Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

So here's the finished dust shield fab'd out of .090 sheet aluminum. I riveted a small tab to the top edge on the driver side. It hooks behind the block where it and the trans meet to help retain the cover on that side. You can see from the bottom photo that the profile hugs the pan, starter and bellhousing cover. The two holes in the bellhousing I'm using to attach the dust shield are humongous. The 7/16 bolts are way overkill but anything smaller would fall thru. And I'm too lazy to machine a couple of T-nuts for smaller fasteners. Gotta move on.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

looks good Vic...

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Greg. With the dipsticks and dust shield finished, I got started on the exhaust. Spent more than a few minutes deciding where it would be best to locate the parts. In the end, it made the most sense to situate the mufflers about halfway back. The RS chassis has notches in it that allow you to tuck the components up out of the way.

The tube attached to the collector coming off the header needed a few more degrees of bend to line up the way I wanted. There are multiple ways to go about fixing it, one being to lop off the bend at the desired angle and weld a piece of straight pipe to it. Another is to slice the tubing in the middle of the bend leaving a small uncut strip at what will be the narrowest point. Then get everything situated the way you want and weld in a piece to fill the gap (which is what I did). Or you can get down and ugly with a rosebud which isn't my thing.

I've built some stainless headers and exhaust systems previously, so I have a nice little setup for purging the inside of the tubing with argon. This allows me to butt weld the tubing with little or no fill rod. But the main advantage is that it eliminates the "sugaring" that occurs on the backside of the weld that is normally exposed to the oxygen in the air. You can see from the photos below that on the inside of the tube there is intermittent 100% weld penetration (because I was moving a bit too fast) but none of the crust that forms when the molten metal oxidizes.

So the first leg is welded up back to the muffler. More later.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

About halfway home - finished welding tubing on both sides back to the mufflers. Welded V-band clamps (red arrows) on both muffler inlet tubes and mocked up the H-pipe (yellow arrow). If I ever have to drop the trans for any reason, I can disconnect at the headers and mufflers, unplug the O2 sensors and remove the tubing as a unit. If you plan for the worst, you might escape it. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

that exhaust turned out really nice..

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Greg, now I just have to get it over the rear axle and out the back while leaving room for the gas tank and battery.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

The exhaust looks fantastic.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Dale.

I did a bit more exhaust work, got the tailpipes back over the rear axle on both sides but will need to wait on the gas tank and battery placement to finish. Meanwhile, I mounted the E-Stopp electric parking brake unit and connected it to the Wilwood universal parking brake cable kit. I decided to build a little heat shield for the e-brake unit. Exhaust tubing runs kinda close to it and I wasn't sure how much heat it could stand. Probably more than you'd think but no sense tempting fate.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Got shanghaied by the wife and pressed into service planting shrubs and flowers so the wagon took a backseat for a couple of days. I didn't actually work that long on the gardening, but I was too worn out to do anything much else for a few days. I have managed to get the fuel and brake lines formed and fastened to the frame. Didn't like the look of the inverted flare unions I'd planned to connect the 6' stainless fuel lines. So I machined a couple of sleeves and then soldered them together instead. I was a bit careless on my first try and didn't clean the parts well enough and had a leak under pressure. Second time around was much better. Left 120psi on them for a half hour with no leaks. Sooner or later I reckon I need to drop the body down on the frame. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

After two and a half days of spreading seam sealer and masking, I applied the 3M Body Schutz to most of the underside. I left a small area near the rear until I get the gas tank situated. Need to drop the body on the chassis in order to do that so I'll finish the undercoat when I pull the body back off the frame.

I spoke to the shop that's doing the spray chrome on the grille bar. They're still on hold waiting for materials coming from Canada. I could tell he was frustrated. He has about 50 pieces backlogged and no one can tell him for sure when his stuff will get to him. Fortunately, I don't need it right this minute.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

In keeping with my goal to do as much myself as I possibly can on this build, I taped off the firewall and dash and laid down some color. A good shop would be more than capable of two-toning the dash like I wanted, but as I found, it was a bit time consuming.

I started by taping off the exterior areas I want HR Express to block and paint. The goal was to wind up with tape lines that would be hidden under moldings, fenders, w/s gasket and the like. I applied the Millennium Silver to both the firewall and the dash. I then spent about 2.5 hours masking the areas that would stay silver and shot the Firethorn Red Pearl basecoat.

