Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Lost in the 60s · President

RE: Current shop project

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Sounds as if the hood saver is down by me. Hope things turn out good for you. Do you care to mention his name and city of residence? I know your mind will be much more at ease with the extra welds.

Lost in the 60s · President

His name is Cory and he is on the South/East side of Rochester.

Powder coating place is in Blooming Prairie, quite the hike today.

Front sheet metal is going to Inthermo for stripping on Friday morning. They are in Farmington. Putting lots of miles on the truck this week and again when I have to run all over, retrieving my goodies. Not to mention considerable lightening of the wallet the next couple of weeks..

I think I need a job...

jim larson · 2K+ Club

I heard nothing but positive comments regarding the Blooming Prairie shop. If go go by Lake City for any reason stop bye.

Lost in the 60s · President

Dropped off all the sheet metal at Inthermo this morning. He said it would be done next week, so I better get my butt moving on having the firewall done soon. I noticed this dent last week and wondered how that happened. After today, I think it was done on the assembly line. There are no spot welds in the area and the sealer was as thick as the gap...hmm.

I took the heater out, thinking I would pound it out from inside...not...it is above the cowl plenum and I had to try to get it out as best I could thru the cowl holes in front of the windshield.. PITA.

I did get it much closer and then pulled it tight with drill screws and threw these small welds on it. They are in the seal channel and will hide this.

Lost in the 60s · President

Right outer cowl repair. I had a repro from the Camaro previous to this one...so it is about 14 years old. I wasn't in the mood to cut the whole thing out for this little bit of damage.

Made the opening at the bottom large enough for the shop vac hose to slide in the rocker and clean that out too. Took 15 minutes of scraping, vacuuming, and blowing with the air hose to get it clean, but it IS clean in there...I LIKE it. The rust removal/treatment with the new MasterCoat system is next.

Marked the donor for an overlap fit.

A little seam sealer on the edges and no one will be the wiser, especially since no one will see it...:D

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Is this the MasterCoat System, remove rust, seal, then topcoat?

8-mastercoat-pemanent-rust-sealer.html

Lost in the 60s · President

Yes, I bought the master kit.

https://nomorerust.com/store/home/17-mastercoat-ultimate-prep-prime-paint-kit.html

Lost in the 60s · President

I removed the right vent housing and found a mouse nest in the A pillar structure. After cleaning it out, I saw some rust and started digging. I removed 1 INCH of seam sealer from this cavity ! It took over an hour to chop it up with pry bars and screw drivers to remove and get at the rust.

Then I painted it, as best I could, with the new MasterCoat rust sealer. Inside the cowl and rocker too.

Then I welded the cowl patch on.

Lost in the 60s · President

The next day, I was trying to figure out how to clean, sand and paint around all this "stuff".

"And the train keeps arollin' all night long"...running downhill so fast now, I barely got out of the way before getting run over...

Next thing I now, I have a naked firewall.

I dug the old sealer out and cleaned what I could with the wire wheel on the crud thug.

Then I put the abrasive disc on and went at it.

Couple hours later, I had no disc left, but not much paint either.

Little more paint removal with the 2" disc sander. Still have a few hours before it's ready for paint.

67ss · 1K+ Club

You might as well get that 4 speed sent out and fixed and then put it back together the way you want.

Lost in the 60s · President

67ss wrote:
You might as well get that 4 speed sent out and fixed and then put it back together the way you want.

Planning to pull that apart next week. I need to make a stand for it to work on.

I was thinking of that yesterday, while sand blasting the column support and brake pedal. I need to dig out my clutch set up and get that blasted for paint too.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Great progress on the car Mitch!

Lost in the 60s · President

BLyke wrote:
Great progress on the car Mitch!

Thanks !

I tried to post more pics of the park brake and column/pedal bracket, after blasting, but they kept coming out giant size ?? This was right after the last 2 posts, so I have no idea what went wrong there.

