My 55 Belair hard top project

[HAFROD]

Built a triple gauge pod for my A pillar.

 

[HAFROD]

I gapped everything. Originally the dash ends were straight. The door garnish is angled. So I cut the dash and angled it to match. The dash corners never line up so I cut the welds loose and bent them. I re welded it to line up.

 

[HAFROD]

I built a cover plate for the hood latch. I drilled speed holes in it too. Also beveled the holes. I have speed holes everywhere

 

[HAFROD]

Originally the hood peak stops about an inch from the rear of the hood. I used a crashed hoods rear section and welded it into one of the cowl louvers section. I then extended the rear peak to the back of the hood. Now the peak goes all the way to the windshield trim. A lot of guys weld the cowl vents up smooth. I like my cowl vent on a summer night with the floor vents open.

 

[HAFROD]

The rear interior garnish mouldings are usually body color. Right into the dip is where the outside stainless trim seperates the two tone paint schemes. I used another pair of trims and cut them to use the section to match. Now the two tone will be matched on the garnish moulding to the outside. This was a lot of bending and shaping. Followed by some filing, sanding, and polishing.

 

[HAFROD]

Another option in 55 was the Autotronic Eye. It automatically dimmed your headlights for oncoming traffic. They were troublesome. I gutted it and gutted an adjustable shift light. Now when my shift point comes in, the light comes on glaring into the windshield. I changed the light out to one less bright. When I'm at the midnight drags, this will be handy.

 

[HAFROD]

This car is currently in Z Chrome after a good month of 3/16 panel gapping. Also these cars suffer from marshmallows on a stick syndrome. The fender bulges in the center, the door bulges, and the quarters bulge. I cut the front quarters jamb edges and pulled them out and re welded them. I hammered out the front and rear of the doors and stud gunned the edges out. I also cut the fender edges and pulled them out. Now when you look down the side it has one solid curve with no 3 dips of ice cream. Lol

 

[HAFROD]

 

[HAFROD]

This is the paint scheme on a 55 hard top

 

[383_GrandPrix]

Jeez... I've never seen one of your builds before but this little bit of the build you've posted blows me away. You are an amazing fabricator, I wish I had some one like you to teach me how to do work like that, it's incredible.