62 bt6

[JOP]

Hi Tin Man Niel,

It looks really nice
Did the measurements shown earlier help you out ?
Tell me IF you need any more special ones.

Thats all from "uppstairs"
Cheerio

Per

[neilb]

been a while since my last update, so here goes...

















now it's on to the l/h door lock post and the 1/4 panel and tail panel

[neilb]

hi roy, no i don't have that plate! i think i shall have to get a repro from stoddards. i have VIN number that is stamped into the hinge pillar but that too is rusty!

[roy mawbey]

Neil,
Further to my last post above, did you manage to keep the identification plate that is riveted under the front lid by the end of the petrol tank? I attach a photo of mine. The chassis number is also stamped on that as you can part of mine top right corner.

If you have that it might help a bit.




Roy

[roy mawbey]

Neil,

Hope you get round the Vin plate situation. Justin is correct it can appear rather odd to see an original stamped number welded into a new fabricated area.Trouble is Neil,although the car is just for you and you know its exact history possibly in the future if it ever came up for sale it would make anyone with reasonable 356 experience just wonder what was going on with a chassis plate in the wrong area.

Maybe its best the number is in the wrong area, ( or maybe a special metal printed or stamped disc should be riveted along side the chassis number with the reason why its been placed there.) Its never normally seen anyway unless you lift the rubber mat.

Your work never ever looks a 'BODGE' the reason why that vin plate area was changed and even a new petrol tank was made let alone, all the other work would be self explanatory I would think,to anyone who inspected the car at a future date.( But years from now car history can get hazy.)

Justin as maybe also Jack, probably thought more than twice before writing a comment on the chassis plate. I did too, but a modification now is easier than when its all finished.

I can't get over you now going to make a special petrol tank !

Roy

[neilb]

i know what your saying Justin regarding the VIN. i have to get this car engineered. that said i have to get an engineer to check over the car at what i have done, i spoke to one a few months ago regarding converting from left to rhd, and he told me, even if i bought everything from the dealers new and bolted it on. i would still have to get in engineered because its changed from left to right.

it has to have a VIN and apart from riveting that plate back on, what i did was the only other option. and riveting in on looks even more dodgy!

i will speak to the engineer about it when i visit, but its well documented and i can't see a problem. (famous last words lol)

[JTR70]

All those fresh structural panels look beautiful Neil! I'm a little concerned for you as far as you grafting in that old chassis number. I don't know what the laws are like in Australia but a grafted in VIN tag can potentially spell big trouble if it ever comes into question by law enforcement. I realize this car was Super rusted out and practically everything is now new but as a general rule we are never at liberty to remove, tamper or transfer for ID plates, Just a word of caution.
Amazing work!
Justin

[neilb]

thank you jack, the VIN number is a little farther back than factory but with the fuel tank that is being fitted you won't see it anyway. if this was a matching numbers car then originality would be at the top of my list, but as this was a pile of scrap, frankly i don't care!

i have yet to make the aluminium fuel tank, i am building a replica similar to the GT tank but with an integrated swirl pot for the fuel injection.

[Jack Staggs]

Shouldn't the chassis number stamp be much more forward than that? I looks like the fuel tank will be at least partially covering it there , and i dont see a step in the tank floor for the tank to fit in, with water drain holes in the forward corners. If the tank sits too high, it can interfere with closure of the hood, with contact at the forward corners of the tank. Seen That....

[neilb]

Justin, yes i'm doing a pre-a body on the rebuilt/remade chassis. i have done a little test panel to close the rear window up and it looks ok, so i will carry on doing it that way.

Roy, you'll be surprised at what you can achieve and how far you can go shaping metal, its not as much as a 'black art' as it seems.

i have done only small things this week but its still progress, i turned the car around, to finish off a couple of things,







and i remade the petrol tank floor as i felt it could be better







i put the original chassis number back in that panel, even the size of that part of the original panel has 30% rust in it!



thanks for following along

[roy mawbey]

Neil,

Thanks for the explanations! I don't know, I looked at the wooden buck and for some reason never noticed it did not have a back section So, it makes your job even harder! The same as Justin you must have good ' eyes' to see the errors. I was interested to note like Justin you will fabricate your own back engine lid to fit!! I was a toolmaker by trade and formed my own repair panels in the 70's. They were straight forward items really but not easy for me to do then. All those blending curves would never ever have been possible for me. But...the English wheel is the item you need to know all about it seems. I guess a few years or more, experience on that and the engine lid might be possible

I do have a high regard for your work, don't think many could do it even with the correct equipment.

Roy

[JTR70]

Amazing to watch you create all those complex curves from flat stock Neil! Here I am whining about prefabbed panels not fitting and there you are making your own from scratch. 10X the skill and effort involved here. If I remember correctly this is going to be retro Pre-A body on this later chassis right? I'm guessing you'll be closing up the larger rear window to match your new deck lid?
Impressive work as always!
Justin

[neilb]

JOP, thank you sir!


Roy, wow! i'll try to answer best i can lol...

[quote="roy mawbey" post=32409]Neil,

Your work procedure is even hard for me to follow by looking at the photos. Have you wired that wheel well opening before welding the top piece? I presume the old body is underneath so far and the bottom trim around the back will be welded on last?[quote]

yes the lower bottom return will get welded on last, the wired wheel arch is not done as this leaves the panel still 'open' to wheel and manipulate if needed.

[quote=post=32409]How will you get the left side to look the same and have the the rear lid opening space perfect for the engine lid?[quote]

the deck lid opening? i have made a template of an early deck lid, and i still have the deck lid to make yet so that will be easy to create the gaps

[quote=post=32409]Does everything have to correspond to the wooden buck and then you place parts on the car just to check its all going to plan.[quote]

err i have no wooden buck for the rear... but the idea is to form over the buck then fit to the shell

[quote=post=32409]I can't get over what you are doing, really amazing. As Justin said the fact he has been using formed items and its difficult, you make make them by hand and eye I presume to fit the buck.

This is a great thread to follow. Is it the buck that controls everything? When you wheel items do you have to continually get under the buck to see if it all contacts the wooden spars? does one radius push out another one blending to it so you have to back and forwards to get the blend correct?[quote]

generally yes its good to have contact with all the stations in the buck, but it is still as the eye sees it. meaning if it looks correct then it usually is

[roy mawbey]

Neil,

Your work procedure is even hard for me to follow by looking at the photos. Have you wired that wheel well opening before welding the top piece? I presume the old body is underneath so far and the bottom trim around the back will be welded on last?

How will you get the left side to look the same and have the the rear lid opening space perfect for the engine lid?

Does everything have to correspond to the wooden buck and then you place parts on the car just to check its all going to plan.

I can't get over what you are doing, really amazing. As Justin said the fact he has been using formed items and its difficult, you make make them by hand and eye I presume to fit the buck.

This is a great thread to follow. Is it the buck that controls everything? When you wheel items do you have to continually get under the buck to see if it all contacts the wooden spars? does one radius push out another one blending to it so you have to back and forwards to get the blend correct?

Its beyond me Neil. I would like a video as I reckon all of us would who are confused as me

Keep up the excellent work.

Roy

[JOP]

Sorry to say Neil, It looks to good
Impressive Wheeling done, Sir