65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Projects & Restorations => Projects & Restorations => Topic started by: Mark Ascher on May 02, 2008, 03:45:45 PM
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There are others who have traveled this path before me. I'll post a few pics, and make comments where appropriate.
Here is my 65 GS 4 speed as purchased in April 1991. This is a Fremont, CA built car. It has the 4 speed, positraction, radio, optional trim, and chrome wheels. I added power brakes during the restoration.
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Another photo of the car when I purchased it in 1991.
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A shot of the original interior.
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Original engine bay.
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I peeled the front sheetmetal off and sold it. The car had been wrecked in the front in the past, and most of what had been replaced wasn't fit to restore. So I had search out all the front sheetmetal. The fenders and inner fenders all came from the west coast. The hood and core support came from midwest cars. I also removed the doors and had them stripped and straightened.
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I then pulled out the engine and transmission so rebuilds could get started. Thus far I had been working in a one car garage. A move in the mid 90s to a house with a dedicated shop was huge. Lots more room - storage space - and heat.
This shows the car when I was disassembling the front suspension. You can see the a-arms are nearly all bare metal with the greasiness removed, and there is still factory paint on the frame.
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Things then got out of hand. The decision was made to remove the body from the frame.
It was only way to do the restoration right. I knew the time and money commitment would change drastically. It turned out to be much more than I thought.
Here's the frame being lowered down to slide it out from under the body shell.
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The body took up residence on a concrete blocks and 4x4s for a time.
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I was able to borrow this body cart with wheels from another guy locally who had restored a 65 GS 4 speed car, which was great because it fit the a-body specifically, and I could now move it around.
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I got cracking on the frame right away. Here it shows it in bare metal just before paint, and back in the shop.
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I was careful to clean parts looking for any markings before refinishing. I didn't find many, but the rear axle showed a number of them. These pics show the green stripes around the axle tubes, an orange mark to the left of the center section, and on the bottom, a blue "E", or maybe it's a "W" in the web section. There was also a white mark, not seen in these photos.
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It took about a year to collect all the parts, and restore and paint everything so the frame could go back together. First photo shows the front suspension almost complete, and the second is the frame rolled out into the sunshine in the spring of 1998.
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The body work was an odyssey that spanned roughly eight years. The first was the initial work I had done in the early 90s. Then when the original objectives changed, so did the body and paint. After it was pulled off the frame, the shell sat for about three years while other work went on. The shell went into the body shop for a near two year span to have more of it stripped in order to do the bottom and top of the floor pans, jambs, dash and necessary interior sections painted black, etc. I cleaned the bottom of the floor pans myself. 95% of the factory black paint was intact after I finished. Too bad I didn't take one picture of it that way!
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Here is the inside of car nearing completion on the first body shop stay.
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The body went back on the frame in May, 2001.
The other photo shows the bottom side after the body drop.
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At this point, paint was a few years down the road. The transmission was finished, and the engine rebuild was completed as well.
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Two more trans shots of the GS specific T-10.
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Eventually, a financial commitment had to be made to get the car painted. It went back to the bodyshop four years after the body went back on the frame. It spent a number of months in the prime/block stages. Then all the front sheetmetal had to be test fit to the car. That is a story in itself. These pics are of the car at the completion of test fitting in spring, 2006.
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It went into the paint booth early in 2007. Here's a couple of prep shots, and in the booth.
The top was painted black first, so it's not seen in these pictures.
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One more in the booth.
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Back home in the shop post-paint!
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Mark! any updates?
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Ted,
I need to post some update pics of the engine install, etc.
I'm working on a lot of parts/subassemblies right now. I have an
"employment gap", so I'm laying off spending and I need to take
time finding work. I'll be posting more pics in the next few weeks.
I'm just about ready to hang the bumpers.
Mark
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Mark.. your post is looking awesome!
Thank you for taking all the time to lay out your project like you did.
I'm sure this will be both an inspiration and textbook for many to follow. ;D
Chris
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Mark, I am looking forward to any updates you have in store for us.