After it had flashed off, I applied a couple of coats of urethane clear. I'd originally planned to do the top of the dash with matte clear, but with the silver basecoat against the gloss red, it somehow didn't look right. I thought it might look cool to have a low gloss dash like they did back in the day, but I changed my mind mid-stream.

Painted the gauge pod, glove box lid, ashtray, speaker grille and misc other parts while I was at it. I can now assemble the Dakota Digital gauges and the USB charger that goes in the ashtray. Will post photos when that's done.

I'm still on the fence about what color to paint the steering column. The gauge pod is silver and the lower cover is red, so there's a dividing line that more or less splits the column tube. The way I see it, the column could be either color. At first, I planned to do it in the red, but more recently, I'm leaning toward silver. This is the crazy stuff that happens when you deviate from the factory schemes.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looks great Vic.!....I'd do the silver on the column...

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looks good Vic. I'm a second on silver column.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, guys, I've been leaning toward the silver myself since the column is more in line with the upper part of the dash. Masking the column is the next time consuming activity. I don't really want to disassemble it, so I use tweezers and skinny screwdrivers to tape up the holes. I had it all masked for primer, but I knew it would be awhile before I got around to painting it, so I pulled all the tape.

Kathy and I got married on Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) 52 years ago, so we celebrated by getting curbside delivery at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Came home and poured a couple of margaritas and fed our faces. Celebrations are a lot more low key at our age. ;)

I did find the time today to install the Dakota Digital gauges in the dash pod. Also got the USB charger in the ashtray. Pics below.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Like the cluster..!!...really nice..!!...
And congrats on 50+ yrs...

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Dang it!! Mongo always gets here before me! .....x2 on what he said....

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Congratulations!!!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, guys ...all in all it was a very nice day given our present circumstances.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Super nice all the way around. Gonna be a head turner when finished.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, I sure hope it finishes out nicely. Lots of stuff can go haywire between now and then. ;)

Worked on a few small projects today including putting the a/c vent openings in the dash bezel. Called Hot Rod Express and got a recording that they will be closed until May 18. I emailed them to ask if they even know yet what their schedule looks like. It may be the fall before the rest of the color goes on.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

man that sucks....but worth the wait maybe

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

The column comes out of the Red portion of the dash...that makes it need to be Red in my opinion. Looking through the Windshield seeing a Red wheel with everything else Silver may look odd though. Lorne

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Hope so, Greg. They're supposed to open next Monday, so we'll see what they say.
Well sorta, Lorne. The way I painted the parts it's a bit half and half. If I'd done the instrument cluster in red, it would be a clearer choice, I think. I'm thinking silver would be safe. Dunno.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Got some good news yesterday. Rick at Hot Rod Express called and said they're back to full strength and will have a spot cleared for the wagon this coming week. He's going to bring a trailer to the house and load up the chassis, body and related parts. So hopefully we'll see some color soon. They're going to fit up the front clip, fine tune the door gaps and then block and paint. If I did my part halfway right, it should be back here in a few weeks or less.

If that sounds hopelessly optimistic it's only because it is. Any time you rely on someone else it's always possible the whole thing goes south. However, I think these folks are more than capable of pulling off a street worthy paint job. As long as their other customers don't apply so much pressure my stuff ends up on the back burner.

I got the gas tank mounted and made a decision on the console. Rather than build one entirely from scratch that looks totally homemade, I sourced a nearly complete, brand new (never installed) unit from a Chevy Volt on eBay. It arrived today and I think I'll be able to modify it to work. It has a more modern look than the ones you typically see in classic cars. Hope it won't look too much out of place.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Breat news on the paint shop..!!...looking forward to seeing the results

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I can't wait to see it..I hope they do what they say they will.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I've got my fingers crossed too! I got a call from the shop owner on Friday. He had called the wrong number earlier in the week and left a message and then called again when I didn't get back to him. Guy told him there was no "Vic" there. After looking up my number again, he finally got hold of me and said they were ready to move the car into the shop. But since the weather looked bad and they would be closed for the holiday he suggested we wait until Tuesday (tomorrow) to pick up everything. Now the weather looks lousy the next three days in a row. GAAAHH!! We'll see what the weather guessers say tonight.

