So we got the A pillars said and done, well almost. Today we did some more alining and fitting of the upper windshield piece before welding it in. Already it was pretty close but we just made sure it was in the correct spot because once it's welded in, it's in! After welding and mega grinding, Dad ground off the molding tabs on the new pieces because they were kind of loose. I went digging through Dad's many coffee cans of screws and found about 40 of those little tabs, trying to save a buck were I can. Plus the new lower package tray body piece didn't even have those. Got the heater running in the background there for awhile to heat up the place.
(I filmed this new video on the 21st, before the next day of progress. But actually the work we got done was on the 20th.)
Day 47 - 12/19/11
We're all on Christmas break so time to get some progress done! Got the old A pillar body pieces cut out and the new ones fit and tacked in. It's looking better already! I managed to cut my wrist so I didn't do too much contributing today, but I'll live and learn. Next step is to get the top and today's progress to flow together. That will be a project for tomorrow. My goal is to get the windshield body work all done by break and at least start on the rear glass area. I believe we can achieve that goal as long as we work on it everyday!
Day 46 - Combo - 11/27 & 12/4/11
Today is the 5 month anniversary of picking up the Chevelle! (12/9/11)
It's been very cold! Not as fun to work on the car as it was during the summer. We got the kick panels off and the new video talks about that. I didn't mention this in the vid, but I started to drill out the welds on the A-pillars to splice and dice the 'new' pieces in from the Monte Carlo. Over Christmas break we plan to get really into the body work and get this rig running!
It's been very cold! Not as fun to work on the car as it was during the summer. We got the kick panels off and the new video talks about that. I didn't mention this in the vid, but I started to drill out the welds on the A-pillars to splice and dice the 'new' pieces in from the Monte Carlo. Over Christmas break we plan to get really into the body work and get this rig running!
Day 45 - 11/13/11
After three long weeks of sickness, I'm finally getting better. Thought I should get some work done on the old car! Major body work took place today. We got the upper windshield body piece pretty much finalized in it's place. Lots of head scratching and grinding. Made a quick video update and put some pictures on my puter so you could see what happened in between before and after. I kept saying 'seam sealer' and it is actually solder on the a-pillars. It looks like we didn't do much, but it takes quite a bit of planning and modification to get it right, we were also smart to make previous measurements of it before taking out the old metal. Essentially, the upper windshield piece is ready for welds!
Day 42/43/44 - 10/22/11 - 10/29/11
It's been awhile since an update! Thought I probably should. Got some good progress in. On day 42, finished up the door moldings, got the glass cleaned and put them back in so the glass doesn't get all scratched up. Day 43, diagnosed with my terminal disease, Dad cut a strip off the new upper windshield body piece for a little double layer plug weld action. Better and stronger than overlapping or crimping/recessing. Drilled some 5/16" holes for plug welds on the remaining roof above the windshield. On day 44 today, did some taping, grinding and initial welding. It's getting closer! I'm going to submit the Chevelle into my school's yearbook on the cars page. I know a girl in yearbook, and she said sweet, hopefully I'll make the cut! So here's another little video.
Day 41 - 10/17/11
A quick update today, came home from school and helped Dad on an oil change and a tire rotation on the LTD. Awhile ago I found some unused oil filters in the trunk of the car, and wondered if they fit my application. So I called Cost Less Auto Parts (old Dusty's). They told me they aren't for my car, so I'm glad I didn't try to use them. Then a little later today, I took off the rubber/molding on top of the driver door on the outside that holds the glass inline. Probably a month or so ago, I cleaned the side glass with steel wool really good. There was a line of dirt on the outside right where the glass stops when it's cranked up. So cleaned out the dirt down there and we're set. Here's another quick little video:
Day 40 - 10/16/11
Well it's day 40! We've have the Chevelle just a little over 3 months, crazy I know. We got some major progress done today, started to do some hacking on the roof. I'm getting better on the pneumatic tools too! A couple days ago I was on craigslist just randomly looking for car parts and stumbled upon a Chevelle/Monte guy selling dashboards. I called him up to look for other parts because it sounded like he had some. What made it real nice, was that he was located up by WSU. So we drove over there, looking for his house, and he has a 69 Chevelle in the street, a 70 Monte in the driveway, and a 70 Malibu 400 in the garage! I go to knock on the door and there are some bucket seats and a set of Cragars on the porch. I got his attention and went out to the 2 car garage, and he has a 'loft' set up with at least 50 bankers boxes stacked 2 deep, full of all the different parts and trinkets to Chevelles, El Caminos and Monte Carlos. He's a real cool dude, nice and willing to help. I plan to make future trip(s) for more parts. Check out his site, good stuff! http://www.malibu400.com/ At the end of the video I'm stumbling for words, got it in the first take though!
Day 37/38/39 - 10/7/11-10/10/11
It's been awhile since my last update, I know! Made some major progress and moving the project to the next level. I decided to try a video update of what we got done today. If these work, I'm going to hopefully get them out on the day of or day after. In previous days I've been a week behind so I hope they work out. It's my first video, so nothing special. I hope you like it!
Day 36 - 9/25/11
A very quick update, and yes it has a picture! Had some previous family functions today. Went out in the garage this evening and looked at one of the taillight lenses I polished awhile ago. I managed to get to polish caked up in the crevices. That's kind of trailer trashy. So, promptly got my bucket, water, and a tooth brush to get what I could out.
