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Projects & Restorations => Projects & Restorations => Topic started by: option B9 on July 17, 2021, 10:45:00 AM
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Hi everyone, my 65 GS Post Coupe is in the shop for finished bodywork & paint. After 2 years and 3 body shops later. I found the right shop that was willing to preform the work now ! And not take my money and put it in the corner and never do the work..
A brief history on the GS, I purchased the Post Coupe (flame red) back in May 2003 from Sandy Shuman in PA, loaded it on a U-Haul trailer and brought it home to NYC. The GS was basically a very rusty parts car. It needed everything. But I was determined to get it back on the road. Thru the 18 years I purchased 4 parts cars for some of the parts needed. Other parts came from fellow BCA members across the country. Replacing rusted out sheet metal took most of the time since I wanted to do it right the first time. The welding, new suspension, power front disc brakes, motor upgrades were all completed by the fall of 2018. In the Spring of 2019 I re-assembled the GS and started looking for a paint shop.
Last week I received a call from the body shop to say that a rep from PPG was there to scan the paint so they can mix the correct code R paint color. This past Thursday I was at the shop to approve the paint color that they test sprayed on the front. I brought my 65 Buick Color & Trim album to match up the paint and it matched up ! So now they can go ahead and spray. I took photos of the GS to document the painting, More photos in a few weeks.
Tony :wave:
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Nice! Happy to hear of the progress Tony! I have been trying to get my car painted for almost 2 years.
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Dear Tony, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Thanks Tony for the update on this very special car! :thumbsup: Please do keep us posted on the painting progress!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Wow! So good to see a project nearing the finish line! Steve would be so excited to see this car back to factory and on the road! Looking really nice!
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Looking good Tony! I'm sure Steve and the entire Shuman family will be proud when it's completed and better than it left the factory. His legacy lives on!
Keep the pictures coming!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Thanks everyone, It sure feels good to get to this point in the restoration after having so many problems with body shops promising but not owning up to what they say. But seeing new red paint on the GS Thursday really made me feel that I kept my promise to Sandy all those years ago. The shop has plenty of work to do, so I may not get it back until sometime in September. But I will be going out to see it about every Two weeks so I will take more photos as work progresses.
You may notice the small air cleaner on the 401, I made that up from a small inexpensive no name flea market find, had to weld in a smaller ring to make it fit the AFB but it works just fine. The stock GS air cleaner just kept getting in the way, and I did not want to damage it. When the GS comes home I have the the rest of the dealer option chrome dress-up kit to install. Thanks again for all of your support..
Tony :thumbsup:
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Tony,
Looking good, I can't wait to see the finished project.
It will be worth the wait!
Robert v
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Tony, you’ve succeeded in finding a shop that follows through. Exciting times, finial paint is like the icing in the cake, a significant milestone. Let the assembly begin..
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I went out to the shop on the 6th, The bodywork on both front fenders is completed so they sprayed color on the inside of the front fenders, and were working on the hood in the spray booth. So work is progressing slowly. Next update will be in September....
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Nice to see you found a place that gets things done! Your car will look great!
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Good progress Tony!
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Dear Tony, Jim, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick restorers,
I went out to the shop on the 6th, The bodywork on both front fenders is completed so they sprayed color on the inside of the front fenders, and were working on the hood in the spray booth.
Thanks for the photo! It does bring back memories of when my trusty wagon was repaired from the November 2010 accident and repainted.
So work is progressing slowly. Next update will be in September....
As Jim says, that's a decent pace for a body shop. Your GS has only been there about a month. The shop that painted my wagon took 3 months to make comparable progress. I assume that even for your shop, insurance repairs still get priority, so they have limited man-hours for classics.
When it comes body shop work, you need lots and lots of patience!
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Edouard, Chuck, Jim. Yes the insurance work is a priority in every shop, that's where they make the big money. But they are making progress on the GS. Slow and steady seems how they are going about the work. They also have a 71 Nova that needed major bodywork and that's coming out really nice too. At this rate the GS should be completed this Fall. Just in time for the cooler weather..
Tony :thumbsup:
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Hi everyone. its been a while since I posted any information on my post coupe restoration. But since my GS is in the shop I took advantage of having an empty garage. I went thru my hardware and organized everything into those plastic sorting cases, purchased several new tool chests and made a rolling work bench/welding table with a quarter inch steel plate top and clamp storage underneath. And just before the cold weather set in I epoxy painted the floor.
I finally went out to the body shop to see the GS this past Friday. The body work is basically completed, now they are going to start priming and block sanding. I took several photos that I will post. The work is proceeding slow, but it's getting done. So it's good news...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Good to make progress Tony. Hope the rest of the project gets priority at the shop!
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Nice progress!
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Thanks Tony for the update and photos!
It does bring back memories of Biquette's paint work. You just need to go with the flow and let the process go at its own pace.
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Looking sweet Tony . bet your getting more and more excited everyday .
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They have removed ALL the other mouldings on the vehicle. Why not the fender ports??? They are not that hard to remove & the job will then be complete instead of painting around them.
Tom T.
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X2 on that,
I can?t remember if you can pull them just by removing inner fenders or if you have to loosen whole fender from cowl. The fact remains that you do not want them painting around them because the car will look repainted vs. restored on that type of detail that is right at eye level. Most body shops are use to doing repairs instead of restoration work so it may be as simple as gently nudging them on some of the small stuff. The car is coming along too nice to push results at this point.
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Hi everyone, Thanks for the support. This May will be 19 years into this project ! I have a very understanding wife that let me do all the work that this GS needed while we raised 4 Children. So when this project is completed and on the road I plan to enjoy all three Buicks with my Family, and no more projects !!
For what I understand the shop owner said that they were going to take the GS apart to paint it, then re-assemble and align everything. When I was there last week I told them to remove the old dented drip rail moldings and throw them out, because I purchased new repros that they need to install after final paint. I plan on going out to the shop this Friday so I will check on the fender ports too.
Tony
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Can’t wait to see it in color! :rocker:
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Not sure why it hit me but I think it is worth mentioning. When they paint the fenders....hopefully with the ventiports removed....try to locate the correct set of rubber bumpers that go on the fenders to stop hood rattle. These should be installed with the ventiports before bolting fenders back on. It sounds like nothing but getting the rear ones installed on car is very difficult without scratching paint and nearly effortless with fenders off car. Dan
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Thanks Dan, That is an excellent suggestion. I did plan on going out to see the GS this past Friday, But by 10am it started snowing. So I stayed home. Just not worth getting into an accident or sliding off the road and rolling the truck. By Tuesday the roads should be all clear, so I will head out and see If It's ready for paint.
I looked up the fender to hood bumpers in the Buick Master Chassis & Body Catalog It's listed in group 8.000 sheet metal & heater parts. 8.037 part # 1354237. I Took a good look at the diagram and the rear bumper sits right behind the rear portion of the hood hinge.
Thanks for the quick tip ! I do have the 4 bumpers needed, they are in my garage/shop. Right behind the 4 foot snowdrift ! It's good that the schools are closed tomorrow, I will have my 3 Boys clear a path so I can open the door....
Tony :thumbsup:
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I haven't posted any updates in 8 months because the work was terribly slow. I made a visit to the shop in June, and at that point it was ready for the paint booth. And I thought for sure it would be painted by July. When I returned at the end of August it was not painted yet and the lead painter was out sick with Covid-19. The owner assured me that when Mike the lead painter returned it would be the first to be painted. I visited the shop last Thursday 9/15, the GS was in the paint booth and the owner said that Mike was returning to work on Monday 9/19. I went to the shop today and YES it's painted !! Finally after 18 months it's Flame Red again. Now it needs to be polished out, then have the front windshield & rear window installed, drip rail molding and GS ornamentation installed. Then I will have it transported home for final assembly in my shop.
Tony :thumbsup:
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Looks good, Tony! Always encouraging to see progress, especially when waiting for so long.
Cheers!
Chuck
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Glad to see the progress Tony!
Cheers, Edouard
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Tony
I can identify with paint shop schedules and promises.
I didn't need metal work and it still took almost 6 months.
Insurance work kept taking priority.
I got the car back the week before this years BCA nationals and managed to get it back together.
I'm now reassembling the car the way it should have been done.
Your car is looking really great.
Congratulations and good luck on the assembly.
Milton
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Thanks Chuck, Edouard & Milton. Now I need to push them to get the rest of the work done so I can get some re-assembly done before the winter weather sets in. Then start again at the end of March next year.
Until I do get the Red post coupe back I've been working on the Silver hardtop GS. I have a very long "to do list", most of the small repairs are completed. Next it needs a front and rear suspension upgrade. All of those parts will be ordered this week. So either way I will be busy for the foreseeable future.
:idea1: This is what we call fun !!
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Looking great Tony . gotta feel good to have it painted .
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Yes, "fun" can have many meanings.... :thumbsup:
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Hi Everyone, The good news is that I have my 65GS coupe back home. The bad news is that I had to remove it from the Paint/Body Shop. After paying the balance owed last month the GS is painted, but the paint & final fit and finish is so poor that I had to end the 19 month game. I took a total loss of $12,000 plus transport fees. So I'm back to where I started from with more of a mess..
I asked several of my automotive/hobby friends to come over this week so we can look over the GS together and I can get a better idea of the damage and how to get this project back on track. As it sits right now the nose and trunk lid need to be realigned since the doors and fenders are rubbing together and the paint has peeled off already and the blistered red two stage paint needs to be removed. I will update this posting after the meeting.
Tony :angryfire:
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There are so many body shop horror stories. I am sorry you have one of them now. Good luck as you forge ahead!
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SUCKS to even hear this Tony . I feel for ya , thats probably one of the biggest reasons it takes me awhile to get things done here at home. Weather its working on one of my cars or my house i try and do as much as i can myself because its hard to find help these days that take pride in they're work .
Hope you get things figured out .
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That's depressing Tony! The more of these stories I hear, the more I feel blessed to have had a good experience with my painter. He's even become a very good personal friend. It doesn't get much better than that.
There is a similar story around how I came to acquire the Verde Howitzer. The previous owner paid a "friend" who owned a body shop to repaint this car and another. If I remember, he paid about $20k up front. The shop owner disassembled the front end of the car, put it in primer, then took his money and left town. So, he decided to sell it and I am the lucky beneficiary.
Sure hope you can find a capable and trustworthy painter and that you can salvage at least a part of the work that's been done.
:cheers2:
Chuck
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So sorry to hear this has happened to your car Tony! :crybaby2:
Indeed I hope that you can get some constructive advice from your friends in the classic car community on how to recover from this very serious setback.
Edouard
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So sorry to hear about your ordeal with the paint shop. I think I will do my own painting from now on, I'm not a show car guy, so "driver" is good enough for me.
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Sorry to hear about your paint problems it always seems like the stuff you can't do yourself bites you.had our own problems on a different car brother-in-law is a professional painter doing our car paint body off frame .had trouble with metallic running when cleared had the big factory rep come to show us how to paint they reformulated the paint 4 times still splotches cleam shop ,sand,and remask car each time .so much paint on the car it started to blister on strip it all off and start over .went to ppg it worked alot better.good luck.ji
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Thanks for the support everyone, Yes, It's a setback but not the end ! Tomorrow is the meeting and we will come up with a plan to get the body aligned. Then either somehow repair or replace the damaged paint. If we decided It needs a total re-paint, well that's what I will do.
The Silver GS Suspension upgrade is on hold because we are waiting for rear suspension parts from OPGI that are on back order since the middle of last month and may not be in until next month. So whatever the plan is for the Red Coupe is going to happen ASAP since I have the time now. And the weather here in NYC will be nice for another two weeks.
Thanks for the support.
Tony :thumbsup:
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Hi, the thing with two stage paint is it chemically hardens if it sat to long between coats without a good resanding it can start bubbling on you down the road better to restart from bare metal.Jim
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That is a shame?I don?t know why people can?t just do what they say they will do. Maybe you can do a little digging on your own and make lighter of the situation. Is it possible to communicate with the painter to find out what materials were used ? The type of primer,paint,clear would be good. I guess my concern is what you are calling blisters and perhaps a close pic of them. Providing prep was professional there may be some remedy to what appears to be a disaster. The trunk is just a constant alignment that either is adjusted to fit or not. It can be aligned by sliding in the hinges if they are not bent and should not be a problem. The doors are harder and if they are adjusted nice now?do not touch. If they are not you may as well just remove the fenders and start over. Giving the shop any credit may be wrong on my part but hopefully doors fit and you can shim fenders to get gaps on doors then make sure core support is adjusted so hood has straight gaps. All of this MUST be done before you can do the paint the way you want it. Building up paint materials is a bad idea and if you can correct sheet metal alignment you may be able to correct the paint next by simple repairs and reclearing the panel that needs repair. If the finish is what you would call TERRIBLE, it can be block sanded with 800 grit wet paper and two coats of clear will take care of it. The blisters are the problem because poor paint finish and poor prep are two different issues.
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Sorry to hear this! These cars are costly and hard enough to get done as it is! I have dealt with similar situations myself! Glad you got your car back and in one piece! Even though the workman ship is crap! Leave a great review on the web site!! Seems like the amount of people that are turds is growing every day! I know of two people who had to get the police involved to get there cars back from body shop/restoration place robbers! :angryfire: :violent1: One was a 63 split window corvette the other was a 65 gto convertible! Gto was missing many key parts that were stripped off and sold!
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Hi Everyone, Wow ! thanks for all the support. I really do appreciate it. That's the fuel that keeps me going. :thumbsup:
My friends came over after lunch. 3 friends with 3 different opinions, but they all came to one conclusion.. No need for a re-paint, I just might be able to sand out some of the paint defects. The others I will just have to suck up and deal with. The nose must come forward and the left side of the trunk lid below the rear window is lifted up a bit and we have no Idea of adjustments, so if any of you know how to correct this please post. Also the engine compartment and interior, including the under dash wiring harness is full of white compound and body shop dust. The new drivers seat is dirty plus it looks like they may have spilled clearcoat or thinner on it. Most of the bolts holding the the fenders are missing too. The 12 volt battery. was so dead it would not take a charge, so yesterday I purchased a new 800 amp battery. This morning the Nailhead started right up and ran fine, But I'm sure all that dried compound is not doing the engine any good..
In the original post on November 1st I did not state the reason for the quick exit of the GS. The owner could not pay his electrical bill so they shut his service off last month. And while I was there on the morning of October 31 the Fire Department came in for an inspection of the fire suppression units for the spray booth. They were a year overdue !! So I knew next was the county or township coming back to shut him down and my GS might be gone forever.. So on the flatbed it went. It's not a happy ending, but it could have been much worse.
Oh, forgot to say that after the meeting today the wrenches came out and we started working. The right fender is good now. The left fender and hood will be worked on Saturday afternoon. And I have an Auto Body supply house 10 minutes away so getting the correct paint & supplies is not a problem.
I will take some photos on Saturday and post them over the weekend.
Thanks to all of you for the paint tips & support.
A special thanks to Robert-V of this website. A friend & fellow Long Islander that read my post on Monday night and called me yesterday afternoon and let me vent for an hour !
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Tony,
if I understand your trunk lid issue correctly, it should be fixable with a shim between the trunk lid and the hinge. Seems counterintuitive, but if you place a shim of about the same thickness as how far you want to lower the lid, it should fix the problem. I did that on the Verde Howitzer and the lid lays very nicely flat at its upper corners. You'll probably have to try different shim thicknesses but should find a good fit.
Use whatever shims you might have available to determine the thickness required, then order the appropriate thickness of shims from Inline Tube. I used both INL 10482 (0.056") and INL 10483 (0.116"). In my case I needed different shim thickness on the two sides. Whan satisfied, paint the shims body color and install them.
Good luck!
Chuck
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Trunk shims on the verde car ? I finally found something to pick apart on what appears to be a perfect car?.lol. That is an excellent idea if you can get by without them showing. If it is off too far you can simply rebend what is likely a bent hinge. I believe I put 2X4 between body and hinge and put light pressure opening trunk against wood. After several attempts a little at a time I was successful. When doing doors,trunk,and hood it is best to remove the latch or striker until you are happy with fit. Most of these larger trunk lids have had some stretching past the point of normal over the years so this is all quite normal when preppi
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Yes, what happens is when the trunk is unlocked most/many just let the lid go up with the torsion springs. After 50+ years of this the hinges get bent a little at a time.
A block of wood works wonders.
Just go easy at 1st. until you get the hang of it.
No need for shims.
Tom T.
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Just a comment on the "correctness" of shims. The assembly manual shows use of shims to adjust the hood fit. But it doesn't show how to fit the trunk lid. However, in the Skylark Body manual it says to use shims to adjust the lid up or down. See pictures attached.
After painting the shims body color before installing them, they are not obvious at all, so don't draw attention. Pictures of the closed trunk lid is also attached to show fit. Also, enlarge the picture of the inside of the trunk to see the hinges (and shims).
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Assembly manual is for reassembly?lol 1965 Buick?s did not have shims on the trunk lid. I have always used them myself whenever they did not show. Hoods never had them either, but were often used to put a car back together. Hoods were already bilaterally adjustable whereas trunk hinges were either bent or straight. We have a big problem finding hood hinges that are not just plain worn out and replacements are no good either. I?m pretty sure that if I have to climb in a trunk to find fault with a restoration I probably belong there. Just trying to give my perspective on ongoing projects. In today?s marketplace it is rare to find cars as nice as the one?s I have seen through this site. IMO it is the home of some of the best Buick?s ever made and I hope you guys still have a sense of humor. I pulled off a brake drum once to find shims behind it over one stud. The car didn?t even shake so apparently that fixed the bent axle.
