As far as reference materials, in a resto I would go with the following (in order of decreasing importance)

1) Product Information Manual (PIM - also known as the "assembly manual")
2) Classic Oldsmobile - old threads and asking questions
3) Chassis Service Manual
4) Vintage Photos
5) Fisher Body Manual

On this car, since it was in all respects a survivor except for exterior paint, the car itself was a important source material. Careful diassembly, lots of picture taking, and attention to the details will reveal a lot of how a car was originally assembled.

Anyone here will tell you, organizing the parts - especially the fasteners during disassembly and repair/refinishing is such an important part of a successful resto. It will make the reassembly process a breeze. On this resto I used in excess of 550 baggies just on fasteners alone.

Hope this helps.

Joe

 

Almost finished with the dash area (7 hours)

Installed pedals, gauges, gauge bezel, blue lenses, glovebox... Ah, the glovebox. Of all the items I've done on this and my convertible, absolutely nothing, nothing takes more time for a simple part that seemingly should take so little. I can say I took more than 3 hours getting the box itself in, the hinge to box to frame holes to line up, getting the other holes to dash close, and then to play with all the adjustments to get the door close to lining up. Then one of the striker holes in the dash stripped out, etc...

Also got the column up, turn signal lever and emergency blinker **** in (all original pieces) lower column cover installed. Tomorrow install the horn components on the column, along with the NOS Rallye wheel I bought from BeenThere. I never knew they had that much grain on them when new.

Also found missing - the wiper switch ****, and the booster to pedal yoke. And do not like the look of that brake pedal pad - will look for a NOS one. If anyone has any of these items they want to sell please give me a shout.

 

That is indeed very helpful. Thanks! I'm printing it out now. 550 baggies, now that's amazing. Definitely a good plan.

 

Did not post work for Sunday, so this one gets yesterday and today (19 hours total)

Done so much last two days in finishing out the interior I can't remember it all, but here's a few highlights:

Installing the dash has been one of the easiest things to do.

Console was way more problematic. Everything has to be installed in the correct order - example, even reusing the original carpet mated to the original console, some jute had to be trimmed to get it to sit down properly. Pay attention to his the wiring is routed. The screws that hold it to the front bracket are black in color, run the cable up from the bottom and watch out for flying e- clips.

Carpeting fit like a dream.

Spent HOURS jacking with holes in the doors for where the armrest bolts in, and where tge screws at the bottom hold the panel to the door. I used doors off another car, and none of the crap lined up so it was probing, marking, drilling, being careful not to damage my original panels and armrest bases.

The mystery of getting the rocket on the horn in the proper direction appears to be solved - need to take the shaft off the rag joint and turn it 180.

Woe be to him that forgets to attach the RH duct receiver to the dash before installing it.

Don't know how they did it, but my painter and his Dad came to my house today and fixed the hockey stick alignment problem. Also installed the repo rear hood molding - it looks good and fits well.

 

Spectacular!!!!!

 

Wow, Joe the interior is absolutely beautiful. Of course, it matches the rest of the car. Cannot wait to see the entire car.

 

Out of curiosity, the arm rest in the back are metal covered in vinyl, or are they plastic?

 

Troy they are metal wrapped in vinyl. You can tell no one cared what it looked like when it was made where the lower seat covers it.

 

Recording work, but no pics tonight (2 hours)

Installed passenger seat and belts, door sill plates and began looking at getting the hood pins installed.

Most fun was bolting in the forward harnesses to the back of the fuse block and seeing what works. Good news everything but the RH blinker and I had a T-3 high beam go kaput. Hopefully by this weekend it will be time to fire the engine, then crawl under car car to torque all the suspension components and bleed the brakes.

 

Joe, I've got some spare T3's for the cause if you need one..

 

Thanks Heath. Will let you know if my spare blows as well.

 

Hood pin day (3 hours)

Faithful readers take heed - timewise nothing will go as you expect it. Some things you think are going to be a beating go so well (on this car trim/bumper install, dash install) while others I severely under estimated the time required (lamp refurbishment, glovebox and console reinstall). Another one to add to the list has been hood pins. Lots of opening/shutting hood, marking, moving, shimming, de shimming, cursing and sweating, but it was it nice when done. You don't realize how much the pins add to the look of the OAI hood. Was fortunate to find some NOS pins since the chrome on them is still, after 30 years, so much better and scratch/scuff resistant than the repos. Had a couple of cold Bud Selects to celebrate.

Now to solve the RH turn signal/brake light mystery. Still planning on trying to start the car this weekend.

 

Miscellaneous things today (2 1/2 hours)
Various tasks today like hooking up shifter cable to trans, adjusting the back drive linkage, fixing blown T-3, tracking down and fixed yesterday's light gremlins, got the rocket on the horn cap properly aligned, and installed the brake pipe to booster clip (wish I had done this before putting the hood on the car). Tomorrow start filling car with fluids and see about an engine start on Saturday.

 

More rat killing (3 hours)

Got the hood gap more consistant on both sides along the fenders by adjusting the hood latch to the left about 3/32. Also filled all engine fluids (as much as I can without starting the motor) and 4 hours later still no leaks or drips, but much is still to come. Painted the inside of the hood tooth to match the hood underside and left it rough looking to suggest it is unfinished as they are from the factory.

Began the suspension components torquing process since now everything but fuel and the driver's side seat is loaded on the car. It looks like the most difficult ones to get to with the car assembled are the rear upper a frame bushing nuts - the ones on the end of the shaft. Fronts were easy, but having a time trying to figure out how to get the torque wrench on the rears - these go to 55 ft. Lbs.

