1972 Cutlass Father-Son Resto

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Old March 20th, 2013, 04:52 PM
  #201  
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Possibly steering column wiring harness? That is where my front parking light problem came from.
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Old March 20th, 2013, 05:29 PM
  #202  
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Originally Posted by Rmsx327
- NO parking lights whatsoever.
- Headlights work. Brakes and turn signals now work with them on.
- The taillights don't turn on with the headlights.
- Only one filament lights in the bulbs at a time.

Perhaps the headlight switch??
Like you were reading my mind.
What happens when you pull the headlight **** out to just the first stop? Do the park, side marker and taillights come on?

If nothing comes on, the headlight switch is very likely defective. Sounds like the first set of poles in the switch may be the electrical short that's causing the problems. Headlight switches aren't very expensive = about 15.00 at your local autoparts store.



If you haven't replaced one of these it can be tricky. Post the results of the headlight switch test and we'll go from there?
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Old March 21st, 2013, 02:36 PM
  #203  
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The first stop results in NOTHING. That's what made me weary of it.
I was suspecting it would be tricky. I already tried to get up there to see if it was defective, but lacked the space. Involve pulling the dash?
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Old March 21st, 2013, 03:40 PM
  #204  
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Try this...

If you got nothing from the first detente, the switch is bad.
No, you don't have to pull the dash (good news) but you will be working in tight quarters on your back (bad news) and mostly by feel. You have AC but you should have no trouble accessing the backside of the light switch.

1. Disconnect the battery (easier than pulling and replacing the headlight / tail light fuses)

2. Reach up behind the dash and find the headlight switch.

3. Disconnect the wiring harness - wiggle it loose. That will give you more room to work with on the switch body.

4. There will be a raised metal plunger sticking out of the bottom. If you already have the replacement? It's a no brainer to look and compare. Press that button in and hold it; there's a fair bit of pressure.
You can see that plunger in the middle of this light switch


5. Pull the light switch **** right out of the dash. It should slide out easily. If it stops you aren't pushing the button in far enough. Push it back to a detente location and try again. You don't need to yank on it.

6. Now you can see the trim ring that holds the 'lights' bezel in place. There are 4 little indents. so it looks like a + around the edge of the trim ring.

7. Use a good flatblade screw driver and gently tap one of those indents to the left (lefty loosey right tightey remember?). Keep on moving the trim ring till you can turn it by hand. Unscrew it all the way and remove.
8. The headlight switch should now be able to come out from the back side.

9. Reverse the process to install the new one (except that you don't have to push the spring plunger in when you put the pull **** back in.)

10. Reconnect the battery and test the lights.

Here's a look from the backside so you can see what's being removed. I circled the headlight switch in red.
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Old March 21st, 2013, 04:22 PM
  #205  
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Great write up Al.
This is exactly the same steps I did...LOOK OUT man! The MAWs road is right around the corner.

I know first hand how frustrating this is. I just wanted to give you an update on my situation so it might be able to help you. I'm painting my tail lights right now and in messing with them I slid back the rubber housing boots for the light bulb plugs and discovered 2 wires were cracked/frayed and 1 of those wires just had a couple threads of wires hanging on. So after everything I did this could have been the culprit! But the rest of the wiring was also similar, so who knows.

But I think it's safe to say that when you find some really bad wiring in some places you're sure to have more hiding in others. That's why in the end I just ripped all mine out and started over.
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Old March 21st, 2013, 05:02 PM
  #206  
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Jim,
When I redid my tail light pods, I wiggled back those boots so I could push the wires and tips up through the socket, then snip them off. That gave me unlimited flexibility to sandblast the housings without damaging any wiring. To re-connect? Just install some color coded shrink tube on the wire before soldering, then slide it up and shrink it. Perfect repair. Now just slide those boots over top and it looks like factory new.
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Old March 21st, 2013, 08:51 PM
  #207  
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Al...I wasnt that lucky. 2 of the boots are cracked\dry rotted and the crack is right down the middle . So they werent offering much protection from the elements. (weather) The other 2 boots are working but if I maneuver them, they're going to fall apart Im sure.