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No worries, Dan. I'm not upset about your comment. In fact, my friend that painted the Verde Howitzer has restored many GTOs and had them points judged. And he told me that trunk shims would be unacceptable in a GTO judging. But after sharing the manual information, he agreed that the shims should be OK and after installation he commented that they are hard to notice. And let's be honest, who really cares if a point gets deducted if a persnickety judge does see it and doesn't like it? I like the fit of the lid!
So, there you have it Tony...a couple of choices of how to rectify the trunk lid fit. It seems the shims would cause less potential damage to finished paint but being careful with a wood block could work too.
Happy Weekend!
Chuck
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Another thing to remember is that the fit AND actually the finish too were really far from great on these cars when new . A lot of these cars at shows are done and look way better than new . I wonder if the judges take the fitment of the bumpers and or body panels into consideration as far as point deductions , I mean unless they are WAY off .
I know some of the most sought after cars ( we,ll just call them brand X mopars ) in the world had the WORST fitting parts ever . Plus there are very high end restoration shops now going back to using single stage paints again because thats what they came with .
I know its easy for me to get caught up with trying to get things perfect on these old cars when in reality they were far from it from the factory .
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My friend used to restore 67-9 Camaros and we found that judges in some of these major events were a lot like beauty school dropouts at the lunch table. If you were not part of their clique they often overlooked the best cars and did not usually distinguish between the norm and cars that were obviously not even comparable as far as quality. Personally I liked to see unrestored cars because they were untouched and never as nice as most of ours are. As far as fit,finish,and overall straightness it is almost embarrassing that factory workers turned out some of the stuff as it appeared as new. I will say that Buick?s usually fit pretty decent compared to camaros and corvettes. I remember welding up body lines on some of the early camaros just to get them acceptable. I hope no one here owns it?but there was a very nice chevelle convertible at a local show here and he had just got it restored at a hefty price. You could literally put a roll of masking tape between the doors and fenders. The paint was excellent but the prep was lacking the due diligence and it still got an award. As far as the post goes we know the car is past the hump and just needs a little more prep to go together. Any Buick guy knows it?s worth the extra effort to get it straight and it?s definitely better than getting it all done and not being satisfied with the job.
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There are deviations in aftermarket manufacturing in both size and compressibility for both door and trunk seals. These can also cause issues with door and trunk alignment.
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Hi everyone, I have no problem using shims if it is going to help me get the GS restoration back in motion. Today my friend Joe & I put in 5 hours of work in on the GS. The nose is almost in line. Just a few more tweaks tomorrow and it should be good. Since most of the bolts were missing I had to reach into my stash of Skylark parts car/junkyard bolts. There is one bolt that I cannot remove or tighten. It's the fender bolt at the top of the drivers side door that is accessed when you open the door. They must have some how snapped the stationary nut loose. If anyone can recommend a repair for this please post. We were spending too much time on it today so we had to leave it to get other work done.
Like John stated, these Buicks were not perfect from the factory so if something is slightly out of line it should be acceptable. Considering that Steve Shuman rescued this rusty GS out of a PA scrapyard I would say that it's condition for it's second life will be noticeable improvement.... I will be able to put in a few hours in tomorrow since the high will be 71 degrees & sunny.
I really do appreciate all the advice, It's making dealing with this terrible situation bearable.
Tony. :icon_thumright:
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Most all of us have a tendency to over restore these cars because we don't want them to start rusting the unpainted surfaces like when they left the factory the 1st. week on the road.
I can understand that, BUT they are only original once as stated.
Tom T.
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The battle of the rust is always lurking. I started another project that someone else never finished. It is a 65 Impala SS that a bodyman started in the 90?s. This guy was hard core and removed the deck lid from its shell to get surface rust off the inner skin. Most people would have just bought a rust free deck lid but I guess it was not an option for this car. He literally took all the caulk and sealer out and dipped,blasted etc?to rid the car of all rust. I would say it is just plain crazy to go that far but it may get done some day. I bought it because all the hard dirty work is done but it is a long way from a car. I believe it also has the lower fender issue and I think the old bolts will have to be drilled out. I don?t think they are j clips but actual threaded caged nuts so start with an 1/8 inch bit and get it as centered as possible.
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Hi everyone, I worked on the GS coupe with a few friends on Saturday & Sunday. The weather was in the 70s both days so we were very lucky. The front end sheet metal is aligned ! I ordered a set of shims to align the trunk lid, so it looks like next week for that. Today my son Mike volunteered to start cleaning the mess of polishing compound and body shop dust in the engine compartment. After several hours of cleaning it looked better, but we are going to get back on that when we have more time. And the interior is another problem for another day...I will work on the GS as long as the weather permits. Once the Winter sets in, the cover goes on until Spring...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Thanks Tony for keeping up posted,
I'm glad that you aren't seeing anything that you cannot handle with the help of your friends, but the pictures sure do give voice to your disappointment. This car was abandoned in a real mess by the body shop. Clearly it is going to take a lot of TLC to bring her back to life.
Best of luck in your efforts and hope the weather cooperates as long as one can reasonably wish.
Cheers, Edouard
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Hi Edouard, So far we have had above normal warm weather. But that is going to change Sunday night. Starting Monday we can expect daytime temps in the 40s. So that may put off everything until late Winter/Spring. I will try to address the chipped primer/paint on the doors on Saturday so it does not start rusting over the Winter. If I have the opportunity to work on the GS I will post updates.
Tony.
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Happy Spring Everyone ! We had really warm weather last week so the cover came off the Red GS and I started bringing boxes of parts to my garage from my storage space. First I cleaned the trunk of the white polishing compound that was everywhere, then gave the trunk another coat of light grey paint.
after two days of drying I loaded the trunk with the boxes of parts for reassembly. Since I tagged, Bagged & labeled each box of parts things are going smoothly. Today I worked on the taillights and then I was going to install the new door handles that I purchased from "The Parts Place" and when I went to install the first one the pushbutton rod is too long, 1 1/2 inches. Does anyone know how the correct length of this rod for our Skylarks ? This would save me time going thru boxes of used parts.
This past Thursday I dropped off the cowl grill to my local Auto paint supplier, they are going to match up a quart of the 2 stage Flame Red paint along with some clearcoat so I can touch-up where the body shop screwed up. So I should be getting that a day or two, but I cannot spray until June when the pollen count is very low. I will take some photos of the progress this coming week and post them over the weekend.....Tony
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Hi Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
Glad to hear that the weather has warmed up enough that you can resume work on your GS Post Coupe!
Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question about the push-button rods, but hopefully someone will chime in soon with the answer.
Cheers, Edouard
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Tony, was your Parts Place door handle kit # XP4866Z? That's what I installed on mine and had not problem. Tomorrow I'll head out to the shop to find the originals and try to get a measurement for you.
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Hi Chuck, Edouard. Yes the number on the box is XP4866Z purchased 10/19/2017. I just checked the right side handle and its also 1 1/2 inches. If you can get the measurements of the original handles I would appreciate it.
In the last post I forgot to mention that when I dropped of the cowl, the guys asked me to bring in my spray gun so they can check the nozzle orifice size just to make sure I'm not putting too much paint on and making matters worse. I thought that was real thoughtful of them after I explained the situation that I'm in. So today I packed up my detail gun that I use all the time with enamels and my NOS Binks that has yet to see any action and see what they say...I will pass along the information.
Tony :thumbsup:
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3/8" from the end of the rod to the diecast handle. See attached photo.
1/2" for the other side handle. Apparently, there is a bit of tolerance.
Chuck
PS: Mine was purchased 1/6/2017. Pretty amazing that they changed the rod length in that short period. Probably wanted to make it more universal....
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Hi Chuck, Thank You for the Information, I really do appreciate it. I will try to work on them tomorrow. Today I picked up the Paint, Clearcoat, Reducer & the mid- temp activator along with a box of tack cloths. They looked at my spray guns, the small top load detail gun was given the green light. But my NOS Binks had a larger orifice and is good for enamels. So it went back in the cabinet until I start working on the Silver GS next year. Later on I started working on the rear center emblem between the taillights. But then the weather changed and the temperature dropped, my hands were cold and I went inside. Tomorrow the adventure continues.....
Tony
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Glad to help. Keep up the good work!!
Chuck
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I received advice from my body man when I did my Special and El camino. Similar door handles were used on 64 to 72 A body’s. Although they al look alike they’re not, early GTO, 442, Skylark and Chevelle’s had door panels with a minimal upper contour. Later models had doors with a greater contour, not to mention the full size cars. The handle should be horizontal to the ground (flat) when installed. As a result the rods are different lengths for different models and years.
I’m dealing with a similar problem now. I need to push (I think over push) the door handle button to release the latch. I have about 3/16” gap or free travel between the rod and the latch paw assembly. I need to push the button into the recess to release the latch. Prior to reading Chucks reply, I thought I needed a rod 3/8” to 1/2”longer. I think Chuck confirmed my thoughts.
Repo parts being what they are…. My current handles came from The Parts Place (I think) I’ll check the rod lengths on my original handles compare them and report back. Thanks for your thoughts Tony and Chuck.
