Kevin

That engine looks awesome I like the emblems nice touch. Nice trunk as well. What are your plans for the frame

Tim H wrote:

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Kevin

 What are your plans for the frame

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 That's it, Tim, get him going on a frame off.....

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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Thanks, I was hoping he'd be more "northerly".

I should call Leroy and see what he would want.

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Saturday 9th of March 2013 08:52:08 AM

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 I think Leroy said he had a guy just north of his place that was cheep.

dashboard wrote:

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Scrape and paint for now, I need to draw the line somewhere for both time and money. Might give me something to do next year unless we move and I have a shop with space, then I’d like to do an early 442 or GTO.

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 With all due respect, Sir, now is the time to do the frame. With the entire front clip off and the engine/trans out, it's only a matter of 6-8 more bolts and 1/2 hr time to remove the shell. To go thru ALL that at a later date will only risk scratching the new paint and use a LOT of time and funding, you already have invested at this point, again.

If you move and have more room, I have a HECK-of-a-DEAL for you on a '67 GTO project.... all the hard work will be done. Paint, interior and drivetrain to your liking.

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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dashboard wrote:

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Scrape and paint for now, I need to draw the line somewhere for both time and money.

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 To go thru ALL that at a later date will only risk scratching the new paint and use a LOT of time and funding, you already have invested at this point, again.

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Ain't that the truth!!!   

I knew you would relate, Stan. You didn't plan on a frame off either but it's the only sensible thing to do when you're in that far.

Not much to report Tim, certainly nothing as exciting as Stan’s project; the body work is getting closer, with some luck it should be in primer and block sanding this week.

When we removed the windshield trim we were glad to see there is no rust in the area at all. I’m working on several little detail parts and pieces, from striping and painting to cleaning up and trying to restore the stainless trim.

I’ve been trying to teach myself the art of stainless trim repair, I can see why it’s so expensive to do, it’s very time consuming. I’ve been practicing with some old Elky pieces, denting them with a hammer, putting deep scratch in them and then trying to bring it back. I’ve manufactured several jigs (there’s the wood part) to hold pieces while sanding and pounding out dents and made several tools out of hardwoods and brass. The side stainless trim on the car was so bad that I was close to just leaving it off but I think we may be able to reinstall it now.

Our Classis Air kit has arrived, still waiting on the bumpers and a hand full of other parts, should be ordering the transmission next week.

There might be an interesting photo-op in the next couple of weeks, there could be three club members’ cars in the Maaco shop in different stages of work at the same time, just might be a 2014 calendar picture in the making.

gearlube wrote:

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Kevin looks really good. I take it your going yellow? With all the work we have given them shouldn't we be given a freeby?

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 So yours is the third car ?? Have you finished it and kept it a secret ???? 

Nice Work.  Are those the same beat up F-body manifolds I gave you? 

dashboard wrote:

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Tim H wrote:

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Kevin

That trim work is cool. I know a guy who does it and he uses lead and sand bags it's a real art.  

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 Thanks Tim you’re right about the art, while trying to teach myself how to do this I’m not sure if I’m a poor student or bad teacher. I need to get the sand bag but for now I’m going to try clay as a backing on some of the small dents.

When the previous owner preped the car for paint he really beat up the stainless trim with what I would guess was a d8 sander. Plus the trim that runs from the trailing edge of the door to the back of the car is over seven feet long; it’s picked up a lot of door dings over 48 years and suffered at least one run in with a garage door. The finial results won’t be show quality but it will be a big improvement.

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 You might try the trim repair guy in Buffalo, mn.  Gerald Wodke (SP).  Only does Stainless repair. He was at the Buick show in May last year, goes to Jefferson, was also St, Peter last year.  He used the sand backs and lots of buffers.  He got to be 72, so maybe he will teach you his tricks, if he is still around.

SteveS wrote:

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Nice Work.  Are those the same beat up F-body manifolds I gave you? 

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Yep, same ones just tapped and plugged the pollution ports and reworked the heat shield. You need to stop by and we’ll run some gas through them.

