Finished product.....

 

Hi Erik, I'm doing the bodywork on my Vista now and had two questions for you. First, what's the best way to get the drip rail moldings off? and second, how do you get the rear window channel and chrome trim off back there? I'd like to just get the trim off the back window, but the screws are blocked by the window channel. Any hints?
Thanks, Kurt Lammon
Urethane Supply Company

 

I'm not Eric but I will share my experience.

Kurt my best success with drip rail mlds has been to take a paint stick and cut it down to about 3" long. Take a light body hammer and tap very lightly down the whole length of the mld. Do this back and forth until it comes off. It might take 10-15 passes to get it off. If you move too much at a time you will damage it.

 

Erik must be busy, not many updates lately?
Hey Erik!!!

x2 on paint stick, worked for me.

People say to use bottle openers with tape on them, way too crude a weapon for that job IMO.

You have to take the rear window seal out of the channel it fits in then remove the channel/s to access the screws for the rear window trim.
The vinyl trim on the inside of the opening has to be removed too, there are half round notches in the sheet metal underneath it so you can get to the trim screws with a screwdriver.

 

Hey Kurt, good to hear from you again! Glad to hear you're working on it! The paint stick idea sounds like a good one that Richard suggested, although I used a plastic scraper with a hammer and tapped lightly along the bottom edge, back and forth with a lot of patience....as for your second question, what Allan said! The only shortcut there would be some C-4, but that might create more work! What's up Blue! I haven't touched it as I've been working on a present for the wife! As soon as it is finished, I'll be back again! Some pics of the present.....10,380 original mi....2006 Volvo S60T...

 

Hey Erik, was wondering where you were, that Vista should be painted next post after all this time.
That Volvo is a present for your wife?
You've been watching too many of those Volvo X-Mas commercials Erik, do you have a giant red bow or an oversized band-aid to put on it for the big reveal?
She must really knows how to do bodywork if she's going to salvage that, did you teach her or did she teach you how to work on cars Erik???

If you ever want to drive that you'll have to get a a pair of birkenstock sandals, a pipe and a brown corduroy sporstcoat with leather patches on the sleeves.

 

I love the wagons great taste!!

 

The Vista is gonna be ultra cool !!
Merry X-mas Buddy

 

Merry Christmas to you too Matt! Did you move yet?

 

Yup,
Moved down in Sept.
Love it here.
Criuse nights any night you feel like going out.
Car show season went full blast starting in Oct.
75% of the car people I meet are from N.Y !

 

Hi Richard & everyone. Thanks for the tip on the drip rails with the paint stick. I'm having a hard time visualizing it though... in my mind you need to pry it off the backside where it wraps around, so I can't see how a paint stick is going to help me there. Are you saying tap it directly in the middle so the edges start to pop off?
-Kurt

 

You do it with the doors open from the inside. You just catch the bottom lip of the driprail with the lengthwise edge of the stick and tap the stick lightly with a hammer to loosen the trim working from one end to the other. Mine has a little flange on the driprail lower inside edge so it hangs down just enough to catch with the paint stick edge. The molding hooks over the top of the driprail and is then pushed in on the bottom so it basically comes off the opposite way.

 

Hi,
What worked for me was the paint skick on the face of the mldg. and then use a bottle opener to catch on the inside edge of the mldg. You have to take your time and work back and forth on the mldg. Mine were totally undamaged when got them off. I also used the same process on the mldgs. around the door windows on the 70 vista I am doing. The cheaper bottle openers with the small tang on them works best. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks a lot for the tips, Steve and Bluevista. I will try your suggestions as soon as I get the tailgate trim off, since that's my current project. On that note, do you guys (or Erik) have any suggestions for me? I spent 45 minutes last night trying to get the gate unlatched. I removed the glass and wanted to lower the gate, but there's a safety mechanism that's keeping me from doing it. Please see the attached sketch.

Erik, many apologies for hijacking your build notes. I promise to move any other discussion to a general tech forum. In fact, I'll repost this to another area.

-Kurt

 

Kurt, no apology needed! It's all good info! What you really need if a Fisher Body Manual before undertaking this project, also a Chassis Service Manual! They are available in Repro, or maybe someone on the site may have one for sale....as far as your problem, I can't look at my car as it is a half hour away, but Allan (Bluevista) could probably answer that for you!

 

Erik (and Allan), thanks a bunch for the tips on the tailgate trim and drip rail moldings, got them all off last night while I listened to the BCS Championship game (yea Auburn!). Anyway, I would like to take the chrome trim off around the window frames. I started working on them, but they don't seem like they'll be as easy to remove as the drip rail moldings. Any suggestions on those?

Also, I want to get the fuzzies out... I'm assuming I have to take the windows out first? Also, any trouble getting the fuzzy for the back doors (stretched 5" over Cutlass)?

A bit more trim removal and sanding and I'll be laying on the surfacer!

 

That was a good game.

