El camino rear widebody& raised rear quarters

[jlcustomz]

Spent a few hours after work Thursday & Friday cutting bedcover side supports from some extruded aluminum parts, marked out to bend an angle at the top to the new swoopy shaped quarter panel profile. Then marked out , drilled & chamfered 140 holes in them. After all that found out this particular unknown grade of aluminum wouldn't bend in the direction I needed without cracking. Sample bent fine in the other direction, forgot aluminum actually has grain to it. Sample of heating & annealing it allowed it to bend good. Then after doing 1 side It warped a little in the tall direction that should be straight & the thick stiff part was now too soft. FAIL
Eh, time for plan B. Sucks to fail. No progress after all that really makes you feel tired.

 

[jlcustomz]

Made another pair of side braces for the bedcover from a lightweight aluminum extrusion . Did a row of punched & flaired holes to match existing work. Probably will take a few hours of adjusting , fitting, & stretching metal on bedcover skin before attaching.

 

[fleming442]

Man, that looks like a ton of work that I have neither the skillset or patience to pull off. Rock on, my brutha!!!

 

[TURNA]

Old Skool erector set!!!

 

[Doug Chahoy]

Hey buddy, that's coming along real nice.

 

[jlcustomz]

I've been asked before if I own enough clamps. What the hell is that supposed to mean? A fabricator always needs more clamps.
Ok, I did have enough, plus some..

EDIT;; glue used was panel bonding adhesive. I used Smart #263 from Finishmaster store, which is same as 3-m 8115.

 

[jlcustomz]

Starting to look like something. Now I can finish the rear upper quarter corner. Cover weighed in at 55 1/2 lbs for now. Was I think 78 lbs with the 59' chevy fin styling it had. Way less than a Gaylord cover.

 

[Doug Chahoy]

Starting to look like something. Now I can finish the rear upper quarter corner. Cover weighed in at 55 1/2 lbs for now. Was I think 78 lbs with the 59' chevy fin styling it had. Way less than a Gaylord cover.
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Looking good! The tono actually looks more like a long trunk lid that belongs there. Coming along real nice.

 

[TURNA]

Nice!! looks like it lines up and fits good!!

 

[fleming442]

Ya know, a color other than black would show off all your hard work better. It's almost a shame that the features wash away in the black.