39 Willys coupe project

[Bash and scratch]

Well I might have a handle on the new photo posting host, I haven't posted much in some time so thought I might share my project progress.. Well this is it a 39 Willys coupe,, it's had a rough life so far but hope to rectify that. In the photos it has a 41 front end on it but it is and will be a 39.

looks like I still have a few bugs to work out posting with imgur
. Thanks for peekin in.

 

[PG409]

good looking car Neil.........how long have you had this one?

 

[Bash and scratch]

Keith funny thing is I tried to buy this car 35 years ago when I was first actively seeking a Willys. Thought I had him talked into selling but last minute he changed his mind. But as it turned out he didn't do anything with the car and called me up 4 years ago and said he was thinking of selling and asked if I was interested in having another look at it. Of course I couldn't pass it up. I knew it had been sitting in a well treed yard so I was concerned that it may have been rotting away and in terrible condition rust wise.. to my surprise it wasn't much worse than it had been 35 years earlier. Having said that this poor car is/was absolutely beat! But hey it's a coupe and it's steel!

 

[Bash and scratch]

Thought I would start at the rear of the car. As I will likely be radiusing the rear fenders a bit for the style build I planned I thought I would use fenders from my parts pile that were rougher but as it turns out they are all pretty much the same so I decided to just fix these.

This fender was torn up quite badly but stitched back together well.

It's hard to see the dimensions but they roughed out not bad at all.

Still have some slapping and tuning to do but for now I will head into some other issues. Thanks for peekin in.

 

[Bash and scratch]

This poor car was treated very badly some one stoved the 1/4 in hard and then tried to beat it out with a ball peen hammer,, stretched the crap out of it.

Again hard to tell from a two dimensional photo but it was nasty.

It also had big cracks up by the sale panels on both sides.

It took some jacking, dolly work and some shrinking but it came out not bad at all. So now it's on to some rusty issues on the bottom of both 1/4's. Thanks for peekin in.

 

[Bash and scratch]

You know what they say "there is always more rust than you see". The lower 1/4 was rotted inside and out including the body mount. This is what it looked like to repair it.

the body mount repaired

The inner sill repaired

The other side was pretty much identical. thanks for peekin in.

 

[James__WC]

Neil: Looking good!

So, I'm guessing by the little blue marks on the backside of the QP, you're using a stud welder with the big copper tip for shrinking??

I have one here, but haven't had a call for it yet, how do you like it?

I also have one of the serrated SS shrinking discs from Ken Sakamoto in Calif, and it works well, but DAMN, is it LOUD

James

 

[Bgbkwndo]

Neil: Looking good!

I also have one of the serrated SS shrinking discs from Ken Sakamoto in Calif, and it works well, but DAMN, is it LOUD

James

How do you know it's LOUD James, if you're wearing the required hearing protection? Oh don't tell me! You, and all others out there, wear your P.P.E.!
You won't regret it.

Rant is over James..................Dave.

 

[Bash and scratch]

Neil: Looking good!

So, I'm guessing by the little blue marks on the backside of the QP, you're using a stud welder with the big copper tip for shrinking??

I have one here, but haven't had a call for it yet, how do you like it?

I also have one of the serrated SS shrinking discs from Ken Sakamoto in Calif, and it works well, but DAMN, is it LOUD

James

James yes and I love it! So much more control. I have a shrinking disc as well and it works not bad, but better for smaller high areas. If it is a larger mildly high area I find it's not as effective.

 

[Bash and scratch]

As you can see the other side was the same.

a little more work on the rear fenders to

 

[Relic]

James yes and I love it! So much more control. I have a shrinking disc as well and it works not bad, but better for smaller high areas. If it is a larger mildly high area I find it's not as effective.

X2 on the unispotter shrinking tip, nice work on the coupe, cant wait see it in person hopefully!

 

[Bash and scratch]

floor pan

On to the trunk floor pan.. this one was in terrible condition.

Once again I went to my parts department and found a partial floor that wasn't to bad but needed the last 2 foot or so because some one else had cut the tail of the donor car off.

That's the floor done,, thanks for peeking in.

 

[James__WC]

Spoken like someone who's never been near an operating Shrinking Disc
They are fricken loud EVEN WHEN WEARING HEARING PROTECTION, and trust me, I wear it!!

James

How do you know it's LOUD James, if you're wearing the required hearing protection? Oh don't tell me! You, and all others out there, wear your P.P.E.!
You won't regret it.

Rant is over James..................Dave.

 

[Bgbkwndo]

Just looking' out for your best interest James, glad to hear you wear ear protection.

Best regards my Friend................Dave.

 

[Bash and scratch]

Well next I decided to tackle the trunk lid, once again two dimensional photos just don't measure up. The lid had been hit and the latch area pushed in to the point of almost 90 degrees. I could not even get the latch out, so I separated the two panels from one another.

roughed out not to bad

now to clean and epoxy them

 

[hooligan]

Great fab work as usual Bash! So is this coupe build for you??

 

[Bash and scratch]

Great fab work as usual Bash! So is this coupe build for you??

Thanks Hooligan Yes it is, it's one I picked up 4 years ago. Same one I tried to buy 30yrs earlier.. lol

 

[Bash and scratch]

Time to tackle the rear pan.

Bottom was badly rusted so replace the bottom 3 inches

A small trim and it will be done.

That's it for now thanks for peekin in.

 

[bgbdlinc]

....it's a treat to watch this in 'blow-by-blow' detail. Thanks for taking the time for all the pics (just put the time on the owner's invoice.....haha)

 

[Rusty Olds]

Good stuff Bash