Also, I must drag my trialer up ther to pick up my long overdue
70 GS frame rebuild up the road from you- hop I can visit still
Ted
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Here are a few pics of the engine installation one year ago. The only real issues I recall were that we had to grind down the new flywheel bolts. They were ARP for a Chev and were a bit too long - The new pilot bushing had to be reamed a bit for the input shaft to fit. We installed the trans and bellhousing in the car first, so we could drop the engine basically straight down. Getting the input shaft into the clutch disc and pilot was not too fun. The next day after it was in, we noticed gear lube pouring out of the trans. One of the gaskets between the case and tailshaft was installed incorrectly.
Mark
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Last winter I spent a lot of time getting more parts plated, and trim parts re-chromed and/or re-anodized. I also started collecting rubber parts. I installed the wheel opening mouldings not long after the engine was in. I got the rocker mouldings back some time later. I masked off the tops and bottoms of the mouldings, and resprayed the black between the ribs with Rustoleum Flat Black. I then wiped off the ribs with mineral spirits and clean rags.
Mark
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I'm now working on installing the aluminum belt reveal mouldings. The only company making the correct weatherstrip is Steele.
I'm also getting ready to reassemble the vent wings. I completely tore them down. I had the diecast a-pillar sections re-chromed. I bead blasted the horizontal section of the vent frame and painted with Seymor's Stainless Steel. I also had the vertical stainless trim, which just slides off the frame, polished. I still need to get the vent wings lock levers back from the chrome shop. There is also some hardware for installing the vent into the door that is exposed which is chrome, don't have that back either.
I don't want to hurry this along too much.
Mark
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The rear bumper was hung on it this summer. I also worked on the taillights quite a bit. This is a really nice set I picked about ten years ago. There are only a handful of pits on the right housing. The left housing and center bars are pit-free. I may try and find a set to rechrome after the car is finished, but these will definitely do for now. After cleaning all the old gasket residue off the back (Permatex Spray On Gasket Remover works great) I polished them front and back. Then, I masked off the entire housing except for the silver accents. I used Krylon Dull Aluminum to repaint this area, it's a near perfect match. Then I re-masked the housings to paint the black accents. Back to Rustoleum Flat Black for that. You can read about installing the housings in "How-To's".
Mark
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Here's a link to a thread on V8Buick that Brian started when he came up to help install the engine.
A few more photos there.
http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=138302&highlight=mark+ascher
Mark
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Trying to get some updates here. Gas tank is now in. It's a Tamraz product, made in Canada.
I used a Patton Glade insulator pad. It was still a mutha to get the strap nuts started.
Mark
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These are a little hard to see. These are the restored front park light housings. I must have purchased and tossed 15-20 of these before getting a decent set to fix. Both needed studs repaired, and they were replated by Beringer Plating in Ohio. Rustoleum white inside. Chris' lenses should look good on these. I can't find the original "painted" amber 1157 bulbs though. All the later ones have amber glass.
Mark
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This is one of the hood hinges. They were both gray phosphate plated by Steve Gregori - www.brakeboosters.com.
Mark
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There is a rubber filler that attaches to the pinch weld just under the taillights. I believe this filler is used to minimize light from the license plate light from entering the taillight area. The one from my car was dust, so I threw it away. I was able to get a couple of other good ones to choose from to use. These were either stapled or clipped on. Mine was stapled, but I chose to do the clip version. The clips are almost impossible to find, I found these on ebay from a regular Skylark being parted out, and had them replated.
Mark
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I was able to locate an NOS grille and headlight bezels over the course of the restoration. I don't have pictures of the grille handy, but since they were Skylark pieces, all of the areas behind the bars need to painted black for a GS. Ditto on the bezels. Since I had an original GS grille and bezels handy, that was my guide on what to mask. The grille itself was a pretty intense masking project. These are the headlight bezels after I painted the black areas. Note: the upper 'triangle' area on the GS bezels stay silver, not painted black.
