Amazing car and congratulations to both Cody and the owner.
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Amazing car and congratulations to both Cody and the owner.
Thanks guys for all the kind words..
Well, let's back up and punt one more time. The owner of the 55 stopped by about a week ago and sat in the mocked up bucket seat. She said it sat too high, so our version 2 seat brackets were out. Cutting the floor pan was over-ruled (for recessing the brackets) so we opted for a 14 gauge flat seat pan directly on top of the floor, which also gave us a shape we could eliminate the "step" in the floor.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2292.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2290.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2293.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYklSvTtTTQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfWqQyOeXJo
Next is to add the wedges to the rear ramp for attaching the rear of the track slides...
It's times like those when you repeat over and over.. "rule 1, the customer is always right. rule 2, when the customer is wrong, refer to rule # 1"....
sigh. I guess you can always look at it as job security? LOL..
Yeah, we also moved it rearward almost two inches.. She sat in the car as it was up on the rotisserie, so I thought that may be giving a false sense of being too high. So we went to my B-I-L's to sit in his still original 56 and compare.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...rvivor/003.jpg
Where the seat heights were the same, the original 56 seat has more "compression" to its springs :LOL:. The buckets are both power heated seats so we opted to slam them down as far as we could without cutting the floor pan, they can always be adjusted up.
That stinks, more parts in the money pile
Final design on the bucket seat brackets... and owner approved today as well. One down, one to go.. This is made from 14 gauge cold rolled steel and puts the seat about as low as we can go without cutting the floor pan..
Video of the seat bracket:
https://youtu.be/YF7LOe7eLTQ
Seat test fitted:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2320.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2321.jpg
Beefy comfy seat there with a side airbag?
The side airbags are coming out when they get upholstered..
Always a new challenge every day....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2379.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2382.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2383.jpg
The strong winds this weekend knocked over a dead oak tree across the chain link fence at the local high school, and this was the bus that found the overhang..
Nice work on that seat base. That sure looks to be a nice C10 setting there. Yeah, the bus lost on that tree deal for sure. :LOL:
Don't think I showed this on the other side, but here's how we find the center of the bend for dimensioning the seat bracket..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2360.jpg
Bent up and a test fit...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2361.jpg
Relief cuts made for the next fold.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2390.jpg
More great tips!
Thanks for that! So simple but I never thought of it.
.......then the outer flange area is rolled through the bead roller
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2253.jpg
and then the brake is used to fold the outer flange. Here, all welded in place...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2418.jpg
The front hole pattern is laid out to match the drivers bracket, and then some perpendicular lines laid out for locating the rear risers...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2419.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2420.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2421.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2422.jpg
You can't pull the wool over our eyes, we all know you just randomly drilled some holes in the metal and then marked it out to make it look good :LOL:
:LOL: Dang, my secret's out!
Got a new apprentice that started this past Saturday.. Her mom even thought it was a good idea!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2425.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2430.jpg
She's getting the driver's seat bracket all prepped for SPI epoxy primer, while I worked on finishing the passenger bracket..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2426.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2428.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2432.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2434.jpg
Sometimes you just need to screw off in the shop all day. So while the new hire continued with media blasting, I turned my attention to this "new" hoop for the Watervliet planishing hammer that just showed up.. This square version is somewhat rare, ie: hard to find, but I had a particular location in mind..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_001.jpg
The Baileigh power hammer has some threaded holes on the left side for their own version of a planishing hammer mount, but I just didn't have the funds laying around for their version. So lets see what we can do with Old Faithful...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_002.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_004.jpg
Drum sander does wonders in pipe fitment, and it sure was easier to TIG with a nice tight fit...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_005.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_007.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_009.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_011.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_012.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_014.jpg
All we need now is paint and a pedal..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evAUjqr-5Q
.
Getting down to the nitty gritty on the seat brackets, number two is all but done, need to weld in three hex nuts and touch up some media blasting. Hoping for good weather this weekend so we can spray some epoxy primer on them and get these installed...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2519.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2520.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2528.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2526.jpg
And the last two pipe clamps came in at Napa (installed with lock nuts), so we can now throw some air to the planishing hammer and try out the new fixture..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...pt/IMG_016.jpg
More great work and nice tube notching/fitting. How old is the new hire? She looks too young to have a cell phone. Haha I only say that because I'm not ready for my daughter to have one. :LOL:
She's 15 and has carried a cell phone for a few years now, she's type 1 diabetic so it was deemed necessary by my better half..
You could always use the pedal off the sand blaster while she is on break HAHAHA
It does have a quick disconnect on it so that will be the temporary solution
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the muffler clamps... and not your gorgeous welds, to secure that hammer.
OR.?.?
Are you also using it as a "portable" tool?
Looks like the young lady may enjoy metal work also, that's good to see.
