I suppose this will be my build thread. Photos first (TL;DR), then a checklist of future plans at the bottom. I'll edit this post with more photos towards to bottom to show a timeline. One day at a time.. Day 1: By day 2: Tackling the windshield rot: Gutting the shoulders: Doesn't look bad with the shoulders trimmed! Hardly noticeable. Trimmed: Untrimmed: Gotta figure out how I'm gonna run the exhaust cutouts to the fender vents. I'll have to make new vents that won't melt from exhaust temps Pass side has tons of space over the frame, but on the drivers side the steering column and brake booster are in the way. When I shave the firewall, I may move the booster towards the drivers side more and hide it under the upper inner fenders I'll make to get me the space I need for the exhaust cutouts. I plan to do upper inner fenders like on this 64-66 c10/20/30. Maybe one day I'll do inner fenders like this on my 64 c20 too Engine bay is huge so I think running the stock inner fenders under my fabbed upper inner fenders will work out ok. Upper wiper cowl is back in place for now, lower is removed. Gonna smooth the upper but leave the wipers on it. Just gonna cover up the holes so my feet won't get wet when it rains. Soon I'll get started on the hideaway headlights. Here's the 67 or 68 cougar grill I picked up for 60$ to use on this beast. It's a little sleepy right now though. Update #1: 12-30-2016 Got started on the windshield channel. Great idea to number your angle before shrinking/stretching. Getting closer. I'm not cut out for the photography business either. A few tips re: shrinker stretcher: 1. Mark the center of your project (windshield channel) 2. Mark the center of your angle/channel and if you're feeling lucky then zip screw it to your project. I purposefully stripped the screw in my channel but not in my project so it's easier to sink it down without accidentally stripping out the project part. 3. If your project's channel is too far gone, bend it to the windshield edge instead. 4. The outside of the windshield will make your channel twist a little differently than the inside so be sure to go off the inside of the bottom edge. 5. Stretch the metal slightly in a few spots so the arc is more than the windshield. This way you can bring the center of your channel up to the center of the windshield and not have to constantly switch between dies on your shrinker/stretcher. I found this to drastically speed up the process as well as make it way more accurate. 6. Keep your project and workstation very close. Say it takes me 5 seconds to walk between the two, and I have to walk over to it 100 times and back 100 times. That's 16 minutes I'd spend just walking back and forth 5 seconds. 2 second walk x 200 / 60 seconds is 6 minutes. You will be walking back and forth a lot; it's tedious. Surface rust: I've been trying to figure out the best way to tackle surface rust before painting. I don't want it creeping out after another 50 years and having to wonder if the product I used is working or not. I want to see it rust free and resistant to water before epoxy priming and painting. I've looked at por 15, rust bullet, chassis saver, eastwood's frame interior coating, as well as phosphoric acid dipping and e coating (this would be the best way possible, but wayyy too spendy - 3600 for acid rust dip alone). I really liked eastwood's application method using the nozzle with a flexible tube. I also created a venturi sprayer (like a carburetor) that I use at work to clean rigs off before they are sent out. I liked this fine mist/fogging method. Turns out harbor freight sells one for 10$. I bought it and tried it out and it works great, I can get inside the roof frame rails and other hard to reach places and it fogs the area so I'm pretty confident that a few coats of phosphoric acid should work well. It's just surface rust that I want to stop now so I'll never have to worry about it again. Still figuring out the best dilution ratio of the acid I bought (36$ for a gallon of 85% phosphoric acid). We'll see how it turns out over the next few days. Testing the 10$ sprayer on some mild steel. Already sprayed some very diluted acid on it about 20 min before I took the video and surface rust had already noticeably diminished. https://vimeo.com/197573664 Roof before: Roof after: This was with a 50/50 mix of 85% concentrated phosphoric acid and tap water. I tried another coat tonight of 25/75 acid/water. I am trying to find the best ratio so less white powder and black flaky crap (if applied to the bottom of something the drops will accumulate and dry into black flakes. Hoping to thin it enough so the droplets tend to fall instead of dry out). Also had a crazy idea today. There are sections of sheet metal that need replaced on this car, like the wheel well lip on the quarter panel. After patching it, I wonder if adding a thick glob of lead (or lead free solder) on the inside (that will never been seen) prior to painting will give an additional layer of protection against rot in a notoriously rotten area. Thicker metal takes longer. I may even just use that stuff instead of seam sealer. Always wanted a 67 or 68 wildcat or lesabre. The more I dug into this car the more rot I had to gut. At this point a normal person would have said "this is nothing more than a donor car." Well, I'm not normal and I don't want to gut a car that is in better shape nor scrap mine, so I'm gonna do some gutting and custom sheet metal (no guilt, it's just a parts car remember?) Plans for the car: -gut the inside of the fresh air channel and shave the top of the wiper cowl, minus the wipers (so it can't rust again on the