1953 Tucker Sno Cat 443 Mt Washington WMTW Channel 8 Restoration

[Track Addict]

It’s starting to speak to me. Few different ideas and locations to blend the roof seam. The donor has more material and is nicer but want keep as much of the OE roof and lettering as possible. How nice we can get the front will dictate the direction.

Orig and donor parts playing nicely so far….

 

[Track Addict]

More body fitting.

Jr was on the team this afternoon. Todays lesson was the difference between cleco body pins and cleco vision for you 80’s fans.

 

[Pontoon Princess]

feeling the cleco pins

 

[Track Addict]

Marty has started to reveal the external finish. With the body mocked up I was curious as to how the finish the exterior.

Wanted to get the graffiti off the bare aluminum or what appeared to be bare…..

Before:

 

[Track Addict]

After:

 

[Track Addict]

Love ❤️, orange 🍊🧡 microfiber towels, goof off overspray remover, acetone, and pure carbuna wax was the trick for first pass.

From what I can tell it left MT Washington orange. At some point the side panel Tucker Sno Cat logo was masked off and it was painted silver or maybe primer? There is clearly red which has more on the other side yet to reveal itself. Seems like the silver was on for a bit before it became red because it appears the red on bare metal stuck but the rest baked off in the sun. I think the passenger side was the shade side so stay tuned…

Now that I can see the finish, I tested striping the donor body which went smooth.

The vision is coming together and the finishes will be a living storyboard of it’s rich history from Oregon, to Sno Cat Corp of NH, to MT Washington, to WMTW, to Wildcat Mountain?, to logging operation in Bethel, Maine ??, to Ayotte’s Junkyard Oxford, ME, to East Coast Preserve Haverhill, MA, to be shared for the future!

Marty on the Mountain and beyond! Great tribute finish for his legacy as the Summit of the project 202?

Very cool.

 

[Track Addict]

As expected, the passenger side did not get the long term sun exposure so more of the red paint remains.

The hood needed a good wet sanding and is much improved.

 

[Track Addict]

Welded all the frame holes and redrilled 1/8” on these panels. Going to need to get creative with the body to body holes for aesthetics but all workable.

It’s looking like something.

 

[Track Addict]

They look to all be born orange before they become something else.

Removed the shovel holder, axe holder, storage box, interior oil holder and fire extinguisher. Marty wouldn’t have the axe or shovel holder or the storage box. Fire extinguisher is in seating space so TBD.

We will use these items on another project or display possibly.

Side panels scribed and ready to be sheared to size.

Worked on some frame blending.

 

[Pontoon Princess]

tuckering right along

 

[Track Addict]

Passenger side of frame all blended.

Filled in the known extra holes on this side. Few more will appear during final panel fitment.

 

[PJL]

Nice work, the Clecos bring back memories of doing airframe work when I worked for my uncle.

 

[Track Addict]

Side panels off to the local tech school for a trim.

Rocker panels cleaned up nicely. On to the rear panels.

 

[Track Addict]

Some nights I wish I had another 53 443 as an example specimen to unlock some of the mystery history contained within Marty.

East Coast Preserve

 

[redsqwrl]

Some nights I wish I had another 53 443 as an example specimen to unlock some of the mystery history contained within Marty.

East Coast Preserve

I rehomed a perfect specimen to the east coast, straight south of you I am sure you would be welcome to fondle it. likely less than a 4 hr drive.

 

[Track Addict]

Thanks to the local tech school for use of the instructor to shear the side panels to fit. Purrfect fit! 😸

Need to find a patina paint expert in the area. I see the donor body fishing now.

 

[Track Addict]

Rear panels fit up to the frame and side panels. Was able to straighten and pound the rear corners nicely which are panel to panel with no steel frame connection.

Passenger side cleaned up.

 

[redsqwrl]

Just a side line bench warmer comment. If you fit this up in an avg spring time temp's. Consider riveting it in same temps.

I fit up all the skins on *the thing* cat in spring. Then riveted in summer and yes i was chasing incrementally small amounts of slack here and there. I chatted with some vintage plane restorers and its a thing in their world.
Maybe your shop is AC'd
$.02

 

[Track Addict]

Got a bunch done this evening.

Passenger rocker panel fitted up along with the side panel. Used the piece we trimmed as a template. All the existing holes blended in nicely with the new ones.

 

[Track Addict]

Got the original roof tied in. Little hassle but pleased with the outcome.

Tucker used little filler trim pieces of aluminum above the door and under the roof. Getting lined up was a challenge but it worked out.

Got the hoop set in place and took more of the roof dents out. Donor panel will tie in rear of here somehow. The hoop helped straighten it all out.