Im guessing they dont repop these boots, correct? So im probably going to have to fab something. Also, I think I did see someone post wiring harness for the TLs that are fairly close up here on C.O. somewhere.

I'll have to revist your TL repair in your thread.
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Old March 21st, 2013, 08:55 PM
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Found it-

These are the closest-
http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/p2283.html


Also found Rock auto has these cheapos, found better pics on Ebay
LS129
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACDELCO-PROF...0aa882&vxp=mtr

Rockauto also has these 3 wire ones listed, but obviously not exact. Third wire most likely a ground? :
6S1009
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AIRTEX-6S100...5109ad&vxp=mtr

Cant find rubber boots though anywhere.

Sorry for the minor hi jack, but it relates.

Last edited by JCMC64; March 22nd, 2013 at 05:02 AM.
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Old March 21st, 2013, 09:45 PM
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Al... 17 pages on your thread! Which one is on the Tail lights?
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Old March 22nd, 2013, 09:47 AM
  #210  
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Jim, sent you an email.
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Old March 22nd, 2013, 03:30 PM
  #211  
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http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/p2283.html didnt work too well for me! They didnt accept the bulbs very easily. Even had to replace one. On top of that, one of them shipped partially broken.
The cheapo white ones worked better actually! My grandpa got the universal from AutoZone for $3 (almost 1/2 price) and looks identical to
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACDELCO-PROF...0aa882&vxp=mtr
The white secures the bulb a lot better, and actually grips the housing a lot tighter than the other one. Just a personal preference though!
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Old March 22nd, 2013, 03:38 PM
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Good info sharing! BTW, anything that shipped partially broken you should get a refund on. Doesn't hurt to mention that to the vendor. I know it's not huge money, but it's also the frustration of working with a damaged part.

I'm voting: Go with what works best for you!!
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Old March 22nd, 2013, 03:38 PM
  #213  
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Also, thank you SO much Allan! I'm going to get down there and test everything pretty soon. It really is tight quarters, the duct for A/C is right there and is very stubborn about giving my hand any space to work with. As of right now, everything works but the taillights. Brakes and signals function just fine, so I am good to go for daytime driving if need be.
JCM, my boots were cracked as well. Just used a hefty amount of electrical repair tape around it. The white sockets hold TIGHT once the little white tabs are snipped off (I couldn't get mine to fit without that) and the metal prongs forced downwards. The tape binds to itself quite nicely, and attached snugly to the housings. Yanked as a test and was extremely strudy! Especially for a makeshift highschooler job! haha
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Old March 22nd, 2013, 04:25 PM
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I had to phart around with the AC vent on a 71 flattop last year at the boneyard so I know what you mean about the venting tube. If you're uber careful you can wiggle the upper connection off the vent. Be super careful with the tubing though because it may fall apart. If it does, well... duct tape it.

DON'T try to take the tube off the lower plastic though, it's held on there with a trim screw.

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Old March 24th, 2013, 05:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Rmsx327
http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/p2283.html didnt work too well for me! They didnt accept the bulbs very easily. Even had to replace one. On top of that, one of them shipped partially broken.
The cheapo white ones worked better actually! My grandpa got the universal from AutoZone for $3 (almost 1/2 price) and looks identical to
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACDELCO-PROF...0aa882&vxp=mtr
The white secures the bulb a lot better, and actually grips the housing a lot tighter than the other one. Just a personal preference though!
Yes, good info. Thx.
Im not planning on using the bulb housings though. I think the stock ones are fine\superior. Just want the wiring harness itself out of those metal socket ones...feed them out of harness, and into old current sockets. Do you think that would work? Did you take any pics of the process...we always like that here!

Regarding boots, Going to try something a little better than electrical tape. It looks like were just stuck fabing something up. I might get lucky and score a couple boots, but I think most of them are going to suck. Only thing I can think of if I cant find a decent original or two is a series of differnt size shrink wrap. Ive done this before with moderate succes, though the TL boots are a little more complex.

