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Quarter Panel Fabrication

Divcod

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Jan 9, 2015
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320
Location
Pacific Northwest
The restoration of my 1952 Divco Milk Truck required extensive removal of body panels and structure. Many new old stock parts were found including a drivers side replacement quarter panel. A buck was fabricated to use as a form to build the opposite hand, passenger side, quarter panel. This panel includes the fender which original was made as one large stamping.
 

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Divcod

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Pacific Northwest
I have taken a class from Ron Covell and used his video Building a Fender from Scratch, title might not be 100% correct as a reference. In addition Ron was willing to offer his advise via email. Major difference from his technique is we used shrinking dies to from the fender vs making multiple pieces that require welding. Seems with metal there are multiple ways to reach the end you just have to decide which problems you want to work through. We had to deal with work Harding of the metal vs dealing with heat from multiple welds.
 

Shadowdog500

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Dec 7, 2009
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Down the shore
I have taken a class from Ron Covell and used his video Building a Fender from Scratch, title might not be 100% correct as a reference. In addition Ron was willing to offer his advise via email. Major difference from his technique is we used shrinking dies to from the fender vs making multiple pieces that require welding. Seems with metal there are multiple ways to reach the end you just have to decide which problems you want to work through. We had to deal with work Harding of the metal vs dealing with heat from multiple welds.

Ron Covell seems like a great guy and excellent teacher. I follow his YouTube channel, but have not taken a course.

Is that the first thing you ever made after taking his course? If so, that makes this accomplishment even more impressive!:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Chris
 
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Divcod

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Pacific Northwest
Long step from Ron's class to fabrication of a quarter panel. I'm lucky to have a talented metal worker to assist and learn from on the use of tools and techniques. Ron class opened the door to what is possible and my local resorce, 1/2 my age, moved it to reality. I did not have the skill or experience to get there on my own, hoping to get there as my skill improves each day along with the number of things that went wrong!
 

MP&C

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Oct 21, 2009
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4,405
Location
Leonardtown, MD
Nicely done, beautiful work. Goes to show that sometimes more panel replacement is the better option over small pieces added with all the welding headaches that accompany it. I'll be watching your post with interest as we have a Divco project coming up.. Relatively rust free but a tornado victim....
 
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Divcod

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Jan 9, 2015
Messages
320
Location
Pacific Northwest
Re: Divco -Quarter Panel & misc Fabrication

Still sorting out has best to use this site so am trying to expand the title so I can include other fabrications required for my Divco Milk Truck restoration.

Just picked up the grill insert from powder coating. Never took a good before picture so have added a photo of the entire front end of the truck. The insert need to have fins straightened and three needed to be fabricated. There is a slight curve in each fin so the profile was cut in a piece of angle iron and then 3/16" round bar was welded to the profile. Each fin was then plug welded to duplicate the original spot welding.

Photo show the result of the fabrication work and powder coating. Air station is a previous project that is fully functional, air and water.
 

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Kevin54

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Jan 12, 2005
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29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
See there is your problem. Your are just a newbie on here so you don't realize that when it comes to Fab projects we need pictures. And as far as the Divco project, the Eco Air Meter will only contribute to more problems with it being in the way of doing things, so I will PM you my address so you can send that to me so it will be out of your way. I can't believe that right after signing up that you didn't ask me to take it off of your hands. Geesh!!!!!:lol_hitti

Seriously though....welcome to Garage Journal, and make sure you keep us updated on the Divco. Just make up a title in this Fabrication Forum called "Divco Progress" or something like that, and just keep adding to it. If you notice MP&C has a rather lengthy thread about the '55 he is Resto-Modding, along with a bazillion other tips and ideas on how to do something that has given members a lot of ideas and gainful knowledge.

As far as the Divco, post up some more pics of what you are working with and some details as to where you are going with it. When I was a little ****, that's what our milkman drove, and when he came around, the neighborhood kids would buy Fudgesickles off of him in the summer, and once in a while, if there were only a couple of kids, he would let us help[ him out around the few blocks around our houses. He'd let us ride with him, but then we'd have to take the milk or whatever up to the porch. It was cool as hell to get to ride by standing up with the door open. I used to think a Divco used to be just a super ugly vehicle, but over the years I have grown to love the looks of them. The bad thing is....they are few and far between anymore.:(

So again....welcome to Garage Journal, and please hang around and become a long term member, and keep us updated on your processes on how you are making your panels, your intentions with it, and pics. We all like pics, and the more the better.:thumbup:

Oh, and I'll take care of the shipping on the Eco Air Meter. :lol_hitti
 
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LXCam

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That's incredible work bud, I wish I had the talent and tools to pull that off. And like Kevin said, keep it coming, not too many of us read too well so we need lots of pictures :p
 
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Divcod

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Pacific Northwest
Maybe I should start new thread with some of the beginning pictures. Then I could update with work completed. Let me know.
 

mikegt4

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Sep 12, 2005
Messages
3,277
Location
sw ohio
Divcos are definitely cool.

