one that would work to keep this project moving forward.
Thanks again!
Justin

10/4/16
More fender mockups.

Flange cleaned with right fender in initial position.

About the same story, its short but not as bad as my initial trial fitments when the parts first arrived.

This is sort of a repeat shot from a while ago but I wanted to see it with its face on.

Like the rear I'll have to dismount the front so I can slip the nose down into position. With the nose there the wheel arch is beginning to look more correct.

Fun while it lasted but I need to get the hood hinged and adjusted next.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[bbspdstr]

Commiseration alert! Pastor Prime here, Choir Meister of the Church of the Holy Restoration, with an old Hymn about "Holy S..fit." Please open your hymnal to page 356 and raise your voices to be heard all the way to the Vaterland.......

Verse 1) Finally received a rear quarter from Trevor:

"Close.........but no cee-gar."
Verse 2) Made a template from the opposite side:

"Off by THAT much?...."
Verse 3) Then, we realized that the two Speedster doors were different:


Verse 4) The "Made by Hand Factor" entered into the fray with the left door being numbered for this Speedster and the right door not being, well, 'right.' Proably a 'replacement' door. About 11mm different spacing as to the door handle details between 2 doors that otherwise measured very closely in all other aspects.
The refrain: The quarter must be reformed (wheeled) and then everything needs to be averaged side-to-side with Trevor's rear panel included in the mix. You know how that works, right?
It's ONLY time, right?

I'm sorry Justin, I just wanted to add a 'small' sermon here that relates to your tortured journey in 356 panel fit. Say 16 more Hail yes(es) and consider yourself saved. You may now drink as much sacrificial wine as necessary....and I may need to go back to doing that myself ....
Bruce

[roy mawbey]

Bruce,

Oh the pitfall's of thinking this should be straight forward, till you get out the measuring tape

Again, like I mentioned to Justin, just how do you begin to price something out? Its a hidden minefield just waiting for you to step in.

Its hard enough doing the job just for yourself but so daunting if the customer has no real idea of your problems in doing that job!

You do need a sense of humour which I think luckily after reading your sermon you still have!!

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Thanks Roy. It is also a good personality trait to have patience. I believe....I believe!....That we should canonize the perpetrator of this site to elevate him to Saint Justin (of Nevada). (Can I get a Hallelujah?!)

Hell,(oops, excuse me)....there was talk of making a glow-in-the-dark bobble-head dash top icon of Saint Harry (of Pellow) a few years ago.

Other ingredients are Common Sense, a Good Eye and perseverance.
Back to work....
Bruce

[roy mawbey]

Yes Bruce, ' Saint Justin of the 356.' Sort of rolls of the tongue very well. Trouble is, can he promise us like a Saint he will not swear when it all goes ' topsy turvey ? '

Roy

[JTR70]

Cursing is about the only thing that gets me through on a daily basis so I think the sainthood is out... maybe more like a martyrdom.

I can see that Speedster shaping up really nice Bruce! That's pretty much what I found. Templates aside, I had to settle for my best average fit and as long as the new panel continued the body line and shape off the door or other latched and adjusted closing panel it was the best as I was going to achieve.

10/10/16
Forward chassis loose ends and hood hinges.

Finishing up the welding details along the new battery floor that I ran out of patience with way back when.

Acid soaking and working loose the "new" frozen hood hinges for this project as the battery box work went along.

Eventually got them freed up and mounted to the car for a test fit with the hood.

Hinged and adjusted against the cowl. Now ready to try initial fender fitment.

Trail fit went surprisingly well.

Initial gap and elevation off the hood is very promising.


I still have to get the hood latched and settled in fully but its not horrible.

It's a start...
Thanks for looking!
Justin