So we're about 3 weeks into the work. A few pics to show the beautiful work my friend did with a completely rusted out top windshield channel. He also had to rebuild four of the rusted out cage nuts in the body. We're about to take the frame for sandblasting.

 

And further to my last post..... I uploaded these pictures in the wrong order. The last one should be first on the left.

 

Lookin good! Go Go Go! :thumbsup:

 

I agree with Ben! Nice progress on your car Pat!!!

 

Looks awesome Pat !
Who is doing your blasting?

 

lookin good, nice to have a friend who is a good welder, hope you keep him happy

 

Thanks for the update! Keeps us all motivated!

 

Looking good...nothing wrong with a 66

 

What a mess it was - a great repair int he end! I envy guys who can do that type of work (and have the space, tools, etc)...
Keep it up!

 

Good job keep it up.

 

Is that the original color? You don't see forest mist too often! My friend has a '66 that color...27,000 original miles...his father was the original owner! Has a black top and white interior!

 

Thanks for all the encouragement fellows. The car was originally Forest Mist with black interior. Wes, there is a sandblaster on Comox Road who has quite a set up - he does industrial stuff. He charges $140 an hour so am only going to get him to do the frame. My friend Ron has a portable sandblaster which we will use for most of the stuff. We're going to Rust Mort the frame, prime it and paint it with a urethane paint.

Just a question. I have a 425 Olds and a Muncie 4 speed in this car. I was waiting til we had the body off to pull the starter to have it rebuilt. I discovered that I couldn't drop the starter out of the engine until we lifted the engine out of the frame. The frame obstructed the starter from dropping. I can't believe that you would have to do this to get work done on the starter. Am I missing something here?

Thanks

Pat

 

Pat, only thing I can think of is a Toro engine I believe has the starter on right side for fwd fittiment(sp)....don't quote me though! Is yours on right or left? There is provision to bolt properly on left. Or maybe the wrong starter in there(too big). Could always put a mini starter, higher torque for BB....

 

Right on Erik - that makes a bunch of sense. Thanks Mine is on the left. Is the non Toro 425 on the right?

Pat

 

Huh? This all sounds very strange to me. Never heard about right side starter on Toro 425s. Other than cylinder bore, lifter, and cam bank differences, the 400s and 425s were the same.
I cannot picture having to lift the engine to drop the starter.
Okay, Pat, what is the block number? (on the top ledge behind the water pump)

 

Kurt
My starter is located on the left side (driver). The engine casting number is 389244D. Thanks for info on the tach - Hopefully an electronics buddy of mine can check out the tach to see why it is behaving sporadically. When I took it out, the ground looks kind of grungy so maybe that's all it is.

Pat

 

Well its a 425 block all right. There are a couple internal variations, but nothing that should prevent the starter from dropping out You *may* need to hold the starter up in place and completely remove the two bolts before dropping it.
But I can't image any condition that would require moving or removing anything else.

 

Kurt, yeah, I bought a 425 Toro engine complete this past fall, and the starter is on the right(pass side).....but there is a provision on the left for it! The Toro starter had a higher torque rating than the other starters, and I can use it on any other olds motor, just have to loosen the bolts on the cover over the teeth, and spin it 180*, retighten, install! Although again, now that I think of it, it was mounted in the trans.....Kurt, if you owned one of these cars, you probably know better than me....I'm a bit foggy...

 

Hows the build going Pat? Did you get your frame blasted?

 

For sure I did Wes. He did a nice job too. Got the wheels and drive shaft done too. We'll do the rest with Ron's smaller blaster. I am Rustmorting it now and then will sand, prime and paint. We just finished cleaning up the underside of the body and rustmorting it too. Now we are going to spray the underside of the body with a mixture of gravelguard and paint. My friend is finished all the steel repairs to the body and will soon have it ready for primer.

Will post some pics once we get the body primed. Thanks for your interest.

 

hey pat, progress looks good on the 66, any new pics? i currently have a 350 and muncie in my car, with a 425 i assume i will need a different flex plate than the one thats from the auto, can i use the same clutch and pressure plate? also drill out the back of the crank for the pilot bearing? thanx stan

 

Here's some more pics. We got the chassis back under the body today. Of course they're out of order so just bear with me please.

 

Stan
I can't answer your questions but I am sure some of the other fellows can. I did have my flywheel resurfaced and I put in a new clutch but I had them match the old clutch so am not sure if they are interchangeable between engines.

Pat

 

Great progress Pat !!!!!!!!!!!!!! the car is coming along very quickly

I`m heading up your way next Sunday for the swapmeet hope to see you there

 

Thanks Wes

Ask for me at the door, the one beside the Zamboni entrance. I'd like to meet you.

Pat

 

Looking good! Looks like you're moving along pretty quick too. Keep the pics coming

 

sounds good Pat will do

 

thanx pat for the reply. swap meet? didnt hear of one. im sure my kids ball games will use up the weekend anyway.

 

Stan

Our car club, the Comox Valley Classic Cruisers is having a swap meet in the Courtney Rec Centre on Sunday May 2 from 9:00 to 3:00. There's also a mini car show as well. We have about 60 vendors registered and we get a pretty good turnout. There are outside and inside stalls. Haven't seen a lot of Oldsmobile stuff to this point but maybe???

Pat

 

cool, thanx for the info, ill let a few guys here know, its a bit of a hike for us here to get to courtney. took my car to victoria on sunday, it only used $23 gas. it has a vibration at about 60 miles per hour kinda feels like driveline not a tire? but ill get them ballanced anyway. are you working on a date you may be driving yours?

 

ah yes the joys of filling up lol
I had a 68 Impala 327 filled up for 50 bucks went to Vic and filled up again
oh right... I was a little heavy on the pedal with that car hehehehe

 

i love the heavy pedal, got some tire smoke last night coming up my road. giggidy giggidy, oh yeah

 

Here are some pics. I have the car at home. I have some electrical and mechanical issues to resolve yet but they are pretty minor.
This is not a numbers matching car but it is still pretty stock except for the motor and the wheels.

Pat Mills

 

Looking good!

 

Don't have my exhaust tips on yet but thought I would include this one anyway.

Pat

 

Pat,

She sure looks nice. You made some incredible progress in a short period of time. Who did the paint work?

 

Thanks - I love it!!!

A friend of mine who was a body man in his non retired life did the work. He's also a car guy - has a beautiful '57 Bel Air two door hdtp which he found in Winnipeg and completely restored - its a pretty car.

I paid him for his time and he let me work with him to do the restoration. Between the two of us we put in about 720 hours - started in February - worked steady and just finished last week.

Pat

 

Wow - great progress in such a short timeframe! Sure looks sweet!!

 

Sweet looking ride. Congrats on getting it finished, now enjoy it.

 

Looks great, Pat. I see you went with a color change. Are you going to replace the vinyl top?