I had a boss whose family had a dairy business here locally until about 1970. They used Divcos for their delivery service. They had one of the toy companies make a batch of Divco toy trucks made up in their dairy business colors/logos to give out as promotional items. When I worked for him I ran across one for sale on Ebay and told him about it. The seller turned out to be a cousin of his that he hadn't seen in 20 years. He brought in his toy Divco, it was pretty neat.

http://www.popscreen.com/p/MTU2ODc0MDAx/25-scale-Ertl-DIVCO-DAIRY-DELIVERY-TRUCK-VONDERHAAR-Dairy-
 

22george

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Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
1,637
Location
SW Ohio
See there is your problem. Your are just a newbie on here so you don't realize that when it comes to Fab projects we need pictures. And as far as the Divco project, the Eco Air Meter will only contribute to more problems with it being in the way of doing things, so I will PM you my address so you can send that to me so it will be out of your way. I can't believe that right after signing up that you didn't ask me to take it off of your hands. Geesh!!!!!:lol_hitti

Seriously though....welcome to Garage Journal, and make sure you keep us updated on the Divco. Just make up a title in this Fabrication Forum called "Divco Progress" or something like that, and just keep adding to it. If you notice MP&C has a rather lengthy thread about the '55 he is Resto-Modding, along with a bazillion other tips and ideas on how to do something that has given members a lot of ideas and gainful knowledge.

As far as the Divco, post up some more pics of what you are working with and some details as to where you are going with it. When I was a little ****, that's what our milkman drove, and when he came around, the neighborhood kids would buy Fudgesickles off of him in the summer, and once in a while, if there were only a couple of kids, he would let us help[ him out around the few blocks around our houses. He'd let us ride with him, but then we'd have to take the milk or whatever up to the porch. It was cool as hell to get to ride by standing up with the door open. I used to think a Divco used to be just a super ugly vehicle, but over the years I have grown to love the looks of them. The bad thing is....they are few and far between anymore.:(

So again....welcome to Garage Journal, and please hang around and become a long term member, and keep us updated on your processes on how you are making your panels, your intentions with it, and pics. We all like pics, and the more the better.:thumbup:

Oh, and I'll take care of the shipping on the Eco Air Meter. :lol_hitti

Dang, Kevin, you beat me to it:shocking::shocking::bounce:

Welcome Divcod
 

iajonesy

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Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
2,467
Location
Iowa
Oh,great
,just what we need,another guy that can make the rest of us feel really bad about our metalworking skills,or lack there of.
Just kidding. I have learned so much from Robert's 55 build that I hope he never gets done.This site has so many guys (and girls) that have so much to offer the rest of us that it's like going to trade school for free.
Welcome aboard,Divcod. Like Kevin said,we like pictures and lots of 'em. That's what I have to learn next,how to post pics.

Mike
 

Kevin54

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Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
Maybe I should start new thread with some of the beginning pictures. Then I could update with work completed. Let me know.

I would start a new thread and title it Divco Restoration or something like that, and keep everything pertaining to the Divco under that, unless one of the mods can change the title of this thread. Once you have a reply or two you can't edit the title of your own thread.

But I know for a fact that people will want to follow everything you do to the Divco, before, after, and in between, along with pics. So a new thread with Divco in the title, like I said, something like "Divco Restoration" will be sure to have people following it. And maybe another thread saying something about sending the Eco Airmeter to Kevin to gt it out of the way so it doesn't get damaged would be followed by a few, mainly me. :rocker:

Just kidding about the Eco......but I would start a thread totally devoted to the Divco and anything pertaining to it. That's just my $.02 though.
 
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Divcod

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
320
Location
Pacific Northwest
Started a new thread "Divco Milk Truck Restoration" to expand on this initial start. Thanks for the positive comments and I'll try to keep up with posting progress. As with most of us other life demands take me away from the shop so progress will reflect my availability. Hope this is of use and interest to the readers of Garage Journal.
 

zmaxmotorsports

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
11,948
Location
South of omaha
See there is your problem. Your are just a newbie on here so you don't realize that when it comes to Fab projects we need pictures. And as far as the Divco project, the Eco Air Meter will only contribute to more problems with it being in the way of doing things, so I will PM you my address so you can send that to me so it will be out of your way. I can't believe that right after signing up that you didn't ask me to take it off of your hands. Geesh!!!!!:lol_hitti

Seriously though....welcome to Garage Journal, and make sure you keep us updated on the Divco. Just make up a title in this Fabrication Forum called "Divco Progress" or something like that, and just keep adding to it. If you notice MP&C has a rather lengthy thread about the '55 he is Resto-Modding, along with a bazillion other tips and ideas on how to do something that has given members a lot of ideas and gainful knowledge.

As far as the Divco, post up some more pics of what you are working with and some details as to where you are going with it. When I was a little ****, that's what our milkman drove, and when he came around, the neighborhood kids would buy Fudgesickles off of him in the summer, and once in a while, if there were only a couple of kids, he would let us help[ him out around the few blocks around our houses. He'd let us ride with him, but then we'd have to take the milk or whatever up to the porch. It was cool as hell to get to ride by standing up with the door open. I used to think a Divco used to be just a super ugly vehicle, but over the years I have grown to love the looks of them. The bad thing is....they are few and far between anymore.:(

So again....welcome to Garage Journal, and please hang around and become a long term member, and keep us updated on your processes on how you are making your panels, your intentions with it, and pics. We all like pics, and the more the better.:thumbup:

Oh, and I'll take care of the shipping on the Eco Air Meter. :lol_hitti

:spit::spit::spit::spit:
 
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