'46 Chevy Shorty - Page 30

Tango · 12-02-2013, 10:43 PM

Howdy Jack...Naw, the Bikini Team was so disappointed that you couldn't make it they all got dressed and went back to Sweden to mourn.

Just hacking away at a mix of "little stuff" for now. Still waiting on my buddies to come by for the next engine fitting so I can start fabbing some mounts & such. Dropped some plans off at the local sheet metal shop for two more interior panels. I have been playing with the exterior skin and need to get them all drilled as well as pick up a few hundred self-tappers to mount them with. Have one interior side fitted and need to do the other while I'm waiting on the crew to find time to maneuver the big package. Also hoping I can talk a friend with a plasma cutter into helping shape the new wheel well openings in the rear. Would probably go a lot smoother than with the chain saw.

ol trunt · 12-03-2013, 08:25 AM

Hey Tango, thanks for the update. BTW, did you happen to notice that the Team stole your camera on the way out the door?

Jack

Tango · 12-03-2013, 10:26 AM

Hmmmm...I thought that one gals bikini bulges looked kinda odd. No wonder she was so quick gettin that bigass fur coat on! But I'll console myself with the thought that it has "gone to a better place".

Tango · 12-04-2013, 09:01 AM

Hey Jack...just wondering...are the sides on your rig square to the floor & flat? The "walls" on mine have the slightest outward curve (which I didn't even notice until I tried fitting a few things). And it complicates the fool out of every little project. I'm re-making the box that fits around the fuel filler for that reason right now. Dummy that I am, I threw one together way back before noticing the curve so now that I'm ready to install it, it's a "do-over". That issue alone has me losing sleep thinking about finishing out the interior. If I can figure a way, I just might try and square the walls before taking on the build-out but the curve is so danged subtle I may have to call in a ship builder to work it out.

ol trunt · 12-04-2013, 11:21 AM

Hey Tango, when you say slight outword curve I get the impression that the roof ends up being sightly wider than the floor--is that what happens? My bus has a slight curve in the walls which causes the roof to be slightly narrower than the floor and that did cause extra work when I built the slide out and the pneumatic door but couldn't be anywhere near as hard to work with as what I think you are talking about. Jack

Tango · 12-04-2013, 03:36 PM

Howdy Jack --- the wide point on mine seems to be right about the bottom of the windows (mid-point up the wall). I think the roof & floor are probably about the same width but that little bit of arch/bulge in the center of the wall certainly does complicate things. And your are correct sir. The door was truly a b***** (how many letters in "bear"?). What made it even more interesting is that the leading edge of my door frame is straight! Even more fun. Still waiting on a friend to finish up a couple of spacers for the reefer hinges I want to use to mount the door. He has a home machine shop that has to be seen to be believed. The guy can make his own ball bearings and has done some specialty work for NASA...but these two little aluminum spacers have been in the works for nearly a year now cause he keeps re-thinking ways to do it more cleverly. Engineers. What can I say.

sdwarf36 · 12-04-2013, 03:50 PM

A sign in my buddies machine shop:

"There comes in every project to shoot the engineers and start production."

Tango · 12-04-2013, 06:21 PM

YA! --- Thanks dwarf...I just gotta send that on to a few people I know. THANKS!

ol trunt · 12-04-2013, 08:37 PM

Hey Tango. Sure am glad I'm not an engineer!

I think I'd ad enough metal to the walls to square things up on your bus and build from there. Easy Peasy--I don't have to do it

What are you going to do with your windows? I can't decide whether to keep the originals or replace them with residential. Should they be double glaze? Do I want lift or slide? Because of the pop top I have plenty of ventalation so maybe I should go with fixed windows? I don't know why this has become such a quandry--I only have three 36"X19"X1 1/2" windows left anyway. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks Jack

Tango · 12-05-2013, 10:22 AM

Hey Jack ---- For me I guess it's a personal thing. A combination of whim & necessity. I am keeping the two forward windows as is, putting steel deletes in #3 on each side, and still trying to figger out what to do with the little radiused windows at the back of the bus.

