chistech Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) After my body man got set up and familiar with the air compressor, lighting, toilet facilities, etc., he started right in. Here’s the rear fenders all prepped and a picture of a skim coat on some areas of the deck lid. More done in two hours than what’s been done in 6 months. Edited October 18, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 You will get to see progress unfold right in front of you. I hope you're going to take all those nice aircraft out of the rafters so they don't end up with a new coat of paint. Looking good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 Got a text from my original painter telling me my wheels outer rims should be all finished/painted by end of this week. I will then go in the beginning of next week and prepare the stencils for the sprocket pattern and then he will paint them. Hopefully I’ll have some wheels after 7+ months of waiting! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary W Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 A painter that makes house calls........ Nice! I found the entire painting / body work process fascinating. I loved stopping by every day to see the progress unfold. Good Luck! Seems you're on a great course now. Gary 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 Well, so far so good, my new body and paint guy said he would be at my garage every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 to 9:00 and again, he showed up right on time. He did some more work on the deck lid and worked on one of the running boards that I welded up. He told me he was very pleased with the weld job I had done and the running board is nice and true for a welded repair. He’s actually almost done with it as far as the body work on it. Knowing that that he was working on the deck lid, I went to work replacing the rubber lid stops for when the lid is opened. The bumpers I had in place were for a Chevy and no where near tall enough to keep the lid away from the lower deck metal. Turns out the Olds bumpers were over a 1/2” taller than the Chevy bumpers. No one makes them and finding good hard rubber an inch thick is not easy. The blocks I needed to make are 1 1/2” wide, 1 11/16” tall, and 11/16” thick widening to 1” at the back with two angled “ears” to hold them in place under the clamping bracket. Looking for the proper rubber I located a 4”x4”x1” rubber jewelers block on eBay for $11. It came in today and I measured then cut the block to dimensions on my band saw. Using my belt sander, I sanded the slightly oversized block the proper size. I the cut the thickness to the correct thickness leaving the two angled ears on the back edge. I installed them in the car and I now have a nice finger thick clearance from the lid to the lower deck metal. I still have enough of the block left to make another pair. So a pair of bumpers cost me $5.50! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Nice job. It looks like the sort of rubber that is (or was) used in bridge bearings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 Not really sure of the chemical makeup or hardness rating of the block but it basically feels as hard as the smaller bumper made by Steele. I'm not too worried about the rubber as there is no sunshine to effect it like UV or any direct solvent contact. Should hold up just fine. Here's what I purchased. https://www.ebay.com/itm/SE-JT34442RB-Jeweler-s-Solid-Rubber-Bench-Block-4-x-4-x-1-Black/323389398265?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 25, 2018 Author Share Posted October 25, 2018 Got a text yesterday that the wheel rims had been finished painted. Went by tonight to remove all the masking. Again, another tone of work. I thought masking the wheels was a PITA but it turns out, removing the masking tape after it’s got a few coats of single stage paint on it is like removing hard plastic off the spokes. Where the paint was thick, I had to use an exacto knife to cut through the paint so the tape would pull off clean. The rims have a nice thickness of paint on them without being too thick and a really nice deep shine. What made the whole thing harder is the fact that they’re black and seeing the line of where the tape meets the rim wasn’t easy. Tomorrow I’ll apply the masking film to the other five wheels and cutout the sprocket pattern so we can paint the centers up. The one wheel that we already painted the sprocket on looks really good. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) Dropped by the paint shop today to put in another 4 hours taping off, applying the stencil film, cutting out the sprocket pattern, and gray padding the varnished areas where the wood will get painted black. I’ve about had enough of these damn wheels. I could restored a whole model A in the same amount of time I’ve spent on these wheels. Supposed to shoot the black tomorrow. Sorry for the lousy picture, my phone camera lens is cracked. Edited October 26, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 What kind of stencil film are you using? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Oracal blue translucent. Really nice stuff to work with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Ted, the Oldsmobile wheel looks great. Very interesting technique with the stencil. I always look forward to your posting on the restoration of the Olds. Ted, you, Martin, Roger and everyone else who submits their work on this Forum, are very much appreciated. The work is nothing short of spectacular. I feel this is a master class on restoration, and I am truly inspired by what you and the others do. Thanks. