1941 chrysler coupe build

[Barry]

Wow, way beyond my skill level pugs, but I realized I did not know anything when I went to my first metal meet years ago after the second metal meet figured leave this work to the pros.

 

[123pugsy]

A nice gap to shoot some SPI epoxy into before rolling over the flanges.

Now, here's where I got stupid. I hammered over the edges, but not super tight. Not even thinking about this, I proceeded to add welding wire to the edge at the front of the door where the gap is....

...oh, the humanity! If I just waited til later, after getting the body on the frame and getting the door in the correct shape, I would have flattened the edges more and the edge woulda squished out and forward.....sometimes, I just can't believe the stupid things I do.

...........where it proceeded to shrink like crazy, stretched it but still warped........D'OH!

 

[Barry]

I feel funny even saying this to you with your skill level.
Something I was taught in the early 70s is when making gaps on a door like you did is, use a brazing rod start heat at the top, and maybe every 4 to 6 inches to shape.
Then melt in the whole distance and mark it, and sand with 80 grit by hand.
You may know of a drawback to this, but I've never seen any, and it is very easy to form and sand.

 

[123pugsy]

I feel funny even saying this to you with your skill level.
Something I was taught in the early 70s is when making gaps on a door like you did is, use a brazing rod start heat at the top, and maybe every 4 to 6 inches to shape.
Then melt in the whole distance and mark it, and sand with 80 grit by hand.
You may know of a drawback to this, but I've never seen any, and it is very easy to form and sand.

I use TIG, can't even fathom using gas welding.

I used silicon bronze rod on my El Camino doors and they warped as well, even though less heat was introduced. Then I realized I couldn't planish that type of welding rod, so now have moved to steel.

BTW, TIG welding warps everything to heck. Don't believe a word keyboard commandos say about using TIG and getting less warpage. If they are getting less, they haven't used enough heat for good penetration. MIG would be perfect for edges same as John here uses.

 

[Barry]

I learned something, but when I learned as all we had was gas and an ark, I was comfortable using it.
Never even seen in person a tig and too old to teach myself how to use one. Lol

 

[123pugsy]

The window kit came with plastic grommets and a spring for the wires to get thru the jambs.
Me, in my infinite wisdom didn't think the plastic collars would stay in place because they only came with a rubber ring that pushes on from the back so I made up sleeves from stainless with a terrific keepin em in place mechanism. Set screws from the back and everything. Hard to see in the video, but they're there.

And like everything else on this project......sheesh..................

 

[123pugsy]

Like walking thru an old ghost ship.

Back to the drawing board. I already had the right idea with locking in the spring to the doors by angling the collars I made up. The angled part of the outer tube welds to the door, and the split collar inside that presses on the spring to keep it in place with damaging it.

So, I need to do the same thing with the jamb entry way. I remembered some bent pieces of 7/8 diameter stainless tubes left over from a project. I grabbed a couple and got myself a nice sleeve aiming at the door sleeve and a gentle curve to slide thru.

Better:

 

[123pugsy]

DS door more of the same. 1" edges all the way around to the body line 3 sides.


Door was also too big for the opening. Iw was rubbing from day one.

 

[123pugsy]

Better gaps.

 

[123pugsy]

Repeat of PS. Full bottoms all the way across and holes in the sides as well at both ends.

 

[123pugsy]

Same as PS......

Did the striker bolt patch better on this side.

 

[123pugsy]

The spring collar on DS door. Had to cut access holes to tighten the clamp screw and feed the wires thru the stiffening plate.

Top view of how tight the space is.

 

[123pugsy]

Move onto something different. Can only take working on doors for so long.

Got the rear fenders down. They look as good as the fronts which were in quite good shape except the bolt to the car flange.
Don't have to worry about that flange on the rears as I will be fattening the rear and welding them on.

Uh-oh, bondo on the back side can never lead to a good outcome.

Lead in the middle of nowhere also cannot give one a rosy future.

Cleco'd it back in place after melting off the lead and finding Swiss cheese.
This how I had set it up about ten years ago. Damn, time is flying by.

 

[123pugsy]

The other side was a bit better.

 

[123pugsy]

I believe it was on a weekend when I got to this point. My E-wheel was at the shop, so I figurred I could just tap out some strips on a block of steel with my body hammer. I mean, after the half million blows the the roof panels I made, these skinny strips should be cake forming by hand.

First thing was to find the blend in point closest to the car. The smaller the better.

Then catch up the other side.

 

[dhutton01]

Awesome work.

Don

 

[123pugsy]

Moving forward on the DS. This patch will weld to the point where the inner wheelhouse and quarter panel meet.

 

[123pugsy]

more............

Into that mess with the lead and the golden welding...........

 

[123pugsy]

Hammer form for last bit.

All panels hand planished, ha..................

 

[123pugsy]

Came out not too bad. Filler will be req'd of course. I make no claims that I can do metal shaping otherwise.

Hole filling. Got this tip from a fellow Canadian on YouTube, goes by the name Fitzee.
Weld the rods to my slugs which were oversized, chuck it up in the drill and spin it on the belt sander til if fits nicely.