Buinicorn my 1964 wagon

funny you should ask...

well, an empty shop. No, the other stuff isn't done, but it's done enough so I can get full on this



today was basically unload it then put its parts on the build shelf... Sunday, my goal is get the frame apart so I can paint it, then start reassembly (with the LS motor) I need this car to be available sooner rather then later - Buick, the dog, is 7... and not stiff yet but I see it coming - this would be perfect transport for him.... so onward!

 

I admit to being tempted




tonight I clearanced the transmission tunnel - kind of getting grip on what's next...

 

time to finish up the frame so I can blow it apart


first, upper arm braces


the a-bodies are notorious for flexing here... the 64 is different then the 65 - so the ones included with the kit don't fit (these would be shorter)


and actually mount the cross member


tomorrow I'll start calling around for a time to get the frame blasted...

 

hopefully this will go relatively quickly from here
the PS pulley is really close to the box, so I'll gain some room while I can (and remember)



time to disassemble

so I remember which shims go where

front off

rear off

bare

 

always flip frames by yourself and right next to the car that you finished....


and it's flipped (you thought I never flipped cars)




because no one makes these, I need to get them blasted and fix the holes... thankfully the left side (although mirrored) is still intact



time to take the core support apart so it can get powder coated... yeah, going to powder coat the major bits

picture so I can put this back together later

however, there is a repair that needs doing

 

who knew a Corvette dolly could work so well for a Buick?

 

Looks like your coming along nicely on the flattop!

 

nice to see some progress on this

 

the frame is back... no picture of that.... tomorrow... however
looks excellent

well, except.... story time. I figured I'd save money by having the parts blasted then powder coated at the same place. I trusted that the frame was fine, but I had very clear instructions that I needed two pieces back to do some rust repair before they actually coated them....
well
now we know what powder coated rust looks like



in their defense... they immediately owned up to it and said "looks like we provided a free powder coat primer"... so tomorrow I metal work these and hopefully get them back on Friday (yeah, sure that's going to happen) to the powder coater... the look on his face - I really did try to avoid this, when I told the owner - he was like "right, right" and inside (to get distracted, I guess), then I told one of the ladies who works in the office.... alas, nope.

The biggest issue is I'm stacking stuff on stuff so I need to get the frame at least assembled enough to set the motor in place so that I can form the parts.... ugh, maybe Anthony (see link) will be here this weekend to learn some metal work.... so that'd be cool

 

frame pictures


motor for weight purposes

 

move the motor mount to the right holes



start on CAD for the repair... find out my shear isn't working... ugh


start assembling the front... motor mounts are first because the nuts on the back of the motor mount are behind the lower control arm


assemble the rear


ball park alignment

 

finish up the front then onto fuel lines



and the pile of AN spares

about the only thing I'm missing is a pressure regulator. I am oversizing the lines for future proofing...

 

great progress. love the frame off stuff

 

Time to stack the pieces again


not perfect but close enough


then onto metal work
the core support is rusted under the battery tray

chop chop

weld weld


looks lots better, also has strength

I won't make it perfect but it's going back to the powder coater so it will look pretty decent

they were supposed to return this and the inner fender blasted so I could fix then they could powder coat... that didn't happen, oh well
Inner fender has the same issue

this won't be easy but also it doesn't have to be perfect because the air intake is going straight through this area.

 

Nice to see posts on your progress again! Looking cool!

 

Very nice! Thanks for the updates.

 

rust repairs
bend to fit


weld

I overlapped the weld.. stronger, easier

right shape-ish


even close to what it was before... there is some artistic interpretation in the part

weld captive nuts in core support

make core support pretty

 

It's strangely jarring how the newly coasted parts need welding repair... Nice work. I am going to be doing some repairs to my right inner fender and right core support. Won't be as neat as this.

 

Nice work!

 

I took them to the coater and said "I need the core support and inner fender back after you sand blast it so I can fix it"..... didn't quite happen that way. They called me to pick up the parts, and my first question was "it's already coated?" I got there and the owner asked me what I thought.... "nice, but weren't you supposed to call me so I could fix the rust?" the look on his face was priceless. His response was "I guess we did a primer coat for you"..... indeed they did. No big deal, I had to make that same round trip to pick up the parts and return them, just the order is a bit different now.