Outa Gas!
 

2/12 Plan B The plan was to tack in drop off patch and then work on the outer skin for the quarter ... NO gas for the welder, What? There should have been ... Plan B go back in the warm house or get the bottom of the trunk cleaned up. So I made a mess with the fiber disc and then cleaned the garage:thumbsup:
Not real exciting but... better than nothing. Just have the floor boards to do now!

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/5299/12021212.jpg
I'll need to get a disc on the rough spots, maybe sand blast?
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/1413/12021213.jpg
She's solid :thumbsup:

It's snowing out now!!!
Later,
Michael

2/14
 

Garage time w my sweetheart! Good couple hours in the garage, got the drop off welded and dressed. I cut it too short at the tail pan the first time :mad: and it bugged me so ... I welded the piece back on and then cut again to fit:unibrow: had to! Came out pretty nice, dress the back side and undercoat, good as new:woot:
So here is the progress so far .... not that exciting, but it's progress.

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/290/12021422.jpg
Drivers drop off patched and dressed
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/8836/12021423.jpg
Need to dress the back, she's good.

Hopefully I can get the outer patch welded on this weekend, that's the plan.
Later,
Michael

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks!
 

Thanks for the :thumbsup: :thumbsup: , I am getting there slowly, can't wait for some warm weather. :yes: I'm heading out to the garage after dinner to work on the quarter skin!
Michael

2/18 Update
 

Finished the drop offs got the passenger side welded in dressed both sides, that was the easy part - now to the outer skin patches. I don't like the way they sit, if you look at my last photo you can see where I've rolled the patch under and it now sits flush with the drop off and doesn't have that step from the factory. It should be ok as long as I do both sides the same:_paranoid

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/125/12021830.jpg
Passenger drop off welded:thumbsup:
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/5179/12021833.jpg
Driver side dressed

Thanks for looking,
Michael

Looking good. Now, how is that new cut off wheel working? Better? I finally ordered one the other day too as well as the oiler for it

Air grinder
 

I ordered the right angle die grinder from that website and it came in for Valentine's Day and I put it straight to use. The manual says to pump grease into the head every 8 hours or every days use. and a little oil in the air inlet.
It's working well, wished I could keep the moisture outa the line, I brought desiccant granules from work and put them in the air trap and that seems to help - the compressor runs and the differential temp causes moisture.:mad: I could see my breath out there in the garage :unibrow:
Later...

I'm having moisture problems as well. I'm about to move my compressor 100 ft from my garage and add an air dryer setup to it as well as install my new filter setup. I've had it with moisture issues

It looks good nice job.

Thanks, she's coming along nice, albeit slow :thumbsup:
Any comment on the quarter skin being rolled under verses the step that came from the factory, I think if I do both sides nobody will know the difference :unibrow:

Thanks
Michael

The original shape
 

Thought I'd throw in some pix of the original and the patch clamped in the original spot

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5783/12021840.jpg
Bottom flange even w drop off original
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3522/sep2010053.jpg
The original panel before I cut em off with step

Any comments would be appreciated!
Thanks

I'm cornfused as to what you are referring to as a step

See where the clamp is holding the panel on in the previous post- that is where the original panel is supposed to end, and now I rolled the panel under (clamp in same place on drop off) and it makes the quarter curve under and this step will get cutoff!
The two sharpie lines shows how much I lowered the patch and rolled under.

Clear as mud? Wished I could draw a line on the pix.
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/6246/12021835.jpg

Considering reproduction parts are never correct, I would do whatever I had to do to the repop part to make it fit and look like the original did.

Yeah they're not so good ... thought I'd put up some pix to see what others thought - it's tough to see the diff.
Thanks

Unfortunately, that is the nature of repop parts. They simply do not fit like they are suppose to fit. That is why I went with NOS quarters and NOS outer wheel houses. They cost me some coin, but the time saved from not have to 'make' them fit made up for their initial cost. Just keep plugging away on those panels and you will get them to fit. You'll have to do some slicing here and there to get them to the original shape. It's only more work:lol:

Repairs w patch
 

I expected some mods w these patches, but I wasn't gonna replace a good quarter for the small amount of rust, ya know! My second set of front fenders are NOS GM and I bought them back in '98 from Rick's :unibrow: Lucked out!

It's only more work :thumbsup: that's the reason we're doing this!

Nice work!! just went through 10 pages!!!,

where in CO are you?? have friends in Denver, Longmont,

Thanks for the compliment, I am Northern Co, Ft Collins.... it's cold as heck right now, oh yeah -it's winter:lol:

Thanks

Yep ... I got the IR Super Duty 3102 with the oiler/grease tool, I oil and grease every time before I use it. My craftsman has the same grease fitting on the 90* but no one ever told me about the greasing the head - I even read the instructions:( Oh well, I'll return it to Sears.
Thanks

I have the grease kit now :thumbsup: .... I'd rather get some money back from Sears and buy something I need. I'll tear the next one down and post pixs.:unibrow:

Subscribed!
 

I actually only read as far as the cars original color and drive train and subscribed with the knowledge that you were also complemented in another thread for your attitude and abilities.