Mark
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This picture shows a test fit of the radiator in the car after all the work that was done to get it right. As I stated in an earlier post, this car had been in a wreck in the front sometime in the past. The radiator tank on the right side (for the upper hose) was pretty rough, and had been repaired from the inside with a ball peen hammer. I sourced a good used tank from a contact on V8Buick.com, but the tank had a couple of cracks that needed to be patched from the inside & soldered after it was cleaned up. I had the tanks soldered to a new core. It's currently having the tanks finished and painted at the body shop.
Mark
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This is the California air cleaner that Brian Stone was kind enough to save for me from a car he acquired. There are two styles for the California air cleaner I've seen, one that has a hose from the valve cover to the breather, the style shown here, or one that has a hose that goes to the air cleaner body.
UPS was kind enough to attempt to destroy this pretty rare piece in shipment to me. I had it repaired to fix the air cleaner body which had been dented, and the snorkel was nearly crushed.
I am putting together pictures for a separate post on the emissions breather/air cleaner. I have at least 3 different hose styles/lengths for them, and have taken a few photos over the years of cars that had them.
Mark
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Looking real sharp Mark!!
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See Joe... you do have good friends like me!
I can't wait to see that car in person someday Mark... :o
Chris
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Mark,
Thanks for sharing photos and giving us an update. Glad to see that you are back at it with a vengeance. Looking good. I've met Mark a few times over the last three years and have seen his GS in person. Mark, you will without question, have the most meticulously restored '65 GS ever. Your attention to detail will give us a fine example to follow. I hope that you will be able to drive and enjoy the 'fruits of your labor' soon. Any plans to have it finished before the 2010 BCA Nationals in Ames, Iowa? Hope to see you there if not sooner on one of are trips to the Twin Cities. Keep up the good work!
John
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Chris,
I hope it's not far off!
John,
I appreciate the kind words! I don't know about the most meticulously restored 65. I've seen pics of your convertible in progress. That thing looks pretty meticulous to me. I haven't seen that many 65s restored period. Loren's 65 HT, Rod Johnson's red/red 65 HT 4 speed, and Al Jone's HT, which I saw at a BCA regional here some time back, were a guide for mine. I also have plenty of in-process photos of Brian Stone's HT and Pat Guida's convertible restorations. All of you guys have provided plenty of guidance for me!
I hope to see you back up here soon. You're always welcome, except next time it may be to work on this thing.
I had no idea the BCA Nats was going to be in Ames. I guess the gauntlet is now thrown down. That gives me one year. Should be doable. That will now be my goal.
Mark
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See Joe... you do have good friends like me!
I can't wait to see that car in person someday Mark... :o
Chris
Absolutly bro. Buick people are the best. In a class all to itself.
Thats why I love my buicks.
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Mark,
Valve cover looks great! Plan on doing that for the next GS.
Did you do the bolts and wire mounts also?
Loren
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Loren,
Thanks!
Not yet. They are going over to him.
Mark
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Mark,
Great valve cover ! Is your chromer in the twin cities area ?
Dan
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Dan,
Yes. I know Rob Keena is using him too. He really knows 65 GS's too, wich is a plus.
Mark
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Looks like I'm going to have to start bringing parts up to MN .
The kids have been makeing it down to here more though recently.
Loren
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Great looking parts Mark. :cheers2:
Can you share the chrome guy with us? I have a ton of stuff I need done for my GS and would love nothing better than a guy familiar with the product he's working on. doing it.
Thanks and keep up the good work bro!! :headbang:
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I have picked up one bundle (about a quarter of my parts) from Robert so far and they really look great. He still has my grill and my taillight assembly so i am looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I had a lot of trouble tracking him down so i am really indebted to Mark A. for getting me this contact. From my conversations with Robert it sounds like he has done at least three or four 65's in the past. Anyone who comes to Ames will see his work all over my car.
Rob Keena
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Worked on the beast all weekend.
The driveshaft is done, working on getting pics posted of that.
