The BIG project thread

Show off your work! Anything from final results to full start-to-finish project journals.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:53 pm
OK, console cut down.

Image


I was having a hard time getting the rear of the console flat and even, so I rounded it out with my torpedo hammer and a sandbag. The customer likes it, but the rear will sit sort of under the front lip of the bench seat, so it probably won't be seen. Oh well!!

Image


It looks like I'll have room to add a fuel level gauge and a voltmeter. I'll have to talk to him on Saturday and see if he'd like to do that, too.

This was supposed to look like an aircraft part that was adapted to a car. It does, sort of...

The car is a 1963 Ford Ranchero, by the way.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:54 pm
The welds look good, I have a MIG and one of these days I'd like to pick up a TIG, never used one but what I've seen of them I like. The Duster is a /6 car so I have to swap out the K-member so I can drop in the 360 I have for it, 400+ hp, 727 trans with 2800 stall, should make it fun without being too crazy. It's a gold colour wih vinyl roof, looks almost exactly like Al Bundy's car if you're familiar with the old "Married with Children" show. I'm going to paint it sublime green, my wife picked the color, it should look good. I'm a little nervous about what I'm going to find under the vinyl roof, there's some pretty punky looking areas so we'll see. I'm hoping to do the Duster relatively fast by my pathetically slow standards, too many other commitments. The other projects are in various states of restoration, I question my sanity sometimes :lol:

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:07 pm
Didn't see the last 2 pics for some reason, looks good, I like the idea of the gauges in there. I'm going to make something for my Stang too, probably out of fiberglass but who knows what I'll do by then. I look forward to seeing the finished console in the Ranchero

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:25 pm
Rob, I just found your daughter's Camaro. DUDE, holy CRAP!! Nice color, and nice job!! Any more shots of it? That's awfully close to what I have in mind for the Buick. Nice, nice, nice work!! Booth or garage? SS or BC/CC? Well, I guess I should read the thread, huh? :oops:

If you can O/A weld, picking up TIG shouldn't be too much of a problem. In school they started us on aluminum because it's more difficult than steel. I still have some problems with steel, but can successfully weld aluminum all day long with no issues. Except the torch getting hot. I really need a cooler.

The Duster sounds great, and I LOVE greens!!! Can't wait till you get started on that!!! You're gonna post pix, right? RIGHT? :D

I'm pathetically slow, too, with all of my machine and fab work. I don't accept deadlines, and I never promise dates. I have had a lot of repeat business, but never a bad return. I try to be as thorough as possible with everything.

I'll have some more pix next week. I'll do the fitting on Saturday, and on Sunday I have to help out a club brother with his '53 Ford Customline. Motor mount and gas tank issues. Blech.

Monday, I'll begin the fab on the transition piece, and then I'll start welding. Keep your eyes peeled!!

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:58 am
The color is Mazda Winning Blue which is a current color, Dupont Chroma Premier BC/CC. Sprayed in my garage.

I'll be posting pics of the Duster on the Mopar forum when I start on it and throw some up here too or a link.

I have a regular job so all this gets done in my spare time so that doesn't help speed things up. It would be nice to retire and spend more time on the projects.

Keep posting pics of your progress!

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:28 pm
It's a really ****' color!! How long did it take, start to finish?

Fab and machine work is my regular job. I'm just lucky enough to be able to work out of my house. It all started as hobby stuff, then snowballed. I'm not sick of it yet, so I guess that's a good thing!!

Taking some time off is definitely a good thing, as it will allow me to get stuff DONE for myself for the first time in a long time.

I'll keep posting if you will!!!

BTW, what gun or guns are you using? All I have at the moment is a Sharpe SGF98 HVLP, which will be my primer gun (just got a 1.7 tip for it). I do, however, have a SATAJet 3000 HVLP (1.3) on the way. I was also thinking about a DeVilbiss GFG-670 for clears, and a SATAminijet 4 for small stuff and touchups...

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:13 pm
It took quite a while in elapsed time as I'm busy doing a hundred other things plus it was a basket case when I started, my son had it and was going to make it into a bracket car. The front clip was off, no running gear, no interior, etc. It was a totally different color so that slowed things down too, it was two tone brown and copper so I had to do all the jambs, under trunk, etc. I changed the interior to black and I'm in the process of putting a crate motor in it. I really don't know how many hours it took, too many I figure. The color is really nice in the sun, lots of pop to it.

Must be nice to be able to work out of your house, I sure wish I could do that.

I can keep posting, I'm at work so I pop in from time to time to re-set my brain :D

I use the Sata RP guns, I have a 1.3 for BC/CC, 1.7 for primer and a 2.5 for Slicksand or Featherfill. I don't remember what my mimi is, Devilbiss maybe? I wouldn't mind getting another one so I had one for base and one dedicated to clear.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:07 pm
I hear ya on the time. That's why I never promise any dates. If they want it done faster/cheaper, they can go elsewhere.

Working out of the house is OK, but space is at a premium at all times. Also, it drives my girlfriend a little nuts. On the bright side of that, she's really interested in paint/body work, and wanted me to teach her how to use my TIG machine a while back. Yep, I scored with that one!!

Yeah, having a gun for primer, another for bases, and yet another for clears is exactly what I'm going for!!

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:40 pm
I ended up building another garage, the one attached to the house is full of parts, engines and the Duster which is pissing my wife off, her modern iron sits in the driveway. I hope to fix that little problem soon :lol: The deatched one is the one I spend all my time in working on the current project, plus I can paint in there and not kill the family which is a good thing :lol: You can never have too much room.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:50 pm
"You can never have too much room." No kidding!! Even after I expand the garage (and that will happen who knows when?), I'll still be pretty short on space.

As soon as my house is worth enough, my girlfriend and I are outta here. We're going to sell the house and move to Texas. Cheaper land, nicer people, lax laws (in a lot of respects), and oh yeah, cheaper LAND. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I can honestly say that I've had enough. I'll miss Disneyland, my mom and my friends, but that's it.

I'm seriously looking forward to the Duster!!!
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