65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Projects & Restorations => Projects & Restorations => Topic started by: 35chevcoupe on February 04, 2015, 07:46:23 PM
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I probably won't start taking it apart till this summer but I am buying parts for it now when they are available . Already got the engine mounts .(http://[img][img][img])[/img][/img][/img]
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Thanks for sharing. Post updates as you go!
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I will Jim . By the way I lost your number , :dontknow: I thought I put it in my phone but looked for it the other day and it wasn't there. :violent1:
I'll be swinging thru Mankato on the 14th on my way to Sioux city for another swapmeet .
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Looking forward to following along!
Cheers!
Chuck
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Does anyone have a photo of what the manual transmission hump is suppose to look like ?
Obviously this one has been cut a little bit , just wondering if there should be any little tabs or special notches in it or if it's just a slight oval shaped hole .
Also if it makes any difference I will be putting a 3 speed back in it .
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John,
Just the oval shaped hole, 3 & 4 speed are the same.
Mark
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Thanks Mark . Perfect ! This will be an easy repair .
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I took some pics of how I pieced in the trunk section. The rear crossmember was nice on the car,so I cut about 1/4 inch above it and die grinded the length parallel so the seam will be invisible. These are the 3 piece sections that I bought because I did not want to cut out my original body mounts or gas tank straps. Dan
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I took some pics of how I pieced in the trunk section. The rear crossmember was nice on the car,so I cut about 1/4 inch above it and die grinded the length parallel so the seam will be invisible. These are the 3 piece sections that I bought because I did not want to cut out my original body mounts or gas tank straps. Dan
Looks good , I'll have to see how far gone mine is after I get it media blasted . I'm pretty sure the rear cross bar is ok but not to sure how back the rust is .
Sometimes after striping them it's a whole different story .
Thanks for the photos though .
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Looks like you guys are both making progress!
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Looks like you guys are both making progress!
Hi Jim , unfortunately my progress will be coming to a halt very soon for the summer except for the gathering of more parts . It's almost time to start on the house addition which is going to take my summer .
I am still hoping to get down there and visit with you and check out some of your parts .
I still need a complete drive train . ( posi rear end , drive shaft, 3 speed trans and bell housing set up )
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Actually worked on it a bit today. I had a couple of cars that were a lot easier to make "show" again,but this is a convertible that my dad built(with a lot of other sober 3rd shifters) in 1965 at the Flint plant. Just remember John that it doesn't hurt to find that kid with a sandblaster....I found a local guy that did my frame and a lot of small stuff for cheap. Your car looks to be in about the same condition as mine as far as the quarters. It usually looks better after blasting,Dan
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Well another vital part came in today for 65 GS project . Cant wait till the Buick show in May to see what else shows up ! :thumbsup:
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Looks good....just need to find the guy that can lower gas prices for more than two days,Dan
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Dan , its not a good thing but I'm glad to pay 2.30-2.40 a gallon compared to the race gas i have to buy at 14.00 a gallon . LOL
But I do try to imagine what it would be like to pay under a dollar a gallon again . WHO KNOWS JUST MAYBE !!!!
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Nice setup John! 110 race gas is only $8-9 down here. $469 for a 55 gallon barrel delivered. Maybe you should grab one when you come down.
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Nice setup John! 110 race gas is only $8-9 down here. $469 for a 55 gallon barrel delivered. Maybe you should grab one when you come down.
Yeah Jim , I can get 110 around here for that too. Normally we run Methanol alcohol , Unfortunately the 1 open engine I have has to have VP Late model plus which is 114 or 116 octane . Its made for engines with compression ratios above 12.5.1 .
( I can't complain to much though as it REALLY SOUNDS NICE )
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I think the race fuel was just about 8.00 per gallon last year, but it actually gets a little better mileage than pump gas....lol. Are you using a 401 or 425? My guess is that it probably costs about the same to build either one. I got very lucky on the GS project because the last owner rebuilt the original 401 and gave me all the receipts. It sounds like a real engine when it's running....you have to go silly cubic inches or turbo to get that torque from a low compression motor. These are the forerunner to a lot of muscle car engines, you will like the pull once it's running,Dan
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Well well well , I got the most important part of my GS today , the TITLE CARD !!!!
The state finally gave in . :sunny:
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heres my trim tag and a photo of the screw holes on my floor pan between the bucket seats .
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I,m adding a few more photos before I get started on the complete restoration of my 65 GS Verde green 3 speed car .
I,m gonna start out slow as my new pole barns are going up but I just received my DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION this weekend .
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A couple photos of the parts car for the donor roof , and misc parts .
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Those are some very interesting markings on the firewall.
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I thought so too. One is pretty clearly 44437, the others?
Mark
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This was another thing that intrigued me. Both of John's cars are manual trans KAN cars.
They both had this stamped in the floor section with the shifter hole. Never seen it before.
Mark
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Had a free day today so I tore down the LT code engine today . I,m taking this one and the one I bought from Bill into the machine shop tomorrow to get cleaned and Sonic tested .
Hoping the core shift in them is minimal . The crankshaft will be dropped off at Crankshaft supply .
Hope to have the engine done this winter and Dyno it in the spring .
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Nice John! How did the bores look? Just a hone job or boring oversize? Any idea how many miles on this engine?
Chuck
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Also picked up my posi rear end last weekend after the Jefferson swap meet .
This will be its new resting place till i get the chassis blasted and painted .
This will save me some time on the restoration process thanks to Dan Ankney .
THANKS MUCH DAN !!!!!
It was fun visiting with you for the little time I had .
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Nice John! How did the bores look? Just a hone job or boring oversize? Any idea how many miles on this engine?
Chuck
Chuck , I will be boring out both of them .
The green slimy one is one of the engines I picked up out in Seattle Wa. the clean one I purchased from Bill .
I,m getting them both sonic tested because 1 of them will be getting a blower on it for my 59 Invicta and the other one will go in my 65 gs .
I,m really hoping I can use the LT coded block in my gs .
I do have another complete 425 I can use if needed , thats the one with all the AC stuff still on it .
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Good luck with the blocks John!
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Also picked up my posi rear end last weekend after the Jefferson swap meet. This will save me some time on the restoration process thanks to Dan Ankeney . THANKS MUCH DAN !!!!! It was fun visiting with you for the little time I had .
John, thanks for going out of your way to pick it up. Nice seeing you again. Glad you had a safe drive home.
Dan
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Did some more dismantling today , took the rear glass out and BOY am I glad I bought a parts car .
Looks like I,ll be taking the roof and the rear panel behind the window all in one piece . RUSSSSSTTTY :icon_puke_r:
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick victims of basic chemistry, . . .
RUSSSSSTTTY :icon_puke_r:
Bummer dude! . . . somebody should raise a trouble ticket on our present universe. It is extremely inconvenient that iron oxide (rust) is so much more stable than metallic iron (steel.) The next universe shouldn't have this bug! . . . . . :overthetop:
Cheers, Edouard
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Had to run to the cities today so swung by Crankshaft supply and picked up the the crankshaft .
As always they did a fantastic job . And it only had to go 10/10 .
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Looks nice John!
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You're way ahead of me. I haven't started on the engine yet. It will be next on the list after the chassis is complete.
Keep up the good work!
Chuck
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John,
How's the project coming? Updates needed...
Mark
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Mark ,
I don,t have much for updates :sad1:
Long story short the contractor I hired to build my house addition and 2 pole barns is extremely I mean EXTREMELY SLOW . I,m am REALLY frustrated with him . That being said I,m continuing to order parts , still getting engine parts machined ( took the heads I bought from Brian in just last week ) , and planning a quick road trip over to MI to pick up some of the really hard to find parts for my car .
Plus while I,m over that way , If the timing works out I want to stop by Chucks place and see his convert . His build is keeping me motivated and helping me to not loose hope .
Some things are getting done though , thanks to guys right here on the 65GS site .
Special thanks to Loren for helping with the wiring harnesses . Thank you Loren !
Dan has also been a life saver , bought some nice parts from him also at what I thought was a good price . Thanks Dan !
Mark , I need to get the name of the rechromer you are using soon . Thanks for now .
Time to pound more nails and cut more boards .
I am hoping in the next few weeks to take some parts in to get rechromed and also possibly take the seats in to get them reupholstered .
I,ll update when I can :cheers2:
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:thumbsup:
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Dear Mark, John, Wheelz, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
I don,t have much for updates :sad1:
Hang in there John! :thumbsup:
The one tool all of us classic car caregivers absolutely have to have is . . . . patience! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/patience_emoticon.jpg)
This too will pass!
Cheers, Edouard
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Dear Mark, John, Wheelz, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
I don,t have much for updates :sad1:
Hang in there John! :thumbsup:
The one tool all of us classic car caregivers absolutely have to have is . . . . patience! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/patience_emoticon.jpg)
This too will pass!
Cheers, Edouard
The second tool might be a good credit card! 😀
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Good call, Jim. I can see you've been through this before! :laughing7:
Chuck
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Dear Jim, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers with large expenses on their credit cards . . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/frown.gif)
The one tool all of us classic car caregivers absolutely have to have is . . . . patience! ([url]http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/patience_emoticon.jpg[/url])
The second tool might be a good credit card! ????
Did you have to remind me of that? (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/D'oh.gif)
The fuel injection upgrade is on next month's statement - I'm not looking forward that! . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/hiding.gif)
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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My wife says we both have expensive hobbies . Unfortunately she is keeping track. I think she is looking to catch up.
Morrie
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Patience ? whats that :dontknow: !
So here,s an update for those who want to know my plan .
1st off my plan is to have the car done for the 2017 BCA nats. . I have another couple months of work on the housing/pole barns but right after the spring extravaganzia I will be working on the car full time .
Hope I can pull this off in a 1 year time frame , but we will see .
Hoping to order cam , lifters and a starter tomorrow . I,m still hoping to have engine on the dyno this spring .
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here is a link to my restore pics may help you i also might have some parts just let me know if i can help
https://www.flickr.com/photos/17586947@N08/albums/72157626669009156 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/17586947@N08/albums/72157626669009156)
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Had a little time to spend in the shop today , did some more diassembling .
took the seats out and because of the time deadline i,m going to take them to an upolstery shop about a half hour from me and have them do it .
