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  #91  
Old 10-10-2015, 09:18 PM
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Next I had to clear everything from the firewall. All the brackets, sound deadener, remnants of wiring and brake lines, etc. (The brake lines ran through the interior of the body(?!). With all that stripped away I could see where all the different panels were put together and start figuring out the best way to move it all down a couple inches.

The challenges here are as follows:

1) The work needs to be done above the upper door hinge. The door is too long to section between the two hinges. Shortening the distance between the upper and lower hinges increases the leveraged load on each hinge. A long door adds to the problem.

2) The hood hinges mount to the front face of the firewall up high and partially in the area I will be working. It's pretty heavily gusseted and will need to be drilled out, reshaped, and moved downward. As far as I can see right now it looks like there are 4 overlapping panels that all converge in the upper corners there. Some are heavier gage 3/32" plate.

3) I will be taking out some of the crown at the lower edge of the windshield so I will lose the boxed sheetmetal that forms the pinch weld. I'll have to hand fabricate the entire windshield frame. I don't have access to a Pullmax or any heavy reciprocating machine. I have a planishing hammer and was thinking about trying to make some dies for use in that and test it out. If I can't get what I'm after from that I'll probably use a combination of square tube, angle, and sheet metal. (Anyone ever had good results trying to form with a planishing hammer?)

4) I may opt to use most of the firewall and trans tunnel from the donor car. It will make mounting the dash and steering column and all the ductwork so much easier. If I do, I won't be finish welding some of the work on the 49 firewall until I have the new one in.
You may have noticed that when I patched the floor on the drivers side I left the Cleco's in along the trans tunnel and didn't weld that edge. The reason is that i might be cutting it out later and grafting the tunnel from the donor car.

Lots to think about but I can go ahead and take the roof and deck lid off tomorrow. I got the temporary supports in. I can't put the other diagonal across the door opening because I'll be cutting that area and installing a lot of support plates for the suicide door hinges.

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Last edited by Jack 1957; 10-11-2015 at 11:21 AM.
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  #92  
Old 10-10-2015, 10:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gojeep View Post
Big steps ahead.
Marcus, I've been following your Willys project with interest. These projects that blend new technology with classic sheetmetal are real mindbenders. It takes a lot of thinking and planning and you still end up with some surprises along the way. You're doing some really nice work on your project.
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  #93  
Old 10-11-2015, 04:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack 1957 View Post
Marcus, I've been following your Willys project with interest. These projects that blend new technology with classic sheetmetal are real mindbenders. It takes a lot of thinking and planning and you still end up with some surprises along the way. You're doing some really nice work on your project.
Thanks Jack.
You have a much more involved one with all the compound shapes that your body has. Sectioning it any where other than the widest part will add to the complexity too!
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  #94  
Old 10-11-2015, 11:20 AM
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I know, but it's all about getting "the look".
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  #95  
Old 10-11-2015, 07:37 PM
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I had to remove the roof in sections since I didn't have any help around to lift it off in one piece. I removed the skin then took off the rest in pieces. Sometimes, if your floors, frame, and welded joints are soft from rust, or misaligned from an accident or two, when you start cutting away the roof, it will pop and shift once the tension is released. I was relieved to find that there was no shifting or movement when I was cutting the roof off. It tells me that the body panels are setting on the frame in a relaxed, stable state. Very good news. See, sometimes it's the little things.

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Last edited by Jack 1957; 10-11-2015 at 07:50 PM.
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  #96  
Old 10-11-2015, 07:40 PM
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How to lose 150 pounds the easy way.

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  #97  
Old 10-11-2015, 07:43 PM
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A couple topless shots of the old girl.

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  #98  
Old 10-11-2015, 07:45 PM
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I think I can use the roof skin for the deck lid skin. It's in great condition and it is close to the right shape.

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  #99  
Old 10-12-2015, 12:59 AM
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Taking the top off any old girl can be stressfull since you don't want them to spot the wrong reaction. But in this instance it's looking realy good.

Using the roof like that is interesting. Can't wait to see the final look.

Thanks for sharing,

Frank
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  #100  
Old 10-13-2015, 07:05 PM
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I have a Cadillac CTS in at work this week so I had an opportunity to take some close measurements of some areas that were worrying me. The big two are the dash, console, seating dimensions and the track widths.

The good news is the interior and firewall area will work with minimum alterations. The bad is the track widths. On the 49, since the rear fenders bolt on outside the body the rear track width is wider than the front. The CTS rear cradle and suspension will work as is. The CTS front, however, is about 6 inches wider than the 49. I have narrowed front subframes before (Camaro subframes into a 57 and 55 Chevy) but 6 inches is a lot. I've never done more than 4". I'll have to get the CTS up on a lift and take a closer look at the front. This is not an insurmountable obsticle, it just adds some extra work to the job. I'm about 99% sure the donor car will be a CTS. I just want to see if I should modify the cradle and rack or just built the frame to accept the components. Any suggestions out there??? Stay tuned...
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