Sneak peak at my 66 Cutlass - Page 12 - Lateral-g Forums

gearheads78 · #**111** 11-26-2008, 03:38 PM

Off work today for Turkey day so I got the body back home finally.

gearheads78 · #**112** 01-18-2009, 07:43 PM

Well the holidays are over and I finally got in the shop a little this weekend. Managed to get the valve covers sanded and repainted. Then was carefully fitting and assembling the painted and powder coated parts on the motor. Here is a before I started pic and what its looking like now,

OLDFLM · #**113** 01-18-2009, 08:59 PM

Looks GREAT my friend! It won't be long now... (c:]
V/R,
Ty

thedude327 · #**114** 01-19-2009, 07:43 AM

Just finished reading the previous 12 pages and all I can say is Fantastic job !!! Your attention to detail is what makes your build. Watching as you work out a solution to a problem and move on to the next item is the way to do it. Too many guys get bogged down with problems, but with some time and creative thinking, there is nothing that can't be sorted out. Actually, that's where the true fun of the build is.

Paul

gearheads78 · #**115** 01-19-2009, 08:15 AM

Thanks Paul the problem with being anal about details is everytime I make something right then something next to it no longer does.

radrambler · #**116** 01-19-2009, 08:29 AM

car is looking really nice .good job all the refinishing

tom

gearheads78 · #**117** 02-08-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radrambler

car is looking really nice .good job all the refinishing

tom

Thanks Tom

Lots of little preparation stuff going on right now so not much to report. I did pull the front suspension apart today again. The black zinc plating that came on the cross shafts on the upper control arms was rusting just from the humitity. It was driveing me crazy so I pulled them off and cleaned up, primed and painted them.

gearheads78 · #**118** 02-08-2009, 10:08 PM

I also have been tinkering with the wiper motor this week. Ever since I was a little kid I have had a problem with having to take things apart to see how it was put together. As an adult in my mid 30's I am still just as bad.

Over all it was not too hard to get apart. The hardest part was getting the staked motor cover off But it was a waste of time. There is a bronze bushing with a plate welded over it so it can't be removed for plating. It came off pretty easy after I spend time trying things that didn't work. What did work is clamping around the magnetic body with a chain vice grip wrench and clamping the wrench in a vice. I then used a rubber strap wrench to turn the cap when pulling outward and it spun off after getting it going.

Still waiting on some plating to finish but got the hard part done today.
Cleaned everything real good in the parts washer and blasted the aluminum with walnut shells. I painted the motor cover and put the main housing back on the the motor and cover. I then resoldered the motor wires I had disconnected. The hardest part came next. No matter how hard I tried I could not get the mail shaft, white gear and the drive plate down far enough to seat the snap ring. After some head scratching I decided to sacrifice a socket by making a window. It worked perfect pressing it with a c-clamp and was back together in seconds when I did that.

gearheads78 · #**119** 02-19-2009, 09:05 PM

I was off today so I was able to get in the shop a little this afternoon.

I got the original carpet back in. Its a little short now on the sides do to the taller tunnel but it will do for now. Installed the shifter boot after that. If anyone uses this boot make sure to mark you holes with the metal retainer plate. I used the rubber boot and that was a mistake. Some of the holes did not quite line up so I had to get creative with some of the screw angles.

I then started wireing up the TKO600 too. After thinking about how to do it the best way I used the reverse and neutral switches on the transmission to control ground on a couple relays. I went through the facory firewall grommet to the inside of the car. I was able to position the relays so I did not have to cut or splice the original wires at all. Just pulled the wires out of the plug ends and on to the relay. If I ever have a neutral saftey relay go out the reverse relay is right there so I have a back up so i am not standed for mor than a minute. Power to the relays will come from the power window spade in the fuse block.

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gearheads78 · #**120** 03-10-2009, 09:46 PM

Moving along..

Well a while back I had a horrible rechome job done Mr G's on a real floor shift gauge bezel I had picked up. I still have the stripped one I picked back up from them but I had an idea. My original column shift bezel is in excellent condition and I happen to have a junk dash out of a 67. After a little measuring I discovered there is one place next the the light switch thats just big enough to cut out a section of the groved material.

I cut it out was a little demmel saw and then got it close with a belt sander. Final fitting was done by hand. The very corners were into the smooth area so I cut groves by hand with a tiny file. Once I get a little touch up paint on it you will never know. 8)

I wanted a little bit of custom touch to the outside of the car and here is what I did. The factory light silver in some of the side mouldings was chipped up and rubbed off so it needed to be redone. I still had some of the dark gray the wheels were done in so that is the color the inserts of the mouldings now. The gray and black with polished stainless looks killer against the red.