Meet my GS.... Rusty The car is supposed to be stiff . The roof panel joints are rusted out and that makes the whole car loose . You really needed a good shell . Lets see the shell you found .
the new shell is clean....we didnt physicly pick it up off the frame .... but there is no rust .....pics when it gets here..this week or next... yea ..mine has some crackling and popping noises when picked up...I also found some disquised fiberglass repair done on the corners of the rear seat area...wow...thatnk god I had the cowling problem..... And a differ shell was the way 2 go.....(according 2 ya guys... :TU: )
Yes John,I've got quite a bit of time in my Stage 1, and thank God I've done the majority of the work myself. Imagine how much it would be if I didn't do most of the work myself?!!!!!! :eek2:
I have time...I get in my garage after 9:00pm....put the radio on...and next thing I know its 3:00am... :eek2: the time just moves without realizing it ... to be honest I am enjoying the heck out of this....(mind you I have been away from mechanics about 15 years).....maybe its bcs its mostly teardown....we will see in about 3 months where I am...I give my resto prediction of 8 months o No: ...nothing is farmed out except paint...and maybe some machining on motor..and a trick trans and I am estimating I will cost me between $6k-$8k ....dont :laugh: ...ok maybe $9,500 o No: btw...all ya guys & gals...while your out there cruising in your good lookin Buicks...think of me ..me workin in the garage all summer....and just maybe I cruise on Christmas day....while your Buicks are hibernating.. :Brow: :laugh:
In my many conversations over the last few years, its become apparant that the average "do it yourself" frame off resto to a "decent" level runs 25-30K US, or about 40K Canadian. Its all the details. Do you want the suspension bolts to be bolt supply house (20.00 for 12) or GM (125.00 for 12)...or replaced at all (not a good idea)?? Rebuilding the PS box or simply cleaning it up?? Rebuilding the rear diff or painting it?? Powdercoating, painting, or ignoring? Clips and small parts plated or painted? Replacing interior or living with it? New glass or scratches? Rebuilding the engine or "refreshing" or ignoring?? tranny?? Exhaust?? Stuff like that drives the cost up real fast... Some will tell of us their 2500.00 resto, and thats great if that is what you want, but cars like that usually break down pretty fast and are of marginal quality. Do it right the first time still works in this hobby, but a person needs to be realistic too. Its a personal decsion. Looking forward to seeing the bills. I won't tell you what mine cost so far!! :laugh: later Tim
Tim ....yours is very detailed project according 2 your site...job well done...if I do 60% of what you did in detail I would be satisfied.... and no ,my rearend will only be regasket and seals and oil change....and cleaned up...... the journey has started ...we will see where it leads and ends....(sounds like Trojan war stories.. :laugh: ) btw...I am not counting my/man hours in the $$$....then again...its a gs 350 ....if it was a stage or GSX than we would possibly go a differ route :Brow:
Well it depends what you start with too....for example I did not even HAVE an interior to work with, had to scrounge the bare panels and then redo everything...stuff like that. I don't count my hours either in the $$. My car is way overdoen for the street...but I wanted to go crazy just once... later Tim
yes..that makes the difference....I have mint interior....doors,fenders,hood,trunk lid,rims,and bumpers... so I'm ahead of the game somewhat...the shell set me back a bit....my biggest cost will be paint and any machining on motor I farm out....maybe boost the hp up 30%
Time.... I can see where you have all your time Carl. I was going to post that I have nearly 4000 Hours in mine as well. It takes a great deal of time to locate alot of those parts, and then research to finish back as close to original as possible. I usually allow 2-4k hours per car. John
I hope your not counting this as co$t.... :Brow: "LETS GO SANDBLASTING"...(for the whole neighborhood)
6 days of nothing... well, we have 6 days and the gs has not been touched....I have my electrician buddy setting up some more electrical outlets and some 220 for the compressor ,also some plumbing for the compressor...I am going with 3/4 pipe along 2 walls..... have 2 get the hands back on the gs....its not good to get distanced for too long....shell being dropped off by end of the week...my yard will be looking like a mini junk-yard....maybe time for a 6 ft fence all around....o No:
Yeah gotta love it, upgrade the garage so you can work on your car!!!LOL keep us updated on the progress.... Its always fun watching somebody elses project come together... later Tim
Tim....the upgrade... :laugh: .....isnt that the way it works... :Brow: :laugh: ....less arguing with the wife :rant: also.....dont make me blush... anyways...posting it here makes one also have the will/embarrasment to finish or else it would be a private/public joke here.. :laugh: :laugh: ................................................... look what I found on the flip-side of that thick tar stuff insulation .. ..this insulation/sound deadener stuff has never been off...it was the one piece that goese over the tunnel area... ....can you see it molded in..?? and yes it fits the ignition..and is brand new gm I doubt any owner put it there...since you would have to tear out the console and all carpet to get to it.. o No:
The key is bizarre, for sure. Maybe someone put it there in case they locked themselves out of the car?? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Anyway, yes, putting your progress up here is a good thing as others get to see your work, you get ideas, support and sometimes criticism (good if its constructive), plus yes, you will be laughed at severly if you never finish your project. So GET TO WORK and quit playing with the garage..sheesh... :laugh: later Tim
shell and frame in da house... well..the shell arrived this evening....and its looking good..and of course pics will be up in a few.....got to get my hand back on the gs before the brain gets cold.. Thanks Jamie... :TU:
ok...now I have 2 frames... ......I measured the front of both frames ...front width from end 2 end (front core support area) and I get a difference of about 1/4 inch more on one frame compared 2 the other one......is this a big deal or just nothing.... o No: ..will this differ of 1/4 inch give me problems (alignment of front clip) on the rebound of restoration???? my original frame is ok...just needs more muscle power and clean up time... the one that came with the new/better shell on it is much cleaner though.....
No it won't give much (more later) for alignment issues but may be a sign one was hit at some point. Only way to really be sure is to check against frame chart and measure all the points. There is a fair amount of movement allowed on the rad support position because the bolts go down through the holes...BUT be aware that if you need to shift the rad support all the way to one side for decent alignment, you may run out of side to side adjustment for the front bumper. At that point somehtig is out to lunch and would require movement of the entire body on the chassis. All that said, I have yet to measure a frame that was perfectly what the frame chart said, and I have yet to see a nicely aligned car where the rad support was perfectly centered (easily spotted between where the rad support hangs down between the frame rails on each side). On all my cars, the front horn measurement was out 1/4" or so from the chart, but they all matched each other. Go figure. How was the alignment of the replacement shell? later Tim
my original frame is 1/4 inch less than the newer frame.l...and mine did have some big time epoxy type of repair on the core support too frame bushing area...and as you state it might of been hit at at one time.. o No: ... the newer shell is solid...floors and trunk are clean clean...when picked up its solid...my gs frame has roof rust as well...and all i get when picked up is snap crackle pop noise....rusty hands will be back on this project by weeks end...got to hang some more lights and a 6ft fence going up around the back yard....the neighbors are talking about my mini junk yard.... :laugh:
