My Half A$$ Studebaker Rebuild

[Topper2011]

Guess the car was a mouse house. This was taken about a month ago.



Time to get after this rotted section.





This opening gave me access to one of the broken bolts for securing the lower part of the fender.



I tried drilling this out upside down, but that didn't work so well.

[Topper2011]

The nut is only captive by a couple of tangs on the sides. I was able to bend them back enough to get the nut out.





Voila! It's saved. Yes, I'm too lazy to drive all the way to the hardware store to get another square nut. Seeing as how I'm doing these little repairs, I have to fix the broken parking brake cable stay.



This clamp fixes the cable to the floor board and the nut was frozen with typical results of rusty parts. I tried to bend a new one with the bolt, but it just broke instead, I don't have a torch to heat hot enough to bend another one, but I do have a welder.



Time to call it a day.

[Topper2011]

I really should take more pictures, but once I get on a roll I don't. When I did a lot of motorcycle touring, I would pass something interesting and wish I took a picture of it. Thinking it's too much hassle to turn around, stop my bike, pull the gloves off to take a few shots of a "shoe tree" or a field full of emus or ostriches in Eastern Oregon only to regret it 5 miles down the road. In this case, it would help me fabricate replacement sheet metal.





I didn't want my sheet metal to go to waste, so I repurposed the part I formed so long ago for the floor.





Still needs some work, but it's time to pack it in for today.

[Topper2011]

Time for the inner piece for what, I have no clue. But there was a piece in there. Maybe it's to keep water from splashing back in?



This paper I got from Costco works perfectly for templates. It's sturdy, holds folds well and stiff enough to work with. I think it came between the pallets of kitty litter.



The old piece didn't join the upper and lower sections, it was just sort of tack welded to the top. It might just be a baffle of some sort. Anyway, I'm making it more structural, so it won't vibrate like a tuning fork and will put a opening for water to escape.



Time to prime it with some weld through and paint the backside so it won't rot in the next 50 years.

[Topper2011]

Time for Por-15.





While that's waiting for a second coat, I'll fix the parking brake.

[Topper2011]

I had to trim it a little since the gas pedal hit it on full throttle. At least now I don't have to forget I left it in gear and start it up by accident.

[Topper2011]

Trying to use the last of my MIG gas for this area.



Don't look to hard at it, I know it's a crap job. Look at the wrench instead. I'm trying to get the broken bolt out.



Yea, yea, not a Snap-On ratchet wrench, but I did get both Metric and Standard sets for like $29(?) on sale last Christmas and have been using the heck out of them.



I got lucky! It's a good day when you can get a broken bolt out without an extractor! We used to have to drill out broken exhaust studs on our Turbo cars. Always the back one and at a downward slant, right in front of the ABS unit. Angle drill, mirror and Cobalt bits were the only way to even attempt it. If your bit or the extractor broke in there, you had a bad day. I had both happen. No, I never had to pull the head for it, T/G!



It probably would have been easier to have replaced this whole section instead of bit by rusty bit. I didn't think about it when I got the replacement pieces.

[Topper2011]

Outer piece going in since I still have gas left.





I still need to fab the inner rocker for this section. I think I should get one of those vibrating saws so I can clean up the metal hanging out there. Once the inner rocker is in place and the sill piece is in, I'm hoping I can remove the bracing and see of my car breaks in half.

[bensherb]

Dang Roland; I've scrapped cars with WAY less rust; of course I've also scrapped others with WAY more rust. Lookin' good man! You clearly have a lot of patience. I have those same wrenches in both SAE and metric, have been using them for many years, they're great! Who needs Snap On!

[tsenecal]

I noticed the post on the cardboard from Costco. I was there yesterday, and the guy was unloading toilet tissue from a pallet. Between every layer was a nice thin cardboard mat like you have. He was slipping them all into the front of his pallet jack. I wish that I had asked if they were being discarded, they look perfect for patterns. Good work on the car, keep at it on the rust!

[bensherb]

I noticed the post on the cardboard from Costco. I was there yesterday, and the guy was unloading toilet tissue from a pallet. Between every layer was a nice thin cardboard mat like you have. He was slipping them all into the front of his pallet jack. I wish that I had asked if they were being discarded, they look perfect for patterns. Good work on the car, keep at it on the rust!

I save my 12pack (actually 30 pack) cartons to make patterns with. Unfolded they're a pretty good size piece of chipboard.

[Topper2011]

Sunday is supposed to be a quiet day, no cutting or grinding. I have neighbors that will narc if you have any equipment running on Sundays. DAMHIK. So the car stays in the garage. I did address the last two screws holding the passenger side hinges on.



Boogered Pozi screw. The great thing about crossheads, is the drill will self center.



I was able to use the hinge to lever the screw head off.



I like these tapered extractors, I've seen too many of the straight fluted ones break off in a stubborn bolt. These you can back out when you know it isn't coming out. It didn't, so I moved up another size in drill bits. So glad I spent the $10 to get this assortment of high quality bits from Boeing. They have the same chuck size, so swapping them is really easy.



The upper hinge bolt came off when the drill bit drove the remaining piece of it right through. This lower one, I had to clean up with my tap, but it another project off the list. I cleaned up all the holes and I have a new set of screws from SI for when the door goes back on.

[Topper2011]

Started looking into the right side grille I bought off Ebay, the one year only pan is rotten as a cob. Actually, it wouldn't be too far fetched to believe if came off my own car.





Luckily one of our members had one for sale. I can't imagine trying to fab this piece up.



Just needs a little cleaning and paint.



The black grille came from the eBay purchase and the lower one is a chrome one. I was told to drill out the original pins and use screws or bolts to reattach the panel. Seems easier than what I had planned, lead the pins. Probably would have failed anyway.

[Topper2011]

It's Monday, let the noise begin!



Welded in the panel I made and painted the backside on Friday.



I have to fab this






Oops, I messed up. I put the kink too far back. I just have to add a filler piece in to join up.

[Daan]

Started looking into the right side grille I bought off Ebay, the one year only pan is rotten as a cob. Actually, it wouldn't be too far fetched to believe if came off my own car.





Luckily one of our members had one for sale. I can't imagine trying to fab this piece up.



Just needs a little cleaning and paint.



The black grille came from the eBay purchase and the lower one is a chrome one. I was told to drill out the original pins and use screws or bolts to reattach the panel. Seems easier than what I had planned, lead the pins. Probably would have failed anyway.

Are the grilles the same year-to-year, or are they all different like the tail fins? Mine appear to be cracked and screwed together and I don’t relish looking for 56-only pieces...