Projects Mild custom '51 Pontiac Chieftain

I use windshield urethane Phil. Run about a 5/16 bead in the sash channel. Sometimes I put the channel on the glass when it's out of the door, sometimes I put the glass in the run channel and slide it to the top, run a piece of tape over the top to hold the glass up, then roll the sash up onto the glass and let it set overnight. But a tube of urethane will easily do all of the doors and it's affordable.

 

I was thinking about that but the proper rubber U-section is available for it, so I'm going to do that. Before then though I need to find the front glass channel; without that the glass cannot go up and down and stay in line and not break again.

Phil

 

Here's what I use man. Guy here in northern Ky has it. Great price.

 

Great for hot rods and customs, probably not suitable if you're trying to do a factory restoration.

 

Question being, will it accept 1/4" glass?

Edit: Now that the eBay mobile site stopped fighting with my phone, I can see it does.
Do you normally just fix it in with window urethane?

I just went out and measured up.

Glass thickness: 1/4"
Channel width: 1/2"
Channel depth: 5/16"

Gonna hunt about for something suitable.

Phil

 

I've used urethane, and I've used 1/8" rivets.

 

Found the stuff



On my shopping list. I think it's correct, shall double check but it looks right.

Phil

 

I've got a few of those pieces out in the shop. Not sure if they're long enough to be useful. I usually buy them in the long sticks in Louisville, either at the kyana swap meet or the NSRA nationals vendor section. Not this year

 

Probably not, I need the full runner section from top to bottom. I'll grab this and try fit it. I need to figure out what's wrong with the rear channel too. It's buckled in the middle.

 

Phil, a little heat on that window putty should soften it up so it will come out easier.

 

A little too much smells really bad, too!

Phil

 

Fire and wire wheels later, it's now painted. Straightened it out too, where one edge had become bent down because the window channel is gone.

Any progress is good progress.


Phil

 

Nothing really happened today because it was too hot.



So, have a Chief as consolation. There's a nice insert that's not all crazed on that there bidding site right now, $219.
I am quite happy to pull him out, store him safely with the rest of the bits from the car and put a reproduction one in for less than half that price.
Would be nice to have him not look like Clint in G, B & U.


Phil

 

I built this little doohickey to put on the back of the temperature gauge. Forgot I had the parts to make it on the shelf.
This will keep the voltage stable (or rather what it does is gives a ceiling maximum the voltage is allowed to go up to, adjustable) so the temperature gauge won't over-read when the engine is running.

(Would also work to run 6V gauges on a 12V converted vehicle, it's a versatile doohickey).
Phil

 

Installed board.


Ran up to temperature.


Adjusted gauge.

That's better.


Phil

 

GENIUS, great build stuff yourself.

 

I admire your attention to all the fiddley little things that go into restoring an old car. I sometimes don't have patience for that stuff. Carry on.

 

Patience like taking the gauges apart, adjusting the alignment of the clockwork, testing and reassembly?



Found why the temperature gauge was getting stuck. Undone it worked fine, tightened into the bucket twisted it slightly, so I tweaked the alignment of the armature and now it moves freely.

Phil

 

There we go. Doesn't get stuck in the middle now.

Phil

 

Reassembled it all.

Idle idle idle


Normal running temperature.


Bang on the money. Now I'm hot, the car makes the garage like a furnace and stinky even with the big fan running. But, it's all back together and it works. Hopefully that's the last time for a while I have to do that.

Phil

 

This is for sale within driving distance. I may go and check it out this week. This thread (and you PhilA and your vast knowledge) have inspired me. What do others think of the price?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/270220817703913/?surface=product_details

 

They're naturally on the high side. For that money you can get yourself a sweet Sunday driver that's neat and presentable, drives nicely and needs no work.
They need to knock about 3k off that because it's tatty and everything outside needs redoing- don't buy it to sell it on. Drop $5000 in paint, another $2000 in chrome and if it runs it's worth what they ask... even as a 2-door. Bodyplan doesn't make much difference to the price. Looks like it's an automatic (picture is a bit fuzzy) so that they've put it manual suggests they haven't driven it...

If you can knock them down a bit it is a basis for a sweet custom though.

 

Not to mention, there are at least 5 other cars in that building. This is probably the worst of the bunch, or they would be keeping it.

 

Yeah. Mine as a 4-door, running, driving, steering, stopping with a 6/10 interior and 7/10 exterior set me back $5300, bear that in mind.

 

I talked to the seller, he bought it to restore for his Pap, but Pap perished in the meantime. It is supposedly a California car, bought in Sonoma and shipped back east. Engine is not working, supposedly hole in a piston, so tranny is untested. Price seemed high to me, engine/tranny would probably end up 350/350 for simplicity, which could easily add 3K. Owner does this, buys/sells "vintage" iron, prices on most are higher end.

 

Doesn't run, untested.. it steers and possibly stops. Holed piston on one of these 8's is highly unlikely, destructive death on these is usually over-speed conrod failure with parts making a bid for freedom through the oil pan or block wall.
If it isn't holed and turns over but has crappy compression on several pots, it may just be stuck valves. Even with 4 pots with zero compression these engines will still fire up. Sounds like he didn't try.

That is an $8k car at best, and that is if the rockers, door bottoms, trunk floor and up around the A pillars is still solid.

I bet you he disagrees.

 

Everything on hold for a little while.

 

No sooner do I say pause, and a few things fall into place. So, a few things occurred.


I finagled the screen defrost to lower heater pipe back into place.


I made a lower heater return pipe.


Fire was used in a constructive manner.


A dual pipe clamp is in the making.

More to come.


Phil

 

Completed that bracket and used it to clamp the pipes to the chassis where they go through it, prevents them from rattling.

 

More fire, more metal.


Created another bracket. Fairly simple affair but the long metal pipe had no support other than being attached at either end to the radiator and the heater lower pipe.


This gives it a little more support about 2/3 the way along its length. Bolted in through one of the old battery tray bolt holes.


Filled the cooling system back up and started the engine. Everything got nice and warm, the defrost and under seat heater; the valve functions as expected.

One more thing off the list.


Phil