Forgot, the sub frame and all the rest is done at Extreme Powder coating, so I will be retrieving that tomorrow too...

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Wednesday 3rd of April 2019 02:29:23 PM

more ambition than brains · 1K+ Club

Proud of you, and impressed!

Keep working toward the rear bumper

Karl

Lost in the 60s · President

more ambition than brains wrote:
Proud of you, and impressed!
Keep working toward the rear bumper
Karl

You're a BAD influence...

I looked at it yesterday and thought "at this point, I may as well pull the doors and glass and have the body dipped". Good thing there isn't a facility in the area that does that anymore, or I might be tempted...

I got the left cowl replacement. This one came in 2 pieces and will be easier to fit.

I don't know what's going on with the site, or pics, but now they want to post full size...

I got right to work, cutting out the rust. I left 1/2" on the inside edge to weld to, but it's too rusty so that came off too. I'll cut the panel to include a flange to go inside.

more ambition than brains · 1K+ Club

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO close, Pop it on the roto, blast bottom, good to go!

I think I can find a prep station to
epoxy it in!

I still owe you big time for ALL your help in my multiple moves!!

Karl

Lost in the 60s · President

Yesterday, I got all the parts I sent to Extreme Powder coating back.

Today, I retrieved the sheet metal from Inthermo. I asked Jake to soak the fenders long enough to remove the 1/4" thick bondo on the front. Everything came out super clean.

Lost in the 60s · President

I'm way behind on updates, due in part, to the pictures now posting full size. No clue why that happened. Maybe the forum isn't reducing them automatically now ? I'll post thumbnails and viewers can click on them to enlarge.

Anyway, I fought with paint on the firewall for 2 weeks and finally got it where I want it. The paint system I had bought for this doesn't seem to like being sprayed and it kept looking like stucco. I tried 3 times to get the top coat to lay down nice and it kept failing. Saturday, I sanded it mostly smooth for the SIXTH time and shot it with a product I've always had good results from, SPI chassis black, and it went on smooth and has a better sheen match to the powered coated parts. I can now move ahead with assembling this. I have blasted, epoxy primed and painted all the bracketry too.

Lost in the 60s · President

Yesterday, I got the steering column bracket built up with the clutch and brake pedals and in place. I had to order a brake booster, that I thought I had, so it isn't attached to the firewall. While I waited for the booster, I threw the sub frame in place with new bushing and got it bolted in.

Today, I threw the engine/trans in for weight to compress the springs and got the front suspension and disc brake conversion on. I discovered CPP sent the wrong flex hoses and I doubt they are going to exchange them 6 years later...

hkgmillette · President

looks great Mitch

Lost in the 60s · President

Chris S...help...I'm close to needing to dial in my bellhousing.

I pulled the broken M21 apart and am ordering parts for it today.

I had no idea how this main case could have cracked from the top to bottom until I pulled it part. It had been apart and re-assembled with the cluster shaft out of alignment with the mid-plate. The mid-plate pushed the shaft in further than it is supposed to be causing the shaft to protrude out the front of the case. That would cause a side to side rock/stress when bolted in and the case to crack over time.

Lost in the 60s · President

Just ordered all the rebuild parts for the M21, should be here in 3 days.

Now I GOTTA get this on the road this summer. Gonna be fun going from an anemic 350 with a slip and slide powerglide to a rip-snort 350 and 4 speed...

Chris S · Active Member

Glad to help you Mitch. I just helped Chris P with his and it went much faster the second time. When we slid the trans in it almost slapped the bellhousing when it slid in. That has been the biggest difference I have seen so far. No wiggling or pushing or prying.

Lost in the 60s · President

Chris S wrote:
Glad to help you Mitch. I just helped Chris P with his and it went much faster the second time. When we slid the trans in it almost slapped the bellhousing when it slid in. That has been the biggest difference I have seen so far. No wiggling or pushing or prying.

..

