Chopped 55 f100

[Duke55]

Scored a Trumpf nibbler today only 90 miles from my house. This is the first one I have seen within reasonable distance and it was also an excellent deal. Now the hard part...figure out how to unload and where to put it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

And so it begins..... Nice score! That thing is a beast!

I had to travel from MD to Atlanta to get my Lennox...

 

[TimeWarpF100]

Finally shot some paint. Painted gold and black then topped with pagan gold kandy base.







Also working on some center caps for a chopped 52 Caddy convertible. Roughed them in tonight. Will likely shave down a little more but its hard to add material once removed so her is a first cut. The emblem will be recessed in once done.

Looks neat! Many years ago painted a 1968 Charger RT Pagan Gold

 

[tlmartin84]

Duke your work is SICK.............. awesome!

 

[Duke55]

Shots some paint on the nibbler before it goes in the shop.



The caddy was sanded down and had 5 more coats of candy base applied and re cleared. This make the graphics and color very deep and much more subtle/ghost like. The graphics will completely disappear at many angles and lighting conditions.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

I wish you had picked up the nibbler last year, I sold a bunch of used Trumph tooling back in April...

 

[Muggzy]

That paint looks spectacular [emoji106]



Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

Robert, I thought the same thing when I ran across your ad for selling the tooling. Yesterday I pulled the dies out of this machine and measured them. It is massive 30mm square. I plan to change it over to 3/4". The lower tool holder won't be bad to do. I need to give the upper some thought on what would be best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[motofool33]

Duke Your work looks stellar, i wish i could paint like you. looking at your work makes me want to hire out all my paint work.

i started reading your thread last night and was about halfway through when i realized it was past midnight and had to stop. FInished today. great projects keep em coming.

 

[Duke55]

Thanks to all for following and commenting I really appreciate it.

I figured I'd do a quick fun project prior to the next big job coming in. This is a 1955 Manley Popcorn machine I picked up awhile ago. I did some quick wiring and verified everything works. Now I am cleaning up the 60 year old grease, remaking the missing drawers and will repaint and put back in the basement to start using it.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

So much for quick and easy. This has been a pain.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Primed the tonneau, running boards, hood and spot on one of the rear fenders.

Center console with seats installed - old picture

My favorite view of the louvers and stacks (see if I can convert some of the louver haters) - old picture

I have to tell you I am a little surprised about the number of people that don't like louvers. I fully expected that kind of response about the stacks but the louvers? I could see if it was a Honda civic, but a chopped and heavily customized street rod with 12" wide one off louvers! We live in a sad-sad world. Few things get me excited, but 12" louvers definitely do.

Im not a big fan of louvers,but Im a big fan of nice metal work!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

You sir are an evil genius! You and MP&C are definately my heroes!

 

[Dirtydan69]

Genius is an understatement. You've got more talent in your pinky then I'll ever know. Thanks for your great threads! Lucky you to have the heritage you do.

 

[Duke55]

Thanks guys for the comments and following the thread. It's been a couple of years and the louvers still excite me (glad I forced myself not to settle with no louvers).

Pulled truck out of trailer so I can pick up my next project.



After this next project I plan to take a major break from big customer projects and focus on my own.

Designed some shrinking dies for the nibbler. With these I plan to take the next step in metal shaping and make the rear fenders on the COE from scratch (wouldn't even considered such a project not too long ago).




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

Don't normally post any of my car show award stuff but this one is way cool to me and I think it belongs in the thread. The chopped truck was the logo truck for this years show and they just sent me the artwork. The t-shirts trophies, poster and dash plaques all have the truck on them.

I had no input into the design. The designer talked to me at a previous show and remembered the story behind it (notice the business sign). Also every year prior only the winning car was in the art work no additional background like they did on this one.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TimeWarpF100]

Amazing stuff no doubt!

Always waiting for the next "installment" . .

 

[BBChevro]

Don't normally post any of my car show award stuff but this one is way cool to me and I think it belongs in the thread. The chopped truck was the logo truck for this years show and they just sent me the artwork. The t-shirts trophies, poster and dash plaques all have the truck on them.

I had no input into the design. The designer talked to me at a previous show and remembered the story behind it (notice the business sign). Also every year prior only the winning car was in the art work no additional background like they did on this one.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great stuff Royce, the "Duke's Service" sign was definitely a nice touch on the artwork.

 

[MP&C]

Royce, congrats... They did a nice job on the artwork!

 

[Duke55]

Since I have posted nothing but random **** so far this weekend I guess one more won't hurt. Shuffling cars around and pulled the crewcab out. I decided not to drive it this winter to keep the salt off it. Going through withdrawals so it was nice to screw around in the snow for a bit.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[don long]

Congrats on being the poster truck
Nice artwork for sure. You should be proud

Thanks for sharing

That popcorn machine is pretty cool to

Don

 

[Duke55]

Been too long. I have had the popcorn machine ready to paint and in the booth for quite a while now. Just can't get myself to do it.

Spent a day building a display case to hold a Super Bowl 50 jersey, tickets and a panorama picture from my wife and I attending the Super Bowl. Need to get glass cut to finish it.



Picked up the 32 sedan last weekend. Got a decent amount of stripping done this week. Revealed it is in decent shape but any work done by the previous builder was completely unacceptable.



Started off with a razor blade. Owner claims that there was at least 30 coats of lacquer material on it. The body material thickness measured over 40 mils and the frame material measured over 80 mils.





Found several places that had very thick mud for really no reason. Also it appears that anywhere lead was used it is covering the really ugly stuff.

Now for the kicker. I will be redoing all the body and paint (black) and the upholster (white vinyl) minus the seats as a trade for another car. You will have to stay tuned to see what the other car is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

Owner claimed 30 coats like it was a good thing?

another Kandy finish?

 

[Duke55]

Luckily this one won't be kandy. It will be black.

Dug deeper into the car by removing interior panels to see backside of panels. Surprisingly half of the work looks acceptable and the other half is terrible. I am now completely convinced this car was started by someone that did decent work and then whoever finished the car did horrible work.

The cool part of this project is that the current owner is one of my grandpas old buddies (75 yrs old) that I met at the first show I took my 55 to. He came up with this deal and told me there are less than a dozen people alive today that he would want to have his other car I will be getting. He has been a fun guy to get to know. He has built several dozens of cars in his life (not this car) has lots of stories and pictures with him and many of the custom car world legends.

 

[Toolfool]

Sounds like you found a great new friend. Get as many stories, and learn as much as you can from him while he's still here.

 

[62blue]

Drew I am really impressed with your 12" Louvers you made for the pickup. You are a well rounded hobbyist that can do it all! I also like the collection of metal working tools you are picking up for your shop. I just wish I was young enough again I would build a bigger shop to work in. Keep the posts coming and get the wife working in that shop as she may enjoy helping you do some of the rather boring jobs.
Don

 

[Duke55]

Sounds like you found a great new friend. Get as many stories, and learn as much as you can from him while he's still here.

I really wish I would have met this guy earlier. I had heard his name and all about the cars he built when I was growing up. He gave me his card at the first show I did with the 55 and told me to stop by his shop and see his projects. I didn't stop by until I was visiting family that Thanksgiving. We spent several hours bsing and looking through his picture books. I now visit him every time I get back up to Idaho. We can both acknowledge we have a unique connection for some reason. He has spent his life in the custom car world and has an insane collection of cars, parts and knowledge. He has well over 100 8x10" photos hung on his shop wall of cars he has built or touched and has a story for each one. He was convinced by another old timer years ago to document his experiences, conversations and people he meets in a book type form. He has been doing this for many years and reviews it periodically so he has remained very sharp. He tells me that it is more rewarding than you can imagine to have documented much of his life. I'm sure his family will be very grateful someday also.

 

[BBChevro]

Owner claimed 30 coats like it was a good thing?
...

It's funny, I can remember a time when people bragged about how many coats their paint job had (I just said nothing).

 

[BBChevro]

...



...

I like the proportions of that '32.

 

[Duke55]

Little more done. Removed all the interior, dash and glass. Pulled the doors (luckily they came off easy).

Thought I would attach one of the ugly panels.



Removing lead



Pretty much looked like this all the way across



After a little over an hour of beating on this this it was starting to take shape.



Decided I didn't want my name on that panel so cut it out (hind sight I should of done that prior to melting on the lead out).



Cut the panel out, made a new one and welded it in in less than half the time I already spent on the previous mess.



Learned from the cowl and cut the bottom of the door off above the lead so I didn't have to melt any out. Will be making a new bottom inner of the door prior to the out panel.



Oldest daughter spent the day with me. She stripped both front fenders and few odd jobs.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

Putting the cowl vent back in? Nothing like that flow thru ventilation! Nice work!

 

[Duke55]

Didn't think of putting a vent back in. That would of made it a fun panel/project (guess I need to step back once and awhile). The cowl wasn't on my list of things to do today. I just couldn't stand to look at it any longer. I did go for a drive in the car with the owner last fall and he had the windshield pushed open a bit for the flow through ventilation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

Had a handful of cool pictures sent to me over the weekend. Thought I would post a few

.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[don long]

Congrats on your new project
I sure love that C.O.E. pic.

 

[HOTFR8]

I like the C.O.E. but not 100% sure about the headlights. Great photos.

 

[Duke55]

I like the C.O.E. but not 100% sure about the headlights. Great photos.

I don't think the factory headlights can be beat. If flush mounting is desired I'd say use headlights from a 37 Ford car. These headlights were already done by the owner before he dropped it off to me to paint.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

I have slacked off on the update for the 32 so I give a quick update on some of the more interesting work.

Built the bottom inner structure of the doors.



Picked up an e-wheel and made door skins.





Also had a mess with the fenders











Top of the grille shell






Several other little things such as fixing chopped doors to fit the car right, rebuild lower in door jambs on the body, all kinds of tweaking to get the front fenders to fit, replace pretty much every patch panel that was ever put in the car due to poor workmanship, eliminated all lead.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duke55]

Almost forgot updates to the popcorn machine, car show cooler and Super bowl display.

Just realized I don't have any pictures out in the sun. The white is a white diamond pearl tri-coat and the read is brandy wine candy.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MP&C]

Royce, nice work on the 32, what e-wheel did you pick up? Looks like it's working well for you..

 

[Duke55]

Royce, nice work on the 32, what e-wheel did you pick up? Looks like it's working well for you..

I picked up a homemade one that was Chris's at Salt Flats Speed Shop. He decided to get rid of it once he got a handle on his new power hammer. The price was good and it came with Hoosier profile upper quick release, lower cradle, hardened upper, full set of lowers and UHMW plastic lowers. Was within a couple hours of my place and I needed on right away so I jumped on it. After having for a while it is hard to believe I went this long without one. Can also see were several improvements could be made in the frame design.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk