G'day Folks,
Things are moving along at an OK pace with the Delta88.
It's fairly well preserved considering it's been sitting around for about 20 years. I really should be pulling the engine & tranny out & popping the body off, but have decided to work around them, bit of a poor mans resto, but
will address all the issues. I'm pretty close to taking it to the sandblaster
to get the interior, firewall, window surrounds & some under body done,
then I'll have to get some tig welding repairs around the rear screen etc.
Fairly rare car here in Australia, especially being right hand drive, but not
worth huge money, so don't want to over capitalize the project, but would still like a well restored vehicle with no rust issues & looks presentable for those Sunday family cruises etc.
The car is Moss gold with white roof, one of the worst colours I think,
normally I like to keep things as original as possible, but I'm thinking of
changing to Wedgwood blue & white.
I'll post some more pics after being blasted etc.

regards, Cus


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I'm not particularly fond of that color, I think your color change would really make it pop. Now would be a good time to at least do a timing set, maybe regasket the leaks and paint the engine.

 

Have stripped roof & back quarters, & pretty much ready to get the bits
sandblasted. Will give the roof a very light blast, I got rid of nearly all the
rust with a strip disc & chemical rust dissolver, but would feel better once
it had a light blast as well. After the blasting, it's off to the body shop to
get the holes welded up, then back to me for more prep,

regards, Cus

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Looking good, nice that you can work outside blasting etc.

 

how do you think that happened? pulled the hoses over the roof?

 

SomeIMG_1155_zpsb0c1b8f2.jpg pics so far, in epoxy primer,IMG_1153_zps96c2c25e.jpg

 

are you going for a custom look with that ute tray leaning up against the wall?
A Delta 88 crew cab ute pehaps..

 

Got a date for paint yet? Sticking with the original colour?

 

Interesting thread, just found it. Sorry to hear about the fella who bolloxed up on the roof. I was really shocked to see how very little structure that car has between the floor and roof. Those A pillars look like they're too small to do the job, but once the glass is in that stiffens things up a bit.

Something I've never seen and would love it you could take a few pics. The steering linkage on the right side - can you show it? Do you need a special idler arm on that car for the linkages?

Just a thought - you'll probably have to change the interior trim color too if it's green. Have you thought of changing the body color to Mayan Gold, Cranberry Red or Chestnut? All were 73 colors and I'd do the whole car the same color instead of the two tone paint. If you went with Mayan Gold or Chestnut the interior trim could easily stay the same color. Blue on the outside wouldn't work well with green IMO.

So far the project looks great. Nice to see that you're looking after this beauty that most would ignore.

 

Film director Sam Raimi has a soft spot for this particular model. A light yellow one with a white roof makes a prolonged appearance in all the Evil Dead movies, especially the first one.
The car also has cameo's in all his movies.
Perhaps a Raimi replica??

http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNe...bile-delta-88/

 

Well, things are starting to move again, I've found a panel beater to weld up
the rust holes & knock out some dents. With the roof, I have since cut the
glue spots in between the roof & the lining panel, after I did that, the roof
popped & straightened some more, the PDR guys are pretty confident of
pushing 99% of the dents out. In the photo, the dents are where the chalk
marks are.
I've since sprayed underneath the car in epoxy mastic.

regards, Cus
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Hey Gus, the car is really coming along...reminds me of high school, riding around, skipping school and doing things we should not have been doing

Right hand drive...first one I have seen...I am with Allan, a pic of the steering setup would be cool....

What is epoxy mastic?

 

Wow, just found this post. I love the progress you're making...keep it up and keep the pics coming!

 

Thanks for the comments,
I'll get those photo's of the steering links & box,
Epoxy Mastic 121, great stuff, look it up on Google, I also used 421 Epoxy
primer on body,

regards, Cus

 

Pic of steering box etc., is a Aussie box,
Cus

 

Yikes! Hard to follow where all the pressure/return lines go for the power steering. Need a shot of it from the side and as it comes through the firewall. Where does the power brakes booster sit? Looks like directly in front of the steering wheel - round hole with 4 small bolt holes? This is a novel look at right hand engineering - nothing really matches what I'm used to.

BTW, Is that an aftermarket flex fan on the water pump?

 

Hello Allen,
The r/h conversion was done some time ago, a bit of a rough job on the
firewall, I'll be fixing that up, everything else seems to be OK though,
not sure about the fan, was on the car already.

Cus

 

Hello Everyone,
Have progressed a fair bit since last post. All rust & dents have been repaired,
have blocked back once & re-sprayed again with high build primer, all ready to block
back again, should be good this time. All interior, fire wall, trunk & underneath have been
sprayed with epoxy mastic over epoxy primer. I'll be spraying some colour soon around
the door sills & edges etc.

regards, Cus
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cool car,nice work, *following*

 

Have cleaned up engine a bit, probably should of pulled it out & re-painted,
but it looks quite original & is a good runner.