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In the past I have sometimes taken the push button and rod out of the old corroded handle and reinstalled in the new handle. The push button is not the same material and usually still looks great even on old pitted up handle. This is not always a possibility depending on manufacturer of the new handle and if it is a correct match.
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Hi Chuck, Rollaround, Schlepcar Thanks Chuck, I cut those rods at 1/2 inch with the Dremel tool and had them in within 30 minutes. Installed the taillights and center emblem then moved on to the fender birds and the hood letters, even though my Son was super careful the letter "I" stud broke so another letter "I" will be going out to be plated this week. The GS emblems on the sail panel & trunk went on without a problem. And they look straight too... Friday morning the trunk weatherstrip was installed. I supplied the body shop with a pint of correct lacquer paint to paint the dashboard & upper panels on the interior..Well the screwed that up too !! I tried to polish out the upper door panel, first wet sanded with 2000 paper, then orange rubbing compound, then white polishing compound, lastly the black ebony finishing polish. I was not impressed ! the finish was very grainy like they sprayed it too dry. No way was I going to waste my time trying to polish the whole interior and be unhappy.. So I took out the ash tray ( they only put color on the face, when i popped it open to remove the screws the rest of the housing was still in primer ) and grabbed my Buick paint bulletins binder and went to my local auto body paint supply store again. They suggested a single stage paint, so all I will need to do is spray it on and let dry. I gave them the original paint code and ash tray to match up the color. The shop called this afternoon and I went over to pick it up. The color match is fantastic. Now I need to prep the areas by wet sanding with 2000 grit and clean up the mess ! I have attached several photos...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Hi Tony and Other Readers,
I have just finished reading your post's, you sure have been on the wrong end of some bad luck. I admire your strength to continue on with your restoration. My restoration has been stationary for a few months now, you have given me that little piece of encouragement I needed to get things back on track.
I'm in a waiting line for body shop work, have been for about 2 years now. Really hope this is the year my Skylark gets a new coat of paint. I'm lucky I suppose, the owner of the shop I'm booked into is a good friend of mine. I know his work, and also how many cars were in front of mine for him to complete. It's kind of exciting watching cars come and go from his shop, he only does 1 or 2 restorations each year.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
Marcus
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Thanks Tony for the progress report!
Glad to see that you are finally getting this car back together!
Cheers, Edouard
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Good progress, Tony. Sorry about the "speed bumps" you are encountering, but in the end your perseverance will result in even more pride in the finished product. Hope the rest of the project treats you right!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Nice car?.I just wanted to warn you on that single stage paint. You need to cover everything except where you are painting. I like the cheap plastic rolls from Home Depot to avoid tons of taping. That stuffs lingers like the old enamel and will literally stick to anything. If it gets on your fresh paint you will be wet sanding and wheeling all over again. You can prep that dash with 320 dry paper and a green 3m scotch brite pad . Trying to get it smooth with finer paper is an exercise of futility that would take all day. You are also likely to end up with a dash that is too shiny and you may be able to add a flattening agent to the paint to save some of the glare. They were pretty flattened out from the factory to keep sun from reflecting too much.
Good luck and don?t get in a rush between coats.
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Thanks Schlepcar, I have not sprayed single stage automotive paint in years so thanks for the help. I have already purchased 4 rolls of cheap plastic covering from my local hardware store and plan to cover the exterior of the GS before painting. I did not buy the sandpaper yet ! so I will take your advice and get plenty of the 320 dry and scotch brite pads. The paint I had mixed is semi gloss, so too much glare should not be a problem. I'm going to be using my detail gun to spray, so overspray should at a minimum. I do have a good respirator to protect my lungs. All I need now is time to sand and good weather with very little pollen in the air to spray. Probably late May.
Any suggestions/comments greatly appreciated.
Tony :thumbsup:
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That is nice that you were able to get that as semi gloss. I did a 65 Malibu once and got it WAY too shiny which was sort of a sore thumb on the job. Right now I?m trying to find the correct color mix for an aqua two tone dash on a 65 Impala SS. It is getting harder to find the correct materials for some of these projects. With that single stage you can get away with spraying it and lightly scotch blighting it the next day if you want it smoother just reduce a final coat . In nice weather you will probably be happy the first time. I used SEM vinyl paint on the plastic surround and dash pads with good results. Keep us posted
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Looking very nice Tony! The finish line is in sight!
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It's tough getting the the right gloss on those interior finishes!
If the gloss level is off, you can try a topcoat with spray-can semi-gloss clear.
I'd go with a 600-800 grit before topcoating. It does depend on the paint used for the topcoat, some will go on thicker, which will cover sanding scratches.
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Hi everyone, Not too much to report. The weather did a 360 and it got cold again and it rained for two days in a row, But I did retrieve the rear bumper and all the parts that go with it from storage along with a reproduction hood ornament.
Way back in April 1999 I purchased this ornament (photo) from a company down south thinking that maybe someday I would have another 65 GS. I don't remember what publication it was advertised in or how much I paid for it but it was a good decision back then since good examples of originals are hard to find today. Some of you may remember the details, but all I remember is that the Southern States had a very bad Hurricane and the company that reproduced the ornament was totally destroyed and never rebuilt. As you can see by the photo It's in the original wrappings and was stored in the plastic container since 1999. After I finish detailing the GS the ornament will go on....The adventure continues.
Tony :thumbsup:
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Poston Enterprises!
In Alabama?
They offered some great products which were never offered elsewhere, such as the 300 headers and this hood ornament. I know I still have their catalog here somewhere.
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Poston Enterprises!
In Alabama?
They offered some great products which were never offered elsewhere, such as the 300 headers and this hood ornament. I know I still have their catalog here somewhere.
That catalog would be interesting to see.
Loren
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Hi Walt & Loren and all the members following my adventure. Thanks Walt for suppling the name of that company "Poston Enterprises" I Googled the name and it seems that they went out of business around 08 to 09.
The weather warmed up today, so I spent the afternoon working on the reverse lights. The set was re-chromed by Paul's Chrome plating in Mars PA as was all the other pot metal. I gave a base coat of white on the inside surrounding the lightbulb area. Then I tried to work on the wiring, the rubber boot was very hard preventing the wire to slide with the small spring. I tried spraying it with WD-40, Aerokroil, white grease, but nothing worked. Then I did something smart ! I went inside the house made a PB & J poured a hot cup of coffee and thought what would the wise old mechanic (my Father) do ? He would remove the problem and figure the rest out as he went... Or as we know, the KISS method.. So back out I went, I removed the wire,spring & ferrule and sliced off the back end of the boot. But the hole was still too small, so I used my Dremel tool with a rasp attachment and honed out the hole. Replaced all the parts and packed it with white grease and it worked like new. Tomorrow a second coat of white paint then solder and heat shrink the wires, bench test with bulbs and assemble on Friday with repro gaskets and lenses. I took some photos of the lights, cut and un-cut boots and end view of the boot after I honed it out.
One step closer to getting the rear bumper mounted.
Tony :thumbsup:
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Tony,
Both wires should be light green for the reverse lights. The license plate lamp has a brown wire.
For the other contact end where the green wires connect to the rear lighting harness, I use the blue bullet connector pieces after removing the blue plastic. Crimp and solder the new terminal and push the terminal into the rubber boot. The original metal contact can be removed from the rubber boot. It takes some work to remove the original connector and wire but is worth the effort.
Best luck with the restoration,
Loren
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Hello everyone, Making progress on the Red Coupe. Rear bumper & taillights in ! Last week I sanded all the parts of the interior that needed to be painted. Saturday I masked off the exterior of the GS and Sunday was painting day. Followed the directions on the MDS ( Material Data Sheets) Loaded my top load touch up gun and 45 minutes later 3 coats of red enamel was applied, and it looks great ! Today The glove compartment door, ash tray, vent cables & new E-brake handle were installed.
Then I contacted the Glass Shop to have a new front windshield & the original rear window installed. This glass shop has mobile service trucks, so they will call me on Monday to set up a day next week to come over and install the glass, clips and stainless moldings. Once that is done the engine gets a power wash to remove all compound and overspray. If the engine needs to be detailed "again" that would be the next step. If not then I will attempt to respray all the damaged on the exterior. That's going to be very tricky since most of the damage is located on the front edges of the doors and front fenders. Then I found multiple burn thru spots on the doorframes where the primer is showing thru the paint, my airbrush may be the best to repair that !! I'm posting some photos of the rear & interior paintwork ..
Tony :thumbsup:
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More photos
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The back up lamp repair somehow snuck in there too
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One More
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Great progress, Tony! You're definitely making good use of the summer weather. Do you have a mental deadline for completion? Planning to drive it yet this summer?
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Thanks for sharing Tony!
Glad to see the progress!
Edouard
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Your progress is inspiring. I need to get back out to the shop!
Thanks for sharing.
Kurt
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Very nice progress!
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Your progress is inspiring. I need to get back out to the shop!
Thanks for sharing.
Kurt
:rocker:
I keep going out to the shop but can't remember why when I get there.
