Project for somebody???

A couple of weeks ago, my dad and I hit a local wrecking yard to look for some stuff for his Comet.  Prior to my bright idea of making patch panels for the quarter, we thought maybe we would splice in patches from a different car.  Anyway, on our way in the yard, I spied this kool airport limo.  I have always loved buses, limos, hearses, and other commercial vehicles.  This thing is pretty rusty, and beat.  Parts have been robbed, but all of the hard to find items are still there...

looks like all of the seat frames were there

I have no clue why this darn thing fascinates me so much..  What is it's story??  Where did it come from?  Where was it used when new??  The possibilities are endless to me.  If I didn't already have more projects than I will ever finish, I might have to have this...

Better try and make them...

Since quarters for this Comet are difficult to find, I am going to try and make my own patch panels for it..  My plan is to at least fill in the butchered wheel openings, instead of splicing in a WHOLE quarter panel.  If there was a bunch of rust in the lower quarter or if there was a ton of mud holding it together, than replacement would be the way to go.  But as stated earlier, my biggest problem is the jacked up wheel opening.. 

The basic idea is there...  A little trimming, hammer and dolly and it should do trick..  My original thought was to fix the wheel opening, then move the wheelbase forward.  All of the surgery scars, when moving the wheelhouse around, will land at the body line where "TOP" is written and below. You can see were I have started drawing on the body near the door.   Dad and I were trying to determine how far to alter the wheelbase.  I have it marked out, first at 8 inches and again at 10 inches. I think we may actually have settled on 12 inches.  Anyway, since I am basically going to have to cut my own wheel opening, plans have changed.  We are going to do all the chassis and body moves first, and get tire size and rear end mods done.  Then I will go back in, splice the patch panel in and cut the proper shape opening.  The real challenge will be to get some sort of stock looking edge around the opening.  I am not sure how I am going to make that happen yet.  Hopefully, it will all work out...  If not, oh well...  My labor is free, right??

J.D. is selling his 53 Club Coupe

I just got an email from my buddy J.D.  He is selling his 53 Ford Club Coupe.  Here is your cance to have that awesome flathead sound, in a turn key car..  Still needs some things, but what old car doesn't...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2975437689.html

Comet quarters...

I covered in the last post the beginnings of my dad's Comet.  At the shop, the other day, I thought I would start to figure out a plan of attack on the quarters.  We are going to alter the wheelbase forward 12 inches in the rear and about 6-8 inches in the front.  At some point in life, somebody flared the wheel openings in a very bad way...  Most of what is under the paint is BONDO...

Open the wheel opening up, weld in sheet metal, sculpt to blend....

We want a some what stock looking wheel house.  Aftermarket quarters are not available, and difficult to find in the used market.  I basically just dug out what was sculpted in to see where I stood.

It would appear that they just took a strip of sheet metal and welded it to the inside of the wheel house.  There must have been about a gallon or more in filler in both quarters.  Fortunately, the filler was just used for the flares and minor body work.  The downside is that there is some rust in there, but most of it will go away when the wheel openings are repaired...  Hopefully, I can make something of it...

Mohr work to do....

For those that don't know my dad, you would more than likely find him driving a restored 56 Chevy.  It was a car that my grandparents bought new, and has been covered here at length.  Anyway, he has always had a fascination with early drag racing.  Most scenesters know them as "gassers".  As of late, everybody and their brother, puts a straight axle under their grandmas Rambler, and calls it a gasser...   At any rate, the old man has wanted to put together a streetable car that is reminisant of the old days at the drag strip, but has the appearance of a track only car..  We found this 65 Comet....

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The biggest issue is these flared rear wheel openings.  Dad's plan is for a B/FX class car..  If we were shooting for a typical "gasser", these butchered wheel wells would be fine.  Cut out the flares and we are good to go..  The plan is to alter the wheelbase, but we want stock wheel openings...  This is going to be an issue.  Luckily the rest of the car is VERY rust free and requires little body work..

That is basically the direction we are heading...

Thinking of two tone....

No big secret, that I am ready to change the look of my 53 Ford.  It has been flamed for the last couple of years.  This is the one car I own that will probably NEVER be finished with shiny paint.  One reason is I can never come up with a scheme or color that I can live with forever...  At any rate, although, I don't have a shoebox Ford, I am digging the two tone on this... 

A new Ford...

I wish I could go car shopping here with the money in my pocket today....



RIP Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins...

We have recently lost one of the greatest legends of drag racing...

While most think of him as a Pro stock racer in a Chevrolet...  He was certainly a legend there, but I prefer his Super Stock days....



A weekend off...

A couple of weeks ago, Rana and I went up to Cambria with her parents for the night.  Usually on her birthday, her mom and step dad come up our way and we usually spend the weekend in Cambria or Morro Bay.  Basically Jim, her stepdad, and I end up a bar shooting pool and of course, sampling the products.  We stay at the Cambria Pines Lodge, eat dinner, and hang out in the lounge...  There seems to be a common denominator here...  Anyway, on our way back home, we stopped in Cayucos to snoop around, as it was a nice day...  As a rule, I will cruise throught the antique stores.  I usually do not purchase, as one...  our house is pretty much an antique store and there is isn't much room left..  And two, most of them are over priced for the tourist market. I was pleasantly surprised.  Prices were very fair and they really had some neat stuff..  Not just the usual Elis, Marilyn, Beatles crap...

  

No, I didn't buy all of this....  But did buy some...

Peterson Automotive Museum

A diffrent Von Franco Shoebox Ford

The last post touched on a a shoebox Ford that Von Franco had a part in the mid to late 90's...  Here is the one he drove last year to the WCK show here in Santa Maria..  My 53 is flamed and done pretty well, although I can not take any credit for them.  I have not one artistic bone in my body.  But....  I am REALLY drawn to the nostalgic feel of this car and the simplicity of the flame work.  I completely respect the work that was done on my own car, but this was kind of what I had in my head when I wanted my car flamed.  To some the style is archaic, but to me, it screams traditional..  Well done, indeed..  As a side note, this car has already been sold....

Von Franco Shoebox...

I have always dug Von Franco's Shoebox Ford from the mid 90's...  I have not seen it since he sold it many, many years ago.  Wonder where it went???  

Some from the Larry Watson Collection....

As an owner of a 52-54 Ford, I have always had a particular interest in, what appears to be two different cars.  In reality, they are the same car, but have 2 different looks...