Plenty of heat...no fire.

Mitch,
I have one too, works well.

Remember, their are no heads on the outside, Phillips screws, except where someone stuffed a couple of hex heads in.
Inside are blind cage plates, a very small portion of the screw is exposed.

I think also, that the Phillips hinge screws are some kind of composite metal.
Hinges are also some kind of weird cast composite, not regular stamped steel like later models.
Scots' Sport Sedan rear door hinges are a mixture of cast iron and the weird composite.
Inside door hinge plates are regular stamped metal, threaded.

I am/was too lazy to try very hard.

I am sure you could make it happen, my torch as back up.

Karl

Dash, added two action shots of fire up.

Not sure if they will work on this site.

Karl

Dash, column are in and operational.
Fitting strato-bench seat.
Tracks will need some playing with.
Seat is out of 66 Pontiac Full Size.

BLyke wrote:

---

"Strato bench seats", never heard of them, but there they are!?

---

 Has the fold down arm rest in the center. Gives the appearance of bucket seats. First gen Camaros could be ordered with them too.

Lost in the 60s wrote:

---

BLyke wrote:

---

"Strato bench seats", never heard of them, but there they are!?

---

 Has the fold down arm rest in the center. Gives the appearance of bucket seats. First gen Camaros could be ordered with them too.

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Friday 12th of February 2021 03:05:58 PM

---

 I have seen similar, but the term "Strato" as in buckets was a exotic sort of term back in my teens, and never had bench attached

Soooooo, next challenge is to find best Vendor for seat refreshing.

Thinking disassemble, send out for chemical stripping.

When back deal with seat tracks.
We have no expectation that we would be able to find correct tracks to fit Chevelle floor.
Plan on fabricating brackets on lower seat frame to allow use of standard bench brackets on full size Strato Bench seat.

Chrome piping is available, bucket seat covers, no problem.
Challenge will be to recover bench portion to appear compatible.

Could buy a bucket set, that takes care of upper.
Upholstery Shop will have to fabricate panels and utilize lower inserts.

Person doing work should take apart, inventory.
We will strip, fabricate mounts and send for powdercoat.
Return to Upholsterer for custom fabrication and assembly of seat.

Who do we know that is most creative and best qualified?
This is not assembling standard covers with standard cushions on a couple of Bucket seats.
Not a do-it myself project.

We want a professional job by a professional.

PM me with referral please.

I know we have good people in our sphere, just can't remember their names.

Thanks in advance, 

Karl

I have not used his guy personally but a couple of my coworkers have and his work looked fantastic.

Metro Upholstery

1117 cliff rd E, Burnsville

952 894 4472

Chris,
Thank you for reminding me of Metro.
My Bad!
I run by his Shop almost every day.

Dropped off assembled seat Friday.
Picked up De-Trimmed pieces this morning.

Next to Inthermo!

Thanks again to all that followed up on this request.

Karl

Got "edgimicated" today on current Bumper reconditioning costs at Keystone/LKQ.
Called my favorite contact there, for pick up of Elky and Malibu rear bumpers.
Also front center and ends for a B-Body ( Biscayne)

OUCH!!!
She said they had a price increase.
My cost, $1000.00 each.
Think I may have to rethink Reconditioning my very nice cores and go with Aftermarket, Goodmark or similar.

Even Biscayne front is over $600.00 for center plus $400.0 each for the ends.
Terrified what 56 Chevrolet pieces would be.

Still in SHOCK.

The Keystone Plant is in Brainerd and they have done great work for me in the past.
White Elky has their reconditioned product and I have three (3) Reconditioned fronts sitting in Inventory.
Just need a rear for the Big Block Elky and a rear for the Green Malibu.

I know there are some other Platers out there.
Thinking Missouri.

Will reflect and hope for feedback from here before i jump off a bridge.

Karl

Auto City Classics sells good quality repro bumpers for about $175 ea for 68-72 Chevelles. 

BLyke wrote:

---

Derek,
What brand and where did you get yours?

---

 I ordered mine through Summit. I think they were AMD, but I can't remember. They carry several different brands. 

I read the reviews, multiple people wrote about them being thinner and lighter... I weighed mine when I got them and they were exactly the same weight as originals.

I bought them hoping to shed a few pounds.  . I'm replacing mine with fiberglass this year, rear one hasn't even been bolted on yet. 

Derek69SS wrote:

---

Wow!

Aftermarket bumpers I bought for my '69 fit and look pretty good. People say they are thinner/lighter material, but that isn't true. It's just as thick and heavy, but it's softer metal (easier to stamp I suppose)

---

 Inspired by your weight checking on the bumpers, decided to compare the new grill to the old as it seemed heavier 

Turns out the new one is ~3 & 5/16# as compared to 3 & 1/16# for the old.

Based on the cars rough past it seems the "old grill" may have been a older RePop.

The 67 El Camino I recently picked up has repro bumpers on it. They were already on it when the seller purchased it and they are way too clean & free of damage to be originals with no rust or pits in the finish. I can say they do fit the cars profile & look pretty good to. No unusual bends or missmatched gaps from side to side. Thats really too bad the cost of having originals plated have gone up so high.

more ambition than brains wrote:

---

Got "edgimicated" today on current Bumper reconditioning costs at Keystone/LKQ.
Called my favorite contact there, for pick up of Elky and Malibu rear bumpers.
Also front center and ends for a B-Body ( Biscayne)

OUCH!!!
She said they had a price increase.
My cost, $1000.00 each.
Think I may have to rethink Reconditioning my very nice cores and go with Aftermarket, Goodmark or similar.

