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Old 05-08-2009, 07:51 PM
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Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Near Huntsville, Alabama. Just south of the Tennessee line off I65
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Default The Art Deco Imperial Project - Part 9

THE ART DECO ROADSTER PROJECT
9/21/07
Been working on the cabin structure. Redid the A pillar hoop and because it was so far back from where I wanted the dashboard, I built a dashboard hoop and cantilevered it 6" to the rear.

The door tops will start at elbow height and rise up and turn inward toward the front of the door and blend into the dashboard line. Behind the elbow the door swoops up. This is one bit*H of a panel Bends in 3 dimensions but always stays parallel to the floor. One was bad enough but doing the other door that was the reverse was really, really interesting





Bennett is coming over tomorrow and we'll finish the foam/bondo buck for the rear fender this weekend.

9/24/07

Progress:

Finished the door structures. The top arm rest swoop was a bear to make both sides match. A BEAR! The new shrinker/stretchers really made this possible. Couldn't have done this with Lancasters.



Below is before the rest of the bracing.



All braced up:



The door top is very comfortable to lay your arm on.



I mocked up the firewall in wood so I could play around with locating the steering column etc. Now it's time to do it in steel.



The 'keyhole' slot is so the gear lever can go through the firewall. I'll make a two piece seal.



I then bent up and shaped some flanges and rosette welded them to the firewall.



Here it is all spot welded in place. The steer column is also mounted to the cross arm and bolted in place. We got the steering linkage worked out also but need one more universal joint before I can lock everything down.



After Bennett left for home, I shaped up the rear of the cockpit hoop. Complex piece.





Temporary bracing tacked in place.





After I see it from a distance, I think I'm going to raise it a bit. The decklid is lower than the hood and I think that will look a little odd.



Bennett finished the rear fender buck. It needs primer.



Bennett kept climbing the in the car and making varoom noises.



I've got some machines to build before MM so I'm not sure how much more I'll get done. I'd like to finish the cabin structure, pull the motor/trans, and rough out a structure for the rear deck. Too much to do...too little time.
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