Here’s a few tips to help fill your roof in:

Every time we go to a car show you will always notice any hot rod that’s had its top chopped. Now this you would believe to be done by the owner or builder of the car. Now notice I said a builder, not necessarily the owner or the person that took over the project to be completed.

Within this article I want to share with you a project that was purchased with the chop top already done, but with closer inspection the proportions were not correct, especially to the trained eye for detail. At this point the infill had not been completed so I will show the results from the previous builder and how we went about correcting it.

To add a metal roof insert first you will need a donor roof from another car which these days it is generally from the current range of cars from the wrecking yards. You will be best to remove the whole roof through the pillars where as this will keep the strength in during transportation. If you don’t, you will have the largest floppy pancake which could end up being useless if it was to buckle on you.

On the left the roof shown is from a 1948 Chev which does have more contour, whilst on the right the roof is from a mid 60’s ford station wagon which does have the flatter section. Its really your choice as to how you want it to look or maybe the donor roof came free of charge, so with these decisions it will help make the correct choice for you.

The chop top itself was done rather well though there was too much metal removed from the original roof allowing for the infill. As with most larger cars from the mid 1930’s they had more crown within the roof and it wasn’t until 1937 that the first full roof with a metal infill was stamped from the factories.

Any cars from the 60’s – 70’s should have a greater crown within its roof than the modern cars of today. You can opt to have an infill rolled from a reputable rod builder who has an English wheel, though this will be an expensive option if it is to be done well.

You may not notice this, but with the above shown chop top there has been too much metal removed from the original roof line, in particular with the rear section. This will definitely make it look too flat. One way we were able to correct this was to use an original section from a 1936 Ford parts car and graphed it back on, a lot more work but this will give better results. You can compare the two below.

This is the result from too much metal removed in the rear

Now compare the original to the chopped too far version

To chop the roof is one step but to add the metal infill is another. Either way they all have to be done right to look pleasing to the eyes, do this wrong and you will surely devalue your ride. The next photo will show you with the mid 1960’s roof we had templated up and you can see the look you would achieve if you continued this way. Once the new rear section is added this will allow you to shorten the new infill leaving the original crown to keep the factory look.

This finished would look far too flat

Have you thought how can you hold this floppy piece of tin on your roof? Well you can get the help from mates who generally charge mate rates ( a couple of beers) or there is these little helpers called weld mates.

These are great little helpers

They make welding easier.

Have you noticed in the above photo the metal tabs I have left on to help support the infill, here is another look at what I have done. These were left on the roof infill as we cut the roof to fit the hole. You can do this just to help get the exact trimming done or weld the roof in and trim them off as you go. Either way they will be of great help too.

Metal tabs to help hold the roof infill.

The finished results were completed by hammer welding and its now only requirements is a skim of body filler to fill any imperfections.

The final result

Well I hope these tips will help you make more progress on your project.

Happy Hot Rodding

Lowering your Headlights on 1935 Fords:

Here you can see the standard headlight stanchions.

In this article we will show you how Rick Field, a hot rodder from Lithgow in NSW Australia has achieved the lowering of his headlights for his 1935 Ford Tudor. This method can be used on any headlights that incorporate the stanchions from the mudguards. With questions asked to various car buddies he could not find a suitable method to which he was satisfied with.

To do this on models like the 1936 Fords the stanchions are incorporated in with the construction of the mudguard, even with the fiberglass guards these both will have a different  approach compared to the 1935 models. To do the 1936 models, you could use this method as shown in the following photos, though most people prefer to modify the headlight buckets on there own. This is done with the removal of the headlight mounting point at the base of the headlight and raising this up into the bucket itself with a large enough opening to fit the stanchion in side, then using metal formed in the shape of an oval tube or similar shape you may choose and weld that in place.  The mount now becomes  further up inside the bucket. One thing you must consider. Make sure there is no contact with the headlight itself once installed.

Either way you modify your headlights, you can only go to the maximum the mudguards will allow which is usually 30mm to 50mm unless you countersink them into the guards.

So out with his only pair of headlight stanchions, (yes they are hard to find today) I will share with you how Rick went about altering his own.

First  you will need to find some stanchions that are rust free which can even be sourced from other model cars with similar mounting points. Just check out any old cars you might find in farmers yards or paddocks.

A standard 1935 headlight stanchion

Now you can compare the lowered headlight on the left guard with the untouched version on the right guard. You will clearly see the difference it can make. It all adds up to how many custom touches you can do with your ride. Using a billet grill adds more custom features. This way you keep the theme flowing throughout the whole project.

