jensenracing77

I just got the garage cleaned up and the car on the lift for the first time. I am very pleased with this car. I think this car was driven in the mud and then dried out completely and left to sit all these years. I pressure washed the bottom of the car the best I could on the trailer but there is still an amazing amount of dried dirt everywhere. It is about 2 inches thick in places between the frame and the body. Most of the time this would be bad but in this case I think it was dried out so good it acted as a moisture barrier while sitting since 1981. Everywhere I clean the dirt out I find VERY clean metal. anything with no dirt on it like the frame rails has a little pitting.

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Still has the tape tag on the spring and spiral shocks
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I have seen many original cars with green disc brake spindals? Anyone see this before?
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Found a good sized crack in the frame and the original brake line routed under the frame. I see no signs of a bent frame or crash damage so I wonder how it would have cracked.

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joesw31

Eric, like the pictures of your engine parts!

jensenracing77

Tanks, I just ordered the cam, Lifters and timing set yesterday.

davebw31

Octania: YES, when matched up with my original, it is perfect match!

davebw31

jensenracing77: OK, went back and looked real close on the "tapped" body mount. Never saw that done, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm???? Me thinking.................... I have taken apart about 30+ Lansing A body cars from 68-72 and have not seen that on any of those cars. I have seen tapped mounts on Arlington and Freemont cars though, however not always and I have stripped about 20+ of those! My F-85 had original mounts and did not have tape.

Questions: were "all" the mounts tapped like that? Or just certain ones? Is the tape cloth, paper, or vinyl?

Maybe the tape after several decades deteriorates and just falls off?

The "Green Paint markings" are done in the "Sub-assembly Shop" to indicate that the nuts were in place, properly torqued, and safety cotter keyed when the ball joints are attached to the spindles. Testers makes the correct green enamel paint that matches!

jensenracing77

I have not taken the body off yet but I see it on two body mounts so far. It appears to be a cloth tape.

NDERISE

Hey eric would like to make u and offer on some 4 core rad. Insulator that i have to many of. I ordered and extra set of 4 by mistake and to return them for a restock fee of 20% if u are interrested in them i will send them to u at my lost of the 20% and free shipping in aperciation for u helping me with the core support (that worked out very well for me). These insulators are from inline-tube . I will ship them to u for 19.20 cost me 24.00 just let me know and i will ship them out to u.

Thanks ray

jensenracing77

Thanks for the offer but the ones on my car are in real nice shape. I just placed a big order with inline tube that should be here today. Glad the core support worked out for you.

Dave Siltman

Coming right along Eric. Looking GOOD!!!

jensenracing77

Great score today guys! I made a trip to St Louis this morning and picked some NOS parts. The guy had a great collection of used parts but didn't want to let much of anything go. He had an OAI hood but was not nice enough for the price to pick up. I got these NOS parts from him. He bought them in the late 70s and never used them. All in white boxes. 442 grills, complete set of hood/fender moldings including the left one!, headlight bezels and headlight housings. I will likely sell the headlight bezels, I have nice used ones and also have 2 people on a waiting list for these.

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Dave Siltman

Eric is the man. Just out of curiosity, what is a '70 OAI Hood these days. And.... there is nothing like new--Are you sure you wanna sell those NOS finds?

jensenracing77

Hoods range widely on the condition but I see them sell (not just listed) from $800 to $3000 The one today was $1300 with a 71 W455 intake tossed in on the deal. The intake had bad cracks and an ear broken off.

I think I am only going to sell the bezels. If I can find a near perfect set of used grills I will sell these. I should put the entire set on my car but I plan to drive it alot and I live on dirt roads and lots of bugs at night. I am worried that I will get the car done and be so nice I won't want to drive it at all.

jensenracing77

I am officially under way. I mounted another hood to the car after work and it fits great. I think I am going to use it and not the original hood. The original hood is very nice but it don't fit as well.

This is the first time I ever seen the W- mark on the back side of the fenders. I have heard about them for years and I thought it wasn't true. There are lots of original hoses and paper tags still on the car.

jensenracing77

I got alot done today. I didn't have a spring compressor so I had to improvise. Please don't get any ideas of duplicating what I did without thinking it all the way through. There are some things you could easily over look and then get hurt. I should have the back apart tomorrow. I hope to be blasting parts by the end of the month.

jensenracing77

Back to the tape issue. I found that most of the body bushings had the tape on them. It looks like masking tape where it was pinched between the bushings and the body but almost looks like a cloth tape where it was exposed.

joesw31

You got alot done today! Looks great!

jensenracing77

I couldn't stand leaving it as it was so I decided to get the rear end apart. The frame is completely stripped now. I want to work on it tomorrow but I think I will take the day off and go mushroom hunting.

joesw31

Keep us posted; Have you found the VIN on the frame?

jensenracing77

I found it in both places.