Im a vintage guitar fan, and I know a guy who on his own, (extremely talented guy) started his own business from home replicating old guitar parts that match original parts stuff you cannot get anywhere. Amazing quality and likeness to originals, including some rubber stuff. We need a TL rubber boot repop ...maybe I'll ship him one and ask him what he thinks.

Last edited by JCMC64; March 25th, 2013 at 02:01 AM.
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Old July 3rd, 2013, 07:18 PM
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Haven't forgotten about you guys! I swear! There just hasnt been too much action with the Cutlass before this post.

I graduated high school and used some of my grad money to buy a new $600 little Chevy Metro to offset the gas of the Cutlass, and to use as my daily driver. It's a major difference for sure!
C360_2013-06-22-20-08-31_zps94a1b336.jpg
C360_2013-06-23-20-51-54_zpsd2d74525.jpg
C360_2013-06-23-11-40-11_zps65d033ec.jpg


Story time
- A few days ago, I got into my first accident when a lady crossed an intersection incorrectly and sideswiped my front driver side fender! Took some bumper chrome off, and scraped the very front of the fender. Took it to a really snazzy customs shop today that prides themselves on classics and got the quote and all. The bumper will be re-chromed and straightened, and the fender will get a repair. I will post pics when it is done, and hopefully I will have updates within the next few weeks/months for you guys! Don't have a lot of money to throw at my car, and not a ton of experience either, so things might move a little slower than most posts, but I plan on staying around for a long time!
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Old July 3rd, 2013, 08:10 PM
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I was thinking of you the other day, glad to hear all is well. Congrats on your graduation. And so sorry about your misfortunate accident. The Metro was a good idea, so your not completely stressed with having to rush on the Cutlass.
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Old July 4th, 2013, 10:52 AM
  #218  
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I'm glad to hear that! I was not forgotten! lol. And those things will happen. It wasnt my fault though, so I'm not stressing too bad. My car did a lot more damage to hers, that's for sure! and thank you! Now I can do things that would make in not driveable since it isnt my daily driver anymore. Once I start college and have a steady income from a job, I will start doing some work and posting more often. Still runs like a champ!
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Old July 5th, 2013, 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Rmsx327
Haven't forgotten about you guys! I swear! There just hasnt been too much action with the Cutlass before this post.

I graduated high school and used some of my grad money to buy a new $600 little Chevy Metro to offset the gas of the Cutlass, and to use as my daily driver. It's a major difference for sure!
That's a familiar sounding story...I did the same thing when I graduated from high school, except I was working on my '71 Javelin back then. I bought an old Toyota for $475 as a beater/daily driver. I still drove the Javelin sometimes when the weather was good.
Congrats on the graduation!
Jeff
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Old July 8th, 2013, 03:06 PM
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Well, long story short, the Metro pooped out on me, did about a week ago, just been keeping quiet until everything was final.
The owner has been gracious enough to give us our money back and fix it up at his shop and try to sell it to someone else. I just don't have the money to mess with that car, and don't trust it. (rebuilt title and all). Ironic that I would choose the 41 year old car though, lol. I trust my baby more than any other car out there! Been kickin' longer than I've been alive!

I'm going to get some new tires within this next week or so. The ones I currently have are 205/75/14. They're a bit too tiny for my tastes, and I wanted something a little bulkier, but it has to be a set of 4. Plus, 14's are hard to find cheap, I'm looking at under $400.
Would 225/70/'s work? I just wasn't sure what the limits were for up front, or if anything would mess with the speedo

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Old July 8th, 2013, 05:09 PM
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225/70's are your best bet for 14's, they won't mess with your speedo much either.
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Old July 13th, 2013, 07:35 AM
  #222  
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First actual update in awhile! Whoo!
My friend has a '79 Jeep Wagoneer, and I heard it when he had it straight piped and couldn't stop thinking about it! I called him up and asked if he wanted to get together and help with mine. He drove over and said he had put a muffler on it, and it still sounded awesome to me. Straight pipes are amazing, but to drive it daily like that would 1. Annoy everyone around me. 2. Annoy me eventually.
Got a Thrush muffler for $40, a cool tip, and some hardware. Took the old one off, which was so unbearably silent. It was hard getting it detached from the original pipe. But, below are some pics, with a video at the end for comparison! I also got the headlight switch, and ordered a 9pc weatherstripping kit to install within the next few weeks. I definitely enjoy going to his house and working on our cars at the same time, and his dad gives us a hand and teaches us quite a bit!

