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Hey Tom:
The dash pad turned out really nice. Did you spray is with a SEM product or something else? What color did you use?
Rodney
It is actually just semi-gloss black spray paint (ACE) which is what I generally use on anything black interior related. For colored (anything but black) interior parts I use DuPont vinyl dye and spray it through a gun. That stuff is outrageously expensive though. The red dye for my vista cruiser interior was over $200.00 per quart 2 years ago and it took over a gallon because I used it on all of the metal parts as well to get the finish I was after. In the end, the dye for the interior was only slightly cheaper than the base, clear, hardeners and activators added together for the outside. About $1400.00 for the base/ clear vs. over $900.00 for the red dye.
Did you use the black semi-gloss from ACE on the metal and the vinyl dash pad; and what about the plastic instrument section? Was that also painted with ACE paint? Do you think the ACE brand paint will hold up well in the Texas sun, better than the SEM products?
Thanks!
Yes, any thing not "flexible" vinyl. The door panels, headliner, and the rear lower arm rests are all original black parts just cleaned up and coated with meguires interior protectant (like armorall but no oily residue). I use the wipes and they really help to even out all of the parts (painted and factory black). Also, once most of the protectant liquid is off of the wipe they work really well to clean dust out of the engine bay etc. When you say Texas sun is the car in the garage most of the time, or sitting outside. I think the paint will hold up as well as anything else for you. I have been using it for years and have not had issues. The only real problems I have with dye or paint is where parts are touching eachother like where the door panels meet the edge of the kick panels. Eventually the color is pulled off in these areas regardless of what you are using high end dye or cheap spray paint. A solution I found for this years ago is to go over the area were the color was pulled off with one of those "mega" sharpie markers, but it only works with black. However, things age much differently up here in PA than they do in the south west. Here, moisture/ humidity helps to keeps soft parts pretty nice, but obviously leads to rust. I have a set of bucket seats that came from texas and another that came from Arizona Both were in cars that sat outside in the sun for a long time. The metal is flawless, but the covers and foam basically turned to dust. So, if the car will be in a garage and only exposed to those conditions while driving I think you will be fine. If it is always outside I think the paint will still hold up as well as anything else, but may not hold up as well as it does up here in PA.
I'm with you, I'm a sucker for options. My '71 VC came with most options, but will be adding oem not repro gauges, speed minder (yes, technically not available in '71), night watch (making it compatible with the gauges and maybe even making into a true Twilight Sentinel), and demand wiper. LIke you, I've been collecting original parts for these options.
Really like your work on the seat frames! I too had a '69 Eldo Strato bench seat that once I figured out the top was different, sold it and got a '69 Toro Strato Bench. I have parts to make it into a passenger recliner option. That will be going in as well. I have the seat back release parts as well, but they're not compatible with the recliner option.
I've bought parts from a guy named Bruce in NJ. He had a 71 or 72 vista like that along with a bunch of other cool cars. He was like us and added everything he could find to his cars. He added front buckets and a console to the vista along with power locks, windows, cruise, seat back releases, night watch, gauges, safety sentinel, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting. Same thing for his 70 and 72 W30 convertibles and 66 Toronado. My gauges are original also (I just added some posts to a thread in the general section about the visual differences between originals and reproductions and what you can do to make the reproductions look a little more correct). https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/general-discussion-33/tic-toc-tach-72-442-install-162343/
I thought the safety sentinel was available in 70 and 71. Maybe not, but it is described as an available option in a 71 owner’s manual I have. Either way it is so cool that if you are adding everything else you might as well go and add it too.
The reclining passenger seat was actually available up though at least 1970 possibly 72 on some GM cars although the later ones are extremely rare. They kept the 67/68 style release system and plastic covers for those cars while using the newer headrests and hardware (69 or 70 up). The buckets in my 66 Chevelle convertible started out as a 69 lemans/ GTO reclining passenger seat set. I got them out of a junk yard in Arizona and at the time they were the only set I could find. I heavily modified the hinges to look like 66 but the seat frames are still 69. Here are some photos of those seats with the back off. Notice the seat frames have the recessed area for the center button style release, but these used the side release (driver and passenger) because they were ordered with the reclining passenger option.
