Projects No room but can't stop

Damn all I ever get for free are sales pitches…

 

Looks like that car has a good home now, Hardtops from the early 1960's always look good. Bob

 

Knocked out a couple issues after work this week and most of today. Column was stuck, wouldn't move out of park. My column guy (35years experience) was baffled after 3 hours. I pulled it out and saw the very bottom was rusted stuck to the inner sleeve-aha moment! So I freed it up and put that back in but Mike will need to do the finishing touches because I will break the fragile parts. I also repaired the rotten driver's door window channel.

 

It's in my price range!

 

This is becoming a very cool ride

 

My dad bought a 1961 Catalina four door sedan back in 1963, when I was seven years old. It was in the family for another 15 years so I more or less grew up in the back seat. My first car was also a 1961 Catalina four door sedan, and I've continuously owned at least one '61 Pontiac of one type or another for 50 years now. So, obviously I approve of your purchase.

Your hardtop was relatively uncommon compared to the sedan, they built about 17,500 of them.

 

Messed with the driver door card today. Bottom is clobbered, warped, dry, cracked, and missing chunks. Trying to save it. . . .
Also cut and shaped patches for trunk floor, couldn't bring myself to drag out the welder today so that'll probably happen after work this week.

 

All in all, the trunk is not bad.

I had some odd rust holes in my Belair floors, up high on the floor pan, not low where I would expect it. One on each side the size of a quarter, the size of a half-dollar once cleaned up. I patched them with fiberglass and resin. Good for another 130k miles.

 

Great find obviously - I'm a little envious. But as a fellow MA resident, gotta ask if you got a title with it. I've had some unsatisfactory (polite term) adventures with our beloved registry and am always curious how guys navigate thru without "proper" documentation.

 

I fought with the driver door glass getting it back in but it survived. My arms and wrists got a bit carved up but I won the battle, it works very well now. Door card is done and if you squint it doesn't look too bad. @chucka yes I got a title

 

Phew! My column guy was here tonight and he put the intricate pieces back together and everything is all good (except the horn button which was hacked before). I have to solder the little wire. So, big hurdle overcome.
Next up is getting the gas tank back in, new fuel filter, and getting a good brake pedal. Then test drive.

 

Makes me smile too. thanks

 

My wife bought me a hat with that on it. Little dose she think I probably will go first and she will be the winner after all.

 

@stuart in mn I am in need of a passenger side fender if you know of any. Please and thank you, Ron

 

Little progress everyday but getting there. Installed the "c" clips in the shifter linkage tonight and got a soldering gun and fine gauge solder for the horn button from my brother. I pull in the driveway and Ross is there looking to have a couple beers and tell war stories so. . . . Soldering tomorrow

 

I have the same problem so I rent two garages from my neighbor

 

An early 60’s Pontiac for free?!? Looks like you’re well on the way to having a great cruiser.

 

We were out and about last night, saw a nice '62 Poncho at a repair shop.

 

This is the horn button in the steering wheel. The wire is broken and I thought I could solder it but that isn't going to work.
Anyone have a spare or know where I can find one?

 

You might try Ames Performance, they have a pdf catalog that you can download and are all Pontiac. On the plus side, I think they are reasonably close to you as well.

 

There is also a salvage yard in New Hampshire that I heard is closing their doors soon. All the cars are for sale between $300 to $1800. The link is shown below, I think its called Rusty’s old iron, stuff from way back up to the 70’s from what I could see. I wish I was closer, I trailer out there and buy a few, supposedly he has a few Pontiacs.
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...r&referralCode=messenger_banner&v=shxIKf9Wgiw

 

Thanks @Balljoint I will look into Ames tomorrow

 

Today I got a couple things done.
Patched trunk floor and seam sealed it all up. Then tackled the master cylinder and rock hard pedal situation. Pulled the MC and booster out cleaned the crap out of it, somehow the push rod goes in and out now- I can hear the booster "whooshing" so fingers crossed. It's all back together now. Maureen is the best at bleeding brakes so that'll happen after work this week.

 

Been plugging away evenings and weekends when I have time. Put fuel tank back in Saturday, plumbed hoses to the pump and carb. Put a few gallons of fuel in and cannot get fuel up to the pump.
I tried a trick an old friend showed me-fill a small funnel with fuel and turn motor by hand backwards- fuel dumps into pump- worked on the 57 but not on this.
Next I disconnected line before the pump and put compressed air in tank- barely got a drip out of the line at the pump.
Aye Aye Aye, I'm done for the night.

 

Note: I had the car running off a gallon jug on the ground plumbed through the pump. Clogged line?

 

Could also be a pinhole in the line. A hole so small it will barely seep will kill the vacuum from the pump. Just try drinking through a straw with a hole in it above the liquid level. Seen this more than once on old stuff here in the land of rust.
About your horn button. Are you having trouble getting it to take solder or is it another problem? If I can't get a wire to take solder, I use soldering paste that has the flux built in. Comes in a tube. Not for use on delicate electronics but OK for your application.

 

This popped up for sale in NC......sure is perty....I could stash it...lets see...2026 ??? that's about when I'd get to it''

 

@Moriarity that is exactly what I was thinking. That'll be tonight after work