Roger Zimmermann

I't looking like Christmas!

Well...For sure it's not a Monte Carlo. You are right, I'm sort of busy: the kitchen has been remodeled; all windows' frames are painted. Since one week, we are moving furniture pieces in a room or another to let some working space...It should be over at the end of the week...

Chrome should not go away so easely. Is the chrome coat too thick? When I installed the front bumper from my '56 de Ville about 30 years ago, I had some cracks at 2 or 3 corners. Ar the end, I let rechrome the lower front bumper in warranty.

John, thank you for the comment. As I don't know how the inner part of the rear fender is done, I had the feeling that the bracket could be hidden. This bracket was maybe a last minute addition... I noticed that you had to remove the front grille to install the bumper!

Maybe it's not possible, but should not the small support straps be inside the rear fenders?

Back home from a short vacation, I could continue with the rear brake shields. I wasn't sure if I would have success because the center of the shields is real deep. The first picture is showing the tools and a sheet of thin brass. I could keep the base of one of the front tool and add a different punch maintained with 2 screws (the tool I'm referring is on the left). Then came the moment to press the brass between the tools; the second picture is showing the result at mid-"travel". With more pressure from the wise a good shield was born! Before I did the second one, I put some oil on the brass to facilitate the pressing. It was not a wise decision as there is more tearing near the center hole as with the first part. This tearing is not detrimental to the part, it will not be seen. The third picture shows one completed shield and the second one which is almost ready. The hole for the centering shaft was bored at 5 mm into the brass sheet; when completed the hole was almost 7 mm in diameter. Some details must be added, for example the bulge for the brake cable.

Sorry, I don't have that tool, but I'm wondering why you are searching one: I own two '56 Cads and the drums are coming out effortless when both small screws are removed...

Are there not too much distorsion at the roof panel due to the welding?

When the car will be back from that shop, please check if the cotter pins are installed, this is something which may get forgotten.

In 2002, I was put on early retirement by GM Switzerland; I was 57. I had no choice, and, of course, the amount of money at the end of month was about 50 - 55% of what I had before. As an help, GM gave me some translation to do for about 6 years; it helped somewhat. I had also other "small jobs" I still have from the dealers I visited as a District Service manager. All in all, it was the best decision GM took for me, I never regret it! I had suddently plenty of time, sometimes too much so I began again with my "first love": building scale car models. Some from this forum are following the constuction of a Continenetal Mark II; I will still be busy with that for many years. The secret to retirement, early or not, is to be busy and interested by something. People who don't know what to do the whole day and reading the newspaper 3 times just to be busy are poor people.

Don't worry: some are directional, but most are not. Those which are have clear indications on the side regarding the rotation direction.

To drop a painted body alone was certainly not an easy job; I suppose you did a good planing! About unwanted visitors: the front door of my "garage" is near the main road of a rather small village. At first, this door was open to have light and some heat as outside temperature is mostly above the one from inside. The result was people coming in with questions (more or less always the same) and usually at a time when I had difficulties or problem with something. After a short time, the front door was/is always closed when I'm there, cutting the unwanted visitors flow.

Thank you Tom! The work on that engine is fantastic, many people sent me that video the last few months!

Bernie, there are some jobs which just cannot be done alone! Fortunately, I could relay either on my life partner Christine for some help or the man who has a space in the same barn where my cars are located. As somebody song: " With a little help from my friends" (more or less correct wording)

Thanks to the brain storming I had with the front brake shields, the tooling for the rear ones was done more quickly. Unfortunately, no picture for the moment, I'm not at home.

The last few years, I rebuilt some of these transmissions. Also a few ones which were already rebuilt by other people. Most of them don't know how to remove the cover of the front coupling unit. There are 2 thin O-rings on that cover to seal the unit. I found many which were hard like glass and could not seal anymore. No 2nd and no 4th is a typical failure of the front unit coupling. I had one case with that cover lightly conical; I noticed it after the rebuild when there was no 2nd and no 4th when warm...

I'm also wondering why there is no further report on that job...

It's sometimes interesting to see that the person who ask a question is getting plenty of answers but is giving himself no feedback...

The replacement of my 5-years old computer was a severe "distraction" during last week. I have now Windows 7, but, frankly, Windows XP was easier to work with. It's like cars: the new model is shinier, but not necessarily better! Brake shields are in fact just a stamped steel disk on which the cylinder and shoes are attached. On my front brakes there will be no shoes, it makes the whole matter less complicated. However, the shield has to be formed by stamping, like the original ones! The first picture is showing how I'm milling the pattern. The final product will not be 100% like the original, but the overall appearance will be very similar. The second picture is showing the tools and a piece of brass .2 mm thick ready to be formed. This happens on my small wise, in several steps as I'm looking in between if the metal is not damaged, third picture. All went rather well; the fourth image is showing both shields which are identical. On the real car, there is a RH & a LH part; the stamping is the same; just the hole to adjust the shoes is at a different place. The last picture is showing the drum again installed on the suspension; it's definitively looking better with as without a shield. I have now to finish the details on the other shield; then I will go to the rear ones, first by milling another pattern.

The gasket you found in the car - 2 sheets of metal and something in between is looking like the gaskets Fel-Pro is selling. I doubt that you will find thin metal gaskets as they are good with new components at the factory but as less suitable in the field for repairs. If the gaskets you got from SI are from Best Gasket, ask them about what you would like to know! By the way, you cannot expect from a supplier that they produce themselves the parts they are selling. Even car companies bought parts from suppliers!

No, I will not. However, you are doing an error: the weight is function of the volume: 12 x 12 x 12 = 1728. 2300 divided by 1728 = 1.33 kg. The model will be between 2 and 3 kg...

Chris, if you had ordered a pair of head gaskets you would have the answer. I suppose that the gaskets are the same and no matter which side is coming up or down. If I were in your situation, I would install the gasket as shown on the second picture: the face we can see up. Maybe you will get a different opinion... By the way, on this type of gasket, no sealer is necessary I was told.

Yesterday I soldered the last bits of brass at the cowl. This damn part is looking as it would be easy to reproduce; however, there are so many details that at the end it was more complicated as anticipated. By the way, this is, surface wise, the largest sheet metal part I ever did in brass. Unless I forgot something, the front end of the floor/cowl is complete. I did a very short tunnel to have some rigidity during handling. By testing the construction on the frame with the engine, I noticed that I did an error at the inner rocker panel under the side of the cowl: I would have difficulties to install the exhaust; this error will be corrected at a later date. Up to recently, I did not know why the rocker panel was partial under the doors and a filler was placed under the chrome lower moulding. The reason is simple: as the exhaust was installed on the frame before the body was dropped on it, the exhaust would have interfered with a full the rocker panel. At the rear of the car, the exhaust tubes are following the frame; this allows for a full rocker panel. I will have to do the same if I want to mate the body on the frame... Now, I will go back to the frame and do the brake shields as I got recently some good pictures. I hope to measure the floor sometimes during spring/summer to continue it.

I see no difference: the car is brown, and, after your efforts, still brown and something black, same grey wheels. Oh! Should I look for other glasses?

Enjoy your trip as well as the Italian food!