59 RHD South African Queen

[Drew.s]

Thirdly and sorry this is off topic I have been building a 1/6^th scale all metal Tiger tank I sold it to myself as an easy winter project BUT it is going to be another long build, but at least it has kept me in the warm.

OK back on track with matters 356 on my next update.
Thanks for stopping by.
Regards
Drew

[Drew.s]

Moved onto the rear kick panel, remains of old panel removed and new panel welded in, easy! I will be fitting eye bolts for the seat belts into this panel, when they arrive.

So to take stock, the right side is all but ready for the new floorpans, the front toe panels will be next to go in and then the central tunnel.

The slightly daunting task is that soon I will have to turn the body over and do it all again on the left side.
Thanks for stopping by.

Regards
Drew

[JTR70]

WOW Drew! That is going to be some undertaking; you're going to create everything between the beams huh? Are you staying with that T5 rear seat pan or will it be replaced with an A version?
You've got a lot of irons in the fire. Like that tank!
Justin

[Drew.s]

Hi Justin (good to be back here)
Well spotted, yes I am waiting for an 'A' rear section from Ric but this 'B' section was a good solid template to work from.
The one thing I have learned is that the 'A' rear trans hoop mounts are approximately 19mm higher than the 'B' so will be shimming the rear attachment pillars to compensate.
I will start a new thread when all the parts arrive from Ric (it's been over a year so far).
Regards
Drew

[roy mawbey]

Well done Drew, just caught up with your progress, a lot of work really nice to look at. I remember the car when it was for sale in Wales and thinking looks good for resto. Of course when you do these things properly you begin to realize just how much work can be involved. Did you see the films on the D -day
landings and the involvement of the Tiger tanks of which Porsche himself had designed the transmission system. I had no idea the Tiger used 5 times the amount of fuel the American Sherman tanks used and although the gun power of the Tiger was considerably more than the Sherman, the Germans fuel supply lines were reduced so in the end, they all ran out of fuel trying to keep up with the Allied advance into France.

Keep up the good work

Roy

[Drew.s]

[JTR70]

Looking good!

[roy mawbey]

Thats working out well there. Tell me Drew or Justin watched an episode of ' Wheeler Dealers' today, where Ed China the guy who does all the resto work including bodywork, was using a ' Plasma cutter ' to cut out rusted areas and cut new parts burning round the templates he made. The cutting width is so small on width and so controllable, with the torch. Have never seen a demo on one being used. I suppose its very expensive???
Roy

[JTR70]

My mentor had a plasma cutter back in the 90's and it was an amazing machine. It takes a good deal of patience and practice to develop a steady hand with one as it will sing through the metal like a hot knife through butter so you have to be on your guard not to cut too far. There is some required clean up as well. The slag at the edges of either side of the cut have to be removed as even a wire welder doesn't care the impurities in it. They are more readily available then they ever have been. You can buy tiny side kick units for around 500 bucks if not a little less.

[jjeffries]

I like that "baby Cellette"....my description. Anything more you can share about that would be interesting. Cheers, John

[Drew.s]

Hi Roy
I've always been a bit scared of Plasma cutters but I will have to look into it, thanks for the info.
Hi John
The 'Baby Cellette' (by the way I like the name) started out as a simple 'heavy duty' dolly that I welded together out of box section steel, added castors and levelling feet at each corner.
It served me well as a checking jig to make sure my projects were within factory spec.
But when the Con 'D' project started to take shape I had to upgraded it, with 'U' channel cross beams and longer smaller 'U' channel beams running the entire length and beyond to take the rearmost trans hoop mounts.
The front torsion bar mounts were purchased from a guy in Norway or Denmark, he was advertising them on the Samba, they are beautifully made.
But these front mounts didn't come with the pins so I had a local engineering company turn some for me.
The rear torsion bar mounts and the long rear trans hoop mounts were my own design and I got a company to laser cut all the parts and then I welded them together.
It is now a rock solid and millimetre accurate platform that I can use to build complete chassis on.
If anyone needs more info, dimensions or drawings let me know and I might put up a separate building thread.

OK back to the bodywork and the front floorpan has been trimmed and trial fitted.

One thing I did notice was that the two rear most stampings (upper most and lower most in the picture) overlapped the perimeter sheet metal.
But after checking out Justin's original Carrera pictures it seems that the factory just hammered these flat where they meet and so that's what I did and it has worked out fine.
Thanks for stopping by
Regards
Drew

[roy mawbey]

Nothing like having the right equipment for doing the job Drew. Looks like that really is the perfect set up. Thanks Justin for the plasma comments, you are correct he cut out a section of new steel sheet with a template to work from so quickly. It must take practice to be confident with it but it amazed me. Yes he did dress the edges saw him do that.

Roy

[Drew.s]

Hi Guys
I got very excited with the front floor pan fitting so well that I almost started punching holes and plug welding it in, until it dawned on me that the outer longitudinals need to be welded on first.
When I thought about it, if the floorpans are installed there is no way to clamp the outer longitudinal up really tight.
A lesson learned and proof that there is a very logical order to rebuilding these cars, deviate from that at your peril.

As a bit of light relief I have also attacked the old patched battery box, I am fabricating my own side panels as I need a bit more length to get past the rot and I need to position the wiring conduit tube so having panels without holes will give me some flexibility.

Removing all the sheet metal behind the nose panel will also allow me to tackle the rotten and dented nose without removing the whole front section (fingers crossed).
Thanks for stopping by
Regards
Drew

[JTR70]

Longs. look great!

[roy mawbey]

Drew,

Some great thought and nice work there. Oh as you say how you can fall into traps with welding. You are correct wise words from Justin and not rushing in with anything in front of you makes all the difference.

Well done on the progress Drew.

Roy

[Drew.s]

But help was at hand...
More soon
Drew

[Drew.s]

[roy mawbey]

Aha Drew, I thought from the time I first saw that advert in Wales for your African Queen the car looked more than sound but really so good. How the eyes can deceive!! That back area would have been my down fall, as without a hammer and chisel when you saw it, you have to buy on face value on what you are looking at at then, a reasonable price I seem to remember. Take it from me, you and Justin are so similar in making every job you do, on a 356 look so easy!!! Scroll down through the great photos and all the effort and no doubt heart ache, always seem to turn into such a good looking repair it makes me think, these guys must be super human??

Every job I did seemed to drain me always wondering, if it would turn out correctly in the end. I never had to go into it so deeply as both of you and our other forum friends on here always seem to have to. I was under the impression my 356A built February - March 1959 had some Carrera metal work still on it. I am not sure exactly what you would like a photo of but if you tell me or put a photo on I will check mine and advise.

Great thread Drew, so much info on all the ABCGT 356 threads invaluable for those doing it for the first time. That mini cellette jog is really super. but of course you need your nice workshop to have the space to use it. I have a double garage but that never seems big enough!!

Roy