My car was born in the same configuration. :yes:

Anyway, I will backtrack now and read up... and follow along from here. Inspire away.:thumbsup:

I like the G/G code
 

Thanks for looking, she's coming along slowly. Been so cold I have stayed in the house lately :( , need to get out there this weekend. Waiting on some parts to finish the front cowl.

Thanks again!

I am all caught up on the thread now.:thumbsup:
Lots of similarities between our cars except the most glaring difference is a year of age.

Mine came to me in '89 so that is similar as well. I also have the Protecto-Plate, Van Nuys build sold in CA, 327 2bbl, Powerglide... "Chic's car".:_paranoid
:P

Mine was a nice Emerald Green lacquer when I got it and was painted in '96

Body is pretty good as far as I know, but there will come a time to learn more of her deep dark secrets. For now I just want to get her back on the road and shake her out a bit... the memory of what bugged me is a little foggy. As I put it, " I have a pretty car that handled poorly and didn't stop well."

I ought to start a Project thread but time is a precious commodity.

Keep up the good work. I feel for your working conditions as I know all about working in the cold and alternating between motivated to keep moving despite numb fingers or in my case being too warm and slightly asphyxiated by fumes of the torpedo heater. There is no middle ground it seems.

By the way. Thanks for your service Sailor.:cheers:

Your welcome!
 

Thanks for the compliment on the car, I have a lot to do still but plugging away when I can makes a big difference, I can't wait for warmer weather.:woot:

You are welcome, I would not have had it any other way- Submarines all the way!

My motto about the submarine service: There are more airplanes in the ocean than there are SUBMARINES in the air!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Thanks for looking,
Michael

I know you been too busy to post any updates:lateral:

Ugly Rust!!!!!
 

I have been busy and it's been cold here! And my danged air compressor is heating up the air (differential air temp) and there is water to my tools :(
But today it was nice so I got out there and removed the drivers side cowl panel - I knew there was gonna be rust behind all this and now I can see it!
What a mess, those frigging mice had a house in there and its rusted bad, so ... I'll sand blast this POR15 when it's warmer. My side cowls should be here this week from Year One but I don't want to put them on until I fix the inside.
So here is a couple pictures of the damage:(

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5707/120311121.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Side cowl removed, rusted of course

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8994/120311120.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Better view of the damage
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5205/120311119.jpg
The top shelf is were there was a mouse house, sand blasting soon!!:thumbsup:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I had to do it right or it would have bugged me knowing there was rust behind all this!!!! Time to do the other side :thumbsup:

Later
Michael

Sandblaster will make quick work of that. It doesn't look too bad, but does need attention. I'm sure you'll have it looking all new in no time. Warm weather is coming! It has finally started hitting 70's around here. I can't use the excuse its too cold to work on the car anymore, but I can use the excuse I'm waiting on parts:)

Garage time
 

The temp here got to middle 60's :cheers: and it should be good for a couple more days and then I'm sure it'll snow, gotta keep plugging away - so I'm outa here to do the other side now!

Update 3/13
 

More rust! on the other side cowl! Happened to be the lower section below the air vent opening that rusted the worst, may need to replace with a patch :(
I did get out the ol fiber disc and cleaned the parts I could get to and they came out pretty good, still need to blast the area I can't get to and POR15 em.
Not too exciting but the weather has been nice and it's progress:thumbsup:

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2886/120312126.jpg
Cowl removed and more rust above the patch I welded in:(
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5809/120312123.jpg
Drivers side cleaned with fiber disc
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4291/120312122.jpg
Ditto, still need to sand blast!
Later,
Michael

I just noticed you have the whole cowl removed from your car. Was it that bad of shape? Also, are you going to smooth your firewall?

Yeah, the rust had eaten its way through the seams of the firewall by the wiper motor and the upper cowl, and the dash was rusted out from the windshield leaking. Seemed like the more I dug the worse the rust, so .... to do it right I have to replace everything.
I was going to replace the side cowl panels first and then do a firewall panel, not sure if I'll use a DSE or just make one, that will be a first for me :wow:

At least my floor and the rest of the firewall is good ... gotta think positive right? It could be a lot worse :cheers:

I ended up using the DSE panel and modified it. If my firewall had not been beat to death, I would have just used some sheetmetal to smooth it. I wouldn't weld anything till you have the upper cowl fitted. I would fit the upper cowl as well as those sides all at the same time. Once all is lined up, then I would start welding it.

Roger that, I have the cowl assembly in hand and the side cowls should be here Thursday and I'll start mocking it all up before I weld. With the DSE panel did you weld on top of your original or did you cut out the perimeter and weld?
That's the route I was looking at ... don't see the need for two pieces of metal.

I cut out the original panel and trimmed the lip off the DSE panel. It has a folded lip around its perimeter to fit over the original firewall. It took me an easy day to cut out and install the DSE panel. Its easy work. I am thinking of going back and welding up the seam around the perimeter of the firewall now.

Firewall panel
 

Nice, that was my thinking. I had to go back a ways to find this pix, she's come along way since October.

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/8782/dscn1528d.jpg
Rusted BAD!!!!!!!!!

Later,
Michael

Yowser! Well you almost got it all buttoned up. You'll be driving this summer right?

I don't know about this summer, my job (Fisheries Biologist) has me out and about most of the summer, that's why I'm hitting her hard during the winter. I expect next summer would be a good goal :thumbsup: :thumbsup: