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Where are you located? "Mid Missouri" is a little vague, it's a big state. Hahaha I just spun through your photobucket link. The new metal on that Chevelle is looking good. :) That's why I post here is to share and learn. I wish I had time to post everything I do, but I don't and sometimes can't because the owner doesn't want it out until the car is finished. |
Fantastic !!!!! |
Great build and fab work. Love a 61...tagging along for rest. |
Originally Posted by gofastwclass
(Post 19457489)
Where are you located? "Mid Missouri" is a little vague, it's a big state. Hahaha I just spun through your photobucket link. The new metal on that Chevelle is looking good. :) That's why I post here is to share and learn. I wish I had time to post everything I do, but I don't and sometimes can't because the owner doesn't want it out until the car is finished. |
Looking forward to updates! The rubber gaskets that Tanks Inc. sends are garbage. Mine started swelling after 30 days exposure to E10. They sent me cork gaskets and I used them in conjunction with Pematex Aviation sealer and have not had any issues since. Andrew |
Thanks guys!
Originally Posted by Mikes64
(Post 19458103)
I'm in Rolla, don't post much on this forum yet, still learning. The learning curve when you get older is more like a hair pin curve. Is this what you do in KC? Is this what I do as a job? Hardly, this is my hobby. I have to work in IT to support my car habit. Sometimes I wish it was my job, but we can all dream can't we? Hahaha.
Originally Posted by Project GatTagO
(Post 19458264)
Looking forward to updates! The rubber gaskets that Tanks Inc. sends are garbage. Mine started swelling after 30 days exposure to E10. They sent me cork gaskets and I used them in conjunction with Pematex Aviation sealer and have not had any issues since. Andrew I agree. I'm also disappointed with the gaskets Tank's Inc. sent with the kit. They didn't feel right straight away before I installed them. Mine didn't last more than a few weeks of partial fills and leaked on the first full tank. That is the only part of the Tanks setup I have a real gripe about. I used Permatex Motoseal after talking to you, but I'm not using any filler as a gasket and haven't had an issue in over a year. |
One set of my 1962 - 1964 Impala SS buckets found their way into the car along with my original rear seat. I installed the brackets I on the transmission side of each seat and positioned the seats using the factory fasteners near the door. A few tack welds and the seat brackets were immobile so the seat could be removed for final welding. As you can see in one of the photos, the floor has an interesting mix of rust and solid. Some parts of this car are exceptionally solid and others are simply gone. The floors were so bad in some areas, my shop-vac was pulling up parts of the floor that were still attached! http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/buckets.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passfloor.jpg Check out that awesome custom (drunken) stitching! http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/seats.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/drvbucket.jpg The maiden voyage after 10 years of hibernation and moving to a new house was 7-19-2015 I went down the block and back after running in the driveway for probably 20 minutes. No leaks or problems other than the mufflers dragging the ground with just me in the car. Time to raise the front a bit before the woman goes for a ride and front sheet metal gets installed. At this point we’re looking a bit Road Warrior. I’m sure my neighbours love me. Hahaha |
My holy fender, I need to fix this at some point… http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...passfender.jpg The car after a bit of love with the power washer… http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passfront1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/bath.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/drvrear.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrear.jpg Another shot inside the trunk. I can’t wait to replace all this sheet metal. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/trunk.jpg The car is backed in my shop getting ready to install the front and rear roll pans. In the background of this image you can see one of the pairs of fenders I have. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/backedin.jpg |
My friendly UPS guy dropped off a gift from American Racing – a set of Torq Thrust II’s. This is the favourite of the few aftermarket wheels I like, but I realize they only look right on certain older vehicles. http://downivlife.com/smiles/ups.gif I think these wheels give just the right retro 1960’s vibe with a sprinkle of modern I was looking for on this car. The overall look is very subdued with the polished aluminum barrel and cap supported by flat gray spokes. This fits the look of the car now and will play into my future plans quite well once the body work is complete. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels1.jpg Clearance – the measuring paid off, I have a lot of room. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels2.jpg Mounted. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels3.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels4.jpg Installed. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wheels6.jpg |
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While the spindles were off the car I installed Moog 658A springs in the front of the car. These springs measured 17.125 inches fresh from the box. The spring wire is slightly thicker than the spring wire I had, but I lost my note on the actual dimension. I believe it was .010” heavier gauge for the Moog compared to my factory spring. Uncompressed front spring length. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...ringlength.jpg The 13” front rotor. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/frotor.jpg Swept area. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/sweptarea.jpg According to my math I could squeeze a 14” rotor on the car with these wheels but I didn’t want to push it. I actually stole my 14” Camaro brakes for mock up but decided 13” was fine for this build. Due to the shadows it’s difficult to see, I have plenty of clearance. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/frbrakeclear.jpg Billet aluminum front hub with .5” longer studs http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/alhub.jpg Driver side front suspension apart. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/frapart.jpg I bench bled the master cylinder using extra NiCopp line since it is easy to bend and I had extra line and fittings. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/benchbleedmc.jpg Double flared and installed new NiCopp front brake lines. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/brakeline.jpg Passenger side front brake installed. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...frontbrake.jpg |
While out cruising with friends I tweaked a trunk hinge while closing the deck lid. To start, my trunk has always (for the last 23-24 years) made a pop noise and had a heavy friction point at the top when trying to close. For years I assumed this was normal until I saw cars at shows and my parts car that didn’t do this. Recently the friction point was getting progressively higher until last week when I sprung the hinge trying to close the deck lid. Several weeks prior I had realized my trunk opening was very low compared to my parts car which didn’t pop when closed. Investigation showed a pair of bent and worn out pins (one each side) on the hinge spring mechanism. Near hinge is good, far hinge is bent. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge.jpg Bad hinge on the right. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge1.jpg Flipped over with the bad hinge on the left. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge2.jpg This bar is supposed to be straight. I believe I found my culprit. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge4.jpg The pin diameter measured .217” on average and the holes were a bit worn so I went to the next larger size of .250” for strength, insurance and material availability. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge3.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge5.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge6.jpg I drilled the hinges for the new pin I was going to make and Installed the .250” steel round bar for a test fit. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge7.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge8.jpg I cut the material to fit. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge9.jpg A quick scuff with a 36 grit disc for surface prep and a pair of tack welds on each side with the MIG should hold it in place. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/thinge10.jpg Total time invested, an hour and a half including taking photos of the first one which dramatically slows the process. Now my trunk opens all the way AND closes without excessive resistance. :biggrin: Today’s expense: about $1 for the .250 round bar material, an hour and a half of my time fabricating, taking pictures and swapping hinges. Obviously this would have gone faster without the photos and if I had a friend to help with the deck lid. I marked the lid, used a prop rod and did one side at a time to maintain the alignment which was already decent. |
Looks good, had to do almost the same on my chevelle |
Thanks Mikes64. Part of the fun of older cars. :) There are several holes in the firewall that will not be needed because I’m not running factory equipment. I marked these holes ages ago and finally took a bit of time to fill in a few. Some were random screw holes for long gone aftermarket add-on’s by previous owners while others were heat controls and the speedometer cable I no longer need. The smaller holes I used the MIG with .023 wire, the larger holes I cut a disc of similar gauge metal and tack welded it in over the course of several minutes to prevent warping. Heat control hole. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/holestopatch1.jpg Random holes and heat control. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/holestopatch.jpg Mostly tacked in. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/holespatched.jpg Small holes ground to see where I’m at. A little more love with the MIG and abrasive disc and these will completely disappear. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/holespatched1.jpg My floor bits arrived so I brought them home. I ordered three sections: the full passenger compartment floor with braces from the firewall to the back of the rear seat, the raised area under the back window with braces and finally the full trunk floor with deep well and brace. The first two parts are 1961 – 1964, the trunk deep well was made for a 1962 which is as close as you can purchase for a 1961 Impala. I have enough good 1961 Impala bits that I’ll convert the 1962 panel to 1961 status in the obviously different areas. The full floor, top and bottom view. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/fullfloortop.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...loorbottom.jpg Upper trunk shelf area. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/trunkshelf.jpg Lower trunk floor. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/trunkfloor.jpg I honestly don’t need all of this, but it’s easier to replace everything than to chase and patch holes or rust and dents everywhere. |
Finally installing the shaved door solenoids I’ve had sitting on the shelf for at least two years. I guess I’m finally tired of reaching inside the car to open the door. The driver’s door handle and lock mechanism were already shaved 15 plus years ago because that was the only side I could easily reach where I had the car parked at the time. Tonight I disassembled both doors, lubricated the hinges, cleaned and lubricated the latch mechanisms and modified the works to accept the solenoid pulls. I started with a Spal shaved door kit with remote I purchased from Speedway. The remote from this kit is only temporary, I mainly wanted the 40 pound pull weather resistant solenoids from this kit with everything else being bonus material. After I get a few things accomplished, I’ll install the final door release buttons and associated logic. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...olenoidkit.jpg Spal 40 pound (pull) weather resistant solenoid (kit came with two). http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/solenoid.jpg Flaming River pulleys. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/pulleys.jpg 1/16 inch, 96 pound working limit galvanized wire rope from Lowes (around $0.26 / foot). http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/wirerope.jpg Transmitters and receiver from the Spal kit. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/txrx.jpg The Spal kit was fairly complete, but didn’t include the pulleys I knew I would need and their wire rope was very short. If you are working on a more modern vehicle where the external door mechanism pushes down to release, this kit would be fine. For my car, the external door release pushes inward and doesn’t leave a lot of room for modification. I used the horizontal pull for the interior release and actuated them both via the cables I purchased from Lowes. This makes the installation a bit more complex, but better (in my opinion) as the lock mechanism automatically releases when the door is activated. If something happens and the lock is engaged, the solenoid pull automatically unlocks the door. Secondary, the door can’t be locked without holding the exterior handle that doesn’t exist. I could have tack welded the lock mechanism in place with the MIG or TIG, but I am not a fan of that due to the cleaning required and potential heat damage to the latch. Short video of the remote door solenoids in action. I apologize as my camera man (me) was on holiday so I wasn’t able to get more in-progress pictures. I have some ideas on external releases for the doors and drew them on the side of the car. This video is the end result of drawing on the car and driving around most of the weekend. Hopefully this can be be explained easier in the short 18 second video. Keep in mind this is simply a proof of concept and nowhere near the final product. |