C360_2013-07-12-14-06-27_zpsc688133e.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-14-11-26_zpsb3a5cbc1.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-14-24-06_zpseb51898d.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-14-40-42_zpsc68e721f.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-15-24-07_zps4586ff52.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-17-16-59_zpsdac4705d.jpg
C360_2013-07-12-18-32-15_zps715b7aa4.jpg
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Old July 13th, 2013, 07:54 AM
  #223  
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One suggestion, if you plan on painting it I'd wait on the new weatherstripping.
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Old July 13th, 2013, 03:41 PM
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Well unfortunately it's gonna stay this way for awhile. I'm focusing on the mechanics and safety over the looks. The car is going to my uncles shop with about $500 of play to get a ton of stuff replaced. Thank the lord for the family discount! The other $500 is going to the tires and alignment.

The muffler was a cheap little fun thing to do, and it really does sound better! The water leakage is too bad to merit driving it without in the name of a future paint job, especially long term. It will be awhile before I can save enough to do all the body and paint work. In the meantime, I need to make the car watertight, where water isn't coming through the windows when I'm driving, and isn't seeping to places it shouldn't. I'm going to be driving it about 10 minutes to college everyday, so it's not a wretched commute. In the meantime I'm going to try and learn more, since I really have NO knowledge, and without my dad being here, I'm blind haha. You guys are my eyes!

Got some nice old school metal ramps today(I don't trust those plastic auto zone ones.) so my buddy and I can do both our cars at the same time, and I have access to mine at home if I ever need to do anything. Tomorrow I'm replacing the headlight switch, might paint my front brake drums since I never got to them, and help him with his starter and his drums. Nothing big, but I'm enjoying having fun with my car again! I think the Metro breaking was a blessing
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Old July 13th, 2013, 04:21 PM
  #225  
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Nicely done. I haven't visited your thread for a while and truth is I was also (like Eric) wondering about you. I had been 'away' from CO for 2 months and your car came to mind a lot; probably because it's such a similar look to mine (well except for the rust issues). Loved your video on the exhaust. JMO, but after you've been listening to a loud exhaust for a while on the highway? It wears out it's welcome pdq. Actually its more than just an opinion, I used to have twin glass packs on my car. Sounds cool at idle, but not after you've been driving for a while. Yes, it is cool sounding off a fast lauch too! Been there, bought the T shirt. Gave it away too. If you decide to keep the louder exhaust you might want to seriously think about something like dynamat/Fatmat or some other acoustic dampers to make life in the car 'livable'? Either that or crank up the music louder than the exhaust?? But then you'd be like all the rest of the deaf ol geezers from the 60's and 70's...OH! That would be me and Eric!!! LOL here that might get you a rolling noise violation.

Sorry to hear about the damage. Now a SMART guy would tell the insurance company that the fender costs LESS to replace than repairing a small section since it all has to be painted anyway. Score 1 new repop fender and rust problem fix at the same time....

Weatherstripping. I seem to remember the big issues were the quarter window seal and the drip rail stripping? The drip rail weather stripping I would just tack at key locations with rubber cement, then remove it when you do the body work. The quarter glass rubber? Try and get some soapy water into the chrome channel if you can. The rubber seal actually has a steel stiffener in it for support. Use channel lock pliers and pull the rubber Downward while wiggling it a bit. It might be stuck with a bit of rust, but don't take the chrome channel off the window if you can help it. One of these 1/4 strips I did fought like the blazes to stay in one place. Some penetrating oil was finally used to help it loosen. The other one slid out so easy I had to look again to see it was out. From the factory they put a small dab of rubber cement close to the top of the chrome channel, so that's what you're working against.

