'57 Ford Custom 300 Tudor Sedan

[ratty 46]

When I read the post about the fiberglass I had to chuckle a bit ... Younger guys might not appreciate the humor in it but that was a viable fix "back in the day" & a very expectable form of repair.

Now a day ... your re-repair is the only real acceptable form of repair. No one I know of, unless it's on a corvette, would do the old stuff now.

Nice repair.

[Low Elco]

Nice stuff! Gonna look so niiiiice!

[Vic1947]

Thanks, guys. Just a quick update, not a lot of pics, but most of what I've been doing is pretty boring. I finished the patch on the passenger side inner fender and welded up the holes in both panels. Both are ready for a couple of heavy coats of Slick Sand and then 2K primer. I'm currently working on the lower valance and interior garnish moldings. Took off a bit this morning and went to the upholstery shop to check on their progress. The backing boards for the side panels are basically done and they were breaking down the front seats while I was there. Good progress, I'd say. They plan to replace some of the tie wraps I used when I cut down the seat frames with the correct metal clamps, as some of the ties already turned loose. I'm guessing it won't be long before I can pick up the car and bring it back home. They'll sew the covers and trim it all out after they get the foam in place and won't need the car there for that part. I've got a few more days of work on the clip, so that should work out well.

[sduckworth13]

Nice work on the inner fenders Vic.

[Vic1947]

This morning, I mocked up the front fender trim on the driver side. I know the car has had a few scrapes in the distant past, and apparently, the driver side front fender was replaced at some point. It has a dual pattern punched for the upper trim strip. I needed to see which ones to fill since I don't want moisture coming in from behind. Plus, some of the unused holes peek out below the trim piece. Fairlanes had different trim, but the fender is likely meant to fit it as well. The original gold insert panels would have covered the holes, but I'm using a metal backed carbon fiber printed vinyl in place of the original panels. Don't want the holes to cause problems.

It warmed up enough this afternoon to shoot Slick Sand over the inner fenders, the header panel and the lower valance. I also prepped some of the interior garnish moldings for primer/paint. Not sure if I mentioned it, but I plan to paint all the interior parts myself. We should start to see an occasional day suitable for painting in the next few weeks.

I received the replacement glass for the quarter windows today. I was right to be worried about it. The "smoke" tint is quite a bit different than the door and vent window glass. It has more of a green cast to it, whereas the rest of the side glass is more of a blue gray color. I contacted a glass company off the internet and they're working on a solution for me. To compound matters, the windshield has never looked right. Corners seem tucked in too tight. I bought it from an individual a long time ago and my suspicion is that it's for a Fairlane. So I'm hoping the glass company can put together a package that has the correct windshield and matching tinted side glass. Nothing that cubic money can't fix.

[jlsanborn]

"Cubic Money"... Bummer on the glass Vic.

How have you managed to keep a windshield in tact for that long? I've busted two "keepers" in the last two years and never moved them.

The trim work looks tedious and welding all those holes is going to be tricky. The result with that vinyl should be pretty cool though! Can't wait to see this interior come together too.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

...How have you managed to keep a windshield intact for that long?

If it had been the correct windshield, I'd have busted it years ago, John.

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

... welding all those holes is going to be tricky.

I figured I didn't really need to weld them up. A little trick I use for small holes is to use a foil tape patch on the backside and epoxy to fill the hole. Afterwards, I primer the backside and then undercoat (or paint) it. The hole ends up being sealed on both sides so no worries about corrosion. I've never had any issues with witness marks showing up later due to the different expansion coefficients of the materials, but I usually reserve this technique for those hard to get at, out of the way places.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

The result with that vinyl should be pretty cool though! Can't wait to see this interior come together too.

And cue up the pictures...

Jeff called this morning with a few questions and asked if I could come down and preview the work. Hopped in the truck and made a beeline for his place. The side panels are basically done and the foam is on the rear seats, Front seats have been sewn but not smoothed and straightened like they will be after the final fitment. You get the idea, though. He said I could pick up the car tomorrow and they wouldn't need it back until after the paint is done. I'm a happy camper! This is going much faster than I expected.

[Xeen]

You weren't kidding when you said this one is a lot closer to being finished than the pickup, it seems like it's being completed at breakneck speed, the upholstery is nearly finished and it will be ready for paint in two weeks, wow!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

You weren't kidding when you said this one is a lot closer to being finished than the pickup, it seems like it's being completed at breakneck speed, the upholstery is nearly finished and it will be ready for paint in two weeks, wow!

