Restoration Page 3

 

              

At the body shop, dents and minor rust removed, ready for paint.

Text Box: My wife decided it was time to move and we found a newer house with a three car garage.  I wasn't so sure about moving a Chevelle in boxes and zip lock baggies, I knew where everything was in our one car garage.  But more room was really looking good.  We made the move and after many months of financially recouping closing and moving costs, we finally decided to bite the bullet and send the Chevelle off to the body shop for work and paint. Since them the dash was disassembled to the frame, cracks repaired and repainted, all the components where cleaned and repainted and put back together.  I also repainted the kick panels, pillars and  seat belt covers.  My amateur buffing job on the interior chrome came out pretty good. I haven't done much since then and the body has been at the shop for a few months.  I drive by every so often to check on progress.  Hoping to get it back this winter. Finally, after 7-8 months she is home, the body shop did a really good job.  Although, they warned me of possible over spray on my newly restored frame I didn't think everything would be coated with red paint.  So I have a bit more work to do on the frame again.  Plus to my surprise some surface rust is showing on my newly black oxidized parts.  I removed the body again, and have stripped the frame down to nothing.  Once the weather warms up I will repaint the frame and suspension parts.  I have recoated the black oxidized bolts.  And have sanded off all the over-spray.  It looks as though the body sat out in the rain for awhile at the body shop, I now have rust inside the doors where there was no rust before.  Next time I will have the body work done first. Have repainted the frame and reassembled the drive train.  I dropped the motor and trans in while the body was off.  Much easier this way.  I installed new brake and fuel lines, and had preordered an exhaust system, but it doesn't fit.  I guess I will bring it to a shop and have them tidy it up.  So far, I am not impressed with the weather stripping.  Nothing like lacking the original fit.   I am reinstalling the wiring harness after cleaning it up and re-taping it.  I would like to get the dash installed next. After several months off, I have gotten back into it full steam.  I have re-painted the jambs and inside fenders red.  Sand blasted the steel rims and powder coated them black and installed new bias ply tires.  Going for that factory look. My bumpers came back from Star Bright (Mulino, Oregon) excellent job, much shinier than the NOS bumper guards I installed.       

               

Restored dash                Body ready to come home      Shiny red

                  

Body off frame and frame disassembled and ready to re-paint

                     

Update 03-02-02  Repainted frame and suspension parts and reassembled

                   

Update 3-17-02.  Body back on and working on reinstalling wiring and weather stripping

                       

Update 12-22-02.  Finally getting back into the project; new vinyl top is on, re-chromed bumpers on.

                     

Using Eastwoods zinc finish paint, I think I needed the darker version.  Installed new bias ply tires with double white walls.

                   

Update 01-01-03; Starting to get the front end together and the dash in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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