Saturday, August 3, 2013

Hard to Find (Until NOW)

With just about every project that comes through FTW, we have to restore some very hard to find items for the project. Sometime a repair is just not possible. When this happens, we have to find a replacement. Many things are made of unobtainium. When this occurs, we have to reproduce the part.


Above you are looking at an original beauty ring that dresses off the space between the toilet bowl and bathroom module. These rings were used on many models in the mid 1960's. The ring on the right is an original that we attempted to repair. It is made of very thin injection molded plastic. I knew very early on this was not going to cut it. On the right you see a perfect copy of the original.


The ring may look round, but it actually an ellipse. These rings are about 4x thicker than the original but exact in every crucial dimension. They are milled from solid high density polystyrene. The fit is an exact match.


I am offering these rings for $95 unfinished, $120 primed with a two part epoxy primer, $140 in gloss white urethane paint. Custom colors are possible at an additional charge. Shipping to the lower 48 is included in the price. Alaska, Hawaii, and International is possible too with a slight additional charge.


Another exciting offering is the door eyebrows. Here is a 1955 Safari "before".


... and "after".


If you send me your original I can match it exactly. 


They drastically vary year to year, factory to factory. To assure an exact copy, I use your original as a guide. If yours is missing, I can get it fairly close. These eyebrows are made of .040 Alclad aluminum. They are made 100% by hand.


The first hole on the right and left are matched and then all the rest of the original holes are avoided to assure solid material to rivet into. Install time is only about 30 minutes. The cost for this item is $165 with shipping to the lower 48.
Here is an email from a customer who just bought one:

Hi Frank,

Just wanted to shout out to you about the Eye-brow you made for me...EXCELLENT ! Fit like a factory made part. This one improvement boosted my trailers eye appeal 100%. Appreciate your Old Word craftsmanship in a modern era of imported crap. Frank may God Bless you and your Work!

You are very welcome. I want to thank you!


The third item is going to be extremely popular I suspect. Baggage door hatches. This type door was used starting in 1963. It is held in place by the upper lip and the lock. This type door was used on many models and up into the 1970's for refrigerator access hatches. They often disappear to the highway when one forgets to lock them.


Any size is possible though there are 5 standard sizes. The door is made of .040 Alclad aluminum. This same door can be used in a hinged situation on 1963 and before trailers. These hatches will polish up just like your trailer skin. 


The hatch comes fully insulated, weather stripped, and with a lock installed. The cost for the three smallest doors is $275. The largest two sizes have a handle installed in addition. They are $340 with shipping to the lower 48. I know that price sound high, but an incredible amount of hand work goes into their fabrication. Alclad aluminum is not cheap either. 
These doors are made on a semi production basis so I will have to take orders for 5 doors before the fabricator will do a run for me. Once they are fabricated, I do all the insulating, and finishing work.

Please note these doors are NOT the type used in 1968 that lock with two bars activated by a t handle lock. You may have to cut a slot into the frame opening or install a keep to accept the cam on the lock. 

The best part; 100% MADE IN THE USA




2 comments:

  1. Frank - I am thrilled that you are making the hatch doors available. If it is not a trade secret, what are you insulating the doors with? Mine originally had Fiberglass like the walls did, and I replaced it with Styrofoam because it looked like that material would hold less water should any get in the door.

    BTW, The other stuff's great, too; thanks for giving us Vintage folks another source for parts.

    Tom

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  2. The doors are insulated with two layers of Reflectix insulation separated by an air space between them.

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