Little Labor day labor
Posted by bigaadams, Today, 10:49 AMI got a chance after doing all the yard work and maintenance on the daily drivers to get a bit done to the wagon. At last go around I was waiting to spray the hood with more primer after working the few imperfections so got that out of the way rather quickly. Next I proceeded to finish welding the last of the inside body panels back to the floor boards where they had been repaired. I fabricated these patches from the deck lid of an old parts car so the metal is definitely up to the task. I then proceeded to finish the body by skimmming what filler was needed over the quarter panels just in front of the rear fenders. These areas were repaired long ago with some panels I had fabricated and welded in place with full perimeter weld. Three pieces make up this patch on each side as it also repairs part of the inner door opening which is comprised of a step so to speak. After that I did a quick prep of the area by sanding fresh, wiping with solvent and then applied the primer. The body shell is pretty much complete now and in primer. The only exception are the doors and they will be changed to a set I bartered for long ago out of the Dakotas so the metal is in excellent shape. My driver door is straight and hangs nice but the lower edge has some rust forming and the passenger's side, well it took a pretty good whallop due to a loading incident prior to me buying the vehicle so I have been told. That is yet another story. Still looking for a couple rear fender spears as they are special to the 51/52 wagon. Keep me in mind if you happen across a nice set at a wrecking yard. I would like to find these and check for fit prior to painting if at all possible.
Charlotte Swap come and gone
Posted by bigaadams, Sep 2 2010, 09:34 AM
My quick run to the Charlotte swap meet was not very rewarding parts wise but I did get a couple items and spent some time with an old friend. From there the road trip grew to a couple other parts related side trips and snagged a couple engine/transmission combos. From there a quick stop at another friend’s home to visit a spell and load up on a couple more parts for the newly acquired project. Finished the trip by spending a couple days at my dad’s visiting and doing about the place what needs be fixed etc. The run around season is about to begin and like all normal, a million other things have reared their ugly heads. Beginning of fall marks the start of activity in my area for events and meets. I can only say that I am not any more or less encumbered than the normal Joe who does his own work as much as possible. The workload at my job has increased, good and bad, plenty of OT to pay for my parts and projects but at the cost of available time to spend with the cars. So we are doing the best we can and gathering parts for various future projects including another project car itself. The weather has just seemed to start to take a turn for the better, nice cool mornings and on so-so hot evening now. .
Mostly of late I have been researching for some technical data, getting viewpoints on various modifications and upgrades and what is or is not available. As luck has it, I will probably be about 90% to my own devices. Nothing like an adventure! I would never say I am about to do something that has not been done before. I will say if it has, it’s not anywhere where I can find the data and relating details. I plan to photo document and describe any mod or change needed, source of acquired part for future replacement and maybe help another guy who may wish to do as I am undertaking now. I try to find out what obstacles I will need to overcome so to plan to meet them head on and keep the surprises to a minimum. This stage involves lots of reading and researching data, plenty of measuring and I have found a “mule” so to speak to work out some to the mechanical logistics for clearance issues which I think will save me time and trouble in the long run.
Holiday weekend coming up, I think I just a minute ago decided it is time for a 4 day holiday. Here is hoping you folks can get out and do a few things you have been putting off and are able to do it safely.
Initial blocking of the hood
Posted by bigaadams, Aug 19 2010, 08:44 AMIt was good to be back in the shop last night after such a long absence. The little time this evening was well spent working on the hood of the wagon. I needed to be doing other heavier items but the hood was already on the work table and no lifting was required and I did not want to overdo myself. I am still a bit under the weather and moving about slowly and almost back up to full speed. This is the replacement hood I had gotten awhile back and did a once over and prepped and primed. I uncovered the hood and gave it a good looking over. I found a few imperfections not seen during the prep to bare metal that does show now that the primer is on, cured and initial block sanding started. These are not large areas of consideration, and for the most part were in areas near the forward cross brace that the hood latch spans on the backside. As trying to get the shrinking disc back onto this panel at this stage would be an ordeal, I decided to put a light skim of the EVERCOAT brand two part glazing putty in place. After working out the imperfections I closed shop a tad early without shooting the primer and rolled the table into the shop and placed it beneath the lift as I have the wagon in the air at this time. Standing under the car and looking up reminds me that I still have a few small details to attend to beneath the car. The muffler I have yet to put in place as I need to cut the lead-in pipe to length. I have also test fit the rear muffler hanger but it is not bolted in place at this time. The removable section of floor pan can now go back on the car and be sealed and bolted in place as I did the last of the welding in that area little while back. The emergency brake cables rear brackets are now affixed onto the car but the cable roller guides I have constructed have to wait until the muffler is in place for their exact mount location then determined. My set up allows me to utilize the original handle and cable as I build a transition plate to tie the original controls to the retrofitted rear gear e-brake cables. This is not much to get done but I assure you that for not having been able to get to the shop due to a number of events, it felt great to be out there.
