[Essex_29]

Thank you sammons. I think normal steel could last for a while if you polish it up good and get some kind
of adhesion promoter on before clear coating it. I've never tried, though.

I thought the center part of the dash looked too angular and tried to freehand some more shape into it. I
gave up, started over and made a hammer form from plywood.
A buddy milled the rounded edges, then just on to cut a piece of sheet metal and start hammering. The
result is surprisingly neat and I think this shape looks much better now. More art deco in my mind.
I had to do some cutting and welding at the lower rounded corners as expected. You only get sheet
metal to shrink so much in such a small area.



I might move the clock (future tach) down and backward a bit, and the sides have to be added to the
center part to make it fit against the side panels.
I made a lot of planning tonight, on how to get the whole dash assembled and then to be able to
disassemble it. How to get service done, and how to change the brake booster and on and on.
I think I have enough figured out now, to be able to continue working.

[Essex_29]

Unbelieveably time consuming, this dash thing. I've been going at it every day for some time and not at all done yet.



I'm pleased with how the center section came out. The bottom back edge got a 1/4" round bar bent to shape,
welded and blended in, which makes it look more factory. I moved the clock down about an inch.

Part of the dash is going with the door. Here's the piece behind which the door card will go.

The dash was cut at an angle towards the A-pillar. End plates welded on and sanded. Door closed, there's a sixteenth or two of gap. Because I have to be able to disassmble the dash, the bottom part has to be fastened with  sheet metal screws

Working on the other end of the dash now to get to this same point.
The cluch- and power steering fluid reservoirs are mounted under the dash now.

I'm dreaming of getting this project into some kind of driveable condition for next summer.  I just
have to find a way of doing things faster...

[TFoch]

Wow that is looking awesome!  Great fabrication and well thought out!

[sixball]

It is cool that your skills can keep pace with your imagination.

[Essex_29]

Thank you TFoch.
Nicely put, sixball. I never did much sheet metal work before this project, it's learning by doing.
 I have no shortage of ideas, it's fun when it works, and sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't, and
one just has to make it in a more simple way.

Yesterday I disassembld the dash to make service openings in the top. It's pretty busy there already
and it will be very well filled when the electricals are done.



Hatches themselves still to be done, but now you get to check the fluids without much hassle. The
hatches will be held in place with some simple screws or knobs.

Service openings on top of the dash seen here.



Left over brightwork from a 1938 Chrysler restoration provide some bling. They were easy to mount
with small screws that fit in the channel on the back of the trim peaces. A small blob of weld prevent
 the scews from turning when mounting the nuts.
Holes drilled for switches for dome light, heater fan, driving lights and wipers. Maybe a starter button
in the center hole later.
I also pulled up a few wires through the right hand side A-pillar for the wipers, dome light and such.

[Essex_29]

My long time idea, a code lock for the ignition, will be mounted above the windshield. First just because
a bunch of toggle switches wouldn't look right on oildish style the dash, but then I noticed that the panel
tidies up the area above the windshield nicely.

I started by making a tool for dimpling the switches a bit. I happened to have a big washer that I welded
 to a 3/8" thick piece of plate steel that I had drilled a 10 mm hole in. The sheet metal with a pre drilled
hole, or holes, goes in between the small washers, and the nut is cinched down tightly.



 This worked better than expected, I couldn't help myself before I made 11 holes, it was fun.



The bottom break was bent back, which made the bead-like form at the bottom of the panel.



I had to make room for the wiper motors, which made for some work I hadn't thought of, but then there's
always things you forget to consider.

[sixball]

Neat tool and a good look.

[TFoch]

Nice work on the dimple die!  I like how the dash continuing to the door came out!

[Essex_29]

Thank you sixball and TFoch. The dimple die idea worked out better than I had expected, even with
a whole row of them there was very little distortion to the piece of sheetmetal. The dash continuing on the doors
 is an old idea, I just had to try and make, I just like the look so much.

The dash and roof panel getting ready, the A-pillars looked awful. I made some sheetmeetal pieces to cover
the ugliness.



Then onto the right hand door, which had a bit of rust. I think it had rusted because the car had been crashed at
 some point, and the door had been leaded. The acid had probably leaked into the door and settled in the
wooden structure and eaten the sheetmetal from the inside.



This is the first time I have actually done a reasonably serious rust repair on a door. It came out ok, and is almost
hard to spot on the inside of the door, where the new flange has been welded in a couple spots.




Door done for now, and put aside, I took a deep breath and started working on the headers. I have been
procrastinating with these, I'm not good with the tig welder and working with stainless is a pain, it's so darn stiff.



Two headers done, two to go.



This turned out to be less time consuming than I expected as it often is when you procastinate becasue some
work seems overwhelming. Third header is well under way.

[sixball]

Very cool!

[Essex_29]

Thank you sixball.

I got all headers done on saturday. I was counting on it taking much longer, but it took just ten days.
That's a win.

I sat down the body dolly on the floor as the body's more or less done for now, and jacked up the frame
instead. The new radiator got mounting holes drilled, it was mounted in the grille shell and bolted
 to the front cross member.



The driver's side apron adjusted to fit and bolted to the frame mounts I made some time ago.
I forget if I mentioned it before, I made the aprons for the Essex, some 18 years ago and never
used them since I decided to go fenterless. Luckily I never cut them up to use the material and
now they happen to fit this  build

[TFoch]

Looking awesome! I bet it's going to sound as great as it looks!

[Essex_29]

Thank you TFoch. Can't wait to hear it run!

So, with the aprons mounted, I went on with the running board mounts.  While I was at it, I brought in
the left hand side fenders and cut away some of the front fender to get ot down to about the right height.



I case you're wondering, the sledge hammer will be removed before the first test drive.

My uncle passed late summer, and the last time I had him turn some part for me, he asked if I'd like to get
his lathe when he "turns in his ticket" as he put it. Long story short, I bought the lathe from my cousins
and now have it in my garage. It took five days of work to make room for it with all the arrangements.



Good to be back to production work again. Exhausts now.
I had planned on some exotic Y connector between the headers, but decided it's too much work and too
little space (and too time consuming), so this is what we have now.



One hanger done, and the driver's side muffler is welded in. The other pipe will go to a valve and then
back into the same exhaust again. A cut out, but the exhaust and sound will exit in the normal exhaust.



I originally planned to go with 2" exhausts, but decided 2-1/2" is better. This means  the through holes
in the frame where the exhausts go are pretty tight. It might work out, since the V12 is supposed to run
smoothly.

[TFoch]

Nice work! The lathe will be handy to have.

[sixball]

Very nice! Still looking for a gear for my lathe or someone who can make one.