57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'

[mongocanfly]

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

[HAULIN' IT]

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

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

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

Hope so, Greg. They're supposed to open next Monday, so we'll see what they say.

Originally Posted by HAULIN' IT

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

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.

[Vic1947]

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.

[mongocanfly]

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

[Ol Blue K20]

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

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

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

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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

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!

[Ol Blue K20]

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

[sduckworth13]

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

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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

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.

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

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

Thanks, Scott, hope you and Katina did too.

[Vic1947]

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.

[Ol Blue K20]

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

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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

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.

[mongocanfly]

Great news Vic..!!

[Ol Blue K20]

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

[knomadd]

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?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Great news Vic..!!

I hope it is, Greg. I have a feeling they have a lot on their plate and are still catching up.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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

Thanks, Dale.

Originally Posted by knomadd

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?

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.

.

[Ol Blue K20]

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......

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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......

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.

[Ol Blue K20]

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

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

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

Man, that deal turned into a three day marathon. The left fender had been ripped off completely and the side rail of the trailer (made out of 1/4" wall angle) was buckled right where the front of the fender attaches. To add to the misery, the new fenders were about 4" longer than the remaining original. They only bought one inner panel, so I had to salvage the old one and scab material onto it to get it to fit. Way more work than I anticipated. Long story, but it broke me of sucking eggs as Mom used to say. So maybe it's a good thing you don't live close, Dale.

HRE has the body on the chassis. I talked to them today and the firewall is very close to the coil cover on the passenger side. I'm headed there in the morning to discuss what needs to be done to get past the issue. But at least there's some progress.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Man, that deal turned into a three day marathon. The left fender had been ripped off completely and the side rail of the trailer (made out of 1/4" wall angle) was buckled right where the front of the fender attaches. To add to the misery, the new fenders were about 4" longer than the remaining original. They only bought one inner panel, so I had to salvage the old one and scab material onto it to get it to fit. Way more work than I anticipated. Long story, but it broke me of sucking eggs as Mom used to say. So maybe it's a good thing you don't live close, Dale.

HRE has the body on the chassis. I talked to them today and the firewall is very close to the coil cover on the passenger side. I'm headed there in the morning to discuss what needs to be done to get past the issue. But at least there's some progress.

Ok.....I'll hang my own fenders....lol. Looks like they jumped right on it.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Ok.....I'll hang my own fenders....lol. Looks like they jumped right on it.

I wish that were really the case, Dale. I took my other body cart to them the other day to use on the wagon and had a look at the firewall situation. It looks to me like if they pull the body back off, there's enough filler in the area where the coil cover is encroaching on the firewall that they can re-contour that edge and achieve the necessary clearance. We'll see how it goes. From what I can see on their FB page, they're still working hot and heavy on other projects. It may sit for a while yet before they get serious with it.

Meanwhile, here at the house, I've been working on the console again. I trimmed most of the "flying buttresses" off the upper side panels with the bandsaw. I then got the final shape using the belt sander and an 80 grit sanding block. I first tried to make a little cap for the opening, but it looked like crap, so I taped off the opening, flipped the piece over and squirted in a layer of 3M self leveling seam sealer. Once it set up, I applied a thin coat of bondo to the top side. After working it smooth, I primed the area and knocked down the high spots with 320 grit paper.

I had some 3M vinyl scraps left over from the FITech intake project, so I patched together a couple of pieces and trimmed around the edges. I had a couple of small wrinkles but overall, I like the look. I've got some more material on the way so I can do both sides without having to seam them like I did for the mock up. I considered doing a "carbon fiber" vinyl, but decided I liked the "matrix" effect better ...plus carbon fiber has been around for a long time so this has a fresher look.

[Vic1947]

Hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July. We're gonna kick back in the patio chairs and watch the fireworks all this weekend at Worlds of Fun (2 miles as the crow flies) as well as around the neighborhood. Being the cheap buzzard that I am, it tickles me to watch all those hundred dollar bills going up in smoke.

Nothing happening at Hot Rod Express. They've taken in several cars since transporting mine down there and the wagon is just collecting dust. I'm going to give them a call this coming week and suggest that I bring it back home until they're truly ready to work on it. I have a ton of stuff I can be doing if it was here in my shop. I need to get the console finalized, fit up the stereo speakers and install the SPW power windows, etc.

My BIL, Rick, was here from Seattle this week and we bench tested the Alpine X009U head unit and speakers. The head unit came out of a show car and was never really made operable from what we could tell. It looks brand new (at about 40% of the retail price) and all the functions worked perfectly. Should make for a nice system going down the road. Has built in NAV, BT, HD radio, SiriusXM, DVD player, multiple camera inputs and outputs, preamp out and all the modern bells and whistles. Probably never use most of that stuff, but what the heck.

Had a good paint day, so I squirted the steering column and some assorted brake hardware. Turned out nice so now all I have to do is not drop kick it before it gets installed.

I rejuvenated the trim panels for the front seats and installed them along with the three point seat belts. Had to machine some guides for the outboard belts as those are never included with the seats when you get them from the salvage yard. The pieces come with the belt assemblies and unless you buy OEM parts, you gotta make your own. I did some for my last build so I already knew the drill. Also finished applying the 3M vinyl to the upper panels for the console. All that remains to be done is fitting it in the car and trimming the forward edges to match the box I'm building that will house the stereo, front speakers and A/C controls.

[sduckworth13]

Have a good 4th Vic! Give Russ a call, he’d be more than happy to tow it back for you. Try and talk him out of the GTO while your at it, I’d love to see that car done by you.