Steve French has owned this...
Steve French has owned this small-block-powered '35 Chevrolet Master Deluxe since he was 15 years old. When it came time to replace the wood framework in the body he turned to veteran racer and rod builder Ted Ingersoll (tedandiane@aol.com) for help.
In our last installment of Deforestation we showed how veteran rodder Ted Ingersoll saved a sagging set of '35 Chevy doors by replacing most of the wood framework with steel. We've seen this done a number of ways on different cars and with the variation and variety of Chevys (and other make bodies that were built with timber framing); what we offered then and now is more food for thought than specific instructions on the task. But while the specifics may vary, there is much to be learned from Ted's methods that can be applied to almost any termite-infested, rot-ravaged, wood-framed rod body.
Like the doors, Ted's approach to replacing the wood around them was also well thought-out and applicable to more than the unique suicide portals found on the Master Deluxe coupe being he was dealing with. A particularly unique feature is the adjustability included in the new hinge mounts that was lacking in the originals.
With any undertaking of this nature, one of the critical steps is maintaining (or reestablishing) the proper shape of the sheetmetal while the wood framework is being replaced. Ted welded temporary steel straps from the bottom of the body to the frame and made ingenious wood supports to maintain/verify the shape of body behind the hinge posts.
You never know what you're...
You never know what you're going to find inside one of these cars. The wood may be missing, rotted, excellent, or anything in between. This Chevy had some of each. The doors were treated to new steel reinforcements, and the original wood holding the window regulator and inside door handle mechanism was in excellent condition and was retained.
In this case the wood being replaced was at the back of the doors and extended from the floor to just above the top hinge. As the door hinges attach to this post, construction has to be stout; however, the shape of the door opening and the location of the quarter window were such that simply substituting steel tubing wasn't an option. Ted's approach was to fabricate a tube structure that was anchored to the floor, followed the shape of the door, and tied into the body above the top door hinge.
During this process Ted learned a few interesting facts concerning the ways of Fisher bodies. A good example is in many locations the wood framework was made from multiple parts that were screwed together and then wrapped with sheetmetal. That means removing the wood very often isn't as simple as it would seem, and in fact care must be exercised to prevent damaging the body.
As we've said, rodders and restorers of pre-'37 Chevys (and other such lumber-laden cars) are a hard-core bunch-they even have a support group of sorts. Jerry Brown and Dave Garner (his '36 coupe was featured in SR) have a website dedicated to the subject of wood replacement (http://36wood.marthareisdorf.com/FirstPage).
Building one these lumber-laden cars can be challenging; however, they offer a host of opportunities as well. They're affordable to begin with and unique when finished, and you can always point out to those that question the wisdom of your choice that "if it was easy, everyone would do it."
You never know what you're...
You never know what you're going to find inside one of these cars. The wood may be missing, rotted, excellent, or anything in between. This Chevy had some of each. The doors were treated to new steel reinforcements, and the original wood holding the window regulator and inside door handle mechanism was in excellent condition and was retained.
Not only had the wooden hinge...
Not only had the wooden hinge post deteriorated, but the metal brace tying it to the floor had rusted away as well. Note the hinges are screwed to the post, which means the only method available to adjust the doors was to bend the hinges.
The bottom bracket ties into...
The bottom bracket ties into the floor, which is also a combination of steel and wood. As in the doors, some of the wood was amazingly solid, so it was left alone.
This is one of the things...
This is one of the things that make this job interesting: Just above the top hinge the wood post fits inside the sheetmetal of the upper doorframe. Because of this and the complex shape, a steel replacement was made rather than using tubing.
To make sure the body held...
To make sure the body held its shape, a pair of wood braces were cut to follow the contour of the body. They were held in place at the top by straps that were secured to the existing framework surrounding the quarter windows.
One of the secrets to success...
One of the secrets to success in this process is establishing and maintaining the sheetmetal in proper position, and a number of temporary braces may be required to do that. Here straps were welded between the bottom of the body and the frame. Note that the bracket securing the wood brace has also been welded to the frame.
Here the sheetmetal cover...
Here the sheetmetal cover has been removed and the beam under the right side of the floor can be seen. As both were in perfect condition they were left in place. Surprisingly, only the sheetmetal that covered them had to be replaced.
With the post and the floor...
With the post and the floor reinforcement removed some floor damage was discovered. The rusty section of sheetmetal was carefully cut away to expose the wood below.
Using the original sheetmetal...
Using the original sheetmetal as patterns, Ted formed new door sills to cover the wood beams.
One of the flaws in the original...
One of the flaws in the original arrangement (other than the wood) was there were no provisions for adjusting the doors. The original hinges simply screwed to the posts. The original holes welded up so new holes could be drilled.
As he did on the doors, Ted...
As he did on the doors, Ted made brackets to mount the hinges to the posts out of 1/2-inch steel. The hinges will fit into pockets machined in the brackets and be secured by three countersunk screws. If necessary, shims could be added between the hinges and the pockets.
The rather stubborn screws...
The rather stubborn screws were drilled out of the hinges, the posts were then used to make templates for their replacements.
A fixture establishes distance...
A fixture establishes distance between the hinges. Note how they fit into the machined pockets in the brackets.
Three separate patterns were...
Three separate patterns were made for the front section of the fabricated posts-one for above the top hinge, one for below the bottom hinge, and one for between the hinges.
With the hinge brackets spaced...
With the hinge brackets spaced the proper distance apart, they were welded to the three sections of the fabricated post. Check out the threaded holes for studs and clamps in the workbench, a clever way to secure parts during welding.
After welding the hinge mounts...
After welding the hinge mounts to the sections of plate, the fit to the body was checked. To replace the rusted original, a new plate was fabricated to tie the hinge post to the floor.
As the front of the new post...
As the front of the new post will be visible when the installation is completed it will be painted to match the body. A number of methods can be used to secure the outer skin to the posts. While welding is the norm, the new adhesives now being used in auto body repair have also been found to work well and there's no damage to the paint.
With the fit verified and...
With the fit verified and hinge pockets welded to the front of the fabricated tubes, a side plate was added. To provide additional door adjustment, cage nuts were used on the backside of the hinge pockets. The bottom of the assembly is to the right, the lower portion fits around the beam in the floor, and the upper end is a "tongue" that fits into the sheetmetal above the top hinge.
Here both side plates, as...
Here both side plates, as well as the plate that will attach the post to the floor, have been added. The posts were constructed of 16-gauge mild steel while the hinge-mounting surfaces are 3/16-inch thick.
The finished passenger side...
The finished passenger side post duplicates the shape of the original while adding strength to the body.
For further reinforcement,...
For further reinforcement, triangular gussets were added between the posts and the brackets that bolt to the beam under the floor. The lightening holes add some strength and detail.
The finished opening-note...
The finished opening-note the new sheetmetal sill covering the floor beam is in place. The bottom of the post is bolted in place, the previously shown "tongue" on the top of the post fits into the body above the top hinge and ties into the body with countersunk screws.