Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

x2!...along for the ride, & it's getting interesting up in here. :lol:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Hi Mike, if you want it shoot me a PM with your address and I’ll send it your way. It was secretly ordered as an early retirement/moving to Spokane gift, but now the cat is out of the bag I might as well send it along ahead of schedule! :lol:

Honestly I'd rather it ended up in a cool ride rather than sitting around here collecting dust.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

that is going to turn out awesome !!!!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I finally have some progress to report on the porthole installation. Yesterday morning work began on mounting. I started on the passenger side as it was easiest to access without moving things around, and on the 4th hole because I knew the rear locations were going to be the most difficult, and I wasn’t disappointed. The holes in the external sheet metal were easy:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/827/cy3d.jpg

Fabricating a mounting arrangement for that last porthole was anything but. A hole was drilled into the hood support directly behind the porthole mounting boss, but due to the angle on the side of the hood, the mounting stud pointed uphill at about a 40 degree angle.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/854/66su.jpg

Attempting to tighten the casting to the hood support, pulled it up out of position leaving a gap at the bottom of the forward porthole rim.

Attempting to install the plastic clamp failed as there was insufficient room between the casting and the support. Several variations of plastic and steel brackets all failed to pull at the correct angle. Seven hours later I gave up and called it a night, somewhat disappointed with the complete lack of accomplishment.

The nice part of hot rod ingenuity is you’re never restricted because something is impossible. It just takes longer. This morning I tried a completely different bracket design, and it didn’t work either. Hour after hour every configuration resulted in the same issues. Either I couldn’t install the mounting stud, or tightening the fastener pulled the porthole out of position. Five hours later I started over again, and hit the jackpot on the third attempt. I finally formed a bracket that pulled the porthole perfectly into alignment. I also traced it out on paper so I can easily create a duplicate for the other side. So after 12 hours I finally had the first one in place.

Porthole 3 was already fitted yesterday, so it was just popped in place, and covered it in tape for protection of the chrome. It only took an hour to cut and finish the front two holes and mount the trim pieces. All of the lights have been tested again and still work, but after another marathon day trying to sort this out I’d had enough for the day. I’ll probably finish the driver’s side tomorrow, and wire up the hood once both sides are complete.

Although the truck is filthy and covered in grinding powder, I took a few shots just to show how different the portholes look depending on what angle from which viewed:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/824/gqm3.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/30/rlqa.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/41/m84n.jpg

Sadly, I think the Mooneyes decals are going to have to go again, for the last time. Now I’m thinking they look like a distraction. In my opinion, the portholes, fender emblems, windshield trim, spotlights, etc. all kind of add class to the truck. I’m thinking the decals now look out of place, kind of like the ones I had on the glove box. Here are a couple of examples where they have been digitally removed:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/585/riu6.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/22/lcib.jpg

I’m really enjoying how these things look on the truck, even if I never added the lights and sequential blinkers. Hopefully the workload tomorrow will be much easier than the last couple of days.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

You know, I like it! I was a little on the fence, hence why I didn't say anything. I saw where you made the decision to move forward with the project, & I'm glad you did. It's unique & different, but it looks good at the same time. Looking forward to seeing them with lights. Hope the driver's side goes much smoother for ya!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

…and the bar is once again RAISED!:metal:
Well Done Sir, Well Done!:clap:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looking good! I never would have thought to add those lights to the truck.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

that is outstanding

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I started out in to the garage this morning somewhat earlier than usual today. Having great confidence in how much easier it was going to be replicating all the stuff I learned on the passenger side, I cut all the external holes at the same time:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/18/9oov.jpg

I then sliced all the upper curves with a sabre saw:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/855/6qf4.jpg

This not only went much faster than the Dremel cut off wheels, it kept the heat down much lower preventing blistering of the edge paint. The bottom curve of the rear two holes still required the Dremel wheels, as there was insufficient space for the sabre saw blades.

In anticipation of today’s workload, I got online yesterday and searched for some type of sanding drum more effective than the little Dremel drums I’ve been burning through. I found the following on Lowe’s website. We ran out last night just before closing and picked up a couple:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/849/n33i.jpg

What a difference. After cutting all four holes open, the grinding needed for final fitting took less than an hour. Using the Dremel drums to accomplish the same task took most of a day.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/819/2qto.jpg

The next several hours were spent connecting the light wires and sequencers. It was straight forward and easy, but tedious and time consuming. Both parking light and blinker systems were double checked and operating perfectly. The last effort was running the new harness through the hood support and feeding it next to the existing hood harness.

Here’s the only finished photo taken tonight:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/198/0b5i.jpg

There’s less than an hour of work left to attach the connectors and run the new hood ground, but my right ankle and knee starting screaming an hour earlier and finally gave up and stopped working. I’m really looking forward to having this done tomorrow as there is no more “dirty” work. I’ve had enough cutting and grinding to last for a while.

It’s late enough in the season that as soon as the wiring is finished, I’m going to wash the truck, detail the mags, pull the snow tires and reinstall the street rod tires/wheels. Then it will be ready for some finished photos and a video showing how cool the lights look in operation.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I always liked the Buick portholes as a kid, they really made the cars stand out.
You have taken it totally up a few notches, and nicely done !!

Thanks for sharing the little drum sanders, now I have to go find some, Ohhhhhh the stages of projects I could have used those on :dohh:

Looking super good there brother, cannot wait for the video :metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

i can'rt wait to see the final finish ..looks awesome

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looking great...can't wait to see them lit up!!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

X2:mm:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I got the box today, and gushed all about it on my thread.
Thank you !!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

That’s great Mike, I’ll be sure to check out your thread. I forgot to include the jam nut they provided. It came with a note that says not to bottom out the knob on the stick or you can crack the knob. The nut seems huge and inappropriate to me. I’ll take a picture of it and scan the note, probably tomorrow and if it interests you I’ll drop it in the mail.

*

I finally completed the Buick porthole project this morning. It took about an hour to hook up all the wires to the front parking/turn signal harness and button it all up. After that the mags were reinstalled and the truck was given a bath for the first time in months. Not only was it dirty from winter driving, but it was also covered in cutting and grinding powder.

Here’s a quick poor quality video taken on one of our cheap import dash cams. This is the best I can do until that new GoPro shows up (maybe for my birthday):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l83Fv...ature=youtu.be

Apologies for the misstatements in the narration, I was exhausted by the time we got to filming. The video shows the sequencing of the lights, but in real life they look very little like the video. Rather than being blurry, they are razor sharp and almost look like fire coming out of the ports from certain angles. I couldn’t be happier with how nice the project turned out.

I’m still on the fence about the Moon decals. I’ve always liked them, but to me they now seem out of place, and somewhat detract from the stainless and chrome parts. Opinions for or against are welcome.

Thanks for looking!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

wow they turned out awesome nice job on them

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Looks awesome, and definitely very unique!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Awesome Video… Those Portholes are...:jdp:

Moon Decals… I vote to Keep em… but in the long run, you have to be happy with them!!! :metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Awesome job Mark! Could you not magnetize a set of Moon decals & just install or remove them as you please? I bought some magnetic sheets & planned to do that with my S-10 in which I had already installed Mooneyes. I sold the truck though before trying the magnetized idea.

Also, if you plan to do another photoshoot, maybe we can decipher what looks best then. Maybe we can get a better glimpse of how they look with your new portholes.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

That's an easy enough idea to try out. I have sheets of magnet material, spare decals, and even a set of stickers. I'll give that a try!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

That is Trick.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

As a wrap up on the porthole project, I wanted to share what parts I used and where I got them. Not that anyone will want to duplicate this project on a 60-66, but in case someone wants to add lights to a Buick, and old custom, or anything else, the parts I used were:

1954 Buick Porthole reproductions came from:

OldBuickParts.com:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/547/k9et.jpg

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/catalog...952a43&x=0&y=0

*

I added two LED bolts to each porthole.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/59/k7kv.jpg

One amber 6mm for the parking light circuit, and one amber 16mm (with lens) for the sequential turn signals. They were sourced from Oznium –

http://www.oznium.com/led-bolt

*

WebElectric Products provided the sequencer kit (Part number STS-4) -

This is a shot of a two circuit module. The 4 circuit looks the same but has more wires sticking out:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/819/ko4r.jpg

http://www.webelectricproducts.com/products.htm

WebElectric was the only outfit I could find that offered sequencing for 4 lamps instead of only 3. Once I figured out the circuitry it was very simple to hook up. Being solid state it should be very dependable.

And here are my greatly simplified wiring instructions, for turn signals only - when brake lights will not be involved in the installation:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/40/pjy8.jpg

That's about it for now until some other idea pops in my head!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Today was a day of discovery on a couple of topics. Ever since I installed the stainless steel windshield trim back in 2012, I’ve been plagued by an intermittent chirping squeak somewhere in or near the dashboard. At first I thought it was the windshield trim, and numerous adjustments and hours of modifications presumably eliminated the irritation. Weeks or months later it reappeared. Eventually I found an errant nut wedged between the dash and the under dash panel. Removing the nut also eliminated the noise. As it came back again many more times. I would make corrections that apparently “fixed” the problem, only to have it come back repeatedly.

After a long winter nap, the truck was finally taken out for a nice long ride today. The chirping squeak was back, louder than ever. We touched, pushed, pulled, and pounded on just about every surface in sight, and it just got worse. It became so loud I could hardly stand to be in the truck, but it became so persistent it eventually became apparent the squeak went away when the driveline was disconnected. Running through the mental checklist I eliminated the u-joints and throw out bearing, which led me to the clutch linkage, which is hydraulic.

