Thread: Starting New Build-39 Chevy Master Deluxe

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Originally Posted by falconvan

This thing is sweet! I like your cat, too. My favorite old kitty just got diagnosed with diabetes so now I have to shoot her up with insulin twice a day. Pain in the butt but I've had her 13 years and I'm not ready to let her go yet.

Yea---I'd do bout whatever I had to for this old girl. Really, the way she runs around the farm, she acts like she will live another 10 years!

There is, although, a fine line between quality of life and keeping them around for our own benefit. I had to put our big hound down last year even though one vet recommended a pricy treatment which probably would have extended his life, but at what cost to his quality of life. The other vet said something to me, when I questioned putting him down if treatment was available, that really made sense though. He said "now is when they need you to love them the most" Sure do miss him though.

Good looking old dog; I had to put my cocker spaniel down after a long life, too. My vet said as long as her kidneys continued to fuction normally she can live a normal life for several more years as long as I kept up on the insulin. How'd your cat get way up on that rolling door??

Originally Posted by falconvan

Good looking old dog; I had to put my cocker spaniel down after a long life, too. My vet said as long as her kidneys continued to fuction normally she can live a normal life for several more years as long as I kept up on the insulin. How'd your cat get way up on that rolling door??

Yea, they become such a part of the family, ya know? My cousin had a cat that was on insulin for a few years as I remember. He seemed to do fine, you really couldn't tell he was on insulin, or anything else.

I'm not real sure how she got up on the door. I think that she walks along the bottom of the "I" beam till she got to the door then jumps down. I always just happen to notice that she's up there. This cat isn't afraid of anything.

SO------ After stripping the body clean I had to replace the front floors and firewall. A quick call to Absolute Sheet Metal (formally Bitichin Products) and I had what I needed. The parts, while not a perfect fit, went in with a little trimming. I really had to trim the toe panel to get the right angle. The people at Absolute were a great help whenever I called them.

Sprayed everything with "weld through" primer and tacked everything in place checking for fit before final welding.

It does look "Bitchin"! It's coming along great! Thanks for the update too.. 8-)

Lookin good.. Just had to read through it all again,and catch up..Havent been on here as much lately,,and am missing some action..Your floor looks kool,too.. Used some Bitchin product in a 48 Aero,some years back,,and had a bit of fun with it..Fitted EMS sills etc..Real nice.. Hey,good to see a moredoor getting some treatment..

great build thread
its good to see how other people go about building their cars.
are you using mig/tig or gas for welding the panels in?
mark

Originally Posted by sharpmark

great build thread
its good to see how other people go about building their cars.
are you using mig/tig or gas for welding the panels in?
mark

Hey Mark. Yea, I like to see how other people go about bringing their dream car to reality. I use MIG, but would really love to find a TIG machine to learn with. I keep looking but haven't found one reasonably priced yet.

I have a MillerMatic 250 Mig with 75/25 gas on it. I tried for weeks to weld body panels with it. Changed the wire to .023, used every AMP/Wire speed combo you could think of but I could not weld thin metal. I just burned through.

On the advice of someone on another forum, I purchased an inexpensive Harbor Fright 170 Mig machine. It came with .030 wire and I hooked up my gas bottle to it and it worked perfectly! I now use the Miller for big stuff and the little HF unit for thin sheet metal.

Old sheet metal can drive you nuts! I've made more holes in the truck then I've plugged. The gas helps cool it down, but it seems a very fast on off of the trigger helps the most!

Originally Posted by stovens

Old sheet metal can drive you nuts! I've made more holes in the truck then I've plugged. The gas helps cool it down, but it seems a very fast on off of the trigger helps the most!

I discovered that if I just wire brush the area and clean real good that I can then "stich" it together. That technique seems to work best for me. But, no question---old sheet metal can make you pull your hair out.

i know what you fellas are talking about--i've been building a little modified body out of a 1920's studebaker and after alot of melted metal
using both gas and mig i've found little spot welds with the mig is the easiest and gives the best result.
i've got a little scratch start tig but have trouble controlling the heat on that with thin metal- i really need to practice more.
i look forward to more pictures and progress!!

The firewall came out looking great Gator! Very nicely done! I too prefer the smaller sized Mig's for sheetmetal work, I can do it with my Lincoln 200 but I like the smaller Mig gun and .030 wire on most sheetmetal work.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

The firewall came out looking great Gator! Very nicely done! I too prefer the smaller sized Mig's for sheetmetal work, I can do it with my Lincoln 200 but I like the smaller Mig gun and .030 wire on most sheetmetal work.

Thanks for the props.
Yea, I wish I could use the MM250, cause it has a really nice gun, better feel and easier to use. The HF gun feels like a toy but it does get the job done. Looking for an old Miller or Lincoln 110v/90amp machine.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

The firewall came out looking great Gator!

With the new floors and firewall in, my media blaster called and said that he had an opening so I loaded everything up and headed off to the blaster.

01A-Headed-to-stripper.jpg

Car was blasted with walnut shells and aluminum oxide. It came back looking great.

03A-BodyBlasted3.JPG 01B-back from stripper.jpg

I wasn't sure what to expect with the blasting finished, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no additional rust or bondo anywhere on the body, doors or fenders.

01b-back from stripper1.jpg

Time to get started with skim coating and initial blocking. Looking for all them little pesky dings, bumps and waves. I'm thinking about a two tone champagne over black paint job so I want the body to be dead straight.

Lookin' good, Terpngator!! A '39 Chevy 4 door would have been my first car at age 14 but my uncle who owned it decided he'd rather let it continue to rot out in the field. So, my dad and I continued to look and found a '39 Ford tudor sedan instead. We had it ready to go by the time I was 15 1/2. I had it for many years and loved it but still always enjoy seeing what people do with their '39 Chevies.