Charlie Jones

My car came to me minus it's engine and trans. Unfortunately, some idiot had tried to install a small block Ch@*y in it.
They had cut holes in the frame crossmember and then welded on a set of Hurst mounts. Somewhere along in the project it was abandoned.
It wasnt bad enough that they welded the mounts to the frame crossmember . But they also cut big holes in the crossmember !
This was probably to better access the lower mount bolts???
I'm in the process of removing them. Assisted by a grinder, a hacksaw and a sawzall I have cut one free and now I'm grinding all the welds off.
Is there anyone out there that has a rusted or otherwise junk frame, that would be willing to cut pieces out of it. So I can patch this one? I would be willing to pay them for their time and effort. As well as pay for shipping.
Please P.M. me.

Rocket Richard

No expert here, but how about finding out what kind of metal the frames are made of and then picking some up at a local metal supply outlet? Just recently I even heard of this company that will come to your garage and fab up and weld patch panels for you. Or you can make patch panels yourself. It would be easier than finding someone with an abandoned frame that's willing to do all that work.

Charlie Jones

Back to the old "grind" again today (literally).
Time was spent between grinding welds off right mount and hacksawing left when my small "el cheapo" grinder got too hot.

Charlie Jones

Still chiseling away at the Hurst mounts. I got the right. side all cleaned up and ready to be patched. Got the left mount off and now I'm grinding the welds off.
Right side is easy to make a patch for. The left side, however, is a lot trickier. That's why I entertained the idea of useing patches cut from a junk frame.
Anybody want these d@#n things? Please PM me.

Charlie Jones

Haven't posted on this thread for a long time.
Fortunately, I've still been busy working on the car. Below are a few photos of some A/C components that I have restored.

Charlie Jones

I took the grille apart and cleaned it up today. The chrome cleaned up nicely. ( I love New Mexico Cars!)
However, much of the grille is painted a silver color. The silver painted part had way too much "patina" to suit me. In some places it was worn through to the metal.
I felt that I HAD to try to re-paint it. I went to Ace Hardware around the corner and took 1/2 of the grille. I found some silver paint that looked like it MIGHT match. ( At least it pretty much matched the cap.)
I took it home and shot the grille with it. I'm not very happy with it.
A couple of photos below show the difference. The grille I re-painted is shown in the foreground, and the unpainted original section is behind it.
My question is,; What kind, type, or color was the original paint? Paint formula numbers etc. would be very helpful.

Charlie Jones

As I had mentioned in post #20 I had been looking for an industrial sewing machine. Well, I got lucky and found one.
It's an older Consew but it runs, well, like a sewing machine!
I got it off E-bay and the machine was near Atlanta, GA. I paid $400.
The seller would not ship. So I took the back seat out of my Dodge Aries and drove up to Atlanta. (500 mi) I broke the machine down and loaded it in the car. The next day I drove back to Orlando.
This was a win-win for me and the wife. I get a machine to do my interior for my car, ( and probably others after this) But, she gets a machine so she can set up a small business doing headliners and seat covers.
The nice roller work tables in the last pic were included in the deal. But I left them there, because they would be more expensive to ship than to build new in Orlando. The trip up there to get the machine cost $238.

Rocket Richard

Nice.
I would love to see what you do with it. Last year I got an industrial sewing machine for free on craigslist. My plan, eventually, is to do some auto interior work with it.

Charlie Jones

About 20 years ago, my wife and I both took auto upholstery night classes at a local tech school. I was restoring a 57 Olds at the time. I did that interior. Plus a couple others for friends. We also did a lot of glue- in headliners. It was an open ended course and we just kept taking it over and over.
Unfortunately, they don't offer auto upholstery any more.
We have both been practicing with scrap materials. And will make several practice seat covers before making them out of $89 a yard material.
Boy! I thought I got a bargain on my machine . You really did!
On the flipside, not everybody wants one of these beasts. And transporting them is no piece of cake either.

Charlie Jones

I started to work on the front seat. I will put new seat foam on it and then make a practice cover out of some material that I got for free.
Fifty years in the desert sun didn't do this upholstery any favors!
The seat backs were removed first. After the protective cover is removed from the outer seat hinge, the clip on the outer hinge can be pried off.
Pulling outward on the hinge will dis-engage it from the pin. Then the seat back is moved forward and lifted by the outer edge up and out.
The pics will explain better.

