W-30 Azure to Twighlight

[stevengerard]

I hope it's ok to post some images here in this forum of my restoration, this is what it looked like at the start

[stevengerard]

here is the image

[Oldsguy]

Yes, perfectly fine to do so but I think you have it backwards. That looks like an after picture to me. Or you have one mighty fine original looking car, at least from sixty feet.

[Olds64]

That does look like an after picture. Pretty car!

[Lady72nRob71]

After picture.

That is a wonderful looking convertible!
The fall setting in that photo helps me to forget (for a few minutes) that it is gonna be 103* out today... Again...
Too hot for wrenchin'.

Now lets see the "before" and "during" pictures!

[stevengerard]

Thanks, though that is really the before image. The interior was getting ratty and the paint was crackled. I bought the car because it had a lot of options and the body was very solid. From 20 feet at 20mph the car looks good. But as you will see it needs some work. Every body shop I took it to for an estimate said it was one of the best panel fitted GM cars they had seen.

[stevengerard]

More images of the restoration, notice the lead in the lower quarter panels, great work whenever it was done but still more work now then anticipated - eventually we cut that out and the same with the fenders. Look at the hood, that was interesting to see that it was white and black - it was in great condition no chips, cracks or anything but whenever I washed the car water would puddle up it was so uneven - not any more

[stevengerard]

here is images of the doors, fenders and hood blasted as well as a coat of epoxy before we start to smooth with filler

[stevengerard]

looks like a lot of filler but very thin coats to get the car as straight as can be

[amh555]

Looking good! real nice work. Those panels always look good until you start blocking them, then you find all the surprises. I have a Vista and I think somebody put a safe on the roof rack. That filler can be paper thin and it looks like the thing is made of mud in pics.
I noticed the rear belts in the one pic, does the car have factory front shoulder harnesses?


Allan

[stevengerard]

Originally Posted by amh555

I noticed the rear belts in the one pic, does the car have factory front shoulder harnesses?

Allan

Yes, they are shoulder belts for the front seat occupants (supposedly pretty rare for a convertible) - the only thing I wonder about is that I have the "deluxe" seat belts which come with smaller buckles, but the buckles for the shoulder harnesses are the larger ones. Not sure if that was normal (so as not to confuse which ones were for the lap and which ones were for the shoulder) or did someone add one of the sets later on.

[stevengerard]

here is the car with the guide coat on, almost all of this wilol be sanded off to see the high and low spots