1 hour ago, B52bombardier1 said:

Hello Fitzy,

  If I could not do some of the work on my Cat and on my El Camino, this hobby would simply be unjustifiable from a cost standpoint.  I do it because I enjoy it and this makes it OK.  I also don't go into debt spending money on these vehicles and budget things in over a few months getting a task accomplished.   

  I also keep receipts and stuff them into a big envelope, but I never add them up.  Why would I want to mentally shoot myself in the foot?

Rick

 

I collect all my receipts too ! And like Rick 

I don’t bother adding them up 

but I do like to have a record of where all the parts come from 

and when I sold the cortina I gave the new owner all the receipts so he had a record of where things came from . 

Yep, well said. I'll go a step further and say that if you are either good mechanically, or are good with electrics, or are a spray painter, panel beater or sheetmetal worker, your restoration is going to be a lot easier. I can do none of these things (never stopped me from having a go before) and having to farm that work out really hurts.

It should be a disclosed prerequisite that when considering purchasing a project, you need to be either prepared to LEARN these things or start saving for the massive bills coming your way. Of course the most important thing is to keep enjoying it. You're going to have ups and downs but keep focussed. I should perhaps be taking my own advice!

I agree Fitzy. 
 

I have heard that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Restoring a car is definitely an elephant. However, if you stay focused and break down the restoration into small, manageable restoration projects, then you can do it. Your car is the sum of all your little efforts put together. So one thing at a time.

I ordered 10 feet (feet??? About 3m) of 1" wide universal chrome moulding this morning. That's going to be an interesting little job to fit, I'm sure. After Frosty's declaration of "it should only take 10 mins to fit" regarding his shift doodelacky I am NOT going to say that it should be a quick & easy fit. It's going to be a series of intricate cuts and melding together of individual pieces that have to follow the contours of the rear wheel arches. The stuff is self adhesive but I'm planning on reinforcing it with some stainless trim screws as well. The postage was as much as the damn product. If they send it via USPS, it'll be here by Christmas 2025. If it's via DHL, it'll be here next week.

I can't take her for a run because after all the heat we had, the rain has now come. Perhaps the sun will come out for an hour tomorrow.

43 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

After Frosty's declaration of "it should only take 10 mins to fit" regarding his shift doodelacky I am NOT going to say that it should be a quick & easy fit. 

So what are you saying? Its gonna take you all afternoon? Slacker ! 

28 minutes ago, Frosty said:

So what are you saying? Its gonna take you all afternoon? Slacker ! 

Frosty, if it only takes one afternoon, I'll be a happy man.

You are a car guy  dude! We ALL know the job takes at least 3 times longer than we planned. 

You know the drill: you have planned a job on the car in the morning. You spring out of bed with the promise of a new day beckoning. Chug down a coffee and brekky and then stride confidently out to the garage to start the job. Half an hour later you are curled up on the floor, sobbing whilst surrounded by a zillion worn out greasy bits that can't be salvaged. You are bleeding, greasy, sweaty and you want your mummy. And the damn car just sits there, daring you to continue. That's why some cars had a big toothy grille. It enables the car to laugh at it's hapless owner. Eventually when enough tears and dollars have been shed, the car is fixed. It's now 10am and you're wondering if it's too early to start drinking.

So yes - I'm looking forward to the terror that awaits me.

Edited December 4, 20241 yr by Fitzy

1 hour ago, Fitzy said:

You know the drill: you have planned a job on the car in the morning. You spring out of bed with the promise of a new day beckoning. Chug down a coffee and brekky and then stride confidently out to the garage to start the job. Half an hour later you are curled up on the floor, sobbing whilst surrounded by a zillion worn out greasy bits that can't be salvaged. You are bleeding, greasy, sweaty and you want your mummy. And the damn car just sits there, daring you to continue. That's why some cars had a big toothy grille. It enables the car to laugh at it's hapless owner. Eventually when enough tears and dollars have been shed, the car is fixed. It's now 10am and you're wondering if it's too early to start drinking.

So yes - I'm looking forward to the terror that awaits me.

Damn that's accurate...

7 hours ago, Fitzy said:

You know the drill: you have planned a job on the car in the morning. You spring out of bed with the promise of a new day beckoning. Chug down a coffee and brekky and then stride confidently out to the garage to start the job. Half an hour later you are curled up on the floor, sobbing whilst surrounded by a zillion worn out greasy bits that can't be salvaged. You are bleeding, greasy, sweaty and you want your mummy. And the damn car just sits there, daring you to continue. That's why some cars had a big toothy grille. It enables the car to laugh at it's hapless owner. Eventually when enough tears and dollars have been shed, the car is fixed. It's now 10am and you're wondering if it's too early to start drinking.

So yes - I'm looking forward to the terror that awaits me.

