Got the plastic work done and got the tailgate into primer last night. Disassembled rt rear door. Will be stripping and repairing that this weekend. I figure 1 panel a week...of course the qtrs will take longer being they need much more work. Still waiting for the sections to come in for those. As most of you know, when you only get a couple hours here and there during the week and trying to juggle the project with the family on weekends it can be difficult!

 

That's pretty. The biggest mistake I see on Vista Cruiser paint jobs is getting the paint mask line right between the interior paint and exterior paint on the sides of the gate. A lot don't do do the brown on the rockers under the doors too. The bottom of mine looked like the interior color with all the overspray, just use the swing out position and you never see any of it.

 

Hey vista guys I just saw this, don't know if it's a deal or not,or would be any good, thougt someone might want to check it out. Your project is coming along great ent, it's making me feel guilty for slacking on mine but it's too dang cold out there.

 

Thanks, for the shout-out Eric. It's been so frigid here on Long Island also. I feel your pain. What do you think about the woodgrain Allan? Might be worth a low enough price. I'll look at ad again later to see if there was a part #. Still would be leaning toward spending at woodgrain4wagons. Oh, by the way, I hear you Allan on the interior color on the tailgate and rockers. To do it right I would like to put it back that way!

 

Thanks Eric. The 69-72 Vista transfer is part no.1154210. The part number of that roll on evilbay (231619) is correct for a '71 Custom Cruiser. The parts catalog shows; Transfer, doors, quarter and tailgate, 24" x 90". I'm not sure if it is the same type as the Vista.
If it's a full roll it would do 2 doors or a combination of any two panels not including the tailgate.

Pic is from the wagon brochure, can't tell if they are the same and probably retouched but neat to look at anyway. My car is in the middle sans roof rack.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/...2cf406e2_o.jpg

The inside pics do look like the Vista woodgrain is a little lighter and not as wild a grain as the Custom Cruiser but it's really hard to tell.

Chebby used a transluscent transfer in 71-72, the paint color would just slightly show through, lucky they don't have that stuff.

 

Thanks for the info Allan, saved me the trouble. By the way, when do we get to see some color on your girl?

 

I'm working on it. It's a complex operation and the final phases are being implemented as I speak/type. For anybody reading, I have years of experience so don't try this at home unless you've been married at least 25 years.

I know we can swing it if we want but my wife wants to buy food and stuff.
I lucked out and somebody hit my wifes car in the parking lot where she works and scuffed the bumper. The perpetrator left a note and has insurance which is amazing in itself. I have her going to the shop that will hopefully be painting the Vista Cruiser for an estimate. If she likes the guy she'll talk me into getting it done there like she thought of it. I have to talk to him and make sure our watches are synchronized.
I'm so lucky, her windshield was cracked by a stone today and the car has no comp on it.
I know I can get a windshield out of this deal too, I can fix the scuff if I have to, looks fine to me now.

 

I know, I told my wife we can make a positive out of this and just not buy food and we would both lose weight! She didn't take that too kindly... Guess that's why I keep going through wives...

 

Eric,

Nice work so far. Are you doing the work at your garage? Keep the pics coming!

Darrell

 

No, I'm actually renting some space from somebody in Babylon...the money is really stretching me but it's forcing me to keep working to get it done ASAP!

 

What color are you going to paint her? Are you going to keep it all stock or modify it? I love the roof on those. Maybe some time I can swing by to see it.

 

That's a great thing to say if you want to sleep in the garage.....But actually then you would be able to get it done faster!

 

I've just had this wife. I get that special "look" when I introduce her to people as my first wife.

I never thought of renting a space to paint my car, hmmmm.

 

Darrel, I'm probably going to keep the color very close to original but "modernize" it a little by switching some flake or adding some pearl to make it pop more...yeah, anytime you want to hang, PM me and we can hook up! I'd like to see the '69!
Allan, do you have a garage? Can you work out of it? I built a modular spraybooth out of PVC and plastic sheeting. I get better paint jobs out of there then I do out of most $70,000 spray booths! And it only cost me $200 to build!

 

Sandblasted some areas on the inside of the rear door this weekend and it was surprisingly solid...not even worthy of any pics! The outside of the door was a different matter. Had several nasty dents and the skin was stretched due to some of the dents. Spent quite a bit of time with the unispotter, file, hammer and grinder. Got it pretty close for some thin plastic and thin coat of poly. Primed and completed. Just got home about 1.5 hours ago. I owe my wife big for Valentine's...maybe even chocolates! Here are the latest pics of progress!

 

Check out the smoke from the duals!

 

I like the dual smoke. With the heat wave I wanted to pull mine out but I'm doing the tilt column and there's no steering column. I would attempt to back it out it but the starting part with no ignition is tough.

I have a garage but it's too crowded. It's one and a half car with two cars in it and about 10 inches clearance on each end of the Vista to the garage door and a brick chimney.

 

Nice lift, nice goat? Let me know how the tilt works out...funny, my bro and I were discussing that for the Vista today. We scored a sweet console and shifter (don't get mad anyone...) for free today out of a '77 Buick Regal. I get some pics this week of it. Think it would look pretty trick in the VC with a set of original buckets. We can probably get the tilt out of the same car also. I'm pretty sure it would work in a '70 Vista.(anybody please feel free to let me know yes or no) You need to get some photos up of what you're doing...I'd like to see it!

