Projects Old Rusty . . . a Father/Son '51 Chevy

Had to align the body in relation to the floor braces so body-to-frame bolts would be properly aligned.

 

Could not find aftermarket inner rockers for 4 door, only 2 door, so bought 4 sets of 2 door inner rockers and spilced them together. Early welding skills.

 

Cut out and replaced the 4 main front floor pans, from toe board back to rear seat. You can see that we removed the brace from under these rear seat pans (which we kept) and replaced it with a "new" brace from Rusty Senior.

 

Front seat bolts go through front floor brace with a nut welded inside the brace (so that when you tighten the bolt from under the car you don't compress the floor pan to the brace). Made a template of the front seat bracket/bolts.

 

In post 60, where youre welding, you have a whole box labeled HAIR, I have to ask if thats really full of hair.

sometimes renting / borrowing a compressor with generator for blasting is the best way to go. We'd all love to have a giant compressor but --

Build is looking great, made major progress

 

Early fabrication skills, made a piece to fasten bottom of B pillar to floor pan.

 

OK ya'll, here's the design boss's idea. Edit: OT idea

 

Left rear door, give you an idea of the amount of bondo, misc. sheet metal and chicken wire "cosmetics" Old Rusty had.

 

After sandblasting, I used a rust encapsulator prior to primer. Binds the iron as iron phosphate so that it is not available to bind with oxygen. Turns the steel blackish.

 

What a fantastic team you all make. Your work ethic is unbelievable and the skills you are learning with your son are hard to believe. I read this post from the top twice and I have great respect for you. What a GREAT DAD and neat kid. Good luck and keep up the good work.
Later,
Dick

 

Ya'll will love this. OK, so I ask myself "This is all fine and good restoring the outside of the frame, but what about the inside of this hollow frame?"

Bothered me. Of course, the real answer (I guess) is to have the frame powder coated, but due to budget considerations, here's what I came up with. Tilt the frame so liquid encapsulator can run down the length of the inside. Flipped the frame over several times so the liquid would run on all 4 sides. Prior to liquid pour, I beat on the frame with a rubber hammer to loosen rust flakes and remaining critter shit.








Had to tape over frame holes to keep liquid from running out.

 

WOW!!

The coolest thread I've seen in a long time. Subscribed.

My dad and I built a 62 Chevy Nova 2 door post when I was about your son's age. Nothing this intensive but still a father son project. A very similar trip to the scrap yard for a 64 Nova wagon. I needed the five bolt spindels and rear end. I was the envy of my friends. I had the coolest car in high school. No shit. All because my dad took almost every weekend and evening with me for two years. I'll never forget the first day I drove it to school. My screen is getting blury just thinking about it.

Your son will never forget this, I haven't forgetten my experience. My wife would say I'm now sick because of it. My dad taught it to me and you are teaching it to your son. When he has a son of his own, he'll pass it to him. You're actually helping secure the hobby for future generations.

I would be willing to bet that you are the envy of a lot of dad's on here. These are moments that you will cherish as you watch him grow up.

Yea, you get my vote for Father of the Year. You're a lucky man and your son is a lucky young man.

Congrats!

Andy L. Kaempfer
St. Louis, MO

 

great project, good job so far

 

Probably bit off too much, but there's no turning back. Thanks.

 

My last name.
Thanks.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Dick.

 

Seems like you are enjoying every moment. At thirteen I was starting to get into girls and hanging out at the beach surfing. Not huge interest in what my pop's was working on. Fast forward 20 years and having to pull my dad out of retirement to help. Better late than never, but my priorities were out of line. You are lucky and good luck on the rest of the build with your son. More reason to be thankful for the hobby.

 

Aw shucks, Andy, thanks for your kind words. Sometimes wish I had paid $ 5-7,000 for something that we could have had on the road much earlier. But then again, sometimes the journey is the experience, more so even than the destination.
Have always loved Chevy II's. Still have it?

 

Thanks, man.

 

Excellent work. My kid just turned one and I already can't wait for our first project together. I always ask him do you want a coupe or a roadster, wagon or sedan? Still waiting for an answer.

 

I don't know, girls and surfing are pretty good priorities!!! But I know what you mean, us humans take so much for granted sometimes. Only later do we realize how special something was. Very mindful of trying to be in the moment. These are the good old days!! Thanks.

 

Hahaha!! One thing's for sure, someday you'll get your answer. I think he's already hooked by having a Dad that asks the question!! Poor little guy doesn't stand a chance for high culture!! Thanks.

 

Self-etching primer, going with S-W Dimension paint.

 

Edit: note edit date below. I am removing all reference to my OT suspension,engine and tranny out of respect for Ryan's rules. Cool as this thread may be from a father/son perspective, the fact remains that it is one of many threads that took advantage of Ryan's flexibility while the HAMB was exploding in membership.

Now (Sept '13) that Ryan is making a concerted effoert to get the HAMB back on topic, I am trying to do my part. I just wish I could remove the OT quotes of some of my original OT posts.

 

Edit: OT suspension

 

Edit: OT suspension stuff

 

(Edit) on to the rear.

Currie 9” Ford rear end. Did all the math working backward from “70 mph at 2300 rpm” and came up with 3.51 gear ratio. Todd Walton of Walton Fabrication talked me into a 3.73. Got my tranny X-member, rear leaf spring kit, and ordered the Currie through him . . . he’s awesome. Thanks Todd.