1951 Willys Wagon project

Finally caught a couple of free days to get back on the Willys project. The upholstery shop (AKA my wife) dropped by to help with first pass on headliner installation.

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Plan is to trim it out with vinyl strips above windows.
You need to take that gal out for a nice dinner. The headliner is not an easy project. And you have to have good knee pads.
 
You need to take that gal out for a nice dinner. The headliner is not an easy project. And you have to have good knee pads.
Indeed.
She's been war-gaming her approach to this for about 2 months. Neither of us has ever installed a fabric / bow headliner before. I will say however it has gone pretty smoothly. We had no take-out headliner to use as the pattern, but fortunately a sketch provided on this site was spot-on for placement of sleeves for the bows.
A reliable air-powered staple gun is borderline essential.
Brad
 
Don’t put lipstick on a pig…

I had to rebuild a couple side panels. They rust where the inner cowel meats, always. I made a plywood inner jig, left/right. Then clamp a larger sheet metal piece anll around and start pounding to shape. You can patch on the flat sections not he where they meet. The inner cowel is probably rusted also but must connect to the outer panel at the edges for support of the entire panel. Touchy place to work. Inner cowels available at KW.
 
Don’t put lipstick on a pig…

I had to rebuild a couple side panels. They rust where the inner cowel meats, always. I made a plywood inner jig, left/right. Then clamp a larger sheet metal piece anll around and start pounding to shape. You can patch on the flat sections not he where they meet. The inner cowel is probably rusted also but must connect to the outer panel at the edges for support of the entire panel. Touchy place to work. Inner cowels available at KW.
Yes inner is rotted a bit. Which is convenient for inserting butt weld clamps…

Inner will be repaired after arch is welded in. It’s not all that bad…

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The repro inner wheel wells are nice. I’d say well worth the $110. each, considering the ugly and painful alternatives.

Still a little welding and trimming to do on outer arch.

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The wagon project has been on hold for the past couple of months while we relocate to Colorado. North of Fort Collins.

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Had to clear out the shop (15 years of not discarding anything) sell the 67 Mustang and move whatever I was going to keep.
Currently have no shop building but hope to remedy that quickly.
 
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