Rust Be Gone - 1959 Convertible build

[lawyercalif]

I will get the parts car registered also, I already registered my convertible and my coupe.

Joey and the guys at Tops Auto Body have done a great job this week. Below are the most up to date pictures. They are about halfway through the rust repair and are starting on the drivers side. The new quarter panel is in place on the passenger side.

Unfortunately the drivers side is just as bad or worse as the passenger side. It turns out the quarter panel on the drivers side was pop riveted in place in a previous repair. Fortunately there was enough of the original fender left for the new quarter panel to fit. Hopefully, by this time next week this car should be strong, straight and ready for paint prep.

[YellowRose]

Rust Be Gone - 1959 Convertible build

I see what you mean about the drivers side being about as bad as the passenger side! The work they have done on the passenger side looks great! It looks like they are really doing a great job. One of these days, no one will ever know just from looking at her that she has been nearly rebuilt. Okay on getting the parts car registered, if it has not already been. If it has you can update the status of it to bring it up to date. Thanks for posting those pix and keep them coming. This is good documentation.

[partsetal]

John Draxler is one that I know of who uses rectangular tubing to bring these 'Birds back. He had a CD at one time that showed progress on a 60 Convertible. When I saw it, it appeared to use a non standard size tubing, and I don't know if it was a special order or a standard size that was modified. If you still would like to see how he does it, you might contact him and see if he still offers the CD.
Carl

[partsetal]

I see the guys at Tops Auto Body are well into the quarter patch panel installation. For what it's worth, hanging these panels "as is" does not mean that fender skirts will fit. There is a certain amount of massaging required to get the skirts to fit right. If you plan on using fender skirts, I'm sure you have already checked that, but others may not be aware if it.
Carl

[YellowRose]

Rust Be Gone - 1959 Convertible build

I looked at John Draxler's website http://www.tbirdranch.com/
I did not see that particular CD mentioned, but that does not mean that it is not available. His email address is: jdrax@tds.net You might see what he has to say about that CD being available.

[lawyercalif]

Thank you for the information on the fender skirts. However, it will not be a problem on this car as I do not intend to use them. I want the Magnum 500 wheels that are on it to show.

I know this car will never be considered show quality. However, what it will be is a good looking, safe, daily driver that will give me years of pleasure.

The way I am having it repaired is not to make it totally stock, but to make it safe and reliable.

[dgs]

Wow, that's some work. I have mixed feelings about what you're doing here. On one hand, a convertible is being saved, on the other hand, what looks like a straight, solid coupe is being sacrificed to save the convertible that was very far gone. I guess the convertible is the more desirable car, just a shame to cut up what seems like a solid car.

I'd love to see more pics of how that tubing fits up in there. My convertible is a CA car, and is mostly quite solid underneath. The outer rockers have some bondo, however, and your pics have me worried about what I might find once I dig in there someday.

[lawyercalif]

I too thought long and hard before deciding to let them cut up the parts car. However, when it came right down to it, there was no other place to get the wheelhouses, they do not sell those. To make them would have been tremendously expensive. In addition, there were other parts I needed also.

To have put that coupe back in a roadworthy condition would have cost as much to do as the convertible and it would not have been worth it in the end. As it is that old parts car has provided needed parts to two of our members and may provide others with more parts in the future.

The inner rockers on that car are still good and could be cut out and used on another car in the future. I elected to go with the rectangular tubing repair because I was not concerned whether my car was in original condition. However someone that is restoring may need those inner rockers someday.

So the Coupe is not being wasted, it is being used, it was going to the crusher when Jax saved it.

As far as your convertible dgs, hopefully you will not find that since yours is a California car. My convertible came from Michigan, snow, salt on the roads, etc. I knew I would have to do rust repair, I was just surprised at how much, cause it looked so good on the outside.

[lawyercalif]

I just got in my valve covers and air filter for the 390 I am intending to install in my convertible. Here is a picture of the engine. The carb is not the right one and the headers will not fit the T-Bird, but the engine is almost ready.

[Guest]

Very nice!
Richard D. Hord

[lawyercalif]

Here is an update on my 59 Convertible which I have decided to name "Betty Mae" after my late wife who I
took on our first date in a light blue 59 Thunderbird.

The inner rocker panels are all repaired as well as the wheelhousings and floors. The new rockers and quarter panels have been installed and they are starting the body work before paint.

[jax]

59 Vert

Lawyercalif,

That is some top notch work you are having done there! Love the motor!

I look forward to seeing more on your build.

[jopizz]

I just did the rockers and quarters on my '59 conv't and I was disappointed in the quality (or lack of) of the replacement panels. The creases are no where near as sharp as the factory panels and the beveled lip around the wheel well was not formed like the original. It took a ton of work to get them to look half decent. As Carl mentioned getting the skirts to fit right was a real headache. And these were made in the US.

[lawyercalif]

Since my previous quarter panels were reproductions also and they were riveted in place with the rivets showing through the paint, I find no fault with the new quarter panels that were just welded onto my car. However, I have owned a total of five squarebirds in my life and I guess I just never noticed how clean those lines should look.

When I compare these reproductions to the quarters on the 59 Coupe I just traded to the body shop, I still cannot see a real difference. However my body work is still in progress so I guess I will hold judgment until after I see what they look like with paint.

Since my car will be more of a resto-rod, I am not using fender skirts so that is not a problem for me.

[lawyercalif]

Getting closer. Paint coming soon.