Freeper help wanted - car question

[djf]

OK I drove by it three days in a row. Finally, the snow stopped an I was able to read the 4sale sign.

It was a freakin steal. So now it's in my driveway. No pics (yet)

But my question is this: What could/should a fellow do when he's restoring a car? This one is in VERY good shape, I could easily put in on ebay and sell it in hours for much more than I paid.

Is there anything in particular that a guy SHOULDN'T do during a restoration?

The car is:

1966 Chev Impala 327 four door.

Any and all experience/tips with restorations appreciated!!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Sounds like a clingy chick to me.

[djf]

Rear carpet installed! Front sedan seat taken out, cleaned up, the mechanism that moves the seat forward and back was kludged up on the right side so it just pivoted. Disassembled, totally cleaned up and lubed, front seat now back in car and works perfect.

Putting the hydes back on the skanky Naugas:


Cleaning up and reinsulating the drivers and passenger side cowlings with heater duct: (had to come out before carpet goes in)

[djf]

New carpet in the front! Still needs some smoothing out, but no rush.



Shot of back with front seat rolled back so I can do floor stuff:



Things moving along very nicely, ordered door weatherstipping today.

[Red Badger]

Looks really cool!..... Kind of spartan compared to all the stuff in modern autos. Maybe we ought to go back to that idea. My first car, a 74 Pinto, brand new, didn't even have carpeting or a radio!........

[DCPatriot]

Wow...63 split window...a rare bird indeed.

What's that worth today...about $50,000?

[xcamel]

Rivera Red, real "knock off" (spinner) wheels, 327/390 fuel injected (orig).
Care to guess again?

[DCPatriot]

$65K to $75K.....

[xcamel]

There you go...

[DCPatriot]

I had a 64 covertible...navy blue with white top. back in 1968.

I also had a 66 covertivle...white with black top..although the numbers didn't match on that one. Had that back in 1982.

I'll see if I can find a photo of the 66 to post.

[DCPatriot]

I did buy knock-off rims shortly after these was taken..in 1981 or 1982.

[djf]

Well, it's got AC and a nice aftermarket tape deck. Other than that, it is pretty basic.

Dash is out, at the sandman. Instrument cluster has been cleaned up and ready for reinstall. Found the window leak, it's leaking along the top seam, but from everything I can see looking up under the dash (the dash is two parts - a metal insert that holds the instrument cluster and clock that fits into a part that holds the light, ignition, wiper switches. That part is welded in). All the lips that the window sit into look good and structurally very sound, won't know for sure till the window is out, but I am very optimistic.

rebuilding the heater ducts, and doing some touch up painting on the instrument cluster holder:

[Red Badger]

Are you installing a washer/dryer in the trunk?.......

[djf]

Went to like 4 auto parts places and COULD NOT FIND 3" rubber ducting. So I went to Lowes and got the 3in flex aluminum duct. Whoever owned the car in the past totally messed it up. The piece with the T and the 1foot or so rubber duct goes over an opening in the heater box. The opening opens/closes by a lever on the climate control, it's set so that when the AC is on, the air comes from the center dash duct and the driver/passenger side ducts.

That piece is now installed, but I need to do a bit more wirebrushing, priming and painting on the dash before I can finish the driver/passenger side ducts.

It was so kluged up with some rust that the climate control sliders were a real bear to move. They have all been lubed and cleaned and now work with just a touch!

The dash will be done by this weekend. Interior wise, that means all that's left is finishing up the headliner, installing some metal trim and newly hided naugas, and trimming the carpet edge and reinstalling the "Body by Fisher" door step panels.

Then comes door and trunk weatherstripping. Then window seals.

Then paint.

I need a belt to check if the AC works. I dumped the oil, put in a quart of 10W30 and a quart of tranny fluid, idled it for about ten minutes, then dumped that. As expected, it came out black as night.(tranny fluid is a very high detergent oil). Then put about 4 1/2 quarts of synthetic in.

I did a temp fix for an exhaust leak with some of the sheet metal aluminum I had. Much quieter now, but it will never be silent.

There is an original 62-67 single cylinder brake master in it. No power brakes. I can live without power brakes, but I think I might swap it out for a dual cylinder type. (But at least the common sense part of me kicked in and after I had it for about 2 weeks, I had it in and they did a total brake rebuild on it)

The last thing will be the trunk, I need total new sheet metal for it, about 300 bux.

[djf]

Now I got another problem:

A) Old trunk:



B) New trunk:



So the problem is juxtaposing A with B!

Actually, it's going very well, except by the time this witch is rebuilt, gas gonna be $12.00 a gallon!!
;-)

[Red Badger]

Actually, it's going very well, except by the time this witch is rebuilt, gas gonna be $12.00 a gallon!!

SO, you're gonna be done by NEXT MONTH?!?!?!..........already $3.00 gal regular here.......

[djf]

Lol! 3.20 to 3.25 here.

I’m still not sure about the mileage, only put about 350 miles on it since January and no long road trips yet.

[djf]

New trunk. Where its sposed to be. Only took about 6 DeWalt carbon fiber sheet metal blades(and maybe 1.5 pints of blood)




Windowless in Seattle (where is Meg Ryan when U need her???)


All the rust and junk has now been cleaned out, got new clips for the chrome, the window is out,(miraculously, still in one piece!!). A bit more sheet metal cutting for the bottom edge and I'm off to the races...

[djf]

BTW, note the real, real spiffy job I did on the dash pad... gluing new material on with gorilla glue, point-by-point, took about five days to do the whole circumference...

[djf]

Window is in! Guys at the window place said I did a PERFECT job of repairing the base and prepping the outside edges.
They were also very impressed by the dash pad and upholstery work I have done so far.

One of them was born in ‘67 so I told him to be dam careful with that piece of glass, it’s a year older than you!

Also had like three people who are very knowledgeable tell me to yank the distributor out and put in electronic ignition, anybody who knows about this, lemme know.

Next: quarter panel patches

remaining:headliner, paint job, gotta get a belt for the AC, not even sure if it works.

[Red Badger]

YES! trash the points and DEFINITELY put in an electronic ignition and a ACCEL Super Coil! Platinum or Solid Copper core plugs and Silicone High Temp Wires also!.......That will be the best decision on upgrade you could make at this point!........