dfire25

Would you mind posting pics when you get a chance?

jensenracing77

I will post pictures of it soon but here is a complete thread on the topic if you need info on location of the stampings.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ped-frame.html

jensenracing77

Got the rear end apart and all the suspension bushings out today. The rear end was in great condition. I don't have a correct press for the bushings so I use an air hammer. I hate removing bushings! I knew this rear end was original but found the date codes and it all matches close other than the carrier. The carrier is 155 and the gears and housing are in the mid 200s. also found a crack in the frame, I had that welded last night. If things go well I will have everything sand blasted next weekend.

jensenracing77

I tried the Eastwood gold cad 3 step paint for the caliper bracket. It is good enough for me. Don't think I will use it on the brake booster but I plan to send it in to be rebuilt/colored anyway.

Joffroi

Really cool thread to read. I wish I could find some W30s in a barn :-/

Dave Siltman

Eric, I know Jerry MacNeish very well (CamaroHiPerformance) and he does a wonderful job on the boosters. Looking back, I probably should have him do mine, but my resto. is "NOT technically" correct, as I am not chasing points. I am doing more of a "Racey" type (I AM an OLD racer) restoration. I have Jerry's phone numbers if you wanna go that way. He also does Muncies (done two for me), aluminum intakes, valve covers, etc. 100% correct and not terribly expensive.

jensenracing77

I got the chassis sand blasted today. It don't have much pitting but the worst pitting is at both VIN stamps. It is hard to read the VIN but it is original to the car. I filled most of the pitting it does have with JB Weld. I am powder coating it so filler would not survive the oven. I am not filling the pitting at the VIN stamps. It won't be seen when together anyway.

jensenracing77

lol, I was thinking about you when I had extra sets blasted. I am going to take the extra sets with mine to be turned and make sure they have enough material on them.

Ericjay210

Good to hear that another 442 is being revived.

stevengerard

me too!! I gave a set of those away

L69

super nice job eric. awesome car

charlierogers

looks great.

jensenracing77

Thanks guys

I painted some more parts this weekend. The drive shaft had a little more pitting than I thought. I hit it with filler primer and wet sanded several times and got some of it out that way. I am not a professional paint and body man so i am sure there was a better way to do it. I need brown paint for the other stripe on the drive shaft. I blacked out the surface of the brake drums for the SS wheels but I think it is to glossy.

jensenracing77

I got the jack done. Every part to my original jack was bent. Looks like the car tipped over while on the jack and bent all of it. This is the original jack to my Rallye 350. Now I need to do one for the Rallye.

Kirk455

Hey Eric,
Awesome story behind this car, and I look foward to reading more. I have a quick question about the rust on the frame. My 72 has about the same amount and I was curious if you will be cleaning up the frame, and if so, what will you use or have used before? Or is it not a big deal to have a rusty frame, I just don't want mine getting worse so I was looking for a way to prevent it. Unfortunatley I dont' have a lift, so I will be laying on my back under a set of Jack stands to clean up the frame. Thanks again for the posts.

jensenracing77

I have it apart to the bare frame so I had it sand blasted. I filled any pitting with JB Weld and took it to the powder coater. I was lucky on the frame, It had pitting but not near as bad as it looked like it would before it was blasted. I am not sure how I would do it while still under the car.

stevengerard

I'd leave those drums gloss black, after a 1 block drive they will dust up and look just fine.

jensenracing77

When they blacked out the drums for SS wheels, What shade of black were they? I used semi gloss but not sure that is right.

jensenracing77

I now have 4 extra sets. I need to get them all turned to be sure they are good. I think all the sets other than the ones I am using have some pitting on the bell area. It may be a while before I know what I want for them. I will have $40 invested in each set just having them sand blasted and turned. My glass is not strong enough to clean them up efficiently.

jensenracing77

I have way to many hours in these. I took everything apart and rebuilt and painted them. The distribution block was not stuck inside but i had to rebuild the electric brake sensor. It was corroded inside but I found that it is easy to take them apart. I was lucky on the calipers. The chrome on the pistons was very nice and the bores were nice also. The metering valve was another story. I had it apart a couple times and even got a kit for it. I was not happy with how it turned out and I didn't feel good about it so I took it apart and done it all over again. Now I am pleased and satisfied it will work as it should. I still need to pick up a new set of bleeders.

jensenracing77

I picked up the parts from the powder coater. I am happy with it. For years i said i would not powder coat a chassis on a restoration but I am glad I did. Just such a nightmare to fill the pitting with JB weld. This frame was not near as bad as most I have seen but it still wasn't fun. I didn't fill the pitting in areas that would not be seen after installed. The bottom side is much better than the top.

I ask him how he gets the inside so good because there is not a single area not covered on the inside. He said he pulls them out of the oven and while hot he shoots more powder on the inside. He said it will stick instantly and will not blow itself off the parts when in an air pocket.