Here we have the modified on the left guard, standard on the right.

Now to do this Rick has made this quite simple, If you want to lower them, well just cut the required amount from the stanchions. Ok

You only need to use your imagination, as this is as simple as it can get.

Here you can see the many cuts Rick has made, as he now has to bring the centre in to match the top half.

Many cuts are required.

Here you can see where your limits are. Obviously to keep the headlight bucket mount horizontal you have only a certain amount you can shorten them by. Always remember the top has to fit back on or you can even modify that.

You will be limited on the amount you can cut.

All that’s required now is to weld them all together, a quick cleanup with the emery wheel and your just completed another stage of your ride. One thing I would do before welding is to remove the inner rust either by blasting or a dipping solution.

With welding complete a quick clean up, it's all done.

Here’s another look from a different angle.

Another really nice finished result by Rick Field

On this photo there is one more item to be shortened. That is the headlight mounting bolt. You can either shorten as you can see in the next photo or tap the thread up the shaft further and cut the excess off.

Last we need to shorten the headlight bolt.

You can see in the next photo how nice and neat they look when the headlights are tucked up close to the guards.

A much cleaner look for a Hi-tech ride.

Now go back to the first photo and just compare the difference between these two.

Thanks to Rick Field for this article, it all helps to solve those little jobs on your hot rod project that can make a big result when it comes to trophy time.

Happy Hot rodding

Dave Ailey.

Can’t find old mudguards? So you want to widen what you have.

Thanks to Rick Field for this Article.

Stewart Smith shows Rick how it's done using an English Wheel.

Well all you need is an English wheel! Now that’s easy to say in just words, but what about the fact you haven’t got one? Today there is many on the market for sale in various shapes and sizes with a selection of wheels to go.

Now if you find you don’t have the room in your garage, then check out some options for mounting them on top of your bench. This alone will save you room and they are usually cheaper items. Suppose your bench is no option even the space for a floor mounted unit  makes for a tight squeeze.

Well there’s two more options you can channel your thought’s too. The first is to join up with a car club and get yourself known within the members, easy to do at each meeting and quite often you can put your thoughts across within there newsletters for any help.

Clubs can have a designated meeting point usually once a month and this can take place at a local member’s garage or workshop. These workshops can at times have these heavy pieces of machinery so it’s all in a matter of just ask the right question.

The second option is to join a local Technical school which may have night classes for panel beating. These will generally have all these types of machines and with a annual fee per term or year, it makes great sense to become enrolled and learn the skills from teachers. To have your self a coach is always a great way to start any project.

Within this article I will share the following photos of the widening of 1935 Ford rear guard’s using an English wheel. At first Stewart Smith the panel beater did the first guard, showing Rick the skills to perform this at home. Now it looks easy and it is once you have honed the initial skills on some practice panels first.

Wide rubber usually means wide guards.

Now these are the second set of wheels and tyres Rick has purchased for his 1935 Ford Tudor. Not happy with the first, on to ebay they went. Now with his new wheels above, he needed to perform improvements from the so called previous builder. I’m sure you will see why.

Yes that’s metal tubing used to strengthen the joins.

Replacing previous repairs that are just not to Ricks standards.

So out with the old:

Out with the old

And in with the new:

From flat stock, its hard to do this with out an English wheel.

By using an English wheel you can achieve results with a curve as above.

10 inch rubber will fit nicely under those guards.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, it’s all about the look:

Tack welds help make it easy.

Now you will have to widen the running boards to match, but remember its all in the look.

Nice welds make it easier to file finish.

Nice welds performed by Rick are done with the use of a Tig welder and experience I might add. These don’t throw out as much heat into the panels which in turn gives you an easier panel to complete.

No expensive tools here.

At first its easier to start the forming of tight curves with the aid of a domed mallet and a log of wood, generally cut to waist height to save the old back.  All you need is to create a concave affect in the top of the log as you can see here and start creating the curve.

Watch those thumbs!

Final shaping can be completed with the English wheel.

All that’s left is some final treatment with the hammer and dolly and final welding.

It started out as a sheet of flat metal.

Now take a look at a stock standard guard just to compare the difference with the wider look.

You can clearly see the difference.

With the use of an English wheel you can form the crease down the middle to achieve the crisp look.

Nice crease down the middle too.

Its hard to fault workmanship like this, with the amount of curves in these fat fendered rods it makes it easier with the use of an English wheel. As in a previous article I show you how it can be done by using the sections from donor guards but it all comes down to how many dollars you can afford to spend on your hot rod.

Metal finishing might take time though it sure leaves a great job.

