chistech Posted July 9, 2019 Author Share Posted July 9, 2019 Just finished up the roof. Now to finish up a little machining for a friend. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Excellent!! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weathered1 Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Damm, that looks Great!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Simply beautiful! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 12 hours ago, chistech said: Just finished up the roof that looks superb, very nice looking !! love the color and how it goes against the black car. you have come a long way and are getting close to that driving line 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Ted, your Chevy looks nice in those colors. Was the Coffee Cream available with black fenders? Love the Cream accents on the doors of the Oldsmobile. That and the tan top really ad to the car, Cool beans ! John 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 9 hours ago, John S. said: Ted, your Chevy looks nice in those colors. Was the Coffee Cream available with black fenders? Love the Cream accents on the doors of the Oldsmobile. That and the tan top really ad to the car, Cool beans ! John Hi john, yes, open cars were still the only cars to have the coffee cream color which would be accompanied by fawn brown accents but they were factory with black fenders. A dealer option was to paint the fenders fawn brown but only on the topside. All fenders were black on the inside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 Finished up machining some brake parts for a 29’ Chevy today and did some more work on the Olds. Wired up the horns and assembled the flying dove radiator cap. Checked all wiring for proper grounds and installed the battery in the battery box. Need to bolt the grounding strap to the frame. Still waiting on my dash panel to come back from chrome and paint. It’s been at one of the best platers in the country, a plater that does most the pebble beach cars for about a year now. They promised it to me a month ago then told me they weren’t happy with the paint work and needed it another week or two. Called yesterday and was told the plan is to have it done for the end of August!!!!! The reason,,,, they’re working on finishing up chrome for pebble beach. I told them that was the reason I waited until they were done with the PB car parts from last year before I sent it in. They put it aside and let it sit too long before starting on it. Of course, I can’t finish the wiring because I can’t put in my gauges. And the cost is a small fortune but I wanted the best job and was willing to pay the extra but now I’m about ready to call them and tell the to send it as is. The painting requires 1/16” fine line taping but it’s nothing I haven’t done on my RC airplanes. Going to call them tomorrow and hopefully keep my cool. Put the last snaps on the two straps inside the car which hold up the sides of the rear window curtain when it’s folded in for air or conversation with people in the rumble seat. So, the roof is now officially done. Still have to get the top boot out of the box and see about fitting that for when the roof is down. Got PM’d for some pictures of the inside of the roof so here they are. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I must have a touch of Bolshevik in me because I'd be ripping mad at treatment like that and be tempted to tell them what they could do with the PB bumpers... It isn't like they are giving you a special price or offered to do it when time permitted. It's really just a case of "one customer has more money so we'll %^&*% the other one." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, JV Puleo said: I must have a touch of Bolshevik in me because I'd be ripping mad at treatment like that and be tempted to tell them what they could do with the PB bumpers... It isn't like they are giving you a special price or offered to do it when time permitted. It's really just a case of "one customer has more money so we'll %^&*% the other one." I’m trying to keep my cool as they have my dash panel but I do have two others and I’m tempted to send one out for chrome and try painting it myself. The raised chrome lines get taped off then the depressed areas get airbrushed with the Argent silver paint. Not really much different than my RC plane work. The dash has shiny chrome raised lines and Argent painted depressions. The cost is $995 for the panel that’s about 7” x17”. When I sent it in originally, I thought it was chromed both with a shiny and satin type chrome but I learned from them that it is painted. If I knew that before I sent it, I probably would have tried doing it myself and probably still will. First dash is mine that I sent in with a lot of the brass showing. The second dash is of another car and how it should look when done. Edited July 11, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) I was going to ask about the dash. With all the work you have put into the car and how it's coming out, I'm sure you can do it. You have the talent. I say give it a try. What will it hurt, you will just have a spare or you can sell it. Edited July 11, 2019 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Agreed... And the great advantage to paint is that if it doesn't come out right the first time you can do it over. Were I in your place I would love to be able to say "keep it" to the plater (or maybe "I'll pay half since your failure to deliver on time cost me that much"). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 These are the photos sent to me by the plater of my dash a month ago. Seems to me all they needed to do is mask off the already painted areas and just clean the paint off the fine lines, mask those lines with fine line tape, then repaint. Can you imagine the top plater in the country tried to pass this off, I believe they felt it was just an Oldsmobile part and I would be happy with a half@$$ job figuring it would just be a driver and not the typical Packard, duesy, PA, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 4 hours ago, chistech said: Can you imagine the top plater in the country tried to pass this off, I believe they felt it was just an Oldsmobile part and I would be happy with a half@$$ job figuring it would just be a driver and not the typical Packard, duesy, PA, etc. LMFAO guess they do not KNOW Ted do they !!! really sad, should treat everyone and every car the same irregardless of make, model, etc... they are all precious/priceless to their owners, or should be 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, BearsFan315 said: LMFAO guess they do not KNOW Ted do they !!! really sad, should treat everyone and every car the same irregardless of make, model, etc... they are all precious/priceless to their owners, or should be There is really a whole lot more to this story and I know that the forum moderators don’t want any vendor bashing so I’m not mentioning any names or locales. When I talked with the owner a month ago I explained that I sent it to him on a friends recommendation and that he did that persons 32’ Olds dash about 3-5 yrs ago and it came out perfect. He told me that he didn’t remember ever doing a 32’ Olds panel and then said “hey, they didn’t make that many 32’ Olds to begin with”. (Duh!) I said exactly and my car was one of only 249 made and only one of three currently known and will be the only DCR restored to as close to 100% OEM as possible. I then went on to tell him I’m machining molds for rubber parts no longer available and he then interrupted me and said, “ok, I get it, your as crazy as my other customers and I know what you want, give me another week or two”. That really ticked me off as it told me his effort on my piece was intentionally going to be less than what he puts in on his “crazy” customers pieces. To say the least, I’m not impressed and he was still going to charge me the crazy customer price! I’ll keep everyone posted on what goes on. Im going to try and get one of my other panels chromed in the next week or so and have a go at painting it. If it comes out the way I’ll need it, when the plater calls to tell me it’s all done, I’ll tell him to keep it. I should of mentioned the receptionist told me when it’s done, she’ll let me know and contact me once it’s boxed so she can give me a total with the shipping. SHIPPING! Really, she must be kidding. Months behind promised delivery and I had to tell her where to get the ultra thin fine line tape on top of it all! Okay, now I’m getting wound up!🤬🤬🤬 Edited July 11, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Mereness Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Congratulations on everything, including top and getting body mounted to frame. As to the Chrome Plater - good work is worth the wait - you will be happy (focus on other projects for a little while longer. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 💦 Breathe Ted, Breathe Wooosah..... Wooosah..... Edited July 12, 2019 by BearsFan315 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 Finished wiring up the headlights and horns. The Olds uses a small diameter conduit and the wires in the new harness are too fat because of the dual, vinyl/cloth insulation. Ended stripping off the cloth where the wires run through the conduit so the wires would go through easier plus the contacts are spring loaded and the wires need to move back about a 1/4” when the plug is pushed into the headlamp socket. With the wires too fat, they wouldn’t slide back in the conduit like they should. We all know the trials of soldering those little contacts onto the wires so I decided to try my special crimping pliers I use for my RC planes battery connections. Turns out they work not only great but I have to say amazingly. So easy to attach those little nickel or brass contacts. Put the battery in the car and hooked up the connections so all lights including fender lights are working. Horns are nice and loud too. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 AWESOME! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 4 hours ago, chistech said: We all know the trials of soldering those little contacts onto the wires just did a similar thing on the 1929 Chevrolet 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Love it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 (edited) My buddy joe who’s restoring a 32’ Olds sport coupe made a paper template of his original rumble seat floor pan mat. The original had a fisher logo in the center and I purchased two reproduction mats from Mac Blair (the Buick guy). I fit the template to my car, adding to the template anywhere that was needed, and I put it down on my new mat, which was on a hollow core door, locating the Fisher logo in the center. Using my large RC modeling T pins, I pushed the pins in deep at each corner of every dimension until all of the mat was located with pins. I then used a steel straight edge, aligned up against pin to pin, then cut with an exacto knife. This technique worked perfectly and I cut my mat out without any issues. It fit just about perfect and only needed a tiny touch in a couple places to allow it to lay perfectly flat. Of course when all is done, the mat and all insides of the car will get cleaned and detailed. Edited July 14, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Macartney Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 Please excuse my ignorance. Was the car you are restoring an expensive car when new? The fine detail on the car is amazing, when compared with many of the early 1930's British cars, of that period. I noticed in your photos above, the hole punched at the end of the cut in the rubber - what a good idea to stop the cut spreading - I will have to remember that idea. Can we have a photo of your 'T pins' as I cannot visualise what they are. I am enjoying your posts, keep up the good work and excellent posts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 Hi Mike, your question is a good one. The comparable model Chevy in 32’ sold for $545 with the price on this Olds in the deluxe version, $1,090. So basically, the Olds cost twice as much and shared virtually the same windshield, roof, seats, and interior panels. The real differences were the 8” longer wheelbase, flat head engine w/74 hp (vs 60), larger tires, adjustable shocks, automatic choke, full engine oil pressurization, engine oil cooler/warmer, and golf bag door, all on the Olds. So for double the price, it was an upscale car from the Chevy but a tick or two below the Buick and Cadillac. I will get a picture of the T pins but visualize a stout common pin but instead of the round head, the body of the pin is bent 90d from the vertical, then goes a short length, then is bent back 180d over itself, double the distance past the vertical, then bent 180d down under itself, running back to the vertical, forming a “T” shape with the one piece of wire. The hole was done on the factory mats and I just copied it. They were pretty crafty back then . By the way, life expectancy for the Olds and Chevy was considered to be about 3 years back then! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 Here go Mike, next to a ruler in your language!😉 When I cut the front mat, I’ll take pictures of the process using the pins as guides and reference points. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Macartney Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 Thanks for both responses. What do you mean "in your language!" - I was very happy with feet and inches! Yet another rule, no pun intended, probably forced on us by the European Union. We lost Imperial gallons and have to buy fuel in litres. At least we can still have a pint of beer and travel in miles. I shall have to look up those pins and see if they are available over here - I can think of a few uses for them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 I have seen those pins here, way back. Were they hat pins or something? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 Most all modelers who build with balsa wood will use those pins. I would say most hobby shops should have them if you still have hobby shops over there. Most of ours have been lost to internet/mail order sales. They come in a few sizes with the smaller ones being about an inch high and the largest (I’ve seen anyway “ are about 1.75”. They come in very handy for many different projects. A quick search of “modeling T pins” will offer many places to purchase them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 You can get T pins at Michael's Craft stores., or other Arts and Crafts store. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 19 minutes ago, John S. said: You can get T pins at Michael's Craft stores., or other Arts and Crafts store. Problem is John I don't think they have Michael's or AC Moore craft stores in the UK. But maybe they do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 16, 2019 Author Share Posted July 16, 2019 (edited) No pictures to post because I cannot really show what was done. Installed my spare original keyed coil in the dash and connected all necessary wiring. Because the car has sat for a few months, the carb bowl was dry. It seems this is a common issue with the 32’ Olds and the Stromberg EC-2 carburetor. So rather than turn the motor over a ton to fill the bowl, I took the cover off and filled the bowl. My battery wasn’t charged up so after a few cranks it started slowing down with not even a pop. I hooked up my 6vt charger and let it sit. After a while, I tried it again and again, no signs of life. Started thinking my spare coil was bad so I pull a plug wire and turned it over, nothing! So I let it sit a while to charge and continued working on something for my kitchen when my brother showed up. He came over to see my progress and I told him I was trying to start it with no luck. So he said “do you have all your wires connected and properly”? So I look at the coil and everything is right so I go outside the car and check the wire to the distributor and it’s tight. I just happened to glance at the distributor cap and see the wire from the coil to the center of the cap is just sitting on top of the cap, not pushed down into the cap! Then I realized when I put the wire through the firewall grommet, I never put it into the cap correctly. Duh! So I push it down, go inside the car, turn the key, push the starter pedal down in half a revolution, she fired right up and kept running but at too high an rpm so the automatic high idle would need some adjustment. Just to explain if anyone is confused, the Olds has a keyed coil mounted inside the car behind the dash. A negative wire from coil and a coil ignition wire both run through a grommet in the firewall to the distributor. There is no coil mounted under the hood in the engine compartment. So we made some adjustments, turned the knob in the steering wheel down to low idle, adjusted the low idle air bleed, and let it sit. My restored oil gauge showed 30 pounds and the water gauge climbed to 190 with the car sitting after 10 minutes with the outside temps in the high eighties. All seems very good with one leak at the fuel pump turning out to be a loose dome only. Tightened the dome nut and all is good. I’ll be taking it off the dollies and getting it on its tires to start driving it in and out of the garage to get it out in the sun. The sun will start hardening up the clear coat and help tighten up any looseness in the top. Edited July 16, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 We don't need pictures, just a short video of it running. Come on Ted! Another mile stone reached. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 16, 2019 Author Share Posted July 16, 2019 7 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said: We don't need pictures, just a short video of it running. Come on Ted! Another mile stone reached. Problem is, I don’t think the site will support a video. Another problem is I don’t even know how to put one on YouTube! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Macartney Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, chistech said: Another problem is I don’t even know how to put one on YouTube! You are not alone! I found the T pins on eBay, in the UK, and have ordered them. I hope they will come in handy one day. Edited July 16, 2019 by Mike Macartney (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just messing with you Ted. I know you have a lot more things on your plate to do. The Olds is looking great. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 Going to try and post a video to YouTube and if it works, I’ll post the link here. Drove it out of the garage under its own power and it’s the first time with the body back on the chassis. It drove really well considering I could only shift into 2nd in my drive. Brakes felt really good with no pulling to either side and no strange noises. It literally started immediately after two pumps on the accelerator then a push on the starter pedal. I realize the minute it fires up, you have to be ready to turn the idle down as it likes to start with a fast idle, but it’s to fast not to turn it down. With the engine warm I decided to quickly wire up the heater fan and switch. Man that Harrison Sr. Heater throws a ton of heat and with the car only being a two seater, my wife should be nice and toasty on our fall rides. The fan on this heater actually spins pretty fast compared to most 6Volt fan motors I’ve messed with. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Ted, that is a wonderful milestone, getting the Olds to this point running and driving.. What a great feeling of accomplishment, I take my hat off to . I ,for one, would love to see a video of of your work. You, and others on this post inspire so many of us to actually finish our own projects . Thanks, as always, John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 19, 2019 Author Share Posted July 19, 2019 (edited) Been too busy to try and take a video but will try later this weekend. I did have a funny issue yesterday though when I went to bring it in the garage. I saw my neighbor (he’s an electrician)at the end of my driveway so I drove the Olds down to the street to tell him a friend called looking for a recommendation for a good electrician and that I told them I’d have my neighbor call them. When he walked up to the passenger door, he commented on how nice the car looks and how good it was running. When he looked at the dash, he saw the knobs and asked what they were. I pushed in on the cigar lighter so he could see the eye glow orange but instead, the car died! WTH. Tried to start it and it wouldn’t fire so we pushed it down my drive up into the garage because the sky had turned black and heavy rain was minutes away. Turns out when I put in my spare amp gauge to complete the electrical connections I only hand tightened the connections and when I put the load of the lighter along with the ignition load, the loose connections couldn’t carry the voltage. A quick tightening with a 3/8” wrench and all is good. I did do some work on the car at least. I took the original window T rubber weather strips, I have four of the original six. Most are no longer T shaped as the rubber on which the window closes against have long broken off except for one strip. These T strips get covered with an adhesive bowdrill cloth. Normal practice among most restorers is to completely cover the rubber wrapping the cloth around both edges to the bottom. I decided to take a closer look at mine which appear to be completely original. All four show only the outside edge was wrapped underneath to the bottom and the bowdrill was only on the face of the T that contacts the window frame then over the tip and down the inside about a 1/4”. The rubber has two defined depressions molded into it where the edge of the bowdrill starts on the inside of the T and finishes on the bottom of the outside edge. The new replacement rubber from Steele has the depression on the rear of the T but not on the bottom. The originals also had some 20-22g sheet metal stiffeners molded into the bottom. The Steele replacement rubber does not. I cut the sheet metal from the rubber with a utility knife then bead blasted the side that would be contact cemented to the rubber. There are four elongated holes in each sheet metal piece for mounting them with 6-32 screws. The elongated holes are for adjusting the weather strip in or out from the window frame. I cut some T rubber stock to just over length needed and glued them to each metal strip. To cut the holes for the mounting screws I used my small upholstery ice pick and poked it through each hole and through the rubber. With a sharpened piece of brass tubing in my drill and putting the tubing over the ice pick as a guide, I cut each hole in the rubber down to the metal as the originals were done. Got all four rubber T’s glued and cut to proper length but need to order the self adhesive bowdrill cloth from Steele Rubber. I have to get some sheet metal to make up the two needed that go on the two removable frame pieces above each door then make them up. All will get 45d cuts at each mating end then covered with the bowdrill cloth. Edited July 19, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 (edited) Made a short video of me starting the car and backing it into my garage. My buddy videoing thought the car stalled because he couldn’t hear it running after I turned the high idle down. Not sure if the below will work if copied and pasted on YouTube. Sorry, it’s my first attempt at this. 846691F5 AF09 4578 85B2 F66A0EDC9361 Edited July 20, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 Such a beautiful car! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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