opinions please....

[Brandy]

Thanks 747, i agree, it's all or nothing. I did cut 3 1/2 more inches off of the front edge of the dash next to the windshield. It was just sticking out into the legroom to far. Now the defrost vent in the center of the dash top is right up next to the bottom of the windshield. I spent yesterday and a few hours today remodeling my garage. Needed to follow my own advice and use the vertical space better to make more room. Now i have the sand blasting cabinet to where i will able to set it up and use it, i ordered the sleeved gloves yesterday. i now have floodlights on both sides up near the ceiling so i have enough light to work by. I noticed today that i screwed up the left front fender nose job. I welded a panel in the wrong place and now the fender wont sit right. Gonna have to open that seam and let it go back to the right position and bolt it up and THEN weld it together, lol. I bought another 4x8 sheet of 20 gauge today, to make tubs and a trunk floor. And a battery delete plate. ANd a filler panel to close off the trunk from the cab.

That interior looks pretty slick but I think it'll clash with any original panel....... I'd go all new or all old? Lots going on here, keep after it Ghost cause this ones going to be one worth looking at haha. Cool stuff

 

[Brandy]

Well, i fooled around with the front grille today. I learned alot. What a PITA. I've come to the conclusion that I need to wait until i have the case mounts in place so i can determine the correct location of the center grille and turn signals. I did figure out that i had to swap sides on the lower cross brace pieces to allow room for the cases to spin. On the Coronet the two ends with the raised sections are where the headlights mount. Turned around they are correct to mount the grille center, ...i hope. This car has been hit at least once in the front end. If i could afford it i would get an entire new front clip. It was lined up good when i got it so it will line up again.

 

[Brandy]

So. Here's the mock up trial fit of the header panel. Did this for a couple of reasons, one, the shorter hood length weighs less to flip forwards, two, the hood front lip will never be out of line with the fenders, three, I can now use the trunk hinges, or some like them, to flip the hood forwards and the 1 inch front edge will clear the header back edge no sweat. Before I had to have expensive double scissor type hinges to lift and clear the grille and the space between the grille and the radiator under the hood where the bottom surface of the hood drops down into that space just in front of the upper radiator support rail. So, all in all I think it's a win win. Plus nobody has to see that space.

View attachment 302425View attachment 302426View attachment 302427View attachment 302428

 

[Brandy]

I got the lower cross braces a couple of days ago and mounted them on the car today. worked out perfectly. I reassembled all of the brackets and bolted them up too. I then cut my axle to go from case to case and hammered a 4 inch long piece of CVPC tubing into each end of the axle bar. This tubing is the exact size to slide into the case ends. The whole thing is together now and rotating quite smoothly. Only things left on the mock up are the window motor/frame and two flanges too bolt to the case ends that will have a pilot hole cross drilled through them and the axle for alignment pins to go into. I have not yet decided which way to make the axle turn. It will either be a driven gear fastened to the axle or a window lift cable pull/pull arrangement. Anyway, it's together and spaced correctly for now and I just need to adjust here and there to get the fins spaced right. Here's a video link...

https://youtu.be/cdbcdYQm2Vk

 

[snakeoil24]

Ghost your getting their. Glad to see you have a set of balls to take on this project. Looks like you have lot's of lead and mud work to do.

Snake!

 

[Brandy]

It's all fun to me! Yes there are a few spots to fill and some metal shaping to get done. I intend to use as little as possible on the filler. This car has a lot of real estate though, it will need some skimming to flatten out the panels and correct the gaps. I'm not going for a show car though so no big headaches. Not building it to get a trophy just to have fun cruising in it with the wife. Ghost..

Ghost your getting their. Glad to see you have a set of balls to take on this project. Looks like you have lot's of lead and mud work to do.

Snake!

 

[65RoadRacer]

I had the *correct* Dodge spoiler on my 1970 Coronet, with the Dodge lettering on it, I loved it. Wings, not so much, but that spoiler I had was cool.


I have a small spoiler on my 65 Belvedere that I made, it's a little different, but I like it. You can kinda see it in this picture.

 

[Brandy]

Thanks 65RoadRacer, I guess it's different strokes for different folks when it comes to wings and spoilers. I do intend to revisit the idea once the Express is rolling again and I can get it out of the garage into the open. Then I can see the whole car at once from all angles and get a better feel for the impact one would make if I placed it on there. I just cant tell inside the closed garage and from the rear is the only angle that I can get far enough away to form an opinion. Not good enough. It will be later this summer before that happens though. For instance, if I were to lower the whole car down to the ground almost and had huge rear tires, like a funny car, then a wing would be cool.

