Got the frame sandblasted today. Going in tomorrow to powder coat it.


Some of these factory welds are really ugly.

 

These I cleaned, primed, and painted. Found out there are two different styles but they are all labeled different.
L1=Drivers High Beam
L2=Drivers Low/High beam
R1=Passenger High Beam
R2=Passenger Low/High Beam

 

Powder coated the frame today.
Here it is going from the paint booth back to the oven to cure.


Here is a picture of it after it cured and cooled. Getting it ready to load.



Here it is loaded on the trailer


Here it is back at the shop. Now comes the task of putting it back together.

 

When I was disassembling the clutch components I found that the clutch rod was worn where it connects to the pedal. The bushing on the Z bar was wore out also.
I ordered a new clutch rod and a new bushing.


The clutch pedal was also worn so I plug welded the hole and going to drill a new hole bigger to fit a brass bushing. (Did not get a picture of it before I welded it)


When I got the new rod out to measure the pin diameter so I could order a bushing I found that the new rod is nothing like the original, the description on the website said "100% correct", well it was not.


Now I have to send it back and take the original one and try to weld up the end and then grind it back to the correct size

 

That frame is looking good!

 

weld it up, dress it to size, then find a door hinge pin bushing that fits the rod

 

Did some powder coating today. I took a bunch of parts that I had cleaned and the powder coat guy at work and I coated them.

Here are some of the parts loaded on the cart to be cleaned and then put in the oven to heat.


Coming out of the oven.


first coat.


These thinner parts cool off quicker so they need to go back in the oven to warm back up and then a second coat is put on them.
Here we are adding the second coat.


They then go back in the oven to cure.
Then they are taken outside to cool.


Wheeled the cart over and unloaded them and then loaded them in my truck.


Here are the ones I got done today.

 

I love that feeling when you get your stuff back from powder coating and lay it out like an old AMT model kit.
Very rewarding!

Nice work!

 

The inserts for my lower control arms showed up last night.
I took them to work and had a coworker TIG weld the inserts to the control arms.
I will clean them up later today to get them ready for powder coat.
I have the front upper and lower a-arms and the radiator support ready for powder coat also.
The new rear bushings showed up also so I can start putting some things back together. Also ordered new bushings for the front and new steering components.
This suspension stuff is not cheap.

 

Cleaned them up after work today.

 

movin and groovin! i had to weld my shifter rod and grind it down as well, it worked just fine. have fun re-assembling. just got mine back from paint and starting all of the little stuff. have fun.

 

Last weekend I started to reassemble. I cleaned up all the brake lines and clips and installed them on the frame.



While I was doing that I found the VIN stamped in another location. That makes two places they stamped the number.

 

While waiting for parts I got a lot of other parts cleaned and painted. Here are some before and after pictures.

 

Today I got the rear end, springs and radiator support sandblasted. Also have the a-arms, lower trailing arms, and rear brake backing plates ready.
Going to go in and powder coat them tomorrow.



This picture is before I got the radiator support sand blasted.

 

Went today and powder coated these parts.
Rear Backing plates, Lower Trailing arms, Upper and lower A-arms.


Radiator Support


and rear axle

 

Perfect!
‘Now you can relax and enjoy scratching up all those beautiful pieces as you reinstall the bushings.
Have fun!
😉

 

Well last weekend I worked on the frame a little. I got the fuel line installed and the upper and lower trailing arms.




I got the motor mount perches installed.





I also installed the bushings in the axle housing and installed the shock mounts



Today I got the bushings and the ball joint installed in the upper A-arms and the new rubber bumpers.
I was going to do the lower A-arms but the bushings I received were the wrong ones. My car has 1.9"od and 1.65" od bushings and the kit I bought had 1.65" and 1.35" ones
The place I bought them from had them list for 64-72 A-body cars so I thought they would be the right ones.
If they had just listed the sizes I would of known that they would not work, now I have to send them back.
Found another place that have them listed by size and they will be here Tuesday, so I should be able to install them next weekend.

 

So last weekend I got the rest of the front suspension done. Got the new bushings pressed in, got the new lower ball joints installed.
Got the lower arms installed on the frame and then spent quite a bit of time compressing the springs and then getting them
in place to bolt the steering knuckles to the ball joints.

 

Yesterday I worked on the steering linkage. I got the backing plates installed. My rubber gaskets that go between the steering knuckle and backing plate were still good.


I cleaned and painted the power steering gear box and attached it to the frame. After that I installed new tie rods, idler arm and centerlink. When I went to connect the Pitman Arm the bolt on the centerlink was too big. Now I have to find a Pitman arm that will work.
I don't know why it doesn't fit according to the parts book the late 1964 and early 1965 A-body cars used the 7/8" centerlink, so that is what I ordered. I measured my centerlink and it is 7/8" but the bolts in it are smaller than the new one. The threads on the new
one are 1/2" and the old one is 7/16"

 

Glad to see you making progress. Everything’s turning out really nice.
I’m sure you know now how much money it takes to restore a frame. it really beats you up.
keep going man!

