Most Difficult Restoration Tasks

[Bob Bidonde]

Looking back at all of the restoration projects I have had hands-on, the most difficult tasks that I recall are:
1. Bending the exterior roof molding on my Victoria;
2. Installing a top on a Sport Coupe;
3. Making doors lineup with the body;
4. Fitting the noses of 1931 running board aprons to nestle into the front fenders;
5. Preparing for painting a body, fenders & aprons.
What were yours?

[Oldbluoval]

Most anything about a cabriolet
They are cranky bodies; combine the factors of wood, flex, making the top keep pressure, Windows (especially in a B, door line up ........
I’ve done one of most body style.
The 180a would be my second in line

[Dean Lemoine]

For me it’s a toss up between making all new wood for my ‘29 Tudor or doing the body work, but it was all fun and came out very well.

[sinbad339]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

Looking back at all of the restoration projects I have had hands-on, the most difficult tasks that I recall are:
1. Bending the exterior roof molding on my Victoria;
2. Installing a top on a Sport Coupe;
3. Making doors lineup with the body;
4. Fitting the noses of 1931 running board aprons to nestle into the front fenders;
5. Preparing for painting a body, fenders & aprons.
What were yours?

Now you're scaring me. I was thinking about replacing my top this winter. I've looked online for info/videos about a Sport Coupe Top install, but haven't found much. Can you elaborate on the issue(s), and/or point me to any specifics?

Thanks,

John

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

Looking back at all of the restoration projects I have had hands-on, the most difficult tasks that I recall are:
1. Bending the exterior roof molding on my Victoria;
2. Installing a top on a Sport Coupe;
3. Making doors lineup with the body;
4. Fitting the noses of 1931 running board aprons to nestle into the front fenders;
5. Preparing for painting a body, fenders & aprons.
What were yours?

Bob, now that you have done it, do you think they would be difficult the second (-or third) time you did that task?? Always remember;

, , , , 'Experience is something you don't get until after you needed it!!'

[Ed in Maine]

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Bob, I laughed when I saw the first item on your post. For me it was the moulding on my 1932 five window Coupe. I also have a 31 Cabriolet which this past summer I was assemb lying the body and striving to get the door gaps correct and making the wood for the top belt rail. It is a nightmare. Ed

[Mike Peters]

Door alignment for me as well. I spent a good month aligning the 4 doors on our 28 Phaeton. The right front eluded me. I had to settle for simply latching securely.

[jbwthree]

For me it was anything that requires working for long periods of time under the car. My ‘65 Mustang sits waiting for me to refinish the last 10% of the underside after a lengthy project to strip, repair and repaint it. Dirty, tedious and awkward !


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[warhorseracing]

Worst for me was the complete rebuild and adjusting the brakes. With no knowledge of a mechanical brake system it was scary from the point, if I mess something up it will never stop. Now. piece of chocolate cake with ice cream. Still alot of tedious work but pays dividends.

[KGBnut]

For me it was fitting a new windshield header. I must have had that thing in and out of the car six or eight times. You can't really tell if it is right until you get a bunch of the roof wood installed...then you take it all apart again.

[richard crow]

getting the money to pay for all the parts & paint

[Jack Shaft]

Sport Coupe top? Love it..not only that no one likes a soft top that doesn't go down,the first sentence of the installation instruction,written by a professional upholsterer says this is a difficult top to install ..volume 5 of the MAFCA restoration series covers it some and the instructions with the actual kit is thorough..bought a pneumatic stapler,studying the instructions religiously..all thats left is the courage to dive in..Ive done all the work on this car, and for the most part it shows,reckon top installation won't be any different.

[31 Woody]

Sometimes the hardest part is getting motivated. I have so many things to work on (besides the cars) that it is sometimes overwhelming. Once my hands are dirty I tend to be in a happy place, I just have to get out there.

[whirnot]

Adjusting the main bearing shims, with the motor in the car.
It will never stop dripping, and usually right in your eye.

[radiation]

I'll second that one, spent countless hours working on the right front door of mine also!

[ronn]

Sometimes the hardest part is getting motivated x2


cant tell you how many times Ive gone out to the garage to work, get side tracked, and just admire the heap of rust and wood and go back inside .....


guess Im in denial.

[Bob Bidonde]

Cutting-in the back corners of the top on a Sport Coupe is a scary task. If the cuts are not positioned so they are hidden by the valence, the top needs to be replaced. Scary!!!

[Jack Shaft]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

Cutting-in the back corners of the top on a Sport Coupe is a scary task. If the cuts are not positioned so they are hidden by the valence, the top needs to be replaced. Scary!!!

Did you tack the whole job? ...you could say thats a thousand dollar cut.

[Big hammer]

The most difficult restoration tasks...............finishing lol
The most scary, removing the body, my dad and I handled the rear of the Tudor, two neighbors the front end........ And they almost dropped their end
The next was removing the rear spring with make shift tooling....... I didn't get hurt!