 

Started the rt ft door this weekend. Disassembled and removed it. Stripped it and found not many dents, but some rot inside and out. I decided the rot on the outside just needed to be plug welded as well as some holes on the inside corner. But the front inside corner of the door was like swiss cheese...had no choice but to cut out and make a patch. Here's the end result...

 

 

My brother and I got started today at about 4:30pm due to the fact we had to build a 20' handicapp ramp for my wife's aunt. We made good progress all things considered...here is the rot repair at the to rear corners behind the rear bumper!

 

My brother pretty much got the center post and rocker stripped also...check out the bottom of the fender

 

That's some good looking work, I'm always amazed at welding like that. My car was pretty much rust-free, the lower front fenders had some small rust spots. I was just lucky, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

I don't know if the column will work? They are pretty much all the same for a long time internally though.
I just finished mine up but it was from a '72 so no fit questions. I did have to rebuild the column because it had the the infamous wobble, bearings were dried up, switch was bad.
Buckets and a console will give you a lot more room, you won't hear me complaining. Those cars are cramped up front and unless you're going factory original it's a really good idea.

I'm always dropping references to my goat here.
It's a '68 convertible an I've had it since '94.
There is a little sibling rivalry, the Vista hates her because she's older and gets the top bunk.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/...7e0692ed77.jpg

 

I always introduce mine as "My current wife"

 

I intorduce mine as my first wife (married 43 years) A friend of mine introduces his as his first and third wife (Married her twice) what was he thinking.

Nice looking body work. The welding skill level is way above mine

 

Very nice work. May be we aught to copy this thread in the autobody section?

 

Nice progress since I saw it on Saturday Erik. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks for all the positive comments Allan, Pat and Chad...hey Pat, don't know about rust up in the Northwest, but being your car is over 60 yrs old, you might get some good practice fixing that. It was good meeting you Darrell. Anytime you want to get out and hang give me a call. We're here almost every weekend.

 

Erik,

The 48 Olds is straight no rust at all. The 57 is another story has rust on the lower door panels both sides and the rear lower front fender panels. I have bought a tig/mig set and have thought doing the fix myself. Have not done body panel welding before, a little nervous about doing myself. Heavy welding and mech work no problem.

 

Pat, do you have a bottle of argon and CO2 mix for the mig. Go to a bodyshop, ask for a couple of scrap fenders or a hood, get it home, clean them up, cut them up, and start practicing some basic lap welds and butt welds. Just like you do with heavy gauge but obviously lower heat and slower wire speed. Good ground and clean metal are all the difference. I say practice with used metal for a couple of reasons, 1- cheaper, 2-if you can master welding the thin gauge recycled coke cans of today, your car will be easy. Oh, and don't forget SAFETY is always most important!

 

Still on schedule, I finished the bodywork on the front door, and got it into primer. Now I just have to finish the inside shell and rt side jambs and prime those by the end of the week...might be a couple more late nights. On a positive note, DVAP finally called me today (only has been a month and $750) and said they finally cut my doglegs, wheelwells, and wheeltubs. If the finally keep a promise, I should have them in another week or so. I was starting to lose faith in them. They aren't off the hook yet...

 

Thanks for the advice. I will give it a try and let your know how it turns out. Sometimes all a person needs is a push to get started and being 63 I need a little harder push to get the motor running.

 

Put in a very late night tonight just to stay on schedule. Finished up at 1:15 am(and like an idiot I'm posting now at 2:40 am instead of sleeping...just too wired right now!). Finished prepping up right side jambs, tailgate jamb and inside of rt frt dr shell from the weekend. Masked everything up and primed! Will clean shop on Sat. and disassemble and remove 2 left doors. Also hang 2 rt doors just to get them out of way...here's tonight's pics!

 

 

Late night Erik? A true car guy.
When you get on a roll you have to go with it.
I'll cruise mine over if you want to practice but I have a sneaking suspicion that you've done the bodywork and painted more than a few cars already.:


Hasta la Vista Cruiser

 

I have a sickness where I say,"this is the last car I'm doing!", never works...plan is to get this done in time to bring to Nats along with my '65 Vista. Will you be there Allan? After this car I have to finish a '62 Caddy Hearse I started 10yrs ago. Then after that...

 

I love this Vista!

 

Erik you do not have a sickness, you are possessed, your progress is amazing, after this now I have to go out and get at least one of my doors done.

 

Well, my bro and I decided that we needed to clean up the shop this weekend and we also decided we needed a day off from this...so we took Sunday off! After cleaning shop, we tapped the threads in the doors we finished up the previous week and to get them out of the way, we hung them on the car! After that we disassembled the 2 left doors and removed them. Wire wheeled the bottoms, and then sandblasted the bottoms. Overall, not bad. will need a patch on one door. and some small plug welds. We didn't touch the outside of the doors yet. Once I finish the inside shells, I'll move to the outsides. We'll also do the post and rocker at the same time. I figure a week and a half to have all of this done...here are the latest pics! I also had to make a patch for the inside of the drip rail.

 

It looks more like Vista every day.

I shined mine up in my photoshop.