I have a question though . I ordered the seat cushions ( foam ) and want to order the seat covers 1st part of next week , But by the photos on this site I,m seeing some seats with buttons on the backs of the seats and some without .
Was there an option or are they suppose to have buttons , my originals have them .
When I order them from Legendary will they come with the buttons or do I need to specify that I want them ?
I hope mine are salvageable .
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Your seats are correct John because it was a hardtop car. The ones that Bob recovered were for a post car and the covers are unique for his car. I am not sure who to deal with as far as Legendary covers. I was told that you can get better prices through one of their dealers. Wellington Classics is closer to you and may be worth a try. Legendary seems to be the only way to go as far as correct. PUI covers look decent but I do not know anyone who has used them. I also found that Legendary was the only ones that made the correct carpet colors for the door panels on white interior.
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I always heard Legendary was the best But i do know PUI has those .they should be in stock as they normally dont stock the Post covers .Also the back seat has different lengths between the post and the sport coupe .make sure you order interior for sport coupe.
Also not sure how big of hurry your in Legendary has a 25%off at the 4th of July and at Christmas.I bought the foam (which is not made by them)from them .the burlap, the listing wire ,and cotton ....everything was about 950 delivered. Im sure you could get the rear seat foam and stuff elsewhere and save some coin.
Im going to tackle a set of leathers covers for my GN next, I Kind of enjoyed doing it myself.
I probably did a better job then most shops would have .Let me know if I can help
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Did you buy them from Legendary or from a dealer ? I know the PUI covers are quite a bit cheaper online,but I was not too impressed with them when I did my Nova. I was told the Legendary covers are the best available.
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I ordered the seat foam from Al Knoch interiors , and will be ordering the covers for front and back seat from Legendary this week .
If there is any other material needed I will just have the upholster shop get .
I,m having them done by an interior shop in Rodgers MN . called Premier interiors . They are only a 20 min drive for me , plus they are fine with me bringing my own parts , supplies etc etc .
They will also do my vinyl top when i,m ready .
Ive heard positive things about them so we will see .
I do need to get the chrome re done though . not sure where to do that yet .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
I,m having them done by an interior shop in Rodgers MN . called Premier interiors . They are only a 20 min drive for me , plus they are fine with me bringing my own parts , supplies etc etc .
They will also do my vinyl top when i,m ready .
Ive heard positive things about them so we will see .
Glad you've found a reupholsterer that you've heard good things about. Getting the seats and cargo area redone on my trusty wagon was one of those pivotal points. All of a sudden she wasn't just the family heirloom - she looked really good too!
Hope you get the same warm fuzzy feeling about this work!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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I ordered the seat foam from Al Knoch interiors , and will be ordering the covers for front and back seat from Legendary this week .
If there is any other material needed I will just have the upholster shop get .
I,m having them done by an interior shop in Rodgers MN . called Premier interiors . They are only a 20 min drive for me , plus they are fine with me bringing my own parts , supplies etc etc .
They will also do my vinyl top when i,m ready .
Ive heard positive things about them so we will see .
I do need to get the chrome re done though . not sure where to do that yet .
Premier did the top on my yellow vert. I think you'll be more than pleased.
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Took a couple days off from the house project and did some more dismantling of the 65 , getting really close to cutting the roof off an installing the donor roof . The seat covers from Legendary FINALLY arrived , so they will be heading to the upholstery shop now .
kind of torn on what to do with the dash pad , I know they are costly to have redone . Mine has 3 cracks in it otherwise its in pretty nice shape .
Anyone have any secrets for small repairs on them ?
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Good news John. Must feel good to get back on the project. I'm contemplating an engine change in my project, so kind of stalled at this point. Plus all the spring yardwork that needs to be done is cramping my style! :crybaby2:
Chuck
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I've tried this kit in past at work on some stuff and it works alright. It will look better then a crack.
3M 08579 Leather & Vinyl Repair Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058WXNOK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a2Dqxb7TXQD24
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Good to see you back at it John!
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Chuck ,
I should have you pm me your address when you get a chance . I need to send you the receipt on that battery just in case you have to get a warranty on it .
Thanks .
I hear ya on the ward work , its going to be next years project for me .
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Dear John, Chuck, Dan, Jim, and mid-60s "victims" of the property around the hallowed garage . . . . . :laughing7:
Glad that you've gotten back to your project John.
Plus all the spring yardwork that needs to be done is cramping my style! :crybaby2:
Alas, count me in as another victim of all that yard work. . . . :BangHead: Why does absolutely everything insist on growing in the spring! . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/sigh_bubble.gif)
Oh well, . . . . Edouard
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:BangHead: YARD WORK!!!
I've got way more then I want or need at this time. With our daughter's wedding being held here in three weeks, I have my hands full. Seems no one else in the family appreciates '65 Buick lawn art. LOL
Along with the long neglected chicken coupe not agreeing to me moved, that took almost a week to tear down.
Starting to shape up though now.
Loren
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Dear Loren and mid-60s Buick "art patrons" . . . . :laughing7:
Seems no one else in the family appreciates '65 Buick lawn art. LOL
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . . That's the trouble with people these days. All they want is "modern" art! . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/big_grin_triangle.gif)
Seriously, it does look like you're going to be running a marathon over the next three weeks. I hope you can catch up and that the wedding goes well!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Thanks Edouard.
Yes a marathon it will be , then like everything else it will be here and gone.
Loren
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Not much to report on the 65 GS as far as body work yet , BUT my arm rest bases arrived back home today . :icon_thumright:
I am VERY PLEASED with the turn out . They even put the reflective tape on the end .
Chrome Tech USA did a super job and I will definitely be using them again in the future .
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Wow those are nice. I need to do that also for two of my cars.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Very nice John! Where are they located?
Chuck
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Plastic rechroming; Chrome Tech in Madison, WI. I used Bob for the armrest bases, the main plastic component in a GS or Skylark interior that will need attention. 3M makes the reflective material you'll need for the end of the armrest base visible when the door is open. http://www.chrometechusa.com/ (http://www.chrometechusa.com/)
Loren
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Those look great John! What does it run per pair for restoring them?
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Interesting! Thanks guys for the good info!! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard
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Those look great John! What does it run per pair for restoring them?
Jim , they cost me 115.00 . and that included shipping them back to me .
They also packed them very well so they would,nt get damaged .
I talked to Bob over the phone before I sent them , he was super friendly and even knew about the red reflector on the end .
Nice guy .
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Dear John, Dan, Chuck, Loren, Jim, and mid-60s Buick sufferers from Internet pedantics,
I finally got around to grabbing the URL for Chrome Tech and unfortunately Loren's URL doesn't quite work. I suspect they have changed their website and the page doesn't come up. So if you want to bookmark something that actually brings up the home page this is what you want:
http://www.chrometechusa.com/ (http://www.chrometechusa.com/)
Cheers, Edouard
P.S. Until they change it again of course . . . . :BangHead:
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I can't get that one to work either.
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Thanks Edouard.
I changed my post and will correct the information in "65 Skylark & GS Parts Sources" thread in our Q&A section.
Loren
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Dear Jim, Loren and mid-60s Buick "victims" of improving technology . . . . . . :BangHead:
I changed my post and will correct the information in "65 Skylark & GS Parts Sources" thread in our Q&A section.
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . . No! . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/woman_scream_emoticon.jpg)
Little do you know that by actually displaying the correct address you have initiated a process by which all web addresses will be changed in order to make sure we all have to start searching again! It is the same situation when our supermarkets move everything around so we can't find what we want - only supersized!! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/D'oh.gif)
Seriously, I do hope such a thing is impossible, but of course I could be wrong ya' know! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/eek-sign.gif)
Edouard :occasion14:
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Had some time today to do some more disassembling , got the tail lights out and most of the parts labeled and put into totes .
Only thing left is pull off both doors and the quarter glass .
THEN the next photo,s will probably be when I turn my hard top into a convertible :evil6:
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That's an awful coarse metal blade you have there John. lol
Be sure to wear your safety glasses. Ya know, "Safety is no accident"
Loren
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Dear John, Loren, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Had some time today to do some more disassembling , got the tail lights out and most of the parts labeled and put into totes .
Only thing left is pull off both doors and the quarter glass .
THEN the next photo,s will probably be when I turn my hard top into a convertible :evil6:
Glad that you are continuing to make some progress! :icon_thumright:
Be sure to wear your safety glasses. Ya know, "Safety is no accident"
Yes indeed! After all, we are supposed to be caring for our Buicks, not becoming someone in need of a caregiver!
Cheers, Edouard
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That's an awful coarse metal blade you have there John. lol
Be sure to wear your safety glasses. Ya know, "Safety is no accident"
Loren
And a full face helmet. I tangled with my chainsaw a couple of years ago and it almost took me out. I was blessed to just have some scars that arguably helped my appearance!
Good job John. I'll be watching closely!
Cheers!
Chuck
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Was thinking John might want a longer bar on that thing. Then you can do both C-pillars at the same time.
Mark
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Mark I might just have to do that , I tried to use one of those large 2 man saws with the handles on each end but not working very well .
Anyway before I start cutting has anyone purchased the filler panel between the trunk and the rear package tray ? and where is the factory splice ?
I,m thinking I want to install that at the same time as the roof or maybe even before . :idea1:
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John, Maybe Brian and David Pevlor can chime in. They have both done that, plus Brian has done the top changeout.
Mark
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Mark I might just have to do that , I tried to use one of those large 2 man saws with the handles on each end but not working very well .
Anyway before I start cutting has anyone purchased the filler panel between the trunk and the rear package tray ? and where is the factory splice ?
I,m thinking I want to install that at the same time as the roof or maybe even before . :idea1:
John,
I have one here. I can send a picture if you want. It needs a new home too. I think I also have an original that I cut out of a car.
Loren
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I found a wire under the back seat that is not hooked up to anything , it goes through a metal formed loom but ends shortly after coming out .
The wire looks to be a dark blue in color , any ideas ?
