Saving a Starfire...Restoration project begins!

[62Starfire63]

I've been taking some time to try and save a Starfire recently. Not sure how it will all turn out one day but I had to start somewhere and I'm just looking to put together a hopefully reliable driver condition car to have some fun with and learn along the way.

A little background introduction is that I'm 26 and was introduced to classic cars at around
3-5 haha, when in the mid 80's when my father bought a 57 Ford Fairlane 500 Conv which he still owns to this day. Soon after that the Oldsmobiles came into our lives and a 62 Starfire Conv was purchased in need of resotration. My father began a frame off resto and 20 years later it's still continuing....though it had long delay in making progress on it when another project was aquired, a 63 Starfire coupe. That car is pictured below and was in my family 10+ years including the time we took restoring it. The photos were taken the day it was sold this past summer of 2008 after years of pleasure drives and cruise nights! We even attended the Oldsmobile 100th anniversary with it in Lansing.







Its been sad to see that car go but too many cars, you can only drive/repair one at a time... and it's time to finish the original project that was undertaken, we've recetly began getting under way again on my fathers 62. Ofcourse to restore 1 of these cars, parts/project cars come in handy and two 62's and three 63's were aquired by my father over the years that would fall into that category. These aquired cars are how I've come into getting my attempt to save a Starfire.

After the restored coupe was sold this summer we began looking at what to do with the remaining canadian 63 Stafire Conv & coupe stored indoors for 30+ years to our knowledge, that were aquired as parts/project cars. The coupe being a complete solid western canadian car and the conv having potential but not near as solid in the floor boards and some frame areas! But thats almost okay as years ago my father picked up a 63 Super 88 for parts, and we stripped it of a running motor/tranny, doors, floor board, trunk floor, trunk lid, hood and whatever was worthwhile. So after some persuasive convincing my father that theres enough 63 stuff kicking around to maybe make another okay one, and that I should take on a 63 for myself.. since he's got enough work ahead of him anyway with his 62 Olds & 57 Ford... he agreed to let me give it a try!

I choose to tackle trying to save this 63 conv and thought I'd start a post to share the little accomplishments I'm making so far. I don't expect to get this done quickly or to have it be as detailed or calibre of a Starfire that the coupe we just sold or the 62 conv of my fathers is or will be, I'm just using this as a learning tool and hopefully will make something interesting out of it that I enjoy driving one day in whatever year that might eventually be!

Enough introduction though and on with the photos. I began inspecting/tearing into this sometime around Aug/Sep 2008. I've started with trying to make this starfire conv more solid by tearing the floor out of it and replacing it with the spare super 88 floors that we're much more solid and only requiring minimal patches in comparison to the usless floor that was in it.



After stripping the interior showing holes and weakness everywhere


After cutting out the floors


Cut out some rust, notice previous patches done years ago in both corners


Patch Panels


A little frame work











When the 88 floor went in the Starfire. Before patches and bucket seat brackets


Some patches, bucket seat and console brackets reloacted.. as it was a bench seat floor.


ANNNND done... primered to protect and clean it up..just ran short of primer by a bit!




Before & After cleaning carpets...




Thats it for now. At this link you can see many more photos of this I uploaded http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/i...arfire%20Conv/

I'm onto looking into the trunk floor now..... its in better shape (no holes) but weak underneath where gas tank straps mount or brace to it. I believe I'll be cutting the whole trunk floor out and using the better floor here from the Super 88 as well...so I might update when furthur into that! A little long winded but hopefully this has been interesting to some!

[slowolds]

Impressive and inspirational! Keep up the great work and posts.

[gearheads78]

nice work

are you torch welding or mig welding? Its hard to tell from the far away pics. Keep us updated.

[citcapp]

Welcome to the site. Nice workmanship on the floor. looks like a fun project in which you will learn a lot. Bet you dad is proud of you taking on such a project. keep the pictures comming we love pictures it helps inspire the rest of us to get going on our projects

[ozoneblue]

Great job next one I drag home can I drop it off at your place first? (b 4 the wife sees it!}

[ent72olds]

Beautiful job, keep it going! It's always good to see another OLDS resurrected!

[Eric Anderson]

WOW...nice work!

What did you use on the carpets? What ever it was it worked big difference.

[62Starfire63]

Thanks for the kind comments so far, when I have something of more interest done I'll continue some updates if and when time allows.

Originally Posted by gearheads78

nice work

are you torch welding or mig welding? Its hard to tell from the far away pics. Keep us updated.

It's all been mig welding, and not always to the strongest of new metal either. Doing the best I can to have clean surfaces. It's another thing I'm playing with, changing settings, trying different techniques and learning along the way. I'm far from a professional welder, just trying to hold it together. I've had moments of beautiful welds, other times fighting with it a bit, but I'm confident the final welds are strong enough and doing their job. The patches are all lap welded...only the frame patches I attempted to butt weld and will undercoat the undercar/frame at a later date to cover/protect it all. Not all the welds might be that pretty but closer photos might show some welds better at http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/i...arfire%20Conv/ if this link works.

Originally Posted by Eric Anderson

WOW...nice work!