 

9 hours ago, Fitzy said:

You know the drill: you have planned a job on the car in the morning. You spring out of bed with the promise of a new day beckoning. Chug down a coffee and brekky and then stride confidently out to the garage to start the job. Half an hour later you are curled up on the floor, sobbing whilst surrounded by a zillion worn out greasy bits that can't be salvaged. You are bleeding, greasy, sweaty and you want your mummy. And the damn car just sits there, daring you to continue. That's why some cars had a big toothy grille. It enables the car to laugh at it's hapless owner. Eventually when enough tears and dollars have been shed, the car is fixed. It's now 10am and you're wondering if it's too early to start drinking.

So yes - I'm looking forward to the terror that awaits me.

Okay Fitzy - everything you said is absolutely true. Everybody knows that. What's your point?

Car guys are not sissies. It makes us men! When we can bend/twist/shape metal to our wills we will....

 

7 hours ago, Bonne61 said:

Damn that's accurate...

Yes it is.

1 hour ago, JUSTA6 said:

 

Find a moist towelette?

Edited December 4, 20241 yr by Frosty

11 hours ago, Fitzy said:

You know the drill: you have planned a job on the car in the morning. You spring out of bed with the promise of a new day beckoning. Chug down a coffee and brekky and then stride confidently out to the garage to start the job. Half an hour later you are curled up on the floor, sobbing whilst surrounded by a zillion worn out greasy bits that can't be salvaged. You are bleeding, greasy, sweaty and you want your mummy. And the damn car just sits there, daring you to continue. That's why some cars had a big toothy grille. It enables the car to laugh at it's hapless owner. Eventually when enough tears and dollars have been shed, the car is fixed. It's now 10am and you're wondering if it's too early to start drinking.

So yes - I'm looking forward to the terror that awaits me.

looka at this way mate, if its ten there its 12 here and perfect beer oclock start time 

 

1 hour ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

looka at this way mate, if its ten there its 12 here and perfect beer oclock start time 

I have always said that beer isn't just for breakfast anymore mate! 

Don't you just love old cars? Today I took the Pontiac to catch up with my local mechanic on something unrelated and ended up spending a couple of hours with him assisting with the installation of a new Landcruiser diesel V8. The cost of a reman Cruiser V8 long motor is about $18k! I casually mentioned that one day I will sell both of my dinosaurs and treat myself to a new Isuzu DMax. He then showed me the inlet ports of the old 300k km Cruiser motor. Totally clagged with a mixture of soot & oil - a result of the mandatory EGR system that all modern diesels have to have. He said combine that with the mandatory DPF that all modern diesels must also have and unless you spend considerable dollars getting a top end clean every 50k km, that buildup will eventually kill the engine. He said he'd never touch a modern diesel. Some food for thought for anyone (including myself) who was thinking of a modern diesel.

Anyway, after assisting with the engine bolt in I drove the GP home and parked it. I then walked around to open the trunk and saw a series of oil drips that followed the car. I KNOW my nice new engine doesn't leak a drop. I peer under the car to see diff oil dripping quickly onto the concrete. The rear cover plate is dry & clean and has a new gasket fitted, so it has to be the pinion seal. Apparently, they can let go with little notice. So...guess what tomorrow's job is?

I have ordered a new cover gasket and seal which were cheap (Rockauto, of course) but the freight was almost exactly twice as much as the parts. I wonder how Trump's new trade tariffs are going to affect stuff being shipped FROM the States?

I can't drive the car anyway because the rain is on & off all day, so I shall sit it on jackstands and prepare it for it's new part.

The pic is a present left for me by the car. Incontinence will get us all one day. All the other little spots are from my ute which incidentally no longer leaks oil.

Edited December 6, 20241 yr by Fitzy

It’s called shit happens mate 

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Don't you just love old cars? Today I took the Pontiac to catch up with my local mechanic on something unrelated and ended up spending a couple of hours with him assisting with the installation of a new Landcruiser diesel V8. The cost of a reman Cruiser V8 long motor is about $18k! I casually mentioned that one day I will sell both of my dinosaurs and treat myself to a new Isuzu DMax. He then showed me the inlet ports of the old 300k km Cruiser motor. Totally clagged with a mixture of soot & oil - a result of the mandatory EGR system that all modern diesels have to have. He said combine that with the mandatory DPF that all modern diesels must also have and unless you spend considerable dollars getting a top end clean every 50k km, that buildup will eventually kill the engine. He said he'd never touch a modern diesel. Some food for thought for anyone (including myself) who was thinking of a modern diesel.

Anyway, after assisting with the engine bolt in I drove the GP home and parked it. I then walked around to open the trunk and saw a series of oil drips that followed the car. I KNOW my nice new engine doesn't leak a drop. I peer under the car to see diff oil dripping quickly onto the concrete. The rear cover plate is dry & clean and has a new gasket fitted, so it has to be the pinion seal. Apparently, they can let go with little notice. So...guess what tomorrow's job is?

I have ordered a new cover gasket and seal which were cheap (Rockauto, of course) but the freight was almost exactly twice as much as the parts. I wonder how Trump's new trade tariffs are going to affect stuff being shipped FROM the States?

I can't drive the car anyway because the rain is on & off all day, so I shall sit it on jackstands and prepare it for it's new part.

The pic is a present left for me by the car. Incontinence will get us all one day. All the other little spots are from my ute which incidentally no longer leaks oil.

I feel for you mate 🙄

A productive day today. I sat the car on 4 x 4 ton jackstands with an extra 4 smaller ones as a redundancy. I also pumped the trolley jack up and sat it under a chassis rail in case the unthinkable happened and had my mobile close by in case I had to call someone to get the damn car off me! Prop shaft U bolts out, lowered the shaft and borrowed a 1 and a 1/4" socket (fhe ONLY socket I don't have...yet.) Using a rattle gun the pinion flange nut came off easily. I also had to rattle gun the oil filler plug on the side of the diff housing - man, it was tight. Removed the flange & seal. The seal looks to be in perfect condition - even the flange surface has no apparent wear. As I was dismantling everything, I noticed diff oil was dripping from where the edge of the seal sits in the flange. It almost fell out which means whoever installed it didn't apply sealer around it's periphery. I asked my mechanic about it and he said the seal comes with a special coating which is supposed to be a sealing material. Well, it didn't!

I took a pic of the factory diff ratio markings (for 1965 - others should be similar to a point) for anyone who might not be aware. There are 2 letters stamped on the RH axle housing near the centre. U means an open diff, V is a LSD, and in my case C means 2.73 ratio. 

Whilst the car is up in the air I did a thorough check of everything underneath and it all looks good. I span each suspended wheel and noticed some brake adjustment anomalies - in particular the rears are dragging a bit too much and the RH front has too much free play. I'm going to dismantle & clean each brake and may as well paint the drums whilst I'm fiddling about.

Last thing was to readjust the front bumper to body clearance. This was a niggling little issue that caught my eye every time I walked past the car, so as you can see in the pic I rigged up an 'adjustable stand' to hold the bumper in the correct position as I tightened the 4 big bolts that support it to the chassis. If you ever do this job, the passenger side rearmost bolt has to be accessed from within the engine bay. You will swear - I did.

Nice work mate.  Overkill on jackstands is always good.  If the thing comes down on ya, needs to be done right so your not left wounded N suffering. 

…..and he did this all in 5 minutes!!! 

Edited December 7, 20241 yr by Frosty

4 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Nice work mate.  Overkill on jackstands is always good.  If the thing comes down on ya, needs to be done right so your not left wounded N suffering. 

When I die I want it to be quick and NOT being slowly squeezed to death under 2 tons of car. I never like getting under that thing but if I have to, then lotsa very heavy duty jackstands is the way to go. I still remember your cinder block episode...it just doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened to you.

Of course if I was rich I'd get a hoist but I don't intend doing this sort of thing for many more years. These days after a full day of intense physical activity, I'm sore and hobbling for the first few hours.

I believe beer is good for keeping your joints supple and your muscles hydrated. It's not true but I believe it.

Beer is good! Beer is food! Beer is for the soul!

nice work mate 

cheers to that !!

Another productive day. Thank goodness I'm back to work on Tuesday - I need a rest!

With the front bumper now looking MUCH better I decided to do the same with the rear. Unfortunately at some time in the car's life it must have been hit on the driver's rear quarter corner. I loosened the 4 bolts and mucked around with it. It's better but not by as much as the front. It'll do - nobody is going to notice except me and you guys.

Then it was Brake Time. Would you believe that I had the fanciful notion that I would get through all 4 brakes in one day? I managed ONE and even then I'll need parts. I started with the LH front. It was pretty grubby in there so I took everything out and then noticed the bearing grease seal must be shot. I also saw some worrying rust on the wheel cylinder arm that sits against the shoe. Took off the hub and inspected the Timken bearings. They seem to be perfect and as Rick has pointed out, probably better quality than the new ones I have. I just happened to have a front wheel bearing kit. I decided to retain the old bearings but replaced the seal, castellated nut, washer, split pin & hub cover.

I ordered 4 new wheel cylinders from Rockauto and will just do the lot one at a time next time I'm home - cheap insurance. I painted the outside of the drum and here's a good one: the self adjusting star wheel mechanism...it was NEVER going to self adjust! I had to grip the body in a vise and with much effort unscrewed the shaft. Soaked it in kero and after cleaning everything up applied some leftover engine assembly lube to the threaded shaft and now it spins in & out very easily. It's such a simple mechanism but depends solely on the star wheel being able to move easily. I have done the same repair to another car and it worked a treat. 

It's well deserved Beer Time.

Good luck with the rock auto slave cylinders mate . When I orders mine the turned up 

looked perfect but had the wrongway thread for my factory hoses !!!!!!

Hmm...all my flex hoses are new. I can only hope they fit. If not, it'll be yet another order to Ames.