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John, most likely the rear speaker wire. The metal cover was only used on the rear speaker cars.
Save that, they are getting tough to find (the cover that is).
Mark
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Mark , wasn,t a rear speaker an option or did all gran sports come with them ?
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John,
Rear speaker was an option.
Mark
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Mark I might just have to do that , I tried to use one of those large 2 man saws with the handles on each end but not working very well .
Anyway before I start cutting has anyone purchased the filler panel between the trunk and the rear package tray ? and where is the factory splice ?
I,m thinking I want to install that at the same time as the roof or maybe even before . :idea1:
John,
I have one here. I can send a picture if you want. It needs a new home too. I think I also have an original that I cut out of a car.
Loren
Loren ,
a photo of each one would be great .
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The panel between the rear window and the trunk opening is spot welded in the bottom of the groove the truck weatherstrip goes in. And it goes inside the car and includes the piece painted the color of the interior that is visible between the back of the package shelf and the glass. It is identical to the one used on the 64-65 Lemans and GTO. Mine came out of a 65 Lemans at the junkyard many years before they started reproducing that panel.
I cut my roof kinda strange. I cut the outer skin right along where the vinyl top moulding runs. The inner structure I cut very differently though--if you study it, there are a couple places you can cut it up higher that make for less cutting because you are cutting between openings that are there in the inner structure. There is also a hidden brace between the inner and outer skin that is very difficult to cut--I think I ended up doing it with a sawzall with an extra long blade on it.
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Brian , thats pretty much what I had in mind also . I,m going to cut right through the middle ( or very close ) of the vinyl top moulding holes on both cars . The inside I,m still trying to decide , my package tray and rear window to trunk filler panel both need to be replaced also .
I did see the hidden brace down below and that does not look to fun to get to.
The package tray and filler panel on my parts car are really good EXCEPT for the weather stripping channel .
I might even try and do the roof seperate from the package tray and cut it up high as to leave some structural integrity to the rear of the car .
One thing I found strange was some of the measurements I took from both cars varied about a 1/4 inch in the quarter window opening .
I,m going to use all the measurements off my original car .
Thanks again for the advice .
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I found a wire under the back seat that is not hooked up to anything , it goes through a metal formed loom but ends shortly after coming out .
The wire looks to be a dark blue in color , any ideas ?
That is the wire and protective bracket for a rear speaker. It would have plastic loops that held it in place on the inside of the firewall under the dash. There would have been metal clips in the rear that held it to the body panel behind the rear seat backrest.
Recently found a complete one in the last parts car I had. It appears to have been factory installed because the wire ran between the inside of the firewall and the pad.
Loren
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Mark I might just have to do that , I tried to use one of those large 2 man saws with the handles on each end but not working very well .
Anyway before I start cutting has anyone purchased the filler panel between the trunk and the rear package tray ? and where is the factory splice ?
I,m thinking I want to install that at the same time as the roof or maybe even before . :idea1:
John,
I have one here. I can send a picture if you want. It needs a new home too. I think I also have an original that I cut out of a car.
Loren
Loren ,
a photo of each one would be great .
John,
I sent photos via email to you of the new reproduction panel and the original salvaged panel.
Loren
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Loren , I got the photos .
I do have one question , on the original panel about 10 or 12 inches in from the edge of the drivers side is there some numbers/letters stamped into it ? I know know it,s kind of a petty little thing but I kinda would like it to be there . If it is shoot me a price on it .
I,m definately interested .
Thank you.
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I'll take a look.
Loren
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Loren , I got the photos .
I do have one question , on the original panel about 10 or 12 inches in from the edge of the drivers side is there some numbers/letters stamped into it ? I know know it,s kind of a petty little thing but I kinda would like it to be there . If it is shoot me a price on it .
I,m definately interested .
Thank you.
John,
I don't see any numbers stamped in it.
Loren
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Thanks for checking Loren .
I,m still interested . Both my cars have it but maybe they were different from plant to plant , I wouldn't think so though .
heres a photo of both mine .
shoot me a price . also I think there was some other trinkets I needed also . fuse panel , and if you have it a right upper steering column support rod . previous owner cross threaded it .
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John,
I'll take a look again. Could just be the old eyes. lol
Yes I have the fuse panel and should have the support rod as well.
Loren
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Well , before I proceed any further on cutting , does any one know if there is factory body measurements somewhere for these cars ?
The way I have decided to do this roof replacement is going to be in 3 steps and JUST in case I get in trouble it would be nice to know if there are factory measurements to fall back on .
I will be replacing the rear package tray and trunk filler panel in 2 pieces and the roof all the way down to the inner wheel wells .decided to go this way as the corners of the rear package tray are rusted really bad .
I have taken many of my own already off my car as the doors and other body lines were really pretty nice .
Labor day weekend I plan to have the donor roof on and welded in place .
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John,
Don't know if anything was published as far as panel-to-panel measurements and/or plus/minus tolerances.
I know there are for exterior panel gaps, but since the bodies were welded up by Fisher Body, I've never seen
anything from them. What you might need to do is find someone with a HT that has the complete interior out
that help you with that. If you need help over Labor Day weekend, let me know.
Mark
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Mark ,
I,ll let ya know . I,m going to be working on it friday sat , sunday a little and monday .
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Well another small update . Got the seats back home today , I think they turned out really nice .
Premier did a great job .
Its always fun to see them go from worn out to new again .
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Nice!!
Chuck
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They turned out great John!
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Dear John, Chuck, Jim, and mid-60s Buicks fans of comfortable seats, . . .
Well another small update . Got the seats back home today , I think they turned out really nice .
Premier did a great job .
Its always fun to see them go from worn out to new again .
Yes they turned out wonderful! :love4:
Still, when it comes to seat upholstery the real challenge is when the upholstery wasn't black or white or some common color.
I've been sorely tempted to take up Loren's offer about those bucket seat "cores." However, our local upholstery guru claimed he had gotten the last bit of reasonably matching green upholstery fabric to do my wagon's present bench seats. I haven't gotten back to him to check on that, but I might be stuck with bench seats simply because I cannot find any more suitable green fabric.
That's the problem of being a 1960s "green". . . . . :laughing7:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Had to grab a little grub so I thought I,d post a couple photos .
Got the donor roof off and starting to remove the rusty one .Drilled out LOTS AND LOTS of spot welds .It actually went better than i expected .
I took the whole inner structure of the roof all the way down to the inner wheel well .At first glance it looked like not a good idea because of the number of spot welds where it attaches to the inner wheel well . The reason I changed my mind was I discovered the bottom row of spot welds are not thru to the roof panel which saved drilling another 50 spots .
Well food break is over , time to get back to my 2nd home :laughing7:
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Wow, you're busy John! Loren said he was on his way to see you after he left my place, so be on the lookout!
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Keep plugging John!
You are definitely making headway!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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I,m gonna try and keep going but the further I get into this car the more I,m thinking it should have been a parts car .
I,m affraid what this thing is going to look like after it gets blasted .
But its too late to turn back now
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Didn,t get as much done as hoping but both roofs are off and the donor roof is ready to go back on .
A few more hours of trimming on the body and it will be a hardtop again instead of a convertible .
WHEW that was a lot of drilling .
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That looks like quite a project! Congratulations on finishing this portion of the restoration!
You're right, it does kind of look like a convertible!
Chuck
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Nice job!! Looking good.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Keep up the effort John!
Indeed it is a major project but you are making headway!
Cheers, Edouard
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Well the roof is back on . I have quit a bit of welding to do before its done but it went pretty good .The right side was pretty challenging because part of the roof section was already cut out before i got the parts car . And unfortunately I could have really used that part . So I will have to section in a small piece .
but heres a few photos .
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Congrats! That sure is a milestone accomplishment!
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John, you're doing great, the hardest part of the body work is behind you!
Maybe except for all that blocking... :icon_biggrin:
Mark
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Dear John, Walt, Mark, and mid-60s Buick . . . . roofers, . . . :laughing7:
Well the roof is back on .
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . . But wait a minute!! Don't you know that the roof goes all the way to the back of the . . . . . .
Oh silly me! I thought you were restoring a station wagon!! . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/big_grin_triangle.gif)
Seriously, congratulations on a major milestone. :thumbsup: You found yourself with a car in really tough shape and you are succeeding in bringing it back to life!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Anyone know what the purpose of these small nail like things are for ? theres one next to every molding clip hole that covers the edge of the vinyl top .
Debating weather or not I should put them back in or weld up the holes .
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Well finished welding and finish grinding welds on the roof . Left off the package tray to C pillar extensions till I get the body back from sand or media blasting hoping it will give them better access to clean things up .
Things will be a little slow for a couple weeks now as I,m going to build a rotisserie for the body . next step will be removing the body from the frame .
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John, you're getting stuff done. Good job!
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Glad to see you're making so much progress, John. The rotisserie project sounds like great fun for a guy with welding skills!
Cheers!
Chuck
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Dear John, Jim, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
You are definitely making steady progress! :icon_thumright:
All you need is . . . . . more of the same! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/goodjob_sign.gif)
Cheers, Edouard
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Not much progress on the car but I did take a little cruise up to North star plating ( keystone chrome ) today to pick up some more shiny parts . :sunny:
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick fans of Chrome!! :sunny:
Not much progress on the car but I did take a little cruise up to North star plating ( keystone chrome ) today to pick up some more shiny parts . :sunny:
Perhaps not a lot of new progress on the car, but you can never have enough chrome - can ya'? . . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/sunny_happy.png)
Keep pluggin' along!! :thumbsup:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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John, those turned out great!
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Making great progress on your GS to John! :headbang:
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Ahhhh , I finally got what I think is the last of the hard to find parts for my Gran Sport restoration .
The clutch parts . bell housing, flywheel , equalizer bar , frame bracket and a few other misc. parts .
This was one of those long shot deals but it worked out .
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Congrats! I know the feeling of relief..... :-)
Chuck
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Congrats! I know the feeling of relief..... :-)
Chuck
Chuck , I already had a bell housing and was hoping to have an extra cross shaft spring that I could have sent you but the 2 that came with this set up have issues . The original one the end was broken off and the other one is not correct , way lighter spring .