Bagging, tagging and storing of parts
Posted by bigaadams, Aug 3 2010, 07:41 AMVisiting family and friends halted any chance at working about the place this past week. Last night I got a start on getting the shop cleaned and the parts for the wagon stored in yet another larger box to be placed on the shelf till needed. It is amazing when you tear a car down and sort out the parts where it all eventually winds up. To try and prevent confusion I have a number of large shelves that are suspended from the overhead in the 13 foot tall lift bay. These are really nice as they do not interfere at all with opens space below or ability to set a cabinet or other item of interest against the wall. These shelves hold boxes upon boxes of parts that I have either removed from the car or purchased from swap meets etc and cleaned, prepped and placed aside. There are three huge selves per side of the shop plus an array of built in shelves at the end of the room for even more items of interest. The idea is to keep the parts for the cars independent of each other and sorted for make and models I have collected. I also have certain areas in the overhead for make and model as lay down of the larger panels as they are prepped so to protect them till needed. Storage is usually a problem when disassembling a vehicle and marking the hardware and such prior to your loss of memory is a must. If nothing else is said today, I cannot stress enough the importance of documentation of your teardown, parts identifications and the hardware from each section. Even if you intend to go back with all new hardware, bag, tag and store the old stuff as an example of the type/style needed to reassemble. If you have broke any bolts or screws, or noticed items missing, mark that down and place the note in the parts bag. I also keep a notebook to write down areas needing specific attention. Let’s say it’s a broken bolt that will need to be properly extracted and or repaired or maybe a stress crack in a fender that will need welded, write it down and when you do get to it, cross that sucker off the list. Last thing you need to discover on reassembly is one of these things I mentioned. If you are fond of stainless hardware, most bolts and screws can be found in SS but sometimes you have to settle for “almost the same”. I try to put various screws and small bolts through a piece of cardboard with the source and quantity needed written aside the item. That way I can easily carry this card to the swap meets, purchase and mark the individual bags for where the new hardware is to be used. Do the same with body trim clips, while you may not always find the exact match for your sample, you will be surprised at those that can be used in its place. Plastic parts trays with lids are ideal for storing this specialty hardware and I recommend you get a couple for each car you should be working. The parts trays can also easily store those items subject to getting lost or misplaced. Items like the door handle pins, hood stand offs, door lock knobs and so on. The universal trim clip that is serrated for easy cutting can be readily shaped to mimic so many different clips and are economical compared to some really hard to get or no longer available items. Please keep in mind that most NAPA stores do indeed carry these on the help wall or at least can get these for you on the cheap through their catalog. Most folks I would say are like myself and tend to buy the rubber trim and stuff ahead of their actual use. Store these away in a cool dry place out of light and without any weighted object on top of their box. I’m a compulsive list maker, just me, can’t help it. I usually make a list of the entire car per section and have a place to mark when removed, cleaned, sandblasted, acid etched, primed and so forth. These type items can be easily worked and prepped on days when you are not able to work a major panel or if some other process has you at a standstill. I am looking forward to getting the shop cleaned and get back to work on the final exterior major panels to have the car is the “roughed in stage”. I call a panel that is setting in primer that is ready for the start of block sanding as roughed in. I admit I am not the most neatest of worker in my own area. I have this tendency to start work and go till I am flat out tired, at that time I just turn off the lights and close the door. Tomorrow is another day. I hold my clean up till I reach the end of a segment/area that I was concentrating on at the time. I find it a waste of time to stop, put the tools away only the have to go back and get them out the next opportunity that I have to work on my project. I have a better chance of recalling where I laid an item over where the item should be returned. Anyway, I do hope everyone is getting some work done to their project during these summer days.
Doors to work, possible upgrades to hardware
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 28 2010, 12:26 PMNot much to comment on folks as it has been just too miserable to get much done about the place let alone being able to get to work on my wagon. The heat index is off the scale, humidity is reasonable but yet quite uncomfortable given the associated higher temps. The clearing of the tree debris and digging up the azaleas has taken me four evening including hauling off four 4 x 10 trailer loads of yard waste. I have not started the cutting of the larger stuff to firewood lengths. My lawn is dying a slow death due to the lack of rain. This cuts down on lawn mowing but makes my yard look uninviting. Only thing accomplished on the cars this week is a friend up north found a very rare headlight knob for my Dodge and is sending it my way. If I get the wood all cut and stacked by the weekend, hopefully I can start to clean the shop a bit as I need to get back to doing some exterior body work. I have a set of doors to change out yet. I am not sure if I am going to upgrade the latches on these yet. Most originals latches show some sign of wear by now and replacements are far and few between. Modern latches are not hard to install on these cars, or at least let me say the install and hooking up to internal original internal hardware is easy enough. I have yet to cut in and installed the associated donor exterior handles. This also should not be a problem once the measurements are taken and the panel cut to receive the exterior latch. I did do a set of doors that were shaved and set these up with remote entry, electric door locks, power windows and solenoid poppers, these were a breeze to accomplish. I have a nice set of donors at the house should I go this route. I will go out to my late model donor car and remove the handle/latch mechanisms for possible application to the wagon, these are the ones I am leaning toward, if these don't seem quite right, I have two more donor cars to chose from, hopefully one of these should do the job.
Finding Upholstery material..
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 26 2010, 10:57 AMThis week has been pretty much a bust as for getting work done on the old wagon. I can only admit to getting some sewing materials lined up and purchased for the upcoming attempt at home grown interior work. I crusied all the cloth shops, sewing places and couple other speciality shops for material of commercial grade to no avail. Out of desperation I went by the upholstery shop that did my 54 Plymouth. I told him this may be a conflict of interest to him but I wanted to try my hand at sewing my next interior and have hit a brick wall and needed some help. He came through with flying colors and has stated that he would be more than happy to help me with materials and such for the project. I left his place of business with some listing tape, correct thread and color and some remnant piece of stuff that is common to the trade to practice sewing on. What a load off my mind for sure. I called to order my fabric from the company that had sent me the swatch only to find out they had none in stock, they had sold the bolt they had. Seems they were selling (sold) a remnant. Fortunately I did get the name of the company that made the fabric, found their website and contacted them. They had 360 yards in stock, higher price naturally but still not that bad, the lady discounted it a bit for me so I ordered it on Tuesday evening and got it Thursday. I can only say great service for sure. The material is a tweed blend and close to a teal green. As for the happenings about the place I have been busy doing some yard work. Had a day of feeling a bit under the weather and then Friday through Sunday I have been clearing an area out back of brush and debris. Actually the brush is more to the tune of about 35 full size azalea bushes that have been left on their own for who knows how long. I trimmed them back a bit about 14 years ago after buying this place. They were extremely overgrown and dense even then. It all started out when I noticed a large split developing in the upper forks of one of the pecan trees out back. This threatened to come down onto the garage, possibly hit two bath rooms, the AC unit, and rear bedroom of the house if only half fell. If the other half fell it would take out the pump house where my compressor is set up and the concrete block storage building on the other side of the pump house. This tree had three power lines running in and among the branches and had to be cut and lifted up and over the lines in order to not damage anything. I hired a professional tree service for this job. They had the tools and trucks for the job and made quick work of a nasty situation. Money well spent considering what damage that could result if the tree should have decided to fall on its own. I got about ¾ of the area cleared of azaleas and might I add a good number of briars thrown in the mix. The heat was unbearable and I only worked about 30-45 minutes at a time before stopping for to cool down. I admit the rest times were often more than the work time, it was just too hot to try and push myself.