Cus

 

Nice to see the car progressing cus.

 

Hello Everyone,
Finally started to spray some colour. I'm doing all the edges, but getting a pro to do the
final spray. Everything is going OK, will get onto the brakes etc., now, then the doors
& panels later. I need a bit of a break from body work for a while,

regards, Cus
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Very nice.

- Eric

 

The work you've done looks great! FYI it's still not too late to change your mind and paint the whole thing ummm, pink.

What color is that anyway?

Interesting also is that when I see the car in this state of repair showing all the body as stripped down? I can't help but think how vulnerable these cars must be to side impact collisions. There's really nothing there to keep the front end of another vehicle out. I wonder if that's why they got phased out in 1977? Possibly to meet compliance with Federal crash tests?

 

Thanks Allen,
The original colour was Moss Gold, new colour is Crystal Green with Cameo White roof,

regards, Cus

 

I really like the color choice, and a white top will take it 'over the top' IMO. Again, very nice work. Can't wait to see the finished paint.

Is it enamel or BC/CC?

 

Its metallic Base coat, 2K clear over,
Just got to work out what colour for the interior ie. garnish molds & column, door skins,
original is like a mustard colour, it's a bit baby sh_t brown, but it matches the seat vinyl
etc., so may keep it the same.
Cus

 

I wish I had your skill set Cus. Sure has come along since you sent me the pic of the tank rusting away in the guys backyard. Nice.

 

Things are still moving along, have been working on the brakes. They are all done now,
pedal is a bit spongy, but they seem to work fine. Put a kit through the carbie & fitted
a new fuel pump & alternator. Have also dumped the oil a few times to help clean out
the sump etc. She runs very well, will be interesting to see what the tranny is like
once she gets on the road. Fitted the trunk lid the other day & have now started
on the doors. They are going to slow me up a bit, just doing 1 at a time, pulled the
glass & lock out & sandblasted inside. Rust is good, just a few holes on inner sill on
2 doors, shouldn't be hard to fix, & one dent on rear pass side door.
Gave the engine a spuce up, powder coated the rocker covers & painted the manifold.
Will post some more pics when I get the doors back on,

regards, Cus
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Hello Everyone,
Fitted all the doors back on now,
have started on the front guards.
I'm thinking its going to be difficult to fit the "Delta 88" badge & short
chrome strip after the guards are fitted & painted, I don't think there will
be access to the speed nuts once fitted.


regards, Cus


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Yes, it is essentially impossible to reach those fasteners after assembly.

- Eric

 

Thanks Eric,
Will spray behind them, then will have to mask them off on the final spray.

 

olds front end was built and painted separate from the body, so the nuts were easy to put on at the factory. fisher did the body and interior, and sent it to olds to finish it

 

Had the inside of the front guards soda blasted. Its the first thing I've had soda blasted,
probably wouldn't get it done again unless it's a fiddly or delicate part to strip,
seems a bit slow, "expensive" way to go. Noticed the factory metal finish on the panels,
looks like some kind of a grey zinc finish, different from rear 1/4's, that looked more
like a bright zinc finish. Front guards are well preserved, just a small amount of rust
in the lower section where the base chrome strip goes over the top.
Would be interested to know what the factory coatings where on the metal panels,
ie. zinc, gal etc.




*Also, would like to know if anyone has stripped back the fibreglass grill surrounds, & what they used,
the soda blasting was eating in to it a bit, so had to get him to stop. I think you can get fibreglass paint stripper,
has anyone used it?


regards, Cus

 

As far as I know, GM didn't use any zinc or similar coating on anything in those years - just metal, primer, and paint.

As for the fiberglass, I just sanded and painted. If you want real detailed help with that, ask the 'Vette guys.

- Eric

 

Started working on the front guards, finished the right side, was very straight without
previous damage, started on the left, stripping revealed unusual dents, looks like its
been shot at fairly close range with bird shot from a shotgun, has been pulled out as
far as it could go with a slide hammer by previous beater, then filled. I'll strip & fill again, too much work to get it straight again, would need a graft I think,
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regards, Cus

 

It you're patient, you may be able to get that a bit straighter with the right hammer and dolly.

The thing I can't figure is how did that car end up high enough in the air that someone would take a shot at it from a duck blind...

- Eric

 

I'm thinking someone has tried to shoot out the tyre,
the car is ex US Navy, not sure if that has something to do with it,
I've already filled the area with Cam filler, would be a very tricky dent
to fix, lasted for 30 -40 years filled before.


Still had the original Navy decals when I purchased it,
would be interested if anyone has any info regarding this,


Cus
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Pretty much ready for the final coat, still have some tweaking on the gaps etc.,
& a dent in the rear door, good to see it resembling a car again. All finished with 400
wet paper, probably one more coat of primer, rub back & finish with 800 wet,


regards, Cus


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Wow.

- Eric