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Thanks for thinking of me, John. I was lucky enough to find one and it's been installed.
Chuck
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Well , I finally figured out the purpose of these little nail like things .
They are there for the purpose of holding the vinyl top in place during installation .
There called drive nails .
I,m glad now I didn,t weld up the holes :icon_biggrin:
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Did a bunch of cleaning misc. parts today and found that my equalizer bar that I just ( WAY OVER PAID FOR ) is pretty badly worn where the release arm ball sits .
any one else have this problem and suggestions on how to go about fixing it ?
This part is cast iron so I can,t just weld it up and machine it down again like a mild steel piece .
Plus the lower clevis hole is also ovaled out .
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Well , a little update .
Back working on the car . Kinda got stalled out for the month of Nov. . My Dad ended up having a heart attack so we've been pretty busy runing back and forth to the hospital and helping him get things taken care of at home . But he's doing well for now .
Did get my equalizer bar fixed up . Found a guy the knows a lot on how to repair cast iron . So I took it to him and he said he could fix it no problem .
He,s one of those older guys thats been repairing things all his life .
Was very pleased with his work .
I have my rotisserie half done so now its time to finish it . ( barring any more interruptions )
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Glad your dad is doing better. And good to see you back at it!
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Glad your dad is doing better. And good to see you back at it!
x2!! :thumbsup:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Thanks for the update John. Sorry to hear that you dad had a heart attack, but glad that he's on the mend. Obviously, your priorities are in the right place.
Your cast iron repairs look great. Better keep that guy's business card!
Keep plugging away. I know my project seems to be either in slow or burst mode, depending on the day. We'll both get to the finish line eventually!
Chuck
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Still haven,t had any time to work on the car , had to take pops into the hospital again to get his medications switched around a little bit .
But my engine mounts came back today , I have never had mounts rebuilt before and must say they look great .
I,ll get to work on the car this weekend though as they are talking temperature Sat at -23 degrees . ( and thats without the wind chill ) BRRRRRRRR
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick caregivers who have to multitask . . . . a lot!
Still haven,t had any time to work on the car , had to take pops into the hospital again to get his medications switched around a little bit .
Sorry to hear that you were back on human caregiving duty, but we all know that has to come first.
But my engine mounts came back today , I have never had mounts rebuilt before and must say they look great .
Yes they look very nice indeed! Once in a while you need to get someone else to do something nice for your car!
I,ll get to work on the car this weekend though as they are talking temperature Sat at -23 degrees . ( and thats without the wind chill ) BRRRRRRRR
Well, do the best you can, but December can bring some of the worst weather and of course there is the distraction of the holidays. Progress is very hard to come by during this month especially.
Thanks for sharing! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/smiley.gif)
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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John, now they're saying 26 below zero Saturday night. Crank up the heat!
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I have it cranked up Jim !
I just got the in floor heat working in my new Buick / man cave shed too .
Planning on working out there all weekend , living on pizza and chips :icon_biggrin:
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Well finished up the rotisserie today . Hoping this weekend to get the body off the frame and mounted on the rotisserie so I can get it off to the media blasters .
Then the real fun begins , fixing all the rust holes .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick automobile resurrection miracle workers,
Well finished up the rotisserie today . Hoping this weekend to get the body off the frame and mounted on the rotisserie so I can get it off to the media blasters .
Then the real fun begins , fixing all the rust holes .
Sorry that you car turned out to be in such tough shape. Keep giving it all that 'luv! though. It will be worth it when the da' patient comes roaring back to life! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Nice job with the rotisserie, John! I like the degree of adjustment capabilities built in. The threaded rod looks like a nice feature.
It and the car will be full of media when you get them back! :-)
Great way to end the year and look forward to the new one!
Cheers!
Chuck
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Looks good John!
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John,
I didn't go though your entire project thread, so the info might be there, but:
Is the rotisserie a kit?
Did you build it from plans?
Looks nice.
Mark
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John,
I didn't go though your entire project thread, so the info might be there, but:
Is the rotisserie a kit?
Did you build it from plans?
Looks nice.
Mark
Mark , I just put it together going by photos of the one in Chucks and Kevin,s ( Rollaround ) threads .
I built it really heavy and with a wide range of adjustability so it will accept a wide range of body styles . I have few cars to do so I ,m hoping it will fit them all .
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Looks really good. Nice job.
Mark
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Thanks guys , its just a tool but hopefully it will help things get done a little easier and quicker .
My New Years day will be spent lifting the body off the frame .
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Well the body tub is mounted up and ready to be blasted . These rotisserie things are a little nerve racking for the first time . I,m going to weld in a few more gussets in a couple places just to calm my my nerves .
Time to schedule the body to get stripped and then start taking apart the frame .
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Keep up the good work John! :icon_thumright:
It is clear that you have lots of experience, so if you felt the need to reinforce your rotisserie, it was probably needed!
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . Besides, if they ever manage to bring back to life a good sized dinosaur, Just imagine the backyard barbecue you could have with your rotisserie turning the ultimate white meat "bird!" . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/Laughing_LOL.gif)
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Nice work John. :thumbsup: Let's hope the media blasting doesn't reveal too many surprises. :nono: :help:
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Well the frame is all striped down and headed to the blaster either tomorrow or Tuesday . Got the epoxy primer , the GM chassis black came in this week along with the new headliner .
I was a little surprised on how long it took for the headliner to get here , from the date it was shipped it took 9 days .
Lots of parts coming this week to , almost like Christmas never ended .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick restorers,
Well the frame is all striped down and headed to the blaster either tomorrow or Tuesday . Got the epoxy primer , the GM chassis black came in this week along with the new headliner .
I was a little surprised on how long it took for the headliner to get here , from the date it was shipped it took 9 days .
Lots of parts coming this week to , almost like Christmas never ended .
You are starting to make that turn from the messy taking stuff apart phase to the fun putting shiny new things together phase! :icon_thumright:
Keep plugging! This will start looking up from here! :angel4:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Little update , Boy is my sand blaster guy fast . I dropped off the frame and some misc. parts monday at 2 pm and picked them up today ( Tuesday ) at 10 am .
The frame is bare and clean , the numbers are not very legible though .
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Looks good John!
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Dear John, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers who like things squeaky clean
Little update , Boy is my sand blaster guy fast . I dropped off the frame and some misc. parts monday at 2 pm and picked them up today ( Tuesday ) at 10 am .
The frame is bare and clean , the numbers are not very legible though .
Well, the frame is certainly ready to be painted. Perhaps you won't get the extra kick out of decoding the frame, but once you are driving the car you won't miss that extra info!
Keep up the good work! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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She's black !
1 coat of Dp 90 and a 1 coat of GM reconditioning black . Plus after it was painted I found another set of numbers stamped on the side of the left rear frame rail next to where the bumper bracket bolts on .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
She's black !
1 coat of Dp 90 and a 1 coat of GM reconditioning black .
Looks great! Just what the doctor ordered! :love4:
Plus after it was painted I found another set of numbers stamped on the side of the left rear frame rail next to where the bumper bracket bolts on .
Now those numbers are nice and clear. Does it look like the paint improved the contrast? I would hope the factory numbers guys on this board should be able to decode those!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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......I found another set of numbers stamped on the side of the left rear frame rail next to where the bumper bracket bolts on .
05135Ni is the date code. = May 13, 1965. Unsure about the 'N1' , could be the shift.
Someone had asked about this last week.....IIRC theirs was May 14, 1965!
A number of restorers just use the black DP40 epoxy with no overcoat. It's good that you used that as a base, it's very durable.
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Got a little cleaning done today . Upper A arm shafts are cleaned up and in pretty good shape yet as far as tightness .
One of the little shaft boot clamps broke though , I suppose they aren,t reproduced either ?
Steering gear will be dropped off at Lares tomorrow to get rebuilt .
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......
One of the little shaft boot clamps broke though , I suppose they aren,t reproduced either ?
......
John, that's called a 'crimp clamp'. Avail from various vendors, here's one I found in a Google search:
http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/searchresults.asp?Search=crimp+clamp (http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/searchresults.asp?Search=crimp+clamp)
or an industrial supplier like McMasterCarr:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#crimp-hose-clamps/=164zif4 (https://www.mcmaster.com/#crimp-hose-clamps/=164zif4)
Good to hear the shafts are in good shape! They seem to last if maintained. The rubber boots often dry out tho.
The set I cleaned up were a dark, almost black color. I think they are heat treated.
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What Already ! Well I dropped off my steering gear Monday at Lares and its already done . (4 day turn around )
Had them install the quick ratio components and told them to NOT paint it . otherwise they come all grey .
It was,t quite as clean as it could have been so I taped it off with duck tape over the areas I didn't want grey and gently blasted it clean .
Then a little rattle can paint job .
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John, you might be driving that to Brookfield!
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Looking Good John! :icon_thumright:
You are starting to get into the fun part of the restoration!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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John,
That turned out VERY nice.
Mark
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REALLY nice, John!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Nice work John,it looks like you and Kevin are gaining on Chuck and I. I just got my rear bumper done from Keystone and it came with a lifetime warranty. I had to do some repairs on my front core and it is going in next week.....out of three cores,it was the best one. The front is harder to come by than the rear,so if yours is straight you better be thankful. Dan
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Amazing, I just cleaned and inspected my upper A arm shafts yesterday. My rear end is installed and the front lower A arms are installed. I'm still waiting on steering linkage.
What did Lares charge for the rebuild and conversion? And, how far are you from there facilities?
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Thanks Guys for the comments . Its the guys on here that make it all possible , otherwise many details would get left out .
Dan , I had to buy another core front bumper because mine was rusted pretty bad under the welded brackets .
It could have been fixed but they said it would be another 5 hours of labor .
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Amazing, I just cleaned and inspected my upper A arm shafts yesterday. My rear end is installed and the front lower A arms are installed. I'm still waiting on steering linkage.
What did Lares charge for the rebuild and conversion? And, how far are you from there facilities?
Kevin , They charged me 324.00 total but I dropped it off and picked it up . ( so no shipping charges ) They aren,t real clean when they are done as you can see in my photos .
