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53 Belair conv rust repair

1M views 6K replies 111 participants last post by  Eduramac 
#1 ·
I just brought home a 1953 Chevy convertible Monday that is 100% there. 100% there except for the bottom 6 inches that is. I have always built rusty cars no one else wanted but have tried to do a quality job of repairing them on a budget.

The key wordhere is budget. I admit to being frugal but friends all say I am cheap. Whatever, for me to be able to enjoy this hobby I must be able to build the car and have my money invested, not just spent

The cost of replacement floor pans, floor braces, inner rockers, outer rockers, lower quarter panels, tow boards, trunk pan, rear pan extension, tail pan, and rear splash apron is well over 3000 dollars. That is money that will buy front suspension, rear axle, and good buildable engine. Maybe even a complete parts car.

I have basic sheet metal tools but nothing exotic. Small 3' brake, Shrinker/stretcher jaws, home made slip roll, and a home made english wheel and 110v mig welder.

My purpose here is to show the new hot rodder who is apprehensive about what he can do what is possible with a little time and patience and not much money.

Below is the patient. She has stage four cancer but we are going to try to save her. If we don't who will? :mwink:








So far I have stripped the inside, removed the front fenders and adjusted the doors. If the body shifts or moves during the build process I want to know it before everything gets welded together. Frequently checking door gaps will let me make sure it has not moved.




Tomorrow I plan to cut the toe boards loose from the front floor brace and expose the brace. The first job will be to remove the brace and reproduce it.

I hope you guys follow along and feel free to comment share thoughts, opinions, etc.

 
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#840 ·
I knew you wouldnt stop until it stopped buggin you........good for you.
One thing I screwed up was welding the outer patch on when it was still on the table...I measured everything ,it looked fantastic but it was about 3/8 " too low (about the width of a flange) and I had no gap at all on the bottom.. it had to be takin back apart and redone,Thats a lot of wasted time ...completely welded from front to back and ground down... ever since then I use the drill screws and do a test fit...
ain nobody got time fer dat..
 
#846 ·
John, the phillips head self tapping sheet metal screws work fine with a cordless drill on 18 ga and thinner. If working with 16 ga and thicker use the hex head. I have used both for sheet metal mock up and fit etc, and prefer the phillips head because the head doesn't stick out as far. Maybe it is just me, but seems like every time I use the hex head screws, I end up working around the heads. Another thing to keep in mind is the length. I keep 1/2" and 1" handy, but the longer ones are good if you are working with rounded panels such as fenders. I also need to invest in some more vise grips and clamps. They come in handy for panel fit and skin alignment as well. I was reading an article on a company that is re-manufacturing 56 bel-air bodies using jigs built after the originals. The owner was quoted saying "Our largest initial purchase was over $1,000 worth of vise grips" :D

Kelly
 
#850 ·
I do the same thing KRR. I only use them for mocking up, test fit, etc. I always remove them and weld the holes up as well. BUT they are invaluable if used correctly. I always seem to be working in places that vise grips and clamps won't fit :smash:

John, You are more than welcome for any information I provide that may be helpful to you. I have been watching this thread since the beginning and you have likely forgotten more than I will ever know. Thank you for this thread and the great information and education here in.:thumbup:

Kelly
 
#856 ·
awe shucks,
I tell ya John,I kinda like watchin your work, you should come down and work on mine and I'll shoot the pics...You got more done in a few weeks than I got done all year..I really need to finish the IROC first though....and sell it...:D
BUT Poor Puggs been so busy he's done less than me Thats gotta be killin him....
 
#857 ·
awe shucks,
I tell ya John,I kinda like watchin your work, you should come down and work on mine and I'll shoot the pics...You got more done in a few weeks tha,n I got done all year..I really need to finish the IROC first though....and sell it...:D
BUT Poor Puggs been so busy he's done less than me Thats gotta be killin him....
Five minutes a day...Five minutes a day...five minutes a day five minutes a........:D

John
 
#867 ·
Today I finished welding the door and drilled the drain holes. Also, was able to grind the welds and get the door ready for Epoxy inside and out. I will not Epoxy it though until I get the skin made.

