48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Marc, continuing to plow ahead.

68 four on the floor - Hobart has good products. Been contemplating one from Miller.

Moved to left side and metal is thin too. Decided it was quicker and easier (with a better end result) to make a larger piece for one of the patches. Then had a brainstorm and decided rather than butt weld, I could place the patch on the back side overlapping the cut out area. Then will fill in with a butt welded patch making one surface for the fender mount. This really helped with the burn through on the thin original metal.

Overkill probably....and I don't want my Grandsons taking this apart 40 years from now and saying "Wow, Grandpa sure did a crappy job on this".

Why is it a week on vacation in the shop goes by so much faster than a week at work?

Had a really good work partner this week.

[Advanced Design]

Stopped by a good friends shop tonight and he will soon be wrapping up this 66 'Burb LS swap he is doing for a customer. Then will get back on the '52 Buick that we found locally in a barn....rock solid and stored away since early 1970's. Only good "barn find" I've ever stumbled across.

[bigtoe2u]

AD
Like what you are doing. You keep me fighting the mosquitoes that use me for the evening meal. Great work

[99 to Life]

patches are coming along swell. that 52' buick is amazing. I got a really rough 53' 4door. Huge fan of the buicks though, can't wait to see what you guys do with that.

[ChiefRocka]

Looking good man !

[Iceburgh]

boy that LS fits in the 66 much better than in the AD

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by bigtoe2u

AD
Like what you are doing. You keep me fighting the mosquitoes that use me for the evening meal. Great work

Thanks bigtoe2u. Those pesky blood suckers have been pretty thick here this summer too. Looking forward to your Burb updates!

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

patches are coming along swell. that 52' buick is amazing. I got a really rough 53' 4door. Huge fan of the buicks though, can't wait to see what you guys do with that.

Thanks 99. Plans for the '52 Buick are a 6.0 with a turbo, 4L80, 9 inch rear on trailing arms. He installed a Camaro subframe and it looks gnarly under there (too bumpy, doesn't flow) so it is coming back out and a '03 up Crown Vic crossmember (like an Art Morrison bikini clip) is going in.

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

Looking good man !

Thanks ChiefRocka, really like your action on your Burb. Very cool. Your buddy find seats yet?

Originally Posted by Iceburgh

boy that LS fits in the 66 much better than in the AD

Sure does Iceburgh! Bet you've got yours ready for a test drive. Looking really good on your last update.

Here is a before and after with a couple hours to go on the left side....more grelding (if I can use Youngrodders term) to go. Really, the front patch looks better in person than in the pic.

Looking forward to finishing the patches, finishing the floor up and doing something else to this Burb.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Thanks bigtoe2u. Those pesky blood suckers have been pretty thick here this summer too. Looking forward to your Burb updates!



Thanks 99. Plans for the '52 Buick are a 6.0 with a turbo, 4L80, 9 inch rear on trailing arms. He installed a Camaro subframe and it looks gnarly under there (too bumpy, doesn't flow) so it is coming back out and a '03 up Crown Vic crossmember (like an Art Morrison bikini clip) is going in.


Thanks ChiefRocka, really like your action on your Burb. Very cool. Your buddy find seats yet?

Sure does Iceburgh! Bet you've got yours ready for a test drive. Looking really good on your last update.

Here is a before and after with a couple hours to go on the left side....more grelding (if I can use Youngrodders term) to go. Really, the front patch looks better in person than in the pic.

Looking forward to finishing the patches, finishing the floor up and doing something else to this Burb.

I endorse this message..Good work

Marc

[CHIZZLER]

metal work is looking real good.

[hydrojunkie]

Love your build. I only got through a few pages but will finish it. Gotta hit the sack. Looking foward to finish the rest of it.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

I endorse this message..Good work

Marc

Thanks Marc! Made us smile!

Originally Posted by CHIZZLER

metal work is looking real good.

Thank you Chizzler. Means a lot to me....though I am glad it is going to be hidden under the fender.

Originally Posted by hydrojunkie

Love your build. I only got through a few pages but will finish it. Gotta hit the sack. Looking foward to finish the rest of it.

Thanks Hydrojunkie....if you can get through all the yackity yack I put in....Holy crap AD, how many pic's of rust repair and floors do you need? We are having a blast though.


Lotta hours on the rust replacement this week and I still didn't get done what I had set for a goal. Figured we would knock out the patch panels, finish the floor with the new wheel wells / hump and maybe set up the engine and transmission....not to be, despite our best efforts. Still decent progress though.

Some things I was reminded of / refreshed on this week:

• No way could a shop have put a bid in on this repair. We all know many / most shops won't as they are setting themselves and the customer up for disappointment.
  
• Would hate to have been doing this for a paying customer. Mr. Jones, we spent 40 hours repairing rusted out places and your bill is $2,000 this week. Good news is it will only be about half that next week and we will be done with the rust.....we think.
  
• Practiced up with overhead welding in 1/10 of a second bursts. Lotta grinding practice too and I can chase a hole with the best of them now.
  
• A better way to fix this would have been to have the body on a rotisserie flipped over, then make a quality metal shaped fender lip extending up into the body into real solid metal, TIG welded it in then metal finished / planished it out. Frankly beyond my skills without a lot of help from my metal shaping buddies.
  