Loren
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Loren, I thought I was the only one.
Great progress, nice work.
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Looking great Tony !
I need to quit going to swap meets and get back out to the shop and get working .
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Thanks for all the kind comments everyone. To answer Chucks question, I may not finish by the end of the summer but I would like it to be on the road and 90% completed by the end of October of this year. Then if there were a few small details I could finish them in the early Spring.
Since I purchased the GS in May of 2003 I have always had it registered & insured to protect myself if there ever was a fire or any unforeseen natural disaster. So all it would need at this time to be legally driven is a NYS inspection sticker.
Wednesday & Thursday I could not get any work done outside due to the smoke from the wild fires in Canada effecting the air quality here in the northeast. Today the weather was clear Blue skies with no choking smoke. I cleaned and prepped the dash bezel to be painted. I used a custom matched color called Rally Red that they were able to put in a spray can for me. After 4 coats with 10 minutes dry time between each coat the 58 year old bezel looked new..
Tony
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Looks great Tony. And as hard as you try, you'll never get all the reds to match in the interior, right? Yours will likely match better than most!
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Matching colors ! Since this GS sat in a scrapyard in PA for almost 10 years I'm sure the colors faded a bit. Between the color charts I have and scanning the colors that are on the GS I'm sure we are very close. Getting everything to match will never happen, and that's fine with me. The work is to be enjoyable NOT aggravating...
Tony :thumbsup:
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The reassembly of the Post Coupe has hit a snag, After calling 2 different window glass companies to have them come and install a new windshield & back glass they have not called back to confirm a date to do the work. So I decided not to get aggravated and just proceed with installing the side glass for now . Yesterday I installed the drivers door vent window and today I attempted to install the roll down glass. Since I removed the All the glass 3 years ago I don't remember every detail & the Body Service Manual is NO help at all, I did the best I could...Since I could not get the large glass in with the vent window in, we (called my uncle to come over & assist) removed the vent window and tried to install the rolldown glass, But the front roller kept rolling off the front part of the track. After almost 4 hours of trying every idea we could think of (at the time) and an additional 3 guys to help. we gave up.. Time to clean-up/cold drink/dinner. 1) All the windows operated before removal. 2) Everything is the way I removed it. 3) The body shop did not remove any of the window hardware. The only item I addressed was where the window glass goes into the bottom channel. I had it packed with new rubber at my local glass shop (now closed down during Covid) Is that glass supposed to move in that channel to self center in the side rail of the door and quarter window ? Is that what the problem is ?
I'm totally perplexed . Any advice would be appreciated :help: Friday I will call a few more auto glass shops and see what happens....
Tony :thumbsup:
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Hi,try laying it out on the bench first ,to get a better look at it .vent window has to be in first should be able to drop window in on an Angle then bring it up in the front track install leveling track then adjust back track if memory serves .jim
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Take a look on YouTube for glass install videos. I put the glass back in my 66 (hardtop tho) last year and the videos saved a lot of aggravation!
I put a new windshield in this spring. Got it from the local supplier for $140. It's made by Fuyao which is also the supplier for new Ford, GM, etc. I did a test fit with the butyl tape, with the paper backing reapplied to the side facing the glass. The curvature was off a bit at the top at the ends. I used a roller to squish down the butyl in the center so the ends would seal. If the installer is using urethane adhesive, that won't be an issue.
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Hi Jim & Walt, Had a late start today but before we addressed the window situation I had to look at the track on the vent window, my Uncle had noticed that it was bent. this was something that I did not notice. But after getting proper rest last night I went out to the garage this afternoon and took a good look at the track and it was bent ! I was so focused on the window that I overlooked the vent window assembly, my fault.. Luckily I had a spare vent window assembly that was in great condition other than the 58 year old rubber weatherstripping & glass, so my son Steven and I did a weatherstripping & glass transplant. I had never tried this before but we laid out the parts and took our time. Total time was 2 hours 45 minutes.. Tools and supplies that we used were Silicone spray, White Lithium grease, my set of small plastic pry bars, 7/16 wrench, Rivet gun, Dremel tool. 1/8 punch, long nose pliers, Aero Kroil, small rawhide hammer...
Tomorrow we will attempt to install the window again. I will go on Youtube tonight and watch some videos and I will take your advice Jim and install the vent window in first. Should I install the bottom Stop so the glass does not drop too far down ? Because the Stop was not in when I tried yesterday..
If I can get the windows in Then I might just try the front windshield & the rear window I'm just tired of waiting for so called professionals that never call back or show up for appointments, I need to keep this project moving forward.
I will keep you posted :read2: Tony :thumbsup:
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Hi Everyone, I tried Youtube videos, but could not find anything related to an A body Post Coupe. I found several good videos on the vent window. but that was done yesterday. So Steven and I attempted to install the window again. We installed the vent widow first, when we lowered the window on a angle and tried to get it into the frame it just got stuck so we stopped and I looked a the geometry of the inner door and had an idea :idea1: The only part of the inner door that is not in a fixed position is the vent window assembly, So I had Steven remove the 3 screws that attach the vent window frame to the door frame and we slid the top of the vent frame back which pivoted the lower track forward. The window dropped down, I pushed the window into the rear track then pulled the lower vent window track forward until the window was in the track. As I pushed up the window up Steven pushed the vent window forward into the frame. The window was in !!!! Steven again attached the 3 screws to the front of the window frame. We installed the rest of the hardware and made some final adjustments and the we were done, total time was approx. 30 minutes. Then we went ahead and installed the window sweeps & door bumpers. Doing this Installation I found out 2 things about a Post Coupe, The vent window frames are different from a hardtop. The window regulator on a Post Coupe only uses the rear roller. Tomorrow afternoon we attempt to install the rear drivers side roll down window...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Dear Tony,
. . . .
So Steven and I attempted to install the window again.
. . . .
The window was in !!!!
. . . .
Total time was approx. 30 minutes.
Glad you and your son were able to enjoy the sweet taste of success! :icon_thumright:
Thanks for the update and keep up the good work!
Cheers, Edouard
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Funny how after your done it seams so easy. Have a good 4th.jim
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Yes, post glass is a pain! 1A auto has a great video on you tube about replacing glass on 64-67 Abody cars that has some great tips and pointers!!
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Thanks gssizzler, I was searching Youtube the other night, but I did not come across that video. I was searching with the word "Buick" I'm going to view it now..
Tony
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Thanks gssizzler, I watched the video and it explained all the adjustments that I needed to make to have the glass align properly with both rollers. Tomorrow I will re-align the drivers door before I start on the passenger door this weekend. Thanks for posting the Youtube video :thumbsup:
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Yep! The adjustments are a killer! Convertibles are the most challenging! And then add power windows! Ugh!
I have been thinking about putting the one piece window glass in my post car for a custom look and eliminating the vent window!?
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Today marks a turning point. I, with some help from my Sons completed installing the door and the rear side windows in the GS. It was a challenge working in the 88 degree heat in the garage this afternoon, but we did it. Saturday I will finish installing the door panel water shields, then start on the panels and the hardware.
Tomorrow I'm taking the Silver GS out and taking a trip eastward and stopping in to see the Glass installer that never called me back 3 weeks ago. And see if he will commit to a date to install the windshield and back glass. If not I have several other companies to follow up on.
Also this past week I found more damage/missing parts caused by the body shop ! The door lock rod that that the button operates were missing on each door. And today I tried to adjust the door lock striker on the right door and the 5/16 hex key hole is totally stripped. Luckily I had extra lock rods, now I need to find door strikers too ! More time wasted because of careless damage... All in a days work. :sunny:
A few photos from today.. :icon_biggrin:
Tony
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Window adjustments = Tedium and Perseverance. You've done well. Enjoy the rest of the journey!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Thanks Tony for the update!
Sorry you had to sweat it out in such heat, but the results were worth it!
Edouard
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Update on yesterdays post, I went out this afternoon to meet the owner of the Glass shop. He apologized for not calling me back and I could see that the shop was very busy. He invited me into the shop to see the operation, I was impressed to see a neat clean organized shop. He explained that his Father started the business over 50 years ago and the Father works on all the vintage & classic cars. He will be installing the glass on my GS. Since my GS is not roadworthy yet. I'm going to get the GS there and back by flatbed transport to avoid any problems. We set a date of July 17th and the work should take 2 days.
Slow and steady.. :thumbsup:
Tony
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Update on the on the windshield & rear glass. Monday July 24th approx. 12 noon the Red GS was finally on it's way to the glass shop. A week late but the weather here in NYC /Long Island has been so HOT the last two weeks Everything & Everybody has slowed down. Tuesday evening I received a call from Frank the transporter that he will be returning the GS on Wednesday morning, If I could meet him at the shop to approve the work and pay the bill. So 8:30 on Wednesday I was at the glass shop, I approved the work because it was fantastic ! All the polished stainless fit great and it was so nice to see the glass back in the GS after many years of being just a shell. The transporter Frank was to bring the GS home and put it in my driveway since I had other business' to attend to and would be home later in the day.