 

Last weekend I got new bearings and seals put in the rear end. Took quite awhile to finish with swapping shims and then checking the paint patterns.
finally got it to look good and put oil in it and closed it up. installed new seals and bearings for both axles. installed the brake lines and a new vent.
Bolted the springs on and put the rubber bumpers back in place. for 60 years old they were still in pretty good shape. Installed both wheel brake cylinders. Both were new because one of them the bleeder valve
broke off and I could not get the piece out. Since I was getting a new one for that I decided to replace both because the rebuild kits for them were on back order everywhere I looked.
NAPA had the cylinders in stock so I did not have to wait.




Today I got the rear end bolted onto the frame. Tuesday I got the replacement centerlink and idler arm that fit my car so I installed them today
So I now I just have to install new shocks and the brake pads with all the springs and put the drums back on and I can mount the wheels
I need to install both sway bars.
The front I need to install new shocks and the hubs that I put new bearings and seals in, then install the brake pads and springs and then the drums and wheels.
I will then be done with the frame for now and I am going to start on the transmission rebuild and then the engine rebuild.

 

Today I finished both back brakes and put the drums on and adjusted them, and I installed the rear sway bar.
I also installed the front shocks but did not get a picture yet.

 

Last weekend I got the new rear shocks installed. So the rear end is all done until I put the body back on and then I will tighten the bolts for the trailing arms.

 

Last weekend I also worked on the front and found that I had two different hubs. on hub must of been replaced some time before I bought it. You can see the difference in them.
So I got the right side done.


One of them has the studs labeled "R" and I found out that the 17815 seal does not fit. I had to take one of the seals back to NAPA and get one that had a slightly larger OD (17187).
It must of not come from a F85.

 

so with the new seal I got the other one installed today. I then installed the front sway bar with new bushings and new link sets.

 

Put the front drums on, and the tires. So now I am finished with the frame and suspension.
Here are a before and after picture. Before pic was 2/16/2025 and the after pic was today 8/3/2025

 

Nice job

 

Yep, time and money. I am at just under $1800 for parts, about $150 in powder coat, and many hours of labor.
Luckily a lot of it was still good so I did not have to replace everything.

 

This week I got the transmission all tore down, got the case cleaned up. Ordered a rebuild kit and a new input shaft.







The input shaft was wore where the pilot bushing is.

 

Finished up the transmission today.
made a tool at work yesterday. took a sheet of 16ga Stainless steel and sheared off a 5/8" wide piece, 4" long and bent one end. used it to hold the shifter in neutral while adjusting the rods.


Here it is all finished. Would of had it done last week but I could not find any GL-4 oil here in town, had to order it online.



Had to order a new mount. I left this one in the solvent tank and the rubber expanded and tore. I guess I learned not to leave rubber stuff in the solvent tank.
so now I will start on the engine rebuild.

 

Nice detail...

 

Looking very good!
plans for the body?

 

Jeez! I got all excited when I cleaned and painted my engine. Lol. Great work. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

 

Started on the engine right after I finished the transmission.
As for the body I need to find the rotisserie that my dad was using when he was manufacturing hay flakers. I am gonna modify it to work with the body.
I need to cut out and weld in two spots on the floor board. I have one replacement floor pan and the other is on back order. Hopefully it will ship soon.
After that I will finish removing every thing from the body and do some sanding and body work if needed. once that is done I will take it to a place here
and have it painted. then it is just a matter of putting it all back together.
Here are some pictures.


olds 455 casting number 396021 Serif type F. I rebuilt it back in 1987, it has around 20,000 miles on it since then.


C heads





30M301313 stamped on the engine.
I guessing it came out of a late model 1970 A body.
In 1970 Lansing built A-bodies with a starting id of 100001
88's and 98's with a starting id of 400001 and Toronado with a starting id of 700001

 

Does anyone have a source for the two colors on the dash?
Midnight Blue Poly. 13052 FLAT
Medium Blue Poly. 13006 GLOSS

 

You could have the surfaces scanned locally or order from: TCP Global (www.autocolorlibrary.com)

 

NICE JOB! Any more progress?

 

Thanks Greg
Holidays have been busy so I have not got much done. I got the rest of the engine tore down and ready to take to the machine shop.
I was looking at my finished frame and had one of those MAW moments and decided that since it would be easier now, I went ahead and ordered new
brake lines, brake hoses, and fuel line. Bought them from Inlinetube. Going to remove the old ones and install the new ones next weekend.

 

Drop off the my 455 motor back in January.
Picked it up from the machine shop today.
This is all the stuff I had done. ended up being $4135
Master Rebuild Kit, Grind Crankshaft, Cleaning, Inspection, Magnaflux, Install Guides, Install Seat Inserts, Valve Job, Surface Heads, Install Cam Bearings, Install Block Plugs, Align Hone Mains, Re-bore And Hone, Resize Con Rods, Hang Pistons And Align, Machine Pilot Bushing.


455 motor back from machine shop

 

Worked on prepping the engine.
taped up the block and heads.



painted them with engine primer.





then painted them with 455 blue. I got this paint from Fusick. It matches pretty close to the color I painted it back in 1986 which that color was pretty close to original back then.
here it is compared to the fuel pump I painted back in 1986.


and here they are all done.





I have a bunch of other stuff all prepped and ready to go also.