If you do end up pulling the chrome channel off? Go to the body shop or supply and get some 1/32" window tape (it's NOT double sided). Press a single layer onto the glass, then press the chrome back over. Trim excess with a razor knife and you're good to go. Don't remember the supplier right now but if you need it, I can look it up for you.

re: tires. I run 225/70/14 Kelly Chargers on my car. There IS some discrepancy on the speedo though - at 35 mph, I'm actually doing closer to 40. I need to change my speedo gear anyway because I've gone from 2.73 to 3.42 gears. In the meantime I use my Garmin to give me accurate speed readings.

One final note on the safety side.
I couldn't help but notice that you seem to trust the parking pawl a lot. Since you're not using jack stands, I would definitely be blocking the front wheels to prevent any accidental rolling, and use the parking brake too. Don't want to read about you being hurt when the car moved.
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Old July 13th, 2013, 05:13 PM
  #226  
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Most important : DONT WORRY. I used 2 giant bricks on the fronts, and I have some jack stands I normally use, but that was the first time I'd went to his house and I didn't bring them. My dad told me stories of some stuff he'd seen happen, so I'm normally VERY careful whenever I'm under a car.

The thread hasn't been the same without you! Wondered where you went off to. The first paragraph made me laugh! I'll end up hard of hearing regardless....
IMG_20130602_184116_zps08979283.jpg
Loud music in the car, then when I get in my room, haha. I took advice from other people and knew that, although nice in moderation, anything too loud would lose it's appeal eventually. A nice rumble suits me more than a loud deafening roar anyhow. Plus, with a hole that needs patched at the rear seats, and no weatherstripping, sound penetrates like none other!

I have some nice little plastic tools to get into the channels and scrape remains because it WILL happen. Thank you for that! I want to avoid pulling too much off, because some things might not want to go back on. I will have questions once it gets here and I start to attack it, I have no doubt.

..........I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. I might put in a little comment about it. It's sitting at 2.1k for the repair, straightening, and re-chroming. The damage wasn't even too bad to the fender, it's just that you cant exactly match 40yr/old faded paint. That lady better be held responsible. Switching lanes mid-intersection/overtaking at an intersection should be illegal in all states, but my hillbilly state probably allows it.
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Old July 13th, 2013, 06:34 PM
  #227  
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2.1k for that repair?

You probably know this but a replacement (triple plate) front bumper is 429.00 (good quality and fit), a new replacement fender is around 400 - 500 (needs some tweaking though). Then it's just a matter of labor to Paint it and R&R.

The body shop is going to make it's money one way or another, but mostly on labor. Hopefully there's no damage to the rad support or bumper braces. Painting a fender would be around 300.00? Personally, if it was me, I'd settle for the fender being painted stock (code 14) and NOT worry about matching the rest of the car since you have plans for that eventually anyway.

Oh, the replacement fenders do NOT come pierced for the "Cutlass" script of S emblem. Nor do they have the welded on tabs for mounting the side molding, but there are other ways of re-attaching this trim if you're going to keep it on the car.

BE CAREFUL dealing with the Insurance company! They could just as easily say your car has no blue book value and write off the car for a couple hundred dollars!!! Regardless of whether the damage is assessed against their client or not. I'd almost be saying, give me 1000.00 and call it square, buy your parts and install them yourself. Tell them you're apprenticing as a body man and name your uncles shop? (well it's sort of true).

Can you post a picture of the fender damage?
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Old July 15th, 2013, 07:36 AM
  #228  
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That was their estimate, and it was for messing with the existing parts, which is more expensive. But it was a really high end customs shop that only does muscle cars really, so they do charge a bit more. I wouldn't be paying so it doesn't matter to me, I'd rather do it there than another place if it was on the insurance company's dime. They don't make the money out to people like they used to I don't think, but I was going to have my Uncle quote it as well, and have them make the money out to him. 2k is what he said it'd cost me for a new paint job and body work at his shop, so that'd be the best outcome! I'd get new body work, paint, tires, weatherstripping, and an extra $500 of engine work. *crosses fingers*
I'm starting to second guess the orange. I've been thinking of keeping the original pewter silver.

