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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
I see some welds look pretty large diameter in comparison to the vise-grip next to them. Using a circular motion or? I'm just admiring the nice flat welds. Mine come out smaller and more proud.
You grind welds with a thin cutting wheel? Any advice for straightening a 67-72 front bed wall bowed forward a bit from junk hitting it over the years? |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Wow, the inside of the hood looks better that a lot of top sides...Jim
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
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Thanks Jim, the semi gloss is nice for showing any remaining defects.. Well it was taking a little longer on the English wheel adapter kit than I thought, and since that is on the shop's dime, I thought we'd try something that we could get done a little quicker. So the other machine with plenty of throat was the Lennox, so let's make some dies for it..... Also got in some more block sanding while Kyle was cutting out pieces for the dies. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202424.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202425.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202426.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202428.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202429.jpg Pre-stretching the bead areas of the baffle... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202430.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202431.jpg Adding the bead, using the backstop... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202432.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202433.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202434.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202435.jpg Laying out the petcock recess. This is about a 1/2" lower than the factory to alleviate the clearance issue.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202436.jpg The tipping and skateboard wheels are used to "trace" the bend line to make any hammering a bit easier to locate the correct "edge"..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202437.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202439.jpg Relief trimmed, ready to make the folds.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202443.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202444.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Tonight we got the recess finished on the baffle plate.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202446.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202447.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202449.jpg Test fitted... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202450.jpg Media blasted, ready to install.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202453.jpg Then Kyle removed the splash pan so he could clean up the core support prior to welding it in.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202460.jpg We also got started on some blocking of the parts sprayed last week. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202455.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202457.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Nice work! Mind stopping by my place and banging some of my sheet metal into shape...........
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Sid, are you going to the Hogtown meet? See the events listed on allmetalshaping...
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Probably not. My daughter has a swim meet that weekend. I've been in the past. Awesome talent there. Learned quite a bit.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Are you going to the coming out show in Charlotte Hall.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Not bringing anything (everything in pieces) but will be there to see the sights. If you see a bright yellow t-shirt with
< < This on the back, then give me a holler... < |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Today the baffle got welded into the core support, here with the plug weld holes drilled.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202461.jpg The modified relief we fabricated shows to be about as low as we could have made it.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202462.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202479.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202480.jpg Then attention was turned to the rear quarter on the passenger side where we had shaved the lead seam.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202463.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202464.jpg We had held off on the tail light opening as we wanted to fit the opening to the light bezels. We had received the reproduction chrome light bezels a couple weeks ago, and gave them a protective layer to keep the chrome nice and shiny.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202465.jpg The light opening seemed all out of sorts, with a bulge protruding out past the corner of the bezel here.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202466.jpg Let the modifications begin! http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202468.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202470.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202471.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202473.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202469.jpg And we had the opposite problem on the inner side... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202474.jpg The vise grip dent puller and the special hook was used to spread the opening... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202100.jpg A bit better..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202476.jpg ...and the tail light bracket is welded back together.. This mod seemed to make the attaching holes align better as well.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202478.jpg And Kyle continues to finish up the seam and we'll fine tune the opening once more when the welding and planishing is complete. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202482.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Wow, that is some nice detail fitting of the housing. Great work!
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Nice work on the modification...Jim
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Nice attention to the small details..
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
looking good ..
loving the update(s) and the progress being made .. =0) |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for all the comments!
Well, it's that time of year again, and the local Arby's Wednesday night car shows are in full swing, so we've changed the shop nights from Mon & Wed to Tues & Thurs so that we'd have Wednesday free to stop by the shows. We plan on taking Brad's Fairlane (the last shop project) to a couple of the events this year, Arby's is just over a mile away from the shop, so his 4 gallon tank may just make the trip.. :lol: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture522.jpg This is one of those cars that you'll feel and hear well before you see it, so it should draw a nice crowd :metal: Last night's shop progress had me doing more block sanding, and Kyle continued on the rear quarter seam shave. The top weld is about done (except at the edge), other than final bumping and planishing. The weld through the middle of the mounting bracket was dressed out. The final weld seam that travels over to the gate opening will be addressed once the body is on the rotisserie, the planishing is a bit cumbersome working around a corner, so with the car up on it's side it will make the task a bit easier. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202499.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202500.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202501.jpg The tail light fits much better but some final tweaking will be done after the gap at the top edge is completed.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202502.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
We need to see some pics from Arby's
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
More nice work...I wanna go to Arbys!
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I just sit and smile.