Keeping options open... :LOL:
This weekend we got the three hex nuts welded underneath seat bracket number two, fourth hole is a bolt through......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2532.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2533.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2535.jpg
1/4" tall spacers fabricated to make the seat tracks level, then tacked in place on the front holes..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2559.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2560.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2563.jpg
Prepped and hung up for epoxy primer...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2565.jpg
OEM seat bracket holes in the floor pans open to the inside of floor crossmembers. Rather than weld them closed and warp the floor pan, we opted for these fancy hole plugs.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2568.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2569.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2570.jpg
SPI epoxy primer applied...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2573.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2579.jpg
When it's 39* outside and the paint booth is sucking the heat out of the building, this is how you keep the temps up to a balmy 75* in the paint booth..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2575.jpg
We'll let the seat brackets cure for a few days and then get started on plug welding them in place..
Stopped by to visit the next big yellow project...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2544.jpg
Got the larger bits of the oak tree removed, still some vacuuming to do for the remaining splinters..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2547.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2548.jpg
Looks like we have an electrical repair as well.. While we're fixing the Atlantic Ocean syndrome on the roof top, may as well clean up this rusty cover.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2549.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2555.jpg
After a bit of media blasting, I think we'll change course and get a new vent cover. Too much ventilation in this one..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2577.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2564.jpg
And let's not forget the Biederman.. Time to start the layout of fender repair number 2... Proposed horizontal cut line was added using our trusty Carpenter laser...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...n/IMG_2536.jpg
And some reference lines marked to locate the bottom edge after welding on the new patch..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...n/IMG_2537.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...n/IMG_2538.jpg
....and a paper pattern used to get the size we need for our patch.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...n/IMG_2576.jpg
More nice work! Hopefully 39* is the lowest we see for a while. We've been spoiled with warm weather here lately. Does that heater produce any odors? I've always been scared to turn mine on when painting since I have no paint booth/real fume filtering set up.
"When it's 39* outside and the paint booth is sucking the heat out of the building, this is how you keep the temps up to a balmy 75* in the paint booth.."
You have that problem too? I try not to paint much below 40 deg either. I always try to find the balance between sucking out fumes and keeping the shed warm. I am thinking about mounting my exhaust fan down by the floor instead of up by the ceiling. I'm not sure it will make enough of a difference to do it though.
Your shop can't exist in a vacuum.
The only real solution is to heat the incoming air.
You get a slight odor, but with the amount of air the booth pulls through, is rarely lingers.
A window is opened just to the left of the air handler to make up the air exiting. The booth is on the opposite end of the building, the air handler is set to constant fan and the heater is aimed at it to put heat at that end of the building (vents in ceiling, as are booth filters) first before the cold air from outside gets there.. It seems to keep the entire building warm except for directly in front of the open window. You can actually step in the booth and it feels warmer..
Got started on drilling plug weld holes this evening, here laying out the hole patterns to align with the floor crossmember where possible...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2590.jpg
Once drilled to match our piloted burnishing brush, the paint surrounding the plug weld gets cleaned to prevent weld contamination..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELG55mmG2I0
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2593.jpg
I really dig that. I need to take the time to get my Dad's tig welder out and do these things to the next build.
I love that pilot brush you have, I will be getting one of those for my next project. That thing works great.
Tonight found us working on the bus to remove some of the damage from an oak tree. Here's our damage...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2553.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2555.jpg
The headliner above the step area was cut out to give us better access to the roof skin..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2594.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2595.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2596.jpg
We got much of the damage roughed out, but there's quite a bit of stretch in that roof skin still to remove.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2599.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2600.jpg
You got that pounded out pretty straight. Are you going to make it like new again or is it one of those just get it the best you can projects ?
Amazing that you can get the twisted metal to look so close to the way it started. What tools were used if I can ask?
I agree with what they said. Definitely some expertise that went into the process of getting it to that point you have it now! Did you apply any back ward force while beating the panels around?
My limited experience would be grabbing the torch and burning 20 or 30 holes in the paint (shrinking) to tackle the stretched steel. Let's grab some popcorn and watch the show.
Spent a few more hours getting the light opening to match the new, unbroken light, welded up some of the screw holes that had torn, and given some of the structural members in the way of the roof, we had to settle for no oil canning and a slight low that needed filler.. Here's some of our implements of correction, yes, some force is required in areas... ;)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2605.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2607.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...0/IMG_2608.jpg
A few more sanding sessions and we'll get some epoxy primer on....
Getting some seat brackets welded in so we can finish off the bottom of the floor...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2593.jpg
Plug welding...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VofyZCliZRg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2613.jpg
But before we get all the front seats in and make it harder to access the back, lets get the seat riser plug welded in for the back seat...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2615.jpg
Next, our rear seat that came with the buckets was slightly oversize for our widened wheel wells. Some quick measurements showed we need to lose about 2" in width..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2616.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2618.jpg
Then the rear corners needed relieving for the wheel tubs.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2619.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2621.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2622.jpg
Some 3/16 diameter stainless rod was used to reconnect the pieces in the new rear corners
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2623.jpg
Some fire prevention for the foam..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2627.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2630.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2629.jpg
With both sides fitting individually, time to join our sides back together...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2631.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2633.jpg
Video of the surgery results....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ingFICYYws
With the overlap of material trimmed, this part is looking pretty good!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...5/IMG_2641.jpg