Rookie's First Restoration Attempt...

[stinger12]

Greg and I bonded the firewall yesterday.

Now that its bonded in place, I am going to pop the rivets in it. I wanted the adhesive to harden before I put the rivets in so all of the adhesive wouldn't squeeze out of the joint between the birdcage and firewall. I used Fusor 127EZ. I will finish off the sealing with Fusor 800EZ, which is a urethane seam sealer.





The front end will probably be glued within two weeks.

 

[mrvette]

And here I can't glue a center console together around the ebrake and make it last....

:gurney::banghead::ill:

 

[Fuelie74]

What is the reason that you waited till now to bond the firewall to the birdcage? Couldn't you of bonded it on before you fit the front clip on the car?

 

[stinger12]

What is the reason that you waited till now to bond the firewall to the birdcage? Couldn't you of bonded it on before you fit the front clip on the car?

Well, all of these parts need to fit together. I wasn't going to chance it, considering that I replaced every part on the firewall with aftermarket or NOS pieces. I wanted to make sure everything was in the right spot, and would fit the aftermarket front end, before I made everything permanent.

 

[stinger12]

Oh yeah, and by the way - I just got offered a new job restoring muscle cars here in Calgary. They are signing me up for the apprenticeship program. So I'm quitting my "insurance body shop" job, and doing what I have wanted to do for 4 years now - RESTORATIONS!!!!!!!

 

[73 Mike]

Oh yeah, and by the way - I just got offered a new job restoring muscle cars here in Calgary. They are signing me up for the apprenticeship program. So I'm quitting my "insurance body shop" job, and doing what I have wanted to do for 4 years now - RESTORATIONS!!!!!!!

Congrats!

Great news

 

[GT6Steve]

Freakin' Awesome! Congrats!!

Ya think this thread could've been the best reusme ever?

You're gonna go far young dude, I'm proud to watch it!:yahoo:

 

[mrvette]

Freakin' Awesome! Congrats!!

Ya think this thread could've been the best reusme ever?

You're gonna go far young dude, I'm proud to watch it!:yahoo:

Surely he knows he needs his OWN BUSINESS....or otherwise, it's a NO GO on his part....

think that has been covered already...:bonkers::flash:

 

[68L71]

You are looking old....must be all the fumes

 

[stinger12]

You are looking old....must be all the fumes

It probably is the fumes.

 

[stinger12]

This was the LAST test fit before I bonded the rest of the bonding strips to the firewall. Only a couple of days away from bonding the front end!

 

[stinger12]

I bonded the rest of the bonding strips today, and popped the rivets into the firewall. The front end is either getting bonded tomorrow or Friday

 

[stinger12]

The front end is bonded.

 

[stinger12]

I bonded the A-Pillar fiberglass covers today. I also bonded the two filler covers for the back of the firewall.

 

[00fxd]

Oh yeah, and by the way - I just got offered a new job restoring muscle cars here in Calgary. They are signing me up for the apprenticeship program. So I'm quitting my "insurance body shop" job, and doing what I have wanted to do for 4 years now - RESTORATIONS!!!!!!!

Which restoration shop? I'm a bit out of the loop haveing lived away for almost 10 yrs now but I may know of it....

 

[denpo]

The front end is bonded.

Do you have info source/details on how to do it? It will be my duty in the near future.

 

[mrvette]

The front end is bonded.

Do you have info source/details on how to do it? It will be my duty in the near future.

Insurance companies don't issue bonds to hippies you need a bail-bondsman.....


:yahoo::waxer::flash:

 

[denpo]

The front end is bonded.

Do you have info source/details on how to do it? It will be my duty in the near future.

Insurance companies don't issue bonds to hippies you need a bail-bondsman.....


:yahoo::waxer::flash:

Gene, (may I call you Gene comrade)
who the hell told you it was ok to stop taking your medication?
:ill::huh::nuts:

 

[mrvette]

The front end is bonded.