All this fine work is the results performed by Rick Field. With plenty of practice he has now proven your can be perfect.

Beautiful workmanship in metal

Now for all those that think Rick is a metal craftsman from way back, you had better think again. This is Ricks very first Hot Rod , a 1935 Ford Tudor which he bought as an uncompleted project. A perfectionist he is and I have to admit after witnessing some of the repairs performed by the previous owner , I can understand why he gave up his time to learn and perform this fantastic metal work. It looked good from an untrained eye, but once you get them home and have a proper inspection, you can only hope you have not got your self a can of worms. The workmanship Rick has performed has all been done in his home garage, bar the stint with the use of the English wheel. So you can see the results you can achieve by learning a few skills with the guidense from a coach.

Now you don’t have to go out and spend all those big bucks on an English wheel either. This next photo will show you what friends are for. Ricks friend and buddy hot rodder made this English wheel for him. Why not he thought he was making one for himself , so why not make two. All they purchased was the hardened wheels to suit. All in the fun of this hobby we call Hot rodding.

Great job for made at home.

Your in Hot rodding:

Dave Ailey.

P.S…. Now sit back and check the operations in using an English wheel. Oh remember to count your thumbs before you start  your own project too. In case you would like to know : The English wheel was first used to make armour back in the days when the only thumpin you could here was from the horses hooves during a battle.

Do you want to fit big rubber under those rear guards?

If he had widened his rear guards the tyres would fit!

Well in the 80’s the look of air between the mudguards and tyres was accepted as Hot rod material. Today in 2010 it’s quite the opposite with air bag technology. So what can you do to fit bigger rubber under the rear guards? At first thought we just think to drop the suspension  and it will all look great.

Now that looks better. Wider guards allow this.

Now this is the exact look I’m applying to my very own 36 Roadster. Just love that profile… Sweet as.

Well there’s more to this than you think. Firstly you have to consider how will you drop the ride height, do you have a fat cheque book or a wallet full of credit cards? If so then air bag suspension is the way to go. Though if you plan on building or even modifying your current ride and dollars is a concern, most would lower the springs or use lowering blocks within their leaf springs.

But there’s something else you must consider, will your tyres fit under the guards?

Rick Field has filled his wheel wells with big rubber on his 1935 Ford Tudor. All from his home.

Will you have to put up with narrower tyres, they don’t look as good do they?, at least not on a fat fender rod. You could go the expensive method a fit a tubbed chassis underneath!

Well I want to share with you in this video that follows the method I used to widen my rear 1936 sedan guards onto the likes of a roadster or coupe. These have the rear quarter panels curve around further than sedans. Now this did not cost me anymore than $ 50.00 for a pair of shabby front guards off a totally different fat fendered car from a major  swap meet……. Notice I said front guards!

To widen the rears there was no need for any English wheel machines, just my time and some oxy welding.

So check out how I did this on this video:

P.S…If you have a slow connection on your computer, click play then hit pause and go grab a stubbie or cuppa and come back in 5 when it’s loaded, then click play.

Happy Hot rodding:

Dave Ailey.

How to Colour Sand before we Polish our Hot Rod Cars.

Now if you just notice this photo is looking into the reflections on one very nice paint job.

I bet you thought painting your car stopped at the spraying of the top coat. Well from body work and repairs, to primer, then top coat you have just clicked into the last quarter.

Achieving the right results from your spray gun will be easier than applying your own technique. It all stems from the flow of your arm to the distance from the panel, whether you create paint runs, orange peel or have that little spec of dust or insect just happen to be floating by can all make your dreams for a nice finish hit rock bottom.

If you think everyone at spray painting is perfect, you had better think again. It will at most cases determine the conditions in which your painting, be it a booth or your home garage you will definitely achieve different results. Allowing time for paints to dry will always have an affect on your finishes, so at most times you can expect some sought of foreign matter #@%&*+ to hinder the perfect finish.

If you have not had the use of a spray booth and oven then the drying times will differ between the two types of paint jobs. If  your lucky enough to have the use of a booth you can bake it and proceed to colour sand the very next day. If you’ve painted in the garage at home you should leave it to cure for (in my opinion) anywhere up to a month in summer, even longer in colder climates. Why you asked? Well you want the paint to be properly cured and that means no shrinkage, hence I hope you have done the body work correct and used finer papers for sanding prior to top coat. If you haven’t I would apply more coats of paint to allow for the shrinkage.

What is colour sanding?

