Author Topic: New Member-66 GS Post Car  (Read 9793 times)

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Offline paul massicotte

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New Member-66 GS Post Car
« on: April 16, 2013, 09:08:36 PM »
Wanted to stop by and introduce myself.  Some may recognize me from v8buick.  I have a 66 GS I've been slowly bringing back to life.  Here are some current photos:




[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmass/8655941023/]



[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmass/8657041306/]



[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmass/8655934339/]




Offline Brian

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2013, 08:00:53 AM »
Welcome!   Glad to see more members with a 66.  I have a 66 Skylark (not GS) that I have owned for 27 years.  My grandfather bought it new. 
  Tell us more about your car--where did you find it, what options are on it, what are your restoration plans for it?   Looks like you are replacing the cowl section of the body?
'64 Skylark 2dr ht 4 speed, 300-4
'65 GS ht, 4 speed,2-4s,AC,PS,PB,PW,Pseat,Tilt
'66 Skylark 2dr ht 300-2 automatic
'78 Yamaha DT 400 2 stroke
'88 Ford F-150 4x4 (used to be 4x2)
'89 Ford F-350 4x4
'03 Honda Accord Coupe V6 6-speed manual (daily driver)

Offline WkillGS

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2013, 09:39:23 AM »
Great to see you signed up Paul! I agree with Brian, we need more 66 owners here. :icon_biggrin:
Car looks much better without that horrendous blue paint, the original silver is one of my favorites on a '66. :thumbsup:
Walt K
Eastern Pa

66 GS Astro Blue/blue 425 auto
66 GS Silver Mist/black 401 4 spd
66 GS Flame Red/black 401 5 spd
66 GS Saddle Mist/black 401 L76 auto
66 Special Flame Red/black 300 5 spd
65 GS vert Verde Green/ Saddle buckets 401 4 spd
79 Turbo Regal

Offline paul massicotte

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2013, 11:38:50 AM »
Thanks Walt.  Hopefully I can gain some knowledge here, and bring something to the table as I'm going through this car. 

Brian-  Short version of the story is that I found this car in Nevada in 2008.  Had been sitting since 1983.  I got it running out there and had it transported back to Mass.  I quickly tore through it and started the frame off.  It's funny how easily they come apart, but fail to go back together as quickly. 

So I painted and went through the chassis in 2009 and everything looked great.  I put the body on 4X4 posts on top of the frame so I could paint the underside in the fall, but the car sat outside through the winter with a ton of snow on it, and the rockers got crushed.  I realized this too late and stored the car in the cellar of a barn which, given the moisture and dampness, destroyed all the work I did on the chassis and actually rusted more than the car did sitting in the desert for 26 years. 

So fast forward to 2012, and I've bought a house with a garage where I can properly go through the car again. 

I've stripped the paint and started to realize that the quarters are shot, and the windshield channel up to and including the dash (up to the vents) disappeared when I wire wheeled it.  So I decided to cut the cowl out of a Skylark in San Jose, so I can replace the dash completely and use the windshield channel as well. 

There was a lot of bondo in this car which didn't show at first.  Seeing as the owner was 65 when she bought the car, it makes sense.  She hit everything but the lottery in this car. 




Offline Loren At 65GS

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2013, 11:57:44 PM »
Welcome Paul, keep the posts coming. It's always a pleasure to see someones progress with their project.

  Loren
65 GS hardtop BCA Senior
 65 GS thin pillar coupe
 65 Skylark coupe v-6
 65 GS hardtop restoration project
 65 Sport Wagon
 70 GS 455 htp / original engine
 94 Roadmaster wagon
 96 Roadmaster wagon- parts car
 63 Riviera

 BCA 14371
 BCA 65 Gran Sport Division

Offline Mark Ascher

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2013, 10:23:31 AM »
Welcome Paul! I think this is the first 66 build up on the board.

Mark
65 GS HT 4 Speed - BCA Senior 2015; AACA Senior Grand National 2021
66 Impala 396/TH400/12 Bolt "Project Rodent Remediation" - Almost Done
69 Bel Air 2 Door Sedan "Project Junior Stock" - In Process
19 Chev Silverado Pickem Up (daily driver)

Offline paul massicotte

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2013, 08:05:42 PM »
Thanks Mark.  I'll be sure to add photos as I go along. 