Got the roofrail mouldings in. My good friend Frank Friedmann got some samples of various rubber/foam/tape
products from McMaster-Carr. I ended up using a closed cel foam tape product close to what the factory used
to seal the moulding to the body. It was too wide, but I applied to the moulding and trimmed it down with an
X-Acto blade. Looks, fit, worked great.
I got one vent wing back together. What a pain in the neck. I mean, that was a complete, utter pain.
I have two different weatherstrip sets from two vendors just to cover the bases, and I thought they
both were substandard compared to OEM.
The vent wings are going in the doors this week.
I also gave the trunk weatherstrip a test-go, and have the c-pillar mouldings ready to pop back on.
Thanks to Mr. Jon Thompson for the clips!
Mark
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Mark,
I helped a friend put his vent window in a few years ago and the new rubber surround never fit quite right either. The vent window never did close tightly and he gets a lot of wind noise because of it. For that reason, I kept the my original rubber in place. Only if you look closely can you see that it's somewhat "seasoned".
I also had trouble with the fuzzy track that the front window slides up into. At the very top of the fuzzy there is a brass molded insert where that small screw holds the fuzzy to the vent window frame. It compressed so tight that I could not roll the window up all the way. It stopped about 3/8" short. I had to take the glass back out to get the fuzzy strip out. I then took a razor knife and trimmed excess rubber from the outside and the inside around the top 1/2" so that the side glass could roll up all the way. I used a wooden paint stick as a gage (it's about the same thickness as the side glass) to test the gap or spacing. What complicated this for me was the power window option. With a manual window, you can just use a "strong arm" roll up the window. With a power window, it just stops when it binds up. Here a photo of that area. BTW, I think it was a Soffseal product.
John
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I had the same problem with my vent window gaskets. Ended up at a salvage yard and found vent windows with okay gaskets and used the old gaskets on my windows. The aftermarket gaskets I purchased were impossible to install. I would say that installing the gaskets was one of the most difficult and frustrating things that I did during the restoration. Everytime I see the words "EXACT REPRODUCTION" I look at buying an NOS or used part.
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John, Tom,
Thanks for the info. I'm glad it's not just me! I still have the original weatherstrip.
I might have to clean it up and reuse it. The vertical sections that the vent glass
seals against aren't all that nice though. I have a set of Steele and Metro, and am
not impressed with either one. I've had to modify and trim here and there to get
them even close. On the Metro version, I have a gap on the horizontal portion
between the back vertical bar and the front chrome vent frame. A potentially huge
water leak. I'm going to clean up the originals and see what they look like.
Any tips on what to use to clean them?
Mark
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If the original smooth surface is alreay gone, I would try media blasting. I wouldn't use sand as it might be too rough. We used to use glass beads, but I don't see anyone mentioning it anymore. Maybe soda blasting? Do not use a wire wheel, it will grab the gasket and rip it out of your hands, not to mention the damage it will do. This isn't meant as a insulting question, but have you tried soap and water? And maybe a toothbrush.
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Kurt,
Glass beading is not a bad idea. I might try some other, older rubber piece that is dispensable for a test. I have access to a bead blast setup.
Kurt, no insult taken! I should try the soap and water first. With all the auto cleaning chemicals out in the market now, I thought there might be something new to try out.
Mark
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Last Sunday was an all afternoon T-10 marathon. Since dropping in the engine/trans, the trans has been leaking lube from between the main case and the rear bearing retainer. Pulled it out of the car and flopped it on the bench. Pulled off the tailshaft and bearing retainer.
It was a little hard to figure out where the leak was coming from, but after a few minutes of poking around, we could see that the pin holding in the cluster was out from the rear of the main case about .020-.025. The gasket couldn't seal that much of a gap. Removed the main shaft and everything back of the main case.
A rap on the end of the pin with a brass drift got it where it needed to be and then was reassembled, and back into the car. About 4 hours total - between that and watching the Daytona 500.
