The resurrection of a 1950 Crosley Hotshot

I took the body off the cart yesterday so that I could do final prep and get it ready for primer. It is much easier to work on it while it is on its side compared to on the cart. The only hard area to get is the lower wheel houses. It does look pretty good underneath, almost like a real car now.:cool:

Today I sprayed a coat of primer on the underside. I left a small area in the rear wheel house in the original color to see how close the new paint matches it. Some spots still have the original undercoating/sound deadener and I will be leaving it there. The inner fenders will also get undercoat/sound deadener when it is completed.

Now I will sand the primer and paint the underside with the color. Went to the paint store and ordered a quart of paint for it yesterday.

Yesterday I put a coat of paint on the under side of the body. It is Seamist green, it doesn't look too bad.

I hit a milestone today! No it is not that the body is back on the frame, it is that the car is outside for the first time this year and it is not freezing. Was the warmest day since late last year at 67 degrees. Yes the body is on the chassis and the paint is being stripped from the body. I hope to get it in primer by the weekend then start on the bodywork that is needed on the outer skin. It is starting to look like something again. Does anyone have any spare parts for this car?

Also in doing some research, I think that this car was originally a Crosley Super Hotshot, which means it would have had red vinyl trim around the cockpit instead of a black rubber bead. It has a folding top and also has no vents on the front fender which leads me to believe it is the Super. I am still checking into this. Any thoughts?

And on another note, the hood was bought at Hershey a couple of years ago and while I was stripping paint I believe the hood was the original hood to this car. It was originally the light green like the car, then primed with a dark primer and then painted red, just like the car. Then it has no more paint on it and the car has another coat of red.

I hope everyone is enjoying the restoration of this Crosley, let me know what you think.

Dale, great progress, planning on it making it to the CAC Nationals?

I am very much enjoying seeing your progress on the Crosley. Keep up the good work!

Keith

Thanks for all the great comments. Jim, it may be at this years Nationals.

Yesterday I finally got after the front end. The nose of the car was cut out years ago and a grille of some sorts was put in. Then in later years it was fiber glassed over. I wish I had an English wheel to get that compound curve, but I made do with cutting wedge shapes and bending the metal to get the shape of the nose. I welded it in in two pieces and it looks really good now. The bottom portion of the patch still needs trimmed level and those two corners repaired. I also repaired the cutouts for the headlight and parking light mounts on the passenger side.

I did a little more patching of the front body section yesterday. The lower sections of the nose section were rusted out and patched over just like everything else on the car, furnace tin and pop rivets. That was stripped off and new metal cut and fit and welded in to make the front end nice and strong.

A picture out the garage doors on the first day of spring!:confused::mad:

I had a few minutes today so I mixed up one quart of primer sealer to prime some of the body. Now it is looking like progress is being made.:cool:

Doing some smoothing of the metal and filling of the body, not much to show in pictures.

Also getting the 1966 Mustang ready for the show in Myersdale, PA this Sunday. Warming it up so I can put the top up, then a quick cleanup so it looks good. Not a show car, just a nice driver that I have had since 1980.

Is anyone else planning on attending this show? I have been going to Myersdale for about 15 years now, my wife loves it because she gets her Maple syrup.

Happy Easter to All!!

Dale, here are two Crosleys that I saw at the AACA show in Charlotte NC today. Thought you might like to see them.

Thanks for sharing. Those two Crosley's belong to the Crosley Club President, Dave Anspach.

Been busy with life in general and not much time on the Crosley. But I did get it in a full coat of primer, looks really different from when I first got it (first picture). Nice and solid and not a pop rivit to be found.

Dale, you have done an outstanding job on the metalwork. Cannot wait until I see it buzzing down the road. Let the assembly begin!

It always looks so nice when its' all the same colour, instead of the all the patchwork of repairs. Looking forward to seeing the next stage!

Keith

As Peter said to do while the forum was down, get out in the garage and tinker with the old car, that's what I did.   Lots of sanding and filling and sanding and filling going on.  Now it is ready for more primer.  It is looking really nice now. 

Primer is on.  Now lots and lots of sanding.  The weather here is getting nice and I have many projects to work on.  I hope I can finish a few of them this summer.

What do you think?

And the process continues...  Block sanded the entire car with 220 grit, lots of small imperfections that need attention now.  Will be going over body with icing to smooth things up now. 

The last few weeks were spent on putting spot glaze on the minor imperfections and then sanding it smooth.  Now I am waiting on some dry weather to give it a final coat of primer sealer. (I hope)  

This past week was the Crosley Nationals in Wauseon Ohio.  We had a grand time at the meet, lots of fun and the weather was good.  I took my wife's Crosley Supersports and received a second place in class for it.  I bought a windshield frame assembly, bumper brackets and a few other goodies for the hotshot while I was there.   

In primer... again.  The Super Hotshot is looking pretty good now.  Now to do some final sanding and see what it looks like.  Anyone want to help sand?  It is a small car...

