55 Wagon Progress

[MP&C]

Thanks Greg!


While we're getting prepared for wiring installation, the instrument cluster was dug out of its box to help us see where all the wiring was going. And there it was in all it's billet glory. This will kinda clash with the ribbed stainless trim we're using for the dash insert, so let's look at adding it to our gauge cluster as well...





Where this gauge cluster was designed with a flush fit in mind, we need to be able to hide the cut edge of the ribbed stainless. So the holes were opened up slightly where the gauge could be installed from the front, and the bezel will now hide our cut edges..








The stainless is in a rather raw form, and to give it more pizazz, perhaps some polishing is in order... So we used some Trizact products on the DA, and ended things on the buffer...








Here's how it turned out...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlN9sreTbaE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfAiY6wfEyw


We also have some new indicator lights coming for the high beam and turn signals to get away from the tiny LED's that also scream billet.. The new lights should hopefully be here Saturday where we can get this modification wrapped up this weekend..

[Dieselwrencher]

More amazing work as usual Robert. Mounting those screens looks like some outside the box thinking and great work with that all.

[MP&C]

Thanks Ryan!


Today we had a back up and punt moment. The nice chrome bezel on the gauges is far too large to fit in those corners of the instrument panel bezel from the outside. So we'll have to keep it on the backside, but that doesn't help us cover up the cut edge of the hole in the ribbed stainless..








......so let's make some stainless "eyelets" to both hold the ribbed stainless securely to the billet panel, as well as give us a finished edge around the cut hole.. First a punch and die will be needed to press one side of our eyelet.








and we added a 1/2 x 1/2 tang to hold the punch in the press brake...














Back to the south bend to cut out our flange lip.. The punch was snug after the press operation, so it was used as a holding fixture for the trimming operation.








A holesaw in the drill press started the holes for the gauges and then we used our Jigsaw with cruise control to fine tune the openings.





A sheet of phenolic gives us a non-marring surface to pound on, the Snap-on linear stretch hammer swages the flange over and a 1/2" diameter round makes a good punch to flatten out the rest.











Finished "eyelets"








Still have to install the indicator lights, but since I need to pack up for the local car show tomorrow in Leonardtown, we'll finish that up this coming week.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6oKduQOqC8

[mongocanfly]

That's a slick fix..!!!

[Warrens69GMC]

Nice work!!

[MP&C]

Thanks guys!!


We did a test fit of the instrument panel in the car to see what it looked like with the green backdrop...





This stainless will be the same material used in the dash insert "band" that goes from side to side, as well as the insert for the console. Should add some pizazz to the interior... Here's the view with our Alpinetech indicator lights added....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLvM4XG2fQ


Our OEM retainers for the bottom of the curved side glass had one piece with a bracket broken off. These brackets serve as a place to screw/attach the garnish moldings.








The broken piece was removed and the spot welds ground smooth...





A new piece was cut out of some 19 ga steel and the Diacro press brake made short work of repeating 45* bends.





The new part was media blasted, TIG welder used to plug weld things back together, more media blasting and some epoxy mixed up and brushed on using an acid brush.














On to our glass installation, we had picked up some 3M strip-calk to seal the rubber to the glass.








We found that the full width strip provided a bit too much and some oozage ensued... First is always the messy one, right?











So we laid the following ones on the glass and cut down the middle for a more narrow strip.. More better....





So then a person gets cocky and needs a reality check on the driver's side....





Eh, good a stopping point as any..

[mongocanfly]

Ouch...the glass..!!..

[MP&C]

OK, long overdue for an update..

Playing some more with our dash insert, this should look good..





We attempted different processes for folding the hemmed edge trim, but alas none gave a good consistent finish.





So some stainless strips were dropped off at Triton metals, a local machine shop we have used before... They will get much better results, still waiting on completion.


Back to our problem child of a window, this crack occurred as I slightly pried rearward with a metal rule. Exactly where I pried.





To limit the excess squeezed out of the seals on our next glass, we took the 3M strip-calk in its original form and sliced right down the middle..








Here's a video showing installation of the strip-calk, and another with installation of the seal over the strip-calk.


https://youtube.com/shorts/41FgeNHBBa0?feature=share


https://youtube.com/shorts/hQxR2nUTVSs?feature=share


Installing window #2, we had a slight tight area and I asked Jared to push outward and that's when we had a repeat of Groundhog Day..