Exactly what it sounds like, you sand the top coat of paint to remove the orange peel affect or any  contaminants in the paint. By blocking back the top coat with wet and dry ultra fine papers, generally the black or brown sanding papers or 1,200 grit  up to 2,000 grit you will remove the tops of those rough textures or the top of the orange peel. You will need to achieve the result so it looks totally flat in its dry condition. What do I mean by that?

When block back with this method always and I  mean always use soapy water, just adds some dishwashing liquid to the bucket of cold water. The soap will help stop your papers from clogging up with the paint film as it’s removed. This will also help any trapped solvents gases to escape which in turn will aid the curing process. Hence you might like to block the entire car with 1200 grit wet and dry paper, then leave it sit for a few days and then repeat the whole process again with a finer grade up to 2000 grit. This will ensure you have that flat surface before you attack it with a polisher.

If you have applied the paint with a good even flow and little orange peel, this will make the sanding process a little easier on the labour content of things. But always remember, colour sanding properly will take your paint finish to the next level.

The best tip I have seen before we start sanding:

Probably one of the most easiest and important tips to apply before you start to colour sand is from the old schools of painting, and that is to cut the nibs from any contaminants in your paint with a new blade from your modeling knife. If you don’t do this it will be like rubbing the sandpaper over a grain of dirt and not making contact with the paint in the surrounding areas.

You can view this great tip in action in the following video proudly demonstrated by Kevin Tetz.

Colour sanding is called that whether you are sanding a solid top coat or the clear top coat, it all is the same process. With clear top coats you have to bear in mind don’t get too heavy with the hand on each pass, nothings worse than cutting through the clear coat, sure you can add a liitle more clear over this but it will surely be noticeable. Always try to perform the colour sanding by hand, there are orbital sanders out there that the shops will promote for this but when it comes to your pride and joy I’d rather take my time and keep an eye on things.

As in most cases for sanding you want to sand in a circular motion them cross hatch with straight motions to maintain the straight look of your panels. Always use a flexible rubber block with the sandpaper, this will stop you from having you fingers doing the work and leaving railway tracks in you job. Use a wet rag to apply the water as you go dipping the rag into your bucket and squeezing it onto the block as you rub gently.

To view the process as you work, turn the block (minus paper now) on its side and use it like a squeegee to dry the surface. This will reveal any remaining orange peel or indicate you have a flat surface. In most case as all hot rods have different shapes and swage lines you will need to make some of you own sanding blocks as support for the paper to get into corners and edges. Timber rulers or paint stirrers make great block for small edges and it is flexible to some point.

The whole process for colour sanding is to remove any scratches  or blemishes and leave a smooth flat surface ready for buffing. Once you have completed the whole car , wash it all over with fresh flowing water to remove all the slurry and let it dry completely  to reveal how flat the surface is now.

You are now ready to buff the car to its show standards.

Don’t forget to check this video out, it’s well worth it.

Happy Hot Rodding,

Dave Ailey.

Fibreglass Body: Here’s an important secret you might like to know.

Light colours are best on a glass Hot rod

It is standard fact today that every hot rod show will have hot rods or street rods with fiberglass manufactured body’s. Without the introduction of these new reproduction body styles we just simply put would not have the volume of hotrods at shows to entertain us today.

Is there anything wrong with glass body’s? Absolutely not, in fact most winners at shows across the globe are constructed out of fibreglass. The use of a glass body will in general speed up the process of actually getting your hot rod finished and on the road . Notice I said generally!

You going to have to make sure the company your planning on purchasing the body from has a great product which usually means a boat load of happy customers. Ask owners from various rod runs etc. who they chose there body from, and was it easy to get ready for the painting stage.

Many phantom body styles come in fibreglass

What problems did they encounter if any at all, and do all the gaps as per doors, boot lids etc match up perfectly. Try to steer away from phantom body styles if value concerns you, these just don’t cut it with the majority of the public or the true hot rodder. You should always be thinking ahead and give it some thought in the what if happens and you need to sell to recoup some cash. At most times like these we generally want the cash immediately. No one can wait 6 months hoping to sell your ride only to keep dropping the asking price.

Now I’m not going to drag on with this subject as with any hot rod or street rod fiberglass or steel either way your going to be one happy fellow to be driven your ride down the road.

Firstly what is Fibreglass?

A Glass body will generally have smoother edges

Well the correct name is Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic. The plastic is made up of resins which is in general a flexible product, but don’t get it confused with the plastics commonly used through out the car manufacturers as this product is totally different.

