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

A Door, a Door, Adore Ya...

A 1955 Safari came in for a bit of work. Most people like a door that locks. This Safari has not been able to lock in a while. The door with in a door also cannot be used as a screen door since the screen was taken out by a dog, happy to see it's owners.

To replace the screen all the interior panels on the door had to be removed. The screen is riveted in between the door frame and the inside door skins.

I was hoping this door had a signature inside the door. For those not aware, Johnny Alonzo was the California factory door man of the mid 1950's into the early 1960's. He had a rather flamboyant way of signing the inside of each door he built. No luck here. 

A big issue the door had was the original door latch had been changed. A house style door knob would have originally been used. At some point it was changed to a Bargman L77 lock set. The alteration was done without much concern for the door frame. Two complete breaks had to be fixed.

The aluminum also had to be forced back into place since it was torqued all out of place.

An aluminum bar was fitted into the backside and riveted into place. I would had liked to weld this but the alloy felt so soft, I felt it would just turn to puddle.

The other side needed a mending plate added. 

You see one side so I bucked these rivets into place.

Next a new skin was made for the backside of the lock set.

New screen was stretched over the frame and the inner skins replaced.

Like semi new again.

Stronger than new. This is not original but a very good solution under the circumstances.

A beauty ring was fabricated for the outside of the door. The hole someone cut was too wide and I need to fill some gaps. The door now locks. Typical of old Airstream locks, it is a tricky one to lock, requiring some pushing and key wiggling. It locks now however.

The eyebrow was a bit beat down too.

I made a new one.

Inspections, Evaluation, and Congratulation.

I am from time to time asked to go and look at a trailer for a prospective buyer. Sometimes the time frame to make the inspection is very quick since an Ebay auction is coming to a close very shortly. I do my best to make it happen. When it is a repeat client(offender) I make it happen no matter how tight the work load is. When it is for anything pre 1962 I make certain it happens. The call came that I needed to go, not to so much inspect, but evaluate what was said to be a 1953 Sovereign. Well, not to split hairs but the Sovereign did not start production until 1954 . In 1953 it was called a Liner. This trailer was built in  the California plant and the actual production numbers were very low. The numbers are so low that there are no photos of any other 1953 Liners. If there had been an "O" before the "5006" on the vin plate, this would be an Ohio trailer built in 1954 with two doors. What am I saying? This is a very rare rig. Very rare indeed.

Right up front is the most damage to the skin. Typical of this era the tongue is way too short. When making a sharp turn the bumper hits the corners of the front. I have never seen a 53/54/55 without this damage. There are a few post on this blog where we repaired said damage before.

She is long! Low, skinny, and long!

Lots of wonderful Herh windows. I love the full bead on the segment panel edges. 

There is also a scare light at every corner. It has a push button switch. 

I did my best with the interior photos. Most of them were not good enough to publish so you will have to wait to see more detailed ones.

I absolutely dig these little round sinks. Cracked ice red laminate is a sweet touch too. 

All the lighting fixtures have a great nautical feel to them. 

She is fairly darn original, not unmolested, but fairly original. I counted seven metal upper cabinets total. The interior of this trailer is very exciting. 

Every airstream should have a love seat. 

It should also have the latest in lighting technology, florescent ring lighting.

Two singles that convert to a KING and a twin size permanent bunk. My evaluation; BUY IT NOW(That was not an option. He would have to meet a reserve.) She needs a complete restoration, but you probably never will find another like this one. 

A great part of these inspections/ evaluations is sometimes there are other things to look at.

Like a perfect 1940 Ford.

Or a 32 coupe.

Sometimes there are some real Cadillacs.

Sometimes there is a 1940 Criss Craft, 1940 Columbia bicycles...

Sometimes you go back a few days later and help retrieve it.

Sometimes it comes back to the shop too.

Now, that folks, is a real Airstream....