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 19 hours ago, chistech said: I’ve about had enough of these damn wheels. I bet when the car is finished your going to say. "Damn those wheels look nice on the car" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 John, thank you for those kind words. I believe there are many like myself that just enjoy doing things and hoping we can help others in any way we can. Whether it’s technical or inspirational, it’s satisfying knowing you’ve helped someone who’s got the same passion. I recently found out that a friend from across the country who’s been helping me immensely on my Olds, has had life issues that had really gotten to him and he had stopped going out in his garage. I imagine he had been slightly depressed but him helping me, and me inspiring him, got him back out in his garage working on his car again. When he told me that I helped him that way it really made me feel good. Funny how this hobby can help many of us in many different ways and in the end, we end up with a really nice car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 4 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said: I bet when the car is finished your going to say. "Damn those wheels look nice on the car" Have to admit it, I’ve already said basically that, but I also said I’m never doing another set like these! Hopefully anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 LoL! Don't forget the power your mind has to forget pain! In a few months, you might think of easier ways to do it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 My new body man has been getting a fair amount of work done. He’s worked on both of the running boards that I welded up. He told me I did a really good job welding them together as the welds and the surrounding metal is nice and flat so a very thin skim coat is all that will be needed. He’s working both sides of the weld so the boards will look good top and bottom. Both got finished up and primed tonight. The radiator apron had gotten damaged some and I fixed a lot of it originally. Tonight I got out the hammer and dolly then went fine tuning it. Got it nice and smooth to the point a good coat of filler primer wet sanded down will get it perfect. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 2, 2018 Author Share Posted November 2, 2018 Getting a lot done on the Olds body now. I’m doing a lot of preliminary sanding of the etch primed body to smooth out the skin from when it was sand blasted. Finding small areas that will need attention but nothing major. Also got a call from the pinstripe painter and will be dropping them off on Saturday. Finally feel like things are moving along. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share Posted November 3, 2018 Some work that got done last night. It’s good being able to work with Gilly, my new painter, as there’s lots of stuff I can do so he’s free to do other things and I’m learning at the same time. Had to pull the nails along the upper deck at the belt line because the deck had so low spots and didn’t follow the shape of the upper edge of the deck lid. I made up a pattern of the curved deck out of 1/4” mahogany and then nailed the upper deck back into the belt rail. The deck now has the correct shape it should have with just a few areas needing a thin skim coat to level it out. The firewall had many extra holes from things like wiring and old heaters along with drivers side of the cowl having an old two post antenna mounted to it. I plugged and welded those a long time ago and now by sanding down the etch primer, they’re all showing up and will be getting addressed as the body work goes. Both doors got sanded down and both are super straight considering they’re 85+ years old. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share Posted November 3, 2018 (edited) Few shots of the running boards. Getting close on them. Back sides are all done and black primed with the fronts almost done. Edited November 3, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share Posted November 3, 2018 (edited) Ok, I have to admit, all those hours were worth it! First picture the wheel is finished with the perimeter stripe and the others were just after the sprocket pattern was striped. Edited November 3, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 VERY nice job on those wheels! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 4, 2018 Author Share Posted November 4, 2018 Well, I can only take credit for the prep as the paint and pinstripes were by other talented people but I can say they both did incredible work. Now to get the tires mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 I would hate to be the guy putting tires on those nice new pretty wheels. I would be a little nervous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 One good way to mount the tires without damaging the rim is to use a black leaf bag around the rim. The tire slips right on....usually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 4, 2018 Author Share Posted November 4, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, keiser31 said: One good way to mount the tires without damaging the rim is to use a black leaf bag around the rim. The tire slips right on....usually. There is a whole discussion on using plastic garbage bags to mount tires on the VCCA. We have a local tire shop that has a special machine for doing high end rims. He told me the machine will no mark the rims or scratch any paint off. Hopefully that is the case. Either way I understand that they mount the tire from the back of the rim just in case! Another good thing is these rims are drop centers which normally help a lot when getting the tire over the rim edges. Edited November 4, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted November 4, 2018 Share Posted November 4, 2018 Beautiful work as always, It is interesting how much work went into each wheel from the factory. The little touches made each car from the different companies stand out. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 5, 2018 Author Share Posted November 5, 2018 Picked up my wheels from the pinstriper this morning and put them in my cellar on a nice plush rug. Went to the garage and got my 6WW tires and nickel stem tubes I picked up a year ago at Hershey from Universal Tire. I had never unwrapped the tires or opened the box with the tubes and rim strips. I cut all the wrapping off the tires to let them warm up and relax some in the cellar while my wife and I finished up all this years outside yard work. So I went into the cellar with some garbage bags and talc powder then opened the box with the rim strips and tubes. Opened up a box with a tube and found a rubber stem. Checked all the others and sure enough, all the tubes are rubber stemmed and incorrect. Have to call them tomorrow and hope they’ll work with me seeing it’s been just over a year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 5, 2018 Author Share Posted November 5, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, John S. said: Beautiful work as always, It is interesting how much work went into each wheel from the factory. The little touches made each car from the different companies stand out. John Olds actually offered 3 wheel choices in 32’. Wire, wood painted spokes, and varnished spokes. Wires were standard with painted wood being the second offering as an option. The varnished version was a charged option. Painted spoke wheels were painted the proper corresponding colors along with the proper pinstripe colors so there were many different options on the wheels. Because there is very little correct information and it’s very hard to find, most restored cars are restored to factory photos or drawings. The problem with that is often actual production cars varied quite a bit from those photos and drawings. (The NAOC allow cars to be restored to artists rendering). I have intensely researched my car and the wheels. Working together with the Antique Olds club 32’ technical advisor, using a very original wheel, and my own discovery stripping my wheels and finding a perimeter pinstripe, I believe my wheels to be restored to 100% OEM as delivered production with all striping in the correct locations and the thin, 1/16” width. Pictures below show the very original wheel with the thin 1/16” pinstripe set back 3/16” from the edge of the sprocket pattern and one picture of my carefully stripped wheel which revealed the 1/16” perimeter stripe on it. 5 of my wheels all had this stripe under the layers of paint. Edited November 5, 2018 by chistech (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 5, 2018 Author Share Posted November 5, 2018 Called Universal today and spoke with Dan. Even though I had bought my tubes just over a year ago, my receipt showed I did in fact order nickel stemmed tubes but I received the wrong, rubber stemmed ones. Universal was happy to exchange my tubes for me and luckily they had them in stock. I also ordered the dust covers with rim washers and should have everything in a couple days. That is great service for sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Mounted the tires tonight. Used the plastic bag method but still needed irons to get them on. Used pieces of thin flexible cutting boards for the kitchen as protection for the rim from the iron. Worked perfectly but I’m pretty tired after a day of work and 4 more hours on these wheels. My wife asked me where I was storing them until I was done and before I could say anything, she says, “ they’re so beautiful I’m fine with you putting them in the spare bedroom.” ? now that’s something! The two wheels with the hubcaps on are my spares. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Man they are beautiful. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 1 hour ago, GARY F said: Man they are beautiful. Thanks Gary. In all honesty, the pictures don’t due them justice. Seeing all six together is something. It amazes me what work went into a $1,100 car back then. These depression cars were really considered throw away after a few years too. Before someone says it, I will, and I concede, yes , the hours spent were definitely worth it. The 600-17 is a nice beefy tire too which should give the whole car a “presence” when done. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdang Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Does your wife realize that new tires have a definite odor? Do guests use your spare bedroom?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 1 minute ago, zipdang said: Does your wife realize that new tires have a definite odor? Do guests use your spare bedroom?? What’s more important, a guest here or there, or my Olds wheels? That’s a no brainer!? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 That's the whole package! Great work on the wheels. They are gorgeous, Ted. You are a lucky fellow. A neat car, and an understanding wife. Thanks for the post. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 Been over a year since it sat on its own tires. Good to get them back on. Another milestone completed. Covered them up with some canvas protectors. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Nice! I don't think that seat is what came on the 32' Olds originally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 12 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said: Nice! I don't think that seat is what came on the 32' Olds originally. 83’ blazer. Just like the 83’ blazer wheels that were on it for a year. You can see the shiny aluminum wheel adapters next to the seat frame legs in the picture. Love my old blazers so I just recycle usable parts! LOL restored my M1009 diesel blazer with just 26,900 miles on it over 5 years ago now. It’s the vehicle that got the restoration juices flowing. One of my favorite vehicles to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 Got a ring on the door bell today. Look what arrived. After i got it I got it up and measured, I determined it will just fit inside my garage with the top of it just hitting the bottom of my trusses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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