Thread: 51 MG restoration.

I would presume that your winter hasn't been Really Cold--so far.

This weeks aside, been quite mild..

Seems my clever premade door sills are useless. Didn’t account for the curve, left to right, of the door sweep so decided to start from scratch using the door frame as the bender mandrel. And some caution.

Gonna tackle this curve in a couple pieces or I risk splitting the lumber trying to make a compound sweep.
So start by staking the corners on the outside, then clamp them tight and work the insides.


Way better lines on these two, note the two different angles, the sill curves inwards, and radially aft to for.
Enough hammering for one night. Tomorrow I’ll do the upper sections then tig them together.
Not the way it was done 70 years ago, but it’ll avoid unnecessary hammering and stressing my expensive new lumber..
Can use my original pieces as my replacement lips on my rear tubs..nothing wasted..

Good regroup Mike. The water shed is in how we deal with a challenge. I like how you handled that.

Lower sills are just about done.


Figured this was safer way to beat my steel into submission than one continuous strip.


Will use the dremel and a drum sander to clean these a little better but the primer will hide the seams when all’s said and done..

If you've noticed, Fitzee typically uses multiple pieces instead of trying to do one single piece as it's much easier.

Just today I was watching him fabricate a floorboard that had recesses in it and the first one he tried doing it as one piece but that was a disaster so he made 4 different pieces then welded them together and whoa what a nice looking piece.

Yup, his stuff is great to watch come together. Very common sense newf he is..

Just in case you didn't know, that is called hammer forming. Normally the steel is sandwich clamped between a bottom and top piece of like shape
then tapping on the steel sequencily so it takes the shape you want. The top piece holds the steel securelly in place. Hammer forming is something
I do often. It looks like you are doing a nice and complete job.

I didn’t know that was the term, but it sure fits thanks.
If you do this stuff regularly, wish you lived closer. It’s got a learning curve to it, but fascinating to chase your curve as it starts to move. Hard on the wrist through the repetition of it all as I still recover from a fall but worth the pain..
Figure learning some technique on the lighter gage will help later when I move up to A surface panels.
Welding, cutting and the like, I’ve done for years, but hammer forming is new to me. Enjoying it immensely...

And look at these sexy old girls, freshly back from a trip to Wisconsin.

What a difference in stroke, it takes a ton of strength to rotate the arm now compared to when I sent them out.
Aside from having to pay duty to get my own items back, I’m very pleased..

Front quarter panels being restored now.

Avoiding having to hammer Those inside corners with some judicious trimming.

And after tacking from the inside, one final fit test.

Then pair them up with many clamps to the sills.


Front and lower edge will wait till final assembly so I have something to still draw tight, if needed.
Happy with the first and working on number two.