1969 427 restoration from Sweden

[427Swede]

Connections on rear lamps, Installed as per the AIM and perfect fit all the way.

 

[427Swede]

Alternator harness. Excellent fit here as well.

 

[427Swede]

The expansion tank for the cooling system is in very nice shape after 43 years. Had to have the small pipe at the top of it welded. It was rusted through... A skilled welder did this and it looks as good as new. Difficult job to do since it is Aluminium and very very thin.

At the bottom left of the photo the temperature sensor for the electric fans can be seen. I did a special fitting for this that is small and discrete. I did not want to cut my main radiator hose to install this sensor. There should be full flow of hot water directly from the engine flowing by this connection so, hopefully it will work. I have also prepared wires to have an override switch for the electrical fans.




A different angle

 

[427Swede]

An overall photo of the engine bay. It looks a bit messy with all the vacuum hoses all over the place right now but it will all be a bit cleaner when everything is strapped down and correctly routed.

 

[427Swede]

Hi all,

Still working on the car. It is, slow, painful and exhausting work right now...
Have assembled insulation, Stp silver, into the inside of the car. Tok me a whole week to do this in the evenings. Am I just slow or what is wrong with me?

Then I started to assemble my brand new carpet set from a well known quality manufacturer. Well, I am still not really sure the carpet set is for a Corvette even thou I can read: 68-69 Corvette 80/20 loop carpet set on the outside of the box.
Right now I think it is a carpet set for a school bus or a truck,perhaps even for a Boeing 747 :suicide::banghead::banghead:

Ok, no pictures right now, I am too upset, have to go to bed...

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Hi all,

Still working on the car. It is, slow, painful and exhausting work right now...
Have assembled insulation, Stp silver, into the inside of the car. Tok me a whole week to do this in the evenings. Am I just slow or what is wrong with me?

Then I started to assemble my brand new carpet set from a well known quality manufacturer. Well, I am still not really sure the carpet set is for a Corvette even thou I can read: 68-69 Corvette 80/20 loop carpet set on the outside of the box.
Right now I think it is a carpet set for a school bus or a truck,perhaps even for a Boeing 747 :suicide::banghead::banghead:

Ok, no pictures right now, I am too upset, have to go to bed...

I don't get your problem, except for the floorboards, rear wall, luggage floor, and the wheel wells the carpet kit for mine fit perfect. I always wonder at their patterns - I wish they'd send a picture of the car they used for their template since I'm sure that their car is 20% larger than my car... where the bits go over the wheel wells the fit was terrible. I had to slice them on the horizontal and remove a pie shaped piece, then stitch back together to fit...

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

An overall photo of the engine bay. It looks a bit messy with all the vacuum hoses all over the place right now but it will all be a bit cleaner when everything is strapped down and correctly routed.

oh yeah, that looks terrible!!!! however do you live with yourself :********: now this picture below is a class act!


seriously, if you think yours looks terrible, you really need some help

or, put another way, false modesty is no modesty at all... you do really nice work

 

[427Swede]

I honestly think the vacuum hoses is a mess in my photo... Now as I said, it will be ok after everything is strapped down.

Sure, youre engine bay is not as tidy as mine but, on the other hand, you do get a lot of things done efficiently and way faster than I am able to do! with that said, I really appreciate the work you put into your car SBG!

The wheel well carpet parts was the worst I think. No fit and carpet backside insulation in the wrong place. Had to remove som here and there. Still, it looks quite ok after everything is assembled and I when the seats are back in no one will probably notice anything.

Regards, Daniel

 

[JeffP1167]

An overall photo of the engine bay. It looks a bit messy with all the vacuum hoses all over the place right now but it will all be a bit cleaner when everything is strapped down and correctly routed.

Don't worry one day you will have it all nice and neat like mine :rofl::rofl:

 

[427Swede]

A few updates on the work with my Corvette.

Interior carpets finished after a grueling battle:yahoo:

 

[427Swede]

The gear box console and parking lever console is brand new. The old units were basically beyond reparable condition.
Very pleased with the quality of theese parts! Nice fit and finish.

 

[427Swede]

The shifter console also had to be renewed and the new unit fit perfect.




It was a very nice feeling to be able to test shift my new gearbox sitting in the car! Nice short throws.

