32’ Olds Coupe Wood

[chistech]

I’m making up some new wood framing for a guy with a sport coupe out in Spokane Washington. Main sills, kickups, some cross sills and front floor board. Picked up some 8/4 ash and planed two 8’ x 9” planks down and started cutting out the main sills. There’s a fair amount of band sawing, milling, and Forstner bit work. Got the mains sills done and made up the kickups so far. Still have two relief cuts to make on the kickups but then they’ll be done. Going to use my Olds parts chassis to test assemble the pieces before they’re sent out.

[Luv2Wrench]

That's really impressive work and some good looking ash as well.

[chistech]

1 hour ago, Luv2Wrench said:

That's really impressive work and some good looking ash as well.

Thanks. I’m lucky I have a friend who own a very high end ($8-12,000k canopy bed for example) furniture making business who has all top quality woods in stock including 8/4 ash which is hard to get otherwise up in my area. We have some lumber yards who advertise they have it but I have to go and pick through a lot of junk before I find anything good. Plus he charges me his wholesale price.

[chistech]

Made up the front floor cross sill, the second or tool tray cross sill with its wedge pieces, and the rumble pan front edge cross sill. I added the 4”x2”x1/4” mounting pads on the bottom of the main sills at each mount location. Then I assembled the pieces, bolted the sills on the Olds parts frame, squared it up, then bolted and screwed the pieces together with no glue of course. All joints are nice and tight the way they need and should be. Have to make up the rear cross sill (the rotted piece in the pictures), the sill nail bottoms, and a few other small pieces. Once everything is done and fit together properly, it will get disassembled then shipped to Spokane. 

[Luv2Wrench]

Really nice, absolutely love the attention to detail with the tight joinery and slotted screws. 

[chistech]

1 hour ago, Luv2Wrench said:

Really nice, absolutely love the attention to detail with the tight joinery and slotted screws. 

I hate poor joinery in anything, from wood, metal, right to electrical wiring. Bad joints always cause issues down the road. I won’t make my stuff with bad joints, I won’t do it on stuff for other people. Especially when something is being assembled by someone without a complete knowledge of what needs to be done. Gapped joints can lead to too much variation in the assembly. Tight joints allow for only one way to assemble. I didn’t take a picture but when I put the front edge rumble pan cross sill on, I checked the alignment of the kickup to the cross sill. It was perfectly at a 90 which was caused by a properly cut joint. Even though the sills sit at angles to the chassis, there are many areas that are required to be square and they are. I know when the guy in Spokane gets this wood, it WILL fit 100% correctly into his car. As far as the screws go, it really all I have for this type of work. I purchase in bulk the correct screws for original type restoration work anyway so I use them. Of course if the guy in Spokane wants to show his Olds, at least all the fasteners in the work I did will be correct. Even the staggering of the screws is done to measurements of the original. I suppose in that I’m a little too anal!

Edited September 22, 2021 by chistech (see edit history)

[95Cardinal]

That's some beautiful work, @chistech !

Edited September 22, 2021 by 95Cardinal
spelling (see edit history)

[John S.]

Ted, really nice work. Very clean very impressive. Looks factory . 

[chistech]

Finished the rear sill. Finished and installed the lower rocker nail rails on the sills.The pattern I had was in rough shape but did have some good areas to measure from. Using pictures from my own Olds restoration (I had purchased the rear cross sill because it was available and one less piece I needed to make) I was able to fill in the blanks and the last step was to angle the back edge where the lower rumble deck lid nails. I’m waiting on the two corner brackets from the owner to both mount and check the fit of the rear sill. I will mount the brackets so the whole framing will assemble as a kit. I have marked all the joints with corresponding letters so it can be assembled easily by the owner. Hoping to ship it next week.

[chistech]

Received the rear body mount plates from the owner. They were in the raw from being blasted so I etch primed them then gloss black painted them. I put them in place on each kickup lining them up on the two 1/4-20 carriage bolts and on the face of the rear cross sill. Everything fit perfectly as they should so all screws were installed and I checked all 10 body bolt holes and again, all was correct. I completely disassembled the wood and stacked as a unit to wrap it all up so I can ship it. I’m also including a Olds 8 cylinder driveshaft that the owner wants, a box with he brackets, some waterproof glue, and assembly instructions. All joints have been lettered so the owner can assemble all the wood easily. There are some people who make wood who will say that kit wood won’t fit properly and wood has to be made exclusively for a particular car are only trying to promote their business and scare people away from attempting to rewood their car. There are some very good car wood kit makers and people shouldn’t be afraid to attempt to wood their car. It’s an enjoyable experience. I know this wood will fit his olds body, will bolt right up on all mounts, and be 100% right. I’ll guarantee it. There’s no reason why it wouldn’t.

[Terry Harper]

11 hours ago, chistech said:

 

 

 

 

 

OK... I have to ask about the railroad trestle in the background...

Edited October 2, 2021 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[chistech]

It’s for my soon to be installed G scale outside train layout.

[wmsue]

First class 'remanufacturing' job for sure.

Glad to see another vintage car saved and really admire the skill and craftsmanship you put into your work.

 

.....and the G scale train trestle too.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Bill

[ManualOldsOnly]

This is absolutely beautiful work we will have to get together for sure I need to add you to my Oldsmobile arsenal lol!

[chistech]

2 hours ago, ManualOldsOnly said:

This is absolutely beautiful work we will have to get together for sure I need to add you to my Oldsmobile arsenal lol!

Anytime we can make it work is good for me. I’ll be going to the grand National in VA in May just so you know.

[ManualOldsOnly]

14 hours ago, chistech said:

Anytime we can make it work is good for me. I’ll be going to the grand National in VA in May just so you know.

you should send me a message my account is still too new to start messages but I have a 33 Olds I need to figure out some wood for. 

[keiser31]

LOVE the railroad trestle!