Double Trouble - Sloper

[oz40]

Cleaned up but you get the idea and see the extent of the various rust damaged areas.

[32 4door]

Nice job I have a soft spot for slopers

[oz40]

So in between a few customer jobs, finally got some time to start the install on the rear window.
The rusted out window wasn't a pretty sight at all.
Neither was the huge hole.
Managed to cleco in the replacement frame, scribbed and cut, ready for insert.
However I have a few smart arse friends, whom suggested it looked better with the large one piece back window like the 41-48's.
Butt ugly, I prefer the split window!!

Anyway finally tacked in and ready for the final prep work, to eventually oxy hammer weld it in, but at least it has stiffened up the whole roof area again.

[oz40]

Unfortunately the drip rail ends on the quarters and the trunk drip rail at the trunk hinge areas are not much better.
These too are rusted out on both Wayne's and mine.
So with some new panels made up and robbing a friends stash of parts we got started on the repair of these areas as I want to start getting the bodies more solid for the upcoming stages.

[jim galli]

Forgive the ignorance, but I'm curious about the rear spring config. Was this car on it's way to being a hot rod, or was Ford down under different in how the rear end was sprung? I did try the search thread feature before asking.

[oz40]

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Hi Jim
The story on this car was that it was a hotrod from about 1971 and went of the radar about '83.
The rear leaf spring hangers I believe to be late 50's ford whilst the springs, etc, could have come from a Studebaker as the Dana 44 diff was from a very early 60's car.

[oz40]

Most of the time we have been busy on making up repair panels for the roof to trunk corners for both cars.
And getting them readied for trial fit and alignment issues with the trunk.
It appears I have got most of the curves right but will still need a little improvement on an old original panel insert for my 40 RHR side.

[oz40]

Started installing these older panel inserts on my 40 so that I could stiffen the rear up as I removed the rear parcel tray also for some repairs.
The new pieces made up from the previous set of pics will be grafted to these.
The puzzle is starting to come together slowly.

[oz40]

Well, Wayne's 39 rear roof section is not better so new panels were made up also for both cars, so these are now ready to trim up and install as part of the on-going repair chores.

[oz40]

Next repair on Wayne's 39, was an old " 'Bush Cocky's " stick welding effort.
I hate fixing these kind of repairs as in all cases the surrounding metal has been damaged one way or another.
So I cut the old butchered repair out, grafted the replacement in and finally oxy butt welded it in.

Now to the next bits

[38 coupe]

I'm always amazed at body rebuilds like these. I wonder how much of the original body is left untouched at the end, and how much of the body that can be seen is well fabricated replacement.

[oz40]

Originally Posted by 38 coupe

I'm always amazed at body rebuilds like these. I wonder how much of the original body is left untouched at the end, and how much of the body that can be seen is well fabricated replacement.

Unfortunately both the cars have plenty damage issues, and it looks as though, most, if not all the panels in one way or another will be fixed/replaced on these two old girls.

[oz40]

Hidden away in another shed of Wayne's is my 35-40 chassis jig.
I have been doing various stages on my 40 chassis, and not yet ready to set one of the bodies onto it.
However, Waynes's 39 chassis needed only small rust repairs, so we got this set into the jig and these repairs done.
Looking good, and waiting for a body.

[oz40]

Progress on both the 39 and 40 has been good so far, and a fair bit of oxy work has been done on both cars, rear inner fenders.
These I wanted done, as once the bodies get fitted up to the new floor pans on the waiting chassis, there is no way I wanted to perform karma sutra trying to oxy hammer weld these in at that stage.
You will probably notice on both sets of rear inner fenders there are small retangular repairs inserts.
These were for the factory original right angle tabs in the trunk area location.
Which held in a cover board over the spare wheel which in the Slopers were laid down flat.
And missing from the Slopers were the cross brace under the rear parcel tray. This too was due to the rear seat folding down and offering a full flat area or sleeping area.
Any 39/40 Sloper owners reading this, I would appreciate a picture or two of the seating arrangements out of the Slopers.

[oz40]

The weather is lousy here and the boss (Wayne) is such a hard task master.
So, I told him I am out off here and am off to sun my buns again in paradise.

I hope you all feel my pain in having to return to such a place like this.
Life is hard here, I just dont know to cope with all the stress here.
Life was not meant to be this easy.

https://www.google.com/search?q=whit...ih=887#imgrc=_

[oz40]

Well, here is the proof, see how these little garage gnomes do actually grow up to be big helpers after all.

[Kahuna]

Oz
It's unfortunate that you have such a bad boss. Even more so that he forces you to attend a disgusting place when you leave.
How is one to be able to "recharge one's batteries" in a place like that?
The shame of it all.
Jim

[oz40]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for joining in on the banter.
No bosses, here, just me getting stuck into Wayne as he is supposed to put up some input here too, but he must have a broken finger or some boss syndrome issue.
But as you can see in the last post he does has very strong family lines.



As for the pictures of paradise, well that is now my home and do love every part of it.

[oz40]

Well, I've got poor Wayne in a total state of despair here.
I just told him that his PoS was better off getting new whole front side cowl panels instead of me doing piece meal repairs here and there.

You can see he was into some serious contemplation here.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow"

But my tactics worked!!!!!!!!

[oz40]

I did start doing some repairs to the lower hinge areas on Wayne's 39 cowl, but it became quite clear that I would be chasing my tail in doing a lot of small repairs.
Unfortunately both sides needed some TLC.
So Wayne got the new cowl panels through Drake and we are ready for the install.
And get into some smaller repairs at the cowl top, sides.