48 Desoto Project

[Plymouthy Adams]

why I said check the box.....glad you got it figured out.......you should have a new message on an item of interest

Edited December 27, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[52b3b Joe]

19 hours ago, knuckleharley said:

I'm interested in hearing how you made an exhaust with a filter,and made it work.

 

Don't laugh too hard! It's nothing fancy, and it definitely doesn't work great, but it seems to help. It's just some cardboard duct work running to the window with a box fan in it. I put a cheap fiberglass filter over the opening to try and keep the fan clean. I also have filter inlets in the opposite side in the ceiling plastic. I put them up top to try and draw the warmer air through the booth when I "seal" it up. I also thought it would give a cross flow. The box fan is brushless and is rated at 2500 cfm but I probably need 4 of them to really get air moving. I only used one because I'm afraid of heat lose. It's only 9 degrees out today, so it's taking a lot of propane to heat the garage this week! 

 

Spraying high build today, I had very little overspray. The difference is my new HVLP gun. That thing makes a HUGE difference! Almost no haze and overspray. 

[52b3b Joe]

The epoxy came out nice yesterday, so I'm pressing on! Today we fixed a few small promblem spots with some glazing filler, and put on almost a gallon on high build. I used my new gravity feed HVLP primer gun, and I really like it. I had a couple learning curves with it, but I feel pretty good about putting the black down with the finish coat gun that came with it. I plan on painting the trunk next, then I'll do the jambs and firewall before doing the final block on the high build I just put on. Hopefully I'll get the cut in and trunk done this week still and get some of the blocking done. 

[52b3b Joe]

Yesterday I was able to get the trunk painted the green color it is supposed to be and I painted the door jambs and firewall black. Everything came out great with the exception of a little dirt here and there. I'm happy with how the paint is laying out! 

 

Today we assembled the front clip and got most of it aligned before calling it quits. 

 

Now I have a lot of blocking to do! 

Edited December 30, 2017 by 52b3b Joe

[52b3b Joe]

More pictures. 

[Bingster]

So the green trunk is factory? I have a '47. Would that have the green truck as well?  It sure looks great, the whole car.  I can't wait to get to that stage.  I'm looking forward to seeing the black!

[52b3b Joe]

39 minutes ago, Bingster said:

So the green trunk is factory? I have a '47. Would that have the green truck as well?  It sure looks great, the whole car.  I can't wait to get to that stage.  I'm looking forward to seeing the black!

 

Yes, this car had the truck painted the greenish blue color that the inner fenders have also. I know it was dependent on what plant the car was made in, and this one was made in Detroit (which used the green color). I am looking forward to getting it painted too! I just hope I can do a good job spraying it and keeping dirt out of it! 

[Dave Armstrong]

Great work. When i got mine the floor was missing both sides, complete with the sill ( i think you call then rocker panels).

 

But, although not original, I hand fabricated sills and the complete floor. It now looks like this.

[casper50]

You're getting there Dave.  Keep putting the photos up.  Everyone enjoys them.

 

[pflaming]

Will you make me a set of those panels? That is an impressive example of quality workmanship.  Also,  I didn't realize the transmission is that far forward. Which transmission is showing?

Edited January 2, 2018 by pflaming

[52b3b Joe]

2 hours ago, Dave Armstrong said:

Great work. When i got mine the floor was missing both sides, complete with the sill ( i think you call then rocker panels).

 

 

But, although not original, I hand fabricated sills and the complete floor. It now looks like this.

 

Looks great! Nice metal work!!! 

[knuckleharley]

2 hours ago, Dave Armstrong said:

Great work. When i got mine the floor was missing both sides, complete with the sill ( i think you call then rocker panels).

 

But, although not original, I hand fabricated sills and the complete floor. It now looks like this.

That's pretty impressive work,I don't care who you are.

 

Many,many people would have just given up on a car like that and parted it out.

[Dave Armstrong]

On 1/2/2018 at 7:10 PM, knuckleharley said:

That's pretty impressive work,I don't care who you are.

 

Many,many people would have just given up on a car like that and parted it out.

Was a lot of work, but enjoyable with still a long way to go. I think that there are only a couple of 3 window Desotos over here in the UK.

[Brent B3B]

progress report please Joe, I am vicariously  living thru you

[52b3b Joe]

1 hour ago, Brent B3B said:

progress report please Joe, I am vicariously  living thru you

 

Lol, I was just thinking about a quick update too! 

 

Not much has changed if you were to look at the car. We spent a Saturday lining up the front end. we had some problems with the hood gaps. I also was able to get one front fenders blocked out (they are BIG fenders!), but our main focus has been the wiring harness the past two weeks. We decided to try and do some inside work while its cold out, so that was the next logical place to go! It's one thing to have a painted car, but it's another to be able to start it and drive! 

 

We are replacing the engine, and dash harness along with the transmission harness. While I was working on the body, my dad carefully removed the original wiring and labeled all the connections. He also made a book with descriptions of his labeling which has worked out pretty well so far with the help of the wiring diagram in the shop manual. We inventoried each wire by gauge, length, color, and connection type, and I ended up placing an order this week with Rhode Island Wiring for all the supplies and the braided wire. I priced out buying the harness, and making it ourselves is going to save around $700. That $700 will hopefully pay for a set of tires! 

