On the Olds again...

[greg pettit]

Ok, lots of stuff got in the way of the Olds this summer so far. 4wd conversion on the truck, trans rebuild on the truck, trans rebuild on the racecar, new rear suspension on the racecar, complete teardown and cutting up of a running and driving Ford Torino, complete teardown and cutting up of a 1990 F-350, and installing a/c in the shop.

Now, as of last night, the Olds is up on jackstands and this morning we're going to get started on finishing the driver's side floor.

Also, we're going to get going on the trunk floor replacement and the tail panel replacement, as well as the trunk lip replacement.

If time permits, we're gonna take out the windshield, too, as I found three of 'em at the salvage where we bought this car. The one we're going to grab is from a 1959 Buick Invicta 2-door.....I think they are thge same? If not, someone let me know...lol..... (with a/c, oddly enough).

Next on the list is the electric fuel pump install, as the mechanical one bit the dust. It worked for awhile, but I think sitting dry for two decades did some damage....lol....

Anyhow, that's that! Glad to see some activity on the site recently, as well.

Greg

[greg pettit]

I just realized I didn't get this into the off-topic discussion. Sorry, feel free to move this one!

Greg

[greg pettit]

Ok, the floors are complete! Yippee! Man what a pain that was.

Also, we have the replacement tail panel tacked in place. That was an even bigger pain. A friend of mine is coming over to beat the panel straight and get it smooth, and we're all dine there.

Didn't get to the windshield or the trunk floor yet, but that's next.

Greg

[toolbox]

If time permits, we're gonna take out the windshield, too, as I found three of 'em at the salvage where we bought this car. The one we're going to grab is from a 1959 Buick Invicta 2-door.....I think they are thge same? If not, someone let me know...lol..... (with a/c, oddly enough).

Next on the list is the electric fuel pump install, as the mechanical one bit the dust. It worked for awhile, but I think sitting dry for two decades did some damage....lol....

Anyhow, that's that! Glad to see some activity on the site recently, as well.

Greg

Hey Greg! Great to hear from you again. On the windshields...I'd bet money that the 1960 glass is the same as the Buick, but I don't know about '59...there's a pretty good chance it is, but I wouldn't guarantee it. I'll see if I can find out for sure though. And on the fuel pump, you might just want to rebuild the one that's on there to retain the vacuum pump end of it. There are at least a couple of suppliers out there that can sell you a rebuild kit. I checked on one through http://www.classicpreservation.com, and they quoted me $39 plus $6 shipping...not bad at all. Anyway, something to think about anyway...

[toolbox]

Ok, the floors are complete! Yippee! Man what a pain that was.

Also, we have the replacement tail panel tacked in place. That was an even bigger pain. A friend of mine is coming over to beat the panel straight and get it smooth, and we're all dine there.

Didn't get to the windshield or the trunk floor yet, but that's next.

Greg

That's awesome, but where's the pictures . Just kidding...would love to see pics though. If you ever get bored and want another project, feel free to drop by my place...my '55 Willys Jeep is a real gold mine for anyone who likes to burn off MIG wire. The floor and hat channels need an awful lot of help .

[greg pettit]

Thanks for the tip on the fuel pump. Although I have already installed the electric pump, I'll keep the mechanical around just in case. I have learned that the a/c cars had a specific pump, and they don't grow on trees anymore.

Here's a pic of the rear of the car from last night after we got some stuff done. I still need to complete some welding at the bottom, and we're going to be working on getting the panel smooth soon.

[super88dan]

I sure wish I could do all that! I've done some minor mechanical stuff but, that schmidt rocks!
I've got a Saturn Wagon that I'm conveting to an Olds. Everything Saturn is getting covered with Olds crap.

[greg pettit]

Anybody notice anything unusual about the rear script on the car in the pic above?

[toolbox]

Anybody notice anything unusual about the rear script on the car in the pic above?

Hey...wait a minute! There's an extra letter in there...that pic doesn't have quite enough resolution to make out what it really says... Wanna share your secret .

[greg pettit]

[toolbox]

COOOOOOLLLLL!!! Nice job! Keep it up--that's going to be the coolest sedan rolling...
That does make me want to ask though...are you going to give it a real paint job, or just go with it? That thing would look sweet in some shade of red or blue with a bunch of metal flake...

[greg pettit]

Glad you like the new letters.... That was a fun project. In the pic, the letters are just finger tight with one nut a piece, so they aren't really being held straight. They will be darn near perfectly aligned when we get 'em tightened up later.

As for the paint, well, I don't know what we're gonna do. For the short term, we are going to do the bodywork (it will be a learning experience for us) and spray the car some kind of satin black. Just a cheapy paint job that will be easy to remove when it's time to paint the car for real.

We have another project that needs to get underway ASAP, so I'm looking to get the olds running, driving, and reliable and then consider it done and drive it.

Greg

[toolbox]

Glad you like the new letters.... That was a fun project. In the pic, the letters are just finger tight with one nut a piece, so they aren't really being held straight. They will be darn near perfectly aligned when we get 'em tightened up later.

As for the paint, well, I don't know what we're gonna do. For the short term, we are going to do the bodywork (it will be a learning experience for us) and spray the car some kind of satin black. Just a cheapy paint job that will be easy to remove when it's time to paint the car for real.

We have another project that needs to get underway ASAP, so I'm looking to get the olds running, driving, and reliable and then consider it done and drive it.

Greg

Sounds like a plan. Sounds like you haven't done a lot of body work? I'm no expert, but I've done a lot of it. It takes me forever, but the results are pretty good. Get good body filler...I'm a big fan of Evercoat "Rage" and U.S. Chemical "Half-Time". About the only other piece of advice I would give is don't bother with the plastic spreaders you see everywhere...get a 6" drywall knife. It made my life a lot easier when I was slingin' plastic...you can get the stuff spread out pretty accurate the first time, which saves a lot of sanding time. I guess that would be the other thing...stock up on sandpaper . If you like sanding, you'll LOVE bodywork .
Are you going to spray it yourself? A satin finish should be pretty easy to lay down...