 

Fyi. Back side of the hood tooth was usually red primer. Car lools good. See it and you soon in wi.

 

I had the same problem with the same two bolts. With the mufflers in the way it makes it very hard. I did not torque these two on my car. Just got them as tight as i was able to. I don't think I reached 55 ft lbs but should be real close.

 

Final parts installed today - almost ready for fire up (12 hours total - 5 yesterday & 7 today)

This is it - Took 165 1/2 hours of direct labor since May 23rd to reassemble this car from a rolling shell on a chassis. (This is in addition to the 526 hours spent on disassembly and part reconditioning - resulting in about 722 hours in total on this project). Still have to bleed brakes and start engine/workout bugs, but the last pieces went on today.

Lots of things sewn up. Installed brake booster yoke to pedal, brake light switch, toe kick plate, final underdash ducting (the bracket was intact!), drivers side seat, seat belts and headrest, front air deflector. Most importantly I got the cranking problem I detailled on a separate thread resolved, and started the brake bleeding process by doing the master cylinder. Fluid everywhere because I had not tightened the caliper bleeders, but luckily nothing got damaged or discolored.

So, the first part actually removed from the car to begin the resto process was the bumper jack hook rubber pad, and the last installed was the air deflector. Don't know what to make of that besides things seldom go like you think they would.

 

Just keeps getting better!

 

Jealousy is a stinky cologne and I just dumped a whole bottle on myself. It is a dream of mine to be able to do this to one of these cars some day. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

 

This car is extremely impressive. Well done on this beaut!

 

Impressive.... that's all I can say.

 

Thank you all for the kind words. Now if it will start, it will truly be all rainbows and lollipops.

 

It's Bleedin' Day (Yesterday - 3 hours)

Chris came over to bleed all the lines. Took some doing, but eventually got a firm pedal. I had a leak pop up where the line running to the back exits the distribution block. Had to loosen and re tighten about 10x before it finally went away, and even then it seems like I had to way over tighten it. Dry under the car this morning. As everyone mentions, the stainless steel lines are much harder to seat than the regular ones - work those connections repeatedly before calling it good.

Also, did the compression test thing on No. 1 to to make sure spark timing is accurate. Of course I had stabbed it in 180 off, corrected it, sprayed a little ether in the carb, and it ran for just a second. Will put some fuel in the tank today and see what happens.

 

The stainless lines do this alot. I had 3 places on my car that I had to do this. One did not show up for 3 days so keep an eye for drips for a while.

 

Did you guys use anti-seize on the fitting? If you place a small dab where the nut rubs the back of the flare (and a dab on the threads), you'll be able to get a little more torque on it before the nut "grabs" the tube and wants to spin it. When I got my last set of lines from Classic Tube, they acknowledged on the phone it takes more seating torque on the stainless.

 

Eric, do you remember which ones? in addition to the fitting mentioned above, I also had to tighten one of the fittings going into the rear wheel cylinders because it was weeping just a bit.


You still on track to make it? Looking forward to thanking you in person for the help!


Joe

 

Thanks for the tip Luke - I did not know that and will do on the next one - someday(?)

 

My right back wheel cylinder is the one that I found 3 days later.
Things are starting to work in my favor for a change. We will be there for sure. I just replaced my headrests and installed the trunk lock today. We are taking it out for about an 80 mile drive tomorrow and then I will be cleaning it up for the next couple weeks. The A/C compressor has slung oil everywhere.

I need to be thanking you. I had planned to assemble this car over the summer. After you and Ray started talking about the Nationals, it motivated me to install a heater in the garage and start over the winter.

 

Well, well - looks like I'll make it after all (14 hours - repair not resto)

Don't know whether to count the hours logged repairing a external head gasket in my totals, but will include it for reference.

Today, in addition to fixing the issue, began filling the trans with fluid. Finally started getting some driving action with 8 quarts in it - will add the two more quarts and should be good. Brakes will still need some more bleeding, but looks like I'm going to the Nationals.

 

We need a thumbs up button. I was getting worried and its not even my car, lol.

 

Major milestone today

After spending approx. 2 hours rebleeding the brakes last night, just now, July 10, 2015 at approx 9:25AM CST, the car moved under its' own power for the first time since Nov. 18th 2013. Took it for a spin around the block - nothing fell off. All systems worked well, and it is a go for Brookfield. Will spend the next week cleaning and preparing for the trip.
Thanks to all for everything - hope to meet many of you at the show.

 

Joe

you driving the car or trailering to WI? I am sure it will get alot of attention. Good luck

Sean

 

Don't forget to bring Patton.

 

Thanks Joe. I am still trying to figure out a way of recording the exhaust for you. Do you Facebook? I can put in on the OCA page there.

 

Trailering Sean. Any progress on your two cars?

 

Will do Eisenhower.

 

The frame off car is moving slow as molasses since it is with the body shop. Mechanically I am about done. Hopefully will have it back in a couple months to start the assembly.

The blue car is a driver and other than some tune up things and a plan to recover the interior, not much money will go into this car.

I will update with some more photos soon.

Sean

 

Didn't know he had a brother.
I guess bring him along as well.

 

No.

The problem with bringing both is that they would be fighting the whole way to Wisconson as to which could poke their head up through the sunroof and make "command decisions"

 

Congrats, Joe. Unfortunately, I am not going to Nationals. I would have loved to see your car in person. I am sure it will show up in a few pictures. Best of luck with the show.