SShink · 3K+ Club

I may have missed it somewhere Mitch, but I thought you were going to send the body out and have it dipped? Looks like things are going back together, so that must have changed.

Otherwise, front chassis is looking really nice!

Lost in the 60s · President

No, I made a comment that it was good there isn't a place nearby to do that, or I may have been tempted.

Lost in the 60s · President

Chris S wrote:
Glad to help you Mitch. I just helped Chris P with his and it went much faster the second time. When we slid the trans in it almost slapped the bellhousing when it slid in. That has been the biggest difference I have seen so far. No wiggling or pushing or prying.

I'm ready to rock. Got the off set dowels, new pressure plate and bellhousing bolts and all the parts to rebuild the 4 speed...

Lost in the 60s · President

Still plugging away at all the tasks needed to get the front end back on.

Last couple days, I tackled getting new dust shields on the inner wheel houses. I had to drill out all the old staple holes for the new staples to fit and drill new holes where the original shields were never stapled properly. I SHOULD have done this before powder coating, but things were progressing too quickly to get shields here in time for that. I painted all the holes before staple installation. Hope I don't get rust creeping under the coating...

Then it was on to rebuilding the M21.

I had to cut out a new spacer for the wider input bearing as the one that came with pulled the input shaft too far forward.

Then Chris S came over again and we checked the bell alignment and decided where to place the offset dowels to correct it.

DANGED, if we didn't hit it dead on the first time...

I then installed the new clutch assembly, fork and TOB.

Once I was happy with the transmission, I put black gasket sealer on the countershaft and a very light swipe of Sil Gyde on the TOB collar and pilot shaft. I then wiped a film of Deep Creep on the disc splines with a rag.

I had painted the bell and heads the day before so it would be dry and pushed the trans home and torqued it in.

Degreased the front and taped it off for fresh paint.

After the black gasket sealer dries overnight, I'll fill the trans and stab the assembly in the subframe for keeps.

Lost in the 60s · President

Monday, I filled the trans with lube and set the engine/trans in and then stopped for lunch and to mow the grass, between the rain. When I went back to it, there was a small puddle under the back of the trans...hhhmmm, I had an old yoke in to prevent leakage and that was dry. I saw a drop of lube hanging off the bottom of the tailhousing at the bottom bolt. DANG if the housing isn't cracked too...

So out it came for the 3rd or 4th time and the tailhousing came off to see what I could do with it. It has a faint hint of the hairline crack inside and I don't feel I am good enough to try to weld this, so I called the instructor from the welding class I took last fall. He is coming over tomorrow afternoon to see if he can weld it for me.

So the past 2 days consisted of cleaning and painting the steering gear, blasting the PS pump for paint, installing the brake booster and steering column and steering linkage.

Lost in the 60s · President

The instructor from my welding class last fall, came over yesterday and welded the tail housing.

I installed it yesterday and let the sealer sit overnight to cure. Filled the trans this morning and let it sit for 3 hours. This is what I have now... NOTHING !!! Leak is gone...

Mounted up the vintage Hurst conversion shifter.

Then dropped the new engine/trans assembly in the chassis for the 4th and FINAL time...

-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Saturday 25th of May 2019 06:36:36 PM

Bobs_Place · Vice President

Lookin good Mitch

Aren't you glade weeeeeeeee talked you into powder coating the sub frame

Lost in the 60s · President

Bobs_Place wrote:
Lookin good Mitch
Aren't you glade weeeeeeeee talked you into powder coating the sub frame

I've helped a number of others spend their money in the past. I guess turnabout is fair play...

Really, though, this is something I had hoped to do in the future, but it's nice to have it done now. Assembling this has been nice, with everything clean and fresh.

Lost in the 60s · President

I got the brake lines all sorted and attached to the new distribution block. Only had to make 1 new line and use a couple adapter fittings. Front calipers are now gravity bled.

Then dropped the dizzy in and ran the wires and attached the looms to the valve covers.

