No, the door didn't fall off...
No, the door didn't fall off this '35 Chevy, but it was just a matter of time.
Ford fans may be fanatics about Flatheads, '32 highboys, and the other Dearborn iron held dear, but when it comes to dedication nobody comes close to the Bow Tie brigade. It can take real dedication to build an early Chevy, because prior to 1937 the folks at Fisher built GM bodies using wooden frameworks to give form to their creations. While it was an accepted procedure in its day, over the years those timber inner structures have proven prone to deterioration, and once the wood goes away, so does the strength of the body.
When it comes to dealing with the rotted inner structure of these bodies there are a number of options--new wood can replace the old, in some cases the existing framework can treated with products that penetrate and reinforce the existing wood if it's not too far gone, or the wood can be replaced with metal, or a combination of metal and wood as we're showing here.
Ted Ingersoll is a veteran enthusiast who has done everything from work on the pit crew of Rich Guasco's Pure Hell to drive a street rod to the Arctic Circle. Recently, he tackled the job of replacing the wood in the doors of a '35 Chevy Master Deluxe using some unique techniques he agreed to share with our readers. If you need to rid your rod of rot, take a look at the following photos for some ideas.
As with any approach used...
As with any approach used to replace the inner structure in one of these bodies, the real trick is to maintain the fit of the doors. In this case the fixtures were fabricated to maintain the doors' shape while the wood was removed.
Ted Ingersoll used a combination...
Ted Ingersoll used a combination of steel and the original wood to make these Chevy doors better than new.
This is the original wood...
This is the original wood framework from the Chevy's driver's side door. As this is a Master Deluxe, they were hung suicide-style.
Plywood and wood blocks were...
Plywood and wood blocks were used to make the door fixtures. They held the skins in proper shape while the inner structures were removed and located in proper alignment.
The mounting holes in hinges...
The mounting holes in hinges were welded and re-drilled, and the hinge pin holes were resized.
Hinge mounts for inside the...
Hinge mounts for inside the doors were fabricated from 3/4-inch steel. The slots the hinges fit into were milled deep enough to allow the use of shims, so the doors can be adjusted in the opening.
Here the hinge mounts have...
Here the hinge mounts have been positioned on the door. Captured nuts were attached to the backside of oversize holes in the mounts to allow additional door adjustment. The paper patterns are for reinforcements that will be added to the door.
Three flame-cut reinforcements...
Three flame-cut reinforcements (one above, one between and one above the hinge mounts) are clamped in place for a test fit.
With the proper fit verified,...
With the proper fit verified, the reinforcements were clamped to a heavy piece of steel to maintain alignment, and were then welded to the hinge mounts.
To secure the hinge mount/reinforcement...
To secure the hinge mount/reinforcement assembly to the door, a series of holes were laid out in the door skin. Note the rod being used to establish the position of the hinges.
After center-punching the...
After center-punching the locations, holes were drilled in the door skin to make the panels that were welded to the door, replacing the factory wood.
The hinge mount/reinforcement...
The hinge mount/reinforcement assembly was clamped in place and the hinges were secured.
To attach the mount/reinforcement...
To attach the mount/reinforcement assembly to the door plug, welds were made in all drilled holes.
A combination of 12 and 14-gauge...
A combination of 12 and 14-gauge sheetmetal was used to make the panels that replaced the factory wood. This lower panel has flanges and punched/radiused holes to add stiffness.
To replace the wood around...
To replace the wood around the window opening, two lengths of 18-gauge sheetmetal was folded at a 90-degree angle, then formed with the aide of a shrinker/stretcher. The stock window frame will be used.
The two pieces of formed angle...
The two pieces of formed angle have been welded together to "box" the top of the door. With the window opening finished, the front glass run was positioned.
The location of the glass...
The location of the glass run is easily established by the vent window and mounting holes in the door skin.
In this case the stock door...
In this case the stock door latches are to be retained. Like the hinges on the rear of the door, the front of the door will have added reinforcement.
Made from 14-gauge steel,...
Made from 14-gauge steel, the front reinforcement was shaped to follow the contour of the door.
With the fit verified, the...
With the fit verified, the front reinforcement plate was plug-welded to the door skin.
Midway up the door, another...
Midway up the door, another horizontal reinforcement was added (note the .090-inch spacers to keep it away from the door skin). It ties the lower hinge and latch mounts, anchors the bottom of the window channel, and adds considerable strength to the door.
A third sheetmetal reinforcement...
A third sheetmetal reinforcement fits below the window opening. The small holes on the right locate the notch necessary to accommodate the wind wing regulator.
With the top brace in place,...
With the top brace in place, the vent window regulator is installed. Note the tab below the regulator--that's the mount for the door latch (the paper pattern for the mount is to the left).
Here's another view of the...
Here's another view of the pattern and the latch mount before the edge was folded (there will be a 90-degree bend along the line drawn).
Since it was in perfect condition...
Since it was in perfect condition and he didn't want to reinvent the wheel, Ted decided to reuse the wood that held the window regulator. The sheetmetal panel that was installed behind it provides strength.
The finished door ready for...
The finished door ready for paint. It's extremely strong, and even slightly lighter with most of the wood removed.