57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'

[NONHOG]

Best wishes for quick, full recovery!
(oh on a secondary note-cool car!)

[Vic1947]

A great big THANK YOU to every one of you for the support! Kathy had surgery on Tuesday and is doing very well. The doctor made two incisions, one to remove the lump and the other to remove some armpit lymph nodes. He used superglue to close the cuts, so she won't have to go back to have stitches removed. They took a preliminary look at the lymph nodes and they showed no sign that the cancer had migrated beyond the lump which was very good news. If the full pathology results we get tomorrow confirm that, she won't require any chemo. Four weeks in the bug zapper and she'll be done except for follow-up visits. So, hopefully, she's out of the woods. I can't wait for her to be back to 100%. Fixing meals, doing dishes and laundry, running errands and etc. makes me appreciate how much she does for me on a daily basis.

Crusty sold yesterday. They didn't provide many details, but they did say an international buyer purchased it. For those who have never sold via a consignment shop, take if from me, you really need to go over the fine print carefully. Turns out the bottom line, net-to-owner figure is all you get. The commission percentage they quote is their "minimum". So anything extra over and above the seller reserve goes in their pocket instead of increasing the net figure. A bit of a burn there, but water under the bridge. Hope the new owner appreciates the amount of work that went into it.

Deconstruction on the wagon continues. The interior is pretty much gutted at this point. A PO must have bought a bunch of 3/16 plate steel on sale. One of the shock mounts and the rear passenger floorboard were both patched with it. They just scabbed it on over the rot, but that makes it pretty easy to cut out. The storage closet I rented is filling up quickly. I should have just enough room to stash the parts I've been removing. If I can remember, I'll take a photo next time I'm there. More later.

.

[Vic1947]

Intermittent progress on the wagon continues. Kathy had a bit of a setback last week. The surgeon didn't quite get enough of the tumor on the first go around, so she went back under the knife on Friday. He seemed confident this time that he'd removed enough margin for her to proceed with the radiation after she heals up. Added a week and a half to the plan, but better safe than sorry. She's doing great, though. Meanwhile, I've been doing some small stuff when I get the chance.

The windlace/kick panel holders were in pretty good shape except for the channel that holds the windlace right at the bottom. I was going to order a pair until I found out they cost $300. Whipped out the shrinker/stretcher, spot welder and some scrap sheetmetal and proceeded to repair them instead. A few hours of time and no hole in the wallet.

However, I couldn't stand the rust repair I did on the lower section of the tailgate. So I caved in and bought the reproduction tailgate skin and cut it in half to patch the area a bit better (hopefully). I'm not a big fan of butt welding long stretches of sheetmetal, so I spot welded a backup strip on. It will act as a lap joint. I could have used the bead roller to flange the new piece, but this seems to work better for me. I'll spot weld the new piece to the strip and then MIG the seam. I used panel adhesive to close up the hinge openings to avoid any warpage. Some hammer and dolly work and the patch should good to go.

I also dropped the gas tank out. It had a pipe plug in the bottom to use as a drain, so I got all prepped and carefully opened it up with a five gallon bucket under it. Much to my surprise, less than a quart came out. No wonder it died making the turn into the driveway when I drove it home. I'm embarrassed to say that it never occurred to me that it could be out of gas when it wouldn't stay running. Auto repair 101.

[sduckworth13]

Any progress is good progress. Looks good Vic!

[swamp rat]

The gas looks like varnish!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Any progress is good progress. Looks good Vic!

Thanks, Scott.

Originally Posted by swamp rat

The gas looks like varnish!

It didn't smell all that good either, Mike. But the weird thing was that I'd filled up on the way from St. Louis to KC so whatever happened to the gas must have occurred since the car was parked in November. They say today's gas blends can go bad quickly but I haven't noticed any ill effects with fuel stored in plastic jugs over the winter. If I can remember to do so, I add some StaBil if I know it will be awhile before I use the gas. Don't know what the deal was with this batch.

[Ol Blue K20]

I'm glad that your wife's prognoisis is good. Hopefully she's not real sore. Looks like some decent progress on the car too...

[Vic1947]

Some modest progress to report on the wagon. The body shell is completely gutted and ready to transport to RSI for stripping and e-coating. I removed the roof braces at the B and C pillars in order to remove the factory sound deadener. Will weld it back in after putting in new thermal/sound barrier. We weren't too far from RSI earlier this week when we dropped off the roof line, belt line and windshield stainless at Vintage Vehicles. They will restore it to better than new condition. Plus they'll modify the new lower rear quarter stainless to provide added clearance for the trailing edge of the suicide door.

We decided to hand deliver the stainless since Kathy wanted to go on a road trip before she starts chemotherapy. We found out last week that due to the grade and size of her tumor, chemo will be required after all. She has her first of four treatments next week. Hated the news but understand the rationale. If all goes like they say, she should bounce back after a week or two, so maybe we can schedule a trip to RSI between treatments. We'll see.

One of the tri-five members suggested using an air file to put the rectangular holes needed for the crown molding clips. It works great as you can see from the photos. I found some small square files on eBay but had to wait about three weeks for them to arrive from Britain. Impressive quality files for not a lot of $$ I have to say.

I'm waiting for the rear driver side floor patch panel to arrive. I've decided to install it prior to having the body stripped and coated. Will post up some photos when finished. Mostly (between doctor visits) I've been cleaning parts in the solvent tank and blast cabinet. Not very glamorous stuff, but necessary.

[swamp rat]

That air file probably saved a lot of time! Is RSI gonna blast it or is this a chemical strip process?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

That air file probably saved a lot of time! Is RSI gonna blast it or is this a chemical strip process?

Yes it did, Mike, plus it was a lot easier on my hands.

My understanding is that RSI dips the part in an alkaline bath that strips paint, undercoating, adhesive, seam sealer, plastic filler and anything else organic. It gets rinsed and then goes into a bath to remove any rust. They rinse again, neutralize and dry it before it is immersed in a paint tank. They apply an electric charge to the metal which bonds a layer of paint to it. It then gets baked in an oven to cure the paint. The e-coating winds up in all the nooks and crannies which helps prevent corrosion down the road. Stripping and e-coating the body shell is around $3k, but should be worth it in the long run.

[Ol Blue K20]

The immersion in the e coat sounds like itwould prevent a lot of problems for a long time.

[swamp rat]

Yep, what I wanted to do with my truck but it’s kind of unobtainable.

[Vic1947]

Been awhile since I last posted - time for some catching up.

Kathy and I made a quick trip to Franklin, WI this week to drop off the body shell and hood for the wagon. The folks at RSI met us at 7:30am Wednesday and made quick work of unloading the rolling chassis, body and etc. off the trailer. They gave us the nickel tour and we were impressed with the quality of their process. We were a bit surprised when we found out they don't actually do the e-coating onsite. They use a company in Michigan for that part. RSI personnel rack the parts in a special cage for transport to and from their shop. The cage also serves as the container for the e-coat process. Once it returns, they unbolt everything and touch up any uncoated air pockets. The body is positioned on its side for the coating so places in the wheel wells could trap air. Where needed, they will drill 1/8" holes for venting. They estimate about an 8 week timeframe from start to finish.

We were back in KC by 6pm Wednesday with no problems. I was a little nervous about the timing as there was no room for error. Kathy had her second chemo Thursday morning and we didn't want to have to reschedule . The truck we rented didn't have GPS so she was my main navigator. Fortunately we figured out how to use Google Maps on the smartphone which saved our bacon a couple of times.

The doors, inner and outer front fenders and a bunch of garnish moldings are at the media blasters being stripped. I cut the bottoms of the door skins off all four doors and they'll blast the inner shells clean before I re-skin them. When I get it all back, I'll take the first load of parts to the powder coating outfit I like to use.

The engine is coming right along. Ohio Speed emailed me the dyno sheet this morning and it showed almost 488HP at 6300 rpm along with impressive average torque numbers. He should wrap it up by next week and get it on the way. Right now my workshop looks almost deserted. The rims and tires arrived and I stuck them on the RS chassis to see if my measurements panned out. Looks like everything will fit nicely.

Once the engine and trans arrive, I'll test fit them into the chassis and then blow the chassis apart for powder coating. Lots to do before RSI calls me to come retrieve the body.

[knomadd]

Sounds like you're getting a good amount of work done. The chassis and wheels look good! Glad to see you're still at it and Kathy is doing okay. Prayers are still with you both.

[mongocanfly]

chassis looks great Vic!!!...and lonely...

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by knomadd

Sounds like you're getting a good amount of work done. The chassis and wheels look good! Glad to see you're still at it and Kathy is doing okay. Prayers are still with you both.

Thanks, Duane. Kathy's doing really well so I get to sneak down to the shop for a little bit most days. I haven't been posting every single thing I do, but it all adds up.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

chassis looks great Vic!!!...and lonely...

Thanks, Greg. It will be getting some company very soon. Engine builder sent me some pics of the bullet this morning and it should be on the way to me this week. Can't wait to test fit it into the chassis.

[knomadd]

That looks pretty! What accessory drive is that?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by knomadd

That looks pretty! What accessory drive is that?

It's made by Synister Products in Florida. I also had to ask the engine builder when I first saw it. I used a March setup on Crusty but liked this one just as well. You couldn't really see much of the FEAD on the truck since it sat so close to the radiator fans. Hopefully it will be more out in the open on the wagon.

[Vic1947]

With body parts out for work, I've been building the EFI fuel tank I plan to use. I looked online for something ready made, but wasn't inclined to pay the $$ they wanted for a 16 gallon tank. I really preferred something bigger, so I ended up with a 25 gallon EFI tank for an 87 Blazer. You can pick a new one up for around $100 and free shipping. I added an Aeromotive Stealth 340 in-tank pump, a Classic Instruments "floatless" fuel sending unit that will match the Dakota Digital gauges and a Spectra fuel pickup for the Blazer tank from Rock Auto. The rest I modified. Overall, I saved about $100 over a store bought unit, plus it has a lot more capacity and a higher rated pump.

The best way to fit the tank in the car and still have room for the battery required that I relocate the fuel inlet and change up the end of the stock filler tube. I used a little homemade tool to bead the end of a piece of 1-3/4" tubing and then welded it into the end of the stock filler tube. It will connect to the relocated inlet via a Gates rubber fuel hose.

The tank came with a depression that was the exact right spot for the fuel gauge sender. I fabricated a 1/8" cold rolled ring threaded for the brass screws included with the floatless sender. It fits inside the tank and is held in place with a couple of countersunk stainless rivets. If you squint real hard it almost looks factory. Finished up by blocking off the old filler neck and adding weather pack connectors for the sender and the pump.

When I get the body back, I'll get the tank mounted to the underside of the new floor and figure out the best way to incorporate the battery box. I plan to have access panels in the floor to service the battery and fuel system ...just in case. Learned my lesson with CRLS.

[mongocanfly]

Tank looks great Vic...I've got one of those floatless senders for mine to...

[Ol Blue K20]

How does a floatless sender work?

[mongocanfly]

I copied this Dale...
Most aftermarket fuel senders use a rotating float arm and resistance cards to measure the amount of fuel in a tank which can lead to erratic pointer movements. This Floatless Fuel Sender utilizes an internal pressure transducer to measure the amount of fuel in a tank. The concept behind this sender is hydraulics and pressure. The part of the sender that sticks into the fuel is a hollow tube that fills up to the level of fuel in the tank. The change in pressure at the pressure transducer is directly related to the level of fuel in the tank. As the fuel level increases, so does the pressure at the transducer. As the fuel level decreases, the pressure at the transducer also decreases.
The tubular design acts as a dampener to prevent the gauge pointer from moving due to fuel slosh. The floatless fuel sender has no side to side motion, which means it has no moving parts to wear out. It is top mounted and utilizes the aftermarket standard SAE 5 hole mounting flange and comes complete with neoprene gasket and mounting hardware. This sender is available in three different ohm ranges, 0-90, 240-33 and 10-180 and is compatible with gasoline, diesel, oils, and many other fluids. Each unit is designed for tanks 6-12 inches or 12-24 inches in depth and can easily be easily trimmed to fit individual fuel tanks exactly!

[Ol Blue K20]

Thanks mongo, I found the same principal on my washing machine at my cabin. A mouse ate through a tube that told the machine when water level was right. A piece of vac tube and no more overflowing. A neat concept indeed.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

"...Floatless Fuel Sender utilizes an internal pressure transducer to measure the amount of fuel in a tank."

I noticed that some of the older tube type (floatless) senders have four wires instead of two. I'm guessing they're the type that utilized the pressure transducer and required calibration. I'm not sure they're still on the market.

The one I bought from Classic Instruments has only two wires (ground and fuel gauge connection). It sounds like there's a component that moves up and down inside the tube when you flip it over. I hooked up an ohmmeter to it and it measured 10.3 ohms at one end, then flipped it upside down and it measured 183.9 ohms at the other end of the travel. The unit is advertised as a 10-180 ohm sender so the readings are within normal tolerances, IMO. So I'm thinking it uses some other approach that mimics a variable resistor. Classic Instruments doesn't actually call this "floatless" but refers to it simply as a "tube sender" which is probably more accurate. I'm betting the moving part inside the tube rises and falls with the fuel level but is less affected by fuel slosh. Just my guess. (I'm so far underwater on this build I have no desire to cut it open as a science project.)

I didn't want the conventional type sender with the float arm and variable resistor due to space constraints and erratic operation. I never did get the one on CRLS adjusted properly even though I followed the instructions as closely as possible. So I'm gonna give this a shot.

[Ol Blue K20]

Thanks Vic, not effected by slosh sounds pretty good. I'll leave the engineering to the pros.