Bob Kolenda made another trip down to try and get me over the hump and get this project completed. Among many others, he has been MOST instrumental in keeping me motivated, providing encouragement and taught me many things that I would not have learned if not for his help and guidance. He is extremely talented and is very patient, detail oriented and a very good welder as well. He has been so quiet at the Redneck Roundup and at Dan's meets that you would never know the extent of his talents. Pull him aside sometimes and get him to tell you about his involvement with the Aston Martin factory in England and the Aston Martin DB5 that is being restored.
We finalized a few motor details, hooking up some dual linkages for the dual carbs, using some parts that Bob made and cadmium plated for me. I cleaned up a few out of alignment character lines, and Bob detailed the gas tank, coated the interior and modified the mechanical fuel sending unit and began the wiring. We got the metal pieces that had been previously had wire beading done and trimmed them to width. I had made a second set of the 'step-cut' water jet panels to simulate the top body contour so that I could pre-stretch them to match the contour on the body panel. Bob welded the segments together and they were then formed to the top body panels and holes drilled for the rivet's. 5/8" tape was installed at the edge of the compartment openings to set the wired strips back enough to allow for the aluminum to be 'rolled' over them to complete the safety edge around the perimeter of the driver and passenger openings. They were match welded, detailed and ground, and we took them to the powder coater this afternoon and will be able to pick them out tomorrow mid day.They will be powder coated semi gloss black and installed with aluminum rivets, prior to the overlapping process, giving an edge appeal to these openings. The surrounds were stretched to fit the gauges using Carl Adam's 'Shrink Positive' machine that I have modified to be a dedicated linear stretch station. Over stretching was corrected using the later built of my shrinking machine as it is docile and predictable. The plan is to anneal the aluminum, install the powder coated surrounds with rivets, then cut out the interior sections prior to the secondary wire edging process.
We determined the surface condition of the aluminum body. I will DA up to 220, block up to 400, then dial it back a little with green scotch bright. Tests today make me decide that was the finish I want prior to polishing the stripes down the side and across the top. I am wanting to look like a period race car, not a high end restoration.
We got the grill surround metal finished and match drilled the holes and look forward to starting some riveting in the morning. I have made a small temporary cowl mounted gas tank to test run the motor before plumbing the gas tank at the rear, using a shut off valve in the line near the driver. The windshield and the steering wheel work is completed and ready to install.
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