If I am able to get the skin made tomorrow, I would like to epoxy the inside of it before I install it on the door.

I was pleased at how good the door is after you get up a couple of inches. Sounds like an old Chevy I know. :D

John





 
#871 ·
I always enjoy looking in and following your work John! I see fellas doing major repairs and am amazed when someone not only takes the time to rebuild something so far gone, but also takes the extra effort to make each piece as close to what Chevy made as possible! It would be so much easier to just make a good piece that did the same thing and not worry if it looks like the original, but yours have that extra bit of work to match them.
 
#872 ·
Bummer.... When I got the lighter gauge of sheet metal out to make the door skin I found it was indeed lighter. It was 24 gauge!

By the time I went to town and got some 20 gauge (and some 12 gauge for rear cross member) it was too late to get anything done in the shop. The 20 gauge will be waiting for me when I get back on it the first of the week. :welcome:

I really want to get back on the floors but am determined to finish this door first.

John
 
#878 ·
This getting old stuff sucks! The glasses thing, I just can't believe how I can't see what I am doing. I wear my bifocals that seems to work the best, with my welding goggles down over my nose so I can look down thru the bifocal. :p

It is quite different for me now.

Brian
 
#881 ·
Yes, He is really very creative. I have been going through his videos again. It is surprising how much I had forgotten about what was there. He has also added ones I have never seen before.

I really liked the one where he stretched the rear window assembly using his bead roller. Pretty cool.

I am wishing right now I had not sold my lathe,

John
 
#882 ·
You had a lathe and sold it?????? Hard to believe....I want a small lathe to make die wheels for the roller but it would just be plain nice to have around the shop...
my plasma cutter came in yesterday...I'll be trying it out today if I can get up to the shop...The grand kids are all here getting ready to go have breakfast with Santa ,something they all do every year with Grandma,so I'm sure I'll be able to sneak out for a minute.Believe it or not I'm not at my best when I'm around 100 or so spoiled teenage mutants ....bah humbug, besides I have the wife recording the whole thing just in case Santa looses it and slaps one of those rotten little buggers (the parents)....I wouldnt wanna miss THAT.
 
#887 ·
Nope, you never sell tools unless your up-grading. Nope, nope never.

BB :nono::nono:
Exactly.

John, you should hang your head in shame....:D
Wow, You guys are tough. I am guilty.

I had a nice little 9 inch Atlas lathe that belonged to a family friend. When he died, his widow gave me first crack at it. The problem was I just did not have room for it at this house so I sold it to a friend. I could still borrow it but by the time he dug it out and I got the tooling and all I would really feel like I was imposing on him.

At the time I had not used it in several years but I do miss knowing it is there.

John
 
#883 ·
I thought the same thing Mike, he sold a TOOL? HUH? But a lathe is a big tool and if you aren't using it regularly I could see it. Now, if it will fit in your tool box, there is NO WAY you sell it. :D

Brian
 
#888 · (Edited)
I sold to scrap a beautiful, running, 1970 LeBlonde Regal lathe two years ago. 18" swing and six foot between centers, auto lube, quick change heads/metric and sae threading.. I needed the space and have a smaller and larger lathe so it had to go.

Advertised it on CL and E-bay. No takers at $1000.00 (scrap value). Finally loaded it up on the wrecker and to the recyclers.

Strictly against my nature, but I really needed the floor space..Still regret it..
 
#889 ·
The plus at my place is an 1800 foot basement garage/shop that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is a great place to work.

The negative is an 1800 foot garage/shop that holds 4 cars, 1 Harley, 2 riding mowers and my tools. Just not enough room.

There was a story about a guy that was walking down a country road and passed a boy eating a watermelon. It was obvious that the boy was not going to be able to eat the whole watermelon and the man asked him. What's the matter son, is there too much watermelon? No Sir, the young man replied. There just ain't enough boy. :thumbup:

John
 
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