Projects Finally My '26 Chevy Roadster Build

OK! I'm sold! My hands are a little dry and shoes and socks are drying on the porch. I had to go wading to get the frame out. I smell like orange juice, better than usual. I'll still need to do a little wire brushing with a drill but it is so clean! I have decided to put as much of the mix as I can in in a heavy tote I got from work years ago. It's full of motorcycle parts right now but it is plenty big for almost anything but frames. I'll try to get that done tomorrow. There may be a little flash rust by morning but that's not a problem.

 

That came out great!

Use bicarb soda in a bucket of water & wash parts, it will help neutralise the citric acid.

 

Also, good tip once you do the baking soda solution neutralizing rinse, then plain water rinse. Follow with alcohol rinse to flash dry. Alcohol will displace the water, and dries fast so you avoid any light flashing.

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WOW! You did good! I always end up wet after the wire brushing, rinse, soda rinse, clear water rinse! This the first that I've heard about alcohol, but sounds very interesting! (I have been blow drying with compressed air and then run a part at a time into the shop and use a heat gun. (smaller parts)) I'll try it.
Be careful and HAVE FUN!!

 

Could you use acetone instead of alcohol? That way, you still get the parts bone dry AND prepped for paint

 

Lookin' good @Six Ball !

 

I got all but the frame inside last night because we have a little rain/snow coming tonight or tomorrow. I'll get the frame in the barn today. There was some slight browning this morning. I'll experiment with some of the chemicals and rust treatments I have sitting around. Partly to stop the flash rust and partly to use it up and gain the space! Wading into the tank must have made some holes in the plastic liner. The tank was almost empty this morning. That's fine I'll get another batch going it the big tote for the summer. I have a cracked ford flathead block I'll dunk. Thinking of putting a shop art engine together partly to save space and partly to remind me of my misspent youth.

 

wipe it down with Oxisolve It will leave a Phosphate finish and it will not flash or rust over.

 

I got the frame in the barn before the snow got here. Just as a test I put some WD40 on one place and Marvel Mystery Oil on another. I have lots of both of those. it will have to be cleaned before paint any way.

 

Continuing parts and shop cleaning along with winchafying my OT pickup. (it will help me move some junk around & get some on the trailer) I have been following this thread by Marty Strode and learning a lot watching him work on his frame. He has shown me that some frame mods I want to make are more doable than my "helpers" wanted me to think they were.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/olds-powered-29-roadster-build-marty-strode.1226005/

I am getting ready to put my front crossmember back in with rivets. It looks like Chevrolet used 11/32" rivets and I'm having a hard time finding them. A 11/32" drill goes in the holes and a 23/64 " won't. 8mm might work but I can't find then either. I guess I could go out to 3/8" I will be putting one front spring hanger back too that someone has removed. If this goes well I may rivet the new rear crossmember too.

I followed the links in Marty's thread to find a source but no 11/32" rivets.

 

I was under the impression that the rivets expand into the holes as they are heated and set. So maybe it is 5/16 rivets you need not 11/32.

 

Thanks, I'm looking into that. I have read that the rivet needs to fit tight in the hole and then I've read that should be slightly smaller and expand to fill the hole. My only real experience with this are the soft rivets we used when replacing broken teeth on the sickle bar mower on the farm.

I found this pretty much what I was thinking. So the hunt continues for 11/32" rivets. Friggin' Chevy!
https://www.engineersedge.com/rivet_application.htm

 

Rivets need to fit the hole tight! Like tap em in the hole lightly tight!
I used to help the engine techs drill and align turbine engine cases and rivet on brackets, with Monel rivets. Steel rivets should be a lot easier.

 

6Ball have you tried calling McMaster Carr! I looked on their site this morning, nothing. But sometimes they have items that they do not put on the web site, low usage. Be worth a try.

 

Thanks guys! So far it has been only an online search. I searched the McMaster Carr site and several others. I may need to search some old Chevy sites and suppliers.

