Now moving on to the chassis. The original convertible frame was rusted through in places, not worth trying to save, although there were some convertible specific pieces that needed to be saved.
I had another chassis from a coupe that had been blasted and painted gloss black years ago, perfect choice for this. I set the two side by side, noting any differences, and measuring any found.
I used a die grinder to remove the special convertible body mounts on each side, and sandblasted them clean. The donor frame was measured and marked for placement of these mount ears after cleaning the black paint off. Then, they were welded on.
Convertibles also used their own specific torsion bars, longer to clear the X-frame, so I went ahead and snipped the torsion bar mounts from the frame.
I used a cutting torch to remove the X from the rusty frame, as well as the torsion bar mounts, as they nestle in the end of the X. I measured the torsion bar mounts I had cut out against the cleaner ones from the coupe frame, and found they were the same, so I welded these in place at the proper spots.
Then I completely sandblasted the X member to remove the rust from the deep pits. One end of the X on the top side was badly pitted, so I decided to fill these with brass to make it look a bit better. I also removed the remainder of the attaching pieces for the top, these were too far gone to reuse.
The X is then primered to prevent flash rusting.
Mating the convertible X to the frame-These are installed from the bottom of the frame at the factory, as the ends of the bars overlap the frame rails. After setting this in place, I mounted a lower A-arm to each side, and test fit each torsion bar. Looks good, so each weld was completed.
I had a couple friends help flip the frame over, as now it's getting heavy! It has been in the 90's here for daily high temps, and welding in the heat is not the most fun you can have, but I wanted to press on.
As I stated earlier, the bottom of the X overlaps the frame, and the top has gaps on each corner for installation at the factory. Apparently, the factory just used nondescript pieces of scrap to join the X to the frame, there was no real common size or shape. I cut four eliptical pieces from a piece of steel the same thickness, and used them to join the frame to the X support. After tacking all four corners in place and making sure the fit was good, the pieces were welded completely. Voila! A convertible frame!
A friend's son, Damian, wanted to help, so he cleaned and scuffed the entire frame so it could be painted, then I shot the frame with semi-gloss chassis paint.
John - Absolutely amazing and beautiful work. You have the talent and experience to handle such a monumental task. Most people including myself wouldn't have even tried to restore what you started with. Owning your own junk yard (no offence) help also. It looks like the pace you are keeping will have you completed in no time.
Dick.
John; I have A saying,"you can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t", but you have proved it wrong!!! It's like making A car out of an oil stain on the garage floor.I can't believe what your doing,I have shown guy's at work your pics,they thought I was full of it,the work you doing looks fantastic!!! Mark M
Dick Koch wrote:John - Absolutely amazing and beautiful work. You have the talent and experience to handle such a monumental task. Most people including myself wouldn't have even tried to restore what you started with. Owning your own junk yard (no offence) help also. It looks like the pace you are keeping will have you completed in no time.
Dick.
Thanks, Dick! I wish I could stay on it, but I will have to do the bodywork on a fellow's Turnpike Cruiser as soon as I get the chassis together, and won't have much spare time.
55 survivor wrote:John; I have A saying,"you can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t", but you have proved it wrong!!! It's like making A car out of an oil stain on the garage floor.I can't believe what your doing,I have shown guy's at work your pics,they thought I was full of it,the work you doing looks fantastic!!! Mark M
I Painted all the front end components, using Metal Mask, as these pieces were never painted and left bare metal from the factory. The Metal Mask replicates this look with a durable coating. Next, all bushings and ball joints were replaced, and loose steering linkage parts were also replaced. Then, the front suspension was reassembled.
I had all the original hardware zinc chromate plated to protect it from rusting. The special convertible only torsion bars fit perfectly in place, which is why I took so many measurements to get their mounts in the right place.
Next was the rear axle. One of the threaded ends was buggered up, so I decided to replace it rather than risk problems with it. I removed the inner and outer seals, removed the chunk, and cleaned out the axle housing. I painted it gloss black, and installed the new seals. The third member was in good shape, and the backlash was within tolerance, so after painting it, I bolted it back to the housing.
After reinstalling the axles, I positioned it beneath the frame.Leaf springs were then hung in place, and the rear end bolted in.I have to cover the chassis each night, as our bats get active, and their guano makes a mess.
I ran all the brake and fuel lines, and assembled the rear backing plates and drums, then a set of wheels [temporary, of course].The special convertible crossmember-
