SC Coupe Restoration

[tperazzo]

Part 2 of 2.









Thank you all for your help and checking this out for me.
Tom

[tperazzo]

Thanks Justin, I'm just glad it was caught in time otherwise I would have to live with it.

Here are pictures from every angle of my mocked up front end. All you eagle eyed guys, please let me know if something is amiss or could be improved upon. I know the hood gaps need a bit more work and that hasn't been crossed off the list yet

Fire away!

[JTR70]

The tape really high lighted the deviation well. This is the kind of stuff that the general public at large would never catch once finished but I admire your determination and patience especially this late in the game to continue chasing subtle flaws. Nice Work as always Tom!
Justin

[tperazzo]

Thanks Don for posting those pictures, they are really helpful.

I've been struggling with the fit of my front bumper as it has been hit hard at some point.

Several experts suggested that I mock up everything that touches the paint and this proves to be good advice.

After straightening the bumper something just didn't look right when I mounted it on the car. The passenger nose was replaced by me last year and I noticed then that grill cutouts were on a slight angle. Well the bumper creates a nice horizontal line that drove me nuts when looking at the front of the car. It's like the grill was winking at me.

The tape lines indicate the deviation. So I cut it and re-welded it so its symmetrical.



Also fixed several of stress cracks on the bumper flanges by cutting well past the crack itself.



Keep getting closer slowly even if means doing some things over again.
Thanks
Tom

[Don C]

Thanks Roy, you summed it up really well.

[roy mawbey]

Don,

You thought about that answer, in truth its identical to one I would make as well.I truly admire those here that struggle to get perfection on their 356. To see that slowly take place before your very eyes with the proof of so many photographs, detailing the hard work is bound to make anyone with a 356 want to have the same result.

But.. time dictates changes and for me the last strip down was over 27 years ago on the body and 39 years on the chassis. In between times, much work maintaining the car in a general sense as well as making a few cosmetic changes.

However, I can see like you, once you really get up close the deterioration probably started directly you finished the restoration work. Then the first stone chip..

Then finally and its taken years in my case I treat every aspect of wear or just age as patina. As I have said more than once, my original carpets would have been changed over 40 years ago if they had been in my house, now they are part of my car I really like!

But because the 356 is just wonderful to look at in its original or fully restored state, it really doesn't have to be perfect. I drive mine all the year round but always on dry roads. The mechanics I strive to keep perfect, here it does pay to have a super running car and there it stops. As much as I would like in principle to do it I will resist like you,putting a scaper on the paint!
I think your car looks really nice, enjoy it!

Roy

[Don C]

Thanks for the nice comments. My car looks OK from 10" away but goes down hill the closer you get. It's a driver so I'll live with it, I don't know if I have it in me to "open the can of worms"!

[roy mawbey]

Yes it looks fine to me too. Also that front bonnet gap looks very nice as well

Roy

[Jack Staggs]

That looks like a pretty typical fit to me Don.

[Don C]

Tom,
My front bumper and nose were attended to by "Bubba" and is tight in the center. Here are some shots anyway:

[tperazzo]

Thanks Don. I saved that picture for later. I'm currently working on the front bumper, so if you have a pic of the front that would be appreciated too.

Almost done fixing the brackets. Just waiting on some weld nuts to finish final welding.



I changed the floating nut cage a little because I don't have a spot welder to install as originally done. So rather than bending the hat section, I just bent two flanges and fillet welded it the the bracket. No one can see these once installed and it saves time. Plus it's probably stronger especially since I used a heavier gage sheet metal for the cage.




Flip side.



Small progress is better than no progress. Thanks for looking!
Tom

[Don C]

Tom,
Here's a shot of my "C" rear bumper to body. The ends are a little tighter as the clearance is determined by the large round rubber spacers.

[tperazzo]

Thanks guys, I'm doing an hour a minimum at night even if it's just cleaning up my work area!

I think this is the last of the paint stripping thank god!



I also stripped two rear bumpers, one extra, but I didn't snap a picture I guess,

They need some straightening and TLC for sure.

Here's the internal brackets with a missing nut.




I ended up drilling out a previously brazed in repair by someone else.






I removed both brackets because they both have damage. Someone else removed one side before and messed with it unfortunately.


I spent a few hours pounding out dents in the bumper too. It's tough to get a uniform fit to the body, so I've been doing some picture research to see what the factory fit is like. Best I can tell is that the gap gets a little wider near the turn indicator lights.




I've been wrestling with it and will continue until I'm happy with it, ha ha.

Thanks!
Tom

[Don C]

+1!

[Jack Staggs]

Nice to see you back at it Tom.