.. some insight in my project. I registered here June 22nd, 2015: https://v8buick.com/index.php?threads/srb.298373/ I've been learning a lot from you guys for the last 6 years. This is a fantastic forum with a wealth of information, thank you all for that. So, I guess it's time to show why I've been asking so much questions. Late 2014 (yes, that long ago ) I've started the restoration of my 1969 Buick GS 400 with a Riviera 430 engine in it. My "handicap" if you will, is that I'm living in The Netherlands in Europe, so sourcing parts and hardware is somewhat more difficult and definitely more expensive. For example, our regular hardware stores don't sell imperial nuts and bolts. But, I've got the Buick virus, so I'm a lost soul 2014: It was bad: I started to take the car apart in the end of 2014. I stored the body somewhere and started with the chassis. 2016: The chassis needed a few welds, but other than that looked fine and I had it sandblasted and coated. In the meantime I've sandblasted and painted all the small parts myself. After that I brought the body to the sandblaster. When it returned you could fully see the bad state of the car. 2017: As much as I could do myself regarding body work I did myself. Floors, wheel housing etc. Pretty much the inside of the car. A ton of work, and since I didn't have any experience with body work I ofcourse wasn't very effective nor quick. 2018: So we're already entering 2018, still welding the body: 2019: In 2019 I finally had done everything I could do myself (and trusted myself doing), so it was time to let a professional take on the outside. And off it goes: He expected a lead time of 6 months, but eventually it returned 18 months later. Well ok, extra time to save up. In the mean time I've sandblasted and coated a lot of small parts myself. For the engine for example. 2021: So it returned early 2021. I removed the body from the chassis again and sprayed epoxy primer under the car, then anti chip and ended with a black coating. Then I mounted the body again to the chassis and it was picked up by the painter. It was home only for 2 weeks. The painter also expected a lead time of 6 months. So at home I've rebuilt my engine and now it is waiting in the corner of the garage to be "married" again.
And yesterday was the big day. It returned home. In the morning I had a look at the painter and it looked great (They were still polishing): And in the afternoon. Home. I guess the fun part starts now. The assembly. As you all can see it's not an original color, but I think it looks great.
Nice! Dig the color, and yes, putting them together is the best! Now you really get to make strides and see all your hard work come together. Congratulations!
Thank you all for the kind words! I'll keep you updated, but it will still take time until it is finished. We're also in the process of building a new house, but somewhere the next few weeks I want the engine running again. I miss driving it...
Congratulation Stefan, for the endurance and the patience. I have not yet put so much time in a single project. And I do not know if I could. The more I admire guys who do it. Very nice work. Hope for you, that it won't take another 7 years (I know building a house is an energy and money sucker).