Now it's on to the exhaust and driveshaft install.
Mark
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Mark, sounds like you are making great progress! Hope to see you and your gs in Iowa!
Jon :headbang:
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Jon,
The plan is to be there with the car, probably not finished, but running. The interior is not going to make the "done" list. I'm continuing to chip away at it. Attached are pics of the Gardner exhaust. I spent hours fiddling with the mufflers and tailpipes, but just couldn't get the tailpipes to exit in the same spot side-to-side. The driveshaft went in right after I called it a day on the exhaust. Starter is now in, and I bolted in the wiper motor and am ready to drop the wiper transmission back in. I ordered a windshield, which should be here this week.
Tonight I'm taking the shifter apart. I totally forgot about that.
Mark
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Looking good Mark! Your perseverance and commitment to get the details just right has been an inspiration. You have certainly 'raised the bar' of quality standards for the rest of us doing restorations. It's likely your car will be the most meticulously restored 65 GS on the planet! Lead on!
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Mark,
Looks like your getting, looks real good.
Jay
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I just want to know how you are going to get the starter and associated wiring in there with the exhaust manifold already installed....
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Mark,
Looking real good!!! Regarding Brian last comment, putting the starter on will require a helping hand. You will need to unbolt the exhaust pipe and hang out of the way. Then you'll need to unbolt the exhaust manifold but keep in place. The guy leaning over the fender holds the exhaust manifold out away from the engine, up close to the frame. The guy lying on the floor maneuvers the starter into place. Once the starter is bolted into place, then the exhaust manifold can be bolted back up. This may sound simple, but it will be a tight fit and a struggle to squeeze that darn heavy starter between the engine and the exhaust manifold. The exhaust pipe, frame and wiring harness will always be in your way. It can be done, but there's a good chance that paint on the frame, exhaust pipe and starter will get scratched in the process. I believe this is why those mini starter are such a good idea.
Here's a tip on the wiper motor: make sure the wiper motor is in the off position before installing the wiper arms. This will avoid the possibility that the wiper arms will accidentally sweep across the cowl and hood the first time you flip the switch.
Good luck,
John Egel
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Mark,
Here's a tip on the wiper motor: make sure the wiper motor is in the off position before installing the wiper arms. This will avoid the possibility that the wiper arms will accidentally sweep across the cowl and hood the first time you flip the switch.
Good luck,
John Egel
Not to mention, it's easier to get the wiper arms on when you're not trying to hit a moving target. :overthetop:
Loren
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Very funny Loren! :overthetop: I had to go back and reread what I had written in the post. I did phase that kinda awkwardly, didn't I? But I think all will know what I meant. John
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Walt & Jay,
Thanks for the kind words! This resto is just from my garage, not a professional job, so I just hope it shows well.
Brian & John,
Starter is in. I've had one of Tom Telesco's mini starters for quite awhile. It couldn't have taken 5 minutes to put it in.
The stock wiring should work fine too. I have the stocker if the need ever comes up where I have to use it.
I'm not going to put the wiper arms on until the harnesses and battery are in and the engine has been started.
I've heard of that happening! I'll snap a pic of the starter tonight and post it in the morning.
Again, thanks everybody for the kind words. I plan to be in Ames!
Mark
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John,
Gotta have some fun.
Hotel reservation for Ames made. Guess I should register too.
Mark,
Your restoration is going great. Just because you aren't getting paid to do it,doesn't make the quality any less. And you are doing a high quality job.
Loren
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Having seen Mark's car just last week, I can attest that it is a work of art. Everything looks great. I know everyone in Ames will agree.
I'd also like to thank Mark for the parts last week. He's a life saver and i owe him big time.
Rob K
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Loren,
Thanks for the kind words and the reminder. I better make reservations for Ames soon.
Rob,
Thank you as well. Most of what I'm handing off to you would have been sold or liquidated at some point. I'm happy it's going to a great project.
I'll post starter pics tomorrow.
Mark
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Attached are pics of Tom's mini starter.