Tim H wrote:

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Kevin

That trim work is cool. I know a guy who does it and he uses lead and sand bags it's a real art. He kind of gave it up because of the aftermarket parts and the cost of refurbishing parts.

I like your way of making the molds and taking a swing at it.

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 Thanks Tim you’re right about the art, while trying to teach myself how to do this I’m not sure if I’m a poor student or bad teacher. I need to get the sand bag but for now I’m going to try clay as a backing on some of the small dents.

When the previous owner preped the car for paint he really beat up the stainless trim with what I would guess was a d8 sander. Plus the trim that runs from the trailing edge of the door to the back of the car is over seven feet long; it’s picked up a lot of door dings over 48 years and suffered at least one run in with a garage door. The finial results won’t be show quality but it will be a big improvement.

,

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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Kevin, get a couple tubes of sand from Menards to use. You don't need the expensive leather bags. Put a heavy towel under the trim and tap away.

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 And then Kevin can teach the rest of the people interested.

I cleaned up, de-scratched, de-dinged and buffed a LOT of the trim on Blackie... and like you had to learn the "art". Lots of custom carved wood dowels & shapes, a light little tack hammer, and a stack of DVD's for the player.

One - it's MESSY! Once you get to the buffing/polishing stage you'll have greazy black compound and greazy black wheel-hairs floating around everywhere.
Two - that stuff gets HOT! Wear some leather gloves.

Three - Get over the fear that if you lose concentration, your irreplaceable part will fling itself across the room at sub-sonic speed.
Four through 287 - just a learning curve.

I found a reasonable buffing kit at Home Depot. Packaged by Ryobi, it has several sticks of compound, and they offer wheels with a drill chuck.  Check a local hobby shop for a pack of sanding sheets. You're looking for the one that contains several sheets of the micro-fine grades of sandpaper that'll get your (relatively) crude & rough work (800g) down to a easily buffable state.

The only catch is they still need to be sent out to be re-anodized. Well, the ones that were originally anodized that is. Unless you dont want to have that done. There are some metal polishes that keep the finish looking pretty nice but you cant really polish the back side where water and dirt get trapped and the anodizing is there to protect the part as well as keep it looking good. I checked into all sorts of info on this years ago for the trim parts for my 66. Which is a story all itself that wasnt a happy one.

You think you got problems Mr. Dashboard....

Little treat from the GSTA show

  Hey Spot!! Someday!!

John D wrote:

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  Hey Spot!! Someday!!

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 Curious why my post was marked as potential spam ...

John it’s not just any one big thing it’s the compilation of several small things that will make the hole, lots of small things

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Not much to report as the body has been just a dusty body shop gray for some time; pictures really don’t show the progress taking place. The second block sanding is complete, yesterday it was in the paint booth for primer so we might even see yellow this week.

Bumpers arrived Tuesday, I have to say it was more than worth the 16 week wait, they look great both front and back. The Keystone folks were great to work with and I recommend their service.
AC kit arrived from Classic Air last week; lots of other parts have as well my parts return ratio has dropped to two to one.
I’ll post pix updates later; today and tomorrow will be devoted to removing some of the 80 foot Maple tree that came down during the last storm. If anyone wants some free firewood it’s here for the taking. All you need to do is put on some hip waders go 60 feet out into the pond cut it up with a chain saw drag it to the shoreline cut it up some more then drag it 100 feet up a very steep slippery hill and carry it to the street. Send me a pm if you’re interested.

Darn, no takers on the firewood. We drew straws and my neighbor became the deep water guy. 

In the paint line, could be yellow tomorrow.

We have a Y code, Bamboo Cream Buick Special. Maaco has done the same thing with the Buick as they did with the Elky last year. Paint it Friday afternoon in its disassembled state then let it sit in the booth over the weekend and start assembly Monday morning.

Everyone that has worked on this car has taken ownership in it. From body work, paint perp, masking to painting they all treated it like it was theirs.