Thank you. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for the comments guys. Brad is still waiting on his carburetor, he gets it rebuilt every spring, so it may be a couple weeks before we get to take it down to Arby's. But we'll get some pictures when we do..
Well since Kyle has the top weld all the way back to the tail light opening, we checked the top crown and found a low spot by the 90* in the weld seam. We had to change the hoop on the Watervliet but since this one fit in the tail light opening so well, this will make short work of raising the low area.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202506.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202505.jpg We decided to go ahead and work on the opening a bit more, it was wide in spots as shown here... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202502.jpg Some "friendly" persuasion... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202509.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202510.jpg Much better fit.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202512.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202513.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202514.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Damn nice work guys, as usual...Jim
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Man I'd kill to have you work on my truck....ugh such quality and nice work. That kid is lucky
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
More Fine details!!! Love it Robert..
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for the comments guys!
Got a care package in the mail yesterday, we had the hood hinges rebuilt at Wilson's Antique Car Parts.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202527.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202528.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202529.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202530.jpg I had talked to a couple dealers about the reproduction hinges and did not hear good things, they indicated they had replaced a few sets due to the gears jumping teeth from being too loose. A member on one of the forums had recommended Wilson's rebuilding service, and I gotta say, this is top notch work. If you're having hood hinge issues, I highly recommend their services.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202531.jpg Kyle was looking for something else to weld, so on to the dash. Here he's prepping for welding the seam, bumping the panels a bit for better alignment before welding.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202532.jpg Checking across the gap using a 6" rule... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202533.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202534.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202536.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202537.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202539.jpg Next on the agenda was to shave the radio holes... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202541.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202543.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202544.jpg Weld, planish, grind, repeat... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202546.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202547.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Kyle got some more welding done and we noticed the patch he made didn't quite have the same crown as the dash next to it. He had left the patch flat, so the difference was becoming more noticeable the more it was welded.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202549.jpg So the Watervliet planishing hammer was used to add some crown to the panel, and also to planish some of the weld while we were at it.. An 8" radius lower die worked nicely to duplicate the crown: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202550.jpg Planishing welds... https://youtu.be/fAnfqtw-C6I Two holes to go.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202553.jpg rear view... both sides still need sanding with the roloc, we'll get that once the radio knob holes are done and ready for sanding as well. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202561.jpg Tailgate is blocking out pretty nice, did have a few low spots to address that still need feathering out.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202556.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202557.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
I watched the video on the Watervliet planishing hammer, thats a pretty cool tool!
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Quite noisy too!
Finishing up on the radio holes... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202565.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202564.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202583.jpg Shaving the other seam, here bumping the panels to get a consistent height across the front... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202572.jpg The upper section would prove to need a bit more persuasion... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202573.jpg Tool modification... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202575.jpg A chunk of 3/4 square stock laid in dash void to use as fulcrum... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202576.jpg Heat applied... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202574.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202577.jpg Results... before.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202573.jpg After... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202578.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202579.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202582.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202584.jpg This view from the back side of weld dot penetration shows Kyle has pretty good consistency in weld dot sizing. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202566.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Nice detail repair. 99% would never have noticed that. Really like your creative solutions.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks guys!
Today was the Spring Fling car show in Leonardtown so we took the opportunity to do some "window shopping" for vents to fit in the dashboard. With all this nice real estate now: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202583.jpg .....our plans are for some rectangular AC vents in the radio's original place. I always thought the "up in your face" vents do a better job of keeping you cool than the under dash ones that freeze the knees. So in no particular order, here are some sample vents.. 1940 Ford "ashtray replacements" by VA... Although small, thought these may work toward the outside in the same "band" area of the dash... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202586.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202587.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202589.jpg Grand National... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202590.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202591.jpg Lower dash vents for a 65 Impala... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202592.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202594.jpg I like these and the dual parallel deflector vanes over the 55 factory, which is a ball vent with a wide open hole. These next ones are the ones I'm leaning toward for the dash center as they are an easier install than most of the GM ones of the era. The GM vents have a solid pivot shaft at either end that would require making a saddle and clamp deal to hold it in place. The Fomoco style shown here has the pivot pin on a tab that springs inward for installation/removal, so it requires two simple holes. A much easier fabrication of needed ducting.. if we need to fabricate.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202595.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202596.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202597.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202598.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202599.jpg This had no AC vents, but was a super clean ride, and still sported the Straight 8 under the hood, so consider this complimentary eye candy! http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202601.jpg More VA pieces, these are nice and compact http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202604.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202605.jpg I like the rectangular for the center of the dash but worry these round style vents may "clash" with rectangular ones. So the 40's small rectangular may be a good option for the side vents. Thoughts, personal choices, ones we haven't shown (with pictures) are welcome. This build really isn't a billet type, so black and chrome are a preferred option. Thanks in advance for any advice/pointers.. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
First, I'll have to agree that these shoebox cars lend themselves more to curves, but given the long, flat, rectangular mounting surface in the center of the dash, it seemed that two round vents would not begin to fill the void. Thus we were leaning toward the rectangular vents to fill the space. Dana wanted to keep the outside vents round, and mount below in the factory location. So these are the ones decided on, Vintage Air pieces...
