Rough bodywork continues

Pat has repaired the damage to the c-pillar on the passenger side, the gash to the front and rear door pillar, and the right front fender.


He used a hydraulic jack, and particularly medeval looking piece of persuasion that helps bend or pull the damaged metal back into its original position.

I understand that it saves a tremendous amount of hammering. I was not present for this and I'm glad - I think I would have passed out!

I think that one of the trickier bits of work will be getting the doors to align straight. These cars were handbuilt and the gap between door and body seems to vary widely as I look at different models.

Pat said that many restorers will spend countless hours and create a much flusher gap than ever came from the factory -- a 'better than new' scenario.

A coat of primer will make this fender look whole again. It's amazing the number of compound curves on this car. Even the headlight cover is complex.

These covers are aluminum, and the driver side one actually shattered -- Pat sent it to an aluminum welder and we should have it back this week.

Removed the interior

Pat and I removed most of the interior from the car over the weekend as well. It's necessary for a couple of reasons:

1. With all the bodywork that needs done on the c-pillar and passenger side doors, the interior on that side would have to be removed
2. Painting a car is a very dirty process with all the sanding, priming, and painting - removing the interior means that you preserve it rather than ruin it!

The interior is a completely custom-crafted thing -- all fabric is woolen broadcloth and most is screwed, nailed, or stapled to wooden bows on the seat frames, door frames, and body. It's amazingly labor-intensive.

Bodywork is underway

Things got underway in earnest this past weekend -- If you've looked at the pictures in the archive, FB2191 had a decent bit of damage to the front and passenger side -- specifically the front fenders, transmission cover, fence, hood, passenger side doors and c-pillar.

Well, Joe and Pat have made phenominal progress on the front of the car -- here are several pictures:

This is my 9 year old son Austin helping Joe arc-weld the driver side fender

This is the rough-finished driver side fender -- the fender had to be pounded out, straightened, then welded together.

Here's the passenger side fender -- it wasn't quite as bad as the driver side.

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And this is the transmission cover -- Joe had to completely rebuild the front piece, cut out the bad metal, and weld the fabricated piece in. Not bad work for a union guy!