Charlie Jones

The upholstery and padding of the seat is held to the metal frame by "Hog rings" (so named because farmers put them in the snouts of hogs to keep them from "rooting" or digging with their noses).
The easiest way to remove them is to cut or break them with a pair of dykes.
Grasp the ring with the tip of the pliers and squeeze HARD. then twist the pliers a quarter to a half turn. The hog ring will usually break. If not, repeat.
The outer seat cover will be removed first. Take plenty of pics or make notes as to the location of all those hog rings, so that they may all be properly reinstalled when you assemble the job.

Charlie Jones

The next step is to remove the padding if necessary. If the seat came from a northern, garaged enviornment the padding might be ok, Mine came from the southwest so it was like Texas toast, really!
I'm hoping that the seat foam for a 63 Impala will fit. They are available from several Chevy suppliers.

Does anyone have a Hollander book and can tell me If 63 Dynamic 88 and 63 Impala front bench seats are the same? Thanks

Don R.

Charlie, I just wanted to say this is a great thread, keep it coming. I'm impressed that you are doing the upholstery yourself, hard work and artistic at the same time!

dutch injun

Loving this thread, Keeping it original while choosing your own color combo, just like you would have in 1963 at the dealers desk. I too have the 63 Dealer book. Are you going with Regal Mist or Holiday Red for the paint?

Charlie Jones

I'm going with the 62 Olds garnet mist, just because I like the color better.
Besides, it was a 63 interior color.
This car will be equipped with a 4 speed stick. They weren't officially available from Olds (although they built a few for test purposes).
I definitely DON'T want another slim-Jim!
The car was originally a C60 (Air conditioning) car.
I will also be installing an original AM/FM radio in place of the AM only radio.
It will have a Starfire 345 HP engine.
And finally, dog dish hubcaps with large blackwall tires. For a "factory hot rod" look.

charlierogers

my uncle had one of these in the early 80s daily driver. beige with a beige interior. super clean in and out with a rotted rear bumper {that never made sense to me} i think the motor took a dump and off it went to the junkyard. i always thought they had great lines to them and would love to find a nice solid stock one to have. yours will be really cool with a 4 spd. great work keep it up!!!!
Charlie,,,

Charlie Jones

I'm prejudiced of course, but I think the 63 Olds 88's had the cleanest styling of any of the 61 to 64 GM cars.
The 63 -64 cars had a "boltless" bumper that had the bracket welded to the backside of the bumper. Unfortunetly it formed a "pocket" where dirt, debris, and moisture would collect and rust the bumper out from the inside.

Charlie Jones

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a month.
I've been busy getting our upholstery shop together. I've got almost all the permits etc. and we will start advertising next week.
We plan to do antique, street rod, and custom work as well as "production " work.
If any of you need upholstery please give me a call at 407-358-9855 or 407-968-0835 or E-mail cjones1350@cfl.rr.com
For those of you that are out of the central Florida area I may do seats and door panels on a "ship and return" basis.

Charlie Jones

Here's a pic of the new shop. I had to give one third of my " man cave" up for it.

D. Yaros

I would like to second the notion that the '63 had the cleanest lines of the 60's era Olds.

At one time or another I had a 60, 61, 62 and 63. My '63 Dynamic 88 convertible had the smoothest, simplest, cleanest lines of any of those years.

Charlie Jones

After not doing too much the last several months I purchased a small sandblasting cabinet at a pawnshop for $50.
I started sandblasting and painting small parts such as door hinges and front end parts.

Charlie Jones

Still making slow but steady progress. As time and money permit. Got more parts blasted and painted.

Charlie Jones

I got hinge rebuild kits from Obsolete Chevrolet in Nashville, GA
Being a Fisher Body part the hinges are the same as Olds.
The kit contains all rollers, bushings, pins, and springs to rebuild the hinges.