inside) -a/c kit with an electric heater instead of the coolant heater core -relocate the fresh air intake for the heater's defrost system -custom dash since mine is rotten at the window ledge (I'm thinking 65 gto style/4 big gauges and an lcd at the right of them for infotainment) -put exhaust cutouts that vent through the stock fender vent holes -make custom vents that won't melt when cutouts are open (maybe light spring shutter vents?) -hideaway headlights (from a 67/68 Merc Cougar grill - $60) -shaved firewall with custom inner fenders for a very clean engine bay (will still use stock inner fenders underneath to help with aero drag, then vent the back of these inner fenders and duct then into the shutter vent for the exhaust cutouts) -alkaline dip, e coat, then try to get line x to spray the whole car with that "indestructible" spray that mythbusters tested on walls using c4 charges (that video sold me on it), then a black on black top coat. -paint chrome on stock rims black chrome, regloss black the background of the rims -maybe a single or twin turbo setup, depending on how much more power I'll want after it's rolling under its own power -4 wheel discs (maybe impala spindles and tubular a arms) -might have to get the 17" repop buick rally wheels to fit discs -might do 4 zoomie exhaust pipes on each side before the rear wheels because "it's the duck's guts!" (MM2) -hidden brake mc and booster (shaved firewall) -kilduff giga shifter -relocate e brake to a handbrake style matching the kilduff levers -4l80e with full manual valve body (I drive a standard daily, and I can't afford a lenco) -ford 9" if I blow up the rear end -interior will have all panels as black brushed metal look (maybe anodized or brushed aluminum or something)
Keep on posting. I am subscribed. Depending on what you do i might have to take a few notes for when my 68 Lesabre is next in line for being worked on. So far things are sounding cool.:TU:
Awesome, thanks for subbing guys. I had an idea last night to buy jeg's aluminum dash and Eastwoods bead roller and fold the dash to extend to the wiper cowl, and then it can't rot out like steel Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
. . . the dreaded dash/cowl/firewall rot - a very common problem, with no easy fix !! :eek2: Just remember that aluminium and steel don't mix to well, it's called electrolysis. :TU:
That's if they are submerged in an electrolyte though isn't it? I know a basic battery is made from two dissimilar metals suspended and isolated in an electrolytic solution. I can see that being an issue with an aluminum radiator with a cast engine. That's why the aluminum radiators have sacrificial anodes IIRC. I could also be completely wrong. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I think you are correct Mattias - something to do with dissimilar metals and an electrolyte. Recall my '59 Meteor (...Canadianized Ford), that had some large ribbed aluminum inserts on the lower rear quarters behind the rear wheel wells. After a few years exposure to wet winter driving conditions and road salt, here in the frozen north, the aluminum panels turned to a fluffy white powdery substance and just disappeared. That was 'electrolysis' in action ! :shock:
I've done some more research on it and I'm just gonna go with using mild steel instead of anything aluminum. Galvanic corrosion is no joke and it does hit anything that's not perfectly dry or isolated. I could use bolt sleeves to attach aluminum panels to steel and use electrical tape to seal edges before seam sealing, but it's a whole lot of effort for not a lot of profit. Plus I'll have less to replace (I'm secretly lazy) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Update #1: 12-30-2016 Got started on the windshield channel. Great idea to number your angle before shrinking/stretching. Getting closer. I'm not cut out for the photography business either. A few tips re: shrinker stretcher: 1. Mark the center of your project (windshield channel) 2. Mark the center of your angle/channel and if you're feeling lucky then zip screw it to your project. I purposefully stripped the screw in my channel but not in my project so it's easier to sink it down without accidentally stripping out the project part. 3. If your project's channel is too far gone, bend it to the windshield edge instead. 4. The outside of the windshield will make your channel twist a little differently than the inside so be sure to go off the inside of the bottom edge. 5. Stretch the metal slightly in a few spots so the arc is more than the windshield. This way you can bring the center of your channel up to the center of the windshield and not have to constantly switch between dies on your shrinker/stretcher. I found this to drastically speed up the process as well as make it way more accurate. 6. Keep your project and workstation very close. Say it takes me 5 seconds to walk between the two, and I have to walk over to it 100 times and back 100 times. That's 16 minutes I'd spend just walking back and forth 5 seconds. 