Shave and a haircut...

[realgonekatt]

So I stripped all the trim off the 46' today so I can get going on the body work on my x-mas school break. I love the lines without the trim and do not plan on putting it back on. I was pleased to find minimal rust underneath, for the most part, under the running board spears was kinda rough but not outside of my range, I think. The other trim only concealed some funky mildew and lots of home made fasteners that were dripping rust down the body sides. So the plan is to 1. repair rust bubbles 2. fill trim holes/smooth 3. mold rear fenders to body 4. attempt to make a 1 piece hood with a slight nose job. Anyone ever tried to use f.glass bondo for the hood seem? had any luck? or catastophe?

All of the trim is to be listed for sale, its perfect for a nice driver or polish up for show quality it is very nice. I am also listing the trunk brake light and the nose trim which are slightly pitted but will be cheap. Ill post some pics.

[greg g]

Hoods too flexible, filled rear fender lines always crack. Better off looking for a paint color welting or a beadless anti squeek. Weld then fill the hood if ya gotta do it.

[40plyrod]

X2 If you decide to weld the hood go slow welding in small sections first and letting them cool. It's quite easy to warp a hood.

[realgonekatt]

Ive been reading up on the hood quite a bit. Im fairly handy with a mig. but I would rather not risk it if I can get around it. I was considering cutting out some 1/8'' aluminum strips for each side of the inner seam for some reinforcement, bolting thru both the seam flange and strips. Prior to mating it together I was going to goo it up with f.g.bondo....and go. I figure that the fiberglass will allow for some flex. I knew a fella down the st. that did something similar to his old pickup and it still looked fine 6months later, and he lives on a dirt rd! If it goes south then oh well, try something else I guess. Im tired of my s.plug holes filling up with rain.

[realgonekatt]

Ever hear of using a damp towel between spot welds, for cooling quickly?

[40plyrod]

I have used a damp towel between welds and have also used compressed air to cool the welds, both worked pretty well air is less messy. The point is to go slow and keep thing from moving too much. It's easier to do small welds and correct the sheet metal as you go than to run a cotinuous weld and try to straighten the sheetmetal after. I used bondo to smooth a seam on the beltline on my 51 chevy pickup and even though you wouldn't think there would be much flex there it cracked. A flexible seam sealer my work better because it stays fairly flexible but it wouldn't be very good for filling the hood for the smooth look I think your looking for. I'm not trying to rain on your parade but if you want it to last, carfully welding it solid and using a thin layer of filler will probably give you the best results. Good luck

[Don G 1947]

If you are going to keep the car for awhile, I think you should also weld up all the trim holes.

Don

[realgonekatt]

40PlyRod, I have never welded a hood and have heard lots of horror stories which is why I have tried to read everything I could on the subject. Your advice sounds pretty spot on with what I have heard. I know its gonna be the right way to do it, just thought I could cheat it maybe for awhile since Im not going to be painting the car anytime soon.(aside from red oxide primer) I was planning on welding up all the holes anyway including the big one in the trunk lid where the brake light was. Also the rocker panels are a little short without the trim spear so I have to come up with a "Skirt" of sorts. I will also attempt to peak the nose which doesnt seem nearly as intimidating as that long straight seam. Did you leave the hood on the car while you welded it?

[Deplymouth1948]

  realgonekatt said:

40PlyRod, I have never welded a hood and have heard lots of horror stories which is why I have tried to read everything I could on the subject. Your advice sounds pretty spot on with what I have heard. I know its gonna be the right way to do it, just thought I could cheat it maybe for awhile since Im not going to be painting the car anytime soon.(aside from red oxide primer) I was planning on welding up all the holes anyway including the big one in the trunk lid where the brake light was. Also the rocker panels are a little short without the trim spear so I have to come up with a "Skirt" of sorts. I will also attempt to peak the nose which doesnt seem nearly as intimidating as that long straight seam. Did you leave the hood on the car while you welded it?

I used a 1/2 piece of angle iron on mine & a good match & when people open their doors they hit that hee hee

[Deplymouth1948]

  Deplymouth1948 said:

I used a 1/2 piece of angle iron on mine & a good match & when people open their doors they hit that hee hee

1/2 inch:)

[deathbound]

If possible, permanently reinforce the underside of the hood in 2 or 3 places-spanning side to side to make it rigid first, then as mentioned, slowly weld small sections of the seam at a time, allowing time to cool before welding more. You may have to tack the seam in a few spots to retain the original shape, then remove the hood to measure/fab the underside braces. This should make the hood more rigid & make the filler less likely to crack. Keep us posted with progress pics. Good Luck.