Just piddled about this week
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 19 2010, 12:20 PMI will admit to having been a bit on the lazy side this week. Not really, but by the time I get the daily stuff out of the way I have not been in the mood to work on the car. The rains prevented me from timely cutting of the yard and orchard. When it dried to where I could get to it the Bahia was a bit high. I would love to get rid of this stuff but as I am in an agriculture neighborhood, it would be a never ending task as it would reseed quite quickly. This stuff is murder on the mower blades as it is and the smaller blades of the triple blade mowing decks make it a bit tougher to do as the deck’s outer edges can and will hold the heads down and prevent actual cutting thus they spring right back up as you pass over it. I have also been running to and fro looking for some material and supplies to support the upcoming upholstery venture. I did not report on the floor coating in the last entry but it has set up real nice, just a tad of shrinking at the seams and I think this has to do with it seeking lowest level possible. Overall I am real pleased with this product. There is no offensive odor once the product skins over. This is the second car I have used this stuff on and based on its performance I intend to do an overall coating of the floor pans on the wagon also. The first usage was in the 54 Plymouth hoping it would be a match to the factory prepared appearance and texture. The procedure was to just spot in where I done some repair and turned out way better than I had anticipated. If you chose to use this product, remember, two thins coats are better than one heavy coat I have found. Friday evening started the weekend and I was able to get out and actually do bits more on the underneath side of the hood. The acid baths more than done their job and left the underside looking fantastic. So I did a bit of sanding to remove the residue and wiped good with solvent and shot a couple good coats of primer on the newly prepped surface. I did not get into anything real heavy in the shop over the weekend. I did get out another old sewing machine I have had laying around for years given to me by my aunt. Long ago when I first got this the wife informed me it would not sew proper. After some 25+ years of storage and might I add, uncovered storage, I cleaned the machine, freshened up the lube, cleaned the bobbing/shuttle assembly and let the unit run for a bit as a break in period. Next I checked the bobbin case and found that the tension spring was cranked down to the point it would be nigh onto impossible to draw thread off the reel. I adjusted this to the rule of the thumb setting, inserted back in place, installed a needle, threaded the unit and shazam, it sews beautifully. Even the zig-zag feature operated without a hitch. Not sure just what I may sew with this machine, headliner comes to mind, and it is good to know it is back online and available should I have a call for a lighter machine. I also cut out an extended work surface for the one that I did not get with the machine (or lost) so to have ample work surface when sewing. The plan calls to cover this will Formica for a smooth snag free surface. After that I decided it was high time I installed the new seals on the 54 Plymouth Club Coupe’s doors. I carefully taped off the door leaving visible only the contact surace for the seal. I covered the newly upholstered interior with drop cloths and cut a acid brush to resemble a minature sash brush. I then use some Weldwood brand contact cement and brushed a coat of cement onto the prepared door surface. I next measured out enough seal to allow me to start at the top of the door and finish mid way along the bottom. I now coated the rubber seal surface with a coat of contact cement. When both had dried I carefull placed the seal on the door. Be careful, you get but one shot at this, it is instant bond. After the seal is in place I simply remove the tape for a glue free appearance. After that I figured what the heck, while here I may as well install the new battery. First time this car was started in ever so long, like maybe the first or at most the second time this year. I do need to get this car out and drive it a bit. Heck if I do that I could move yet another car I have parked in the paint booth and install the new lighting fixtures I bought.
Roughing in the hood
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 13 2010, 10:34 AMIt’s the weekend and I need to get some work done on the car. On the return trip from getting the sewing machine I stopped off at a friend’s house and got the seat back latches needed when converting the wagon to full cargo floor as I had a set missing on my wagon. As I had earlier prepped the seat back and laid aside for priming I decided to get busy on the hood I had obtained end of last month. This may seem a bit of cart before horse but due to extent of work on one side compared to the other and working both at the same time, I had to protect what was finished first from the humid climate I live in. Anyway, I had previously worked a few obvious spots that needed a bit of tweaking with the shrinking disc so this weekend I thought I would strip the hood to bare metal, repair the few small rust areas along the right hinge plate and weld the two small stress cracks common to the front bow near the hood latch cross mount. I started by removing all the topcoat with a razor blade. Now this may sound labor intensive but the paint shaves off real fast and without any mess or fumes associated with chemical strippers. I also do not like using sandpaper/disc on any car body if at all possible and then only with a DA sander. Once the topcoat was removed I did the welding repairs that were needed and ground these back to smooth. Also during the course of removing the paint I found three more areas that needed a bit of attention from the shrinking disc and so I touched these areas up just before breaking out the DA sander to remove the remaining primer on the hood. This stuff comes off easily with the DA sander without chewing up any metal. Once down to bare metal, scratches and nicks are now visible forms of rust on the metal below. Prepping these areas required working the acid with wire brush and sandpaper to penetrate the surface damage and letting the phosphoric acid do its job. Once these readily seen areas are prepped, I did an overall wet sand using the acid solution as the wetting media. This returns the entire panel to a bright new metal look. DO NOT let the acid dry during this procedure. Work the panel in smaller sections and wipe the excess off as you go. Once you have processed the entire panel, a good clear wipe with fresh acid solution will give you a beautiful new metal looking panel. Let this light acid wipe dry good. It will kill microscopic rust your eye cannot see. Once dry, the acid has done its job, I then like to do a quick once over again with the DA to remove any excessive residue and then wipe with a solvent just prior to applying my primer. I laid up three medium wet coats of primer on the hood and with the remaining mix, I primed the seat back. I continue to work a bit on the underneath side of the hood, I am treating the metal to various numbers of acid baths as needed to kill the rust. There are areas where a brush or sandpaper cannot reach so frequent acid washes are needed. The acid process on the underside is about finished now and will get this in primer next time I uncover it on the work table if all goes well. With this work done, I also combined it with a trip uptown Saturday morning to strip parts from a 54 Plymouth before it getting sent to the crusher and also move some furniture for a friend. I got a nice glider out of the deal and so I started Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and bottle of Woolite upholstery cleaner. So despite the heat and humidity due to 4 pop up storms I did get a few things done. If you folks are out and about in this summer heat, do stay hydrated and do take frequent small breaks.
Upholstery, I think I can..!
