havoc1482's Progression Thread

[Jedi3]

Holes in the floorboards O noze!

(Is this as bad as it looks?)

http://foreverpontiac.com/index.php?showtopic=2807&hl=

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(Repair & pics thread):

I see joo!, Makin' some progress

http://foreverpontiac.com/index.php?act=ST...t=2806&st=0

[notallthere]

For as old as the car is those holes are not that bad.

[havoc1482]

For as old as the car is those holes are not that bad.

Floor is very thin though. Some spots that I brush go through :/

[havoc1482]

Well guys. The floors are all set! I'm going to get some Nova pans but for now they are patched up holding together!

Pics:

\

Passenger:

Before:

After:

Driver:

Before:

After:

And then this guy showed up:

[Jedi3]

That will work for now.

[havoc1482]

Indeed it will. Looks like shit, but I need to let the sealer dry before I can start smoothing it out. Until I get those floor pans this is what I have. Better than holes right?

[Ringo64]

That's a LOT better than holes!!!

Good job and whose Vette?

[Frosty]

Indeed it will. Looks like shit, but I need to let the sealer dry before I can start smoothing it out. Until I get those floor pans this is what I have. Better than holes right?

I am not one to complain. I understand wanting to have the car put back together and enjoying it like you and God intended. So take this with a grain of salt. If you did this to get the car back on the road quickly and enjoy it then ignore what I say next - beleive me, I do understand.

However, I will just say that this means you get to do this work twice and you will have to scrape out the sealer on both sides and insure it is gone before you can cut out and weld in the new patch panels. I might have considered laying something in temporarily (not welding that is) so that I only need to cut and weld once.

BTW - Eastwood Company makes the correct chassis and underhood black paint for your chassis and fenderwells. Great stuff. Extreme Chassis Black for the chassis and suspension parts. Underhood or Chassis black for the inner fenders.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

[havoc1482]

I am fully aware of what I have to do to fully fix it, but the Phoenix is my daily car (except in winter) and I need it to not fall apart on me when I need to drive it.

My friend that helped me do it was also aware of this, it was his idea and he has no problem helping me fully fix it.

I do appreciate your input though Frosty, because you have the knowledge and expertise on these older cars, which is what I need. Unlike everyone else who has a car that was built in 1990+ (Ringo, Jedi, Chaos, Ghost)

[Frosty]

Glad I can help. Feel free to shot me an email anytime if you have questions or want a recommendation.

Here are some of Frosty's recommendations for restoring a car:

It maybe hard to find at first, but it is worth the time and money. Get youself the correct GM-published Pontiac Shop and Chassis Service Manuals for your car and year. It maybe that Pontiac only had one shop and chassis manual for 1978 that included all models. That's okay. Get it.

You can get shop manuals on CD now. That is also fine. I have one CD version as a back up to the two sets I already own. I also have a set for my '86 Trans Am. The value is in all the detail disassembly & re-assembly instructions, diagrams, pictures, tool and torque specs they have. I loved the exploded drawings especially.

Pictures, pictures, pictures.....take pictures of everything you take apart as you are doing it. I guarentee that you will forget how something went together somewhere down the line. The shop manual and photos will save your butt. Also the photos can be used as the basis for your build/restoration book.

Bag and tag all parts and pieces, no matter how big or small. Again, no one has a photographic memory. Trust me, you won't develop one working on a car either.

Next word of advice. Catalogs, catalogs, catalogs...get as many free ones from as many sources as possible. Try to figure out what catalog companies carry what pieces and parts for your car. There is no "one stop shopping". Price (especially shipping) is always a consideration. It is nice to see if two or more companies carry your parts so you can see who is the cheapest. Some companies might be exclusive but it will be expensive....that's all part of the game. eBay is your friend only if you know what you are looking for and it is not a rare or hot commodity part. So use craigslist and eBay with some caution. Know what you want and what it is worth to you first.