Mark
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Looks like a much nicer fit then the original. Probably not prone to getting hot from the exhaust manifold either.
Loren
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Mark,
Very nice fit. Looking good! Tom makes a fantastic mini starter! Gotta get me one.
John
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Mark , looks great from the pics can not wait to see you and your gs at Iowa , also the rest of the guys ! Jon
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There is a rubber filler that attaches to the pinch weld just under the taillights. I believe this filler is used to minimize light from the license plate light from entering the taillight area. The one from my car was dust, so I threw it away. I was able to get a couple of other good ones to choose from to use. These were either stapled or clipped on. Mine was stapled, but I chose to do the clip version. The clips are almost impossible to find, I found these on ebay from a regular Skylark being parted out, and had them replated.
Mark
Aha, I wondered what that thing was! Thanks Mark
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Ted, don't thank me - Mr. Stone informed me of the purpose of that!
I hope to be posting some updates here in a few weeks.
Mark
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Too bad our schedules didn't work out while I was up to MN. Would have been nice to see the progress.
Loren
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Loren,
That will just mean more progress to see on your next visit.
Had a good, albeit short, visit with Mr. Stone a few nights ago.
Mark
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Mark,
Still have that manifold for you. Hope I don't miss place it again.lol
Looking forward to seeing the progress, in the not too distant future.
Got a bit of a full dance card this fall with our son's wedding coming up, as well as every thing else that normally goes on.
Loren
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Loren,
Sorry I missed you last week. Let me know when you're going to be up here next. We have to do a parts exchange! Still looking for those original lug nuts you had too....
Thought I'd post a few pics, updates.
Shifter was completely disassembled, cleaned, and parts bead blasted. They are now off to the platers. Most of these will be gray phosphate, with a few black, cast-blast painted parts.
Mark
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The dash clusters - both sides - were completely restored by Brian Stone. They look like new front & back! Many thanks Brian!
The heater control bezel will posted next, he did that as well.
Mark
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You guys (Mark and Brian) are amazing. That dash looks like new and the shifter will too when its done. Great work.
Dan
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Mark,
I've had some time and have been sorting through things, still haven't seen the lug nuts.
Our trip up that way was not planed, no real lead time for letting you know. Had a funeral in WI that I needed to be at.
Things are finally picking up at work, start back Wednesday.Just when I start making some real progress on things at home too. Poor planing on their part.lol
Will catch you some other time,
Loren
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mark the dash is beautiful who is Brian stone and how much did he charge? Glenn!
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This is the heater bezel Brian did.
Oh yea, an old grungy one is on the right. Brian's work is on the left.
Dan, thanks! I'll be talking to you soon.
Loren, the job thing is good... I hope to see you sometime this spring.
Do you want to help me put in the windshield and back window?
Glenn, Brian is an esteemed member of this forum. His handle is "Brian"
Send him a private message. You should discuss any charges with him.
I have his labor, plus some parts in the dash. Locating suitable decent, original,
chromed dash components will be the key.
Mark
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Mark,
I would like to help you with that. But it looks like I am going to be a wee bit tied up with the work thing for a while.
Also getting closer to putting the floor in my shop this spring. I am really looking forward to that.
Loren
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Loren,
I think I have the glass part handled. Thanks!
I put the ESPO springs in last week. These were recommended by Pat Guida (and Walt I think).
They are going to work much better. I don't have the brakes on yet, but will this week.
Then on the ground so I can measure ride height.
Now, what should I get from ESPO for rear springs? I'll cross post over in the suspension forum
on that thread regarding springs.
Link to spring thread:
http://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,47.0.html
Mark
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I was going to install the rechromed front bumper I've had waiting for nearly 15 years about two weeks ago. Since the bumper didn't come on this car, it was a crapshoot whether it would fit. It didn't. The left side needs some bending and reshaping if it's ever going to work. I picked up a used core two years ago. I had the back cleaned up on this one with some fine sandblasting to clean off rust and old road grime. This one is will work fine, it just needs to have some small dings and a few bumper jack dents taken out and then rechromed. I have a quote for $475 from Keystone. I'll post a pic later of the fit on the car.