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 12 2010, 01:05 PMOk, as the song goes, we’re having a heat wave, yes things have heated up here in Georgia and any small relief we get from the heat by means of rain only boils you in the moisture moments after the rain quits. I have also been taking care of some other small things as is normal about my place. Car seems to take back seat to these interruptions always. I have been on the lookout for quite some time now for a commercial walking foot sewing machine. These are few and far between in my area and finding one in a suitable shape to invest into and get running is quite a chunk of change. I am not so sure now if luck was with me when I located and bought the one I did or if life was throwing me the ever present curve ball. While the unit was new, it had not been really serviced right in my thinking; after all it says some shifting in shipment may cause alignment necessary. After getting it home and setting it up I discovered a few things that were slightly out of tweak in my opinion. Now I could be wrong here but I in no way consider the presser foot of the top feed striking and binding on the bottom feed dog acceptable or prudent to long life and proper operation. Couple this with the fact that I did not get an owner’s manual, and on top of that I have spent a number of days batting zero in my search for a book. While everyone and his brother is happy to sell you a unit, seems they could care less if you get a book nor do they seem to want to extend themselves in helping you obtain a book. This is a most troublesome for certain. These sewing machine service companies must have one heck of a lobby to be able to tie the owner’s hands in the manner in which I find mine tied trying to get information regarding this machine. So, I spent some time looking over the machine and visually observing the mechanism after taking a cover off here and there and thought I would try my hand at a bit of tweaking. Trust me, I wish I had the book, but after a couple false starts I think I found the culprit and did in fact did adjust the foot to be at flush with the feed dog at full stroke. The machine runs real quiet now and seems to sew real nice. However I think it would be better if the machine ran a bit slower, at 3000 stitches per minute this thing flies. I will be on the lookout for a reducer intermediate pulley setup to lower the speed and up the torque. The unit is acclaimed to sew 7/16 material and leathers. The stand, complete with light, spool rack and clutch motor, bobbin winding jig, treadle and knee lift mechanism for the presser foot is quite an impressive package, and quite heavy might I add. I wanted to get this machine and try my hand at a bit of upholstery work. Might never get good enough to make a real go at it but hopefully will be able to assemble a decent set of hides for the car. The wife is eager to see if she can work the heavier fabrics and learn the complex stitches needed. On the advisement of a friend who has sewn his own interior in the past, I have bought what is raved as a most valuable book on the process. This will undoubtedly be mailed at media mail rate and be slow to arrive. Meanwhile I have some bulk material to play with while getting used to the machine. The thread I have is very old it appears and is not the best but as I am only playing around, will get me through some hands on training. I have a friend in another state that has a tailoring business who has vowed to get me set up with proper threads and such. Time will tell. At least I figure if the project is a bust I can recoup my money in the machine.
Priming the cargo area
Posted by bigaadams, Jul 4 2010, 11:30 PMI got to work a bit here and there the past few days on the wagon. I admit it's sometimes an hour here or a couple there but it is time spent. The cargo area wheel arches are now smoothed out fairly well an setting in primer. I then got out the spare tire cover and realized just how much a beating this item had taken over the years. I did a bit of work with the shrinking disc and with the hammer dolly, this is pretty heavy metal and had been dinged quite a bit over the years. After getting the unit to lay down nicely and fit flush 360, I took it out and stripped the paint off it with stripper. My stripper had been around for a number of years and was quite surprised to see it still active. After stripping and such I wire brushed, acid etched and primed this piece. I then proceeded to get the seat back and inspect it. It was not as bad as far as dings went, couple here and there and overall very good shape. However I did have to weld one stress crack up and grind back to smooth. After removing the paint and wire brushing I also acid etched this piece and now have it ready to prime. In between applying and working the acid I took a late model spare tire hold down and heated it and bent a 90 into it right at the base making a hooking 'J' bolt. This device has two different size threads, the lower part is for securing the tire, the upper section is to secure the cover. I had laying about a knurled stainless steel knob that was just the ticket for the upper cover. I drilled this and tapped it for the correct size and laid it aside, the rod is a bit longer than I will need but will wait till I fit all this together for the final fit before I cut to length. I also was able to get by a fabric shop and got a couple more swatches, think I have found the fabric I want, nice tweed that compliments both my original paint and the chosen vinyl for kick panels and door panel inserts. The carpet will also be a dark green loop pile. I also took a minute to spackle the front seams at the firewall with mastic, this stuff does an excellent job but takes a few days to fully cure, skins over to be tack free on the surface in 24 hours but still soft under that. When it dries, usually a good 10 days to set if a bit thick, this stuff is quite firm yet still pliable, will not really distort but still can be dimpled a bit with your fingernail. So in reality I have had good few days and have made a bit of progress.
Finishing the blaster, bit of work on the wagon
Posted by bigaadams, Jun 28 2010, 10:35 AM
I had some running around to do after work taking care of a bit of business so got home a bit later than normal. After supper settled a tad I ventured out and rolled the sandblast cabinet out and laid it on its back so to give me better access for sanding the inside in prep for primer. I had to adapt a sanding block with a swivel extension to reach the very bottom of the hopper. After sanding and blowing off the dust I wiped it down with solvent, applied a bit of masking tape where needed and primer the unit. Will let this primer set and check the cure next eveing, could be up to a couple days depending on temp and humidity. I use Rustoleum Rusty Metal primer, in another section of this blog I speak of it’s characteristic and how to use this product. It is all about not getting in a hurry and not trying to push this product beyond its limitations. The fish oil is absorbed into any rust surface, no rust, this oil has to rise to the surface and dry off completely, this is why it feels tacky after it appears dry. Once this oil is gone this primer will block sand with the best of primers. Just be sure it is completely dry. I had also remembered to go by the local Wal-Mart and grab some Rustoleum topcoat paints. Seems the local hardware store is backing away from carrying this product and is pushing their brand of paints that I think are less than adequate. I tried their product one time awhile back and was less than pleased. The Rustoleum is great for this type application, I mix it 8 parts paint to 4 parts of enamel reducer and add 1 ounce of acrylic enamel hardener and a few drops of fisheye eliminator. This mix sprays great, and with the high grade reducer flashes over nicely and in a timely manner and the hardener will increase the overall gloss and give it lasting qualities. I have been shooting Rustoleum in this manner for 20 years. It is great for car frames and inner fender and other areas that need protection without having to spend an arm and a leg for a product form a big name supplier. If this strikes you as a paint you may want to try for yourself do remember to use automotive reducer and hardener, most paint stores will carry a generic hardener for acrylic enamel in a major brand names like i.e. Evercoat. They sell it at a most fair price compared to their main line paint. This stuff is not only affordable, it’s very compatible. Remember the formula is 8 parts paint; 4 parts reducer and 1 part hardener. Add a few drops of silicone (fisheye) eliminator, now this stuff is a bit expensive. Wash out small fingernail polish bottle and try to beg a few drops from a paint shop, tip the man for a cold drink. Another quit tip here if you are interested is that once I paint a car I buy a couple bottles of clear nail polish and dump the contents, clean the bottle and applicator brush and fill with touch up paints to carry in the trunk or glove box. Anyway, next evening I roll the cabinet back out of the shop and start prepping the primer for top coat. As hot as it has been the primer was really cooked out nicely and so with just a bit of roughing up with a green scruffy pad and a wipe with solvent, I am ready to shoot some white high gloss enamel on the inside of the cabinet. 20 mixed ounces later I have three nice coats on the inside and the underside of the lighting fixture. I installed the hopper dump door spring and the newly prepped and painted pick up tube and called it a night.
Well Friday after work I made a not so quick run to north east side of Atlanta to look at a car. Figure pretty much it would be a bust to begin with but at the same time thought that if I did not go and look see the nagging question would always be there, did I let a good one slip by? Turns out the cars was about 1/5 of what was advertized. I have in the past come to expect to see about 50% of what was advertized, this was a bust, car was nothing more than a parts car and the pictures must have been taken long ago when in its prime. But as I told the wife before we left home, at least we will get out for a drive and catch supper. We were able to meet up with my friend in Atlanta on the return trip for a bite to eat. Had a very good visit, always good to sit down and chat with a friend so the trip was not a loss at all. Next day I got a fairly early to start on the exterior painting of the sandblaster. Coupe nice coats of gloss catalyzed Smoke Gray enamel and let it set in the heat to cure. Later I went out and assembled the unit completely. Turned out one glove had a cut at where it clamps onto the cabinet. Wife put on a quick fix by backing it with a patch, then zig-zag stitching the cut itself. She got onto it immediately and did a very nice job on the repair. So the blaster is now finished and placed aside and closed the shop for the day. Today I was not real involved in anything except to look for a couple parts I had put away and take a minute to start my Sunbeam Tiger. We later got some rain and the temp dropped a bit so I upped the garage door and did some body work on the inside of the station wagon cargo area. I am about finished up with this section, just a bit more to do on the left wheel hump.
Afew pics of the finished sandblaster:
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/...mp;d=1277593896
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/...mp;d=1277593908
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/...mp;d=1277593919
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/...mp;d=1277593931
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/...mp;d=1277593940
Rear view mirrors
Posted by bigaadams, Jun 23 2010, 09:27 AM
Here of late I have been combining a few days into a single entry. Reason is I never seem to get to dedicate an extended period of time in the shop. Yesterday I spent a bit of time experimenting with yet another upgrade, this one is very iffy on whether or not it will work proper but am willing to try my hand at doing so. I separated the module from the assembly, disassembled the module and removed a few components for a remote relocation. I got the items de-soldered and the umbilical cord soldered onto the circuit board. I have not built the adapter housing for the items to relocate where I want them so that part will be last to connect in place. Even if it proves to be a bust, well at least I will not wonder about the “if” factor anymore. Anyone who has tried to find a set of mirrors that will mate to the doors of these cars will realize real quick what a hassle it is. The step in the door panel for the beltline molding combined with the curve of the door makes finding a base that will fit and place the mirror at the correct height extremely hard to locate. So next line of thinking has you trying to mount the mirror on the flat of the step just above the beltline and then you find the mirror is now quite tall and the head is dead against the glass and interferes with the operation of the vent. So with the newer cars having no vent glass and having mirrors mounted there I figure why not investigate this method and eliminate the vent. I have a set of late model mirrors on a parts car and quickly found the mirror mechanisms are quite thick and will require about 3 times the thickness of the vent glass to mount smoothly and will need an interior cover plate designed as well.. Scratch that idea and move along. So I will have to make a run to the junkyard and do a walk around to see if I can find a suitable mirror of the style I want. Not looking good, of all my old cars, mirrors seem to be the number one snag on retrofitting. With the mirrors now being a bust I decided to spend a minute or two on the newly obtained sandblaster. I have decided to refresh the paint inside and out even though only the top loading door looks worse for wear on the exterior. I located the water separator I had new in the box and made a special bracket to allow me to mount where what appears the original separator had been located. I will use 90 degree fittings so to keep the hoses flush to the cabinet body for a cleaner look and make it less likely to get caught on something or something caught on it while moving about as this blaster now has wheels attached. Next day after work I went by the junkyard for quick tour of what may or may not be available in the line of mirrors. I found a set that had some rectangular heads that were screw based and a bit larger than what I had in mind but with the removable mirror head and combined with the very tall mount bases I grabbed these for a very reasonable cost. I had in my mind that I could transfer the heads from the Lucas knock-offs I had at the house. Not so, however in my box of mirrors I had a set of long stem 4 inch head clip on peeps. I had picked these up at a swap meet based solely on the give-away price. I studied these and determined that I could cut flat spots 180 from each other and be able to hold the stem with a wrench. Next I cut the stems to length and cut a shoulder on the stem to reduce the shaft approximately .100 to the correct 5/16 diameter and ran a die down it and cut my threads. Cutting the shoulder was a bit tedious as all I had to work with was my right angle grinder and my Vernier calipers to gauge my progress. Final dressing was with a file. The mirror heads being a bit off center mounted added about ¾ inches extra height to the overall mirror. This mod did not take that long and with the very heavy factory mounting plates on the inside of the door will affix these in position and keep them there. Overall the job came out nicely and the mirrors are readily visible, sleek enough to look right at home and tall enough to mount just below the beltline and still display the mirror head fully in the window panel yet not against the pane. The rear of the mount frame is positioned vertical to the rear of the vent glass edge and does not interfere with the operation of the vent whatsoever. After doing that task and laying them aside I did work a tad on the cleanup of the sandblaster. I had forgotten to go by the store for some white paint for the inside of the cabinet so must try to get that done this evening on my way home.
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Found a replacement hood..
Posted by bigaadams, Jun 21 2010, 10:41 AMI was able to work just a bit on the cargo floor and inner fender hump the other night. The fender hump on the passenger side had two holes in it for some odd reason. I long ago welded these up with using new metal and just now smoothing things out a bit. Am not looking for perfection here but just trying to kill an eyesore or two. It continues to be hot and humid and with a bit of rain coming through late last night, it will be like a sauna out there today. Finally made phone contact about a parts car, did a bit of dealing for parts, shut down the shop and ran out of town and picked up a hood for the wagon. I swapped mine out plus a little boot. My hood was crunched a bit in the front and had the normal rust starting in the hood latch area and along the stiffeners of the hinge supports. This breakdown of metal has actually started he hood to crack there due to fatigue. The hood I swapped for last night appears to be solid in these regions but did come with a ding or so. My guess was and hope is that they can be quickly handled with the shrinking disc and be able to keep any and all hammer/dolly bumping away from this metal completely. The damage is not severe, just in an area I don’t need any stretching whatsoever. This should be the last of the big panels I will have to be bothered with on this car. Next day after getting the hood I went out in daylight hours after work to survey it a bit closer. Found in reality it is a very solid hood with just one bit of rust at the driver’s side rear hood brace, will be a quick fix with a bit of new metal welded in and then only two hairline cracks to weld. The damage to the rear of the hood appears to be where someone had stepped on it when they removed the hood and placed on the ground when pulling the engine. The bend is not severe but did cause a pretty pronounced ridge when the hood made contact with the rear support brace that spans underneath. The actual ridge was about 10 inches in a semi circle and forward of where it rests on the cowl seal. I placed the hood on my work table, removed the undercoating from the backside and after backing it with some good support, hit it with the shrinking disc. After quenching this first pass I flipped the hood and did the underside the same manner. I repeated this process 4 times in about 10 minutes and now have the hood back straight and smooth. There was one ding in the hood much like a medium hail stone hit. One 30 second pass on the backside and this area is now straight and smooth. For those who have dents and dings to remove I recommend the shrinking disc. The disc I have is quite heavy, 9 inch diameter and constructed out of .060 thick stainless steel. Mounted on a heavy electric grinder it makes quick work of dents and dings especially if you can get to both sides of the panel. I try to remove damage without further distorting the metal with a hammer dolly action. I have a 3” disc I made also that when attached to my right angle air grinder does a fair job getting out small dings. Father’s Day found me out of town visiting dad and working a bit at his place. On my previous visit to my dad’s place, my friend gave me a 36 inch wide upright sandblasting cabinet by Dayton. I retrieved it this trip and after arriving home last night gave it a good quick once over. He had got this surplus and never attempted to get it online. Some nice features, safety interlock air switch, nice heavy foot operating pedal, excellent florescent lighting and the exhaust fan I will remove in favor of a vacuum attachment. Unit has a flip top front loading door and also a side door to load your item into the compartment. The gloves are in very good shape also. Seems the only missing item is the water separator and I do think I have one new in the box out in the barn. Being two foot smaller in width than my big cabinet I will put this smaller unit in the main shop for working small quick-hit jobs instead of having to go to the other outbuilding where I have the big cabinet set up. One thing for certain, you can’t have too many tools. While in Charleston I ran by my local paint jobber for a few materials, decided to buy an extra quart of paint for the wagon now that I have the underside of the hood to finish including the inner fender that I decided that I wanted to go body color. Now if I can only get some quality time in the shop.
