Canuck 1960B T5 Coupe Resto

[bbspdstr]

"Everything looks deceivingly okay until you start peeling back more metal and digging in!"

Old saying in this kind of work: "There are no good surprises in restoration."

Good idea for the positioning of the lower hinge half. I have always just measured between the upper and lower and when reinstalling the lower, use a rod through both for vertical alignment and carriage bolts or Allen head bolts with Nyloc nuts inside instead of rivets. If carriage bolts, grind or turn those edges to look more original and if Allen, grind the top down and fill or weld and melt to look set like a rivet would.

Doors look easy...but they're NOT...and yet they are the key to the whole project.

-Bruce

[Scott B]

[Scott B]

Continued shaping the front corner to support the hinge. A lot of different angles coming together here.



stripped off the old patch by PO. Looks like I have a good original edge to follow.

[bbspdstr]

"like the idea off Allen head screws and welding in head"
Then scrap my mention of Nyloc nuts. I say this knowing it is merely a reminder, but the heat would negate the plastic. I find that with applications like this, the heat will shrink tight a regular nut and being paranoid, I can add a fingertip of 5-minute epoxy to the few threads showing when all is done.

I am sure the riveting was originally done in a jig that held just the inner part of the door before complete assembly, so I have never tried to do that exactly like the original....but I sure try to match the appearance of the upper hinge part's rivets....just for the fun of it.

Well over 50 years ago when I worked when high school time permitted in a local bodyshop that happened to attract a lot of 356s, the owner/mentor taught me that "you have to know where to cheat ... and not get caught." The hinge thing here fits that edict!

-Bruce

[badsix]

I would fill the socket head with filler of some sort then you could still use the nylon lock nut. another way might be to look at button head bolts in allen or torks. there's a lot of different configurations of them some taller some wider so shop around.
Jay D.

[Scott B]

Starting fit the bottom. Lots of little tweaking to be done.

[Scott B]

Taking a break from the bottom piece for the passenger door to think about how to get it to fit better. Started digging into drivers door. The bottom hinge is weak so I braced it with a threaded rod that is bolted on the outside and side of the inner frame and outer skin ( four places where nuts are positioned. Nice and strong and snug to keep it in position.

[Scott B]

Inside picture in the door of the temporary bolt to keep lower hinge if good position.

[Scott B]

Starting to peel away the folded edge near the hinge and rebuilding with good metal.

[Scott B]

A few minutes on a basic cheaper stretcher and shrinker machine from princess auto - the Canadian equivalent to harbour freight got the right curve in the overlap piece in a few minutes.

[John Pierce]

Nice idea with the bolt to hold the wall in position.

FYI: if you post an image or several images you can upload them then go back and hit the "EDIT" button to upload more images to the first post, ad infinitum. Every time you post an image then start another "instance" a new email goes out to the forum members letting them know. So far 5 emails have been sent out

[Scott B]

John thanks for the helpful tip on avoiding multiple postings. The photos are often late off my phone and when I update it only takes two. Will try the idea of editing and adding thanks.
Cutting into bottom to mate in the bottom inner frame. Cut out the bad and started to curve and shape the piece.

[Red911]

Hi Scott,

Great learning experience for me as I am doing my door now too (see Bali Blue '64 356 forum).

What makes me wake up screaming at night is "the old door fit perfectly" Now, by taking the bottom of the door off, fitting Restoration Design door bottom and the last 6" of the new RD door skin, how do I get it all to line up and make it pretty with good gaps.

My thought so far is to cut away 5 1/2" of bottom skin that you all have railed at my trying to smooth out (I am pretty determined to get is smooth, so stay tuned) and peel away the overlapping door skin on the door bottom.

Start fitting the door bottom with space on the lower and side edges of the door bottom that the replacement skin wraps around and make the door bottom fit, then begin fitting the replacement skin. Lots of measurements and trial and error.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Tom

[neilb]

your doing good with the doors scott, i wish mine would have been that good but i'm past that stage now

it's all good practice!

[JTR70]

Tom, here are some cross reference things that I did for the door restoration on this car to ensure the window frames and the door itself fit into the car after new bottoms etc.
http://www.abcgt.com/forum/14-356-Restoration-Projects/38672-1959-356A-SR-coupe-project-chassis--108625.html?limit=6&start=6
HTH. Justin

Keep up the great work Scott!!