Mark
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On the car trial fit. It's out being straightened and de-dinged. Then back on to fit again.
Mark
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Mark, where do you get your bumper bolts ? Around here they all seem to have too small a head. Think the head is supposed to be 7/8 " but the ones I've found are a bit smaller.
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Dan, I had to use, scrounge originals. I found the same problem. When I had a decent set, I polished the outside with a Dremel and a small polish wheel.
Mark
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Dan,
I got my bumper bolts from Carquest. Of course, this was 12 years ago. They were a match for the originals. I think two different size diameters are needed for the front and rear bumpers. They had stainless steel caps and polished up nicely, like chrome.
John
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We assembled the door and quarter reveal mouldings last night. It is good to have one of your best friends work as a mechanical engineer. Specialized tools used were a rivet "squeezer" (I don't know the technical name), a notching tool, and a hand held hole punch. The Steele weatherstrips needed holes made for the screws that hold them to the body, and for the plastic parts that were riveted on the originals. The mouldings themselves were polished and re-anodized some years ago. See pictures below.
Mark
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Mr. Brian Stone arrived in St. Paul Thursday evening, Sept. 23 for a weekend of thrashing on the GS.
We started bright & early on Friday. Then Dan Ankeny arrived, and later had a surprise for us.
I don't know why he's laughing in the pic, probably something I didn't tighten up.
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Loren Alexander drove up from Nebraska, and helped out all weekend too. Engine was getting close to complete
later on Friday. Clutch linkage is shown with the Buick Farm repro boot (thanks Doug!) and the felt washer
is new. They are available! if anyone needs one, contact me.
Mark
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Brian screwing the instrument panel together. The engine is close to complete in photo 2.
Some other car showed up - unknown make & model. Melissa liked it though I guess.
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Engine fired up, about 7:30 pm on Saturday. All sounded well, but we had to escape the fumes in the garage
after 5 minutes or so. The timing and carb was set and cam break-in was finished on Sunday. That led to it's
first drive in 18 years. Windshield went in after that, and the second drive was better without the wind in my face!
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GS Crew in photo L-R: Rob, Brian, Mark, Jay
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I almost forget. A huge THANKS to Brian, Loren, Dan (thanks for the carb!) Rob & Jay.
Loren has been involved with this since the beginning - an unbelievable 20 years ago.
I met Brian early in the V8Buick days, he lived in the same town in NC as my in-laws.
Mark
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Mark, it looks Great! wish I could have come up for the test fire ,you had almost the whole crew there! :rocker: Jon
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Videos of the first drive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUu9GHgeOrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiLJhUdDsXY
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Great video Brian !! Not quite the same as being there but close. Thanks for posting it.
Dan
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Mark, congrats on getting your car back together. :hello2: :occasion14:
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Hi Jon, wish you could have been here too! We missed John as well.
Thanks Tom!
Mark
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I'm going to try one of these thermostat housings. Seals with an o-ring.
Mark
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We were just talking about the need for an "O" ring solution like that .
Loren
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Loren,
I was looking for an original type thermostat gasket, not some universal fit deal, and stumbled across that.
That was my first thought - we had just talked talked about it. Once it's painted green, and the fuel filter
bracket is bolted on, it should be almost unnoticeable.
Mark
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I highly recommend you bead-blast it before you paint it or the paint is not going to stick well. I would also mask off the majority of the area that will be inside the hose--it will seal better and will keep the antifreeze from leaching through the paint and dis-coloring the paint on the housing outside the hose.
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Congratulations, looks great :occasion14:. How do I schedule the " roving 65 GS restoration crew " to Texas ? My convertible should be back from paint in feb-march for reassembly .
Regards,
DL
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[ How do I schedule the " roving 65 GS restoration crew " to Texas ? My convertible should be back from paint in feb-march for reassembly .