The window trim really isn't meant to come off, I think they use a machine to bend it around the edge or something? I've never seen it done but have seen the pieces for sale, and they're usually bent up like pretzels.
If anybody here has actually done it and knows a technique that doesn't destroy them I have some bad pieces that need replacing and would like to know too.
The trim has some kind of anodized finish so it can't be polished, the B pillar cover piece between the doors is the same. If it's stainless underneath the surface could be stripped then they could be polished, may be aluminum. I'm really not sure what it is other than metal.

It was a pain but I was able to get the outer beltline weatherstrips/window fuzzies off the front by just putting the window all the way down, for the rear I had to loosen the outer track and tilt the glass in to get clearance.

Steele has Vista Cruiser outer beltline weatherstrip kits.

http://www.steelerubber.com/

 

Blue is correct on the fuzzies! And I didn't remove the trim in question for the same reason. But I did not know that it was anodized...kind of stinks, being I was planning on polishing it up!

 

Hello Eric,

Excellent work restoring your 70 Vista Cruiser and great documentation.

Can you or anyone provide a visual diagram and/or photo of all connections (electrical and vacuum lines) found on a stock 1987 307 intake manifold (gasoline, not-diesel)? I’m working on restoring my engine to 1987 EPA specifications. I built a 403 to replace this tired engine and do not have enough photos of the original setup.

Thanks so much,
James

 

Anybody know what happened to Eric?

 

Well, after being away for so long, it's good to be back! Hello again to all my friends here on this wonderful forum, and nice to meet you to all my nubie friends! Good to see everyone working on projects and saving more Oldsmobiles!

To get back on track, my brother and I decided,"let's just pull the body off the frame and make sure all is good, replace the bushings, all lines, etc..."

So here we go...

We will be using POR-15 on the frame after a good wire brushing. All new lines, rubber parts and hardware will be installed. We were pretty happy when we found only one bad body bushing hole....I guess I could WELD this up......

 

Hi Erik, Glad to see your back at it. Looks like you got the body off with no problems and will make for a much cleaner job. I don't know this for sure but I had new lines made for my vista at classic tube in lancaster n.y. I guess they may have the patterns still for them but not sure. They fit pretty decent and as you know there is not much room for the lines going from the right side to the left side where the tank is. Keep up the good work.

 

glad you are back on it. i was going to bump this thread a couple weeks ago and see if you were still kicking then i seen you made a post on another thread. i'm looking forward to seeing part of my parts car living on in yours

 

Thanks Steve! I'm already ahead of you! I've been taking notes and printing out the chassis pics from your thread......I wiil get in touch with Classic Tube. One thing I did notice about yours though, is that I see three fuel lines on your right side, as opposed to one on mine! Could it be the fact you have a California car? Thanks again...

 

Thanks for your concern Eric!

 

Erik, Yes there are three lines 3/8" fuel feed,1/4"return and 5/16" to the vapor canister. I don't have the vin with me but this car came from california so might be. Does yours have a canister? I will check when I get home by the vin.

 

Glad you are back - nice job so far!! When I get a Vista, I will be sure to send it your way!

 

Steve, I don't have a canister...and only 1 fuel line...

 

Sounds almost fair Rob! As long as I can send you my interior and engine compartment!

 

Erick, Mine is a A/C car for california. I see yours in a non A/C car which would not have a fue return line. I believe that is the difference. Mine is a Lansing build.

 

Thanks for the info Steve. I guess I could look it up in the chassis manual also, but what you say makes good sense.

 

Good to see you back....... keep at it.

 

Thanks Richard...good to see you finally working on the flattop!

 

Got back on the chassis today! Cut out the rot around the bad body mount bushing hole, and made a patch. Welded it up. Then, as we started wire brushing the frame, after 15 mins of feeling like we were getting nowhere fast, the decision was made to send the frame out for blasting and powdercoating. I made a couple of phone calls, and will be having it done for $800........positive side is it will be much cleaner and nicer looking. Negative would be more taken out of our "looser by the minute budget". Some of today's progress.

 

While changing direction, we also decided to go for tubular upper and lower a-arms with uerethane bushings, kyb's and 2" dropped hotchkis springs in the front. Chip will be doing the quick ratio conversion and rebuild of p/s pump. We will also be dropping the rear 2" and installing boxed lowers and sway bar, kyb's and hotchkis....should ride pretty tight on 17" Cragar S/S rims. Started removing front end pieces...

 

Hey Erik, Good to see you got the ball rolling again. Youre doing a great job, cant wait to see it when its done.
Rob

 

Good decision on having the frame done. I would not make the mess to sandblast it at home. I had mine blasted for $300 and well worth it. I went with the 1" drop hotchkis springs and hope the cars not to low. It seems low now without the driveline and seats in it. Hotchkis does recomend air bags in the back on our cxars but I am waiting to see how it goes without them. Keep going on it

 

Thanks Rob! By the way, I finally picked up a new hood for my Cutlass today......see ya this summer!

 

I hear ya Steve! After seeing what you've been doing, I needed to "up the ante", so to speak! I figured if the 2' drop is too close for comfort, I'll add the bags afterwards. Hurry up and get yours done so I can see how low it sits...

 

Good deal! Is that the same Cutlass you were trying to sell a while back?