Just Cannot Get Enough..

Ace came back to lend a hand at FTW this past week. He loves the work and getting paid to do a labor of love has big pay offs too. His timing was great, because I had gotten the jalousie windows to the front of the door taken care of and the windows and panels needed to be bucked back into place along with a new 20 foot awning rail and numerous errant holes from screws.

I had asked for your opinions on fixing the the 1 7/16" slope to front. Before even the first opinion had come in I had determined to correct this issue. A call from Bruce telling me to make it right confirmed the choice. Thank you all that posted your opinions on this issue, good to know everyone think doing it right is the only option.

I first removed everything from the opening. In this photo you can see how the roof panel trails down severely toward the front. That edge was trimmed so it runs parallel to to the floor. It was just a matter of re building it using new square material for the rest.

The narrow piece of skin at the door was cut with two parallel edges, unlike the original that was tapered 1 3/4" over 4 feet.

The window now sits parallel to the floor as you can see.

Looking at this photo as I write, it looks as if the windows go down down hill again. I assure you it is straight now. The wide angle lens I have on my camera must be distorting the angle a bit. I am still learning my new Lumex, Something Something 10 so please go easy on me...

The only un square part is the narrow panel to the right. It tapes 3/8" over 4 feet. I did the best I could. You can also see the new old stock banana wrap has been installed.

Ace went right at any task I asked him do. I got the door drip cap set and he pulled the monster rivets I had to use.

Another big achievement was getting all the Herh vents removed and new Fantastic Vents put in their place. The numerous attempts to seal seams made for a serious chore. A little heat, a little solvent, a little blood, and lots of elbow grease got it off. Remember, in painting and just about anything you build, it only will look as good as the prep. When replacing the vents, one little bit of old junk could break the water tight seal. Make sure it is very clean.

Bruce is opting to not install Air Conditioning in this trailer. Those three fans should do a great job moving the air. They have the rain sensor option in them. This is a feature I highly believe in. It has saved my bacon many times during a sudden rain storm.

I also managed to put together two perfectly functioning Ladue lifters from the eight that came on the trailer. This allowed me to install a new Astrodome. This Astrodome is a new product from Vintage Trailer Supply made from lexan. It does not have any metal in the lip to strengthen the rivets used to hold the lifters on like their earlier reproductions. I think it will still work very well. It also allows a great deal of white light in which is a vast improvement over the fiberglass version.

My main focus has been to get the shell tightened up and weather tight. As all the holes are closed in, the windows rise higher on the priority list.

I ordered up all new glass for every opening. The jalousie glass was the first to be completed. Maryland glass did a great job making me this laminated safety glass. They polished the long edges perfectly. Now I need to get the openings all ready to get accept the glass. A bit of info here, each pane will be a serious pain when the bill comes. 36 pieces adds up VERY QUICKLY. Polished edge, safety laminated glass is just not cheap. The six awning windows should be done any day. I opted to let a local Ace Hardware obtain all the glass and splines then put them back together. I will just have to slide them back into the openings.

There is a good amount of rusty metal that needs to be removed and replaced. The corrosion in the window jams needs to be dealt with also.

I could use some help with this part right here. This carrier is turning out to be very elusive. I contacted Blain Windows who seem to be the authority on jalousie windows and none of the carriers they offer are the right size. I had a friend send a few out of later models and none of those fit also. Maybe some 1964 owner will be able to help me out. I need at least one right and one left. I would also like to replace a second left, but can straighten the damage out.

There are so many minor details that did not make the photo cut. I managed to install the Bargram 99's and license plate holder salvaged from the 1961 parts trailer. Cleaning up window frames does not really make for exciting photos either. It does make for many hours of tedious work though. If I could just get Ace back for that...

By the next post I will be in my new shop space. I am going to work Friday on getting the 64 DoubleDoor ready to move over there and then the next week or two moving my business across town and getting set back up. After more than a few projects being done outside, all winter long, I look forward to a heated space. After many days spent laying in the mud or on frozen ground, I look forward to a smooth concrete floor to roll a creeper on.

Thanks for tuning in and thank you for listening to The Vintage Airstream Podcast

It Really is a 64 Double Door

A ton of work took place over the past two weeks. I am very proud of the results achieved during this period. The Willows has really become a double door. A great deal of damaged skin has been replaced. I do not mean to sound lazy, but sometimes the photos just speak for themselves.

Next up is the repairs to the crooked front jalousie. The entire area will be torn down and rebuilt correctly. All the glass should be in and all the windows working, as new, by the next post. Perhaps a jalousie rebuild 101 might be good future post. Roof vents should be in also.

I also want to give a big thanks to Ace Goldberg. He was a champ at helping me buck a ton of rivets. I really could not have gotten all this done with out you.