 

SixBall try here Rivets by Jay-Cee | Rivets in Stock

 

Never thought of building a trough for a frame.... genius... all the parts look awesome, I'm sure gonna keep a eye on your build.
Have fun....

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Larry, thanks, I don't see them there either. I'm sure there are a few somewhere. For practice and the job I'll need at least 20.

Grumpy 32, thanks. I'm sold on the citric acid bath. There is no genius around here just trying to use up the junk I've hauled home home. That big plastic sheet and the beams followed me home 20 years ago. As far as following the thread you won't have trouble keeping up.

 

A British site where I saw 11/32 rivets.
www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk

https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/rivets/what-solid-rivet-sizes-are-available

 

I do see that 11/32 solid steel rivets are made but I don't see how to buy them. When I click shop for refits it takes me to Amazon and they don't show them. Thanks for the help. The Wonkee Donkee site also shows 9mm rivets are made also. I could make them work.

 

https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/11119442

I found this which lists an 11/32 steel rivet. Might be something to look into. It has a bulk price but also an individual price

 

Shadow Creek, Thanks. It does show a unit price of $1.30 But when I put 20 each in my cart it came to $26,000. There is a Fastenal here and I'll see if I can get them to order some. They are listed at JC too but I can not order them on line.

 

Doing more reading and finding that 11/32 is the right size but VERY hard to find. One thread claimed that the next size was 7/16. Since I know that 7/16 = 14/32 while 3/8 = 12/32 and 12 is closer to 11 than 14 I quit reading that thread. I found this very good description of the process with good pictures that can be enlarged. I am leaning to 3/8 because they are available. The drilling will be minimal.
http://devestechnet.com/Home/FrameRivets
Several threads said to use grade 8 bolts which is probably fine but if I'm not going to use rivets I'll just weld it. I may use bolts to hold things in place temporally while placing the rivets.

 

3/8 will also give you a little extra to drill out to fix the odd questionable hole. As I mentioned you want them to fit nice in the holes.

 

Is there a source for 20s Chevy radiators? I have a '25-'26 shell and a '27. The '27 has a honeycomb radiator but I'm not sure it is the right one. I like the looks of the '27 best and the shell and radiator have all the mounts. I might be able to have it recored but I don't know of any shops that still do that around here. I need to take measurements and start looking.

 

Six Ball, I am thinking that that radiator is not a 27 (steel shell 27/28 truck-nickel coated steel 27 Canadian car) or it has slipped down. You should not see the top tank from the front. Each of the years have a different radiator: 25 lower spud on left side, 26 same as 25 but lower spud on the right side (trucks same as car), 27 the bottom of the bottom tank is not straight across but rather rises up in the middle to clear the crank (27/28 truck is same as 26 car), 28 bigger fill opening. (This from memory, may be a little off.) Also there was a band that went in front of the radiator that fallowed the contour of the shell but was maybe a half inch smaller than shell-would cover a little more radiator. I do not know if this band was only for the aluminum shell or all, also do not remember if all years or not.
As of 20 some years ago there was not anyone making them. Sure would be nice to find someone.
If you have pics. of the back side it would help ID radiator.

 

Thanks Boyd, That helps. I know the piece of tank should not show at the top. I haven't examined it closely but it looks like all the brackets line up and all screws in place. I'll try to get more pictures tomorrow. I think I have located two real radiator shops near by that could re-core it and maybe the top tank could be moved up in the shell. All speculation for now. It wouldn't bother me to have a modern core. I need to know if the height is the same so the hood will line up. Were the cowls the same height?

 

I'll check on cowls today to see if they are the same. Will also have to check the front crossmember height (where radiator bolts on) to top of the frame rail.

 

On a not really a tangent but maybe adjacent thought, years ago a hamber did a tech thread on how to build your own honey comb radiator core.

it’s possible some of that information could be gleaned to repair anything in your existing core?

 

Brass works builds some nice looking rads. Can't imagine what it would cost though.