60 Biscayne

[kb426]

Are you counting repair panels? I followed a couple of builds on station wagons where they stated they were above 100.  

[idrivejunk]

Theres been a couple jobs where I made over 30 patches... I could count em up but haven't kept track. Bob is supposed to run the scoreboard. For the record there was another I've yet to show, on the right trunk drop. Then two on the left front gutter corner, three on the right. Do we count the 64 Imp side gutter made into one front gutter as one? Etc...  

I was looking at the scrap pile from it today. I still have the scrap box from the 33. It astounds me how much dinero those crusty piles represent. Speaking of crusty piles... Footloose has a good one going from that Trans Am, too. Don't get choked up, lol. He has OK days and bad days painwise but sure is getting some work done on it. He is hiding from you but theres a toe in a "boot" if'n ya look close.

[idrivejunk]

Man they's a lot of pics I ain't posted. Must urd catch up. Condiments welcome.  

Heres the spare tire brace, cleaned up- (Stan sez Hi Bob)



The front weatherstrip channel, or gutter, all buttoned up. Psst- thats what the dots are... buttons!  










Here is the right tunk drop-off panel patch-



















That puts us back to here, which is yesterday. Time warp  



Onward with today's progress... maybe I can finish it all in 5 more hours :?:  :?:  :?:

[idrivejunk]

Hetes where I left off Friday... almost there!

[idrivejunk]

Spent half a day finishing up the trunk pans. Theres a half dozen plug welds left to make and nothing has been smoothed out underneath.










So next is the quarters which are full of vomesque patch-needin's. A few shots-

[UGLY OLDS]

Hey Matt .. I just had a crazy thought...( Smoke..Smoke  :?:   What Smoke  :?:   )

 With the body off the frame & sitting on a "body cart" , is there any danger of it twisting, sagging,drooping,etc when the different panels & different body parts are cut out for replacement  :?:  

If so , how do you catch & correct it    :?:

Thanks ..

Bob ..  

[idrivejunk]

Totally not crazy Bob, it lets me know you're paying attention. Of course that danger exists but you just swat folks that try to lean on it.  

You may have noticed the barstool and 4x4 supporting the rear body crossmember while the hairy part was happening. Also there was the tape measure before, during, and after for checking floor height. In the case of this trunk floor the gas tank braces served as my reference, to detect any shifting that may have taken place. The order in which I went through that repair allowed me to keep key points in place, but the moment of truth is when its bolted to the frame.

Still, you might pick up on some saggy looking spots in the pics, firstly because of the fisheye effect on my phone camera and secondly because yeah there are places where lines may not be perfectly straight across the floor or at the rolled bead in the front extension for example. But there won't be any funny business that shows, and body mounts should be unmoved. Had we put the car on a rotisserie, there may have been problems due to the amount of rot. This would have been much easier with the body on it's side but it wasn't solid enough for that!

And now, for something completely different  

Howzabout 7 or 8 feet of butt weld per side grab ya? You don't want to know how this looked before cleaning-

[chris spokes]

whoa , that is going to be interesting, one thing comes to mind warpidge , nice work on the trunk floor

[idrivejunk]

Thanx, Chris. Yeah I bet that quarter will warp faster than the Enterprise. (star trekkie joke)  

[idrivejunk]

This is unusual, the parts don't fit too bad. The front half doesn't have enough flange at the bottom so I'll have to add, but the halves fit together and follow the wheelhouse pretty good. Its 84 inches from the door jamb to the rear bumper indent.



I clamped the halves together at that length, marked and cut, and it worked out fairly well. However the radii of the stamping at the ends was just waaay too round. So I will keep the original and crisp stamped lines by working just inside them.









I'll make a wheelhouse lip that fits the new panels and trim the old wheelhouse then attach the new lip. Might just weld the lip to the quarter patch first but I am still trying to decide if I want to join the big halves before installation.

[kb426]

Is the other side the same way?

[idrivejunk]

Sho nuf  

[chimp koose]

IDJ if you would like to torture yourself , have a look at this kijiji ad , 60 impala , looks to be a very nice hood and trunk lid . kijiji classic cars Saskatchewan ad # 12366492102 . These parts only show up when you are finished doing the major surgery . murphys law or a subsection of it .

[idrivejunk]

Could not find anything with that # but we all know I am a glutton for punishment. I did see an ad wanting any cars this make / model.

[416Ford]

Matt, what did you do with the wheel well on this? I have cut ones on the Torino and they are not available.
Dave