So, maybe the pry the first time was not the only issue. Fast forward so we can look back, last night we did a dry fit of the garnish moldings around these windows and found that the tack strips holding the headliner were far too thick and pushed the moldings down so far that the back side would be visible through the glass. In addition, this was also pushing downward on the window and seal while we were attempting the installation. When we had installed the quarter panel previously, we used plug welds inside this window opening and some had a slight proud. Nothing that I was concerned with at the time and considering had the tack strip been the correct thickness it likely wouldn't have been an issue now. But with the headliner pushing downward, the seal was hanging up on one of the plug welds as Jared was pushing outward on the corner, which made a perfect fulcrum effect for crack #2. Since we aren't pulling a headliner out, we went ahead and cleaned up the plug welds. This meant taping off all the nice pretty paint on the outside and the interior as well..








All of the welds cleaned up, we mixed up some SPI epoxy and used a small brush to add three coats on the bare areas. And to counter the effect of the garnish molding hanging too low, we will now need to make some one-off upper clips that are half height of the ones we just ordered (and have been waiting 4 months to arrive), in order to get the molding up and out of sight when looking through the glass. Story of my life..


Window #3!! We had length issues from the last replacement, let's check this one as well. Hooking our tape measure on the apex of the pointy end, the original ordered with the rest of the glass set shows to be 40-1/16 in length. The new replacement, like the last one (#2), was 40-5/16. So we have a 1/4" to remove.




















So we consulted my glass expert John Glenn the last time we did this, and got the rundown of the various methods we could possibly use. Since I'm more of a go slow and sneak up on the end goal, I opted for using Cubitron belts on our Dynabride sander. It did a better job of taking down corners so we followed the process discussed in the next video. Then when we had reached the size needed (three hours later), a 320 grit disc on the DA gave a more polished appearance.


https://youtu.be/W_8DPnVPcik








Our installation last night went in relatively painless and crack free. Now to make some upper clips..


https://youtu.be/XPazuJajT10

[mongocanfly]

Congrats on the successful install...for the 3rd time..!!!
I kinda dread when I get going on the travelall, I'm already getting nervous about the rear quarter glass..they are unobtainable new and extremely expensive if you find used ones..I'm definitely letting a pro do mine..but still nervous

[MP&C]

Thanks Greg, if you are making no modifications to the window “opening” framework, I would think you’d be fine.


Another small project in the shop, a good friend of mine has a powder coat business and has been restoring a Kent model KMX850 bmx bike. The bike was found in the woods and was brought to him for repairs, with many of the obsolete parts being sourced from other style bikes and scooters. Here is where he has it thus far..





Once the sun had taken its toll on the seat upholstery, the foam inside became a nice sponge for all the precipitation that Mother Nature could throw at it, leaving much of the seat pan gone. So he needed a seat pan fabricated, and this is where I entered the picture..





His major concern was that we duplicate the impaling spikes to secure the upholstery.





I had attended an estate sale about a year ago and picked up a set of Malco notchers, not knowing what I'd ever need them for, but also knowing I couldn't do without them.











So when I pulled these out of the tool box all fears had been abated..


We started with a piece of 19 gauge AKDQ and used Stan Fulton beading dies to add the center bead.








A piece of 5/8 round stock on the magnetic brake then added the radius for the side bends. Some of the 5/8 round stock was also used to make some post dollies with a welded stop for use in the bench vise..





Basic shape





The Erco kick stretcher used on the sides and the post dollies on manipulating the radius bend helped to provide the kickup needed at the rear.





A solid rod across the rear mounting holes gives us some critical dimensions for layout....











For the mounting holes in the rear, we measured 9/16 from the edge to hole center as per original, and then made a two ended transfer punch that fit snugly between the sides. Once we had our rear measurement and the point aligned to the 9/16 scribe line, we tapped either side to mark the holes.








Once drilled, a rod through these holes lets us locate the front bracket. We reused the bracket to save some time (and money) as it was still good and solid..





Impaling spikes added








All bracket installed and assembly gets media blasted to prep for powder coat.






Posted via Mobile Device

[mongocanfly]

How do the malcos reach that far in past the edge?.they dont look like they have that much throat to them

[MP&C]

Greg, the location of the original punch for the spikes happened to be exactly the throat depth of the Malcos. Like it was meant to be...