Meanwhile, I've been making some progress on the console. Got the shifter mount installed and the rear console mounting bracket made. Luckily, I also test fit the shift cable to the transmission. Performance Automatics installed a deep cast aluminum pan on it and of course, none of the Lokar cable hardware fit. I had to mill the slotted bracket and the spacers, then make a trip to the hardware store for the metric socket head cap screws I needed. But I got it in place and it works nice and smooth.

I also made some templates for the filler panels I'll use to extend the bottom edge of the console down to the floor. That way I have a few things to work on while the car is gone. Hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Day holiday!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Hopefully the weather holds out for ya. It's smokin' hot here.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looking good Vic! I hope you and Kathy had a good Memorial Day.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

No luck today, Dale. Raining and 68. Maybe a short break this afternoon but not sure if it will be enough. Just have to be content to work on other stuff ...and there's plenty of that. ;)
Thanks, Scott, hope you and Katina did too.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Still no word from HRE about the paint schedule. Today would have been okay weather-wise to transport everything to their shop, but just crickets. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy again, but then we're supposed to dry out for all next week. Fingers crossed we get the ball rolling.

Meanwhile, I've been tinkering around with console mods. Applied matte black vinyl wrap material over the unwanted lettering and made an insert to hold the new parking brake button in place of the OEM switch. I would have liked to retain the stock PB switch, but the pin arrangement is more complex than the one that came with the E-Stopp. Too many pin combinations to map the crossover without a wiring diagram. This will work fine. I do think I can make the hazard switch work in place of the column switch, though.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

That's too bad about HRE. The console is going to look good though.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Good news, Dale, the guys from HRE showed up yesterday to transport the chassis to their shop. They'll have to make another trip for the body and the rest of the parts. It looks like the paint process is finally going to move forward. At least that's my hope. A lot depends on how much other work they're trying to manage while my project is at their place. They need to hang the front clip and block all the 2K primer before they can squirt it, so there's a lot of room for setbacks.

Since I had the weekend to do other stuff, I decided to finish out the exhaust. I setup some cans as a dummy marker for the corner of the gas tank and then routed the exhaust around them. I just have to add some hangers, but will be able to do that when I get everything back.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Great news Vic..!!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Good news Vic, I hope it goes smoothly. The exhaust looks good.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Wow!!! I need to get on here more often. I see you've worked through a lot, overcome several obstacles, and have some color on a few pieces now. That's good news about the paint process. Have other things to do while the frame and body are gone?

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I hope it is, Greg. I have a feeling they have a lot on their plate and are still catching up.
Thanks, Dale.
Hey Duane, I've got several things to work on. Putting together sub-assemblies like the bumpers, etc. I also need to tape off the steering column and paint it as well as a few other trim pieces. I bought some plastic trim restorer off of eBay and need to freshen up the pieces that go on the seats then assemble them along with the new seat belts.

But truthfully, I'm likely going to run out of things to do before I get the car back. From what I've seen, they skip around from one project to another. And if they're like most places, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. They were closed for almost two months and that had to have shredded their schedule. I can only imagine the pressure they're under from customers whose cars have sat that entire time. They posted a picture on their FB page of a Road Runner they had at World of Wheels back in February. They're just now putting on the vinyl roof and it was at that stage back then. So I'm under no illusion that my stuff will be in and out. I'm guessing it will be shuffled around like all the rest as resources permit.

.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I just tipped a cocktail to the paint prison god "here's to a quick release". I know the paint prison god loves some Jack Daniels......:lol:

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Dale. Wish I was closer and could help with that cocktail. ;)

So here's what's been going on lately. HRE showed up about 2 weeks ago and hauled the chassis to their shop. About a week and a half later, they came back for the body. They also took all the front clip parts, so the first thing they plan to do is set the body on the chassis and assemble all the parts. Not sure when all that will happen as they still have a lot going on right now but at least it's in their hands. Feels weird with nothing in the shop.

While I was waiting for them to pick up the body, I made a little progress on the console. The parts I'd ordered to complete the console didn't show up until the day after the body was gone, so I'm sorta hung out to dry on that project for the near term. If need be, I can do some test fitting at HRE's shop, but we'll see what else I can accomplish without shuttling back and forth.

I scored a good deal on an Alpine stereo and speakers from a friend of a friend who's in the audio business. However, I did get roped into hanging new fenders on a trailer that belongs to a KC Chiefs player's dad. It's done, but I'm waiting on them to bring new tires for it. Fathers Day present apparently.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I wish I was closer so you could hang new fenders on my trailer....lol