Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Dash, added two action shots of fire up.

Not sure if they will work on this site.

Karl

1966-67 GTO's and Skylarks, not sure about Olds, (A body) had strato bench seats. The original seat mounts/tracks may bolt right on that frame, or you can find used ones ?? Maybe ? They were rather scarce, as you probably already know.

BLyke wrote:

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

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 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

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

Thanks!

My Messages came up with the same name.
I will follow up with him.

Karl

Thank You!
Tony was the owner.
I think he still is.
Good guy.

His staff actually did repairs to the green Malibu Hardtop seats.
Also they did the headliner and upholstery install on Biskwik.

He is way closer.
I will touch base with him too.

He changed the name from Metro Auto Upholstery to Metro Upholstery a few years ago.
I have not chatted with him for a while, can't hurt.

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

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)

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

Thanks Derek,
appreciate the detailed approach on weighing the bumpers tp compare.

Derek69SS wrote:

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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)

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 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.

 

-- Edited by BLyke on Thursday 25th of February 2021 10:56:04 AM

more ambition than brains wrote:

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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

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

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

 

-- Edited by more ambition than brains on Monday 15th of March 2021 10:40:11 AM

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

This particular batch of powder coat seems a little thicker than what I have seen before.
Due to that, the grain is less defined than if we had just shot them with aerosol.

Once again this is not a make it exact resto, so it is not a big deal.

All the other pieces look great with the thicker product, or maybe the powder coat tends to fill the grain no matter what.
Either way, glad they are done, nothing really shows anyhow.

Good eye Chris.

Karl

The parts look great!

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.

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

 

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.

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.

 

Strato bench in an elky was a cool idea. I really like that!!!