 

I like wiring, so it should be fun! It's just going to take a little bit of time. We are planning to get some more of the car blocked this Saturday if nothing else pops up in our schedules. I'll try and remember to take some pictures! 

[knuckleharley]

28 minutes ago, 52b3b Joe said:

 

 

 

I like wiring, so it should be fun!

You are a sick,sick man. What if you cut it in the wrong place,and all that smoke that's locked up inside it escapes?

[52b3b Joe]

32 minutes ago, knuckleharley said:

You are a sick,sick man. What if you cut it in the wrong place,and all that smoke that's locked up inside it escapes?

 

It's all part of the experience. 

[52b3b Joe]

Here's a couple pictures of the progress. Not much to see, just blocking, blocking, and more blocking. I'm getting tired of sanding, and I'm tired of the mess! I have the front clip, cowl, roof, and both driver side doors done. The car seems to be straight now. It will be good enough for what we're after. Just takes time....

 

The last picture is of the wiring harness project. Just showing how it's laid out on my plane building table. I plan on replacing one wire at a time as I pull it apart. Shouldn't be too bad. 

[Dan Hiebert]

I like your progress.  I, too, share the sickness of enjoying wiring.  Nice job on the ad-hoc paint booth, we did just about the same thing when we painted our daughter's Falcon a few years ago when we lived in western NY.  Same time of year, too.  Only "issue" I had was putting the D24 outside, in the snow, and 10 degree weather.  One thing you may try that I found helpful to keep the dust and dirt down is quite simple, wet the floor.  I flushed the floor really well a few days before we got started, and on the spray days just made sure it was wet before starting to paint.

 

 

[52b3b Joe]

2 hours ago, Dan Hiebert said:

I like your progress.  I, too, share the sickness of enjoying wiring.  Nice job on the ad-hoc paint booth, we did just about the same thing when we painted our daughter's Falcon a few years ago when we lived in western NY.  Same time of year, too.  Only "issue" I had was putting the D24 outside, in the snow, and 10 degree weather.  One thing you may try that I found helpful to keep the dust and dirt down is quite simple, wet the floor.  I flushed the floor really well a few days before we got started, and on the spray days just made sure it was wet before starting to paint.

 

Thanks! I'm glad to hear a similar setup worked out well for you! I will definitely be wetting the floor when I spray the car. I always do that to avoid dirt. I haven't wet the floor yet due to the weather and cold temps. I thought it might cause more problems than it was worth. I'm hoping in a month or so it will be a little warmer out and I won't have to worry. 

[52b3b Joe]

We finished up the harness last night. It's all branched off, and wrapped like it was when we took it off. It came out great, and I'm happy with the results. It was a lot of fun, and it was very laid back to make it. Now we just need to install it! It is the bulk cloth wrapped wire from Rhode Island, and all the terminals are crimped and soldered with heat shrink. 

[dpollo]

very impressive.... the whole job.   you are bound to be very proud of the final product.

[52b3b Joe]

Getting closer! The main body is blocked and nearly ready for paint. We spent all day Saturday out there in the dust bowl. Still have the hood and one rear fender to block, then a major garage cleaning before masking and painting. The car blocked out very nice. I won't say it is 100% flawless, but its the nicest job I've done so far. 

[RNR1957NYer]

Looks excellent!!  I've been blocking my '66 Satellite (like, forever!!) and it will get shot this spring.  I see you are using a fairly rigid flat sanding block - while a bit softer than the old rubber blocks, it's easy to sand flat spots into the primer/filler on high crown panels, like your front fenders.  If I may make a suggestion (I know how excited we get the closer it gets to painting time!), get a soft block and make your final sanding pass with that.  Being very flexible, it will put a curve back in the panel and will knock off any facets the hard block left.

 

Remember the old rodder's saying: "If it's perfect, paint it black!"  Have fun!

[52b3b Joe]

29 minutes ago, RNR1957NYer said:

Looks excellent!!  I've been blocking my '66 Satellite (like, forever!!) and it will get shot this spring.  I see you are using a fairly rigid flat sanding block - while a bit softer than the old rubber blocks, it's easy to sand flat spots into the primer/filler on high crown panels, like your front fenders.  If I may make a suggestion (I know how excited we get the closer it gets to painting time!), get a soft block and make your final sanding pass with that.  Being very flexible, it will put a curve back in the panel and will knock off any facets the hard block left.

 

Remember the old rodder's saying: "If it's perfect, paint it black!"  Have fun!

 

Very good tip! I learned that somewhat the hard way on my truck when I painted it. I've been using a couple different soft blocks like those for all the curvy panels on the car like the roof and trunk. They weren't special enough to make it in the pictures though lol. I have two different thickness of them, one being stiffer. Between the two of them one normally works. In a few spots I just folded a long piece of sand paper to create some thickness to prevent pressure points to sand with. The only things I have been able to use the long blocks on has been the doors, and front fenders (and hood when I get there) lol.