50 minutes later I received a call from Frank and he said he was at my home, and when he went to get into the GS so he could drive into my driveway the drivers door almost "fell off" and he heard the pin hit the floor! "The top pin fell out" He then closed the door and entered from the passenger side and drove the GS into my driveway, locked the doors and left. I did not know what to make of it but I would deal with it when I returned home. It sat in my driveway for 5 days due to the excessive heat, but yesterday it cooled down to the low 80s. My son Steven & I went out to see how this could of happened. With a floor jack holding the door open I tried to put the pin back in, but it would not go in because it cannot go in with the hinge on the door ! SO it fell out because it was put in from the bottom by the idiots at the body shop when they put the doors back on after they painted them. So I decided to just take the door off for safety reasons until I can repair or replace the hinge.. Both Teflon bushings are damaged so I need to act now to get the assembly back on track. OPGI has the door hinge repair kit, or should I just purchase a new upper hinge ? I also have a good used upper right side hinge that I could take apart for the bushings. Since I have never had this problem before any advice would be appreciated ... :help:
I checked the other hinges on the GS and they are ok .
Tony
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Sorry to hear about another disappointing setback, Tony. I rebuilt my hinges using a repair kit I bought from Ecklers. I'm sure OPGI, The Parts Place, etc. have similar kits. Make that hinge tight so the door doesn't sag.
Good luck and keep up the good work. And enjoy working together with your son!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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You may be able to find the hinge bushings locally, Dorman's 'Help' brand is in many parts stores.
Do a search on the Dorman site for the proper pn.
https://www.dormanproducts.com (https://www.dormanproducts.com)
IIRC, the pins have a serrated shank at one end, under the head. They should only fit the hinge in one direction (head up)....unless the shop swapped left/right sides. Hope they didn't install them wrong, r&r- ing doors isn't fun!
I'm just a bit west of you in Pa. Last weeks heat wave wasn't fun! This weeks cooldown is very welcome!
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Dear Tony, Chuck, Walt, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
So sorry Tony that you had this snafu hit you, but I'm glad at least the glass installation went well.
It sounds like you should be able to repair the hinge relatively easily. However, just so that you are aware of the alternative. I purchased the upper door hinge for my trusty wagon back 2010 from OPGI. The stops had broken on the driver's side door decades earlier and that meant the door could come slamming on someone's fingers. Biquette is a 4-door wagon, but I would hope the fit would be the same for a two door from OPGI.
FYI . . . . . . . Edouard
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The bad part your always at the mercy of what you didn't, can't do yourself Hopefully that's the worst of it .paints still good?.jim
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Thanks Chuck, Walt, Edouard, Jim. I could not work on either car this morning I had to catch up on work around the house, the to-do list was getting long and the weather cooled down enough (low 80s) so I did not worry how the heat and the BP meds would react. I was done at 2:15, I came in to wash up and I checked the website to see If anyone responded to last nights post. Thankfully you responded, Walt posted the Dorman website so I gave it a try. It came up with Part # 38375 for 2 bushings . General Motors Years 1960-1995, I printed out the Info and went to my parts supplier (called Parts Authority here in NYC) and they will have several sets sent in from there warehouse by 12 noon tomorrow. I will work on the hinge in the afternoon.
I will be attending the Macungie PA Car Show & Swap Meet August 4th to August 6th returning on the 7th. So if all goes well tomorrow, I will just wait until next Monday or Tuesday to hang the door.
Yes Jim, when Frank opened the door it swung down and scratched the edge of the fender and did some damage to the paint. Touching up the damaged areas will be the last job because I want to wait for the cooler dryer air that comes in October. I already purchased a quart of the Flame Red paint & clearcoat, so when assembly is done I'm ready to prep and paint.
Hey Walt ! If you are going to the Macungie Show and want to meet up send me a PM and I will give you my cell #
Thanks again, :thumbsup: Tony
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Update on the left upper door hinge I picked up Dorman Door Hinge Bushings Part # 38375 this afternoon, when I tried to push it in the hinge it was a tight fit. I took out my Arbor press and a steel block (see photo) and pushed in the top bushing , then turned it around and pushed the bottom one in. Then I tried the pin ! It fit perfectly :icon_biggrin: Later on my Son Steven came home and asked about the bushings, I told him it was done and he said "I have time now, lets get the door on ". So together we hung the door and made some final adjustments... Done. Next week I will soap up the engine compartment and try to pressure wash all of that white compound and overspray off and see what I'm left with ? The Adventure Continues....
Thanks for the support. :icon_thumright: Tony
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Looks great Tony and kudos to you and Walt for finding an inexpensive fix to the hinge problem. Best wishes for smooth sailing from here!
Chuck
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....
I tried to put the pin back in, but it would not go in because it cannot go in with the hinge on the door ! SO it fell out because it was put in from the bottom by the idiots at the body shop when they put the doors back on after they painted them.
....
Tony
This has been bugging me for the past few days since I kinda recalled one of my hinge pins also going in from the bottom. I just checked the silver hardtop I'm putting together, and sure enough the passenger door has the pin going up. I'm pretty sure I put it together the same way it came apart. Maybe the factory built both hinges the same way , resulting in one side having the pin going up and the other side down after they're installed. Or maybe I messed up? I'll have to check the hinges on my vert to see how they are.
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Yes, it was an inexpensive repair. My total cost with tax was $3.72 for the package of 2 bushings. I'm going to order 4 more sets to keep them in stock.
Tony
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....
I tried to put the pin back in, but it would not go in because it cannot go in with the hinge on the door ! SO it fell out because it was put in from the bottom by the idiots at the body shop when they put the doors back on after they painted them.
....
Tony
This has been bugging me for the past few days since I kinda recalled one of my hinge pins also going in from the bottom. I just checked the silver hardtop I'm putting together, and sure enough the passenger door has the pin going up. I'm pretty sure I put it together the same way it came apart. Maybe the factory built both hinges the same way , resulting in one side having the pin going up and the other side down after they're installed. Or maybe I messed up? I'll have to check the hinges on my vert to see how they are.
I checked the doors off my 66 vert, one upper hinge has the pin head side up, the other side has it head side down. Must've been standard procedure. The upper hinge is the same for left and right sides, they're not assembled differently.
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Hi everyone, now that the door problem is solved, I can go back to answer Walt's statement. The hinges on the GS are not the originals. I ordered new hinges for both sides since the GS body was disassembled anyway. My Friend Lou assisted in hanging the doors on the new hinges, he insisted that I work with a check list to check and double check to insure that all work is done properly, it's a good lesson that I learned. So I know that we installed the hinge correctly. It was the body shop that messed up .Unfortunately Lou passed away last year, but his mechanical skill and methodology stays with me.
The next item on the list was to attempt to clean the engine bay and front end of all the White compound & White primer overspray. When I gave the GS to the body shop the engine compartment was totally detailed. I asked them to cover it while working on the GS. (no such luck) When I rescued the GS the engine bay and front end were filthy.. Yesterday was the day to get dirty, it was 87 degrees & sunny. I set up the pop-up tent for shade and made a mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid/ Simple green and warm water and with a round paintbrush and a soft bristle brush (I removed the ignition wires and covered the distributor/ covered the carb.) I soaped up everything in the engine compartment and scrubbed, rinsed and repeated many times until I could not see the white compound. A final rinse with warm water reveled a clean motor.. For the Chassis I used a borrowed a 1400 PSI pressure washer and blasted off the white gunk.. Afterwards I used compressed air to dry off the engine. The result was a clean engine that does not need to be re-painted, there are a few places that need further cleaning but that can be done easily. Next step is to clean the ignition wires & cap and get the engine started.
I did come across another problem ! In the engine compartment in front of the right wheel well just behind the core support there was metal pushed up. I found this problem when I went to clean the back of the core support area with a soapy rag and cut the top of my hand on the sharp metal. luckily I was going slow and felt it and pulled back. Otherwise it would have been stiches ! It looks like a puncture from below up. Not something that I would have done and not corrected. Over the weekend I will investigate and correct, so no one else gets hurt. The adventure continues....
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers, . . .
Hi everyone, now that the door problem is solved, I can go back to answer Walt's statement. The hinges on the GS are not the originals. I ordered new hinges for both sides since the GS body was disassembled anyway. My Friend Lou assisted in hanging the doors on the new hinges, he insisted that I work with a check list to check and double check to insure that all work is done properly, it's a good lesson that I learned. So I know that we installed the hinge correctly. It was the body shop that messed up .Unfortunately Lou passed away last year, but his mechanical skill and methodology stays with me.
Thanks for explaining the door hinge situation. It is sad that a body shop could be so sloppy with a classic car. Obviously that shop lacked the esprit de coups needed for this sort of work.
The next item on the list was to attempt to clean the engine bay and front end of all the White compound & White primer overspray. When I gave the GS to the body shop the engine compartment was totally detailed. I asked them to cover it while working on the GS. (no such luck) When I rescued the GS the engine bay and front end were filthy.. Yesterday was the day to get dirty, it was 87 degrees & sunny. I set up the pop-up tent for shade and made a mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid/ Simple green and warm water
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Interesting! I had never heard of using Dawn and Simple Green together. What proportions did you use?
