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BEFORE:
Plotting and Planning
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Here is the stripped down body as it arrived in the shop. Rick took some side-view photos and Pati cut them precisely to figure out what combination of inches subtracted would look best. Once it was decided, Pati transferred the cut lines to the car. Precision is everything in this step.
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TOPLESS!
Step 1: Pass the Point of No Return
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The top was the first thing to go. Braces were welded into the passenger compartment and the roof shell beforehand to keep everything rigid and in place while the roof was off. A come-along was used to pull the pillars inward to meet up with the roof in its new location, and splice plates were welded into the pillars for strength.
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CUSTOM ROLL PAN
Six Flat Pieces of Steel and a Hammer
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The roll pan was entirely Charlie’s gig. He was having so much fun whacking the tar out of that sheet metal that no one dared try to take his hammer away. The result is a super clean look for this rear-bumperless sled.
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STRETCHING THE ROOF
Chopmaster Winfield's Job is Secure... For Now
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The roof needed to be lengthened to match the pillars, so we welded in some patch panels. The bigger the panel, the easier it is to warp, so you can only imagine the language we used to describe our progress on this part of the project… The complex folds and box structure of the roof sides were faithfully duplicated and welded in for strength.
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READY TO DROP
Cutting the Outer Panels and Inner Structure
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Rick’s favorite tool was a finger-guardless, spark-spraying, angle-grinder-with-a-cutoff-wheel affair. Somehow he managed to tame the thing long enough to cut all the body section lines on the car. Here, the car is shown ready to drop. Only the door pillars are uncut. The fenders, inner fenders, and doors were all sectioned off the car. Once again, precision was everything.
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FRENCHED HEADLIGHTS
Stainless Rings Welded In and Leaded
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This photo shows the frenched, leaded, and filed headlights. Apparently you can weld stainless to steel with the right welder. A silicon bronze welder, in this case. The sectioning welds on the inner fenders and firewall are also visible. Next we’ll align the hood, weld its center seam, and call it good.
Update: After changing out the front end for a radical drop, installing a new steering system, and dropping in a very large engine, Rick has been taking a break by grinding welds and starting the bodywork. Go Rick! Better you than me! ;) Hope to see him and the car at Viva Las Vegas next year!
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