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55 Century Convertible project


buick5563

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Guest Rob McDonald
I stopped billing six months ago.

MIKE, before you start billing again, I've got a car I'd like you to fix up and paint for me. Half the size of a Buick and I won't make you colour sand. I can have it delivered to you by Wednesday. Remember, though, no billing.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally got Willie's car back to him. I will let him show pics when it is all back together.

Anyway, I got to work on my convertible this week. Painted the air cleaner, cleaned lubed and painted the convertible knob switch, and spent two days fabricating the power window wiring harness. As I said way back, I didn't think it would be a big deal to do. I ordered all of the correct wires from Rhode Island Wire. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, the harness is roughly thirty feet long and has switch legs and power leads everywhere. I went crazy wrapping the thing with nearly three rolls of electrical tape (after testing continuity. ube6a9yg.jpgy7a8a7a3.jpgmetupuqe.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I love when other Forum members inspire me.

Thanks Robert, Matt and Adam.

I have been busting through a bunch of small projects this week, many of which involved the wire wheel and "never try this at home". I cleaned all of the rust and schmutzies off of the vent control cables and speedometer cable and lubricated them all. Just a hint: don't let the cable get wrapped in your motor. It will wreck the cable, the grinder and possibly your face. I did none of these...

I also painted my radiator after fixing all of the dings. Took all of my dash chrome bezels etc to the chromer. Fixed my clock and cleaned up my speedo and gauge clusters.

The only pic I have is of the radiator, and it looks even better in person (if I do say so myself).

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Edited by buick5563
Errant punctuation correction (see edit history)
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It has to be really close to straight. The rebuilder can get it reasonably close. I then used a very light skim coat of body filler. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but I did the same thing on my Special's top tank ten years ago and there has been zero cracking. pu6ynu3e.jpg

7a8a2eme.jpg

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Got a load of parts back from the plater today. I used a different guy in Austin ten years ago, but I think he probably went out of business due to stricter environmental laws in Austin than the rest of Texas. So with many restorations we use zinc instead of cad plating. I did it on my Special and it looked good. The parts I got back today look almost like reproduction parts. They are super shiny. They look fantastic, but should I just leave em this way and let them oxidize? Or....nehedu8y.jpg

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Dear Mom,

I was feeling very strong and productive today, so I installed the hood and started adjusting it all by myself.

I had the front sheet metal a little to much forward, but it is looking good after some minor tweaks.

Love,

Mike8a5uhu2u.jpg

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Hmmm.

Tapatalk is an easier way for me to post pics immediately from the garage. They are showing up correct on my phone and iPad. I haven't looked on my desktop, though that is an Apple product as well. It isn't like the earlier posts in this thread where I saw them sideways also.

Sorry guys, I didn't even know. I'll look into it.

Ben, the dear mom thing is something my old business partner and I said whenever we did something boneheaded and / or embarrassing. As in Dear mom, you wouldn't believe how straight I cut this piece of plywood. (NOT)

Or dear mom, I picked up a heavy hood by myself.

Yeah, I know it's an unfunny inside joke I shan't use again...

Any way.

I am having some morning coffee and gonna try straightening the hood. I messed with it for a few hours and couldn't get it to line up side to side and at the cowl. I think it is actually bent up a little (thus shortening it), so I am going to pull it and hit it with a hammer once or twice. :)

Yes Willie, I already read MartinSR's Autobody 101 post.

Panel Alignment - Autobodystore

Edited by buick5563
Added 90's reference for clarity. (see edit history)
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Oh, and thanks for letting me know about the pictures. Y'all gotta let a brother know when something isn't right!

Gracias John D

I tried but apparently you didn't catch my "neck exercise" puns. duhh

and re them pretty zinc plated parts, let'em oxidoze. In fact just let everything regress and then in 20 years, Woodie can enter it into the "Archival" and get a perfect score.

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It appears to be a problem between some cell phones and Tapatalk.

Smart technology sometimes isn't so smart. Auto Correct, etc.

Does my phone really think I meant to type "dinosaur" when I clearly wrote Dynaflow?

Geez Louise.

I used to email the photo to my home computer, then upload to photobucket THEN upload to the forum. I just want an easier way to load these pictures when I am outside drinking a beer at the end of the day, so my Buick brethren can enjoy the day with me.

It's like the technological version of orange peel. Enough to "P" off the pope.

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Mike, if your luck is like mine, no how many pictures you took, you're going to get to one spot, can't figure it out, and that's the one spot you didn't take a picture of.... it's soooo simple, no need to take a picture of that...famous last words....:rolleyes:

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I took all of the top irons to the chromer and powdercoater, but the front header had a big hole in one corner.

My metal working abilities aren't powdercoat sufficient, so after cutting out the rust, filling it in with a small piece of metal and using fiberglass bondo, I brushed POR 15 over the rusty metal and sprayed regular primer on the inside part that would show. It seems a shame to cover this up with vinyl.

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