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| Backwards: After and Before. The polish is crazy stuff. It shined up the lens, but it will also allow the lights to shine brighter. |
Day 35 - 9/23/11
Today is Friday yet again! I've heard that school is kind of important, so that's partly why I don't get many posts up during the week. But hey, at least I'm making progress! I've been wanting to drive the ole Chevelle since we picked her up. So I made a goal to get the motor back together. Reached that goal, and made another one. Got the goodies out of the way on the floor in the car and got the front seat in (some what easier said than done). Got it started on the first crank, and went for a very quick drive around the neighborhood. No windshield, plates, brake lights, insurance, or seat belts. NICE, that's why it was a quick drive. But we'll get lots of drives sometime soon.
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| Back from our drive, shiny front end looks good! |
Beaches - 9/21/11
Dad and I went to the second to last Beaches night of the 2011 season this evening. It was good to go, haven't been in 3 years! There was a ton and I mean a ton of cars there. They had to park way out in the far field by the finish of the drag strip! We were on the look out for 72 Chevelles and spotted a few. Looked at all of them, and mine seems pretty nice for what it is. Some were real nice and others were some '20 foot' cars. I'm going to have the best fitting bumpers in town! It was fun. I'm looking forward to going to the next season with the guys, but we have to get our cars done, or at least driveable!
Day 34 - 9/18/11
Got the rear bumper ready for reassembly. Replaced some of the bolts on the brackets I took off. Cleaned up the bumper guards to put back on the bumper. But the rubber bumpers aren't very nice at all. One of them has the top corner ripped off, and the other the whole side is ripped and falling off. So, they will stay off for now. I can still get them on with the bumper already in place. So I'll be on a quest to find some better (not perfect) rubber bumpers. I've checked ebay, they only had the fronts and the Car and Truck Shop in Orange County has a new set for $36. I'll be out on the look out at Chehalis Swap Meet.
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Putting the brackets back on, ready for assembly!
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Day 33 - 9/17/11
Today was a fix and reassemble kind of day. My dad brought home some 2-part epoxy to glue up the headlight door clip and park light molding. It seemed to work, I'll let it set overnight. In the overall quest to reassemble the car and get excess parts off the ground, I started to put the rear bumper back together. I'm not sure why, but I've been putting it off. It is now underway. The plan for tomorrow is to get it back on the car.
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Some 2-part epoxy, great stuff.
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Day 32 - 9/16/11
It's the weekend! Time to block party. Parental units out for the evening, thought I should work on the car. I decided to put the rocker panel moldings back on. Dad polished them awhile ago, but they weren't up to par. So I used some 4/0 steel wool on the bottom lips for all the road grime buildup. Then I threw them on and said there!
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Getting ready for it.
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Day 31 - 9/11/11
Today was an extension of yesterday. We got the bumper figured out and put back on for the 30th time. Finally got it to where we like it. I'd say it's even better than it came originally! Then kind of an all afternoon project was putting the manifolds back on the car. I really wanted to get the motor back together and at least running, and we reached that goal. I didn't take very many motor shots because I was all greasy and y'all know what it looks like so there.
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Dad came up with a great idea to 'slot' the holes on the front bumper brackets.
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Day 30 - 9/10/11
Already 2 weeks of school gone by, time to go to work! Busy productive weekend. During the summer I could get up at 10, polish some stuff, think, hang out with Dad when he got home, clean until 11 or later and repeat! It happened! During the beginning of the project I was up until 1 a few nights polishing bumpers and moldings. Can't do that anymore, but we'll still get'r done. So today, a somewhat major day, got the grill put back on, and the front bumper figured out.
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Getting
the front bumper ready for reassembly, the bumper guards need to go on,
so I cleaned them up and put the rubbers back on.
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Day 29 - 9/9/11
Believe it or not, today has been 2 months since we picked up my Chevelle! As my dad says, "time flies, bud".
A little blast from the past:
A little blast from the past:
Day 28 - 9/5/11
Posts are going to be a little slower, school started a few days ago. So I'll have that to worry about. Its probably more important, just a little. But anyway on to today's update! During the process of helping put in the motor of my dad's 34 Ford, I did a little steel wool in the corners of the park light moldings and got those ready to put in. Then I spent some time and polished the sides of the park light lenses. I wanted to polish part of them, but not the whole thing. The front of the plastic has many many 'crevices' and I really didn't want to throw 3 weeks and 2 bottles of polish at it, + it's not a show car!
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It's kind of hard to tell, but the one closest to you is the before and the other it the after.
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Day 27 - 8/31/11
In my quest to get the front end buttoned up, I got major progress in
the polishing of the grill. It's kind of fragile so I had to be careful
and not push on it too hard. I used a little masking tape on the ends on
the stainless strips to minimize scratched plastic. Then in between
this and that, Dad got the sandblaster up and working again so I blasted
the new A pillars that we cut off. He brought a more powerful vacuum
home from work to see if it is better than the previous 5 gallon Shop-Vac.
Well, it somehow blows the 'sand' and debris right out the top vent so
it filled the shop with lots of dust. We managed to get my project done
but he decided to take it back to work.
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| Here's where I worked on it. |
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A little before and after all in one shot.
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Day 26 - 8/29/11
Well today, was a big fab day. Dad came home from work and wanted to
start hacking on the roof we bought. So I said sweet, lets do it! Peter
and I brought the roof sections out from the back yard to in front
of the garage and put the bigger one on a jack stand, after I scraped off the roof
insulation. Basically, the amount we need out of the roof sections I
bought is a very small part of them. But very vital to the project!
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