Here is the "damage", this was just the fender. Like I said, it isn't a ton, certainly not a fender bender. She just scraped the fender, and clipped the bumper which took some chrome off and that's pretty much the extent.
C360_2013-06-27-17-07-38-535_zps7905da8e.jpg
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Old July 15th, 2013, 07:51 AM
  #229  
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Ask your uncle and any other shop, how much more it would cost to just go ahead and do the whole body. That fender does not look too bad.
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Old July 15th, 2013, 09:49 AM
  #230  
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You may not like this.... but I have to be honest

I have to agree. IMHO I could fix that fender fairly easily with a body hammer and backing dolly, then light bondo and prime/paint for a LOT less than 2K. Probably less than $100.00 especially since the car needs to be gone over completely for a nice paint job anyway. It's even way cheaper (as mentioned) to buy a triple plated reproduction bumper and install than send the old one for replating as there appears to be absolutely nothing wrong with it's placement on the bumper brackets and supports. Front bumper is a 2 hour job in the driveway with your friends help and you'll learn lots about the front structure of the beast. Both fenders will have to come off to do a proper patch panel anyway, and the rear quarters may need a new outer liner in addition to a quarter skin.

Your uncle quoted 2K for an entire new paint job? That would be everything including the rust repairs on the fenders and quarters? That's a great deal, BUT.... While I understand that the snazzy place quoted 2.1K, (and take this the right way) I don't think it's really fair to quote 2k as a competitive bid for a small repair that in all honesty costs less, and use overage proceeds to justify paint job/body repair for areas of the car that weren't affected by the collision. This is a big issue for insurance companies in both of our countries. Everything you've done for this car has been with the best of integrity, so at the risk of offending you, please stay that way with this damage estimate. I really do understand the urge to have the car done to preserve it and make it look better again. And I know there will be others who disagree with me, I'm just old school on this issue about being honest.

When my wife's car needed a rear bumper cover and tail light replacement the insurance company (other driver's) wanted a detailed breakdown of the parts. I was able to polish out ALL of the offending paint damage - bumper rubber streaks - without requiring a repaint since there was no sheet metal damage (this was un necessarily quoted BTW as Prep and Repaint for the entire quarter panel - a good body estimator would have known that it wan't necessary). I told the Insurance company I could get excellent quality OEM parts from the bone yard and install them myself but they wouldn't have anything to do with that, even after I offered to provide them with the bill for parts cost and assume full liability for warranty and installation. On her car, the hardest thing about fixing it was undoing some bolts and plastic rivets to slide the rear cover off. My cost for the repair? bumper cover - 42.00, tail light lenses 10.00 Total 52.00 + tax. Didn't count my labor, but overall time would be less than 1 hour. Insurance insisted on paying for new parts (that didn't fit right BTW) and labor which came out to just over $800.00. I was surprised at their willingness to pay so much, and it started me questioning why. The topic of insurance premiums is best left for another discussion though.

Access to the damage on your car is fairly easy once the battery is removed, and the eyebrow molding doesn't even look like it was touched. That high end custom shop is way out of line IMO, and don't be surprised if that little repair takes them over 2 months to do.

Have you thought about just talking with the lady who did the damage and settling away from insurance for less? Just another option for you to consider. I did ask the jerk who ran into my wife's car if he would settle away from insurance and told him how much it would save him. He never got back to me, and after 3 attempts to call him back I went after his insurance company. They shared with me that he was on their list of bad risks and weren't surprised at the claim.