It's much closer, but there's still a lot to do, Brian. Days like today remind me of that. Russ transported it back to the house this morning and helped us push it into the workshop. I had to take off for a while this afternoon as we changed internet providers and I wanted to observe and then tidy up the wiring after they left. So between the sideshows, I didn't get as much done as I wanted.

I did get the driver door gutted of the glass, glass runs, power lift and the latch / pop lock hardware. It's been probably 7 or 8 years since I installed it, and in typical "Vic style" the mechanisms are heavily modified and fit together like a Rubik Cube. Figuring out what I'd done all those years ago took awhile and made me feel really old. Also removed the trunk lid and repaired some of the places I hosed up when adjusting the gaps. Removed and disassembled the billet arm rests then wrapped them for the trip to the anodizer. Still need to remove the dash and the glass / hardware on the passenger door. That's what creeps me out... taking stuff apart at this stage.

The fenders have a bunch of low spots and after chasing a few of them, I did what I should have from the get go and blocked them with a flat board. I thought I could run my hand over them and feel the depressions, but some were so shallow only blocking identified them. So I'm neck deep in plastic filler. It's good to have it home though.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

It's much closer, but there's still a lot to do, Brian. Days like today remind me of that. Russ transported it back to the house this morning and helped us push it into the workshop. I had to take off for a while this afternoon as we changed internet providers and I wanted to observe and then tidy up the wiring after they left. So between the sideshows, I didn't get as much done as I wanted.

I did get the driver door gutted of the glass, glass runs, power lift and the latch / pop lock hardware. It's been probably 7 or 8 years since I installed it, and in typical "Vic style" the mechanisms are heavily modified and fit together like a Rubik Cube. Figuring out what I'd done all those years ago took awhile and made me feel really old. Also removed the trunk lid and repaired some of the places I hosed up when adjusting the gaps. Removed and disassembled the billet arm rests then wrapped them for the trip to the anodizer. Still need to remove the dash and the glass / hardware on the passenger door. That's what creeps me out... taking stuff apart at this stage.

The fenders have a bunch of low spots and after chasing a few of them, I did what I should have from the get go and blocked them with a flat board. I thought I could run my hand over them and feel the depressions, but some were so shallow only blocking identified them. So I'm neck deep in plastic filler. It's good to have it home though.

I sympathize with you Vic... I have a OEM hood and running my hand over it I thought it was really nice with only a couple of "light hail" dents... man did I get my eyes opened...

[Vic1947]

Jay called this morning to see if I was still sucking air. Said he figured I was more bowed up than a Halloween cat. True that.

I've just about got the body work whipped. John called from Precision to let me know the trucking company had delivered my windshield, so when I went to pick it up, I quizzed him about his schedule. Naturally, the shop was as full as I've ever seen it, but he said he thought they could start on it Monday. We agreed that I'd drop off the front clip to start with and the rest of the body in a few days.

They'll need to squirt a couple of coats of 2K primer on the parts and do the final blocking with 500 grit. Between now and then, I have to apply Slick Sand to the fenders and the areas on the trunk lid that I had to revisit (my original lines weren't up to snuff). I'll block everything before delivering to Precision and that way I'll know if there's anything I missed.

It's been a real treat getting all the original lines straight. Back in the day, people didn't think anything of jumping up and sitting on a fender or the hood. The cars were sturdy... but not that sturdy. The cumulative abuse from over a half century just kept on popping out. But it's pretty much in the rearview. Except for the shop cleanup. You may notice I've covered some of my stuff in a futile attempt to keep the dust at bay.

Got lots of stuff to do while the car is out for paint. I'll be painting the interior sheet metal and I have to replace all the side glass. I'm dreading that as I used urethane to install some of it and that crap doesn't even want to turn loose. Research says heat is about the only effective way to deal with it. I know from recent experience that a hot knife doesn't begin to cut it so I guess I'll break out the MAPP gas.

After getting the car back from the upholstery shop, I finished installing the trans cooler and made the piece to hide the back of the rear seat. Steve was here yesterday and he took it back to Sedalia so our buddy, Keith, could roll a 1/8" step into it. Then it goes to Jonathon at Sure Coat for powder.

