Major surgery on wooden framed cars

Thanks Tom- a neat story. It is probably easy to tell the age of the welds also from their style. I am guessing that it was gas welded or brazed. Was it?
I feel quite lucky to have mig and tig available for repairs today!
One day my Dad (who is 70+) said "what we would have given" for my simple 4" grinder with cutoff wheel back in the 50's when working on stuff!
I am reconstructing the "B" pillars out of square tubing on my car. I hope not to get 'flamed' too much! <!-- s:oops: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" title="Embarassed" /><!-- s:oops: -->

Andy

Hi,

Someone one day went to to a lot of effort to make body repairs to my 812. The driver's side A-pillar from top to rocker panel, including part of the cowl, was cut out and a replacement A-piller--presumably from a junk yard donor--was welded in approximately the right position. The welds are clearly visible, as is the mis-alignment of the repair piece. Still, it was put in close enough that the door still mostly closes and the windshield frames still mostly fit. Played heck with putting in a new front floor board a couple of years ago though.

It took a lot of effort on someone's part to make this repair. Although I know nothing of the car's history before 1950, I surmise that the damage must have occured either 1) when the car was relatively new: presumably it was cheaper for some insurance company to have it repaired than to total it out, or 2) during the war years when no replacement car would have been available and the effort to make this repair was justified by the scarcity of other cars.

OR--maybe someone just loved the car and didn't care what it cost or entailed to have it repaired. We ACD'ers can relate to that!

--Tom

While reassembling the basket case of pieces/parts that is my 'car' <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> I have started to wonder just how extensive(of) bodywork body shops
"Back in the day" could or would go to repair a particular car. Obviously, a Duesenberg would be repaired, or rebodied, but what of lets say an L-29 or big Auburn?
With the numerous brands still being made,(I.E. 1930-40) I am thinking that a bodyshop would have been a nightmare to operate back then. (not that it is easy now)
How much wood would be removed and rebuilt?
would the car just be scrapped if damage was more than the fenders/glass?
and finally, have any of you run across a repair that was made, that was not just due to age and rot?
curious,
thanks.