I set my camera to the ancient, lowest resolution, and the pic size is now under control. Just need to remember to upside it for pics, other than in the shop.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Impressive progress on the dual car build front Mitch!

Lost in the 60s · President

Managed to get the PS pump and brackets, along with the wiper motor in chassis black yesterday. I need to get the pump mounted to add shims behind the crank pulleys of the new balancer to align them.

Then it was off of Stan, the painters man's place, to assemble the inner wheel houses on the fenders and get them on the car for final alignment and gaps for blocking.

Lost in the 60s · President

In between running to Anoka for the Chevelle and occasional yard work, I got the PS pump and alternator mounted.

I had to shim the crank pulleys out with thin washers and the PS bracket at the block with thick ones, to get them to align properly.

The alternator has always been a pain in the butt, with the crappy lower mount at the header. I tried to use a truck mount on the head, but didn't have any upper, adjustment, brackets to go with it, so back to the crappy header mount.
This has always only had about 1/2" of belt adjustment and the belt was always a little loose. I had 2 upper brackets, so I cut them up and made a longer adjustment possible. Now I have over an inch and can get a slightly shorter belt.

Tacked for test fit.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Looks good. Way to use what you have to make what you need!

Lost in the 60s · President

I have worked on the Camaro some. I had the bare sheet metal lightly blasted for texture for the primer/sealer to stick and then put it all in that.

Sorry, the pics are huge again and people don't like going to photobucket to open the thumbnails...

I only primed the edges gray, as the center will get the satin black.

I jammed the fenders and hood and painted the valances and cowl grille.

Last week, I had installed the core support with radiator and hoses, got all the bracketry and bets on the alt and ps. I modified the Lokar throttle pedal and installed the cable.

After jamming the fenders, I needed a place to set them, so threw them on with a couple bolts. Wish I was at the point to leave them on and get the front clip together.

Larry Lucast · Active Member

What a lot of progress! The new color looks good. My favorite part of doing a car is the fabrication of adapters and brackets.

Lost in the 60s · President

Putting pieces on the Camaro. Fenders and inner houses are on to stay now. I want to get this to a point where I can move it to the storage side and get to work on the Chevelle. It is movable right now, but I need to finish the floor pan I started 3-4 weeks ago and continue to install parts for room in the shop.
This is quite the transformation from what it was in March.
Tubular upper A arms and all new lower bushings. Hotchkis sway bar, power disc brakes, powerglide to 4 speed conversion, Lokar throttle pedal with cable, instead of the original solid rod, new engine, powder coating, chemical stripping, sand blasting, paint, etc, etc.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Looking Good Mitch
Is the Gold a base coat or single stage paint?

Lost in the 60s · President

Acrylic Urethane single stage.

The underside of the hood is now painted as well as the upper core support braces and the grille brace.

Also made a small weld repair on the left fender extension. It had been badly creased and I did an initial pound out 13 years ago. I did a better job with proper tools this time and got it it good enough for the proverbial "skim" coat of filler...

Then both sides got a ride thru the blast cabinet and 2k primer/sealer.

If the weather co-operates tomorrow, I may get the top of the hood and the extensions in Gold. Need to paint the hinges before I can install the hood, but I need to get all these pieces on the car and off my floor/tables/shelves, etc.

Lost in the 60s · President

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Looks like the weather cooperated?
Seems like the "spray booth" is really well ventilated!

Lost in the 60s · President

I was concerned about the high humidity, but all the paint went on OK and dried fine, so I guess I got lucky.

Mostly sunny to bake the paint and only an occasion light breeze, I had to stop spraying for a couple times, but all in all the "booth" worked well..

Larry Lucast · Active Member

Lots of ventilation in that paint booth.

Lost in the 60s · President

Hard to control dust, cottonwood seeds and bugs...

Lost in the 60s · President

My front suspension and disc brake swap is finally all together...

BLyke · 1K+ Club

Looking Good Mitch!