[Gary Karr]

For me currently is assembling the very early 28 equalizer break system along with the first type rear engine mounts. Everything must be done in sequence otherwise it won't all fit together. I learned that the hard way.

[Gene F]

So what is the secret to the rear engine mounts?

[Russ B]

Fitting all the wood in my 29 cabriolet. Hundreds of hours to get the fit right.

[700rpm]

Installing the special belly band around my ‘29 business coupe. If you don’t ruin it while removing it, you get a second chance at making it completely unusable during reinstallation. And the are no new repro replacements. I finally got mine reinstalled without a disaster, but it took 3 days, and it wasn’t perfect. But someone once said, "The next best thing to being an expert craftsman is being an expert at covering your mistakes."

Note: this belly band is also on sport coupes and standard couoes that have a roof that goes down to the center belt rail. Be careful of this molding piece if you have to replace your top.

[bettlesr]

I agree with many others. Replacing the Sport Coupe top was the hardest job. On top of that the instructions for tacking on the front were actually for a Cabriolet not a Sport Coupe.

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by Gene F

So what is the secret to the rear engine mounts?

A frame spreader.

[Licensed to kill]

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Originally Posted by 31 Woody

Sometimes the hardest part is getting motivated. I have so many things to work on (besides the cars) that it is sometimes overwhelming. Once my hands are dirty I tend to be in a happy place, I just have to get out there.

Ditto. It's nice to hear that I am not alone. One thing I find vexing is that these cars are VERY simple in design and made to be assembled fast and easy on an assembly line and yet we spend hours/days on a single task. It's understandable with some things where the parts we are using don't fit right or need repairs but other things baffle me why it takes as long as it does when I KNOW to could;t have taken anywhere NEAR this long at the factory.

[Tinbasher]

Well, there's lots of input. Being in the Body and paint trade, you guys are making me feel better. The hours spent to get panels to fit and a nice paint job, I can see some of you have a idea of what it takes. JP

[Jack Shaft]

Originally Posted by Tinbasher

Well, there's lots of input. Being in the Body and paint trade, you guys are making me feel better. The hours spent to get panels to fit and a nice paint job, I can see some of you have a idea of what it takes. JP

Amen, always wondered why body and paint guys are a little goofy, thought it was paint and bondo fumes

[jb-ob]

JS, What's your excuse for being 'odd' ??

- A Paint Guy -

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by 31 Woody

Sometimes the hardest part is getting motivated. I have so many things to work on (besides the cars) that it is sometimes overwhelming. Once my hands are dirty I tend to be in a happy place, I just have to get out there.

Originally Posted by ronn

Sometimes the hardest part is getting motivated x2

cant tell you how many times Ive gone out to the garage to work, get side tracked, and just admire the heap of rust and wood and go back inside .....

I will share a little secret from my side of the fence. I got this trick from from my Dad and I have modified it for my business. It is very easy to get overwhelmed, ...and especially if you have multiple projects going on simultaneously. I set-up a generic 'To-do' list for each project we have going on in the shop. Many people that have visited my shop have seen these lists. For the overall project, we have each of the tasks listed on a spreadsheet by individual components, -then individual tasks needed, -and then by projected priority. Our master list has between 800 - 850 tasks listed for the overall project depending on bodystyle. Then each discipline for us (Cleaning, Wood, Sheetmetal, Paint, Upholstery, Machine, etc.) has even more detailed items broken down by component on a separate list.

For example, in the Wood area, if we are working on a Tudor, the master list just says 'Fabricate Wood' however the separate Wood list has each of the different pieces listed so they can be checked-off as they are fabricated. Naturally this is probably WAY more detailed for most home hobbyists however this list is still needed for your project. Make a list going over each facet of what you are planning on doing in your project. Make a priority of what components need to be restored, and set predecessors of that task. For example, if you have 'Restore Frame' written on your list, you need to list each of the tasks you will need to do to restore the frame. For example, before you paint the frame, you know you need to strip the frame, so list that. Before you bodywork the frame you know you need to straighten the frame. Before you straighten the frame, you need to check for and repair defects (-cracks, deep pits, missing rivets, etc.). Excel allows you to sort these tasks easily and then you print your list. On ours, we print the list in Landscape mode so we have more room for adding notes beside the task. That note might be a reminder to make sure you order & have rivets, or a replacement running board bracket, -or whatever on hand before you begin that task. Nothing wastes time & motivation like getting ready to do a particular task and not having the parts or tools at that moment to do the task.