Compared to the factory 68 seat backs in my Toronado I also cut off the latch, removed the mechanism, and reworked the hinge on the Chevelle seat. The Toronado came with a factory passenger recliner, I added a passenger recliner to the Chevelle and the vista. And I still have parts to make another 66 strato bench recliner along with 2 sets of 66 and 2 sets of 67 reclining bucket seats. I considered putting a recliner in the cutlass but went for the power seat back release instead.
I started working on some of the under hood items. I bought this OAI air cleaner top at Carlisle a few years ago along with a set of W & Z manifolds. I think it is an original but someone decided to spray it gloss black.
Currently working to get the black paint off and it is looking pretty good. Not NOS, but will fit the theme of a patina driver. The air cleaner base that came with the lid was not correct, but I was able to get an almost new repop base from tdhill01 (thanks Tom) a few weeks ago that he listed in the parts for sale section.
I was also able to pic up a set of original red fender wells from vader (thanks again Mike) that should have the perfect patina once I get them cleaned up. These were sprayed with a coat of gloss clear by a previous owner, but like the black paint on the air cleaner lid, it is slowly coming off with laquer thinner. The underside have been black painted which I will remove as well. Amazingly, these both have the original rubber A-arm covers still stapled on in very good condition.
Last edited by Loaded68W34; Apr 3, 2022 at 06:19 PM.
Been working on drivetrain and suspension. I pulled the motor to clean and paint it.
Since I already rebuilt the motor when I pulled it from the 68 98, I only had to pull off the intake and accessories. I had sprayed the motor with a "bare metal" spray paint before i put it in the car simply to keep it from rusting.
The red is a primer.
Blue is from inline tube.
Followed by a few coats of automotive urethane clear.
Reassembly started. The W/Z manifolds are originals painted with POR 15 manifold grey.
Back in the painted frame. The carb is a rebuilt BBO unit from ebay. We'll see how it runs. Previous carb was off a 350 and was in need of a rebuild. Other than stock cutlass springs, the suspension will be all new including the rebuilt power steering box, linkage, bushings and shocks.
As this will be a driver, I simply cleaned off any loose dirt from the floors and frame and repainted them to get the underside of the car looking decent. The trans is an M20 that I rebuilt along with a few others years ago.
Evaporator box restoration; I started by taking apart the case from this car and the case from my vista cruiser to use the best parts from each (I think I ended up using just about everything from the vista box.
Polished/ cleaned evaporator from the vista next to the one from the cutlass.
Final assembly ready to go on next to the unused reassembled parts
Amazing, just a driver huh? Wow, unfortunately it makes me want to pull half my car apart again to do it better. Thank you for sharing your work it is inspiring.
Steve
Suspension work:
all new bushings, ball joints, and shocks
The rear is a 3.23 posi out of the orange car that was pictured earlier in the thread (I put a 12 bolt in that and still had this laying around when it came time to build this car). At some point I might put in a set of 3.55 gears. Thanks to Nick (442 Crazy) for the W27 cover.
This car had a reman starter, but the 455 starter from the 98 had the correct mount for the starter brace on the side, so i put the two together.
I used the aluminum snout, rotor, and solenoid from the reman and the case/ stator from the 98 starter. The 98 only had 20,000 miles so the brushes had little wear.
If you did not know, lemon juice wroks really well to clean copper and brass. Just soak the parts for a few a little while (time depends on amount of oxidation). Be sure to get the parts clean after to get the sticky juice film off.
It is a good idea to clean the commutator with a fine abrasive and blow out any old dust/ carbon build-up.