Inside body work begins
Posted by bigaadams, Jun 15 2010, 08:51 AMTalk about the hot nasty humid weather it has arrived and buried in like a tick. I worked a bit of OT on Saturday and did not get out in the shop but next morning I was out fairly early. By 10 AM it was too nasty to stay out of doors. I waited till late evening and returned to the shop. By sundown I was soaking wet and standing in a pool of sweat, it was that bad. I got the courtesy lights openings in the rear trim panels cut that morning and am hoping they are properly positioned to be useable for rear passenger reading lights. If not they will light up the area when getting in and out of the car. I tried to position them with the garage lights off. From there I moved to the spare tire well. Quite a number of dings and dents there, of course the well is loaded with stamp marks along the way due to the process at the factory and will never be perfect but I did want it a bit smoother than it appears now. I spent a few hours on this Sunday evening and last night I finished it all up and got it in primer. With a tire in place and the lid on its a no show area anyway. But it is one of those things, I know its there so I had to do a bit about it. I have not test fitted a later model tire, am sure the diameter would not be a problem but getting the proper cross section could be a challenge. The wheels I am installing are 7 inch wide later model Mopar aluminums and am pretty confident fitting one of these with the intended rubber I am going to install would be very tight if it fit the well at all. Stopped off at my local nuts and bolt store on the way home from work yesterday and bought some metric 12mm 10.9 grade bolts for the receiver hitch install. These are equivalent to the US grade 8 in strength and close to my drilled 7/16 diameter mount holes. They did not have the length or grade in 7/16 in stock and I surely did not want grade 5 in this area. I spent a minute or two packing up all the lights and misc. stuff that I got out to test fit during the panel cut/mock-up. Stopped by the fabric store to see what may or may not be available in upholstery, struck out. Actually I found some very suitable stuff but as a remnant, no more available, I had to pass, shame though as it was just the ticket. Next I will be going over the cargo floor and working any ding or dent along the way in prep for final primer. The rear seat panels I have glanced over and they look real nice and should not need a lot of work. I am not sure of what finish I will put on the hardware for the seat back. I have located a set of the stowage latches for the one pair I have missing. I would like to find a nice original bumper jack to place in its position under the rear seat. Anyone have one available, Bueller? Anybody!
Summer about here, getting hot
Posted by bigaadams, Jun 11 2010, 12:37 PMI have been able to snag a few minutes between trips and yard work. To catch you up, the Memorial Weekend has come and gone, I logged about 1400 miles round trip to see family and decorate cemeteries. The traveling was good, only some rain on the return trip. I was able to get all the lawn work done before leaving and now that I have returned I have been busy making almost 4 gallons of strawberry preserves and then it was a repeat performance in the yard with Mr. Weed eater and John Deere. Ah so now you think I can get back to my car, NOT, unforeseen circumstances put me back on the road the following weekend thus the need to quickly take care of the yard before leaving. I did get to the beach and got to see a couple of my friends. I never got a chance to get out and about any when out of town so looking in local wrecking yards and such was out of the question. I did keep an eye out while driving to be sure to see if any late model cars may have an item of interest that I may can retrofit onto my station wagon. I have a good lead but will need place my hands on the item to be certain. While on the road I saw but one item of interest and that was a north bound vehicle. It was a motorcycle totally disguised as a Roman chariot, yes this puppy had the horse front end, chariot riding compartment, rider appeared to be standing complete with Roman soldier attire and had his hand to the till the appearance of reins going forward to the horse was a touch of icing for sure. This has to be the most unique item I have seen in some time. So after some 700 miles the next weekend and arriving home from the trip to Charleston SC, I had a message on the answering machine to come view a old Plymouth, year unknown by the caller…back in the car for another 80 miles, turns out it was a 52 Cambridge 4 door. Not on my want list so passed on it but will try to help the man move it if I can. Took the wife out to eat while on this look-see run, that finished up that weekend. Now back to the station wagon. I got outside a bit the other night and took the new made trim panels and the repaired cubby boxes along with the shoulder harnesses so to tie all this together. The quarter trim panel had to be measured and then cut so to provide space for the retractor so they would not bind when the panel is fixed in place yet still allow the belt to pass through. I decided that the belt retractor needed to sit about ¼ inches within the opening of the cubby box. I made the measurements and transferred to the trim panel and then cut the appropriate opening keeping this hole about 1 ¼ inch below the upper lip of the cubby box where it mounts to the quarter-trim panel. Next I cut a slot in the top of the cubby box for the belt and latches to exit into the passenger compartment. The slot I cut with the cutoff wheel and rounded the ends of the slot with a carbide rotor bit. The opening is a tad larger than I had hoped for but with the shoulder harness upper mounting tab is quite thick. The harness does operate smoothly and will lock on any sudden yank of the strap. The slot are now primed and when painted will eventually be dressed with the material I cover the cubby boxes and quarter trim panel. The extra tab for bracing the cubby was marked, drilled and that mounting hole transferred to the B post area for permanent mounting when the panels are complete and the interior painted. Only other thing accomplished past few days was that I got my torch out and heated the heavy 3/8 thick steel and bent/fabricated my last braces for the receiver hitch. These will tie to the bottom of the hitch and connect forward to the frame to offset tongue weight and give me maximum towing strength. These prevent rocking movement of the receiver. All holes are drilled and after a bit of paint work they will we be finalized in place. I fitted the bumper and ensured the back-up lights are going to mount in the right position and the exhaust will route out from under the bumper with no problems. The end of the receiver sits flush with the face of the bumper with 1/8 air gap between it and the bottomof the bumper, am very pleased with the outcome. The rear of the vehicle is shaping up quite nicely. A friend has sent me a 52 Suburban bumper and valance but I have not yet uncrated them. My original is a bit rough and am not sure if it could be replated...appears at one time this bumper has had some welded repairs made already. Not sure about where you folks live but we are approaching the ligh 90's and the humidity is a killer. If you get out side, stay hydrated..if you don't sweat, don't work..!!
