AJFink

Okay Folks this is going to be an off and on posting but wanted to show all where and how my project is going.
A little History bought the car from Santa Fe NM towed home to Wash. State last October 2015. This car has most all as far as the options PW, DL, TW, P Drivers seat, AC, Cruse, Bucket seats, Center console.
The first car I ever bought was this mod and year back in 74 and it was a dealer demo. Had to sell that one back in 82 and regretted it ever since. It took me the last 6 year to find this one that had all the parts and was a driver still to boot. Everything worked except the Cruse and I am restoring as much of the OEM I can. I am building a driver/show car and want it my way and that's pretty much stock. I just want to cruse and look good doing it. I am doing most all of it my self I am not afraid of taking on something I haven't done. And for me to do this project there isn't much I can't do and have done before. Hope you all will enjoy the journey with me. This is what I started with.

AJFink

Got the Body off and a good solid frame, covered in undercoating and that saved it and all the fuel and brake lines.

AJFink

After countless hours of stripping and power washing and wire brushing to bare metal. Sealed the insides of the frame with a rust converter, Primed and repainted with a classic chassis black.

oldcutlass

Nice work

AJFink

Here this last weekend I got the rear end in. New springs, bushings (Moog), and all the lines have been reconditioned they are the OEM lines. Amazing what a little steel wool can do. OH and EVAPORUST is the best thing ever invented.
The exhaust system was near new when I bought the car so a little elbow grease and what a difference.
I'll be putting in the front end this next week end. I do have the springs in and just waiting on a few more parts to complete the entire frame and suspension.
Oh you will see some parts not OEM well I am doing some upgrades. There will be more to come.

AJFink

This last week I got the front end completed. Now moving on to the engine and transmission. Not sure if I'll put them in the frame yet, I will be having to put the body on and off the frame while I do all my body work this winter. So stay tuned.

AJFink

Thank you

Eddie Hansen

Nice work Tony, It came out really really well, will be following along.




Eddie

Olds442redberet

Looks great!

Please keep the pictures coming.

wweasle250

Nice work, keeps the pics coming..cant wait to see this develop into something great!!

Eddie Hansen

Your all car **** addicts lol Ok me too keep pics coming lol

AJFink

Thanks everyone!
So far its been fun the info and support I am getting from this forum has been great. These next few phases engine and trany will show little progress in the assembly but necessary. All they need is a good clean and repaint and will be benched while the body work begins. The money train though is about to come to the end of the line and will have to refuel.
I am going to try and do most all the work myself any advise will be greatly appreciated. I'll try and keep the post rolling along even thru my slow periods.

Eddie Hansen

Tony I think the most important thing is to keep plugging, most of us aren't able to go start to finish with an unlimited budget, so when funds are low do the bits that don't cost anything but time, restore the small parts for later, keep plugging along my friend

AJFink

Thanks Eddie. Yep there is a ton of clean up and that's what I have been doing in my idle buying time. Its amazing what OEM parts can be saved by just investing the time to clean repair and paint. I know why things cost so much by having someone else do a project like this. This will definitely test my skill levels and I'm up for it.

Eddie Hansen

I am dying to try this when I get down to cleaning more hardware


http://www.oldengine.org/members/orrin/rustdemo.htm


an old battery charger some soap powder, I have read several threads and it is amazing... I mean you can suspend a bunch of nuts and bolts on some copper wire and just watch the rust dissolve,


there is another company I have used for nickel plating supplies


http://www.caswellplating.com/electr...ting-kits.html


they have tons of plating and anodizing kits as well as buffing supplies, this stuff can all be done at home and when you add up what new hardware costs it adds up fast


keep on truckin..

AJFink

Despite my head bolt problems, the mission continues. I got really lucky and was able to find a complete rear end out of a cutlass from a locale wrecking yard. I do have a couple of places that need some patch work but this is a 98% good trunk floor pan with supports and drop downs. The drop downs and frame supports have no rust, but the underneath was completely undercoated and that is what saved it all. After 2 days of drilling out spot welds, looks like I got a winner.

AJFink

Here is the bottom side.

Eddie Hansen

Pretty damn awesome !! I suggest doing any stripping now LOL... don't ask me how I know...

AJFink

Oh man the undercoating that was used is a B to get off. BUT it did do its job. The spot welds to drill out are enough and I'm just getting started. I will say this the spot weld cutter/drill from Harbor Freight Rocks. One bit did all of this plus maybe another 50 or so welds and is still on the same side of the cutter haven't turned it over yet. Best $5 I have spent yet.

droptopron

Looks great so far. Where do you have the body stored while you work on the chassis?

AJFink

I have it outside covered up on a body dolly, The chassis is complete and I am in the process of putting a system together so I can bring the body in and have it above the chassis. So I can roll the chassis in and out while I work on the body. I will have to put it on the chassis to fit this floor pan and other work to keep things aligned.

Eddie Hansen

yessiree used the same one my self... haven't gotten to the replacement cutters yet!!

AJFink

Got the engine completed over the weekend. Only things I need to replace is the AC compressor, and the Alt.


Moving on to the body work, going to move the body into the shop hopefully this weekend. Going to block it up over the chassis. Should be easier to work on and will have to lower it onto the frame when I set the trunk floor.