And the process continues...  More sanding, more spot filler, more primer, more sanding.  I think there is more primer on the floor of the shop than on the car.   If there was some way to collect that paint and recycle it. 

Then I spent some time drilling all the holes that are needed for the body mounts in the passenger compartment and the seat brace mounts, headlight mounts and splash pan mounts.  Better to drill them now and get paint on the edges of the holes and also not take the chance of having a drill bit skip on the new finished paint.

I hope to start putting on the finish paint this week if I get the time.

I see an AACA grand national car in the making!!! Beautiful work Dale!!! want to start on mine when you are done??

Thanks Dave.  I have a few other cars to work on when this one is done...

The color has arrived!  First coat of paint on the interior of the car.  What a pain painting back in all those nooks and crannies.  Most of it will be covered when the car is finished, but it does look good.  I hope to get the body painted this weekend.

I've been following along since the beginning. It's really looking good after a lot of work, nice job. Scott...

I got some color on it.  Not happy with it but it is all one color.  Was using a HVLP gun and got boatloads of orange peel.  Will see what it looks like once it drys and see if I can buff it out.  

I'll bet it looks great once you color sand and buff. Did you paint in a booth, or just in your shop? I'm getting ready to do some spraying and could use any advice based on your experiences.

Taylor,

It was painted right in the shop.  I used a cheap HVLP gun (don't buy cheap) at it was putting the paint out in blobs.  Switched to a regular gun to try and get it leveled out.  Came out orange peeled, now I have the car completely sanded and it looks pretty good.  I used a single stage acrylic enamel for this paint job.  Will start buffing it now and it should be good to go.

Looking much better now!  All shined up and now ready to start assembly.  First part for assembly was the steering column and gearbox, which was the first problem, the drag link was one size and the pitman arm was another.  So I have to find the larger end for the drag link, cut the old one off and weld the new one on.  Anyone have a old drag link laying around for a .70"-.75" pitman arm ball?  

All the little things...  Getting all the smaller parts cleaned, painted, rounded up, made, ordered, etc.  Does anyone know that the two round disc with the tabs (not quite finished) are for in the first picture??? 

Did have some technical difficulties with the steering draglink and pitman arm.  The ball size on the pitman arm is .75" and the draglink socket is only 5/8"  makes for a no-fit!   Made a call to the Crosley parts supplier and the correct part is on its way, I hope.  Once that is together the car will steer with the steering wheel for the first time in years.  Oh the fun of building a car from scratch.

The round disks with tabs looks like someone's attempt to make the headlight mounting brackets, and didn't finish.

Jim,  That is what they are.  I am making them from steel, a lot cheaper than the bronze reproductions.  I just have to trim up the tabs some, then drill the holes to mount it and the headlights.  My question were they originally body color or black?

Either body color or black is probably fine, I don't know for sure. The part is barely visible once the lights are mounted. I looked through a few hundred photos trying to see a trend and the only one that I could see the mount was the news release where they show the Hotshot stripped down for racing and it appears to be body color in that shot. Since that was part of the announcement for the Hotshot it was probably a preproduction unit. If you paint the lights red I would go with body color, if you go with black headlights either would blend in nice.

More parts ordered for the Crosley.  Ordered the rubber weatherstripping that goes under the windshield, the rubber for around the engine compartment, the brake and clutch rubber seals at the floor, the drag link that matches the pitman arm, the "U" bolt for the steering column, the steel tube for the radiator to water pump connection and the radiator mount bolts and rubbers.  Enough parts to keep me busy for a day or two.  

Parts came in today and I got right to work on them.   Got the windshield on, the brake and clutch pedals on, the "U" bolt on the steering column, and the drag link on.  Now the car steers with the steering wheel instead of kicking the tires to turn it.    Took it out for its first drive... well almost... pushed it to the side yard (was so nice using the steering wheel to turn it) under the tree to get some pictures of it.  Went to the local hardware to get more nuts and bolts tonight so tomorrow I can put more parts on, bumper brackets, radiator, etc.  Stay tuned for more updates...

Looking good, you might get a real ride before the snow flies.

Well Jim, if I plan on taking it for a ride I think I will need headlights and a radiator.  Two more items off the list.  Working on the center taillight now, found in my stash of parts a licence plate bracket and taillight, I had to make the tapered mount for it.  Will get pictures of it and more soon.

Cleaned up a fuel pump, generator, and water pump, will check them out and paint where needed and install. 

I love doing body work and recreating all the body lines and original shape and beauty. Crosley was a very unique brand and always interesting to look at.

Installed the center brake light and spare tire bracket today.  Surprising what they say is new today is really not new, third brake light, push button starting... 

Now working on the radiator support rod and rear view mirror.  I had a radiator support rod for a sedan/station wagon but it was too short.  The Hotshot has little differences everywhere  .

I have installed the new radiator support rod and the voltage regulator on the car.  No pictures as the camera is packed.    Now I am preparing to head to HERSHEY!!!  Hope to see all of you there, I am in the green field.