Charlie Jones

Well, I'm back at it again after getting sidetracked for most of the summer.
I finally got the 3 vacuum actuators on the A/C unit. ($53 each)

Charlie Jones

I finally got the right pieces and mocked it up today.
The clutch and brake pedals and hanger bracket were from a 64 Pontiac with power brakes. (A 63 unit is also the same)
It bolted right up to the stock Olds power brake unit .
Now, all I gotta do is fabricate linkage and a "Z" bar.

cherokeepeople

dude.i had a 63 fiesta wagon too.for an iowa car it had no rust.loved driving that car.ended up selling it to a buddy who drove it to arizona(thru new mexico)he sideswiped a bridge outside tucumcari.this was quite ironic as we used to watch alot of clint eastwood movies(fist full of dollars,for a few dollars more etc.and one of em was set in tucumcari.he said what ever you do do not break down in tucumcari.car endedmup about 30 miles from me.about 2 yrs ago i went to see if it was still there.it was gone.i was in a business in town and an older guy was talking to somebody about his 66 impala.so i thought hey an old car guy,so i asked if he knew about it.told me hop in his truck and we drove to where it used to set.a guy just happened to walk out of the garage who he knew.turns out he took the car to a buddies farm as the city was on his butt to move it.sat there for 3 yrs then when the iron price went way up in about 08 it disapeared.he figured the guy needed money and scraped it.he was still pissed about it .

Charlie Jones

I haven't posted in a while , but I'm still chipping away on this project.
I just finished the wiper motor. I disassembled it and cleaned everything .
Brushes looked good ( New Mexico car , so I guess the wipers didn't get used much). Re-lubed and assembled. I polished it with fine steel wool and it looks like new. I put a re-build kit in the washer assembly, which consisted of a diaphragm and new valves.

Eddie Hansen

Nice work charlie;

Charlie Jones

Thanks Eddie.
I could have bought a rebuilt unit for $250.
I spent a total of $40 re-building this one.
Time is on my side, money is not.

Eddie Hansen

I hear you on that, you also know the work was done right because you did it, and because its your own.

I still have all the wiggly bits to do once I get the major stuff out of the way, these threads give me the courage to tackle stuff that previously I might have just thrown some cash at ,

Thanks for sharing

Charlie Jones

After a long slack period I'm finally back at it again.
I finally pulled the body off the frame today and mounted it on my "Hillbilly Rotissarie".
Next project is to strip all the suspension off and get the frame powdercoated.
Then... I can get started putting it back together!

dutch injun

Soo good to see a 63 getting the love it deserves. Keep punchin. I drove my Starfire daily up till last week when the roads got salt om em. Best car ever. If you want to drive it much I'd recommend a better tranny and a rear sway bar. Then it's just a perfect driving automobile.

Charlie Jones

Plans are for a T-10 4 speed stick shift and a rear sway bar.

Charlie Jones

My friend welded patches in my frame, and I ground them smooth .
You can hardly tell they were ever there.

Charlie Jones

I got everything off the front of the frame. Next comes the rear end, then it's off to the powdercoater's.
I'm spending Cutlass/442 money and attention to detail on a Dynamic 88.
ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, HUH?

Don R.

Maybe not the best investment but not crazy if you are enjoying what you do. There are a LOT more harmful ways to spend your money that are , in fact, crazy.

Charlie Jones

Got the back part of the chassis stripped today.

Charlie Jones

The deal on the engine in post #7 fell through. But.
Thanks to "Lansing" (Ralph Young) I finally have a rebuildable engine.
Came to me from Missouri today via Fastenal shipping.
Donor was a 63 Starfire with a badly rusted frame.

Oldskeeper

Nice engine for your project. The dual exhaust manifold is worth a small fortune. Good to see that it wasn't damaged during shipping. What extras are you planning for the engine rebuild?
Steve

Charlie Jones

A lot of people are ASKING big money for dual exhaust manifolds. But who's paying it ?
I paid about as much for the whole engine as some people are asking for a pair of dual exhaust manifolds.
Us "darksiders" are cheap S.O.B.'s. Even the Starfire guys.
I was lucky that there was no shipping damage as the engine did tip halfway over during shipping due to a collapsed support.

I'm doing just a stock rebuild for now , although I may go to a little more radical cam.
Someday, when I get more money than I know what to do with, I may just slap a "Tri-Power" system on the top.