Passenger's Side Rocker Panel

I didn't take pics of installing the driver's side, but I have some of installing the passenger's side rocker panel.

I spent lots of time fitting the panel, then laying the front fender on top to see how it all lined up.  It's not perfect, but it's pretty close and I'll "make it fit".

Let's face it.  I'm not building a Concours-level car here.  I am pretty happy with the work I'm doing, even if it isn't what I wish I could do (that whole "learn how to do stuff" means mistakes).  All I really want is for it to be safe and look nice.  All my plug welds show good penetration, so I'm feeling confident that things are solid.

 

 

 

 

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Congratulations, It's a Floor

Skimming over a bunch of fitting challenges and plenty of welding, to proudly announce the arrival of a bouncing baby completely installed floor pan.

 

It's... glorious.

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Floor Pan, Part 2

Let's make the floor pan fit.

 

 

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Passenger's Side Assembly, Continued

Time to put more of the passenger's side structure together...

 

  

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Frahnkensteen

In my opinion, this is one of the best exchanges of dialogue in any movie ever made:

(UNSEEN): "DOCTOR FRANKENSTEIN?"

DOCTOR (coldly): "Frahnkensteen."

IGOR: "You're putting me on."

DOCTOR: "No, it's pronounced 'Frahnkensteen'."

IGOR: "Do you also say, 'Frohderick'?"

DOCTOR: "No, 'Fredrick'."

IGOR: Well, why isn't it 'Frohderick Frahnkensteen'?"

DOCTOR: "It isn't; it's 'Fredrick Frahnkensteen.'"

IGOR: "I see."

DOCTOR: "... You must be Igor."

IGOR: "No, it's pronounced "Eye-gor."

DOCTOR: "But... they told me it was Igor."

IGOR: "Well, they were wrong, then, weren't they?"  (Smirk)

DOCTOR:  "..."

If you haven't seen 'Young Frankenstein', there's something wrong with you.  Or maybe it's me.  But I don't think so.

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Reattachment

I feel like I amputated an arm and stitched it back on, and it still works.

And it's pronounced, "Frahnkensteen".

 

 

See?

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Fixing a Hole

You can see how the A post and firewall are mangled...

 

Getting better...

 

 

Straightening out the post...

 

 

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Rust Be Gone

Having removed what seems like the entire passenger's side of the car, it's time to put some of that structure back...

 

 

 

Oh yeah, the rear bulkhead was trashed, too.  So it got fixed.

I straightened the footwell out and cut the rot away, then fixed it too.

 

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The Tin Worm is Hungry

Mmmm.  Take a look at what the Midwest does to a car built when the word 'rustproofing' meant 'put a bunch of Waxoil on it'.

 

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Cutting Out the Rot

It's amazing what doing a task can teach you about doing it again.  It took me three weekends to gut the driver's side, and only half a day to gut the passenger's side.  I went even further this time as there was really nothing left holding the passenger's side A pillar to the car... so it came out too.

Boy, I hope I remember where it goes.

 

 

More pics of how much I have to do on the underside...

 

Out comes the floor pan.

 

 

 

 

Whoo, man.  Look at that rust.  Oh wait, you can't see it... it's rusted away!  Thanks, Wisconsin.

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