While this seems like a lot of work (-and it is), it is a great way to stay motivated and on track with your project. When you first get into the garage, you look at your list and pick a task you will be doing first thing. This helps you resist getting side tracked as you are able to get focused immediately. Once that particular task is completed, you cross that job off your list however you don't throw away the completed list. Referring back to the list allows you to see exactly how far you have been. Also, when you are working on a particular task, as thoughts cross your mind about other type tasks on your list, add those notes to your sheet for you to refer to later. I hope this 'it works for us' idea helps someone who might seem overwhelmed.

[Gary Karr]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

A frame spreader.

Actually, the first generation rear engine mounts (on the first 200 vehicles) go together more like current Float-a-Motors. There is a bracket riveted to the frame rail that a thick piece of rubber sits on. Then, there is a bracket that bolts to the flywheel housing that sits on top of that rubber block. Then, there is a rectangular cup washer with a thick piece of rubber that sits on top of the flywheel bracket. All must line up so that a large bolt with a cast round washer can go through all so that a castellated nut can be put on the lower end of the bolt. It's a chore to line everything up on both sides!

[shew01]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

I will share a little secret from my side of the fence. I got this trick from from my Dad and I have modified it for my business. It is very easy to get overwhelmed, ...and especially if you have multiple projects going on simultaneously. I set-up a generic 'To-do' list for each project we have going on in the shop. Many people that have visited my shop have seen these lists. For the overall project, we have each of the tasks listed on a spreadsheet by individual components, -then individual tasks needed, -and then by projected priority. Our master list has between 800 - 850 tasks listed for the overall project depending on bodystyle. Then each discipline for us (Cleaning, Wood, Sheetmetal, Paint, Upholstery, Machine, etc.) has even more detailed items broken down by component on a separate list.

For example, in the Wood area, if we are working on a Tudor, the master list just says 'Fabricate Wood' however the separate Wood list has each of the different pieces listed so they can be checked-off as they are fabricated. Naturally this is probably WAY more detailed for most home hobbyists however this list is still needed for your project. Make a list going over each facet of what you are planning on doing in your project. Make a priority of what components need to be restored, and set predecessors of that task. For example, if you have 'Restore Frame' written on your list, you need to list each of the tasks you will need to do to restore the frame. For example, before you paint the frame, you know you need to strip the frame, so list that. Before you bodywork the frame you know you need to straighten the frame. Before you straighten the frame, you need to check for and repair defects (-cracks, deep pits, missing rivets, etc.). Excel allows you to sort these tasks easily and then you print your list. On ours, we print the list in Landscape mode so we have more room for adding notes beside the task. That note might be a reminder to make sure you order & have rivets, or a replacement running board bracket, -or whatever on hand before you begin that task. Nothing wastes time & motivation like getting ready to do a particular task and not having the parts or tools at that moment to do the task.

While this seems like a lot of work (-and it is), it is a great way to stay motivated and on track with your project. When you first get into the garage, you look at your list and pick a task you will be doing first thing. This helps you resist getting side tracked as you are able to get focused immediately. Once that particular task is completed, you cross that job off your list however you don't throw away the completed list. Referring back to the list allows you to see exactly how far you have been. Also, when you are working on a particular task, as thoughts cross your mind about other type tasks on your list, add those notes to your sheet for you to refer to later. I hope this 'it works for us' idea helps someone who might seem overwhelmed.

I’ve seen some of Brent’s lists. They are indeed impressive, and they definitely contribute to an excellent end result for the restorations.

It does help if you happen to be “a list person.” (I am. My current list saved me some time over the weekend by helping me to perform several tasks in their proper order, without skipping a prerequisite.) If you are not “a list person,” I could see you not wanting to take the time to make the lists.


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[barrelnose]

Joining what used to be a 30 Coupe cut down to Ute, to rear quarters from another cut down Coupe to make 2 complete side panels out of 4 peices.
Add in rust,cracked seams ,bullet holes and axe cuts I often thought why,,,,,,why.
Great satisfaction though.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Here is one area that I am struggling with this week!

Click here: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...6&postcount=11

[dlfrisch]

I have the same situation, in reference to my Sport Coupe. I have a ton and half $ money into my project and I am searching for the best money saving possible way to tackle installing a new top. Lot me know how you make out.... [email protected]
Dave

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by Gary Karr

Actually, the first generation rear engine mounts (on the first 200 vehicles) go together more like current Float-a-Motors. There is a bracket riveted to the frame rail that a thick piece of rubber sits on. Then, there is a bracket that bolts to the flywheel housing that sits on top of that rubber block. Then, there is a rectangular cup washer with a thick piece of rubber that sits on top of the flywheel bracket. All must line up so that a large bolt with a cast round washer can go through all so that a castellated nut can be put on the lower end of the bolt. It's a chore to line everything up on both sides!

That’s interesting, Gary. I’ve never been up close and personal with any of the first 200 cars, and it’s always fun to learn something new, even after 50 years in the hobby. But I’ve worked on many later ones, and can firmly attest to the efficacy of using a frame spreader. :-)