2 second walk x 200 / 60 seconds is 6 minutes. You will be walking back and forth a lot; it's tedious. Surface rust: I've been trying to figure out the best way to tackle surface rust before painting. I don't want it creeping out after another 50 years and having to wonder if the product I used is working or not. I want to see it rust free and resistant to water before epoxy priming and painting. I've looked at por 15, rust bullet, chassis saver, eastwood's frame interior coating, as well as phosphoric acid dipping and e coating (this would be the best way possible, but wayyy too spendy - 3600 for acid rust dip alone). I really liked eastwood's application method using the nozzle with a flexible tube. I also created a venturi sprayer (like a carburetor) that I use at work to clean rigs off before they are sent out. I liked this fine mist/fogging method. Turns out harbor freight sells one for 10$. I bought it and tried it out and it works great, I can get inside the roof frame rails and other hard to reach places and it fogs the area so I'm pretty confident that a few coats of phosphoric acid should work well. It's just surface rust that I want to stop now so I'll never have to worry about it again. Still figuring out the best dilution ratio of the acid I bought (36$ for a gallon of 85% phosphoric acid). We'll see how it turns out over the next few days. Testing the 10$ sprayer on some mild steel. Already sprayed some very diluted acid on it about 20 min before I took the video and surface rust had already noticeably diminished. https://vimeo.com/197573664 Roof before: Roof after: This was with a 50/50 mix of 85% concentrated phosphoric acid and tap water. I tried another coat tonight of 25/75 acid/water. I am trying to find the best ratio so less white powder and black flaky crap (if applied to the bottom of something the drops will accumulate and dry into black flakes. Hoping to thin it enough so the droplets tend to fall instead of dry out). Also had a crazy idea today. There are sections of sheet metal that need replaced on this car, like the wheel well lip on the quarter panel. After patching it, I wonder if adding a thick glob of lead (or lead free solder) on the inside (that will never been seen) prior to painting will give an additional layer of protection against rot in a notoriously rotten area. Thicker metal takes longer. I may even just use that stuff instead of seam sealer.
Dissimilar metal corrosion. Galvanic, anode/cathode. Concentration cell You can have the effect with "dry" metals, that are in contact with each other as well as those with an "electrolyte" component. Two pieces of sheet steel in contact, can have a delta in the metallurgical make up of almost infinitesimal non-ferrous and still have a cell, resulting in anode/cathode ion migration. You can have dissimilar metal, such as aluminum and steel, or zinc and steel, and the issues with "pot metal" that is often made of several metals that are not proper alloys, but were scraps tossed in a smelter and poured as a low cost and fast method of turning out detailed and complex shaped castings. You can introduce cell corrosion with standing water from rain, washing and even high humidity. Once the metal has been attacked and compromised, the "weakened" areas, then become a point of attraction for electrolyte. And electrolytes can be anything that will allow ion pathing. So, grease, oils, fuels, water, acids, alkalis and others, alone or in any combination, can result in a cell and the proper environment for corrosion. And oxygen, which is paramount in a lot of corrosion/oxidation, is almost always present. Cars have so many of the elements present in sufficient association to promote corrosion, it is a tough battle to fight. But as Commander Quincy sez: “Never give up - never surrender!”
I like the hideaway headlight idea. Cant wait to see how it turns out. Perfect car for all your plans.
Been a while since my last update. Not much has happened lately, but the ball should start rolling again pretty soon. What I did since last post: -Messed around with different phosphoric acid products and application techniques -snow destroyed my carport so I had to build a new one -sold some extra parts that I didn't need -started removing chrome trim so I can really tackle the surface rust inside the cab and quarters Stay tuned, I'll try to make some more progress and post soon again Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Cougar grill on a Wildcat- that will be interesting - I have thought about the 65 Wildcat without headlights- grill extending - kinda wonder what the 68 Wildcat grill would look like + hide headlights behind...Carry on! :Brow:
Alright, it's been a while. I've taken around 400 photos and have them mostly organized, just gotta find a website to share them through. I've gotten so much done these last few months, and I'll post photos soon. With the forum no longer supporting Tapatalk I haven't been able to upload photos easily so I've put that on the back burner. Stuff I got done: -All rot is gone in the body (made patches from scratch and welded them in) -made a new windshield ledge and welded it into the wiper cowl -made patches (about 15 total) and shaved the upper wiper cowl as well as the firewall -Leaded spots that needed more than an 1/8" of body filler (up to a 1/4" tops) -threw on some master series silver on the body -threw on some rage gold on leaded spots and started some block sanding -pulled the body off the frame and primered and painted the underside of the car as well as most of the frame (WIP) -found a poly body bushing kit for a 55-57 Bel air that should be close enough to fit the cat. Only 80 bucks, and comes with 32 pieces (cat needs 28, 68 Impala kit comes with 22, is more expensive and the bushings look way different) -picked up a 64 Impala dash to swap into it (don't heckle me, I saved a parts car from being parted or crushed, remember?) -got a few misc parts I was missing So I'd say I've been quite productive in the last 3 months. I kicked it into high gear in April when I heard about a local car show that I wanted to go to. Still looking for an upper radiator support though. Found one for a 66 and it looks close, anyone have an idea if it'll work on a 68?