Another section set aside
Posted by bigaadams, May 26 2010, 12:19 PMAm not really on a roll but am trying to get this section to a quitting point as I have other things that needs get done about the house. So after my running around uptown looking for a gas powered pruner and having the worse day of my life shopping, I made it home and decided to get out the gas welder and at least weld up the cubby boxes. I test fit the cubby again and this time I decided on where to weld another mounting tab for best support and be out of sight yet accessible. The welding went real smooth and both were finished in little time, the new tab will mount to the B-post and really make the boxes secure. Wish I could have said that about the sandblasting, it was bit over the top. Guess it is time to service my sandblaster for about 1/3 way through the second cubby I started experiencing sand flow problems. I was able to get the unit done but took longer than it should have. I will have to empty the sand out of the reservoir, it has been quite some time since the sandblaster has had any service. I will save this used grit for future use in the pressure pot and refill my cabinet with fresh black diamond. Am sure it is time to service the vacuum cleaner dust collector on the cabinet also. By this time it had gotten dark, so I put the sandblasted cubbies aside and will definitely prime them tonight before tackling the yard and orchard. Wish I could have gotten an earlier start in the shop but not everything goes according to plans. Won’t be able to get back to any real work on the Suburban for a day or so. The recent rains make mowing the grass close to a 5 days cycle. I usually have to stop everything and catch it else it be out of control. This and a couple of other things I have put off the last few evening now must get done. At least I have been making a bit of headway and this is always a good thing. As for the new pruner, I have about 120 feet of unruly hedge row to whip in shape. Just hoping it will be easier than last time when all I had were the hand held loppers, hedge trimmer and a stepladder. Being hot and muggy I assure you I am not looking forward to this task.
Cubby box repair (Suburban items)
Posted by bigaadams, May 25 2010, 02:07 PMDare I take two days in a row and work a bit on the car? Well I did just that after a visit from a forum member, oil and filter change in the daily driver and a bit of supper. I started by going into the overhead and digging out the cubby boxes and bringing them down for an overall assessment of fit and fitness. The lids and hinges were in good order with no bends or binding. The mounting tabs were in good shape with exception to the most forward one on the floor, if indeed this is a mounting tang as they are so far gone I have no real clue where and if they mount to the floor. I determined with this being the case I will weld a tang inside the cubby and mount to the car body instead. The lower part of the boxes near the floorboard was toast on the one side and quickly approaching toast on the other. I decided that I would try out my metal shrinking device for the first time and turn my hand to forming a nice rounded piece of metal with a 90 degree lip. Quick looked indicated that I should cut a strip of metal four and a half inches wide and about a foot long and start from there. I bent a 90 degree lip at about 5/16 inch and then folded a 90 degree lip ½ wide at the leading edge. I placed this against the damaged area I need to replace and marked with a pencil the places where the curve will begin and end, hopefully finishing with a nice rounded replacement panel. I was happy to see that even with the small 5/16 lip the shrinking tool could easily grab this and do its job. In just a few minutes and considering it the first attempt, I got the results I needed. I then took this back to the car and installed the cubby with the damaged area as it is supposed to fit. Once in place I set the newly made panel against the damaged lower end and used it as a template and drew a pencil line across the cubby box. Next I took all this to the bench and with the use of my cutoff wheel, removed the damaged metal. With the damaged portion now off and to the side I put my repair section back up to the cubby and marked it for length plus a bit for a 90 degree bend here also. A quick cut with the cutoff wheel, little bend with the hand brake and the panel is now ready for fitting in place. I like using the little butt weld clamps as they are not at all in the way, very sturdy, allows you to work with curved metal without distortion and easy to remove and finish the welding process plus keeps the correct gap along the way for a good penetrating weld puddle. After working the first piece for a good fit, doing the other side was quick and easy duplicate process. Both unit are now jigged up with the weld clamps and laid aside. I figure that was enough for the evening as it was getting dark and I did not want to be out welding when the blood sucking bugs start their nightly feast. So we will reserve the welding for later, followed by a good overall sandblast and priming. I am not sure of what kind of liner I wish to install in the cubby boxes. I do not like the cardboard stock setup nor do I think I could replicate anything close to right from cardboard. Pretty much look like I will have to make a metal liner of some sort and install sort of drop in style. Only other thing that comes to mind is fiberglass. That will most likely be another problem for yet another day down the road; will choose the best method at that time. The rebuild of the cubby boxes will allow me to make final fit of the trim panel and cut the exact place my seat belt guide will insert. Further, I will now be able to hopefully determine the best location for the rear courtesy/reading lights.