- - - Updated - - -

I decided that the left fender nose was too damaged to leave on the car, even after cutting most of it away. So, I cut it off made a steel guide conforming to the slopes and angles of the right nose and fabbed a piece to go in there. I also noticed that the left fender top was sitting way too high up, I guess I was on drugs that day or something. So I sliced it free and pulled it down. I measured from the bottom of the other fender to floor and put the left side at that height. I also measured from the radiator support to the inside bottom edge and transferred that also. So now they are the same. The piece I made worked out great and now I just need a small portion of a stock fender nose for the contour lines and front flange where the "C" chrome mounts up.

View attachment 306028View attachment 306027

 

[65RoadRacer]

You're doing nice work, on the car! And of course, in all reality every comes down to whether you like it or not. I've seen some ridiculous wings on cars, and I've seen some subtle ones. Some people don't like the one I installed, I did it mostly for looks. It's a piece of 2" angle aluminum from Lowes, stretched to match the curve of the trunk, and held on with 3M moulding tape. I like it, and that's all that matters - because opinions are just that, and not the rule.

 

[Brandy]

Agreed! Build it how YOU want it as your the one driving it. I'm having fun with it and for me being able to do it is a blessing that fills my days with something other than PTSD fueled depression and TBI.

You're doing nice work, on the car! And of course, in all reality every comes down to whether you like it or not. I've seen some ridiculous wings on cars, and I've seen some subtle ones. Some people don't like the one I installed, I did it mostly for looks. It's a piece of 2" angle aluminum from Lowes, stretched to match the curve of the trunk, and held on with 3M moulding tape. I like it, and that's all that matters - because opinions are just that, and not the rule.

 

[Brandy]

I decided to attach the bumper to see what it will sorta look like...I like it.

 

[HYRDGOON]

What's the story Ghost are you able to continue with the project now?

 

[Brandy]

Hey goon, yes, my wife said there was no way she was going to let me sell the Express. She says we will be ok to help Caroline still, and, that me not having the car to fool with would be taking one of the few things I show any interest in doing and the ability to do it. So I guess i'm back in the game. As I was telling Devin, the damage to my brain and the PTSD combined with other issues makes it tough for me to do so many things I always took for granted so I'm glad to have it as a motivation to get up and get out. I got the replacement fender nose section from YY1 a couple of days ago so that's next up.

What's the story Ghost are you able to continue with the project now?

 

[Brandy]

Express update..

I managed to cut out the hunk I needed for the left front fender from the section that YY1 sent me, and it went in fairly well. Now both sides look identical.

 

[HYRDGOON]

Nice work they do look identical. More importantly good to see you back on the car.

How's everything going with your daughter?

 

[Brandy]

Thanks Goon, it's been both good and bad. She has had a few doctors appointments and some of the meds have not worked out so well. They caused her to get a little crazy for a week or two. She's better now and we are all trying to decide what she should do about school and her immediate future. It will all work out I hope. She is missing many of the puzzle pieces we all take for granted like how to shop. dress, cook, finances, interact with family normally, dining out, and other simple things that she never was shown or taught. She says that she has been "faking" live for a long time. Its sad really, but, we will work it all out over time. She needs a lot of work. The good thing is that she is aware of that and is willing and eager to learn and grow. on the car, it will some time before I can do a hell of a lot to it as we are trying to sell our home in SC and having to pay two mortgages until it sells.

 

[Budnicks]

Good to see you back at it some

I hope your girl gets better soon,
well wishes & good vibes sent your way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eab_beh07HU

 

[747mopar]

Love is what she likely needs most and I'm sure shell get it, give your wife and daughter my best wishes. Glad to have you back

 

[Brandy]

Thanks guys, it really means a lot to us.

 

[Brandy]

EXPRESS UPDATE....I finally got back into the swing of things and did some work on the ole' girl. After much consideration I have decided to scrap the dual scoops and instead fabricate a Road Runner type center bulge. I have it about 85 % bent how I want it and am now cutting away the stock hood skin. I like it, plus it get's rid of those slanted contour lines from the hood surface. What say you?