a lot of nice updates. The car sounds good in the video. I like the wheel choice, they look great on there. |
Originally Posted by Motown 454
(Post 19462847)
a lot of nice updates. The car sounds good in the video. I like the wheel choice, they look great on there. |
I spent most of this session disassembling, taking pictures, measurements and assessing the rust and prior amateur “body work” damage. As far as I can tell the car is incredibly square – especially when accounting for the rust damage I’ll show you as this process carries forward. Interior removed. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/nointerior.jpg Whenever I’m working on something like this, I like to use these homemade stands. The stands allow me to get under the vehicle, yet it’s supported on the wheels so it’s the most stable. Kind of a poor man’s four post lift if you will. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/onstands.jpg The only place I’ve had any real concern was the passenger door gap. I don’t think the doors have ever been off the car and they both close well so they make excellent reference points. The gap on the passenger door is much tighter at the top than the bottom which makes sense when you look under the rocker to the non-existent supports. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgaptight.jpg My ultra-high tech go-no go gauge. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgaptight1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgaptight2.jpg I installed a brace in place of the inner rocker made from 1x2 box tubing welded to what little good metal was left in the floor while waiting on the backordered floor. In this image, you can see the 1x2 box attached to the passenger side floor. This literally took about 30 minutes with the plasma cutter and welder and brought a level of rigidity to the car I haven’t had in years. I literally made one long slice along the bottom of the rocker and the entire inner rocker fell down with a pound or more of dirt and crud. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/rustbelow.jpg I used the 1x2 brace I installed as a lift point to move the passenger side of the car into position so I could get the sagging door gap to a manageable point. I wanted to do this before I started making braces as it would be difficult to move with the braces and floor installed. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgapgood.jpg Braced from inside and still holding position without help. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgapgood0.jpg Checking the modified door gap high tech style. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgapgood1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/doorgapgood2.jpg Fortunately the worst part of the rust on this car is the passenger side. As shown above, the inner rocker is completely gone and the outer appears to be cobbled together with whatever someone had lying about. Here we can see various shots of the remnants of the floor on the passenger side. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust2.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust3.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust4.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust5.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passrust6.jpg I made some simple braces that allow me to get in and out to work, but hold the body steady so I can make cuts and replace metal as needed. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/measure.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passbrace.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/passbrace1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/driversbrace.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/crossbrace.jpg |
Day two of the floor project and I’m well past the point of no return. I only had a few hours and I made some important milestones today so I’m happy with the progress. The braces are finished, turning work area is a jungle gym and a large portion of the passenger floor has been cut out. The plan is to install left and right inner rocker braces, the rear seat pan, the front floor cross brace, add convertible body mounts finally install the front floors. After this picture I added one more brace across the rear floor for good measure. I’m using my Miller plasma cutter to make quick work of the big sections, a cordless sawzall for the braces and a spot weld cutter for the delicate work. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impal...loorcutout.jpg As I described earlier, the entire inner rocker structure is gone on the passenger side. What little remained was catching water and dirt to help the car rust further. Beyond that, there is a middle rocker and finally the outer rocker skin you see. On my car, both inner pieces were essentially gone to a point I can’t even use them as patterns to make another. The outer was damaged at some point and filled with plastic filler and random bits of poorly shaped metal. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/middlerocker.jpg I can only get part of the bends and material thickness from this bit. Fortunately the driver’s side is fairly intact. I had repaired the driver’s side years ago and only needed to do a small section. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/middlerocker1.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/middlerocker2.jpg Remains of the evenings work. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/scraps.jpg http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/scraps1.jpg To determine the metal thickness I used a sheet metal thickness tool backed by my calipers. I’ll stop by the metal store and grab some 16 gauge (.0625”) and bend it on the sheet metal brake to the desired shape. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/metalgauge.jpg Tonight’s hidden treasure – a rusty chisel found inside the passenger rocker. I’m sure this tool was forgotten by some unknown mechanic untold years ago for long lost reasons. I’ve owned this car 23 years and I’m not missing any chisels. Man I wish this car could tell its stories. http://downivlife.com/pics/1961Impala/foundchisel.jpg |
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