I did come across another problem ! In the engine compartment in front of the right wheel well just behind the core support there was metal pushed up. I found this problem when I went to clean the back of the core support area with a soapy rag and cut the top of my hand on the sharp metal. luckily I was going slow and felt it and pulled back. Otherwise it would have been stiches ! It looks like a puncture from below up. Not something that I would have done and not corrected. Over the weekend I will investigate and correct, so no one else gets hurt. The adventure continues....
Sorry to hear about your discovery and how you discovered it! I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself any more than that. Indeed, we will be interested to find out what damage was done. In the meantime, do a little healing of your own!
Cheers, Edouard
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Hi Edouard, and everyone following my adventure. There is no secret to the mixture that I use to clean the engine bay. I use a 1 gallon bucket filled with hot water and add 4 ounces of Dawn Ultra Platinum dishwashing liquid, then add 12 ounces of Simple Green liquid and stir it up and get plenty of suds, apply it with a round soft bristle paint brush. Scrub the area and rinse and repeat. If you have a really greasy engine spray the Simple Green full strength then work in the mixture with a round stiff bristle parts cleaning brush and let sit about 5 minutes then rinse off. The suds of the Dawn hold the Simple Green in place otherwise it would just drip away. There are no harsh chemicals that will burn your skin, no toxic smell. easy clean up. $10 for the gallon of Simple Green & $10 for the Dawn Ultra in the big bottle at the Big Box Store. The round brush was $2.25 at my local hardware store. Also, I cover the metal part of the brush with some duct tape so it does not scratch the chrome valve covers or any other sensitive area.
I spent the entire day today detailing the engine compartment and I hammered down that metal that cut my hand, I have no idea how or why it was lifted but I'm moving on to the next Item on the list.... :read2: Installing the Headlights, Grille, Front Bumper, Horns, WW bottle and tank The adventure continues.....
Tony
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Thanks Tony!
Somehow I never heard of the combination of Dawn and Simple Green. I've kept the engine bay really clean in my trusty wagon. However, our modern cars might benefit from a serious cleaning of the engine bay. One of these days when I finally feel healthy.
Cheers, Edouard
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i resemble this post .Nice work
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Dear bobbybuick and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
i resemble this post .Nice work
Thanks for sharing photos of your car! Never can get enough photos of beautiful Buicks!
Edouard
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Hi bobbybuick, If you took that 65GS from the first photo to the third photo, I know you have a lot of time & money into it because I'm going thru the same process now. Congratulations on your beautiful Buick :thumbsup: can you post photos of the interior ?
Tony
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older youtube link
https://youtu.be/GurWWkTPwYs (https://youtu.be/GurWWkTPwYs)
https://youtu.be/GurWWkTPwYs
Hi bobbybuick, If you took that 65GS from the first photo to the third photo, I know you have a lot of time & money into it because I'm going thru the same process now. Congratulations on your beautiful Buick :thumbsup: can you post photos of the interior ?
Tony
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Hi bobbybuick & Edouard and everyone else following my adventure. I looked at the video that Bobby posted and it shows a manual trans/ black interior and a real cool 8Track player & sound system, real nice ! I'm not up to that part of my GS yet, but when I do I will post photos of my additions to my dash.
I've been busy the last few days getting Two of my Children ready for there trip to College, so not not a great amount of work done on the GS but "Slow And Steady" seems to be the best way to get work done for me. Yesterday afternoon ( my Son Steven) & I were able to get the headlights & grille in, also re-attach the outer bezel to the headlight bezel since the two were separated before the chrome plating process. Self tapping screws were used along with a tiny bit of body panel bonding epoxy to hold the parts together. This afternoon we were back working on assembling the front bumper and signal lights. Tomorrow the GS will have its face back on and look like the great Buick Muscle car that it is, but there is plenty more work to do..
Since I have been spending many hours working on the GS I kind of forgot other stuff. This evening I walked in the door at 7:05 PM ready to wash up and have some dinner. I was greeted by my wife Karen and she said " DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS ? " I said "Thursday" She said " I KNOW ITS THURSDAY...THE 17th" :angryfire: OOOPS our wedding anniversary !!! I screwed up by spending more time with the GS than her, no argument there! No dinner and I sleep in the basement with Iris the cat. After 34 years Karen knows me all too well... What was I going to do tomorrow ?? The adventure continues.....
Tony :violent5:
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Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers with too many things to keep track of.
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Yesterday afternoon ( my Son Steven) & I were able to get the headlights & grille in, also re-attach the outer bezel to the headlight bezel since the two were separated before the chrome plating process. Self tapping screws were used along with a tiny bit of body panel bonding epoxy to hold the parts together. This afternoon we were back working on assembling the front bumper and signal lights. Tomorrow the GS will have its face back on and look like the great Buick Muscle car that it is, but there is plenty more work to do..
Glad that your GS will have it's "face" back! I remember when Biquette finally got her face after bring repainted. It wasn't until then that I really felt I was going to get my wagon back.
Since I have been spending many hours working on the GS I kind of forgot other stuff. This evening I walked in the door at 7:05 PM ready to wash up and have some dinner. I was greeted by my wife Karen and she said " DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS ? " I said "Thursday" She said " I KNOW ITS THURSDAY...THE 17th" :angryfire: OOOPS our wedding anniversary !!! I screwed up by spending more time with the GS than her, no argument there! No dinner and I sleep in the basement with Iris the cat. After 34 years Karen knows me all too well... What was I going to do tomorrow ?? The adventure continues.....
So sorry that you found yourself in that all too stereotypical predicament of forgetting your wedding anniversary. I hate to admit it, but I've increasing become dependent on calendar software to avoid forgetting things. Since I've never been married, at least I cannot have that forgetful moment.
Thanks for the update!
Edouard
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Hello everyone, Yesterday afternoon we placed the front bumper on the GS, I then sat on a milk box and just looked at it for a long time.. My Son Steven asked me if there was something wrong with it ? I said "no, I was just thinking of the long journey it took to get to this point, and the promise that I made to Sandy Shuman 20 years ago that this GS will be back on the road..." We polished up the bumper and I took a photo and we took the rest of the afternoon off.... The adventure continues.
Tony :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup:
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Looking good, Tony! Perhaps someday we can get the red siblings together. That would make a great picture for Sandy!
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Hi Chuck, Yes that would be great. I know that it is a bit early, but I'm thinking of attending the Buick National Meet in Ohio next July. I'm not going to have this GS sit in the garage after I spent all this time working on it. If we can get some of our registry members Gran Sports together at this meet it would be awesome...
Tony
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That would be great Tony! I have a hotel room reserved and plan to attend. And if you're coming, I'll bring two 65 GS's!
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HI everyone, It's about time for an update. Since the last major post on July 31 I have been working on the Coupe & the Hardtop. The update on the hardtop will be a separate post as not to confuse anyone.. The coupe is coming along, We installed a new heater core and molded hoses, new door weatherstripping, The re-chromed letter "I" arrived from Paul's chrome plating so that was added to the B U C K on the hood.
I'm having a major problem with the drivers door, It's just not closing properly. Steven & I spent a whole afternoon trying to get the door to close properly. So instead of getting aggravated I reached out to my car buddies for some technical & moral support. The guy's came over and we all came to an agreement that there is way too much vertical play in the door compared to the right door. The upper hinge pin that fell out (see July 31 post) may not have been the correct pin at all, plus when the door almost fell off it may have damaged the lower hinge too. I ordered a new upper & lower drivers door hinges and Jim from WI is sending a good used lock assembly, the hinges arrived Yesterday. When the rest of the parts arrive the door will come off for the 4th time. It will get new hardware and never come off again...
While I was waiting for the parts my Son Steven & I started working in the installation of the instrument panel & radio bezel, modern stereo and gauges, It took us 3 afternoons to do all the wiring and check all the circuits. One more afternoon to install the sending units and tidy up the wires and we are done. Next is the plastic dash bezel & dash board, then its back to the drivers door.
We have another 2 weeks of nice weather, I will try my best to get the door problem solved by then... The adventure continues.
Tony
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Looks great!
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Very nice. Great job on the IP restoration!
Chuck
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Hi Chuck, Yes that would be great. I know that it is a bit early, but I'm thinking of attending the Buick National Meet in Ohio next July. I'm not going to have this GS sit in the garage after I spent all this time working on it. If we can get some of our registry members Gran Sports together at this meet it would be awesome...
Tony
A meeting can be arranged. I have been contacted by the BCA person in charge and need to reply regarding a room for meeting. I will post something in regards to this.