• These Duluth Trading Company firehose pants might be beaver proof but they sure as heck are not welding splatter proof.
  
• It is good to take a break. Took some time to watch oldest grandson play flag football. Lot's of speed and determination with most of those little guys.

Nope littlest grandson, we are not ready for paint yet.

Been a great week!

Always appreciate your thoughts and suggestions guys.

[oldman3]

AD, glad things are moving along, cute little guy...Jim

[rusty76]

You'll let him paint the burb want ya?

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Jim, he is pretty cute and likes being in the shop.

Rusty76 - Oh for sure! Would be interesting....paint everywhere.

Guys, need you input please.

The rear fender mounting nuts were rusted away (along with the metal) in about half the mounting locations and I've replaced that metal.

The mounting nuts were almost like a rivnut with a large square nut on the back. They had to have been installed when new before the quarter panel joined the inner body panel. Since most of the nuts are not accessable (between the outer quarter panel and inner body panel) I am considering replacing them with rivnuts. Concerned about them spinning out in the hole when tightened (since I have no experience with rivnuts). Plan to do a test or two on scrap metal to see if they do spin out. May place a weld tack on either side of the rivnut.

Option two is to make a hole for placement of a nut in the new metal and weld that in place. Don't think option two will come out nicely.

Other ideas? I am way open minded.

Thanks!

[oldman3]

AD, my son and I have been using flange nuts for welding for several years and they work good. Drill hole big enough for the nut to go thru and weld the flange part to metal. I'll see if I can come up with a pic...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Great idea! Nut pointing into the body through the hole with the flange still resting on the outside surface? Thanks Jim!

[99 to Life]

nice work, hey I never get sick of seeing patch work. its a major part of bringing these things back to life.

some stuff I see selling these days are bringing really good money, its nice to see that someone could have actually gotten paid decent for the work to be done right. Often times you'll never get the return if things are done right. So if you were a shop writing a bill you gotta say hey "I'm not painting a car with shabby body work" for example.

I like the flange nut idea. I'd have to see a pic on what you got going on. Could you put the flange nut on the fender itself and run your bolt from inside to the outside?

[Advanced Design]

Thanks 99, always trying to do it as right as I can.

Hopefully Jim will have a picture. The nut will go in the body where the fender mounts, sticking through a hole big enough for the nut to go through yet not big enough for the flanged part of the nut to pass through. The flange will be sitting flush on the outside surface and welded there. The fender lip is then bolted to the flanged nut from the outside of the body as there isn't access from inside.

Hope that makes sense and a picture will help. Gotta swing by the nut shop for flanged nuts this week.

[Iceburgh]

I only had 4 missing between both rear fenders....I went with welded in flange nuts as well

[99 to Life]

gotcha, I got a visual of it. Just wasn't sure if there was access from the inside. I haven't dug into either of my panels as they are on the back back burners.

[hydrojunkie]

That's a brutal task. It takes along time to do metal work to fix rust. It feels like eternity doing it but it's so worth it once you have done it.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by Iceburgh

I only had 4 missing between both rear fenders....I went with welded in flange nuts as well

I was thinking your 'Burb was really solid. Thanks for the confirmation on the flanged nuts.

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

gotcha, I got a visual of it. Just wasn't sure if there was access from the inside. I haven't dug into either of my panels as they are on the back back burners.

Sorry 99....I learned something new and got all excited yacking about it. Usually there isn't access from inside though I made some access for the left side.

Originally Posted by hydrojunkie

That's a brutal task. It takes along time to do metal work to fix rust. It feels like eternity doing it but it's so worth it once you have done it.

It sure is a brutal task hydrojunkie. Spending as much time replacing some rusted metal as we did replacing the entire floor. Knew going into this it would be slow and wow I was right. Not my first time though.

Here is a picture of the extra access I put in. Just the one toward the rear. PO had used a torch on the area above the wheel opening to install a thin sheet with nuts. We will repair this once the rusted metal is replaced.

Jim, below is a practice piece with the flanged nut. This is what you mentioned? Re-learned I need to tack both sides before welding as of course it lifted. Then believe I can sand / grind the face of the weld about flush with the bottom of the flanged nut.

Lotta grelding this week end and only have 2 patches left to do on the right hand side. Plodding along.....

[oldman3]

AD, yes that is what we have done, make sure to chase the threads after welding...Jim

[99 to Life]

looks great, I can totally see an nice access panel bead rolled and held on with some nice allen bolts. possibly left exposed.

[NEWFISHER]

You are doing some GREAT work! I have an idea for you, with your ambition and skill set. Now that I have been driving the 46 with the roll out windshield in the hotter weather ( not quite hot enough for A/C but hot enough to roll/slide all the windows) I have noticed there is a HUGE temp difference between AD trucks/Burbs that I have had and this 46 with the roll out shield. Not just a little, but a HUGE difference in comfort. When I go to repaint the 50 Burb, I will be modifying a pre 46 wshield frame and grafting in the upper hinge into the roof/pinchweld area and installing the roller in the dash. Something to think about, If you have the chance to drive a pre 47 do it.