What did you use on the carpets? What ever it was it worked big difference.

The carpets I steam cleaned with a bissel probably 3-5 times each. Soaked the heck outta them. Used laurndry stain remover and a scrub brush in places. Let them dry out and repeated....once all dry, I vacuumed sealed them into garbage bags and stored them away. I'll probably bissel clean them again before they ever go back in the car 1 or 2 more times.

[Eddie Hansen]

very nice work, and please keep the pics coming!! like citcapp says it inspires the rest of us!!

[kurtdaniel]

im so impressed..hope I can see more pics of this amazing oldsmobile parts customization..

[vista461]

Great job so far!

[67 Cutlass]

AWESOME WORK!!

[meoff]

very nice worklooks like a ton of work ahead but you are doing a very nice jobkeep the pics comming!

[62Starfire63]

Thanks for the replies...it's been awhile since I've updated. Lots more photos have been taken but I got into working on a bunch of places at once and haven't finished any of them yet I've been working 50-60 hours a week all summer so little time left over to work on the Starfire! When I get a section or two complete I'll get some more photos up..

The trunk floor is out, and another one is cut/sized all ready to be dropped back in for 2-3 months now... but with it out I got into other areas at the rear of the car that were easy to work on with it out of the way. Rebuilt the inner rear wheel wells on one side , the other I've started into as of lastnight. Inner quater panel or trunk floor extensions I've made new pieces for... frame is all done being repaired... just hoping to get some paint on underneath the car and take some more photos once I get closer to dropping the trunk floor back in!

[therobski]

I am learning MIG welding to and it's not as easy as some may believe. I recently took a welding class; sure I got the hang of it sitting on a bench in A/C in a shop. The reality is it's quite different when you are on the ground reaching up and trying to weld a wheelhoiuse in! You can't get your head up inside there with your mask! My first several attempts are a mess thank god for seam sealer!!! Also question: I am using .030 wire. But I was looking at a Hot Rod Build Your Dream Car video and he was using .024 wire for 18 gauge floors and trunks? What are you using?

[Eddie Hansen]

Originally Posted by therobski

Also question: I am using .030 wire. But I was looking at a Hot Rod Build Your Dream Car video and he was using .024 wire for 18 gauge floors and trunks? What are you using?

rob, are you using flux wire or sheilding gas? I used a cheapo craftsman mig with flux wire for the floor pan repairs, and used 30 wire, but when I do the body repairs I will borrow a decent Mig and using gas, if your using flux wire make sure you clean all the welds good, I have never tig welded but if I had everything to do over I would probably have learned and tried that LOL.... anyway I think the thinner wire would be better for body etc as there will be less heat and thus less distortion, not an expert but that is what is goin on in my mind and why I will borrow a decent gas shielded welder for the quarter repairs.

[62Starfire63]

Its been a long long time since an update with photos. So heres a whole bunch! I've been taking them...and had 4 times as many as I've posted but it just takes extra time to upload and organize them, but I've finally got a chance to get that done, so heres too many photos showing a few more of little accomplishments I've made with the car.

Cutting the trunk floor out.


Marking & cutting the replacement trunk floor to fit in.


The trunk floor all ready to drop back in eventually.


Drivers rear frame/wheel opening before.


Example of one of the few patches I had put in the frame towards the rear


Welded up and ground down.


Passenger Rear Frame/Wheel opening before


Frame Repair again...


The wheel well area before


Another shot of the rear wheel well lip/flange before


Inside box corner of wheel well/qarter panel before


Photo showing example of the inner wheel well lips before


Example of one the inner wheel well flanges I made up and welded in all the way around the wheel wells. I had to make them in 3 pieces each side to get around the curves. Very hard place to work and weld in. I was able to spot weld them to the outer quarter panel since somebody years ago seems to have rebuilt/shaped/formed the outer quarter wheel well flanges and lower quarter panel sections which I was able to just sand down and found them to be solid and salvageable.


Example of the rear wheel well flanges straightened out and cleaned up



Then I got into replacing trunk floor extention/inner quarter panel areas that need some attention. After I cut out the rotten crap..


Knocked a panel around until i got it to fit the hole I made. and clamped it


The rear brakes before


The rear end cleaned up a bit

[62Starfire63]

Some NOS Delco rear shocks I got off ebay for the car never opened.


So heres some of the AFTER photos....

The inner wheel well and flange repaied / painted.





Rear end with all new brake lines made up & one of the shocks just set in.




Rear Brakes all replaced and new wheel cylinders and spring kit.


Pic of brakes and frame painted. Frame I painted all the way to the firewall




And FINALLY.... the trunk floor area all cleaned up and ready to put the trunk floor back into place, which I actually did tonight. The trunk floor is now back into the car I just have to trim the braces from underneath to get it to drop in flush which I will likely do tomorrow and get started on welding it in this week, followed by some seam sealer and some paint!




Sorry for being so many photos. It's been 8 or more months I think since I updated!

[Yellowstatue]

Nice work Brad, keep at it and you will be blowing your hair around in the wind next summer if you let it grow out

[62Starfire63]