dancutlass

Did you always want it to shift, too? Since I'm used to manual transmission I always think when it's running at high rpms : "come on tranny get in the next gear", but it won't
Hope it gets better with the 400
I received it today, but don't know when I'll do the swap...

Now it's your time to make some progress

dancutlass

Thank you Oldsguy! It's missing some color
Yeah I'm sure they look for aliens or something...

Eddie Hansen

Yes Dan it always seemed that you needed another gear, it was always kind of scary when passing someone that it would drop into low and the rpm's would skyrocket LOL...

yes I need to make progress.... point well taken!!

dancutlass

Just thought it was time for an update
I have installed the new radiator and it works great and stays cool as it should!
Then I fixed the carb temporarily and drove the car a few miles and it runs and drives great with the new suspension and steering components. The only thing I wasn't happy with, was the transmission and so I began to swap the junkaway for the TH400 I bought.
I started this project yesterday and everything is done except for the driveshaft. I'm still searching for a reputable shop to shorten and balance it.

dancutlass

Well, it's been a little more than 10 months since my first post in this thread, and I thought it was time to post some pictures how the Olds currently looks...
I know it doesn't look beautiful but it will get better and better
The thing which bothers me the most, are the repro wheel opening repair panels.. they are looking terrible!
I think I will wait with painting the car until I have found quarter panels from a parts car!

K800_PA165816_zps7917c261.jpg
K800_PA165814_zps0a506037.jpg[IMG][/IMG]K800_PA165802_zpsb7a1e7e0.jpg

Yo can see the alps in the background! seems like it was a bit cloudy up there today

K800_PA165817_zpsa07ed215.jpg

69442C

Dan,

Looks pretty good and at least you can drive it. Love the Cragar SS wheels too. What's wrong with the patch panels on the quarters. Is it the profile of the opening?

Brian

RAMBOW

Lookin good!

dancutlass

Thank you Brian and Ben!
Yes the profile of the opening is the main problem! The edge is almost round compared to the fender!
I'll post some pics, where it can be seen!
I would never buy them again! Rather safe the money to get them from a parts car...
The primer hides it pretty good, there has not been any filler applied yet...

Eddie Hansen

It still looks wicked I love the primer and cragars looks old skool'bad *** sort of like no show and all go lol I personally think the quarters look OK but what the heck do I know lol I am getting ready to tackle the same on my 69 and hope it will turn out OK I would much much prefer full quarters but what can you do?????? Anyway thanks for the update and pictures....

gearheads78

Lookin' good man... I really like the black and white.

dancutlass

Thanks as always, Eddie!
There is just a little show when I open my hood
I'm going to upload some pictures of the wheel openings, where you can see, that they don't look good!
I hope you have more luck with your panels! Aren't there full quarters available for your 69? or quarters from a parts car?

dancutlass

Thanks for the kind words Richard!
Almost everything looks better in black and white

dancutlass

I promised to upload the pictures of the wheel opening of the patch panel compared to the wheel opening of the front fender!
This one shows how it should look like! "sharp" edge...
IMAG0594.jpg

And this one show the patch panel! I think the difference can clearly be seen.
IMAG0593.jpg


Sorry for the crappy handy pics, but I think you can see what I'm talking about!

Are there any suggestions what I should do to make it look acceptable?
I won't get it painted until the body looks perfect!
Thanks

66cutlass

Looks great! I am also in the middle of a total restoration of a 66 cutlass. More money would speed thing along. You can see some photos in gallery by typing 1966 cutlass.

69442C

Dan that's a shame that the replacement panels do not have a crisp a body line as the front fenders and you'll have to decide how far you want to go to correct it. Here are a few things that come to mind for me.

1) Cut the panel all the way around the arch where the lip is rounded so you can pull the pieces apart slightly and then reweld to get a sharper line. This would be a tremendous amount of work.

2) Grind down the metal and use lead to build it up to get the profile you want to see. Easier but will require some work and I don't know how available lead is for you.

3) Grind down the metal and use fiberglass filler to get the profile yuo want to see. Get it close with the FG filler and then finish with standard body filler. FG filler is stronger the standard filler which is why I would suggest using FG filler first.

The profile doesn't look like it would need a lot of filling to make it look correct and if it was me, I may be inclined to go with step 3. If you think it will need a lot of filler to correct it, then step 1 or 2 may be a better choice.

Brian

Larrys'66

Dan,

I was just checking a few details on changing the heater core in my '66 Cutlass convertible when I found your thread. Thanks for posting your project evolutions here on CO, it is just the motivation I needed this morning as I prepare to get to work on my car. The before and after pics of the engine bay are exactly what I have in mind while my engine is out.

I hope you are blasting down the autobahn, turning heads, and enjoying all the effort you invested in that garage.

Larry

Eddie Hansen

Great looking engine Larry

oldcutlass

Nice car too.

Larrys'66

Thank you gents. I am having a blast with the project and really enjoy reading about the other builds in various stages. The way folks are helping out with the details we encounter is really cool.

I have slowed a little in the last few weeks between the cold and family stuff, but i hope to get the brake lines wrapped up and a motor planted very soon.

Eddie Hansen

Hey dan just popping in to see if there is anything new happening with your machine
Hope this finds you and yours well

bigin1978

I just saw this thread today. Looks great. I love 66's. Did you ever figure out the quarters? I know they it would be a lot of work, but if you can get another set of front fenders you can use the opposite side front fender as a patch for the rear opening. Left front to patch the right rear . right front to patch the left rear. That would give you the correct arch and roll that it should have. Good luck.

NTMD8TR

Wow Dan, The car looks great. Just saw the thread today. Keep up the good work. What parts are you looking for as far as the quarters go?

dancutlass

Hey guys, sorry that it took me so long to answer, just had a lot to do/learn recently and when I was online I rather read some of the other awesome threads :-)
Thanks for all your kind words! Each of your cars is so much nicer than mine!
Larry, you're welcome, your engine is a beauty indeed! How is the rest of your engine bay coming along?
Eddie, not much has happened over the last few months, other than putting on a new set of Mickey Thompson Sportsmans (sold the Fuldas that were on it to my dad) and passing the TÜV for the second time after the resurrection and trying to get the courtesy lights to work. (The culprit is a rotten fuse box)
Glad to see you found more time to work on your car though!!
I did work a lot on cars, mostly old BMWs that I bought, fixed and sold over the summer, so unfortunately the Olds didn't get as much attention as it would deserve and I'd like to give.
The main reason is that I simply don't have the money to do things like I want them to be done, so anything I could do would feel like cutting corners.
Bigin thanks for the good idea, but getting fenders with good wheel arches to Germany would be nearly as hard as getting quarter panels...
My plan now for the quarters and the whole car is, to get a donor car if possible, with a good frame and good quarters.
I'm sick of the sight of the patches on the frame and the patched quarter panels, when I look at them from inside the trunk.
And I sure don't want to have it painted, knowing that the rear wheel arches are modeled with bondo.
Fingers crossed, that the Euro won't get weaker than it is now, so that I can afford a nice donor car within the next few years ;-)
Happy New Year to everybody on CO!!!

dancutlass

Here's a pic of the Olds beneath a BMW E21 I sold.
(Yes I like the gray)
IMAG0709_zps4b4e4e9e.jpg

Eddie Hansen

Dan, thanks forthe update myfriend, and happy holidays and all the best for the new year.

I fully understand how life and finances can come between a man and his build.

Keep us posted