Fabricating the rear interior trim panels
Posted by bigaadams, May 24 2010, 07:42 AMYesterday was my only day off this week, though hot and muggy after our most recent rainfall I decided I would tackle the manufacture of the trim panels located in the back of the vehicle. I had been to Lowes the night before and selected a 4 x 8 sheet of the tempered hardboard. Of the two thicknesses they had in stock I went with the thinner as it was more in line to the original panel. I had thought for weatherproofing that the panel board for bathrooms would be a nice touch but upon seeing the texture and such decided against it. So with the tempered hardboard in hand I set off removing the material from what remained of my original panels. They were a bit ragged, corners pretty much broken off and lower edge water damaged and were quite a bit warped to the point I needed to weigh them down to get a good transfer. Theoretically the left and right panels are a mirror image right down to the screw holes for mounting them. After getting the panels for one side traced out and the missing/damaged edges compensated for and the corners radiuses drawn, I got out the saber saw and did the deed. The bolt pattern was then marked and using a Forrester bit I got a good clean hole bored in them. I then test fitted and ensured the mounting holes were correct. It was just the right fit for the side it was transferred from. I then inverted that panel and verified the holes as the same on the other side and found it had a slight difference fit, holes matched but will need to do a bit of custom trimming for the wheel arch for some reason. Knowing this I could now easily cut the second panel, drill the holes and then trim it to an exact fit. So after tracing the second panel, cutting it out , I then clamped these together to mark the holes and proceeded to bore them. Next I test fit this panel and did the custom arch trimming for a smooth fit. Next I got my box with the intended speakers down off the shelf and selected the best area to fit the rear speakers and grilles. I marked and bore the mounting holes for the speaker, cut the center opening and test fit the panel again. All is well so I duplicated this to the other most rear panel. The intermediate panel is quite a bit larger than the most rear and has the cutout that the window latch to protrude trough and an escutcheon to trim the opening. This panel also has the cubby box affixed to it between the panel and the back seat, sort of like rear glove boxes. Luck was with me as of the two rear panels one was solid enough to make a template. The other had been cracked along the way at one time and when I removed the material it fell apart. So same thing here, compensate for worn edges and rounded corners, trace, cut, bore the holes, test fit and get ready to coat with polyurethane as to add a bit of water proofing. When completed and test fit all the panels were edge sanded and coated with two coats of polyurethand to seal against moisture. These intermediate panels will need a tad of tweaking yet. Before I can do that however I must get the cubby boxes down from the overhead and exact a bit of lower metal repair. Once the metal is welded in place I will put these in place for a test fit and at the same time mark and cut a slot for the seat belt strap to exit between the cubby lid and the trim panel. This panel will need be modified for the seat belt to exit into the passenger compartment within the cubby opening. It is my plan to make inserts that will set inside the cubby boxes giving storage room but a bit shallow than original so as not to interfere with the operation of the belts and at the same time provide protection to the ratcheting mechanism from dirt and moisture. Also this panel will need to be drilled with a hole large enough to insert the courtesy/reading lights for the rear passengers. Not certain of the best location for these lights at the moment as I will need to install the seat to be sure of best light projection. It has been a long time since I removed the seat and going into the overhead to look at the seat bottom I found that I have a spring steel latch clip missing off the seat bottom that the seat back latches into. I think I may have a pair located, just have to ensure they will interchange as they are of a later model Suburban. All in all, made some good progress this afternoon.
Final fitting of the rear metal...
Posted by bigaadams, May 20 2010, 12:19 PMI decided not to work in the yard/orchard for the third night in a row so I spent a bit of time messing with the wagon. While I did not apply any power to the wiring harness yet, I did revisit the rear of the car and the receiver hitch specifically. I went to the barn and removed the bumper from it resting place on the wall and carried it in to fit it all together. Well as it turns out my modified shackles were a bit quick on the angle. Looking at them, I figured if I really had a load on the wagon and should hit a bump, chances of them hitting the bumper bracket was possible due to the taper of the bumper bracket and the angle at which they mount. While I addressed the “arch” built into the bumper bracket, it did not occur to me at the time I took my measurements the brackets angled down in this manner. All part in part when you make modifications. Well, just to be on the safe side I reworked these items; trial fitted the bumper, and found I had to take a very small sliver from the lower edge of the bumper brackets so they would sit flat on the receiver’s flat top. With the bumper in position, receiver in place I marked and drilled the two outside braces. I want a third brace on each side of the hitch running forward to the frame rail for displacing downward tongue weight and prevent the possibility of any rocking motion when towing. These will prove to be a bit of a pain due to the diameter of the stock I am using but so far I think I have this all worked out. I really do like the install of this receiver. It would be a bit hard for anyone to guess by a casual glance that the receiver is even on the car. One would have to bend down and look up under the bumper itself. Fitting the bumper in place will make it possible for me to determine if the chosen spot for the backup lights will work without the bumper blocking the light or the tailgate coming in contact when lowered. Another item to consider while the bumper is in place is the exit of the exhaust pipe to determine if anything special needs be done in this area. I will also address the rear valance/gravel shield to ensure that I do not have any issues with that item either. I long ago removed this piece, reshaped one damaged corner, welded the other corner back in place and repaired some stress cracks. I did not fit this piece back on the car at that time and feel I best check it now before I proceed to prep for paint stage. The front and rear gravel shields are of the last items to be sandblasted and acid etched. So last night was a bit of fun, little lifting, little metal cutting and a bit of welding with the old arc welder. It was a good feeling being in the shop puttering about. Allowed me a bit of much needed downtime from the daily grind and also made it where I could cross a few items off my “to-do” list. No getting around it, the grass will need to be cut tonight!
Finishing the wiring
Posted by bigaadams, May 10 2010, 08:45 AM
The wire scrounging run was a success and last night found me back in the shop constructing my final interconnecting wiring harness. I said finishing the harness in the title but there are the pigtails to be trimmed to length when the last of the metal goes in place. I also went upstairs and rummaged through all my secret horde of removed parts from various vehicles I had sent to the great beyond sometime ago in the past. In the collection of stuff my objective was a set of speaker grilles and mounting plate. These are some very ideal items for mounting the speaker in the kickpanels as the grille snaps into place quite nicely and will allow a set of nice 5” speakers to go in place. Well the sad news is, I can find but the one speaker, I know it’s a bit of a clutter up there and it could yet be in another box. Guess I will have to further investigate this, actually cleaning up and discarding stuff may be better but then again if I had done this I would not have any options later when I need a part. Not quite along the lines of the TV show being buried alive in my collection of junk but a fair amount of stuff. It is hard to chunk some things. I walked around, moved from location to location a box of stuff, one day I had it, I threw it away, lock, stock and tomahawk. Following week, I had to buy a similar piece of metal to make something I needed in the shop. Broke me from sucking eggs; this is exactly why I keep the stuff I do for whatever amount of time, even if it seems forever. So that pretty much places me at yet another good place to stop for the moment. After the rains the grass shoots up almost overnight. I have a ton of yard word to do and I must admit it is paying off but it sure taking it's toll on me and my free time. I have ornamental pear trees out front that could use a bit of pruning as they are getting quite unruly and hard to mow under.
When I get back to the wagon I guess it will be time to start testing the individual circuits to be sure all is good to go. Then I got to start addressing the finish on the interior, I have a couple schemes in my mind but have not yet decided on the final approach. Want something a bit above single color and choosing cut lines is sometimes a bit tough. A quick run by the fabric store to see what may in stock for suitable interior could be in the works this coming week also. So far the past trips did not yield any fruit as to pattern and color etc. And of course, it is always a good time to run by the junkyard and look at suitable upgrades. I think I have talked myself out of the original idea of a third brake light, so a walk-about may find another device more suitable, might even find a decent set of speaker grilles as I may have lost one of the set I had at home.