Make or have lots of friends who have different skills. Clearly having a buddy with a welder and knows how to use it is a great start. You might want to know someone who does upholestry, engine and tranny work, etc. If not, make some new friends.

Best way to network and make new friends is to meet people who have simialar taste in cars as you. To this end, I suggest joining a local car club or a combined national/local group like the Pontiac Oakland Club Int'l (POCI) or the GTO Association of America (GTOAA), which have local and speciality chapters across the US. These people have been there and done it. They also know locals who they trust to work on their own cars (engines, body/paint, electrical, etc.). With POCI and GTOAA specifically, they have volunteer technical advisers who are experts on most make/model of cars. This is an added benefit of their membership.

Car magazines are a great source of history and DIY articles. Pick a few mags and read them cover to cover, even if the DIY article isn't about a Pontiac. You might learn something new.

Final word of advise. Get your hands dirty. Do as much of the work as you can. You will be surprised what you can do. It will also save you a bundle of cash. Time is indeed money in this sort of activity. It also gives you stories to tell people.

[Ringo64]

Unlike everyone else who has a car that was built in 1990+ (Ringo, Jedi, Chaos, Ghost)

I see how it

I know a fair amount classic cars and I can weld but when it comes to rust, I have zero experience because the one car I've worked on that was a classic didn't have any (my uncles 1969 Camaro). Then obviously my '95 Monte didn't have any cause it's be mainly down here and well kept, as well as the G6.

[Jedi3]

I do appreciate your input though Frosty, because you have the knowledge and expertise on these older cars, which is what I need. Unlike everyone else who has a car that was built in 1990+ (Ringo, Jedi, Chaos, Ghost)

kids today

I have had old cars before I could afford something new that dident need work for my daily driver.

its ok I still love ya.

[havoc1482]

[Ghost]

...Unlike everyone else who has a car that was built in 1990+ (Ringo, Jedi, Chaos, Ghost)

how the hell did i get dragged into this?? besides it should be (Ghost, Ringo, Jedi, Chaos)

[Frosty]

how the hell did i get dragged into this?? besides it should be (Ghost, Ringo, Jedi, Chaos)

Can't we all just get along????? Sheesh!

[havoc1482]

trollolol anyways... Its gonna be a while before I update this again. This weekend I will fiddle with my new carpets to find a good fit. I won't install it though (well the front section at least) because of obvious reasons lol.

[Ringo64]

Can't we all just get along????? Sheesh!

[havoc1482]

So I got a new gas tank, new gas lines, and transmission gaskets. Today I did a whole lot of nothing. I took a seat out, but my rear bench back in, then slept in the back seat for about 30 min.

I only took one picture this whole time. Here it is, have fun. Don't make fun of my different colored headlights too much.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

What the fvck did I miss?

[havoc1482]

Okay so I was bored and browsing the interwebs and I came across this thingy from JC Whitney.

http://www.jcwhitney...d=d1843y1978j1#

Now I know it looks a bit hokey, but the reviews say it actually works. The bad reviews come from the fact that people say it sometimes doens't fit lol.

Apparenty I just plop this thing into my carb pan and thats about it.

I was just wondering what you guys think?

I think if it does what it claims to do then 'yay', but stuff like this is alway raises a red flag for me.

And this thing also got me thinking:

Is there any small things I can do to get a better engine performance and or fuel efficiancy short of tearing the engine apart?

I also know I need to get new spark plug wires at least, I've noticed cracks in the insulation, any recommendations?

[killerspeed101]

i think its just bs. if anything it would cause turbulence because it wont be able to spin fast enough.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

lolgimmick

Don't even waste your time with it. Because think about it...WHY would you disrupt smooth airflow? WTF does porting and polishing heads and intake manifolds do? Smooth out airflow.

[havoc1482]

' timestamp='1326256401' post='64805']

lolgimmick

What I was thinking haha

But what about my second part of my post?

[killerspeed101]

i use ngk works great .

[[ChaosweaveR]]

NGK makes excellent wire sets, as does Bosch.