In keeping with the concept car theme, when I removed the gas door, I had to find a place for the filler. Thinking "56 Chevy" hiding it behind the tail light. But much cooler! https://youtu.be/tAaWAX4LLug
Progress is slow, but sure. After getting the tail lights to move, I did the rest of the bodywork on the quarters. Got the back of the car in primer. Next, I pulled out the driver's side fender and door. My old boss had brazed in a patch panel at the bottom of the fender, overlapping the original steel. Since it was done about 30 years ago, it had rusted out again, due to the overlap holding in dirt and water. He also filled the trim holes. Unfortunately, he did so by putting a square piece of steel on top of the hole, and brazing around it. I had to drill out the holes almost to 1 inch to get rid of the overlap and brass. Then make some circles and TIG them in.
Well, the first 30, it was used as a regular car, probably stored outside. When the PO bought it, he used it more or less as a weekend car, as most of us do. So the repair failed prematurely, Ian, if you ask me, being stored inside most of the time! While I learned to do work with brass first, I taught myself to use the MIG when it came out, and stopped using brass a long time ago. And definitely no overlapping panels! You and I know this, but I emphasize this to HAMBers that are new to this, or haven't done bodywork, and look for advice.
Quick assembly of the newly primered panels to see how it looks before I pull the body off. Also checking out the look of the 56 "98" side trim I'm piecing together (still need about 3 pieces).
Blasted the frame, primed with Master Series silver, and a couple coats of their gloss black. Didn't like the glossiness, so I sanded and covered it with SEM Hotrod Black, a satin urethane. Much better. Started the rebuild. I wanted to use the 76 Impala rear I got, but it was too wide. I really liked the 12 inch 'Police package' brakes, so I re-worked the backing plates from the Impala, to fit the Olds rear. A set of Jamco 4" drop leafs, 2 in. lowering blocks, KYB gas shocks, and all grade 8 hardware
I just got the news that classiccars.com used pictures and my text in an online article for their "September is for Customizing" series. https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/09/09/reader-custom-projects-1956-olds-88-nomad-wagon/
Update: I got the chopped Lincoln to the point where I will try to sell it, so the Olds is coming back in the shop. In the meantime, in between cursing Henry Ford, I managed to get the complete front and rear end put together on the Olds chassis. Put on KYB gas shocks, Addco rear swaybar, ran gas and brake lines, etc. But the big job was this: I had the idea that it might be really cool to upgrade the exhaust. Well, if duals are better than a single exhaust, then QUADS must be better than duals! I started with Ebay SS headers. Of course for a lowered car, they hung down too much, so first order was to shorten them by almost 2 inches. This caused interference with the oil filter, and A frame mounts, so cutting a replacing parts of the tubes were in order. I also wanted to pair up cylinders farthest apart in the firing order. One side worked out OK, but the other I cut one tube out completely, and reran it to match with the proper tube. Being a 50's custom guy, I love Brockman Mellowtone mufflers. I ordered 4 steel packs form them, and cut off 1/2" on each side, welded in a separation plate, then welded 2 together. Once in place, i used straight and mandrel bent tubing, as well as water jetted flanges (Thank you again for making these, Chappy444!), to put together the system. I had to widen the openings in the chassis crossmember, to fit the side by side pipes. 1 3/4" tubing, with 1 inch spacing in between (that's why I had to cut the mufflers). One side is done, now I have to duplicate it on the other! I can't do the rest of it until I put the body back on, with the gas tank in place, but I can't wait to hear it!
Well, having some other projects in the shop slows work on my own car, of course! I pushed the Lincoln back to the house garage, to brind the Olds body back in. Frame is just about finished. I have to cut out some gaskets for the exhaust system, and knock down the welds a bit. And, waiting (forever) for the parking brake cables to come in. Seems the "police package" 12 in. drums use a special cable, it doesn't have the usual 'snap in' mounting on the backing plate. It has a bolt on piece. Ordered it in July from both Rock Auto and Summit Racing, but they keep pushing off the shipping dates. The body is on the rotisserie, fixing the rust issues on the floor, building a body mount or 2. Then on to building a framework for the cargo area floor. Cutting out the spare tire well (as the tire would stick up into the flat area of the floor, laying the tire flat, using part of the old well area for the battery, and storage, and making a hinged floor to cover it all. I can't wait until the body goes back on the frame!
While Glen is working on putting his engine together, I had some time on the Olds-Mad. I used some 3/4" square tubing to build a frame to support the cargo area floor. They used 1/2" tubing to frame the floor panels. Two of them, hinged to fold on each other. Rolled some beads in for support. Not sure what i will cover them with, but I'm leaning toward using a 50's design linoleum, with half round stainless rub strips, similar to the bars on the Nomad tailgate. Also working on making "pockets" out of fiberglass for the area between the new cargo floor and the back of the quarter panel, for storage. The spare tire fits nicely, flat under the new cargo floor, and the old spare well will house the battery and probably a small tool box.
Cut out the stock spare tire well, and put in a larger one, for the battery and tools. Fixed the rusty sections of the floor, and rewelded some of the PO's patches, too. Moved one gas tank support, so I could use a 56 Chevy gas tank. Lots of cutting and welding to make the new filler tube, though. New rubber between wheel wells and quarters, POR-15 and undercoat on the floor, and back on the chassis!
W O W...A W E S O M E !!! Till seeing this The Pontiac was my fave......Slap a 57 J-2 in there and ......... A M A Z I N G.
If the rot repair lasted “THIRTY YEARS “ plus or minus by the Old Boss,that’s pretty damn good considering he brazed it. I just gave a truck away as a graduation present to my grandson. Twenty seven years ago I brazed all the rot and bondo it in and painted with “Single Stage” It’s failing in some areas do to drainage or lack of. Sitting outside in the elements twenty seven years “BRAZING “ can’t be all bad . Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app