for the corner locations..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202626.jpg for the center of the dash....... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202627.jpg Of course, something told me to keep looking, and as someone had suggested to do the Google image search on "dash vents", I skipped the catalogs this time and looked at installed vents. Then it hit me, how could I have not seen this before..... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202625.jpg Three wide in the round vents vs. only two did a better job of filling out the dash and would give us matching vents all around. So, with only two round on order (and two rectangular that will likely go back), we plan to see how "tight" these 2-5/8 round bezels look on a 2-3/4 high flat area, and make the final decision from there.. The saga continues.. Now with the dash seams all welded and waiting for gauges to be delivered, the moment I've been dreading. Installing the Rocky Hinge fuel "door". First thing noticed was that some of the holes on the weld-in mounting plate were off by half a hole.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202609.jpg So Kyle cut out a fresh piece of 14 ga crs to make a new one, a bit oversized to trim later. Used some transfer punches to get the bolt holes lined up a bit better on our version of the weld-in plate.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202606.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202607.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202608.jpg Attachment screws fitting better already.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202612.jpg To provide the proper "pressed" countersink, we broke out the tubing flare kit... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202615.jpg Redneck press... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202614.jpg Our lower "die" was a 1/2-13 nut, centered over the hole, perimeter marked, and then taped in place before locating this into the press. Hey, it wasn't pretty, but it worked! http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202616.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202617.jpg Some trimming of the hole to provide room for the weld-in mounting plate.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202619.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202618.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202623.jpg Test fit of the tail light housing showed the opening was a bit wide, especially to the inside towards the tailgate. So some glancing blows with too large a hammer provided a bit of stretch in this inner valley to persuade the panel over to the left, tightening up the opening.... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202624.jpg A bit better here, but more tweaking will be needed on the outside before the mounting plate gets welded in place.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202622.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
I like the choice of the round vents too. Better match for the lines of the car. Really like the eye candy shot of the Buick ...have a thing for them.
Continued exceptional work guys. Following along here is teaching me to have a more critical eye on my projects. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Detail with you is amazing, love the work...Jim
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Always love checking in on the progress. Makes me want to do better work, especially the welding/planishing steps.
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
What about a couple of oval vents instead of rectangular or 3 round? That way you get more coverage with 2 vents and still have some curve to it instead of the not so flattering rectangular vents? like this ProLine Oval Louver from VA:
http://www.vintageair.com/images/ovallouver.jpg Or check out places like Trique Manufacturing http://www.triquemfg.com/air-conditioning-vents/ They have a triangular vent that looks pretty unique, and other oval vents. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Thanks for the comments guys, and John, you set the bar quite high yourself..
Duane, we looked at quite a few of those, and it seems when you get into those higher priced vents more attention is spent on the looks over function. Neither of the oval/triangular vents have a full directional adjustment for putting the air flow exactly where you want it. The ovals do have a left to right adjustment but nothing for up and down. The ones linked don't appear to have any adjustment at all. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Received a couple of care packages today, first was some of the tailgate hinge trim rings, shown here after Kyle media blasted them. So to all the guys that were watching the ebay auction for these, sorry..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202630.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202631.jpg Next, we got our AC vent samples in.. Here is the test fit with tape... Only have two of the round ones to show, but if we go with these there will be three in a row here in the center of the dash. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202632.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202633.jpg Any thoughts on the vents now with them mocked up? Then Kyle tried his hand at block sanding epoxy on the inside of the hood.. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ure%202634.jpg |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
Any chance there are oval ones that have the functionality you are looking for? If they exist, how would two look installed in the dash vertically?
Buddy building a 52 Buick is using round vents from a Chevy Sonic. Suprisingly they look right in that car. |
Re: 55 Wagon Progress
round
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Re: 55 Wagon Progress
I think round looks more in tune for the year of the ride.
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