57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'

[knomadd]

Wow! You gotta love 50's cars and all the nooks and crannies that hold dirt and moisture. They always get a big case of tin-worms, even in a dry climate. Keep up the good work Vic. I know you've got this.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I would be so lost if I was faced with that repair, even if I was coached through it I’d probably warp it beyond repair. <popping popcorn and pouring a beer for the show> 😁

It may not go exactly as I think it will, but backing up and making another run at it from a different angle is my modus operandi.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

It's amazing what you're tackling. I would be scared to death.I'm still watching.

This is the piece that worries me the most. I'd be surprised if I could find another one in half as good a shape as what I have, so avoiding a total meltdown is of paramount importance.

Originally Posted by knomadd

Wow! You gotta love 50's cars and all the nooks and crannies that hold dirt and moisture. They always get a big case of tin-worms, even in a dry climate. Keep up the good work Vic. I know you've got this.

Ain't that the truth, Duane! It looked really great until it came back from media blasting.

I heard back from the folks that do the chemical dipping and the cost is not too great, so I'm going to box up the liftgate this week and send it to them. I'll build the box out of plywood and hope it's enough to keep the contents safe going and coming.

I needed a little something to keep me busy so I drew a design for the plate/bezel that will go on the tailgate. It will house the push button for the electric latch release. It would be too time consuming to do the outer profile, so I'll contact my buds in Houston to CNC it for me. I did the ball end mill grooves and put the holes where they need to be, so the rest is up to them. When I get it back, I'll take it and the tailgate to Sedalia and use Keith's roller to form the curve to match the sheetmetal.

[Vic1947]

I built a (hopefully) sturdy box to ship the liftgate to be chemically dipped. It's out of my hands now, which I gotta tell you gives me a queasy feeling considering the part is all but irreplaceable. But as a good buddy used to say, "Columbus took a chance." So it's on its way to Toledo, OH.

While it's gone, I'm preparing for the suicide door conversion. I sent a photo to the hinge supplier and they said the placement looks good. Recommended that I tack it in place and do a dummy door test to verify it clears. The photo below has an arrow pointing to the spot on the quarter panel that is furthest outboard. This is the recommended location but is way too low for the hinge. So I'm going to start with the area outlined by the white rectangle instead.

They recommend installing the hinge pin vertically which may put the bottom too far away from the outside edge (black arrows). So they have an alternate method that involves tilting the hinge pin (yellow line) in both the vertical and horizontal planes. If you measure carefully with a digital angle finder, it should result in the door swinging level even though the pin is angled.

To get an idea of what I'm facing, I cut a window in the inner panel to see the area behind the striker plate. It will be removed and transferred to the B pillar on the opposite side later. Naturally, that entire area is double walled. I think a combination of the Sawsall and cutoff wheels will create the opening I need. It's going to be a lot bigger than I planned, which means lots more patching once the hinge location is finalized. I may be able to finesse it a bit more on the other side. We'll see.

I was surprised that the inner wheel well stopped an inch or so short of the jamb, but I guess the designers figured the front of the tire would be slinging water forward and down anyway, so why bother.

[Vic1947]

I measured down 28" from the rain gutter and made a mark on the door jamb. Then leveled my straight line laser and marked the bottom cut line. From there i measured up 5.25" which will give me a loose fit for the hinge assembly. Then I marked the rest of the jamb to also remove the striker mounting plate. I'll try to stay inside the yellow tape for my cuts... tomorrow.

[swamp rat]

You sir are are much braver.. strike that... much more talented than I. I await with anticipation to see the results!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

You sir are are much braver.. strike that... much more talented than I. I await with anticipation to see the results!

Thanks, Mike, but sometimes perseverance outweighs talent. You just have to resolve to fix what you screw up.

So today, after sitting down and reading the instructions a couple more times, taking some measurements of the hinge and doing a considerable amount of pondering, I decided to follow the theory that "less is more" and reduce the size of the piece to be cut out. Figured it would be easier to remove more metal than weld it back in. Between the cutoff wheel and the mini air saw, I was finally able to remove the section I'd taped off. I knew from the get go that the wheel well would probably be in the way... and it was. To reach the area that needed to be cut out, I had to take off the tire and wheel as well as the BelAir quarter panel trim. Nasty work trimming the wheel well. It has a heavy layer of undercoating material that really stinks when you burn thru it with the cutoff wheel.

After some additional trimming, I was finally able to fit the hinge in from the back side and mock it up more or less where it needs to be. It looks like it will swing level and stay clear of the quarter. At this point, I need to tack it in place and make a dummy door panel to verify the clearance.

We're definitely swimming in the deep end of the pool now!

[Vic1947]

Rest of the photos...