Taking logic a step further, the hydraulic portion doesn’t start until the firewall. The culprit turned out the spherical joint that connects the push rod to the original pedal arm:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/30/vpmh.jpg

When first assembled, it received a dose of WD40 or something similar. Nine years later the joint was so dry it wouldn’t even wobble when disconnected. After a good cleaning it returned to free movement, and was liberally coated with white lithium grease. Once back together the squeak was gone! I’m hopeful it’s really permanent this time, as this is one of the few functional pieces that has been neglected for a long time.

Another interesting thought jumped off the page when I looked at the new snapshot. Compared to the next shot taken around 10 years ago, the area certainly has been cleaned up by installation of the new fuse panel, elimination of the wig wag lights and removal of the cruise control. It isn’t pretty, but it’s much cleaner:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/138/zc31.jpg

We also discovered another interesting phenomenon riding around. Cars, minivans, trucks, and big rigs that would intend to zoom by us on either side, apparent smitten with the lighted portholes, stopped their forward progress roughly even with the front of our truck and dropped back to sit on my rear quarters studying the portholes/lights. When they decided to move on several drivers stuck out their arms with a “thumbs up” as they accelerated away.

I also encountered a pair of cyclists as we approached an intersection simultaneously. They wanted to go straight (in the bike lane) and I wanted to turn right. I remained in the main traffic lane and flipped on the signal. They rode alongside the door for a few seconds watching the sequential blinkers and finally pulled out in front of the truck. Both turned around and offered another thumbs up as they went across the intersection.

Some individuals may not find favor with the portholes or the lights, but they generated more waves, smiles, and thumbs up in one day than in all the years we’ve owned the truck. They’ve added a whole new level of fun to the driving experience.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Great write-up and detective work!!!:metal:

Always better to get waves and thumbs up...:mm:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

So when are we going to see some pics of them lit up!!!!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

I posted this video a couple of days ago, as I thought it would show them off better than photos. I do intend on taking some nice outdoor pictures soon, but the rainy weather and winter brown colors aren't very attractive at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l83Fv...ature=youtu.be

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Hey Mark, check out what I saw at the Portland Roadster Show today. :metal:
Sorry about the crappy pictures. I was trying to use the camera in my phone.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Good morning Mark

Just watched your video again while having my breakfast.

07.00 here in the UK.

I really like the sequential mature of the portholes.

And seeing your Caddy rears in action makes me want a car with some on too.

Just off to the garage to start welding. Have a good night.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Here’s another short video clip my daughter took when I was heading out for something completely different. I just fired up the truck, and had the pipes open for 17 seconds. At 54 seconds I opened the cutouts again and shut off the fast idle:


It caused me to realize the video (and audio) taken on our phones is way better than the dash cam, so I’ll be trying this again with the camera turned the right way!

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Sounds awesome Mark. What cam do you have in it? With the cutouts open it sounds really mean.

Bret

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Dat Sound..:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

sounds awesome mark

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

It’s a Comp Cams High Energy 268H (K12-210-2), but with the idle set at 550 rpms and the pipes open it sounds bigger than it is. With 4.10 gears and a manual 4 speed it's very driveable, compared to a Thumpr cam. With a vacuum canister it also generates over 20 inches of vacuum for the power brakes.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Cool. I have their Xtreme energy cam in the 383 in my Caprice. I cant idle it at 550 though. I think its around 1000. As u said its very driveable with a 2200 rpm conv. Mine has about 16in of vacumn.

Bret

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Nice mod on the portholes. Real clean but TUFF lookin

Great Job.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

Here's another iPhone camera test. At least this one doesn't appear to bend the truck in half. Caution - it's loud. We had the cutouts open. I'm not sure why I bothered talking. I also ordered up an iPhone/tripod bracket that is due to arrive Thursday. I'm looking forward to trying that out. The audio is so much better than my dash cams:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

There's that sound again...:metal:

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

With the limited amount of stuff I'm thinking of filming in the future, I'm wondering if I'd be wiser spending money on a GoPro, or perhaps chrome vent windows and/or having my side glass frames chromed instead. Currently my side glass frames are mostly bare metal with some pieces of black paint here and there. It would sure clean up the doors, especially when they're rolled down.

The iPhone records sound so much better than the dash cams, I'm thinking of just switching to that for rod runs & car shows. I'm also thinking of just pulling my side glass frames and doing without them while they're out for plating, rather than wasting money on a second set. Maybe just protect the glass with some extra window channel molding to keep them from getting broken when the frames are missing.

Re: Markeb01 Build Thread
 

No updates on the truck, but wanted to share the new iPhone camera bracket I received yesterday. It’s made by RetiCAM and works like a charm. I ordered it from Amazon. It’s a two piece aluminum machined part, and in the photos below it is attached to a quick release adapter that fits both of my tripods. I tried to take a photo showing the front, but my Nikon refused to focus. I haven’t used the mount yet, but it should be helpful taking videos at our next car event.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/23/cfwr.jpg


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/41/w6hg.jpg