1957 Sandblasted Coupe

[ukinusa]

Actually most parts Engine, transmission etc were with it ..I have been busy sourcing smaller parts as I seen them, have most now - its like a huge jigsaw in boxes waiting for when the body is done. I have been cleaning and repairing parts as get them so I can see their condition. Re-chroming is going to be expensive though...

[ukinusa]

Making the front shelf again - to be honest the time is making the template, once that looked good the fabrication came together. Have to drill holes and make the water channels - thanks again to Justin ...

http://www.abcgt.com/forum/14-356-Restoration-Projects/34-58367-The-75-Junkyard-Carrera-coupe-restoration.html?limit=6&start=12






Just a reminder of the weird "Ferrari Go Faster" holes I had to loose. I had thought that I could get the rocker out in tact and I could beat them straight and weld up - this way is far cleaner and frankly less effort at the end of the day !

[roy mawbey]

Steve,

You are on the right track, templates are everything with correct ones you can go far!!!

Roy

[ukinusa]

Ok question experts ..??????????????

It's straight forward to drill a weld hole on a seam and weld up the plug. How does one make it look like an original spot weld ? Or can you even ?

[Jonesy_356]

Gday mate, I'll add my belated welcome to the site, it's great to see another one coming alive, especially an older girl. You are very lucky to get hold of this body.

I too struggle with making plug welds look like spot welds. I have experimented with TIG, MIG and gas and for my limited skills MIG seems to be the best...although for me it's a relative term. Technique I have come to use is a 5mm or so hole (which is wider than to original spots for a start) and use medium current and a small wire, starting in the centre as best I can (so start with a really small stub of wire) then circling outwards. It definitely doesn't work for me with the nozzle too upright - perhaps the gas flow isn't right? So about 20-30 deg to the vertical seems to work best for me.

Would love to hear more expert responses than mine - this was a question I was going to ask on my thread anyway.

Keep posting mate, thanks for sharing,

Jonesy

[Phil Planck]

Just catching up with your project. Nice car to start with. Looking good so far Steve. Enjoying your thread.

Phil

[ukinusa]

Slow day and wanted to do something, so painted the inner area with POR15 - and as the English expression goes...it sticks like S*** to the proverbial blanket, but getting behind the heater tubes required a cotton glove (plastic under of course) and finger painting - should have got my grand daughter on the job with her smaller hands

[JTR70]

I'm about in the same boat as far as plug-welds go. Every so often I can get one to molt in right perfect like a spot weld but more often than not there's head or nub that I'll have to dress down. The trick to that of course is getting your wire speed and heat dialed in just right for the application. That's it Jonesy, start at the center and swirl your way outward just like those old aptitude tests we took in school with the #2 pencils. What really pisses me off is a perfectly flat weld with a portion I missed. going to have a head on it now as I back fill it after the fact.

That Por 15 will do you right Steve.

[ukinusa]

With Rennsport V last weekend, so things have slowed down. However goodies arrived and now realize what a task lays ahead but bit by bit as they say !

[John Pierce]

Doesn't new metal get your heart racing?

[JTR70]

Steve, Who made that nose repair section? It looks really funky to me, especially the area under the headlight bucket, way too flat. The approach contour leading to the center also looks to concave and should be more of a combo-convex in shape as it reaches the middle. This piece is going to require a ton rework if you're hoping for a symmetrical mirror image of the original left side. From what I've seen of your original nose it doesn't look that bad and I would be doing everything in my power to save it. Put your time and energy in saving the original and send that thing back! Just my 2 cents...
Justin

Here's an original. see how its a nice soft gentle curve beginning way sooner under the bucket?

[ukinusa]

Humm.....Trouble is, it was offered as a "special" no returns !(and not cheap either) I had been hunting for a half panel and couldn't find one, folks only make whole A noses not halves (as with B's) - no idea why. This one special was cut down from a whole nose section.

I thought the problem lay primarily on the hood(bonnet section) gutter edge; as my gutter is fine I was going to cut that off this piece anyway as that would still give me the correct body curve .

However your observation to that gentle curve issue has me concerned. I am kind of stuck with a "pig in in poke" ... never knew what that meant but sounds about right...


Lets hope the photograph is giving a false impression, I will make some templates and report back...

[JTR70]

No need for a template, just super impose it over your current fender and take a straight on photo and maybe an angled shot or two. These are really intricately shaped areas and I am so impressed with anyone who can actually make a convincing reproduction of this nose. That's a shame about this special order and I have no doubt it was big money, all of this stuff is, good or bad. On a deal like this you're probably better off using an entire piece from a given vendor. If their part is off it will most likely be off on both sides but it will at least be matched and wrong symmetrically together. Unless you work the hell out of this part what you'll most likely have here is a finished asymmetrical front end that will still look like it was crashed and repaired wrong when nit pickers (like me )see it at a show. Not trying to dash your hopes just speaking from past experience. Justin

[ukinusa]

Thanks Justin getting me aligned
What I will do first, as it's a non return item, is to cut off the lip then lay it over the existing and fix down with screws, will then know if its usable or it it becomes "chop shop material" to take patches from to insert into the original....should be able to do this by Sunday so stay tuned !

[Ryles]

I've been watching the project, and dig this.
So, That metal nose thing looks like a Toes metal crap or Steven Hogue typical rushed metal.
Why not buy from the best supplier? Can anyone tell us here who carries the most accurate nose pieces?
NOn return? NOn refundable? Who the F does that these days.