To make the resin harden or set into the shape you want, heat must be applied and this is done with an internal heat due to a chemical reaction by having a product we call a catalyst and an accelerator. The combination of these chemicals will harden at room temperature. But resins alone will not be strong enough, they will crack just like a block of chocolate will when you take it out of the cold fridge and break a piece off……. Now that’s made me wants some. Resins can be stronger than some metals and to do this we need reinforcement with the aid of fibre matts.

Steel frames are considered to be the best support for any glass body, better than wood. Why! well think of it like a roll cage for one , then consider where you will mount your seat belts. This type of reinforcement is paramount in any car.

Every glass body should have a steel frame

Because this product is cured with heat there is a long kept secret that some within the industry just don’t pass on to the customers so I will share with you some photo’s which you normally won’t see when you pick up your brand new fiberglass hot rod body. This huge tip should be considered before any paints are applied.

Black looks great , but it also draws the heat.

I’d have to be the first to admit black hot rods look great. Yes they are a tad harder to look after especially when they look as good as the finish on this 1936 roadster. This actual body is fibreglass and they have done a brilliant paint job on it too. As with any thing black it will draw the heat and because fibreglass cures with heat we want to make sure our body has had enough time to cure.

The gelcoat with a splash of water can still look shiny.

Now with these next few photo’s I want you to check them out and have a closer look!

Now this is having a closer look

Have you heard the term used in the painting industry of orange peel? Well, no this is not that, but it sure looks like it from here.

Now for a closer look.

Now are we starting to see the possible problem?

This next photo will surely make you see what could become you worst nightmare, especially if you paint your glass body black.

This is after 8 years of sitting in a shed

This is the same area as the previous  photo’s and no it was not like that when I purchased it 8 years ago. Yes I know I’m slack in not finishing yet, but like any hot rodder I have had other projects too.

Now this is the actual fibreglass matting they use under the gelcoat and layered with resin. These will have as many as 6 layers so it is plenty strong enough. The problem being if you have not let the glass cure either by having it baked in an oven at your local panel shop or pushing it out of the garage on a stinking hot day several times like 10 or more you could end up with this finish showing through your nice paint work. Ask the body manufacturers have they cured your body in an oven prior to you picking it up. If they say you won’t need to, then refer back to these photo’s for proof over 8 years.

A light coloured car will not show as much as the darker choices, so give it some thought. To be able to solve the problem above its not a worry for me as now I know its cured and the raw body does not have the fibreglass smell to it any more so I’m sure the curing process has  as much as finished.

What should I do now? Block this down with some 400 grit wet and dry working my way with each passing of the body using finer grade papers down to a 1000 grit. Then it’s ready to start applying the filler primers of your choice. One tip with that, make sure you use the same brand or manufacturer of the paint products from primers to top coat.

Now this is the finish any hot rodder wants

With proper preparation you can achieve the results as above just like Gunter Mariac’s 1935 Ford tourer has achieved for more than 10 years, and still pulls the trophies today.

After 10 years on the road it still won top tourer at the 2009 Australian Street Rod Nationals

Happy Hot Rodding:

Dave Ailey.

Ready to start your Hot Rods body work?

Hot rodding with patch panels. "Easy"

Well within this chapter we are going to be discussing steel bodies, and with steel usually there is the rust that tags along somewhere in the corners, lower sections and double panels.

So how can we fix this? There is two ways to which repairs are carried out. The right and wrong way. Let’s start with the wrong way and what I mean by that is a cheap and a quick fix, which usually means with bog or Bondo. Now these products are excellent when used in the correct manor and that is with a maximum depth of ¼ inch or 6mm. Notice I said maximum, now when used properly as a skim over a repair it can outlast the actual paint itself.

Now don’t be fooled, many a body shop will trowel the bog in give it a sand and apply the primer all before you have had a chance to witness the actual process of the work being done. And you think you have got a great job, I mean it looks good.

Here’s a quick story from my panel shop days:

I recommended the panel shop I was working at to a friend thinking I would do his repairs. But to our surprise we had a new employee start that week. Well he was given the task of repairing my friend’s car, and this was his project for a street machine. By the end of the first day the car was panel repaired, bondo applied, sanded and primed all ready for top coat. I could not believe it and informed my friend not to allow them to apply the top colours yet. To the boss it was quick bucks, to my friend it looked good and after all he was paying the money.

Six months later he understood what I was trying to explain to him, but it was all too late. Sand scratch swelling is what appeared, and that is like applying your top coat over a sanded repair with 36 grit paper only. Think of it as running barbed wire down the side of your car. Get my point. And yes he was disheartened by it all and sold the car, at a loss I might add.