Do you have info source/details on how to do it? It will be my duty in the near future.

Insurance companies don't issue bonds to hippies you need a bail-bondsman.....


:yahoo::waxer::flash:

Gene, (may I call you Gene comrade)
who the hell told you it was ok to stop taking your medication?
:ill::huh::nuts:

At MY age I take two types of meds....Prostrate and something else to make sure I pee further......

 

[stinger12]

I'm kicking ass now.

Chopped off the ugly bumperettes, then glassed the openings flush with the front of the bumper.









I started my new job and am having a blast at work. I worked on a 1968 firebird "rotisserie" today...getting it ready to be taken to the sandblasters.

 

[stinger12]

I bonded the front bumper tonight.







I think I might go another route with the front bumper. I'm thinking about cutting it out so its essentially a giant "mouth". Then I can make a solid one piece grill to bolt up behind it.



My buddy Greg is coming over tomorrow night to start mudding some spots. I'm done playing bodyman tonight.

 

[stinger12]

Greg started mudding the fenders tonight.







While he was doing the fenders, I fabbed up a new impact bar for the front of the car. I wanted it to be concealed due to the fact that I am cutting the bumper open and putting a one piece grill in. I'll post pics of that tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

 

[stinger12]

This is the new "concealed" impact bar. I made it in two pieces so that I can install/remove it easily.









Notice how it mounts EXACTLY like the original one does. Everything from the corners of the bumper to the vacuum bar. This front end it bullet proof now. I was jumping on the car...shaking the crap out of it,tried to get the front end to move a little...it ain't going ANYWHERE now.

For some odd reason, the valance panel "fit" changed. Regardless of why this happened, it had to be fixed. I had to chop the bottom of the bumper in half, push the bottom towards the front of the car, and reglass it in place.

 

[stinger12]

Aarrrgh I am exhausted right now:ack:

 

[SHAKERATTLEROLL]

Great Work.

 

[stinger12]

I took a break from the body and started restoring the door guts.







Degreased and washed the latches...



Lately I have been feeling like I am never going to drive this thing...the work just keeps piling up. Kinda hard to stay motivated when its been 4 years of nonstop work...and the new year is only a day away.

 

[mrvette]

Oh ********, you over the hump now kid, it's all downhill now....couple shots of paint from whoever knows how, and start bolting parts, done deal....

:bounce:...drive it by spring.....summer at least....

:amazed:

 

[stinger12]

Oh ********, you over the hump now kid, it's all downhill now....couple shots of paint from whoever knows how, and start bolting parts, done deal....

:bounce:...drive it by spring.....summer at least....

:amazed:

Greg hasn't been helping me that much. I've realized that he isn't as reliable as I thought he was when I met him. No doubt about it though, he is a great guy with massive talent.

Mike is the only one who has stuck with me this entire project, and I can't thank him enough for that. He pretty much taught me everything I know now, which eventually landed me a job restoring cars here in Calgary. I can't put into words how thankful I am for his guidance.

Seriously though. I am working my ass off every night now trying to get this thing on the road...it's just really hard to keeping me motivated when I know I have so many hours left before I even get to turn the key for the first time.

 

[00fxd]

o.k. here's the deal. It's all coming together - you just don't know it.
I've done a few projects like that. No question that you are doing a big one.
Just keep pickin away at individual projects like you're doing. When you are out in the shop and you see something that needs to be done, sometimes in no particular order, just do it and have fun with it.
What I have always found is that all of a sudden - you're done!
You will find that one day all of sudden everything just snapped together and your sittin in the drivers seat with the key goin Holy ****, what did I forget? Go over the list, probably nothin so you start it up and drive it.
No big deal.....
That thought is what kept me going last winter with this simple frame swap on my '65. And that is exactly how it went......

 

[stinger12]

Here are some more parts sandblasted and painted (how I spent my new years eve).





You guys are really that excited to see this thing done????