Edited December 21, 2011 by deathbound

[Socal48]

I plan on removing the front fender trim, hood trim and lower trim under the door... but keeping the upper body trim...I found a good article on the HAMB on how-to peak a hood....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2387

[realgonekatt]

  Deplymouth1948 said:

I used a 1/2 piece of angle iron on mine & a good match & when people open their doors they hit that hee hee

Thats an Idea, do you have any pics? I imagine you didnt weld the fender sheetmetal to the 1/2'' iron, I would like to see how that meeting point came together.

[realgonekatt]

  Socal48 said:

I plan on removing the front fender trim, hood trim and lower trim under the door... but keeping the upper body trim...I found a good article on the HAMB on how-to peak a hood....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2387

Thanks for that link, I can use all the help I can get on the nose job, totally guessing. I would like to get it close to this car that was on Ebay a few years back (just the nose, dont think I could pull off that nice of a chop) I am considering keeping some of the beltline trim but shortening it quite a bit. I dont like how it wraps back toward the trunk or the short piece on the cowl side leading to the hood.

[Socal48]

  realgonekatt said:

Thanks for that link, I can use all the help I can get on the nose job, totally guessing. I would like to get it close to this car that was on Ebay a few years back (just the nose, dont think I could pull off that nice of a chop) I am considering keeping some of the beltline trim but shortening it quite a bit. I dont like how it wraps back toward the trunk or the short piece on the cowl side leading to the hood.

That's sharp!!...any more pics of it?

[realgonekatt]

No, unfortunately I lost the rest when my last computer crashed. It had a really unique headliner too, beadrolled sheetmetal, soo smooth that it looked like fiberglass. One of the nicest custom p15s I have ever seen. With that nose treatment I think the frenched headlights look right at home.

[dezeldoc]

That nose is hideous! looks like something out of a comic book. The way the fenders are raised and also the hood looks way out of proportion with the rest of the car, but just my $.02. Now this one i like.

[realgonekatt]

  dezeldoc said:

That nose is hideous! looks like something out of a comic book. The way the fenders are raised and also the hood looks way out of proportion with the rest of the car, but just my $.02. Now this one i like.

Haha thats such a funny choice of words, Im a comic artist! Well...to each his own i suppose thats why no two customs look the same (for the most part) I do like that one as well, wish I could see the grill better. The thing I liked about the fenders on the prior pic was how well it lended itself to the frenched h.lights. Most of the headlights i have seen on p15s look kinda silly and out of place.

[dezeldoc]

Another as requested. It is a Packard grill. i also lost a bunch of pics in a hard drive crash and these were all i could find. i know the car is out of riverside or san berdo. Do a search for custom 46-48 Plymouth and take a gander at some in there!

[hkestes41]

I love this one. Very subtle not overdone.

This I believe is the same one Dezeldoc posted in a single color.

[dezeldoc]

Yep same one before he made the flush fit skirts and Packard grill.

[realgonekatt]

I really like that mercury grill. The rest of the mods are really subtle and look nice, gives me ideas as I dont plan on a chop anytime soon. Seems like I remember seeing one on here with a 40s Olds grill that looked really slick but cannot seem to find it now. On the one with the packard grill it seems that the front wheels are really tucked up in the w.wells..I wonder what is under there?? Those skirts/rockers look fantastic! I gotta say that I am still a little partial to the peaked hood, I love how he took the peak from the roof (above windshield) and shadowed it in nose job. (on the "comic book" custom I posted haha)

[realgonekatt]

I considered those blue dot Ponchy tail lights but now that I see them in action I dont really care for them as much as the stockers...Glad to see that before I went ahead with it, so thanks man. The shortened hood spears look sharp.

[BobT-47P15]

Here's a 42 Plymouth with a lincoln front end grafted on......

Here's a link to an older HAMB thread about what various people have done with their P15s..............http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=579711&page=5

Edited December 23, 2011 by BobT-47P15

[realgonekatt]

Bob, I remember that one on the Hamb, How can you forget that!?!? Has to be one of the cleanest I have ever seen. There isnt much on that car that hasnt been modified yet it almost looks like it could be a customized factory model its so well executed. I cant imagine just coming across the whole front of a lincoln to use...Dont see those just sitting around the bone yard very often hahaha...