Newbee's 52 Mainline Ute

[FRANK BASILE]

To echo previous expressed sentiment. Well done on those panels Newbee.

[Newbee]

I had a crack at a template for the outer sill panels in my folder that is only 900 mm wide. I thought it may be helpful to
the local engineer I was going to have fold them up for me in his 2400 mm big ass machine.

As you can see it didn't come out too bad except for the smallest fold which should be 13 mm, this is where the door closes and the door weather strip lands on,
it is rounded as I couldn't do it in my machine or my vise for that matter.

I took it to the engineer and he cannot do it on his machine either as the smallest fold is 16 mm, same story at the other bloke in the next town.

Can anyone help me with a contact that has a machine that will fold down to 12 mm (allowing for 1 thickness of metal I assume).

Adelaide preferably, the length would be 1350 -1400 mm (allowing a little wriggle room)





Other option is stamped EMS panels from the USA, but that takes a fair while to get here.

I still have a set of 49 -51 EMS sills and a few other bits that are too different to adapt. (I'll list them for sale shortly now I know they won't work).

Regards Newbee

[steve the ford guy]

http://www.oldera.com.au/ford-customlin ... ea-1-8mtr/
these might get you out of trouble Newbee, otherwise a brake press should be able to give you that larger radius fold for the door opening using a matching vee block

[FRANK BASILE]

Looking at the price of the replacements , looks good value given the messing around, purchasing of the steel and the cost to have them custom folded by a shop as one offs. Nice work on the sample Newbee,I was almost going to suggest making shorter sections and joining them, folding long sections on home improvised gear can be problematic. Here is a photo of the replacement front panel that sits across the front of a 1960 Falcon 2 door. It normally has openings and sits behind the bumper. I folded this up with RHS clamped and held in a vice, made two sections and joined them. I am dispensing with the dented bumper and made this as a roll pan.

[steve the ford guy]

I agree with you Frank, best making these in smaller sections if you can. The sills are quite long for a home builder to attempt (1350 -1400 mm) you could also try bending them in sections clamped between lengths of angle iron/tube then trim the various pieces to size and tigweld lengthways as in this thread http://www.ozrodders.com/forum/viewtopi ... 46&start=0

[FRANK BASILE]

Newbee has done well as I mentioned with the sample, looks like decent gauge steel as well unless my eyes are playing tricks on me. That makes long sections all the more difficult for the "home improviser".

[Newbee]

Thanks guys, I gave Peter at Oldera a call, the listed ones he has are 55, look very similar but he wants me to cut out a section and send to him. Trouble is there isn't much left that is close to being straight. I made the template with some guesstimating.

I've found a local engineer that recons he has the correct type of machine to do them so I'll see what happens Friday.

Regards Newbee

[steve the ford guy]

https://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_merc ... -1956.html
US 52 to 56 Customline are listed with the same part number, click the fitment description, based on this info the 55 sills should work?, the Old Era page lacks details on what they fit which is strange. Or if you decide its not worth it to make your own a local importer like Steve Coade might bring the cheaper Mac's ones in Newbee

[Newbee]

Thanks for the suggestions Steve, anyway I went to the local machinery manufacturer they have the type of press with the "V" block to make the smaller folds.

Got onto their guru, who I found out has done a few rebuilds himself, mainly on old Holdens and Toranas but of course we had plenty of car stuff to talk about while I helped him with the sills.

Turned out pretty well, I used my template and also a CAD template I made of the best section I could find.

This is what I had to work with, not much left after belting over paddocks and rocks what can you expect.



I have to work on the small creases but should be able to tidy them up a bit.



The sill reduces down in the original pressing where it meets the A pillar so I'll have to form that piece separately.



Not much shed time this week, this was at 7 pm last night, worse today and Friday, luckily the weekend will be much cooler.

No air conditioned shed for me, bugger.





Regards Newbee

[Sly Fox]

Good to have the folding sorted Newbee, will be rewarding when there installed and looking like new again.

[jailbar joe]

car is looking good ian....the sills will make body work look more complete

i can sympathise with the weather....we have just come thru a couple of weeks of 40 to 45 with a 47 thrown in for good measure......
even the cars in the shed were red hot to touch

[Newbee]

Got some more done on my sills in between hot days (when bugger all was achieved).

I had to finish the front sections of the sills by making a new piece that reduces in size to fit under the bottom of the
A pillar repair section that I made earlier. This part is covered by the lower mudguard so it doesn't have to be perfect but its good practice.



The top part runs through to the foot well area.



Clamped together for a test fit up.



Because I had streched the curved piece it was thinner and a little harder to weld.



Finished on the Left side, have a crack at the Right tomorrow.



With the repair piece for the A pillar sitting in place.



Regards Newbee

[rx4ord]

Good work.
Keep at it.That is one more job ticked off.

Tassie Dave

[SimonG]

That is great work and you are right if you practice on the hidden bits and get them right then the overall finish will be far better

[jailbar joe]

looking great ian...little by little gets the worm...if you like worms that is

mate just a tip...sorta...

i found that using that zinc anneal stuff was very limiting and changed over to cold rolled steal and found it more
malleable...even shaped up a lot better seriously you can get more controlled shaping with the cold rolled and a side
benefit is that it welds a lot cleaner.....as i say ....just a tip