Even Biscayne front is over $600.00 for center plus $400.0 each for the ends.
Terrified what 56 Chevrolet pieces would be.

Still in SHOCK.

The Keystone Plant is in Brainerd and they have done great work for me in the past.
White Elky has their reconditioned product and I have three (3) Reconditioned fronts sitting in Inventory.
Just need a rear for the Big Block Elky and a rear for the Green Malibu.

I know there are some other Platers out there.
Thinking Missouri.

Will reflect and hope for feedback from here before i jump off a bridge.

Karl

---

 Price increase is right. I had mine done about four years ago for around $900 total. They do nice work, but holy cow.

Stripping done, detailing and fabricating rear seat adapter mounts. (Ron)

Came out really well.

Hopefully off to Powder coat this week.

Karl

Getting caught up here, Hood buffing and fitting.

Now focus on fender fit at rockers.

This thing is coming along nicely.

Fits are ok, not great, however, it was a mass produced vehicle with very low initial standards.

Also will be a driver, not a Show car.

Next is to take down to Exhaust Pros in Northfield for exhaust fit, fabricate and final install.

When done there, probably to Ziebart to have them shoot the !/4 panels, frame rails and rockers.

Seats will go back to Metro Upholstery as soon as done at powder coat.

Ron is busting his A$$ on this Truck.

Karl

Seat and misc parts are done.
24 hour turnaround, incredible.

JIT Powder coating in Farmington does not like these specialty pieces sitting around.

They have always been fair with me.
Highly recommend.
Extreme Powder Coating treated me very well too.

Great to have multiple options.

Karl

Did you loose any of the texture on the seat backs having them powder coated?

Better shots of stuff.
Seats are ready to go back to Metro Upholstery, waiting for a couple of replacement side springs.

I agree with Bruce. They all look really nice.

Seat is at Metro Upholstery.
Attached down pipes and stuck Mufflers on to run and circulate tranny fluid.

Did not run long enough before to fill converter.

Ran it, up to temperature added more fluid as converter filled.

Drove around parking lot.

Loading on trailer and taking to Exhaust pros in Northfield to install, fit and modify Pypes system to dump behind wheels.

Pictures later.

Blue seat was inherited from a club member.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"

Drove out of shop, on to trailer, off trailer on to hoist.

Took it down Monday afternoon, probably done tomorrow am.

Karl. Did you end up finding a reasonable cost solution to getting the bumpers done or are you running repro?

I realize this post started as a "PAIR"

We have several G-Body Elkys' also, three are now parts cars and one got a motor/trans swap.

Son Scot is primary on that vehicle, bought it in 2014. Is a dry 1982 model.

Brought it home from Marshall Mn. It is next in line to go to Exhaust Pros, Northfield.

Loaded today, ready to go when 66 Elky done.

Bought three other G-bodies from a Salvage auction in Mobridge S.D in June of 2017.

One is a dry 4 dr. runs, bad tranny no title. 


Some Pictures:

Three parts ElCaminos, Have one title in our name on the 78, other two open from the Dakotas.

One very rusty local, other two Dakota cars really solid, including frames. 

We put 1/4 panels on the rusty local one 20 years ago, it belonged to an employees' Uncle.

Going to pick a few more pieces of these three and sell, scrap or just leave sit and rust.

Decision for another day.

Karl

OK, White 66 is BAAAACK.
Now at CLA with a list.
Should be interesting.

Pictures:

How about some photos of the new interior.

We have short attention Spans.

Green Malibu up in air, mothballed.

1978 Malibu in stall some trim removal, body repair and perhaps paint prep.

WHITE ELKY--Seat Update Metro Upholstery.

Covers came in. Splitting up bottom of bucket panels to fabricate additional to make it a bench lower.
Uppers fitted to backs, looking good!

Car is aligned, Dealt with leaky fuel pump, played with supply linne to Carburetor.

Now hopefully charging A/C Need to fill compressor with oil.

Switching to 134, have drier in stock.

BLUE ELKY-----
My good friend Roger played with brake/fuel lines yesterday.
Then we went to the RED FOX, Lakeville for beer-30 to celebrate.
(we celebrate something every week)

Switched fuel line to steel not stainless, shapes easier.
It is a pain getting line through rail and crossmember and then making it fit and not rub too much
Ron got the line in, Roger tweaked it to his satisfaction.

Roger used some stainless clamps I ordered through Amazon, did some sizing and hole prep.
The stainless clamps were in installed in place of some loose factory clips and added some more for extra integrity.

Pretty sure those lines are not gong anywhere....

Now once White Elky leaves CLA we can sneak the Blue one down to CLA on the weekend and re-acquaint body and frame.

Seat Update, White 66 Elky
Tony finished up the seat.
Couldn't be happier.

Came out BEAUTIFUL!!!
That is him showing off his upholstered artwork!

Guessing, probably the only one in existence.

Optioned up a little since you and Jenna dated in it.

Kept your tilt wheel with a rebuild.
Rally gauges, knee knocker tachometer, tinted glass, power windows, tissue dispenser and, "the seat"
OE upper dash pad, factory black.
Ron just had to add a bunch of jewelry to dash, his call.

The Blue elky will probably get a plain 300 Deluxe dash.
It is set up for power 92 Eldorado buckets and console.
More than likely use my black set, I have a nice black dash pad for that.
Always like choices though, have a medium blue set of seats and console out of my wifes' previous 1992 Eldorado, now long gone.

Still, am really pumped about seat outcome.
THANK YOU TONY!

Karl