I,m only a half hour away so if theres anyway I can help just let me know . It,s only 3 blocks from my brothers body shop which is where my car will be for mud work and paint .
so in the very near future I,ll be there quite a bit .
Oh by the way , if you don,t want them to paint it you have to let them know , otherwise it will come back all grey .
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I,m a long ways from paint yet but started playing around with it so I can be sure the color is correct . We sprayed the primary set of wheels that I will have on the car MOST of the time unless I decide to have it judged for points .
Its hard to tell by the lighting in my shop how the color turned out but it seems just a little bit darker than I was expecting .
It could be because they were sprayed over black epoxy primer , or I had our paint supplier mix the color in acrylic enamel only because thats the way I was told these wheels were originally painted .
These are the wheels that came on most of the Copo camaros chevelles and nova,s . I know they're not correct but really like that look .
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John,
Those look really good. Always thought the Verde Green was very dark but have only seen a couple of cars in that color in person. Is there any metallic in the paint ?
Dan
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Great looking rims. How did you come across them?
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John,
Those look really good. Always thought the Verde Green was very dark but have only seen a couple of cars in that color in person. Is there any metallic in the paint ?
Dan
Dan , There is a lot of metallic in the paint , just hard to see in my photos . It,s a very fine metallic .
Great looking rims. How did you come across them?
Kevin , I just got lucky on the rims . They were on e bay and I made the guy an offer of 400.00 shipped to my house from Texas and he accepted .
They were very clean with no pitting or rust . I spun them on my balancer to check the straightness and there great .
I should explain these are not the XT coded wheels that Chevrolet used but the IF code that Pontiac used . Otherwise they are identical .
Now that I think of it , Buick may have used this wheel also in the 68 and later years on the cars also . Just not sure what the 2 letter code is .
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They look good green John!
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Finished insulating the walls of the 65 Gran Sports home when not being driven . :evil6:
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick owner who want their cars to be cozy!
Finished insulating the walls of the 65 Gran Sports home when not being driven . :evil6:
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . You'd better insulate that space! You wouldn't want your GS to get a chill or catch a cold - would ya'? . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/Laughing_LOL.gif)
Our garage is attached to the house so it can't get very cold. Even so it has gotten down to the lower 60? this winter even if it is also insulated. Of course, it would have gotten still colder if it wasn't getting warmed up by heat from the house! Certainly no way to reduce my energy bills! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/D'oh.gif)
Keep pluggin' along!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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A bunch of parts came in . I got the front A arms and trailing arms painted . Spindles to bare steel . Picking up the front backing plates tomorrow from the plating company . So if everything goes well this weekend the frame and suspension should start looking like something again .
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Looks good John!
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Looks great John. Don't do what I did and forget one of the rubber bumpers that go on the frame under the upper A arm. I had to take the spring back out to install it.
I already got my steering box from Lares, installed it today.
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Looks great John. Don't do what I did and forget one of the rubber bumpers that go on the frame under the upper A arm. I had to take the spring back out to install it.
I already got my steering box from Lares, installed it today.
Kevin , That was pretty quick turn around on the steering gear . Did they put the quick ratio internals in it ?
Yeah , I already put the rubber bumpers on , that and the frame engine mounts . There easier to get at when the suspension is out .
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You are definitely making good progress John! :hello2:
Kevin , That was pretty quick turn around on the steering gear . Did they put the quick ratio internals in it ?
I'll second that question! My trusty wagon still has her original steering rig and it is getting a little "weary" . . . . . .
Cheers, Edouard . . . .
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Well , had a Great day working on the car . BIG THANKS to Mark Ascher for coming out and helping me all day . Had a good time .
We got all the ball joints and control arm bushings pressed in and then proceeded to start installing all the parts back on the car . The rear end is in and on the ground , had Mark put the posi stripes on the axle tubes for me . Thanks Mark , they look great .
Most of the front suspension is in , I just need to install the front springs and get the tie rod assemblies .
Time to order fuel / brake lines next .
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couple more .
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Looking great John! I'm looking forward to getting back to work on my project when I return this week. This is giving me more incentive!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Very nice John. That is a sweet looking chassis.
Dan
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Looks great John. Don't do what I did and forget one of the rubber bumpers that go on the frame under the upper A arm. I had to take the spring back out to install it.
I already got my steering box from Lares, installed it today.
Kevin , That was pretty quick turn around on the steering gear . Did they put the quick ratio internals in it ?
Yeah , I already put the rubber bumpers on , that and the frame engine mounts . There easier to get at when the suspension is out .
I did. I just went from four turns lock to lock to two and a half. It should handle much better with the stiffer springs and shocks.
By the way I dealt with Brita at Lares, excellent customer service skills, very pleasant to deal with and that wonderful Minnesota accent.
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Well , had a Great day working on the car . BIG THANKS to Mark Ascher for coming out and helping me all day . Had a good time .
We got all the ball joints and control arm bushings pressed in and then proceeded to start installing all the parts back on the car . The rear end is in and on the ground , had Mark put the posi stripes on the axle tubes for me . Thanks Mark , they look great .
Most of the front suspension is in , I just need to install the front springs and get the tie rod assemblies .
Time to order fuel / brake lines next .
John, do you have a source for the gas and fuel lines? Have you ordered them yet?
I'm falling further and further behind, I tell myself I need to pick up the pace. If this warm weather keep up my lawn is going to be demanding some attention soon.
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John, do you have a source for the gas and fuel lines? Have you ordered them yet?
I'm falling further and further behind, I tell myself I need to pick up the pace. If this warm weather keep up my lawn is going to be demanding some attention soon.
[/quote]
Kevin , I do not have fuel or brake lines ordered yet . I plan on ordering them this week . I,m going to call before I order them to make sure they are correct as there has been some problems with them fitting correctly .
. I will be getting them from either Inline tube or from the place that Chuck got his from . ( my mind draws a blank right now on the name of the place )
Yeah aint this warm weather something . We,re setting records up here in MN like crazy .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick restorers,
Sorry, I'm behind on everything, but I wanted to give you a quick congrats on your weekends progress! :icon_thumright: You have made good use of the mild weather you guys are experiencing!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Not much of an update , but my NOS sway bar bushings finally got here so I was able to bolt the sway bar in loosely . Tightening up the bolts a little each day as they are a pretty tight fit . I,m waiting for parts to come in so I can get the suspension finished up and get cracken on the body tub .
This new assembly manual helped me find the correct bushings with the correct number of ribs.
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All progress is good progress!!
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Looks great John. I did my sway bar natural also.
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Dear John, Jim, Kevin, and mid-60s Buick restorers,
Not much of an update , but my NOS sway bar bushings finally got here so I was able to bolt the sway bar in loosely . Tightening up the bolts a little each day as they are a pretty tight fit . I,m waiting for parts to come in so I can get the suspension finished up and get cracken on the body tub .
As Jim says: progress is progress!
This new assembly manual helped me find the correct bushings with the correct number of ribs.
Glad to hear that the assembly manual is already paying off for you!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Agreed, the chassis is looking great John! I used a different color scheme, but I'm sure yours is correct. My whole setup is different with a 1 1/4" sway bar (from a Firebird I believe), so the bushings and mounts are aftermarket. Mounts are plated in yellow zinc. And I painted my sway bar chassis black. Same as my rear sway bar and all the control arms.
What paint are you guys using for the natural look?
Keep up the good work. You'll catch up to me in no time! I took your advice and I'm going slowly...... :icon_thumright:
A great weekend to all!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Thanks Chuck ,
As for the natural finish on my suspension parts I,m just using a satin non yellowing clear . I don,t care for the look that sand blasting gives the steel , so most of the small parts I throw in my tumbler for 24 hours .
The big parts like the sway bar , after blasting them I will take them to a wire wheel .
Some of the parts are going to get zinc plated , the front backing plates were done in clear zinc . I,m getting ready to take a batch of parts in now to get plated yellow and black zinc .
I need to talk to you more about the Verde green color on your car sometime . I would really like to make sure the color on our cars is the same and not a shade off .
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Well , I was hoping to have an update this weekend on the chassis being almost completed BUT mother nature had other plans for our area .
The brunt of it missed our place but 2 miles west of us people were,t so lucky . I,ll be cleaning up some carnage at one of my neighbors house as he spends the winters it Texas .
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Wow John. Glad you guys are OK. And your GS.
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The roads were closed in the hard hit areas because of the power lines being down .
couple more.
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John
I heard it was bad over in the Lake Ann area.
Is that near you?
We got our electricity back tonight.
Nothing like having a tornado in a snow / wind storm.
They say it's a record for earliest tornado in Minnesota.
No damage here yet but the winds are still over 45 in spurts.
We had 85 mph wind damage the last 2 summers at the Brainerd MN lake house.
It's amazing what wind can do.
Glad to hear you and yours are OK.
Milton
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Wow John, you were blessed to be out of the path of that storm. Certainly unexpected weather for this time of year. Don't use all of your energy on cleanup this weekend. Your GS will require some when you get back to it.
Chuck
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Guys , yeah this has been a crazy winter , and it aint over yet .
Milton , the winds over here aren,t suppose to let up till tomorrow evening sometime . It seems like that Brainerd area definitely gets its fair share of bad weather .
I think we've been setting new records all winter as far as weather .
I,ll be busy this weekend on the car though I hope . Lots of small parts coming in this week , fuel/brake lines should be here tomorrow .
1st batch of chrome stuff should be done this week also .
Dropping of more parts to be zinc plated this week too .
It,s all fun though ! :thumbsup:
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Dear John, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers whatever the weather,
Well , I was hoping to have an update this weekend on the chassis being almost completed BUT mother nature had other plans for our area .
WOW! Glad indeed that your house (and GS) was spared. Spring is starting and yep that's tornado season. Everybody be safe in those parts of the country where those nasty storms are known to visit.
Edouard
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Well it seems like my restoration is in slow motion right now . But I finally got the springs in , all the wheel cylinders in and brakes on .
