1930 REO
(photo record for work performed in, Invoice #21)
Invoice 21, Batch 1: Photo 1 - 3) After spot-welding the new lip to the right upper hood panel and fitting the panel, I proceeded to separate the panels and metal work the upper panel by first filling in the holes that were left from when I drilled out the old spot welds to remove the old lip. Because the old lip had been placed far into the mold, some of the old spot weld holes were exposed, as shown in photo #2. I did not install the new lip as far into the mold, which allows for changing the angle of the lip if necessary (the angle being critical to the hinge's fit).
Invoice 21, Batch 1: Photo 4) Welding always distorts metal, and therefore, as I welded, I metalworked the panel to keep it straight (lots of metalwork). Also, note that the piece of angle iron clamped onto the panel is there to absorb heat which lessens the distortion caused by the welds.
Invoice 21, Batch 1: Photos 5 & 6) I am not certain that the sequence of these two photos is correct, but I know that after the initial weld-filling and metal-working, I drilled the remaining holes for the hinge mount. Each hole had to be located exactly for the proper fit and function of the hinge.
Invoice 21, Batch 2: Photo 1 & 2) The first photo shows the right hood panel mounted to the car. Note the gap between the two panels, it appears to be a silver line, but it is actually the edge of the piano hinge. Also note that the molding is still in a fairly rough stage and needs more metalwork (see later photos). This is because, as I stated before, separating the old lip from the hood panel was messy business, which was why I initially tried to avoid doing so. Once I realized it had to be separated, I did my best to preserve the integrity of the panel. The second photo shows the left side hood partially opened to reveal the hood hinge and the edge of the hinge mentioned in the first photo. The right hinge looks dark in the photo, but in real life, it is brightly polished stainless steel (looks like chrome).
Invoice 21, Batch 3: Photos 1 - 3) The first photo shows how, with the hood sections and hinge bolted together and mounted to the car, I can best see what and where metalwork needs to be done. The second photo shows where I welded old spot welds, either because they were visible when the hood was bolted together or because they were not visible but were still numerous enough that I feared the hinge’s mounting surface would be weakened by them, so I weld-filled them. In this way, I made several welding passes, metalworking as I went, fitting the hood to the car, then removing it and welding some more, around 25 welds in total. As I welded, I metalworked to keep the hood straight and bring the shape of the molding to where it needed to be. It took hours of metalwork, many hours, but it came out great! I had considered getting a new/used hood, but I still would have needed to cut the stock hinge off and weld the lip in at the proper angle. The only advantage would be having a straight molding to begin with, providing I could find a hood, and it was in good condition. I looked online but did not find anything. The third photo shows my work area.
Invoice 21, Batch 3: Photos 4 & 5) Photo shows me checking for straightness while metalworking the hood. Note, the right-side hood panel has a minor crown, which is very slight, and is identical to the left-side hood panel.
Invoice 21, Batch 4: Photo 1 & 2) The first photo shows the 1/8th inch gap between the body and splash apron on the left side of the car, and that is okay. The second photo shows a 3/16 to 1/4 inch gap between the body and splash apron on the right side, which is not acceptable. Therefore, it needs to be corrected, and once it is corrected, it will alter the fit of the hood. Therefore, I stopped my work on the hood to correct the gap between the body and the splash apron before proceeding again with the hood. Please see the next series of photos.
Invoice 21, Batch 4: Photo 3 - 11) To correct the gap mentioned above, I needed to tighten the bolt that held the body to the frame. However, that was not feasible due to a junction block in the frame that houses electrical wiring, heater, and A/C-related wiring, hoses, and valves (see the fourth photo down from the top of this series). The junction block is complex and should only be removed once for frame painting and then reinstalled. So to get around this, I tapped threads into the frame from above. The original frame hole was approximately 9/16 inch in diameter, allowing a half-inch bolt to pass through with a nut on the bottom side. A bolt was loosely in place, like a peg, with no nut on its bottom side. Therefore, to get around the problem, I used a tap to cut threads into the frame hole. I tapped it to the next size up, which was 5/8th inch. To do this, I used both a die grinder and a drill bit, which I turned by hand with a vice grip. I turned the bit by hand because a power drill might have caught hold and pulled the bit down into the junction box, potentially damaging the wiring and valves inside. The 5/8th bolt is temporary. When the junction box is removed for frame painting, a half-inch cage nut can be welded to the frame. The final three photos in this series show the corrected gap, and also show that the alignment of the moldings between the door and body were not negatively affected by the work.
Invoice 21, Batch 5: Photo 1 - 5) After correcting the gap mentioned above, I returned to work on the hood. I trimmed the back edge of the lower right panel, then trimmed its bottom edge as well. I cut, fitted, and spot-welded its bottom strengthener, adding a bead-rolled edge.
Invoice 21, Batch 6: Photo 1 & 2) To improve the fit between the left lower hood panel and cowl, I made a few spacers from washers and used them under the rear hood mount. Later, the spacers can be replaced by a plate. Note that the guide directly in front of the mount will also need a plate of equal thickness.
Invoice 21, Batch 7: Photo 1 & 2) In the first photo, regarding the narrow strip below the hood molding, the idea of the previous restorer was to use door bonding agent to attach the strip to the lower panel and sand it smooth so that it appeared as part of the lower panel. I do not recommend doing so, as the bonding agent is subject to cracking. Rather, I would either remove the stip completely or replace it with a better method, which I will explain in a following report. In either case, the work would involve the lower panel, not the upper panel that I have just completed. The work on the upper panel needed to be done regardless. In the second photo, I was able to pass a feeler gauge between the ruler and the upper hood panel, just above the molding; in one small spot, 7 thousandths of an inch, and in another small spot, 14 thousandths of an inch. This is acceptable and can be finished with a very thin layer of spot putty or high-build primer.
Note: I do not have photos of the work, but I prepped the right upper and lower hood panels for primer in the areas where I had exposed the metal during the work. I then spray-coated the areas with catalyzed epoxy to protect the metal from oxidizing. The epoxy coating is visible in the four videos below. (Originally, the video below was one video, but it exceeded the allowable size limit, so I divided it into four sections.)
Summary Video 1
Summary Video 2
Summary Video 3
Note: I am currently working on assembling the REO, both the exterior and interior. The hours for this work will be included in the next invoice, along with a progress report. The assembly work is primarily to assist the next shop in understanding how the car is assembled, rather than securing parts to the car in a final manner. Secondarily, this work will ensure the car fits into its trailer.
THANK YOU, JERRY!