 

[427Swede]

The old rear luggage box assembly had to be restored. Basically new parts were put in. I did make a bit of the work myself as well, for example the luggage doors. Machined them out of water proof plywood.





Finished with new carpets, plastic frames and lock mechanisms.

 

[427Swede]

Repainted the complete interior. The plastic and vinyl parts were in nice condition but the color was uneven so I had to do something.
I used SEM:s product line for this. Easy to work with and a durable and nice finish should hopefully be the end result.

 

[427Swede]

Time to start restoring the head light units. They were almost working when I bought the car but after the first summer they had completely given up. I now understand why...

 

[427Swede]

Bought a complete restoration kit and a new seal kit for the vacuum units.
Glass blasted all parts and painted according to my own preference.

Time to reassemble!

 

[427Swede]

A few more photos of the parts beeing test assembled outside the car. They have to be disassembled before they go into the car. At least I did not find any other possibility to get them back.

 

[427Swede]

In the car.







Finished. Took me 4 evenings to completely restore each head light. A very nice and fun job to perform!

 

[427Swede]

And finally the front end chrome and grille is back on the car again.

The pictures show that some of the chrome is in not so good condition. This will be adressed next winter.
Since the paint on the car is some 20+ years old, chips and dents can be seen. It is good enough for now at least.

 

[mrvette]

VERY NICE WORK MAN!!!!.....maybe you look into new chrome on the bumpers instead of buying new from here....my last bumper sux and it came from Ecklers.....down the road from me.....

I fought the headlight mechanical restore some 18 years ago, having sketchy luck with it at best....got it ALL together and working GREAT, then to hit a damn Florida deer here on night in '98....too out both the headlights.....

:hissyfit: I was ROCKET PISSED!!!!

but at least the deer heer are small, like a dawg.....so it did not come through the windshield and kill me and the chick.....

I went fixed lights after that, not enough money to fight the war over them again, much less time/effort/temperament......:hissyfit:

 

[427Swede]

Thanks Gene! I will for sure be rechroming the original parts. They actually have a very good fit on the car and I do not want to ruin that.

 

[427Swede]

Back on the project again...

Restored the wiper motor and complete mechanism. The motor was in good condition. I took it apart anyway. Changed all wiring just to be sure.

 

[427Swede]

Had a friend who is an electrician make some test runs and check it for me. Everything worked out ok.



Well, he´s interested in old motorcycles and Swedish SAAB cars. Here is one motorcycle he has restored. Just have to show it:thumbs:
A 1973 Yamaha 125cc. Restored completely with NOS parts all thorugh. It has ben driven 1 mile after completion. Amazing...

 

[427Swede]

Back to the old American iron, it´s better than Japanese tin cans:kissass:

Machined a new sleeve for the windshield washer pump piston. Made it with a slight press fit and epoxi glued it inside the original plastic housing. Snug and tight.



The "almost" complete mechanism.

 

[427Swede]

Back in the car. Very tight to assemble it with the engine in place...

Set all the wiper mechanisms as per the instructions in the AIM. Got a pretty good sweep and parking of the wipers.

 

[427Swede]

Continued with the interior. The center cluster console was broken. Not an uncommon fault as I have heard.
Fixed it with a piece of metal welded together and then screwed and epoxi glued to the aluminum console.

 

[427Swede]

Had to restore all the gauges in the console. Chose to buy all new gauges. Did not buy a new clock. I hope to restore it next year.



Everything ready for assembly.



Repainted the upper part of the center console.
This is a bit strange, there is an armature for a lamp in this part. Including a plastic light spreader. But, the wiring harness is not equipped with a lamp???? And if you would try to assemble a lamp with socket it will interfere with the dash support. What was GM thinking? Anyone with any info on this?

 

[GT6Steve]

Is this thread from Swden or Australia?:hi:

 

[427Swede]

Is this thread from Swden or Australia?:hi:

Hi Steve,

Well, I´m from Sweden. Australia is on the other side of the world from here.
I´m curious, why do you wonder?

 

[427Swede]

Machined a new lower bearing assembly for the steering shaft. Consists of a needle bearing and some other stuff.
Modified the original bearing holder to keep everything in position.



A new sleeve with a O-ring on the inside forms the new bearing surface on the steering shaft.