Some of my chrome is starting to come back from the plating shop , AND A LOT of my $$$$$ is going out of my wallet . LOL
I had them do an estimate on my grill and tail lights , with that said I bet by the time I,m done at the plating shop i,m going to be somewhere between 6 & 7 k . I keep telling myself this fun :icon_biggrin: and I tell my wife its an investment opportunity . LOL
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Looking REALLY good John! I'm doing a lot of that investment too!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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:overthetop:
Looking REALLY good John! I'm doing a lot of that investment too!
:cheers2:
Chuck
Chuck , That makes me feel better LOL :laughing7:
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Lookin' good John!
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Dear John, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Well it seems like my restoration is in slow motion right now . But I finally got the springs in , all the wheel cylinders in and brakes on .
Well it is progress and it does look very nice! :hello2:
Some of my chrome is starting to come back from the plating shop , AND A LOT of my $$$$$ is going out of my wallet . LOL
Sadly it is a lesson I know only all - too - well! Almost any problem can be solved if you open your wallet wide enough! :BangHead:
Grin and bear it brother! :angel4:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Progress starting to pick up again , hardware starting to come back from the platers .
Waiting for the one piece trunk pan to get here , hopefully this coming week . another batch of chrome will get dropped off at J&D plating either tomorrow or tuesday .
Soon as I round up some front and rear brake drums the chassis will be a roller again .
-
John,
What else are dropping at the chrome platers?
Mark
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Mark , I,m going to drop off ventiports and more tail light center bars . I may drop the tail light housings to but I need to see if I have anymore $$$$$ trees ready to bear fruit . :crybaby2:
LOL
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Oh yea, been waiting on that myself. Check with me in another 10 or 20 years. :icon_biggrin:
Let me know what he says $$$-wise on the ventiports.
Mark
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Looking very nice John.
Dan
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Looks nice John! Do they do large parts like bumpers? My son just bought a project car that needs them.
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Jim , As a matter a fact they do do bumpers . I was not aware they did but when I picked up my 1st batch of chrome I seen one sitting there .
I asked them about it and he said they do them in triple plated show chrome , and could match keystones price .
The only thing i,m not sure of is if they actually do the repairs there or send them out for that . I just know that the guys at Keystone have been doing them for 45 years and are really good at what they do .
If I had a really good core that didn,t need much work and the fit was good I wouldn,t hesitate to take it to J&D .
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John, what are they charging to straighten and plate a bumper. Just picked up my front bumper from shop in Toledo,Oh. Bumper was in good shape but dull finish. Cost $450. Really came out good. Glenn
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John, what are they charging to straighten and plate a bumper. Just picked up my front bumper from shop in Toledo,Oh. Bumper was in good shape but dull finish. Cost $450. Really came out good. Glenn
Vinnie , I had mine done at ( Northstar ) or Keystone plating in Brainerd mn. and it cost me 1050.00 for both front and rear . I did have a coupon for 10% off though that they give out at Back to the fifties weekend . So I suppose it would normally be about 550.00 for a front .
When I talked to J&D plating they said they would match Keystones price .
-
Looks like the the costs are in the ballpark. Keep up the good work on your project. As they say, it only takes time and money. But sometimes you wonder what you will run out of first.
-
Keep plugging along John! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Looking great John! You're coming along great! :headbang:
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Well , finally got the brake lines routed and the chassis sitting back down on the ground .
Time to roll the chassis into the new toy shed and start back in on the body tub .
-
Picked up the body tub from the blasters today . UFFDA , that was very revealing !!!!
I,m not even sure where to start . Theres areas that were way worse than I expected but there was a few areas that are better than I expected .
The worst part is it appears he got a little aggressive on the roof and it now has a warped spot . I think I can fix it ok , but i,m sure glad its getting a new vinyl top .
Not sure at this point if this car will ever be show quality but I guess theres only one way to find out .
-
few more.
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Good progress John!
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Dear John, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Picked up the body tub from the blasters today . UFFDA , that was very revealing !!!!
At least that's progress
I,m not even sure where to start . Theres areas that were way worse than I expected but there was a few areas that are better than I expected .
The worst part is it appears he got a little aggressive on the roof and it now has a warped spot . I think I can fix it ok , but i,m sure glad its getting a new vinyl top .
Not sure at this point if this car will ever be show quality but I guess theres only one way to find out .
Clearly you have your work cut out for you, but hopefully you'll be able to make the best of this car. You have already shown it a lot of luv' !! :love4:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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John,
I don't know, doesn't look that bad to me. There's a whole floor still in it!
Definitely doable.
Mark
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I sprayed the hole car with DPlf epoxy primer today to stop it from flash rusting . The new one piece trunk pan came so hope to start planing my plan of attack on that . Its going to take some measuring to make sure the body mounts line up so it may take me a little bit .
The lower part of the wheel wells are rusty but I think I can fab up a repair panel to fix them . going to fix them before I start on the trunk floor pan .
-
John, that's going to be a nice car! There's a 66 GS post in the Bugle if you need a pair!😁
-
Looks good John,
I know a lot of nice cars that looked far worse than that. I would suggest leaving those lower quarters alone. If you can repair them using small pieces of metal they will look correct when you're finished. No one makes a repair panel that is a good duplicate stamping. I trimmed the Alpha panels down and just used pieces of them because the panel is too straight to use as is. You will have no problem repairing the trunk and windshield channel with repair panels. Just make sure you bolt on your cowl screen to true up the location under the windshield. That car is in very good condition compared to most 65's still out there. Dan
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Well progress is pretty slow as far as photos go right now because of all the measuring , drilling and grinding of spot welds .
I,m in the process of trying to install a one piece trunk pan without removing the rear tail panel and thought I would show the method of my madness .
I removed the right side trunk drop down because it is rusty and needs to be repaired , also cut the bottom 1 1/2 off my right inner wheel well as it also was rusted . Buy removing these 2 sections I think I can get the one piece trunk pan installed back into place .
Hope it works .
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Hey John,
Can you do the metal work on my 69 Bel Air?!
LOL
Mad skills there, looks great!
Mark
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key board batteries went dead . lol
couple more photos .
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Hey John,
Can you do the metal work on my 69 Bel Air?!
LOL
Mad skills there, looks great!
Mark
Heck yeah !!!
Mark , If Chip Foose can do a whole car in a week we can surely handle a little rust on a 69 Belair in a saturday . LOL
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Dear John, Mark, and mid-60s Buick restorers,
I,m in the process of trying to install a one piece trunk pan without removing the rear tail panel and thought I would show the method of my madness .
You've certainly got a tall order there to take care of. Still, you seem to have what it takes to restore da' patient. Keep pluggin'! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard
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Hey John,
Can you do the metal work on my 69 Bel Air?!
LOL
Mad skills there, looks great!
Mark
Heck yeah !!!
Mark , If Chip Foose can do a whole car in a week we can surely handle a little rust on a 69 Belair in a saturday . LOL
Mr. Evenson,
You are on! Really needs help in one quarter is about all. Have most of an original cut off another car.
We'll talk - thanks!!!
Mark
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Looks good John!
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Well the trunk pan went in pretty easy . I was going to wait till friday but had some free time today . Its not welded in place yet but it is secured with self tapping screws for now until I get all the final adjustments made . ( bumper fitment mostly )
I know theres a few of us at this same point in our restorations so thought I would post this so others can make there own decisions on how they want to do there own . One thing I should note is that if someone else wants to do it this way it will pretty much require taking out the trunk drop down out on at least one side .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick fans of "permanent repairs," . . . . :laughing7:
Well the trunk pan went in pretty easy . Its not welded in place yet but it is secured with self tapping screws for now until I get all the final adjustments made .
(http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/wink_smile_triangle.gif) . . . What!?!? You mean you didn't use Gorilla tape? Or chewing gum? Or Bobby pins? . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/Laughing_LOL.gif)
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Looks great John, makes me wish I'd done a one piece pan.
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Picked up the rest of the sheet metal today from media blasting . ( doors , trunk lid , fenders and my second core support ) All the parts had no hidden rust but LOTS of old body filler . Time to get them in Dplf epoxy primer tomorrow .
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Well this was very challenging and i,m glad to be done with it . The trunk drop downs on these cars are quite the stamping .
I think I have a whole week into rebuild this thing . But at least its done .
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Trunk looks Great!!!! I think a one piece pan is going to be the way I go on mine when I get to it.
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John, what you are performing is soon becoming a LOST ART. Seems many people (including myseff) dont want to get into all that work these days. YOU are doing it CORRECTLY which, in the end, will be a superior restoration, NO DOUBT!
Wheelz, Tampa Bay
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Nice work John!
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Picked up some more chrome parts . Progress is moving a little slow right now , welding the trunk pan in is pretty time consuming .
Im finding out as I go here that there are certain areas of these cars that the fit and finish is far from great .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick fans of shiny chrome! :love4:
Picked up some more chrome parts .
Very pretty! :icon_thumright:
Progress is moving a little slow right now , welding the trunk pan in is pretty time consuming. I'm finding out as I go here that there are certain areas of these cars that the fit and finish is far from great .
Sorry about the discovery, but where Buick failed to meet the specs back in 1965, I'm sure you'll be persistent and prevail! :thumbsup:
Cheers, Edouard
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John, who did your rechroming? :dontknow:
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John, who did your rechroming? :dontknow:
J&D plating in St paul . They do really nice work .
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They look good John. What are you doing with the tail light housings?
:cheers2:
Chuck
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They look good John. What are you doing with the tail light housings?
:cheers2:
Chuck
Chuck , tail light housings are next in line . Had to take a short break spending $$$ , got hit with some taxes this year and a wedding to pay for next month .
Plus one of my race engines will be done in two weeks .
Guess I better start fertilizing those money trees .
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Dear Chuck, John, and mid-60s Buick farmers of lush green!
Guess I better start fertilizing those money trees .
:icon_biggrin: . . . . . So do you have a good fertilizer for your money tree?!? I think we all could use that!! :laughing7:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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They look good John. What are you doing with the tail light housings?
:cheers2:
Chuck
Guess I better start fertilizing those money trees .
I hear ya! We could all use more productive money trees with this hobby.....
