This is a copy of a post that I made on the Allmetalshaping website that I am an administrator for. I am sharing it here along with my sincere thanks to the large number of the members here that helped me on this project. It would not have gotten to this point if it were not for the kind, generous and unending thoughts, comments and instructions provided by many of the Ford barn members. Thanks guys!
In the early '70's I built a car that was purchased by Richard Petty that was donated to the Smithsonian Institute. In 1987-88 I restored the car that Bill Elliott won the Winston Million in and it is currently on display at the henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Two days ago, I was notified that the last Model A Ford, a Drop Floor Panel Delivery, arrived at the Ford Museum. It is scheduled to be put on display in the next week or ten days I was told.
Model A folks like to name their cars, but I had not named any of the ones that I owned until this one. I struggled to find a name and was listening to an Allman Brothers song entitled The Midnight Rider, and it inspired me to name this truck 'Midnight' and when I was driving it, I would become the 'midnight rider' (clever, huh!). The song talks about 'one more silver dollar', and I decided to hide a 1928 silver dollar somewhere in the truck. I told folks prior to the National Judging (both times) that I had done so, and challenged them to find it. To my knowledge, no one knows where it is hidden except the sign painter that I hired to paint 'the midnight rider' underneath it's location.
These are some pictures of the sheet ,metal work that was done as I was just getting interested in metal shaping. I was looking for some folks that would do some of this type of work and could not find anyone, so I began trying to do some myself. It was, and still is, a slow process for me. I find that I have both feet firmly planted in the mediocrity portion of metal shaping.
Here is a link to some of the process of the Panel Delivery. Click on a picture of the truck for more details.
http://www.mantiquesresto.com/Projects/Projects2.html
Here are a few pics of metal working that was done. Built complete rear doors, complete dropped rear floor section, both lower quarter panels, interior tool box, skinned bottom of front doors and metal finished numerous panels.