The right way:

Sometimes we have to make our own patch panels

That is to remove the rusted area’s and replace with steel patch panels. These can be made from donor car panels or sheets of mild steel which you can purchase from any steel suppliers. With most car panels on hot rods they are curved so I like to find doors or a donor car where you can cut the patch panel you need from various areas.

Sections from donor cars work well

Now as with most hot rods they have decorative panel lines in them, something we call swage lines. These can be trying and tedious to replicate, but there is a way and that’s with reproduced patch panels from companies like EMS Automotives and Chevs of the Forty’s.

The finished cowl patch panel

These offer a great solution to a huge problem for many a rodder or restorer who is taking on the challenge of doing the repairs themselves at home. They offer many sections for most models even floor pans are available.

To have your hot rod or custom car repaired or built from a reputable repair shop they will at most times have all the tools to create those repair panels themselves. Though at an hourly rate with the cost of labour the reproduced panels still come out a great solution.

Are patch panels an exact match?

That’s a good questions, now due to the various body styles the factory’s produced they did make swage lines etc different shapes and sizes. Lets look at a 1936 Ford for example with the replacement lower ¼ panel sections you can buy this in a replacement that will suit these models though they come as longer sections for the 5 window coupes so you will need to trim these down to suit the 3 window coupes and the Tudors.

Repair panels do make it easy.

Not hard work I know, but as you can see in the photo above from an original piece on the left to the new panel on the right you can see the original has a curve where the new is straight right where the swage line is. Also the swage line is produced slightly wider which suits the exact match for the 3 window coupes but has to be narrowed for the tudor.

With all that said they don’t always make them exact. Well you still have to be happy for the fact that these are available to us, even if we have to do a little tweeking to suit.

Yours in Rodding

Dave Ailey

This video will show the fitting of panels on a Mustang:

Choosing the correct colour

Even Pickups Look Great

One of the biggest problems people encounter when building their muscle car or hot rod is choosing the colour to paint it externally. Sounds crazy right, but think about this for a moment, everyone wants their car to stand out from the crowd be it style, model, engine or perhaps the wheels.

Then for a lot of people the budget seems to halt there plans a lot too. Budget can mean anything from the choice of engines and what we do to it to make it sound tough and perform on the strip, well if that doesn’t appeal to you then try the style of wheels you can choose from. Will it be billet or solids rims with stainless caps and wheel trims, whitewall tyres or blackwall?

These will all give you your personal ideas towards your finished Street rod etc, so let’s know go and consider this at an outdoor car show with all cars lined up in a row. You walk in through the gates camera in one hand, misses probably hanging on to the other, (just so she doesn’t lose you) I bet I could open a can of worms here!

Anyway, as you look across the field what will you see first? A mass of colour is what the eyes will get attracted to first, (there goes another can of worms) on Hot rods that is. And it will normally be red that we pick up first. So bright colours is what normally attracts us first.

What do most people think of when we discuss in a group the word sportscar? They will generally think of two things, the colour red and picture something hugging the ground. So this is what we need to consider when planning or building our own project. What is going to stand out from the others?

If you can imagine the cars all parked side by side in rows it’s not the wheels or engines you see first but the colour. Okay so we have two cars in the same row both the same model, both the same colour, lets use red as an example here. But one has the stance low to the ground while the other has air space between the top of the tyres and the guard. The question is what does the majority of the public get attracted to? If it’s low it generally means it’s cool too, and with the younger generation becoming more involved within this hobby, these are the comments we should take into consideration.

If it looks cool to most it should be an easier vehicle to sell, because this is what we must consider when building our projects. If for what ever reason your circumstances in life change you will need to sell at most times. So there’s two things you want, you want to sell quickly and get the highest dollar as possible. Today who wants a pink car, some I’m sure as they did back in the 1980’s but today it’s all too dated. The selections we are offered today with paint types and colours is far greater than 10 years ago, and it’s with this in return can make your decision one of the toughest choices to make in building your own project.

But Red Looks Nice, And It’s Nice To Be Different Too.

Red the choice of many Hot rodders

To help you with your homework here, some of the first things you should be doing is browsing through various car magazines. These can bring up the latest colours that car manufacturers  are applying to their latest creations. Now check out hot rod and muscle cars or even truck magazines for any public shows that they have featured and see which colours you will mostly see. It’s the most common two you will see which is red and black, both great choices and they can blend in with any style or wheels.

Red hot rods and street rods can be seen at all shows in abundance,  making  it the most popular colour choice to paint as chosen by all those new comers to this hobby as well as the die hard hot rodder. It suits all models and makes an old car look vibrant and new again. Add some billet accessories, billet wheels and you are now the proud owner of a street rod.