Regards,
DL
[/quote]
That's a good question. Sounds like fun!
Loren
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DL,
Is the car back yet?
Mark
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Hi Mark,
it is not, but getting close to paint. These cars just keep growing bright work :stop: ... I disassembled the fender ports to be chromed as well. They should be ready to be picked up.
DL
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I got the battery and it is on (pic attached). I'm still working on the hold down.
I ordered a headliner from SMS back in early June. Still not here. Mine has a silver headliner. Grey is readily available, but no one had silver.
SMS said they had silver, but turns out they had to manufacture, or have manufactured, the silver tier pattern fabric. So someday I'll be getting a pre-sewn headliner and extra material for the c-pillar panels and visors.
Mark:
Cars, Inc. reproduces the GS battery hold down (I'm sure you already know that, but just in case).
Silver tier headliner fabric???? I'd be interested in purchasing some of that material as well. Please let me know if SMS actually comes through with the silver. Thanks.
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Dan,
I believe I bought the CARS hold down. It doesn't appear 100% like the factory version, but that could be because of the
difference in original & replacement battery sizes. I'll try and get some pics posted.
I did get the silver headliner from SMS, so they should have that fabric in stock. It's actually a metallic silver and looks
just like original.
Mark
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Mark Ascher driving around to get his 1st place trophy with his newly completed 65 GS yesteray at the Land O Lakes Muscle Car Classic in MN.
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Here he is receiving the trophy. His wife Melissa and son Will are in the car with him.
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Congratulations Mark!!!
Your perseverance has paid off. Very beautiful car.
Loren
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Congratulations Mark!!! Not only for completing the restoration, but for the recognition received at the show. You have one of the most detailed accurate restorations that I have ever seen. You've set the bar high for the rest of us. Now go out and drive it and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
John
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Mark
Congratulations!!!!
John and Loran are right.
I think you have reset the bar.
I hope to see you and your car this Saturday.
Milton
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Congrats Mark! :thumbsup:
Chris
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Thank you Brian, Loren, John, Milton & Chris!
Quite a weekend, it couldn't have been accomplished without help from a long list of friends and this forum.
Many thanks to Brian, Loren and Dan for traveling to MH to help. Also thanks to Frank Friedmann for keeping
me focused and Jody Anderson, the guru for parts. I want to mention Loren again for his work on the seats,
I received a number of comments on the quality of his work, and for driving them up from Lincoln on Sat!
There were a couple of funny moments, popping the shop breaker late Sat. night and two teenagers requests
to listen to AM radio on the way back from the show.
Mark
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Congrats Mark! Nice work!!!!
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Congratulations Mark!
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Beautiful job, congrads on your awards. :cheers2:
AL
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Beautiful car Mark. You did a fantastic job on the build and assembly. Thanks for the hospitality and congratulations.
Dan
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Congratulations Mark. :occasion14: Your efforts were well rewarded!
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Thank you Dan H, Jim, Al, Tom, and Dan A! thanks for your help and assistance to get it there.
Looks like an event in Green Bay next year?
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Yes Mark, the BCA Heartland Regional will be held in Green Bay on July 16 - 18. You will be able to drive your freshly minted Senior Gold car over from MN. :cheers2:
The hotel is just blocks from Lambeau Field (home of the Packers) and the Packer Hall of Fame (4 Lombardi trophies). Should be a good show.
Tom B - make your vacation plans now. :occasion14:
Dan
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Yes Mark, the BCA Heartland Regional will be held in Green Bay on July 16 - 18. You will be able to drive your freshly minted Senior Gold car over from MN. :cheers2:
The hotel is just blocks from Lambeau Field (home of the Packers) and the Packer Hall of Fame (4 Lombardi trophies). Should be a good show.
Tom B - make your vacation plans now. :occasion14:
Dan
LOL!! :icon_biggrin: :occasion14: :cheers2: But that's too early for football season. My vacation plans also depend on the BPG 50th anniversary Gran Sport celebration.