I also had to remake yet another brake line. Thought I had the leak fixed, but noooo... there was a droplet on the floor after a few days and sure enough it was coming from a different connection. I'd already tightened it more than it should have been, so the only recourse was a new line. I haven't seen a fresh leak yet, but it's a sneaky bast@#d. Time will tell.

[Elliot949]

What brand of 2k do you use

[jlsanborn]

Yikes, side glass too?! Is that seat back visible through the trunk? Bet it'll be nice to be done with the sand paper and get a broom down

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Yikes, side glass too?! Is that seat back visible through the trunk? Bet it'll be nice to be done with the sand paper and get a broom down

Yeah, the quarter glass I planned to use that matched the front door and vent glass had to be replaced. One was delaminated and the other was cracked. The tint on then new pieces was way different than the old so it wouldn't look right. I've ordered the door and vent glass to match the new quarter glass I have. While I was at it, I was concerned that the windshield might not be the right one. Test fitting the one I had into the opening led me to think it might be for a Fairlane. Rather than risk it not working, I ordered a new one that is specific to the '57 70A/70B body. Set the two side by side this morning and measured them. Of course, the new one is exactly the same as what I have.

The seat back springs show thru the opening at the front of the trunk which is why I made the panel. It will hide them from view. The trim shop wants me to finish out the trunk in matching vinyl and carpet including side panels that hide the insides of the quarter panels. Not sure about that yet. May have to wait until we get back from from Power Tour and see how much is left in the piggy bank.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Elliot949

What brand of 2k do you use

Hey Dan, I use SPI (Southern Polyurethanes, Inc.) products. You can browse their stuff on the web, but you'll need to call them with an order. I don't know what Precision Collision uses, but it smells different when you sand it than the SPI. Having been in the body bidness, I'm sure you're like me and don't want to risk mixing product lines too much. That said, modern 2K primers seem to tolerate a wide range of topcoats and I've never had an issue with SPI.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Hey Dan, I use SPI (Southern Polyurethanes, Inc.) products. You can browse their stuff on the web, but you'll need to call them with an order. I don't know what Precision Collision uses, but it smells different when you sand it than the SPI. Having been in the body bidness, I'm sure you're like me and don't want to risk mixing product lines too much. That said, modern 2K primers seem to tolerate a wide range of topcoats and I've never had an issue with SPI.

Thanks Vic .. so it is a high build?... what tip do y out spray with.. .3 or .5

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Elliot949

Thanks Vic .. so it is a high build?... what tip do y out spray with.. .3 or .5

They offer a regular build and a high build. I've tried both and like the regular build better but YMMV. I use a 2.0 mm tip which works reasonably well. Years ago it would have been too stingy, but these days, the reduced volume cuts down on the runs. With primer, an occasional run is nothing to worry about, but I still prefer to avoid them if possible. As I enter my second (third... fourth?) childhood, my attention span ain't what it used to be, so I need all the help I can get.

[Elliot949]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

They offer a regular build and a high build. I've tried both and like the regular build better but YMMV. I use a 2.0 mm tip which works reasonably well. Years ago it would have been too stingy, but these days, the reduced volume cuts down on the runs. With primer, an occasional run is nothing to worry about, but I still prefer to avoid them if possible. As I enter my second (third... fourth?) childhood, my attention span ain't what it used to be, so I need all the help I can get.

Man I understand that attention span deal... at 60 I have ADDHDD plus more ADD... LOL... I get bored WAY to easy...

Thanks for the info... I have been using Dupont Uro-Prime but the changed the formula a few years ago and it just isn't the same...

[sduckworth13]

Nice work Vic, and thanks for the help on the lug nut spacers and blocking tutorial crash course. I can really appreciate how much time and skill goes into blocking any fender but especially those fenders you have with all the contours on it. That inner fender you repair looks great too.

[Low Elco]

Blockin', blockin' blockin'... I miss the smell of URO. Good stuff, but it packed a wallop! I need to buy some SPI the next go round. Nason's 2k worked pretty good on the little blue car. Keep it up, and as always, don't hesitate a second to call if you need anything. Great to see you and Miss Kathy this weekend.

[sduckworth13]

Looks nice Vic. Did you make the arm rest? They look nicely done.

[ratty 46]

I can only think of one word that describes your drive, persistence and direction on this .. and that would be IMPRESSIVE.

Again - nice work so far.

R46

[Low Elco]

I'm glad it ain't just me. Glad your hood came around. Take heart, good sir, you're gettin' there!

[jlsanborn]

Clean! Way to show that hood who's boss!