The two originals drop down from the top about 4/5's open and will likely get new glass as well as weather seals & solar screens. Really no way to keep water/rain from entering the body panel the way they were designed but I've hopefully accommodated that with proper drainage, galvanized body spacers and rust-proofing. Why put up with it? I just like the way the old windows look. The newer double glaze units make a really big difference in keeping the temperature stable inside and are a great choice if going the replacement route but I just can't let go of the past.

The deletes are fitted 16 gauge steel and basically hide the location of the shower on one side and a cabinet on the other. They'll get welded in place, filled and painted along with the rest of the body.

The quandary over the small back windows stems from the way the framing is arranged. As near as I can tell, the only way to weld up the deletes in front of them would make it impossible to ever repair the glass in the rear ones. They share a common frame. I am having a "glass guy" come by to see if a little cutting and "readjusting" can resolve that dilemma without too much drama. As sure as I decided just to "take a chance" on them...they would be the first to get busted which would basically require disassembling the whole interior to get to them. Don't want to go down that road. Have even considered going with acrylic bullet proof glass all around since there is so little, but we'll see.

How about you? I'd like to hear your thoughts as well. Your plan is unique among skoolies as is the quality of your design & workmanship so I'm guessing you have some equally unique thoughts in this area as well.

ol trunt · 12-05-2013, 10:53 AM

Hey Tango, I took a look at your earlier pics and I see why you want to keep the original windows. I'd be thinking about retaining the style but substituting dual glaze to help control heat loss. Our deletes are about the same except I've gone with 20 guage metal and Silkaflex 220+ to install them with. This allows me to retain the original window openings, makes the welding woes unnecessary and allows the sheet metal to expand and contract without "oil canning". I'd like to keep the original front windows but they are of the up/down overlap style and I'm sure they will leak and rattle and drive me to distraction so I'm still looking. Jack

Tango · 12-05-2013, 01:45 PM

"...leak and rattle and drive me to distraction".

Response A: I thought that was the point in keeping these old rigs on the road.

Response B: A fair description of my first wife.

bansil · 12-05-2013, 02:53 PM

Redbear · 12-09-2013, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdwarf36

A sign in my buddies machine shop:
"There comes in every project to shoot the engineers and start production."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango

YA! --- Thanks dwarf...I just gotta send that on to a few people I know. THANKS!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Hey Tango. Sure am glad I'm not an engineer!
. . . . Jack

Uh-oh!

(Redbear tiptoes away . . . .)

ol trunt · 12-10-2013, 08:20 AM

No worries Redbear--we'll pick on some other group next!

By the way, that was a very funny comment--from a lot of directions.

Redbear · 12-12-2013, 11:53 PM

Before we were married, my wife used to work as purchasing/inventory manager for a small company. The engineers would always sneak into the parts room and take things without signing them out, and they would not finalize new designs in time to place orders to have parts ready for production.

After hearing her stories, I had to laugh at the sign, and share it with her.

By the way, after we were married, we went to the retirement of an engineer from the place she used to work. When I was introduced to the guest of honor, we started chatting at length. When she realized we understood each other's language . . . .

sdwarf36 · 12-13-2013, 06:24 AM

I shared a house with 2 engineering students. Now granted, these guys were pretty clueless to begin with-so everything taught to them was gospel. Another buddy also was in class with them. He had good hands on skills to begin with. One day he comes in the house after class-with a totally frustrated look on his face-and loudly exclaims" THEY ARE SUCKING THE COMMAN SENSE RIGHT OUT OF MY BRAIN!!"

Tango · 12-13-2013, 10:25 PM

That's the plan --- what with all the numbers and code issues and computer programming needed these days...there ain't no room left for common sense.

ol trunt · 12-14-2013, 10:22 AM

Hey Tango, If I'd have had any common sense to begin with I wouldn't be 4 years into a 2 year bus project!

Oh well, it does keep me off the streets--especially because I still can't even drive the thing

How is your engine stuff going and where are the pics? I'm beginning to suspect that one of those Sweedish girls stayed behind and is taking up all your time.
Jack

sdwarf36 · 12-14-2013, 01:13 PM

Trunt,
You are in good company. In all my years of building cars-bikes-bus, I have never ever heard someone say a good project was finished in just the time they thoughtt it would.

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