Reply to this link: https://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,5484.msg41605/topicseen.html#msg41605
Loren
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Hi everyone, Here in NYC it's still very cold, but the warm weather should be here very soon and I'm all ready to get started on the Red coupe. The very good used rims have been cleaned, polished and painted the correct grey. Five New 15inch Cooper Cobra radials 215/70R15 front. 255/60R15 rear and a 215/70R15 for the spare are all ready to be mounted & balanced. Last week I received 4 new wheel centers with locks from BCA member Mitch Romanowski. Once the wheels are mounted on the GS I can Install the restored steering wheel . Then it goes to the shop for a wheel alignment & NYS inspection sticker. Once it's roadworthy I can bring it in for a new headliner. The BCA National Meet is in July, but I may not have enough time to correct the damaged to the paint that the body shop caused ! Touching-up the paint is not something I would want to rush in to anyway. I will update as work progresses.
Tony
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Good progress, Tony. Lots to do!
Chuck
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Hey Tony,
Your car is looking great, you give me inspiration to keep going with mine.
I've been waiting 2.5 years for a back order on center caps for my wheels, I pester the manufacturer each month and each month they tell me next month. From my position it's great to see a set of center caps!
keep up the good work.
Marcus
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Your car is coming together nicely!
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Nice to see the hard work coming together. Car is looking good.Jim
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Hi everyone, been busy with the 3 GS circus. The code Z is back from the shop and running great, I will give the details on the code Z restoration post. The White convertible GS is returning home from the shop tomorrow. And I'm knee deep in the Red coupe. We are in the middle of April and I have been solving problems as I go along, starting with the trunk weatherstrip being too short !!(see photo) First time I ran across this problem. So I went to the code z parts box and pulled a new Softseal weatherstrip and made the correction. That was easy ! Next I installed the tail light harness, not a problem tail lights & license plate light working except the back up lights are not working ? Add that to the electrical to do list. 5 New tires and center caps on Four 15" rims mounted on GS. Next I cleaned and painted the rocker panel moldings, they will mounted at a later date. Next I removed the the original cracked steering wheel and attempted to mount the restored Red steering wheel (2018) but the horn bar does not fit so I tried to shave it down with my Dremel tool, but after 3 1/2 hours of grinding and test fitting the bar is still not fitting in properly and the mounting screws are not reaching the bar.(see photo) I will try again tomorrow afternoon. If not, I cannot waste any more time. I must think of a plan "B" and deal with another electrical problem I found, When the GS is running the tail lights are on and the light switch is in the off position. Add that to the list... Oh and all the lights are flickering so I tested the voltage and It goes back and forth between 14 & 15 . That should be the Regulator OR Alternator.. Add that to my list ...
I need a longer sheet of paper :help: The fun continues...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Nice progress! Sorry about the horn bar not fitting, I think you can send it back for fitting.
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Looking great Tony. Nice job with all of those little 'projects'. Hopefully you'll find a fit on the steering wheel and horn bar soon. Is that a Frank McIntire reproduction?
Keep the faith, it's coming along well!
:cheers2:
Chuck
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Looks very good...nice when the weather kicks back in to decent. Voltage is fine 14-15 is normal. Chances are that you have no issues with tail light wiring because there is no voltage available in harness unless there is a short. The voltage you are seeing is probably brake lights....If you unplug steering column connector and it goes away your brake light switch may just need adjustment. It is easier to unplug brake switch first or just pull up on pedal and see if it works. If it really is a brown wire problem there is definitely an issue but I doubt it. Dan
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Hi Chuck, Jim & Dan. The wheel is from Koch in CA. I worked another 2 hours on it today and I was able to get the horn bar to fit in, but it took a lot of material removal to get to that point. The wheel will need to be painted again . But that is the easy part. I will take the wheel over to the Auto paint supply tomorrow and have the color matched and I will spray it with my mini touch-up gun.
The tail light problem was solved by removing the faulty brake light switch, a new switch should be in Friday. The back-up light problem was just a poor ground to the light that I had changed the socket on, plus I ran an extra ground wire from the bumper to the chassis just for an extra good ground to avoid any problems in the future.
The new problem is the right rear turn signals are not working. I will look at that problem tomorrow.....
Tony
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Hi everyone, All the lighting issues solved, Just waiting for the brake light switch to come in then I will be able to make an appointment to have a NY State safety inspection and a wheel alignment. The steering wheel is at the paint shop, they will scan it and have the paint ready tomorrow afternoon. The only real problem for the day was we realized that we don't have a Tan wire from the new rear harness to the gas tank, so the gas gauge is not working. So I went in my parts bin and pulled out the old original rear harness and tried to remove the the Tan wire from the junction connector (see photo) and I tried every connector removal tool in my collection and I could not get it out, My Son Mike even gave it a try, but it would not come out. I was thinking of cutting it open, but I would rather not destroy an original part if I don't need to.
Does anyone know how to remove the electrical connectors from the rear harness to ribbon connector.??? If so please post so I can get my gas gauge working again. :help:
The last item on my to-do list for the day was to clean, polish & paint the horn bar, it was very tarnished but it did clean up better than I expected. Then I painted the center with satin black using a small artist brush. it's going to look great on the new wheel.
Tony
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Looks great, I should paint my horn bar!
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Hi Everyone, this has been the 8th straight day of working on the Red GS, I solved the fuel tank sending unit Tan wire problem yesterday. Today It was 80 degrees and a perfect day to spray the steering wheel. The color match was perfect, The paint I used is a single stage super acrylic called Limco. the color is Ember Firemist. I made a jig to hold the wheel so I don't touch it. I used my small detail gun with an 06 tip. I sprayed 2 coats at 25PSI 6 inches from the wheel , then waited 15 minutes and sprayed another 2 coats at 30 PSI 4 inches from the wheel. It came out real good. I'm letting it dry overnight, I will install it tomorrow...
Tony :thumbsup:
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Looks great. And will look even better in the car!
Nice work!
Chuck
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Hi Chuck, Yes it came out nice, I added up the time spent on the wheel Including time spent ordering then picking up the paint, reducer & a few measuring cups. It comes out to 7 hours, and a total cost of supplies was $51.88 I would have spent more if I sent the wheel back to CA, then I would wait months to get it back to NY.
After the wheel is installed the next item will be the new glove compartment then on to the cowl vent grille panel, I was able to find the correct size W/W tubing and I purchased enough to update all 3 GSs, so I will start with the Red GS.
I've been able to get all of this work done because the NYC school system is closed down for Spring break so my wife has been home since the 20th handling the day to day stuff while I work on the GS, she returns to work on Wednesday, so my progress may slow down a bit, but I will work every day as long as the weather holds up.
Tony :icon_thumright:
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Excellent progress...nice job!
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The wheel turned out great! Nice work!
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Hi Jim, Thanks, Yesterday I test fitted the horn bar on the wheel and it fit perfectly. I was going to install the wheel, but then I thought, maybe I will wait until all my work is done and the Upholsterer installs the headliner and all the interior work is done so the wheel does not get scratched ! And sure enough today I installed the wiper arms, and when I turned the wiper switch on it did not work ! So that's on the tomorrow to-do list to diagnose & fix. So I will probably be under the dashboard again. And not having the steering wheel in the way makes it easier to move around.
The fun continues....
Tony :icon_thumright:
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You rock, Tony! Looks great!
Chuck
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Good Morning Chuck, yesterday I attempted to install new wiper blades and quickly found out that the 15 inch refill blades I purchased years ago do not fit ! Then I remembered that there was a set of new refill blades in the box of parts that came with the code Z GS, so I picked them up. And sure enough it was a set of Anco U-15R refills that fit without any problems... Do you know if there are any current 15 inch part numbers that will fit our wipers ? I would like to update the refills on the other Two Gran Sports. I looked up the Anco number on the internet, the number is obsolete.
Tony :thumbsup:
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Hey, Tony....
I bought NOS blades from a guy on ebay. Something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/303859876144?itmmeta=01HWXD6JXKCTJ70026J08A702S&hash=item46bf75c130:g:HAkAAOSw9CtdFS47 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/303859876144?itmmeta=01HWXD6JXKCTJ70026J08A702S&hash=item46bf75c130:g:HAkAAOSw9CtdFS47)
I don't know if your blades are a different style, but you might try Jegs or Summit for OER product like this: https://www.jegs.com/i/OER/691/3819074/10002/-1 (https://www.jegs.com/i/OER/691/3819074/10002/-1)
Don't know if they'd fit....
Good luck!
Chuck
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Thanks Chuck, The Ebay listing was correct and he does have them in a set, and its here on the East Coast in NJ. It's $69.00 a set plus $14.50 shipping.
I have a real good parts supply store that I go to once every couple of months further east on LI. and I will be going that way next week, so I will stop in and ask if he has OR can get the blades that we need and post my findings.
Tony :icon_thumright:
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I just replace the wiper inserts. You can cut down 16"ers to fit. They have gotten hard to find but are avail on Amazon.
or...
Trico has a 'Classic' series. Avail from Rockauto for $21 each.
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Thanks Walt, i checked on both sites and the Trico Classic Series #33150 @ $21.oo ea. + Tx & shipping seem to be the closest to original and it's less expensive than the Ebay sellers.
Tony :thumbsup: