Fitzy's GP is back!

[Fitzy]

Hey Everyone, I came home from work but then went to Darwin for 3 days of REAL R&R where myself and some friends had a catch up, but am back home now for a coupla days, so it's back to The Beast.

The front door trim panels that I ordered earlier this year (like 8 months ago) finally got manufactured and they arrived last week. Today was a day of fiddling about having to remove and then reattach the curved piece of sheetmetal that is stapled to the top of the door trim and is covered in vinyl so as to upholster the door right up and over the top of the door. When I ordered the new panels I had the option of unassembled or fully assembled (includes new top plate and is basically ready to install except for the mouldings and badges.) I baulked at the cost and assured myself I could do that. So, instead of spending an extra 100 bucks or so, I spent the day swearing, measuring, cutting, swearing, fiddling about, swearing...you get the picture. Phase One of door trim trauma is complete. I shall commence Phase Two next time I'm home. I shall lay awake at 3am tomorrow wondering how I'm going to get the little nylon pins that allow the panel to snap into the little matching nylon recess plugs that are pressed into the door frame. I'll need to attach them to the panel somehow without disturbing the  glued vinyl of the trim panel.

On a happier note, my 'tapered piston ring compressor' from Butler also turned up and what a pleasant experience it was to tap the remaining pistons into their bores. Mark my words: if you're silly enough to embark on an engine rebuild, purchase one of these babies. The time I wasted trying to jam that one piston in last time using my El Cheapo compressor equated to the time it took me to install the remaining 6 pistons today and that's THE TRUTH! 50 bucks from Butler.

One last thing: I got fed up waiting to hear from the dude from the aluminium radiator place, so got my old one overhauled - will pick it up tomorrow. The chap must be 70 years old and has been building radiators for decades. He educated then advised me as to the various nuances of tube size, number of tubes, amount of fins, tube spacing, blah blah blah and I said "look mate - Pontiacs run hot. Just make me something that's gonna do the job here in the tropics." I'll post a pic when I get it home.

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by Fitzy

[Fitzy]

All the above doubled up, so I just deleted it. I don't know about anyone else, but some weird shit happens here when I post something.

Edited November 21, 2021 by Fitzy

[Ringo64]

5 hours ago, Fitzy said:

All the above doubled up, so I just deleted it. I don't know about anyone else, but some weird shit happens here when I post something.

Sorry about that. Is the submit button just sitting there when you submit a post and it takes a while? If so, this is something our software vendor is working on. An issue with the JavaScript that runs it. Can try clearing your browser cache to see if that helps. 

[Fitzy]

Thanks Ringo. No, the 'submit' button appears to work correctly, but almost invariably I have to go back and delete at least one doubled up image after posting. Yesterday, I had to delete my entire content because it doubled up in it's entirety. I didn't want to crow about it, but after editing, the window wouldn't let me post nothing, so I reluctantly moaned about it! It's a trivial issue and not a problem that needs sorting right now - I'm sure you have a rich & fulfilling life and have better things to do...like ensuring your dog defecates outside! Absolute gold.

[Fitzy]

Another day spent throwing buckets of money into the GP, aka The Money Pit. I picked up my newly rebuilt radiator today and it looks great. The cooling tubes are a coupla sizes bigger, still 3 rows and the cooling fin count has been ramped up. I have been assured it will flow and cool considerably better than the factory one. Combined with the FlowKooler water pump, it might just be the coolest running Pontiac in Australia, not just the coolest looking!

Ah, the interior door panels. What can I say? After considerable engineering, I attached the original metal top plates to the new cards. Before I secure the remaining vinyl trim to the panel edges, I need to figure out a way to ensure the panel clips in to the nylon grommets embedded in the doors. Now, GM supplied tiny threaded studs that would push into the TINY aperture in the nylon grommet. Do you think I can find anything that comes close? We're talking a maximum width of 2mm and it has to be threaded so that once it's pushed in, it doesn't pop out. I am thinking to completely rethink the entire scenario and might prise out the nylon grommets and use 'christmas tree' plugs that will screw into the door card and will then push into the apertures left behind by the grommets' departure. It doesn't have to be secured like Fort Knox because the card is anchored at the top, screwed in at the bottom and has the armrest and window regulators to help hold it in place. Thankfully, the door cards have been presliced in the appropriate places in order to be able to install the retaining clip of your choice. It would have been a nice touch if they supplied the correct fasteners - for 329 bucks, I'd expect that.

More beer will erase that unpleasant memory.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Fitzy
Double up on photo

[Frosty]

The best thing about the radiator is it is based on your original, so it will fit and look like the original and work much better and no one but you will be the wiser. 

Door panels look awesome.

[Fitzy]

Hey Everyone, back home again for another week. I have an engine to put back together, door panels to engineer & install, a property to look after and a sex mad woman to service. I wonder when she's turning up?

Anyway, I got skin cancers getting cut out tomorrow (woop woop!) and a list of crappy jobs to complete around the place before I can even look at the car. Just quickly, at 3am this morning I finally figured out how I was going to get those door panels to affix to the doorskins. After much scouring of various websites (got too much time on your hands? Google 'car interior fasteners' and sit back and marvel at what is available) I decided on Xmas tree clips. I then carefully dummy fitted the panels and marked where the clips should go so as to line up with the now bare holes where the nylon grommets used to live. I drilled holes through the new cards and pushed the clips through. I now need to glue all remaining vinyl upholstery around those clips, fit the GP badge, red reflector, door lock ferrule and chrome strip above the carpet and eventually snap that baby into place. I'll post pics tomorrow - too damn hot right now.

Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world: the price we pay for being an imported European breed into a part of the world where the locals have black skin for a good reason. Never mind - beer will dull yet another unpleasant memory of tomorrow's procedure.

[64 kiwi boni]

33 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

Hey Everyone, back home again for another week. I have an engine to put back together, door panels to engineer & install, a property to look after and a sex mad woman to service. I wonder when she's turning up?

Anyway, I got skin cancers getting cut out tomorrow (woop woop!) and a list of crappy jobs to complete around the place before I can even look at the car. Just quickly, at 3am this morning I finally figured out how I was going to get those door panels to affix to the doorskins. After much scouring of various websites (got too much time on your hands? Google 'car interior fasteners' and sit back and marvel at what is available) I decided on Xmas tree clips. I then carefully dummy fitted the panels and marked where the clips should go so as to line up with the now bare holes where the nylon grommets used to live. I drilled holes through the new cards and pushed the clips through. I now need to glue all remaining vinyl upholstery around those clips, fit the GP badge, red reflector, door lock ferrule and chrome strip above the carpet and eventually snap that baby into place. I'll post pics tomorrow - too damn hot right now.

Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world: the price we pay for being an imported European breed into a part of the world where the locals have black skin for a good reason. Never mind - beer will dull yet another unpleasant memory of tomorrow's procedure.

mate! that is soo good that you have found those cancers!! 

if you didn't !!! guess what !!! yip .... no pontiac fun for you... just death !!! happy happy joy joy !!! NOT 

now go cut those mother f-cker out and get back to what you love! including that girl 

nz is just as bad for skin cancer as you guys !!...

[Ringo64]

Glad you found it early there, Fitzy! Have had a few things removed myself, ended up benign at least but still scary and unpleasant. 

Same boat as y'all being in Florida with this Irish skin  

[Fitzy]

It's okay - I'm still alive after being comprehensively sliced up this morning. The doctor took some skin from my ear and grafted it to what was left of my poor nose. I look like an Egyptian mummy right now, and shall continue to do so for 7 days. Let me just say: beer & antibiotics are a great (but not recommended) combo. I never saw no purple wallabies here before today! So I have a week off work, which means 3 weeks off. Great - can do some gentle work on the car.

Here's a pic of my original seat belts and my progress on the door trims. Some more vinyl glueing and attachment of interior jewellery and I reckon I'm so close. It's kinda a big deal for me to attach those trims, coz that signifies the conclusion of the interior fitout. You gotta remember, the car's interior was shot when I got it - 2 years ago.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Fitzy
Double up on photo

[64 kiwi boni]

42 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

I'm still alive after being comprehensively sliced up this morning. The doctor took some skin from my ear and grafted it to what was left of my poor nose.

well done mate! glad they didnt take it off some where else and stick it on your nose !! 

beer and chips work good mate 

wow! how did your car get retract lap belts !!!

thats so cool! 

and you have done a great job of that interior !🙏 ! 

Edited December 3, 2021 by 64 kiwi boni

[Fitzy]

According to the ID plate, it's factory fitted options were 2 speed washer/wipers, retractor belts and a vinyl roof.

[64 kiwi boni]

47 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

I never saw no purple wallabies

aren't they  grey??????

we do get them here but mostly found dead on the side of the road! i saw one justa 3 weeka ago .... road kill that is !

Edited December 3, 2021 by 64 kiwi boni

[Fitzy]

No - the belts are black, to match the factory black interior I guess.

[64 kiwi boni]

1 minute ago, Fitzy said:

No - the belts are black, to match the factory black interior I guess.

it would be so cool to have retract !!!

i justA dont want to lose that factory look......

[Fitzy]

You might find some on ebay. Similar vintage Chev or Buick should be the same. Perhaps Frosty or JustA could keep an eye out for you when their swap meets occur. That reminds me, we need to get over there for a catch up, once the Omicron variant extinguishes most of humanity.

[64 kiwi boni]

fitzy that is a BIG box to tick off completing your interior !!!!! 

1 minute ago, Fitzy said:

You might find some on ebay. Similar vintage Chev or Buick should be the same. Perhaps Frosty or JustA could keep an eye out for you when their swap meets occur. That reminds me, we need to get over there for a catch up, once the Omicron variant extinguishes most of humanity.

yeah nah.... its not going kill us off mate!! we have been vaxed!!!! its all we have!!! 

i am in good health..... its my boss i worry about, shes got autoimmune issues.... and being a plumber i could bring any old thing home.... but certainly dont want it to be our latest mate!!! omnicron!

[64 kiwi boni]

so much for our pizza night aye!!!!

[Fitzy]

Yes mate. When you consider that I stripped it to almost nothing and started over, I suppose it is a big deal. Once the engine goes back in, the only potential component left to give me any grief is the auto. Fingers crossed.

[64 kiwi boni]

1 minute ago, Fitzy said:

Yes mate. When you consider that I stripped it to almost nothing and started over, I suppose it is a big deal. Once the engine goes back in, the only potential component left to give me any grief is the auto. Fingers crossed.

yeah but you have a turbo 400.... its a good trans and easy to fix!!! one year earlier and you have what i have and no trans shops want to touch them!!! 

[Fitzy]

We're still coming over there, apparently some time next year. If you'd like me to send you those external mirrors, just say so.

[64 kiwi boni]

has your boss got the xmas tree up yet???? did you see del's tree?

 

 

[Fitzy]

Uh no. We don't do Christmas. Well, I don't and I think she's simply given up! I have that effect on women! Beer, sex, the Pontiac, barbies. It's Christmas all year here.

[64 kiwi boni]

oh my one is the other way round!!! ther is 3 trees already up!!! ones pink!!!!! no joke!!!

i guess it a case of what ever spins your wheels aye!

5 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

We're still coming over there, apparently some time next year. If you'd like me to send you those external mirrors, just say so.

hell no !!! i want personally delivered!!! 

i am sure it will all settle down and we can get some sort of normality !!!

hay bathurst sunday!!!! 

[64 kiwi boni]

tomorrow here is national crate day!!! thats when we drink the big bottles only !!! which is always fun!! 

then just to make a really good weekend of it, i will be off to the trcc club to watch van Gisbergen kill the mountain..... 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/87067176/how-new-zealands-national-crate-day-came-to-be