Sure hope this comes across without offending.
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Old July 16th, 2013, 09:04 AM
  #231  
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I planned on having my friend teach me how to use Bondo anyhow, just a few little spots on the primered side so I could get a feel for it and see what it was like before I tackled anything huge. No worries about offending me Allan, I agree! I was astonished when I saw that price. I was thinking maybe 600-800 from the shop, and that was with labor. The idea just popped in my head, even though it is a far-fetched. If they gave it to me, I'd love to try and do it myself and learn, but they just simply don't do that. And shops just charge outrageous prices, and they probably give themselves a TON of extra unnecessary costs on the estimate because it's on the insurance company's dime. The insurance all goes through my mother, who is the title holder on the car and all. I just got a call from them today and we are both partially at fault. I had to yield to traffic, but she also switched lanes illegally. Although I don't see how I could have yielded to someone who was not even in my lane at the time, but that doesn't matter! haha My company is paying 70% of her damages, so I'm guessing I'd get around 30% from hers. Age-ist's I tell you!
My mom's Chrysler 300 got hit in a hit and run yesterday, so we have more insurance to deal with now.
I'm about to head on my way over to my friends to work on the car. It has a little exhaust leak I have to patch, and then I'm gonna get that headlight switch tackled.
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Old July 16th, 2013, 11:01 AM
  #232  
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Sorry to hear you guys have a double whammy to work with now. Depending on the situation (and I wasn't there to see it) it might be worth contesting that insurance assessment? Did both of you get charged by the police? Usually only the person who is at fault gets charged, which will usually determine how insurance claims are assessed and paid.

Good luck with the exhaust leak and headlight switch. Take your time on the headlight switch, it can be a tight squeeze getting to it and that little plunger release. Disconnect the battery to avoid keeping the lights on. The little trim bezel on the front will need to be removed (the one with the + marking) to get the light switch out. Be careful loosening and removing the light harness too.
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Old July 16th, 2013, 09:05 PM
  #233  
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The police officer I had called to the scene never did a write-up, never issued a ticket, never even ASKED about the accident aside from "is anyone hurt? no? ok." He never checked either of our licenses, or insurance, then left. Not to mention when we called about his HORRIBLE mishandling of the accident, he lied about the location of our cars when he arrived on scene. He's basically been the reason this hasn't been 100% her fault, needless to say. I wont even begin on my tangent on that, UGH.

ANYHOW, Update:
I was finding it incredibly hard to unhook it first, with only one hand, and not even being able to see it, so I took this out,
C360_2013-07-16-20-45-53_zps8e294400.jpg
along with unscrewing the other part, so that the whole switch was free and I could see it, and get a better hold on it. Once that happened...
C360_2013-07-16-20-50-21_zps8d40d900.jpg
C360_2013-07-16-20-51-47_zpsb761749f.jpg
C360_2013-07-16-20-51-39_zpse9f66abf.jpg
I took the old one off, and put the new one on, and put it back in place, no problems.

However, this is happening now, which leads me to believe I did SOMETHING wrong when I got the new sockets/rear harness....(thought the song was fitting )

EDIT: Right side works exactly as it should on everything.


- I'm letting the exhaust putty sit overnight to make sure it is nice and hardened, will give update on that once I start it up tomorrow.

Last edited by Rmsx327; July 16th, 2013 at 09:08 PM.
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Old July 16th, 2013, 09:18 PM
  #234  
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Hmm, first thing I have to say is you need to address the bulb on the top left. I looks like you're getting a short condition (or voltage surge) on the left side. First get that upper light to work, then test again.
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Old July 22nd, 2013, 07:28 AM
  #235  
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I sat on the weatherstripping for a bit for a word on what we were doing with the car. It's not going to be painted for a LONG while, since I will be paying for it, so I went ahead and started. I did the trunk yesterday, and am going to tackle the doors today. (no more whistling )
C360_2013-07-18-18-01-04_zps5fca57d0.jpg

The dog wanted to help, she kept scratching on the garage door, so I let her outside to hang out!
C360_2013-07-21-11-25-34_zps8867d432.jpg

Old
C360_2013-07-21-11-40-34_zpsa48fccc6.jpg
C360_2013-07-21-11-41-49_zpse418f046.jpg

A bunch of 3m adhesive remover, a plastic level, and a rag later, it was pretty cleaned up...
C360_2013-07-21-12-37-27_zpsbffa0322.jpg
C360_2013-07-21-12-37-34_zpsf475056e.jpg
C360_2013-07-21-12-06-48_zps5f747cdd.jpg
C360_2013-07-21-14-21-03_zpsf8ef61d0.jpg

I don't have an after picture because once it was all glued, I closed the trunk because I read I was supposed to let it sit for awhile and adjust to the new weatherstripping. It is SO much better though.