The main terminals and washer in the solenoid can be reversed for better conductivity. Notice the groove worn into the main post on the left. That is from the washer making contact over and over. For a better connection, simply rotate the post in the housing. The post had already been rotated to the lower section when the starter was re-manufactured.
Next task will be cleaning/ installing the rad support, and everything that goes on it. I picked up a 71 core support and top plate for a 4 row rad vista at GM Carlise for a good price. Notice the difference between the 71 and 72 (little bump on the outer edge above the grille).
Reassembly started. The W/Z manifolds are originals painted with POR 15 manifold grey.
Back in the painted frame. The carb is a rebuilt BBO unit from ebay. We'll see how it runs. Previous carb was off a 350 and was in need of a rebuild. Other than stock cutlass springs, the suspension will be all new including the rebuilt power steering box, linkage, bushings and shocks.
As this will be a driver, I simply cleaned off any loose dirt from the floors and frame and repainted them to get the underside of the car looking decent. The trans is an M20 that I rebuilt along with a few others years ago.
Couple questions:
How do you plan on removing paint from the OAI vacuum switch for the flapper? I have an original one that was painted black and want to restore if possible.
What are your thoughts on the quality of the reproduction intake? How is the fit and do you think you will have any issues with it sealing? I've heard mixed reviews.
Couple questions:
How do you plan on removing paint from the OAI vacuum switch for the flapper? I have an original one that was painted black and want to restore if possible.
What are your thoughts on the quality of the reproduction intake? How is the fit and do you think you will have any issues with it sealing? I've heard mixed reviews.
I used laquer thinner to remove the paint on the OAI parts and the red fender wells. The cad plating under the paint is not very nice on the vacuum pod so I have not decided what I am going to do for a finish on it. The intake is pretty nice. I had it on the motor when I first installed it just to get the car moving around and did not have any issues. I have seen some reviews on the intakes from the parts place and it does look like their machining can be a little off. I don't know what company mine came from or where it was sold/ who made it. I got it at Carlise from a guy who had two (a 70 and a 71-72). I think he was asking $400 and I got it for $350. The only issue I noticed with the intake aside from cosmetic differences between it and an original is that it seems fo have some steel shavings embedded in the casting so it will develop little rust spots if it gets water on it. Your W30 is looking great by the way.
Last edited by Loaded68W34; Jul 25, 2022 at 04:43 PM.
Loaded, buy that '51 coupe that has just been listed and work your magic
That is a neat car no doubt about it and it looks really solid, but I have way too many projects already. These certainly would look good in it though:
I am so on your side giving that car the love that have. That is so awesome. That car was sitting wishing for love. It is a Pixar movie. Bringing that car back like you are is UNREAL. Huge difference between you loving your car and all these dealer peddler bullshitter fools saying it is something that it is not. Awesome build.
quoted by Loaded68W34 "The cad plating under the paint is not very nice on the vacuum pod so I have not decided what I am going to do for a finish on it"
Can you re-plate it? I have seen many people restore stuff on Youtube and have re-plated nickel parts and didn't realize how simple it really is to do. If for some reason re-plating cadmium is not possible (expense, dangerous fumes or whatever) maybe you could cold blue the part, I realize the color would be different but it would be a nice look and better than paint for sure.
I’m sure you could plate but the rubber diaphragm on inside might not like it? If it could be disassembled, un-crimped, plated and then re-crimped with original diaphragm or replacement then yeah.
Car is getting really close to being on the road. The front fenders and hood are painted (right side fender, door, and hood are striped). The right side inner red fnder well is also done and installed.
Red inner fenders as purchased from "Vader"
Finished right side inner fender. The dust flap and staples are still to originals never removed with very little wear.
I have been recovering the rear seats this week. The car came to me with no interior. Over the years of gathering parts, I came across a nice blue 1971 supreme rear seat.
The wells look great. Are those just cleaned? Did you use any paint or clear?
