1930 REO

(photo record for work performed in, Invoice #1)

Photo 1) I elevated the body off the frame ¼ inch to remove splash apron. Before lifting the body, I sized all mounting holes to take ½ inch bolts except the front two at the cowl where I installed 7/16 bolts. I did this because work done previously  used a hodgepodge of fasteners. I used longer than normal bolts so that when I lifted the body, the bolts would all remain in their holes and everything would stay in alignment. When I reinstalled the splash apron, I lowered the body back onto the frame.

Photo 2, 3, 4, 5) Photos show the sheet metal pull I used to pull the rear fender into alignment so that it squared with the body and running board and splash apron. I anchored the pull where the front axle attaches to the frame, and I slipped a tube over the front running board gusset to strengthen it and create an attachment point for the wenches.  The last photo (5) shows the fender nearly square with the rear running board gusset. If the fender is not square with the gusset, the running board and fender will not mate. I thought I had it close enough but when I test fitted the running board to fender, I saw had to take it just a little bit further (see photo 6 below).

Photo 6) I used a different method to complete the rear fender squaring work because I knew the bottom flange of the fender, although strong, was not strong enough for the final pull. So I supported the outside edge of the fender with a wood 2x2 and pushed it square with a hydraulic jack. 

Photo 6a, 7) The rear fender’s bottom face had a slight outward bow which also prevented it from matting up square with the running board. To fix this, I put a giant dolly (made from a 10 inch section of railroad track) behind the fender and used a body hammer to square the fender face. Ruler on fender shows the face after I squared it. (Note: I worked on this fender’s bottom months ago but only its outside edge to shape and fabricate its edge bead to match the trim piece that runs along the bottom edge of running board. I did that work with the fender clamped to the running board, to hold them in square. Now, after the current repair work, clamps are no longer needed to hold the fender and running board square).

Photo 8) Initial sheet metal pull on front fender to bring it into square with body. I anchored this pull at point where the rear axle attaches to the frame on the opposite side of the car. Note the large piece of angle iron placed behind the splash apron to keep the fender from crushing the apron while making the pull. Also, I had to unbolt and lower the front running board gusset to make this pull. The pull did bend the splash apron slightly, I watched it carefully, and I accepted it in the knowledge that I had already cut the strengthener off of its bottom and therefore I knew it would be easy to bend it back straight.

Photo 9, 9a) Sheet metal pull to square front fender with body, running board, and splash apron. I anchored this pull where the rear axle attaches to the frame on the same side of the body.  While I pulled on the fender, I used a 4X4 block and large hammer to strike the fender in location shown in photo, to change its shape and square it with the car’s body and frame. I had to be careful doing this. I did not want to distort the fender in the wrong way. It worked out good!

 

Photo 10) Front fender now square with running board gusset. (Note: I wish I had taken a photo before I started this work to show how far the fender was out of square with the gusset and running board and body. It was terrible.)

Photo 11) Work area photo.

Photo 12, 13) Initial correcting of the splash apron’s shape and fit. Photo shows a steel tube clamped to the splash apron and frame, to hold it in position at that point. The wood 2x2 laying on the splash apron will be placed under the apron to serve as a load spreader while pushing up on the apron with hydraulic ram.

Photo 14, 15) Correcting the front to rear break of the splash apron, to bring it back to a 90 degree angle which it had probably lost over the decades. As a  result of the loss of angle, it had a pooched out face. As I pulled it back to 90 degrees, that cause its face to warp. I also corrected that as shown in photos. The splash apron worked out real good!

Photo 16) These holes are where the bolts go through to secure the splash apron to the running board. They are messed up because a new kid drilled them wrong the first time. The plan was to cover them with washers so they would not be seen. This disgusted me. People may not see them, but the painters will see them, and anyone that sees this will think the car was done by amateurs. Fortunately, the new strengthener will take care of this problem. These holes will serve as spot weld holes for the strengthener, and will be shaved smooth. No more amateur holes.

Photo 17) This is the strengthener that will be welded to the bottom of the splash apron. It is in keeping with the original strengthener but of a slightly heavier gauge metal. I cut it from a light gage metal tube (14 ga). I will install it in the next work set (it is not currently done). Also in the next work set, I will make stainless mounting plates to replace the originals under the running boards. Also, the rear running board gusset is bent down slightly which will be easy to repair. I will do that in the next work set.

 

Photo 18, 19, 20) First photo shows what looks like a sheet metal body seam, but it is not. It’s door glue used like body filler to fill a gap between the rear fender and body. I ground the glue/filler off the car as shown in second photo. Third photo shows the gap after I removed the filler. The gap is too wide to be hidden with fender welt.

Photo 21, 22, 23) First photo shows how the gap closes up at the bottom corner of quarter panel. Second panel show how I modified the bottom corner of quarter panel. This modification allowed me to move fender slightly and help close the overall gap. I also metal worked the fender considerably to close the gap. By modifying the quarter panel lower corner, and metal working the fender, I was able to close the gap (see next photos).

Photo 24, 25) First photo shows repaired rear fender gap compared to second photo which shows fender gap on opposite side of car.

Photo 26, 27, 28, 29) Photos show repair of bow in end of running board both at front and back. The bow would not allow the running board to mate up square with the fenders. To remove the bow, I had to accept that the top of the running board at its far ends would have a very slight rise. It is very slight and should be okay but if not I can correct it by use of smalls screws and a narrow trim piece. I hope to avoid that because I like to show that the panels fit together perfectly without the use of trim used to hide misalignment. However, if we do need to use a piece of trim, we can do it in a way where the trim sits on the running board only and therefore does not hide the perfect alignment of panels (I can explain this better in person).

Photo 30, 31, 32) Finished work! The panels fit together so well, they sit as shown in photo with bolts in loose, or with no bolts at all! All the holes line up just right. Bolts and nuts go in easy with fingers. Previously, installing the panels required a ridiculous combination of clamps and even a hydraulic jack which put them in one hell of bind, and that was just asking for paint to pop off somewhere down the line. I was not one-hundred percent positive that this problem could be corrected completely. But it is 100% corrected now, and it is a great weight off my chest!

 Photo 33) Photo shows the right front fender (shown on left in photo) may not have the correct shape. Not sure about this yet. I haven’t had time to give it a close look. To check this, I need to mount the spoke wheels and tires  and the front bumper. A lay-person might not notice a difference in the two fenders without the wheels and bumper as reference points, but once the wheels and bumper are on, if the fenders are not the same, the difference it will stick out like a sore thumb. 

Photo 34) These are the storage bins I use to keep small parts in. They are also visible in the background of photo #1.  There is no charge to you for the work of organizing the parts or in transporting the car.

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Jerry, I was greatly relieved to get the left side of the car to where all the panels go together as they should, with no force needed whatsoever. The left side panels now fit together 100% right with holes lined up and all bolts and nuts starting easy with fingers. It was a lot of work, but it did not take as long as I thought it would, and it is a big load off my chest to have it work out right! I am very sorry that it had to be done, and I am very grateful to be able to do it. 

THANK YOU JERRY!