[mongocanfly]

Ok..wow
Fantastic job yall did on that...btw

[MP&C]

Thanks Greg!!



One expensive lesson we learned from installing a window three times, the tack strip that the owner bought was too thick for the headliner, and as a side effect cramped the glass going in. This also meant the upper window clips, which also serve to "position" the garnish molding, pushed the molding down far enough that the back side was visible through the glass.





In order to remedy that view through the glass, we need to fabricate new clips that allow the trim to position higher on the glass. We start with a set of dies for the Lennox so we can make a run of the needed shape, and then cut them individually to size. This should give us the best consistency on size. Our first set of dies will take a folded 90* shape and form it into a "U" shape. We used the Southbend "milling machine" to provide a relief for the long side flange of the clip.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hM2p3GJ8hFc


Additional reliefs and some roloc sander action and we have the lower die ready for the shortened clip.





Then our 3/8 end mill is brought in from the end to form a matching profile.





A piece of 1018 is welded onto the side to give us more "meat" to make the folding ramp, and then machined to clean up the weld.








Using the pneumatic belt sander and a cone shaped die grinder we add the ramp to the upper die and then run a profile through..





https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W9BHwcKvH_g


Our next set of dies for the wrap around fold....





https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0uDZveTZBzY


Clips cut to length and mounting holes drilled





Next on the list was to install the new wiper washer nozzles on my daily, since the old ones couldn't stand the heat under the hood with a turbo. The barb fitting had broken free of the nozzle and we no longer had windshield cleaning service. Upon removal, I found that one of the barb couplings had disintegrated as well. And here we were one hour after the auto parts stores had closed. Here's a still intact sample:





Since we had some stainless brake line left over from the wagon, lets make some lemonade...











Back in business.. And the artist has made some progress on the Lennox....

[HO455]

I've been watching this from the side line for quite awhile now. Awestruck by the quality of the work I never thought that I would be able to contribute. Today is different. Here are some harness tapes I have used without issue over the years.
The first link is what I use on motorcycles.
The 2nd link is what I use for interior wiring harnesses or if I need to match a factory GM harness.

https://revivalcycles.com/products/t...c-harness-tape

https://www.americanautowire.com/shop/harness-tape

Thank you for all the knowledge you have shared.

[mongocanfly]

Robert, all your pics say "this image is currently unavailable "

Edit::::All good now

Looks great.!!

This is what I was seeing

[MP&C]

Update on the Kent bike seat, we have a good fit and now it's off to the upholstery shop..

[MP&C]

So I've been rather lax on the updates as we've had a distraction here at the shop. Someone had a mishap in returning home on Memorial day (about midnight) from one of the local watering holes. Let's call him "Dale Jr"







Seems he was coming in a bit hot in the final turn where his left tires were out in the grass in the opposite lane..







Which, when combined with over-correction....



















Here, I guess not wanting to go a lap down, he took the nearest path back to the "track", completely ignoring pit road to his right....







The remnants left behind suggested the drivers window broke out, likely when this gem flew out of the vehicle...







So we've been rebuilding from that the past few weeks in spare time, pre-painting pickets to limit June/July sun exposure.....















and we finished off here yesterday around noon...







Still have one more coat of paint to apply, but this will hold it until cooler days or the next mishap at the track..

[mongocanfly]

Dang!!!
Maybe Jr was trying to pull one of Srs "pass in the grass" moves

[MP&C]

With fence repair duties out of the way we can get back to some progress on the wagon. Finally got the correct clips for the beltline molding...











We had been attempting to polish up some of the stainless trim but always seems to find 67 years worth of scratches difficult to remove. So we opted to give Trizact a try, starting with 1500, then 3000, 5000, and finally 8000.. The edge of the 3000 and up seemed to bear the brunt of the polishing duties, and wore off much sooner than the center. In an effort to get more life out of the trizact pads, we purchased a 5" Dynabrade where we could cut the outer (worn) portion off the pads and continue to use.. The Trizact did well on the stainless, a much easier task at the polishing stage...




















