65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Projects & Restorations => Projects & Restorations => Topic started by: gssizzler on February 24, 2024, 10:13:21 AM
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So I have owned this one 33 years! Lots of ups and downs in life! Way past time to get her on the road!
Going to try and post pictures with captions with Loren’s help! For those who want to follow along and a preview I have a post on the V8 Buick site under members rides so far!
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Looking forward to following along!
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Dear Jon, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,
So I have owned this one 33 years! Lots of ups and downs in life! Way past time to get her on the road!
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I know how life can get in the way of taking care of your car! I'm glad that you are getting enough time to give your car some 'luv! Indeed as Chuck proposes, please keep us posted on your progress!
Edouard
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Glad to hear this!
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Thanks guys! Trying to have a little order to post! We picked up a Eastwood rotisserie I went and got it directly from the store in Alsip IL! I had tried to get ahold of others in the area but they didn’t call or text me back! They lost MY business!!!! And any future business!!! I had an excellent time at the store ,guys working there are super helpful! And car guys! One of the guy was even working on his 55 Chevy at the store which was on the rotisserie that was purchased! Got to see it in action! So some pictures!
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So I had built a frame/ rolling chassis out for it in 1991-92 but it was from a 66 GS ! Found it local and cheap! But I sold my convertible project that I wanted to build but kept the really nice 65 frame to build!
Also a picture of the current state before she went on rotisserie!
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Pictures on the rotisserie ready for work
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Out of order but dug these pictures out of disassembly in 1998 or 1999 pictures of pictures! You get an idea of the rust! Frame was broke in half back by the right rear control arm with big chunks falling out! I should have crushed it , but I bought it with dad ,lost him 2002! Numbers matching , early small badge car , pro tect o plate, trim shop tag , 4 speed with power brakes! It is the only one that I know of in this combo! Not saying it is rare or special or anything . There were probably many built this way!? But not many of are loved 65’s left! I have been buying working on , researching these cars for over 35 years now! What a journey! I have met so many lifelong friends from this hobby! A fun side note I talked to the original owner’s Daughter in 2022!
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Thanks for the update Jon. But pictures don't seem to be working. None were attached. Hope you can solve that!
Chuck
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That sure looks great with the Cragar wheels in the second picture!
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CWMCOBRA, Loren is helping with posting pictures! (Thanks so much)! I will try and get them up with posts in order if possible! GS66 the Cragers were old non unilug beveled fronts and deep dish rears with poly glass Goodyears that would really smoke! I laid 50 feet of marks in road once!, boy did dad get pissed! lol
I had a vibration when I first got the car? It ended up being rear wheel spacers! They were not really needed I think the prior owners liked the look? Anyways took them off and they went to the scrap! No more vibration!
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So my buddy Randy helped me get this thing straightened out! Fixing a lot of the restoration shops messes! I can’t pay to be so disappointed again!! I can only blame myself if it doesn’t get improved over what it was when I first got it! Which it already is improving! Nice solid floors and trunk! No noises from the broken rusty frame and dash that the spot welds were broken loose! Here are some early pictures when I first started on the work! Used an original floor out of another gs! When I first started on this car the nice floor pans we have now weren’t made! Just really crappie patches!
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Thank you Jon for getting the photos straightened out with Loren's help and allowing us to follow along with your restoration!
Edouard
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So things to fix are , were! Front and rear window corners, front window channel indents so the A pillar fit! The repo replacement front channel didn’t have the right indentations so we heated them up and corrected this!
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Next were the toe boards and front floor seem ! Prior restoration work had a strap piece on this seem which we removed! Started with the right side. Also had some repair to the kick panel area where the floor mounts!
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More shots of right floor! Toe boards are goodmark brand and were a good fit except the corner which goes into the tunnel!
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Left was next! This required a bigger floor patch and toe board piece! Look at the size of the hole I cut in the floor! My buddy Randy came up with away for the corner by the tunnel to fit better!, took and heated up with the torch and some hammer and dolly work!
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With the left floor we had to reuse the wire harness ribbon hold down and the accelerator pedal mount reinforcement as they didn’t come with the toe board!
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Thanks Jon for sharing the photos!
Definitely the restoration work is well underway!
Edouard
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I think Jon may officially have the longest running restoration.
Loren
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Yeah, I thought mine was lengthy....but everything is relative!
Chuck
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Life long , I mean to long of project! So the next thing we tackled was the front and back of the rocker pinch weld. When I had the original replacement floor put in the guy who did it used a plasma cutter to horseshoe cut the spot welds away, when the floor was welded back in the holes were not completely welded up. So Randy weld all of these shut and I dressed them down from a nicer look!
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Next job was to repair the bottom of the cowl cage nuts that are used to bolt on the bottom of the fender. Prior restoration work had the nuts welded in solid! They need to move to help align fender! So replacement pieces that I save from a parts car were prepared and welded in! I even got to work on my welded skills by burning one in!
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More pictures of cage nut removal and repair!
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Next was the big one the right rear quarter bottom rust repair! Used a OEM piece from a 64 4 door that was found out in Nebraska! So first. Fired up the plasma cutter and cut the quarter down and removed the rusted area on the car! Also drilled out many spot welds and removed a small dent!
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Next was fitting and cutting! Randy used the Fitzie technique where you overlap 1 inch then use the lip of the panel you are putting in as a cutting guide and butt weld little at a time! A tape line and sharpie marks were used too!
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Butt welding and grinding down front and back make the repair almost disappear
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Next was a small rust spot in the middle above the lip! I had kept a small hunk from the repair quarter! First marked and cut square with a dremel tool then cut a piece down just right welded it in! Now you see it now you don’t
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Good progress, you might be driving that this year! There is a very unique joy driving these cars. Most people will never experience it.
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Just getting all the rust gone is most of the battle?.that car will be all downhill from here. The quarters came out NICE Jon. Before you do finish work test fit some wheel well trim and make sure they are good to go.
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Great progress Jon! Keep it coming!
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Thanks guys! And thanks to Loren for putting up the pictures! I would like to fire it up soon! I have already fit the nos wheel well trims up and they fit great! I ran out of time as I was going to drill the holes for them while it was on the rotisserie darn it! The quarters are very good except the right corner and the very top body line which the professional restores ground the chit out of! Nothing like paying for work that you have to spend more money on correcting! So there has been lot of discussion about miss alignment of the Gran Sport sail panel emblems. I kind have a different issue!, on my car there are the 2 round stud holes and 3 of the blade/ splade style holes with the clips still in them.These were punched at the factory! I decided to pull the clips and weld up the holes!
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Thanks Jon for all the progress reports and thanks Loren for posting the pictures!
Indeed this car was in need of a lot of 'luv!
Edouard
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Lots of Love! Next up was a not pleasant job scraping and removing the undercoating from the rear wheel housings and the fiber board from the inside roof! Had to use a heat gun, benzomatic, and very stiff putty knife scrapers! What a bunch of nasty crap!
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Next up digging out the rest of the seam sealer on the firewall! Used wire brush and knives!
POR 15 was painted on next then some chassis black. After a little dry time and still tackie I applied
3m seam sealer!