65 Fairlane pro-touring build

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Hang the bumper if possible & visually verify things @ ride height to get a better feel for the package.

Also.... blacking out the lower half of the tank works wonders for minimizing/hiding things in plain sight.

Good suggestions - both of them. After welding in the rear subframe repair sections, I really need to see how the bumper fits anyway. We recently moved a bunch of my spare parts to a storage facility close to the house, so I can easily pick it up.

[mongocanfly]

Im with Scoti, things disappear when painted black..
I'm sure whatever you do it'll be topnotch..!!!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Im with Scoti, things disappear when painted black.. I'm sure whatever you do it'll be topnotch..!!!

Thanks, Greg! Awhile back, I picked up a couple of cases of 3M professional grade rubberized undercoat. It dries black and has a nice texture, so I'll apply it to the tank once it's ready for the final installation. I brought the rear bumper home and put it up in place and with the tank in the new location, it looks like it will be okay. Between moving it up and coating it black, it won't be nearly as obvious as it was before.

I switched gears and got on the mill/lathe and machined the split ring for the fuel filler assembly. The tank goes up from the bottom and the filler will have to be attached prior to that as there's no way to access the clamps in the space available. I'll have a 3.25"D hole in the floor that the filler goes up thru. Then with it in place, I'll slip the split ring around it and screw the filler assembly to it. Then, I'll bolt the 4.25"D ring to the floor which will unitize the whole shebang.

[Vic1947]

One other little machining project I finished the other day was the shifter handle. I'd ordered one thru eBay but it was defective so I had to return it and get my $$ back. After looking at it, I told myself, "If you weren't so lazy, you'd just build what you need." So that's what I did. I picked up a piece of stainless flat bar from Metal by the Foot that was anything but flat or dimensionally correct. By the time it was flat and square, it was a ghost of its former self. However, it was plenty sturdy and would work if I could outlast it. It fought a good fight but I won in the end.

[mongocanfly]

Very slick..!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Very slick..!

Agree 1000%.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Thanks, Greg! Awhile back, I picked up a couple of cases of 3M professional grade rubberized undercoat. It dries black and has a nice texture, so I'll apply it to the tank once it's ready for the final installation. I brought the rear bumper home and put it up in place and with the tank in the new location, it looks like it will be okay. Between moving it up and coating it black, it won't be nearly as obvious as it was before.

I switched gears and got on the mill/lathe and machined the split ring for the fuel filler assembly. The tank goes up from the bottom and the filler will have to be attached prior to that as there's no way to access the clamps in the space available. I'll have a 3.25"D hole in the floor that the filler goes up thru. Then with it in place, I'll slip the split ring around it and screw the filler assembly to it. Then, I'll bolt the 4.25"D ring to the floor which will unitize the whole shebang.

Trying to figure out your setup on the bridge port, carrasole...
Does the device have threaded holes for the clamps
Where did you buy it
Great work so far, keep on keeping on

[Rickysnickers]

Well done. However, I had to laugh at the "if you weren't so lazy" comment. Kind of an ironic thing for you to say since you are rebuilding a car, . Hope you can see the humor in my post

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Well done. However, I had to laugh at the "if you weren't so lazy" comment. Kind of an ironic thing for you to say since you are rebuilding a car, . Hope you can see the humor in my post

Well, the lazy comment refers to how I first look around to see if I can buy a part I need rather than just making it like I did when I was a lot younger. I have a buddy that swears it takes three times as long and twice as much money to build something instead of buying it and I think he's onto something. The thing about working on these old cars is that we often are forced into fabricating parts because there's nothing out there that will satisfy the vision in our minds.

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Trying to figure out your setup on the bridge port, carrasole...
Does the device have threaded holes for the clamps
Where did you buy it
Great work so far, keep on keeping on

The device I'm using is a 6" precision rotary table from Yuasa (HV-6). I bought it many years ago at a machine tool company that was going out of business. They're still available from companies like Penn Tool but have gotten pricier over time. You can find less expensive versions, but they aren't the same quality. Mine is relatively small compared to what you would find in a commercial machine shop, but I mostly use it for trinkets. It has T-slots in the table that accept T-nuts you can position wherever you need. I have a selection of different length studs that can be used to fixture material of varying thicknesses. Due to its small size, clamping down the material can be challenging.

On this particular piece, I sawed two pieces of 1" thick aluminum and then milled one long edge on each piece. I then clamped the two pieces together and spot welded them in two places such that the welds would be removed once all the holes were drilled and/or threaded. Since I had a square piece and needed it to be round, I drilled a hole in the center to locate it using a pin on the rotary table. After clamping it on two sides, I used a roughing mill to cut the circle I needed. It took several passes and I had to skip over the clamps. When that operation was finished, I removed the part and used the lathe to finish the outer diameter. From there, I went back to the rotary table and set up again to do the hole patterns. The dial on the wheel is marked in fractions of a degree so it's extremely accurate. With the part centered, I moved the mill table out half the diameter of the bolt circle and began cranking the wheel to give me 60 degrees between holes. Once all the holes were done, I removed the piece again and went back to the lathe. I needed a 2.1" hole in the center, so I used a 2" hole saw chucked up in the tailstock to rough it in. This operation removed the spot welds, but the part was clamped tightly so it couldn't move. I finished the inner hole with a boring tool, faced the part and chamfered the corners. Because this is a manual process, it took me a little over a day and a half to complete. But I ended up with exactly what I needed for nothing more than some extra material I had on hand and my labor.

This is why I've tended to buy equipment when faced with the choice of doing it myself or farming it out to a shop. If you use the tools even a few times, you're ahead of the game.

.

[jaros44sr]

Thanks Vic for the detailed information, I couldn't figure out how the T nuts held, but now I see the slots

Speaking of used machinery, I bought my Bridge port from the original owner, he bought it in 1950 and built the 2 phase converter which i am still using,we have single phase in our area

I'll look into the company's you suggested, I don't want to buy Chinese, as quality is important with tolerances

Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail

Car is looking great

[Vic1947]

You're welcome, Jim. I wish I had the space for a 9x40 Bridgeport. Had to leave mine behind when we moved to KC from Houston. I also had to use a phase converter with the one I had. Hope you find a nice rotary table that doesn't break the bank. They sure come in handy at times - especially if you're doing bolt circles. I know the Machinist's Handbook has coordinates for doing them, but man, is it tedious.

[72 tigger]

Fine craftsmanship as usual!

[jaros44sr]

Yeah mine is an antique, but the ways and gibs are good

Bought it for 400.00 w/phase converter,and power table feed, I learned in HS at vo tech how to machine manually, never used CNC
Still looking for the turntable

17084285339508963078761345492803 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/97391199@N06

[Vic1947]

That's a smokin' deal. Actual Bridgeports are built like tanks so it doesn't surprise me that it's still in good operating condition. Does your phase converter allow the machine to instant reverse? The one I had required a complex relay wiring scheme to reverse instantly. Before installing the relays, if you tried to reverse out of a tapped hole, for instance, it just kept going in the forward direction. (Not good!) You could stop the machine and reverse would then work, but I needed it to instant reverse like they do when connected to actual three phase.

[Vic1947]

I've been working on the rear taillight panel. Needed to fill the fuel door and all the stock trim holes. When I cut out the existing structure for the door, it made the trunk latch very flimsy, so I built a reinforcement panel that triangulates the latch and really firms it up. There are a lot of dings in the panel that were covered with plastic filler originally. I've got some more hammer and dolly work to do before it's ready once again for filler. That's a problem for future Vic, though.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

That's a smokin' deal. Actual Bridgeports are built like tanks so it doesn't surprise me that it's still in good operating condition. Does your phase converter allow the machine to instant reverse? The one I had required a complex relay wiring scheme to reverse instantly. Before installing the relays, if you tried to reverse out of a tapped hole, for instance, it just kept going in the forward direction. (Not good!) You could stop the machine and reverse would then work, but I needed it to instant reverse like they do when connected to actual three phase.

17085252545428203211308862072019 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/97391199@N06

I haven't experienced that, but I always use the brake for the spindle before I change direction, as soon I hit switch it goes into reverse
I can imagine snapped taps, if it wants to go in forward rotation

The guy is still alive and his shop is close by that built the unit, he said it was the first unit he built

Sorry for getting off on a tangent, but you work is incredible, always impressed with your techniques,and thanks for entertaining A CRABBY OLD WHITE GUY

[jaros44sr]

Edited, sorry for the misuse of word

[KevinK7]

...jumping in for the ride, This is one super cool project. Stunning metal work, very impressive

[Vic1947]

Been a few days since I last posted. Kathy and I both have been fighting colds. For a couple of days I just sat on the couch with a blanket over me and watched YouTube. But we're back to 100% now.

I decided to take a break from fighting tinworm and assemble the rear end. The housing ends were in kind of bad shape, but I found some on eBay that were CNC machined, and they've been sitting in a box on my parts table for months. I lopped off the old ends and then dug out my line-up bar and the necessary donuts. While I was at it, I narrowed the housing an inch. I could have gone as much as two inches but the splined recess on the Truetrac is much shorter on one side, and I didn't want to take a chance on the axle fitment. It's all a crapshoot anyway until you get it in place and mockup some tires in the wheel wells.

I welded the upper brackets for the four link and then shot everything with a few coats of Feather Fill. After some sanding the surface pitting was no longer showing. Almost looks new now. All that was left was to assemble everything. I still don't have the calipers installed because Wilwood is sending me the correct wheel registers for the Currie axles, and they haven't arrived yet. When I called them, they said the ones I need aren't listed in their catalog, but the tech was nice enough to send the right ones free of charge. Doesn't get any better than that.

I also marked both bumper brackets on the subframes when I test fit the rear bumper recently. I drilled and slotted the subframes to match the bracket hole pattern. I then tacked in some spacers to keep the frame rails from collapsing when I bolt the brackets on. All in all, at least a little progress to report. The weather has been pretty nice, so I've been able to open the doors and get some fresh air in the shop.

[Vic1947]

Been dreading this phase of the build. Today I cut out the inner half of the rear wheelwell on the passenger side. Cleaned up the corner where the trunk floor met the subframe, then welded and ground it. I bought an AMD replacement wheelwell for a 66-67 Fairlane months ago and I've been imagining all sorts of snafus regarding the fitment. I was pleasantly surprised to see there's not a lot of difference between the old and new. It appears the new ones are slightly shorter end to end which is better than the other way around. The real test will be when I remove the rest of the wheelwell and check the fit of the AMD outer to the quarter panel.

[62c30]

That's good to know. I'm sure my 64 will need some work there too.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 62c30

That's good to know. I'm sure my 64 will need some work there too.

More photos below for reference. All this surgery has moved the inner wheelwell inboard 2.25" roughly which will allow for a wider profile rear tire. I marked the lines on the stock quarter where I plan to cut it. Trying to use as little of the C2C quarter panels possible. They're extremely flimsy.

I put the C2C quarter panel and corresponding AMD outer wheelwell together to see what future Vic will have to deal with. As I suspected, they don't match perfectly, but they're close enough to make them work. I'm thinking I may stretch the QP opening rather than mess with the AMD piece. It's a shame the C2C panel isn't as nice as the AMD stamping. I reckon beggars can't be choosers.

[62c30]

That sucks about the c2c panels. The trunk drop offs I put on my 64 were perfect fit and probably the same thickness as the stock ones. These odd ball cars can be hard to find parts for unlike the Chevy trucks and mustangs I messed with when I first got into cars. I bought a 66 cyclone last year, if I ever do anything with it it will be another fun to find parts for car.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 62c30

That sucks about the c2c panels. The trunk drop offs I put on my 64 were perfect fit and probably the same thickness as the stock ones. These odd ball cars can be hard to find parts for unlike the Chevy trucks and mustangs I messed with when I first got into cars. I bought a 66 cyclone last year, if I ever do anything with it it will be another fun to find parts for car.

Amen to that!

A few more progress photos. I spot welded a piece of 3/4" tubing to the quarter panel to help hold its shape when I make my cuts. On the inside, I cleaned out most of the remaining outer wheelwell. I mocked up the new wheelwell to the existing quarter panel and surveyed the situation. I have a couple of things going on that I'll need to address. The 66-67 wheelwell is wider up front than the 65 so the pinch weld seam is inboard quite a bit more than stock. I don't think that will be a big deal since there's not much in that area except for the panel that the rear seat rests against. The real problem as I mentioned previously is that the ends of the new wheelwell are wider than stock. Not only that, they curve to the inside a lot more. I'm going to have to ponder this for a bit - maybe over a cold one.

[Vic1947]

Pie cuts and pie filling!

The rear section is coming along nicely. Front section will be a bit trickier but should work out okay too. Fortunately, this is an area that is never looked at except for show cars which this isn't.

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