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Screw the "purists". I don't care if people obsess about where a chalk mark was put on by some stoned assembly line worker 50 years ago, but getting a kick from poh-poing the things other people enjoy is a sign of a poor character.
If a kid enjoys driving his 1986 Cavalier, more power to him.
Some years ago we belonged to the Classic Chevrolet club (55-6-7 "shoe box" Chevies)...we had a really nice BA hardtop with all the factory goodies I've ever seen assembled on one car...and it was a 6 cyl...really a unique little car...it was between a 2 and a 3 in quality and was a nice popular litttle car at many shows..
We were at a show at a winery north of San Diego and were just sitting in the shade enjoying the nice day....had the car along with friends with a 56 hard top 210 that was a spectacular car...
Along comes some "authority" and started pointing out some minor rock chips (we drove the car a lot) and that our sidewalls were not exactly correct for the period...I had the hood up and he commented about the lack of precision detailing (again, a driver car), etc...he started talking about his 55 and the perfection..when I asked where it was as I wanted to see it..of course it was not there...some chatter about it being specially serviced by some expert, yadda yadda, and it didn't get done for the show.
Well done. Nice find.
Drivers seat looks salvagable?
It is, but I have a friend who bought a W40 rust bucket to scavenge, that did not use any of the interior parts. He lives in Florida, I live in Virginia. He posted a picture of the car, showing the rust holes throughout the rockers with the caption "Another one bites the dust". He got all he wanted off of it, and it was headed to the scrap yard. I sent him a private message, asking what he wanted for the interior. He responded, asking me to give him some time to think about it. A few days later he sent me a message telling me it was dirty but useable. I told him I was still interested (the W40, W41, and Calais S have the exact same interiors!). The next day he messaged me, telling me how much of a pain removimg the dash was, that it was all on a pallet, ready to ship, and all I had to do was pay the freight!
Last edited by MyQuad4; September 19th, 2017 at 07:00 PM.
This thread brings back memories of my '86 Calais Supreme that I owned from 1988-92. I loved that little car. It just had the basic Tech4 under the hood but it was pretty fun to drive. That and my '91 Cutlass Supreme coupe are two cars I used to have that I wouldn't mind having again.
They are still out there, get one and bring back some great memories! You can find them with a little perseverance.
But...but...it's front wheel drive??? Just kidding. Nice find. Love to see it screaming down the strip when you get it up and going.
I just want it to move on it's own at this point. The only time it has moved since I've owned it is either with a forklift, a comealong, by pushing it, or by rachet wrench. The latter is a funny story I will have to share, once my embarassment goes away...
Lots of stuff on that pallet. New (to me) front and rear seats, a drivers side window glass, drivers window regulator, drivers and passengers side interior door panels, 2 wheels, a seatbelt assembly, drivers side mirror, rear seat upper and lower cushions, front seats with seat tracks, NOS third brake lamp assembly, headlight switch, passenger side door molding, and a front bumper impact bar.
Last edited by MyQuad4; October 1st, 2017 at 04:18 PM.
Lots of stuff on that pallet. New (to me) front and rear seats, a drivers side window glass, drivers window regulator, drivers and passengers side interior door panels, 2 wheels, a seatbelt assembly, drivers side mirror, rear seat upper and lower cushions, front seats with seat tracks, NOS third brake lamp assembly, headlight switch, passenger side door molding, and a front bumper impact bar.
Is that the third light assembly for the wing and does it still have the lens with it? Just wondering because it was common to have a cracked lens on this light and the lens was not available by itself. You had to buy the entire assembly to get it. I had to do the same thing and later sold the kit missing the lens. That lens is harder to find than the wing itself last I knew.
Is that the third light assembly for the wing and does it still have the lens with it? Just wondering because it was common to have a cracked lens on this light and the lens was not available by itself. You had to buy the entire assembly to get it. I had to do the same thing and later sold the kit missing the lens. That lens is harder to find than the wing itself last I knew.
Yes, third brake light with lense. I still need the spoilers, all 3 of them.
Lots done, way more to do. I refinished the W40 wheels to clean them up and make them match the W41 wheels, installed the drivers window regulator to get rid of the exposure to the weather. And was FINALLY able to clean up the outside. My wife was complaining about the "hunk of junk" in the driveway, not anymore. More coming soon.
Before After Before After Window & regulator installled.
Yes, that wheel is chipped, but it will be my full size spare. It was my guinea pig with refinishing, I am impressed with the result. The front of the car looks a bit off because the other side is on a jack stand. To get to the timing chain you have to remove the passengers front wheel. The harmonic balancer is right there and 8 of the 21 timing cover bolts are there as well.
This weekend was cut short, rain off and on Saturday, and my wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on Sunday. It is actually Monday but we both have to work. My son and I were able to remove the bumper cover and reinforcement. I straightened out the support for the hood latch, now it opens easily and closes without having to slam it. The bumper mounts are gonna need some welding on the passengers side, but I was able to straighten out about 75% of the damage. A come along and my Suburban will get the rest. We did a little touchup painting under the hood as well. The blower motor box was nasty and covered in surface rust.
Finally got the bumper bracket straight, used a propane torch, 1/2" x 3" x 10" piece of plate steel, some C clamps and a hammer to finesse it back in place. Removed the header panel to repair it this week (hopefully). It has a few eyelets broken off as well as a couple of cracks. This is my first rebuild and I am learing a lot!
September 18th, 2017, 04:33 AM