Chuck
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While taking a break from the chrome shop I still have plenty of rust to repair .Now that the trunk pan is welded in place I thought I would start with the passenger side rear part of the quarter panel seeing its the worst of the 2 sides . I can only hope for the best seeing theres no good quality repair panels out there .
took me 2 days to get this far , hopefully I can finish it up tomorrow .
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Patch panels? Who needs 'em? That is exactly what you needed....time and patience definitely trumps overspending(This is not a political post).....lol. That is looking great and don't forget to use your wheel well trim for final fit. That bottom curve looks very correct compared to anything that is currently available. Dan
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Time to get back on the resto project . Its been a loooong busy summer for me and i,m excited to switch gears for the winter months .
I,ll be finishing up the ceiling in the 65 GS storage shed this weekend and then starting back in on the car next week .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick lovers, :love4:
Its been a loooong busy summer for me
Most definitely ditto! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/sweaty.gif)
I,ll be finishing up the ceiling in the 65 GS storage shed this weekend and then starting back in on the car next week .
Definitely looks nice! :icon_thumright: Your 65 GS will be reposing in style from now on! :glasses9:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Finally back on the restoration project . Kinda forgot where I left off , so tomorrow the blocks go back down to the machine shop for boring .
Along with the blocks will be 3 sets of heads and 4 sets of conn rods .
-
Good to hear you're back on it, John! I've been back on mine for awhile but progress seems too slow..... :BangHead:
Hoping to have her done for the Nationals in June. Better get back to work!
Chuck
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Glad to hear you are back at it!
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Dear John, Chuck, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Finally back on the restoration project .
Glad you are finally able to get back the restoration of your car! It will be worth all the effort when you can finally drive it! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Things are going very slow on the car but I did fab up a patch panel for the core support . Got it all welded in place , with just a little touch up sanding and she's ready for Dp 90 and chassis black .
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Nice work John! Nice to have some personal artisan work in your restoration. Just a little more to make you proud!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Yes , really nice work. :thumbsup:
Loren
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Lookin? good John! :icon_thumright:
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Dear John, Chuck, Loren, Jim, and mid-60 Buick restoration artisans,
Things are going very slow on the car but I did fab up a patch panel for the core support . Got it all welded in place , with just a little touch up sanding and she's ready for Dp 90 and chassis black .
I'm sorry that this car was in such tough shape that you are indeed having to make so many repairs. Nonetheless, it is clear that you are up to the task! :thumbsup: Keep up the good work! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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John, been following your progress from the background. Looks good, body work is very time consuming but the end results will be well worth it. But the fact that you can say "I did it" means a lot. Keep up the good work.
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Disassembled the 3 speed shifter and got it all cleaned up . sending some of it out to get phosphate coated . Found theres a few pieces in these shifters that have pretty good wear to them causing them to have a lot of slop .
The main sleeve that all the arms rotate on was worn pretty bad , so I built it up with the welder and turned it back down hoping to make it feel a little tighter .
-
A couple more shots of the worn parts .
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Nice job John.
Loren
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Hi John,
That shifter was in rougher shape than I thought, have you gone through the trans yet?
Nice to see you making progress
Regards,
-
Really nice job on the shifter, John.
Dan
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Dear John, Loren, Jim, Dan, and mid-60s Buick caregivers who are good at givin' them lots of luv! . . . :love4:
As you say the parts were in tough shape, but you are continuing to make things right once more. It is definitely a labor of love!
Cheers, Edouard
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Nice work John! I'm with Jim and hoping the transmission is in better shape. I'm sure we'll hear soon!
Have a great weekend!
Chuck
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Jim , Chuck , Actually I did mount the transmission on my stand and and open it up to take a better look at it inside .
It looks pretty good except for reverse gear is chewed up pretty good . They must have had a hard time getting it into reverse for some reason .
I think the reverse gear will be fairly easy to get .
Jim , I still feel fortunate to have been able to get one of these 3 speeds for this car , its one of the reasons I was interested in buying this car .
Thanks again for selling it to me .
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Looks like it could have been a whole lot worse. I'm sure you'll have it in top shape soon.
Chuck
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John... that 3 speed shifter looks a lot like the 4 speed. Some parts may interchange.
You can buy thicker shims (reverse lockout plate?) to tighten it up. Check the Corvette suppliers.
https://www.chicagocorvette.net/category_view.php?cat_id=92 (https://www.chicagocorvette.net/category_view.php?cat_id=92)
https://www.ecklerscorvette.com/transmission-and-driveline/transmission-shifters/shifter-rebuild-kits.html (https://www.ecklerscorvette.com/transmission-and-driveline/transmission-shifters/shifter-rebuild-kits.html)
You did a super nice job on that radiator support! :thumbsup:
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Progress is slow on the car but the pistons came today .
Need to give a BIG SHOUT out to Tom Telesco for taking the time and effort for having these pistons made for our nailheads .
These pistons are very nice . I,ll be dropping them off at the machine shop so they can finish hone the block and then hopefully assembly can begin .
-
:thumbsup:
-
Wow, those pistons look great! Sorry I wrecked so many of those 3 speeds when I was a teenager.
-
Dear John, Chuck, Jim, and mid-60 Buick fans of shiny engine parts! . . . :love4:
Progress is slow on the car but the pistons came today . . . . . These pistons are very nice .
They sure are beautiful and shiny! . . . :glasses9:
Need to give a BIG SHOUT out to Tom Telesco for taking the time and effort for having these pistons made for our nailheads .
x2!! Tom deserves many thanks for making the Nailhead engine that much easier to restore and maintain! :icon_thumright:
I,ll be dropping them off at the machine shop so they can finish hone the block and then hopefully assembly can begin .
Can't wait for pictures from that! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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I havn,t had much time to work on the car but all the parts i had shipped out to either have plated or rebuilt are starting to come back .
distributor came back from Carmen , it looks great . brake booster and shifter/clutch linkage came back from plating and I happen to get a NOS master cylinder .
Still waiting on machine shop for the engine parts though .
-
John, you can drive to the GS nationals with us in October.
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Dear John, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
I havn,t had much time to work on the car but all the parts i had shipped out to either have plated or rebuilt are starting to come back .
. . . .
The parts look very nice! :sunny: Another step in the right direction!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Jim , Chuck , Actually I did mount the transmission on my stand and and open it up to take a better look at it inside .
It looks pretty good except for reverse gear is chewed up pretty good . They must have had a hard time getting it into reverse for some reason .
I think the reverse gear will be fairly easy to get .
Jim , I still feel fortunate to have been able to get one of these 3 speeds for this car , its one of the reasons I was interested in buying this car .
Thanks again for selling it to me .
John,
I'm glad it went to a worthy cause, you will have to let use know how it drives. Suprised that trans wasn't in worse shape being driven till the frame broke. Reverse is always chewed on manual transmissions, as most aren't sychronized. On 4 speeds if you shift into second it stops the cluster gears and doesn't grind going into reverse, not sure if that trick works on the 3 speeds.
Great progress
Cheers,
-
Got the 3 speed shifter back together today and picking up the engine parts tomorrow .
Can,t wait to start assembling the engine .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Got the 3 speed shifter back together today and picking up the engine parts tomorrow .
Looking good! :thumbsup:
Can,t wait to start assembling the engine .
Keep us posted!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Good progress, John. Can't wait to see that assembled engine!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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That turned out really nice!
-
Well the weather here has been crazy humid and hot so I turned on the A/C in the shop and started assembling the engine . I took care of all the clearancing issues first ( filing ring end gaps and getting cam bearings to fit ) , then got the crankshaft and piston assemblies in . Still waiting on the cylinder heads to get done .
feels good to be making progress again .
-
Great progress John! :icon_thumright:
I'm glad you have A/C in your workshop! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Oh, that looks good! What will the compression be John?
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Oh, that looks good! What will the compression be John?
Jim , this engine will be a true 10.25.1 compression ratio . While these engines were advertised at 10.25.1 they were actually considerably lower .
I spent quite a bit of time going thru measurements with Tom Telesco and my machine shop and we had a set made up to get the compression up to where I wanted it .
How its gonna like pump gas is another story . :laughing7:
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Nice John. Kind of sad to have to cover up those beauties with cylinder heads..... :laughing7:
:cheers2:
Chuck
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I got some time to clean the outside of the 3 speed trans yesterday and found these markings . I now need to make stencils so I cam put them back on .
Looks like there is 3 different colors , for sure yellow and possibly orange and a blue dab on the bottom .
What they mean I have no idea .
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Time for an update I think . Got the tail lights and grill back from chrome shop . Vinyl top trim came back from anodizing . And engine is assembled far enough to get paint on it . Be installing the intake today . Soon as the carbs come back its off to the dyno for break in .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick restorers,
Glad to see that you are making progress!! :hello2:
Got the tail lights and grill back from chrome shop . Vinyl top trim came back from anodizing .
Both are nice although the photo the trim is a bit hard to make out. The tail lights turned out great!
And engine is assembled far enough to get paint on it . Be installing the intake today . Soon as the carbs come back its off to the dyno for break in .
Looks great! I can't get enough of that Nailhead green!! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Who did the tail lights and how much was it? Ogden Chrome quoted me a disturbingly high price
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Nice progress John!
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Nice John! Is that Bill Hirsch Nailhead Green?
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Who did the tail lights and how much was it? Ogden Chrome quoted me a disturbingly high price
Hi markrieb , first of all welcome to the forum . I see this is your first post and yes rechroming these tail lights is very expensive .
Just the bare housings cost me 1600.00 plus I still have to fill some pitting on the areas that get painted black and silver .
Then on top of that the 4 center bars were another 80.00 a piece . So after everything said and done its very easy to have 2000.00 in them and that's considering your cores aren't to badly pitted .
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Nice John! Is that Bill Hirsch Nailhead Green?
:cheers2:
Chuck
Chuck , yes the paint is from Bill Hirsch . I really like the color , I did spray a coat of Dp gray epoxy primer on first though .
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I used Bill Hirsch also...thought the hue looked familiar! I like it.
Hoping to fire my engine for the first time tomorrow. Fingers crossed.....
