Good stuff Mike. Keeping picking away.

Firewall ready for primer. Cut out the lap joint all the the way around the outside edge and butt welded it back together. Welded up all the holes. Cut out and replaced all the metal in the lower legs.

Working on an under dash panel. A couple of tries before I got something I was happy with. The radio will go in the cut out hole. Planning to put the heater controls between the steering column and the radio.

I built it in 3 sections starting with the radio mount, then right side storage and finally left side. All made out of .093" aluminum. I got to put my press brake to good use.

 

While starting the seat belts install I noticed the nylon slides on the power seat tracks were falling apart.

Fortunately I still had a set of manual seat tracks and decided it was just as easy (and cheap)to use them as to find new seats and tracks.

So ,measure and draw.

Cut and clean.

Bend.

Dimple.

Finished.

Installed.

Now back to my seat belts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man, with the right tools, imagination and a LOT of talent anything is possible. Like Pugsy said, Nice !

Mike that turned out great. The shop must be huge with all the tools and toys.

Started sand blasting the fenders. Found some holes in the lower corner behind the tire in the left rear fender.

Weather is finally warm enough to use my outdoor spray booth. Put the body on a dolly and seam sealed, primed and undercoated the bottom with spray on box liner. Used the whole gallon to cover the floor.

This stuff works great but it makes a mess and gets every where. If your going to doing it like I did, by crawling under and not putting the body on a rotisserie. I would recommend doing it naked so that you don't ruin any clothes.

Spraying naked doesn't sound like a good idea. Unless of course you want to change skin color.

Body is on, starting to assemble.
Making tailpipes. All stainless. Just need to finish the tips. Got 3 options to work with.

 

 

I wanted the A/C compressor down low in the original location.  I ordered the brackets hoping it would fit. The compressor fit but nothing around it would.

The belt tensionor hit the steering rack. So using some old Toyota parts I made up a new unit to tighten the belt.

The thermostat was also to close to the compressor. Cut the base off the housing and made up the rest.

 

Nice pipe job. How did you create the hose gripulator?

Lightspeed Mike wrote:

---

123pugsy wrote:

---

Nice pipe job. How did you create the hose gripulator?

---

 Gripulator? That's a term I've never heard of. I'm sure you mean anti-slip barb.

The tube is just 1.25" schedule 40 aluminum pipe. Cut off a chunk and turned in down in the lathe to get a profile I figured would work.

 

---

You really gotta start reading that there dictionary thingee....ha...

Turning down on the lathe works. Right on.

Nice stuff Mike, I love the details you put in to each task brother..

For a guy who doesn't know what he's doing, won't read directions and working in the dirtiest shop possible, it looks pretty good.

Right on....looking good.

Hidden trunk hinges that swing the trunk lid out to the side instead up like factory was in order. I copied the idea that is used for the door hinges.
2"X2" square tube, cut and notched. Found a piece of 1.5" flat bar in my steel rack, cut it, then proceeded to bend it in the press brake. Evidently it's not mild steel.

Fortunately, I have lots more steel and made a matching pair.

With a little lathe time, proper bushings and bolts it looks like this.

Cut out previous hinge mounts, made up new panel to bolt the hinges to.

A little more, cutting, bending and welding and it looks like this. I built this hinge set up and intentionally put an 1/8" spacer between the hinge strap and the door.

This way if I needed to adjust the door in a little after  it was all said and done I could just remove the shim instead of cutting and re-welding the hinge or mount.

 

The door got adjusted a little  while I was fabbing up this assembly to get proper fitment all around the perimeter.

I know it will need a little more metal work and filler to be perfect, but I was really happy over all how it fits, opens and closes.

Marten wrote:

---

Wow that is cool. With the door opening sideways, how are you latching it?

---

 I'm using a bear claw latch made for a door. I have a electric remote release for and a inside cable release.

I had bought a trunk latch from a street rod supplier and was completely unimpressed. The latch only went halfway around the striker pin and was spindly looking.

 

Holly. Lol

Junior wrote:

---

 

---

 Looks nice however ,I prefer the look of a Carb and Distributor and a nice clean ("read" no overdone w/ chrome and crap) engine compartment JMO

junior

---

Carbs don't worked anywhere near close to modern fuel injection. Form over function is a fallacy.

Got any pictures of stuff you've built?

 

 

Getting the hood to function has been a challenge. A telescoping prop rod seems to be the best way to hold i t open. I just need to order a spring loaded lock pin to finish it.

The latching mechanism got rather complicated, a latch on either side with the release on a shaft to connect the two and operate at the same time.

I needed a way to pop the hood after the I release the latch. With a hand full of bits I went to the lathe.

When I was done it looked like this.

All together now.

 

 

 

 

Them are damn nice Mike.

I was happy with how the front parking lights/turn signal were located and but wasn't happy with the lamp assembly. It was out of an old VW and the lens and housing weren't very good. I looked for a while trying to find something that would fit in behind that wouldn't  break the bank. No luck, until I was fuel up my work truck (Kenworth B-train fuel tanker) and noticed these little stick on reflectors, found an old one kicking around found it would fit perfectly. Into my junk stash to find a couple of sockets and made up 2 housings. Ta da!

I was up at Mikes the other day to get some plasma cutting done and had the opportunity to have a thorough viewing of the 38. What Mike has done here, is a true transformation and a piece of art. Besides the obvious like the tail lights, engine cover, running boards and windows, he has massaged many little areas, small but essential in creating a car that truly flows from front to rear. As well, mechanical problems have been solved with the most ingenious creations that just make the car work. The burnt orange on the firewall, which eventually will be the color of the whole car, absolutely pops. Pictures don't do it justice. I just can't say enough about how every area of this car flows into the next creating one cohesive labor of love. A read or reread of this thread is well worth the time to truly see what this hobby is all about.

Warren