When we arrived late this afternoon people who had worked on the car were standing outside the booth as the painter applied the last coat of clear waiting to see how it came out. The painter taped  notes to both ends of the booth warning people to stay out of the booth, I think in jest but I didn’t open the door to find out.

Assembly starts Monday, I’ll get some close up pictures without needing to shoot through paint booth glass.

Stan’s car is next, then one more club member is in line behind him.

Just like a proud PaPa taking pics thru the maternity ward window...  Gonna be the hit of all the local shows.

OK, I've asked before and never got an answer... WHO is the "other" member with a car there ???? The only other project car MIA for months is..............gearlube....

Cool. It will sure be nice to see it assembled.

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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 I sure like the looks of the sign as well as the car. Where do people get those signs made?

Out of the paint locker, now its cut, buff and assemble time, paint looks great we are very happy. The grin and thumbs up from the painter last Friday said it all.

Tim to answer your question about the process, after the body work and primer the car was block sanded then sprayed with a heavy build primer and then blocked sanded again followed with a primer/sealer prior to base coat clear coat.

Jacob was just starting the wet sanding this morning; he starts with 1500 and will finish with 5000 grit then follows up with the buff and polish.

I dropped off all the new weather-stripping, seals and some chrome parts; I need to go back to remove the heater box and install the AC blank off plates.

Could be home before the weekend.

Most sign shops make show boards like that. There is also a local guy here in the cities that also makes a really nice show board using photos of your car as part of the presentation on the board itself. His price was actually quite reasonable too but I cant find his contact info now. He even set up at one of our meetings a few years back to show off his goods and services. Terry Didion had a him make up a nice board for his 70.

It’s finally coming together, hard to see in the pixs but the body seam’s doors, hood and trunk gaps are very consistent. The finish is covered with sanding dust and powder but its very smooth even the inside of the trunk and jams are as smooth as a ………

Still needs buff and polish, trunk paint some more hardware and final detailing but it’s getting close; even the owner was impressed.

It’s in good company; the GTO was in for some touch up paint before heading off to Indianapolis for the Mecum auction. A very nice goat, it’s dark blue with a pearl white bucket interior and a four speed.

If you look closely you can see another club member’s car in the background.

Looks like they are doing an old pickup back there with the red paint as well. Street Rod maybe?

dashboard wrote:

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I’m stuck in the one more thing loop, ‘while were here let’s just go ahead and do this stuff’.

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 Is that with MAACO as well? You must be their favorite customer by now.. here comes Kevin with his checkbook

It does really look nice.

2012-2013 A Body Winter Project

Hurry up and get this thing on the road so winter will go away!!

Tim H wrote:

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2012-2013 A Body Winter Project

 

Hurry up and get this thing on the road so winter will go away!!

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 ..  kinda thinkin' this won't be ready for the Buick show tomorrow .......

Your right, I might not even make the September Buick show in Stillwater at the rate I’m going. My goal was a road trip to South Bend Indiana for the National Buick show July 17 then on to Ohio for a family gathering but that’s not looking too likely either at least with the Buick.

I’m stuck in the one more thing loop, ‘while were here let’s just go ahead and do this stuff’. I need to look over my notes and write a couple paragraphs about parts delivery. Bad, wrong, late, out of stock, parts, this will work but it doesn’t parts. I was not kidding when I said I’ve sent back a lot of parts, lots of them, and that has really set the project back. If I had it to do over again I would have done the project over two winters with drivetrain and body work done as standalone projects.

But I’m not taking the rap for this weather, nope, that goes to Derek and those new snow tires I delivered to him last fall.

But I do plan on being at the Buick show tomorrow even if I need to take the bus.

Lookin' like I'm gonna skip the Buick show. I have parts waiting in Pine Island with TC Rod & Custom and he was going to come up and bring them, but I talked to him a couple hours ago and now he's not planning to make the trip.

Not in the mood to fight another cold, possibly rainy, Buick show.  We've all froze our tushes off there in past years...