We also have been working on the wiring, and getting it run inside some protective loom. To keep things tidy and knot free, we opted for some heat shrink tubing spaced at regular intervals.. Where I've seen electrical tape used in similar situations, the tape seems to turn into a sticky mess in short order so we'll give this a try. Jared has some re-wiring to do on his 39 coupe so this is good practice (learning curve) for him.. This section is from the fuse box to the rear of the body, the tan wire pulled out is for the fuel sending unit.














These clips are just about the right size for this harness "portion", we got them to run along the frame rail behind the rear axle, but found use for them in a couple other locations. Corvette part.











Here Jared made a protective channel where the wire passes under the rear seat frame.

[mongocanfly]

Heat shrink vs sticky tape....great idea..!!!

[MP&C]

Thanks for adding those resources, good to have..


More progress on the wagon, we're getting some of our wiring run to the back of the car...





In cutting out door panels our upholsterer cut out the speakers a bit too large for how we were mounting them. I don't think I had conveyed those details as I had planned on doing the speaker cutouts portion.. So to keep him from having to do that work over again, we offered to cut them out this time around.





6-32 Riv-nuts used to hold the tweeter grill in place...











8-32 machine screws were sharpened to transfer the hole pattern onto the panel, then our speaker spacers matched to those for cutting out the center hole.














Next, holes drilled for our stainless trim that we had welded the impaling pins on prior....








The stainless trim would be needed for upholstery, so we got to polishing.. A board was drilled to accept the impaling pins and better hold the trim piece for our prep stage of removing 67 years worth of scratches. Also worked well in holding things steady at the buffer..








We used 3M Trizact on the DA, starting with 1500 grit and finishing with 8000 grit. This process cuts out the first two buffing stages, and seems to polish out nicer. Buffing process was using green rouge on sewn wheel and final was grey rouge on loose wheel.


https://youtu.be/REH9gLXxaco


This is after 3000 Trizact:




This is after 8000 Trizact:




This is after buffing:




That'll do pig, that'll do.

[MP&C]

I spent a week in Tennessee just south of Nashville, attending a metalshaping workshop and delivering the Pullmax there for Mike Abbott of Steel Rose Metal Co in Memphis TN. We had a good time learning tips and tricks, meeting old friends and making new ones.





Jesse Harris, who lives about 15 minutes from me, travelled out as well, and gave an awesome demo on using the bead roller with a focus on artwork.



















A leading demo on an aluminum Rolls Royce door...











One of the attendees lives just north of Nashville, and a few of us travelled one evening to check out his shop, Ace Chassis. He has been building pulling tractors for about 20 years now and has quite the setup for machining, welding, and sheet metal fabrication.











Upon return from TN, Jared brought over his 39 Ford so we could install a new wiring harness in place of the convoluted mess that was there.





https://youtu.be/SpXH3K4BGXM





He had some issues and a local fella that wires boats or something had made some repairs. This is his mainstay, I'd never seen the stuff and now having seen his work, I have my doubts about anyone who would use it on a regular basis.











Here's some before pictures to highlight both his repairs and what was done before he got there. For some reason he decided that two separate runs of 12V power from the same source needed a resettable circuit breaker between them.











Personally, I'm confused. But that's not the half of it. This is a "ground" cable that was attached to the frame.











under the dash...











This is in the passenger front floor area, there is a fusebox in there somewhere..











The battery was located behind the passenger seat, and here is the cable routing beneath the car...











Yes, that's the positive battery cable against the muffler.....











With all this we found our best option was to remove the battery and start cutting out ALL the wiring.











First order of business was to fabricate a mounting plate for the new fuse panel to get it out of the floor...











Having removed the most splices I have ever seen under a dash board, our goal was to have as few splices as possible, and make direct runs where we could. W crimps were used throughout, adding glue lined heat shrink in place of the previously favored liquid tape.. Tail light wiring was plenty long so new contact buttons eliminated the typical splicing of pigtails..











Tach and Speedometer connected...











Headlight switch...











For routing purposes, and to keep from drilling the firewall, we made some cable management using rare earth magnets and cable saddles..

















more to come......

[zellway]

Looking great! love the idea of wire management using magnets. I have had problems in supporting wire cradles with 3m tape so I think magnets might be the perfect idea. Out of curiosity what material did you use for the door panels. I was looking for something like that for my project.

[MP&C]

On the wagon we used an ABS ? plastic, the upholsterer usually does the press board but we've all seen how they look years later when they get damp. Keeping my fingers crossed with these..