Add some original new accessories, solid wheels with caps and trims and you are the proud owner of a hot rod. Even though with these two examples if both hot rods lets say are 32 ford roadsters and painted red, you will achieve a completely different look.

Well suppose we want to be different, what can we do?

Colours will make or break the car

First we need to consider what style of car we choose to build, is it hot rod, street rod, classic cars or muscle cars. Let me run through these as an example.

Hot Rods: Generally hot rods focus on dark colours, black, dark blue’s, burgundy, dark green, reds etc or what they the factories originally pumped out from the production lines at the time. But you can be different.

Now this is traditional

Street Rods: Are more to do with modern colours , yellows, orange, purples, reds, metalics, pearls, and a lot of choices within the pastel range.

Street rods built the way you want

Muscle Cars: Can be a lot different from the two examples above. If your choosing to do a full restoration you must at most times paint as per the factory with the matching vin numbers.         (Vehicle identification numbers) why you asked, one word sums that up and that is value. As collectors around the world sought out muscle cars, they want original models as per the factory specs. And most are prepared to pay top dollar for the right one.

If you choose to do modifications like wheel tubs, blowers hanging out the bonnet, well the world is open with choices.

To sell one of these its like name your price.

Classic Cars: These cars are very similar to the muscle cars where as most are all fully restored to factory specs. So colours for classics are kept as per original choices. Modifications are not normally performed on classic cars.

Restorations are the only way to go with classic cars

To think of colours with your project don’t forget the interior colours, these must blend with your choice, so give that some thought as well.

If we choose to go with colours as used in a street rod we need to focus on the type of wheels generally being billet aluminum or of an aluminum casting. What I mean by that is we need to keep the trend we are trying to set with the type of project we do. So to be different use magazines as a guide, take a photo or clipping in a magazine with the model your building and head down to your regional auto paint supplies, now be prepared to spend a couple of hours scanning there sample cards because there will be thousands of choices to sift through.

In choosing your colour I want you to remember one important thing:

Have your friends put their say in too, you don’t have to agree but they are going to be the public that will be looking at your finished Hot rod, have them be you guide for the direction of the correct colour choices you make.

Just take a look at this video, Hot Rodders using there grunt, then showing there colours:

Happy Rodding.

Dave Ailey

In the hot rodders world when we talk bodies each person within the conversation could have 3 thoughts flash through there mind. Steel, fiberglass and women.

1936 Ford roadster, body in glass, panels in steel, owned and driven by Mrs Kym Speranti

To most there all important, with men the mind generally drifts further with the thought of the word women. But at a hot rod show or gathering you will find the word steel or real steel as some would put it the most sought after item to find, and that lays true for the die hard hot rodder.

Today technology always wins and whether you like it or not it is here to stay. Many snarl at the thought of changes, but without change the world as we see it would not progress. I want to bring to your attention with this article the idea of using fiberglass as the basis for your Hot Rod project.

A good quality glass body doesn't have to wear paint. There's no paint on this one.

What’s Better Steel or Glass.

I new you would be asking that question, so I want to explain the benefits with fiberglass as apposed to steel.  So when did fiberglass first appear on the hot rod scene, well from the 1950’s Dee Westcott  from  Wescotts  Auto Restyling pioneered the moulds for some of the first body panels produced for a 1928 Ford more commonly known as “A” Models. He then went on to produce his first 1932 Ford roadster.

As we all know real steel was drying up and I say was, due to the fact many manufacturers are producing new repro steel bodies today. In many ways better than the originals, though with glass bodies gaining great popularity with the rodder it was apparent that a glass hot rod will still fetch a high price for the finished rod.

Many newcomers to this hobby are just after looks and the thrills of driving an open car, and none have been more popular than the 1932 Ford roadsters. Why? Well they were the first Ford V8’s and to prove lighter than any sedan which meant great racing potential. Hence the salt flat’s and dry lakes racing were always popular after World War 2. These models have a style of there own, with many 32 grills applied to various models throughout the hot rodding world.

You will witness “A” models wearing a 32 grill which still look great, I have even seen the odd fat fender roaming around fenderless with a 32 grill. Many other car manufacturers from the 30’s produced roadsters, but the 32 Fords have always dominated the market, especially in the Hot Rodders world.

You will always see a Hot rod for sale at a rod run

To buy a finished hot rod whether new or used for many it’s so much easier to just jump in and drive.  Many snarling remarks have often been heard at rod runs due to this buyers world, but hot rodding would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for these guy’s. Not everyone has ample time up there sleeves and for some that say they would rather build there own you will here of many a project still in the unfinished state within there garage after 10 years…… Yep I’m one of those.