This is all that is left, cannot wait to replace this!
C360_2013-07-21-14-19-25_zps5671932d.jpg

You might wonder why I had the bumper off to do weatherstripping, correct? (Don't worry, the pic below was before I glued it. That would be one UGLY job )

C360_2013-07-21-16-44-41_zps4e434d3c.jpg

TA-DA! I freaked out when I saw this. First time all my lights have been working in forever!
C360_2013-07-21-21-54-58_zpsf53ee14e.jpg

Top left is brighter than the others now, but it is working. I ended up replacing the socket since the one that was there before was a little ghetto-rigged and I thought it was the culprit. Will post updates as they come!
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Old July 22nd, 2013, 09:14 AM
  #236  
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Looking Good!
Glad you got the tail lights working.

re: trunk weatherstrip - that will help keep the trunk sealed better! The quarter window insert will go in a lot easier if you dip it in SOAPY water, then slide it up the channel. Once the soap solution dries, it will hold in place really well. Be sure to clean out that channel before you install though. Keep up the good work.

Looks like you have the "metro" brand materials? They're decent!
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Old July 22nd, 2013, 07:48 PM
  #237  
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Thank you! and it slid in fine, I had cleaned up the channel real well, and it went in without any hassle. I got the driver side done today, and removed my school parking stickers (those are always fun to take off!) The trunk shuts easily now, it's all adjusted. And I'm letting the door do the same today. It is so quiet now! I had a little TV on in the garage and couldn't hear anything on that side, it reverbed and came in the PS though. I'm tackling that tomorrow! Got sidetracked today and had to leave for awhile. My mom also got me a new amp this week! A nice pioneer, so no cheapy BOSS stuff anymore. Hopefully soon I can get that nice setup in the back to make some noise. It's been dead for over a year now!

It is, they are very nice quality, and fit extremely well! The whole set was around $130 shipped (with a coupon code), so it was extremely good for the price. I would recommend them, without hesitation.

Here is the link if anyone is trying to find a nice set!
http://www.am-autoparts.com/1972/Old...66/258315.html

I will update with the before/after pics tomorrow when it's all done!
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Old July 23rd, 2013, 07:46 PM
  #238  
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C360_2013-07-22-12-09-59_zps4a69e2d1.jpg
C360_2013-07-22-12-44-56_zpsd5d5c6d2.jpg
C360_2013-07-22-14-00-22_zps6e6a829b.jpg
C360_2013-07-22-12-10-37_zpsc31b6c2d.jpg
C360_2013-07-22-14-21-58_zpsca3ac218.jpg

No more whistling!
C360_2013-07-23-12-14-23_zpsd3211b09.jpg

This was one of the better spots, lots of adhesive remover and scraping!
C360_2013-07-23-13-02-00_zps18c13c53.jpg

Cleaned up nice
C360_2013-07-23-13-01-31_zps98318905.jpg

These were SO much fun to get out
C360_2013-07-23-15-12-35_zpsa93d3f1a.jpg


Good riddance!

C360_2013-07-23-15-16-10_zps1a38bce8.jpg

For a little over $100, the car is now watertight, way less noisy inside, and now I can wash it without having to put tape on those window seals haha. I cant stress how bad that old one was, maybe 1/4 of the whole thing. Might not be in the order you're supposed to do it, but definitely worth it to me!
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Old July 23rd, 2013, 08:37 PM
  #239  
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Nice job!
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Old July 24th, 2013, 06:02 PM
  #240  
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Isn't it nice when the car is nice and quiet and doesn't leak?
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