Eddie Hansen

Nice Tony I still haven't dropped my motor in ( Naturally) I keep thinging of things I should do before hand that would be easier without the engine in ( like the steering column, the wiper motor, I did the blower housings, etc etc , ahhhh someday, I hope the motor is still fine under the shrink wrap LOL...


yours looks great

AJFink

Thanks Eddie


Just a word of caution from my machinist, he told me to just cover my motor with a blanket and not to wrap it in plastic. Plastic will have tendencies to condensate.
I'll be moving my body back into the shop for the winter and hope to get the trunk floor put in at least. I got to strip it first YUCK!! Not looking forward to all the body work. I'll have all winter, at least the welder will keep me warm.

Eddie Hansen

uh oh LOL... I would be worried about a blanket as mice might use it for nesting LOL... it is wrapped but I don't believe it is airtight..

KardsHO

Tony great job!!!!! Doing a 72 Hurst Olds currently and just getting to tearing down frame, suspension etc. My goal is full restoration on this gem. New nuts & bolts put it back pretty close to stock. Looking to have it completed by May 2017. I will be following along on your project as you continue to move along.

AJFink

Well progress has slowed down but still plugging away at it. Got the body out of the weather and inside blocked up over the frame. This is really at a comfortable height for what I need to do next......replacing the trunk floor and the rear package tray. The trunk floor I got out of a wreaking yard really clean up nice, there was a ton of undercoating on it but it did its job and for $200 it was a steal this was complete with the drops.


The left front corner of the dash had a rust out and a few pinholes, made a patch and JB welded it in. Had no room to weld and the plate was really thin so I could mold it in. This was my only option I think???? Fill sand and paint "Good as New"

AJFink

Part 2


As you see the package tray is toast. But the wreaking yard saved me again, and this is part of the trunk floor deal. I made it big time cutting the whole back half out of a car.


Now putting this in is going to be tricky, still waiting for some advice from another post in the body section. But please feel free to give your guidance here. I still have to pick up some thin walled 1 inch tube for bracing. I want to get this part done first before the trunk floor so I can stand up doing all this work. I will be ordering a repop deck plate to finish it off. Any advise as to who has the best? I was thinking ABS?

Eddie Hansen

No Advice for the package tray, never did one, I would look at it carefully and once everything is braced like you say look to see how the factory would have installed it, ( the order in which it was installed) I'd say you were correct that these pieces went in before the floor, but the floor installed would give you some rigidity, any way very nice work so far

KardsHO

What brake package did you go with?

AJFink

I stayed with the stock package, just upgraded the front rotors to drilled and slotted. I got those from Rock Auto. Also went with SS flex lines rather than the rubber.

KardsHO

like the look, what rotors are they?

AJFink

After a good look at things I think the package tray went in before the trunk floor. I am going to leave the main bracing of the floor in because I can stand between them to weld all the stuff underneath. Then when it comes to the rear deck plate I'll have to put the trunk lid on to align everything up and weld the ends in place underneath standing up rather than laying down in a trunk. As an engineer I have probably over thought this process. But its half the fun trying to figure out "How they do-dat"


Thanks for the Kudos (that's good gas for the tank) I'm still along way to go.

Going down to Medford to meet 2blu442 (John) to get a few parts this weekend. Will be good to meet a person from the forum and talk OLDS!

AJFink

Centric


https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...221691&jsn=466

Eddie Hansen

Yup, I certainly look forward to meeting Car Guys, I have met only 2 from here so far, but feel like I have a whole slew of friends here, weird right? LOL


yeah Overthinking delays and delays, I do that myself , sometimes you need to "gird your Loins" and jump into the pit LOL.. the way forward kinda reveals itself to you.

AJFink

It is with great sorrow the last three weeks I have had a heavy heart. My Father passed away on the 29th of November. After 86 years of being my best friend and one of the best loving fathers he will be missed. It was expected but not easy to accept. It was peaceful and Mom was right beside him.
So the restoration has been put on somewhat of a hold, The weather here in the NW is not good enough for me to brave it in a cool garage, I have heat but no drive right now. I am pulling out all the wire harnesses and cleaning and fixing as needed. Will be finishing up the steering column, I painted it before I had to take this break. So progress has slowed down. I do have lots of small stuff to do and this is a good time to do it.

Cincinnati Rick

Sorry for your loss Tony. May your father rest in peace.Prayers for you and your family.

redoldsman

I am so sorry for you loss. It leaves a big hole in your heart. The car will be there when you are at the point of dwelling on all the wonderful memories you have of you Dad. My condolences.

AJFink

I want to thank those for your condolences for my Father, he will be greatly missed. And he would also want me to finish what I started. Here are a few shots of the next chapter of the restoration motor is now completed. Just a couple of small items like the fuel line and the bypass hose are on the way. I'm sticking a fork in it and calling it done until its install.


I'm now into the body work, I am sending most of the parts like fenders, hood, trunk lid, core support, trunk floor which I cut out of another car, and the doors are all at media blast. The body has a few spots that all I'll have to do is spot blast and the rest will be DA'ed. Hoping to have every thing in primer at least by fall, maybe even paint. But going to take my time this will be the most time consuming part to get it right.