I posted a question in another thread about washer bottle location. It looks like you installed bottle on passenger side when original pictures of the wells show three holes on driver's side where I assume the bottle would mount? No holes on passenger side. I see most cars have bottle on passenger side. I don't know what is correct as far a restoration goes but do you know if the bottle switched location depending on if there was ac in the car? It seems that if the compressor and ac lines are on the passenger side then it may get a little crowded therefore moving bottle to driver side? I'm just trying to figure why there are three holes on driver side and none on passenger side. I have a set of wells with no holes on passenger side and three on driver side.
How did you clean the frame & springs of surface rust - dipping or sandblasting or just paint over?
For the frames and springs, I use a high power pressure washer, then sand all of the rough stuff off and finally paint. Dipping or sandblasting would certainly be a better option, I just do not have a cabinet big enough to blast those.
The wells look great. Are those just cleaned? Did you use any paint or clear?
I posted a question in another thread about washer bottle location. It looks like you installed bottle on passenger side when original pictures of the wells show three holes on driver's side where I assume the bottle would mount? No holes on passenger side. I see most cars have bottle on passenger side. I don't know what is correct as far a restoration goes but do you know if the bottle switched location depending on if there was ac in the car? It seems that if the compressor and ac lines are on the passenger side then it may get a little crowded therefore moving bottle to driver side? I'm just trying to figure why there are three holes on driver side and none on passenger side. I have a set of wells with no holes on passenger side and three on driver side.
Scrappie,
As far as cleaning goes, someone had sprayed a urethane clear over them. The hardest part was getting that off (lots of steel wool soaked in lacquer thinner). With most of the clear off, I wet sanded them (600 to 1000 to 1200) and then sprayed them with a coat of matte clear to even out the finish. Looks a little better in the pic than in person, but only because there are some different tones in the red plastic where it faded over the years. I cleaned off a coat of black paint from the underside but left the aged faded pink color because it will work nicely with the "faux-tina".
I saw your question about the washer bottle location in the W30 convertible restoration thread and thought about responding. I believe I know the answer, but I could be wrong. It is my understanding that all big block cars got the washer bottle on the passenger side unless the car was also equipped with a coolant recovery bottle (radiator overflow) which then moved the washer bottle back to the driver side (small block location). I could be mistaken about that, but I believe the reason for the switch was the larger battery/ battery box associated with the big block cars. If you look closely at the photo above, you will see the 3 holes in the right fender as well (top hole is located at the very front edge of the deep groove). These are the holes I used when I mounted the bottle. You can also see a hole drilled at the top (directly above right tire). This hole is for a screwed-on clamp that locates the washer fluid hose as it travels to the pump. There is also a faded outline around the shape of the original washer bottle, so I believe the right-side inner fender in this set did have the washer bottle mounted to it on whatever car it came from. In the pics below, you can see a better view of the holes that were in the right-side fender well when I got it as well as the white faded area under where the original water bottle would have been sitting.
As for the driver side, all of the original inner fenders I have seen (red or black) have the three holes in them. So, I believe (again I could be wrong) that these holes were probably made in the manufacturing process (part of the mold or possibly punched by a press at the same time as the loom clip holes were done) and that all fenders got them. The holes on the passenger side (see above photos) seem to have been drilled, so I think they were added for big block cars w/o a coolant bottle. In the photos below, you can see the top of these 3 holes in both the black 442 inner fender and red w30 inner fender on the driver side.
As far as A/C vs. non A/C, the notch in the water bottle is at the perfect location to clear the liquid line. I think this is probably by design or maybe just a lucky coincidence that the notch for the automatic equipped cars' battery cable routing happens to work for the A/C hose as well.
Again, I could be wrong about this, although I am certain that the right side inner fender I have had a washer bottle on it before I got it. Judging from the overspray, I also believe the inner fenders came off the same car originally, and as you said the left fender has the 3 holes too.
Last edited by Loaded68W34; Nov 17, 2022 at 02:24 PM.