Chuck
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Chuck , that exciting . i,d have a hard time sleeping tonight if it was me .
Good luck tomorrow .
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Who did the tail lights and how much was it? Ogden Chrome quoted me a disturbingly high price
Hi markrieb , first of all welcome to the forum . I see this is your first post and yes rechroming these tail lights is very expensive .
Just the bare housings cost me 1600.00 plus I still have to fill some pitting on the areas that get painted black and silver .
Then on top of that the 4 center bars were another 80.00 a piece . So after everything said and done its very easy to have 2000.00 in them and that's considering your cores aren't to badly pitted .
That is in line with Ogden Chrome. He estimated over the phone $1,200/light without seeing the condition of the lights. I just polished up what I have as good as it can get and will live with it or now. Trying to build a driver not a 100 point restoration or show car. Might try some plasti-dip and see what they look like blacked out.
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Chrome plated pot metal sucks. Period. If they are severely pitted consider grinding them clean, and then finish with a skim coat of fiberglass body filler. Sand smooth and paint with MOLOTOW chrome paint. Its not just silver; its more like chrome. Even, "ahem", better than driver quality. You can get different sized pens, or its sprayable with a rattle can, gun or an airbrush.
These poor old cars can get to be $$$ for even a modest restoration. Ive even used them to touch up rust spots (through the chrome!) on some Cragar SS steel rims. Cant see the repair. Also did the rims of the dash bezel on my '72 with excellent results. Bill
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=ytPdXNC3BsTSsAXr_KuICw&q=MOLOTOW+chrome+paint&oq=MOLOTOW+chrome+paint&gs_l=psy-ab.12..0l2j0i22i30l4.3192.9816..10352...1.0..0.393.3017.3j16j1j1......0....1..gws-wiz.....6..35i39j0i131.awxAdzouiJI (https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=ytPdXNC3BsTSsAXr_KuICw&q=MOLOTOW+chrome+paint&oq=MOLOTOW+chrome+paint&gs_l=psy-ab.12..0l2j0i22i30l4.3192.9816..10352...1.0..0.393.3017.3j16j1j1......0....1..gws-wiz.....6..35i39j0i131.awxAdzouiJI)
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back working on the car a little again . Picked up my exhaust manifolds from the machine shop after they put a nice fresh surface on the ports .
Time for a some high temp gray .
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick restorers,
Picked up my exhaust manifolds from the machine shop after they put a nice fresh surface on the ports .
Time for a some high temp gray .
Definitely another piece of the puzzle! Time to get our your painting equipment!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Guess its time for an update . Well Ive been tinkering a bit on the car , progress has been slow but Im FINALLY wrapping up this dearborn 3 speed . WOW ! what a battle this was , but after countless hours of research I ( think ) I have figured out most of the details . Its not quite finished yet as Im waiting for a drive gear for the speedometer
so i can install the tail shaft housing . Its not perfect but pretty much the best this 3rd grade drop out can do .
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Hi John,
I've just been looking at your build, very inspirational.
Keep up the good work.
Marcus
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Very nice John! Were all those markings on the transmission when you got it? Impressive!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Very nice John! Were all those markings on the transmission when you got it? Impressive!
:cheers2:
Chuck
Yes they were Chuck , But some were impossible to read . Its quite the lengthy story and if anyone is interested I can share the process . I,ll try and post some before and after photos .
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Nice work John!
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Hi John, I'd like to see more photos and info about the Dearborn 3 speed. I'm restoring one of those 603 myself and info would be most helpful.
Great work!
Don
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Nice work John!
x2!!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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I,ll try and condense this as much as possible . Hopefully the photos will load . first 3 photos are the trans case in the parts washer .
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next 4 photos are case soaking in Evaporust over night and exposing the markings the next day .
I was AMAZED that the rust came off and didn't remove the oem paint markings .
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So after all the hours I spent Guess it was worth it . You'll notice its not completely finished yet , still waiting on speedo drive gear so i can put the tail shaft housing on it . I'm working on the back-up light switch assembly and the metal tag riveted to the side of the case was VERY badly rusted so in the process of reproducing another one .
So this is what I've learned from everything I could scrounge up . if I'm wrong or someone has something to add please feel free .
The KF on the right side of case was sprayed on using a stencil and should be on all Buick dearborn transmissions for 1965
The 16 not sure 100% but was a rubber stamp as the paint was really thick in spots and probably from the person who assembled it .
All dearborn ( top loaders ) had a metal tag riveted to the right side , the top row will read ( HEG AD ) second row of numbers was merely a serial number that ford attached to there cases . Which leads to the very uncommon ( GAD ) on the left side of the case , this was also a rubber stamp . The G was the last letter of the HEG stamp on the tag and the AD at the end . The stamping on the tags sometimes was very faint so I,m guessing the GAD in yellow was for a quick and easy way for the assembler to know which trans was suppose to go in that particular car .
The yellow 4 in yellow brush mark was probably for 4th shift . ( ? )
The blue daub on the bottom , your guess is as good as mine . possible that it was filled with fluid .
The last two are the orange grease pen marks . I have No clue as to what those represent .
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Thanks for posting those details John. I'm shocked that the markings survived the evaporust bath and came out looking vibrant. You've obviously put a lot of time into deciphering the markings, but I know you feel really good about the results.
Looking forward to getting the Verde brothers together soon!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Impeccable & articulate attention to detail John! She'going to be a beauty for certain! I only WISH I had the same ambition that I once had, that you have shown. . . . I'd be looking for another 65. (I'd prolly have to consider Jacks 65 half-way finished 65 GS Vert. . :headbang:.)
Wheelz, Tampa bay
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Many thanks for the photos! Great research and attention to detail. I knew about the KF but not the other details. Those marks have to be some kind of in-process checks made during either the transmission assembly or installation.
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Many thanks for the photos! Great research and attention to detail. I knew about the KF but not the other details. Those marks have to be some kind of in-process checks made during either the transmission assembly or installation.
Very welcome Don . Its a chance for me to give back to everyone here on the site that has helped me out .This is a VERY good group of people on this forum and I couldn't have put this car together correctly with out them .
Plus I still need some important info pertaining to the 3 speed cars. So we will more than likely talk soon .
I should mention also that my car was built in the Kansas plant , don't know if some of those markings could change from plant to plant .
One other thing I forgot to mention is I did not paint the transmission case or tail housing , they are bare cast iron coated with a wax paste .
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Got to test out my new spray gun today . I sprayed a little Verde green with it :laughing7:
On my kitchen cabinets that is . just thought id see if everyones still awake here. :glasses9:
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I'm awake. And will be spraying some Verde Green on the walls in our basement next week. I guess it's in our blood! :hello2:
The cabinet doors look great!
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It is a great color!
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Well i,m working like a mad man on these Gran Sports again . Patched another rust hole on the 2 dr hd top , it was a little tougher than i thought it would be . took me a whole day to form and weld it in there . Then today i Finished up the 3 speed trans , installed the tailshaft housing, mounted the shifter and mocked up the back-up light switch . Everything went together perfect but ill say one thing it aint no Hurst shifter . Its like shifting my grandpa's f12 farmall . :laughing7:
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More excellent work, John! I agree, the Muncie shifters are pretty sloppy. I snuck a Hurst in mine...don't tell, OK?? :laughing7:
A Blessed Easter to all!!
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Yeah, a good majority of ANY stock shifters were anything but good.
Tom T.
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Looks good! You are right about those shifters! I might still have my 3 speed Hurst Mastershift shifter from the green car.
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Hurst are the best period! I had the chance to buy the correct nos 3 speed shifter but it didn’t have the mounting plate! :crybaby2: looking great John !
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spent a little time in the shop today with all this rain were getting. My friends are starting to call me ( Patches ) :dontknow:
Who knows someday it might see the road again .
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A step at a time and it will be on the road again. Keep on keepin' on!
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Hi ,the fabbing parts ,cutting and welding always seemed the most fun for me.yours is looking good .jim
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Dear John, Chuck, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
spent a little time in the shop today with all this rain were getting. My friends are starting to call me ( Patches ) :dontknow:
Who knows someday it might see the road again .
If your friends really are calling you that, it is most certainly meant as a compliment! :icon_thumright:
Cheers, Edouard
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Well , now that 65GS.com is up and running again ill post some updates on the 65 gs hardtop . had the engine broke in on the dyno , that was really fun watching it come to life with the turn of a switch .
Then i got it home and set it in the chassis and proceeded to install the clutch bell housing and transmission . Started putting clutch linkage in but had to order a couple missing parts to finish that up . Waiting now for the starter to come in along with the high temp grey for the exhaust manifolds .
Ordered the exhaust for both the GS hardtop and the convertible from gardner but they are 10 to 12 weeks out .
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few more photos
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oops doubled one up
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Looks great John. It's really exciting to start putting it back together. That engine dyno looks like a great setup!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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That is beautiful. Nice job. :cheers2:
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Looking good!
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You are an inspiration for me to get back into my shop! Please keep posting as you build.
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Well another small update . Both my sets of Gardner exhaust systems came in . So I went to work and got the exhaust manifolds on the 2 dr hardtop car painted in high temp cast grey and test fit the entire exhaust system loosely for now until I know it can be tightened down permanently .
Gotta say these exhaust systems they make for these car fit really nice .
They even sent me a couple cool drinking glasses for those hot summer nights while out in the shop working .
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Looks good, cool glasses!
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With the correct manifolds installation is almost too easy. I sorta whined about the price until I realized the quality?.I literally installed it quicker than I could have drove it to the muffler shop. These parts are correct and fit excellent.
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Gotta second schlepcar’s opinion on Gardner. Pricey but worth it.
Dan
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Amen! I have a Gardner beer glass also.....
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Not all glasses are just for beer Chuck?..
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No, but it's the right size!! :occasion14:
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Keep up the good work .jim
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Keep up the good work .jim
Amen to that!!
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hopefully get back on the body shell when all this snow disappears
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Dear John and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
hopefully get back on the body shell when all this snow disappears
Thanks for sharing your progress report! I'm sure there will be more restoration activity once the good weather returns across the country.
Cheers, Edouard