I have bought finished hot rods too, though nothing is better than saying you did it yourself.

So fiberglass makes it so much quicker to build a hot rod or street rod (as it’s commonly known today) with so little body preparation, you can focus yourself on the mechanical sides while the body is actually being produced. Most fiberglass manufacturers today will have what we call a mail order system still in place and that quite simply put is snail mail. We would as most people do use the telephone to place orders or the internet but it’s all too easy just to use the phone with a credit card number in hand.

Today I would place an order via the phone, where as you get to speak to the manufacturer and can ask as many questions in relation to cost, quality, warranties and time frame. Though the best case is to visit the workshops and witness first hand the process revealing what quality they hold in there products.

Were snail mail still should be used if email is not an option is for the details in writing. Get everything in writing even a guarantee. Do not be shy to ask any questions that pop in your mind, write these questions down at home so you know what to ask when you arrive. It’s all too easy to get carried away once you have witnessed something that you have a passion for.

Every shop will have a finished product on display or a customers hot rod nearing completion so you can easily get the old mind wondering thinking you will get the same result….. Always ….ASK QUESTIONS!

Do the Panels fit correct?

You don't wamt to finish your Hot rod like this

That might sound like a stupid question to some, though we need to look at a finished product to check for the alignment of the swage lines ( body lines ) and the door gaps are of a good fit and evenly spaced. Remember you will be pulling each panel from the car to prep it for paint, so make sure it fits correctly before hand. I’ve seem guys pull there hair out trying to align panels when if they had checked properly before they disassembled the body they would have realised it all was not perfect to start with.

Take photo’s even close ups, this is the best witness to any projects we take on from different angles in various light too, this will show any imperfections as in ripples throughout the body. You might think you have a brand new glass body, yes you have but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Remember it’s the finished results we continually get an ego trip from so don’t over look these details before you start.

The best case for a perfect fitting body is to supply the manufacturer with your rolling chassis. He can then mould the floor to the outer shell of the body hugging the chassis rails with minimal gaps. You don’t want to be using 1 inch spacers do you?

Probably the last thing you should realize having a fiberglass hot rod body is you will have to run earth wires or wires need to be grounded to the chassis for any electrical items. Now that’s not too hard of a thing to do as most manufacturers will supply a steel frame within the glass and gelcoat ( the outer lining of the body). So keep that in mind purchase a body with a steel frame.

Yours in Rodding

Dave

As with any project you will discover it is at most times hard to find the mint original gems.  Original 32 barn finds would have dried up long ago, now I’m not saying there not out to be found just a long kept secret. So if we can’t find those gems what can we look for?

Well go on the hunt for the next best thing and that is a shape or model that you like. Today most projects will have through the years put up a battering with the elements of rain, hail, snow and the extreme heat.

"They may be damaged but they will make good projects"

This causes the most common problem with any car and that is “Rust”. If you live where there’s snow conditions, your best bet is to carry a more thorough inspection as any snow on roads means salt, and salt just like beside the seaside is metals worst enemy. As with cancer it starts off small but grows to large conditions, this usually takes time but you should never leave it untreated as always it will surely spread.

You should not get put off with the evidence of rust unless you realize it is to the extreme, and what I mean by that is areas that carry double panels, or larger sections that look more like your mothers cooking strainer.

I have often been asked what would I prefer to find in a project, rust or dents. Well the truth is at most times you don’t have a choice and as always your just excited to find a project in the style you like. Certain body styles do come with a higher price and it’s when you find one of those you generally accept what you have found.

We learn to repair what we have and with the support of many swap meets parts are always readily available. If the project hot rod or street rod still has most of the paint on it you can be sure of less pitting in the rust areas and turn your thoughts more into damaged or dented areas.

Rust is caused by a chemical reaction called oxidation, having the mixture of air and moisture making constant contact with metal especially double panels is a breeding ground for the rough colored texture to appear and reveal its ugly head.

Prevention is always better than the cure before any paint can be applied to your ride so paint now serves two purposes, a shield of protection and a pleasant attraction to the eye.

There are many ways to remove the rusting process and I will cover more methods in future updates, but for now I will introduce you to a number of videos on the method I prefer to use for all my projects. This method is non corrosive and will not harm the metal or panels in any way today or later when your top coat of paint has been applied to your ride.

So sit back take a few minutes and watch these video’s:

Now watch the process ready for panel and paint:

And finally a few extra tips:

Yours in Rodding
Dave Ailey