Roger Zimmermann

Oh Bernie! You are also looking at my travel? I do appreciate it, especially considering the comments you did some days ago about cars from the fifties.

Thank you Chris! the construction of a model is like going somewere: you have the travel and the destination. Here, the travel, even if it's taking years, is more interesting that the destination. I had more or less the same attitude when I restored my cars. The work involved was interesting; when the car is ready it can be driven but in my opinion the way to get there was the main motivation to buy the car(s). Not everybody is sharing my point of view, I know!

Ah! Chassis and torque...Recheking screws and nuts is mandatory after a while if you painted the chassis elements. Usually, paint applied during a restoration is muck thicker that the light coat done at the factory; when elements are installed at the proper torque, after a while the paint is collapsing and the once correct torque is no more exact. I experienced that on all 3 cars I did, especially the lower "A" arm shafts and spindle.

It's good looking!

Well...it looks good but this detail was no more up to date in the fifties! By the way, if it's too worm in you country, come here: snow is not far away!

It looks good, very good!

Thank you Jay! The picture would fool most people if the parts were painted. That time will come; I just don't know when!

Last Saturday, I took some wood away as the will be pattern is too wide. With some machines from a woodwork the correct width could be done in 3 minutes; I had a couple of hours to diminish one side by 5 mm with hand tools which belonged once to my father. No need to do some body building after that! I still have to do the other side but, as I can only do it at my garage/store room, it has to wait a bit; I'm not going there each day. The last few days, I continued with the radiator and front end cradle. This "U" shaped part is responsible for holding the whole front clip; therefore I did it thicker as I would do otherwise. As you can also see on the pictures, I did also the "brace - front fender apron to radiator support" as it's labeled on a drawing I have. This brace will be bent downwards and rearwards; this will be done when I have the front fenders. When I positioned the radiator on the cradle and brace assembly, I noticed that the radiator neck is not in the middle of the upper water tank! Despite all the measures and attention I still can goof! I'm not totally sure, but I will probably correct it by grinding the neck away and soft soldering another one. It's frustrating to spend hours to get the proper shape to notice days later almost by accident that the thing is misplaced... The next job will be to do the radiator's tubes; I will have time to think about the neck. <o:p> </o:p>

You are lucky not to have more serious trouble. My father, who was woodworker missed 2 or 3 fingers...

It seems that is was a practice to change or modify a body in the twenties and thirties. Therefore, your car is in line with the habits from then, even if the modification was done during the 21. century.

But a little crude, isn't it?

Me, a genious? Not at all! As I wrote, I had hesitations during acceleration with my '56 de Ville. A friend of mine gave me the tip; I'm just telling it further. I'm glad it helped! When manufactured, the leather is shaped probably into a press; the leather wrinkles are sticking on each other. The cardboard cylinder put on the piston is there to avoid damages and that the leather is expanding by itself in the box. When the pump is ready to be used, the fuel and the spring pressure are insufficient to free the wrinkles; a little help is needed...

As said some time ago, the ordered wood was ready. I ordered it as 15 mm thick boards. Then began the gluing of the boards, one each day. Now, as you can see on the picture, the pattern is ready. You can notice the long hood/short trunk and the elegant lines. What, you don't see that? Oh, sorry, I'm looking at the Franklin Mint model while typing! Working on that huge (all is relative) piece of wood won't be easy. First I have to take more measures from an existing car; however, I can begin with the length's profile which is set. In between, I began the radiator. The upper water tank is ready.

I had this problem once. Take the plunger out, take a small screwdriver and expand gently the leather. You will see, it makes wonders!

As I don't know the relation between the pocket and the door panel itself, I cannot give an opinion on that subject. At first glance, it seems that the "P" is too large...

Oh! I did not went that far. Now I understand the problem...What about lowering the roof there? (Ah Ah!)

Why are both rear windows diffrent? A consequence of the body repair or was it original? By looking at the shape it was when you found it, I understant that there could be some difference now between RH & LH!

No, just the bolts! By the way, this relay was used on many Ford and Studebaker vehicles, it was not specific to the Mark II.

At least I could fill all the tiny holes from the polyester and apply a coat of primer. Then it was the turn for the straps holding the tank to the floor. I have the impression that the straps are too wide; I will look at my Cadillacs the width of the straps; it must be similar on the Mark II. The plumbing will be done later, just prior the final assembly as it makes no sense to do the fuel and vent lines now to store them a long time with the damaging risk.

From time to time, I have to repeat it: I fell on my head when I was 15. The bolts are bought from a company called Scale Hardware in Florida (metric and stainless steel!) and the brass ones are from a company in Germany.

Oh yes, the change is evident: it's not the same color!

Pat, are you satisfied? It looks good in pictures but you know that pictures are lying! It seems that you got some snow...

Another small part which is ready. Well, not quite, I have to grind the heads from the front .5 mm bolts. In fact, the bolts may be too long. They will be adjusted to proper length when the nuts are on. Those tiny nuts are wider in proportion than the real ones. Today, I got the wood to make the body pattern; therefore a completely different kind of work is waiting!

The dog was maybe adopted by Fred?

Sometimes I amazed myself! Yes, the wing nuts are tiny; one of the difficulties was to clamp them to work them. The "resistor" is tiny too; fortunatly, the drill went intact after the 20 holes. Afterwards, I broke a slightly larger bit...Nobody is perfect!