Offline paul massicotte

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2013, 09:01:05 PM »
Been busy working on this thing for the past two months. Been working backwards as I needed to get the chassis done so I can get it to the body shop as a roller.  I've also been stripping and painting as much as I can in an effort to keep body shop labor and materials down. 

Here's some progress shots.  The body went back on the frame tonight for the first time in four years. 
























Offline WkillGS

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2013, 09:00:50 AM »
Looking good Paul!
Getting the body back on the frame is a big step. I consider that point being 'over the hump', with much of the upcoming work being paint and reassembly.

You've almost caught up where I am with my silver '66.....I took a break from that project for a couple of years. Time for me to get back on it!
Walt K
Eastern Pa

66 GS Astro Blue/blue 425 auto
66 GS Silver Mist/black 401 4 spd
66 GS Flame Red/black 401 5 spd
66 GS Saddle Mist/black 401 L76 auto
66 Special Flame Red/black 300 5 spd
65 GS vert Verde Green/ Saddle buckets 401 4 spd
79 Turbo Regal

Offline Brian

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2013, 10:45:11 AM »
Paul, just curious how you plan to fix the crushed rocker panel on the body.  Are you going to cut a rocker out of another car to repair it, or have you found a source for repro rockers?
'64 Skylark 2dr ht 4 speed, 300-4
'65 GS ht, 4 speed,2-4s,AC,PS,PB,PW,Pseat,Tilt
'66 Skylark 2dr ht 300-2 automatic
'78 Yamaha DT 400 2 stroke
'88 Ford F-150 4x4 (used to be 4x2)
'89 Ford F-350 4x4
'03 Honda Accord Coupe V6 6-speed manual (daily driver)

Offline paul massicotte

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2013, 03:16:02 PM »
Paul, just curious how you plan to fix the crushed rocker panel on the body.  Are you going to cut a rocker out of another car to repair it, or have you found a source for repro rockers?

Brian,

I've asked guys parting out 66's if they'd cut rockers out of parts cars.  Most guys have passed, as they'd risk hacking the quarters.  So my plan is to buy repro rockers from Autobody Specialties when I head down to their store in CT. 

I'd like to see the repro rockers before I buy them, as they list stamped and hand formed outers and I'm curious how they look.   

It's a shame that it happened.  The rest of the rockers are so solid and the inners could probably be hammered and dollied back into shape, but there's no hope for the outers. 

My body guy says he should be able to cut out the bad sections.

Offline Brian

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2013, 03:55:30 PM »
Paul,
  Not sure if you have realized this yet or not, but the factory rockers on the 66 are galvanized--that is why you never see rusted out rockers on these cars.  Problem with that is it makes them a major pain to weld.    I split two bodies in half once and welded together to make one good one.  Hardest part of the welding was the rockers because of the galvanization on the metal.   I am guessing the reproduction one will not be galvanized, so make sure you coat the inside of it with some of that weld-thru primer before you welded it together so it won't rust on the inside sometime in the future. 
'64 Skylark 2dr ht 4 speed, 300-4
'65 GS ht, 4 speed,2-4s,AC,PS,PB,PW,Pseat,Tilt
'66 Skylark 2dr ht 300-2 automatic
'78 Yamaha DT 400 2 stroke
'88 Ford F-150 4x4 (used to be 4x2)
'89 Ford F-350 4x4
'03 Honda Accord Coupe V6 6-speed manual (daily driver)

Offline paul massicotte

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2013, 07:24:35 PM »
Brian,

I saw that the inner rockers are galvanized.  I was not aware of the welding issues with the galvanized metal.  I will definitely use the weld through primer.  Thank you for the heads up!


Offline Loren At 65GS

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Re: New Member-66 GS Post Car
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2013, 11:00:36 AM »
A concern about welding galvanized metal is the gases given off are harmfull to breath. The galvanizing can be chemically treated to allow welding. Don't recall with what though, been a long time.

  Loren
65 GS hardtop BCA Senior
 65 GS thin pillar coupe
 65 Skylark coupe v-6
 65 GS hardtop restoration project
 65 Sport Wagon
 70 GS 455 htp / original engine
 94 Roadmaster wagon
 96 Roadmaster wagon- parts car
 63 Riviera

 BCA 14371
 BCA 65 Gran Sport Division