June 2006
6/2/06--I have drained the cooling system and bought the correct bypass hose, upper radiator hose, and have the lower radiator hose on order to arrive in a couple days. These are molded hoses and not "accordion" bendable hoses. These are form fitted to fit this vehicle and not generic. I also install a new chrome thermostat housing that I got a couple weeks back at the swap meet. While I had it all apart, I filed the front edge of the manifold to get any nicks and grooves taken out. I had a slow leak somewhere around there, and figured I would tighten that gap up. Also, installed the neck with 2 gaskets with gaska-cinch type adhesive, to hopefully fill in any remaining holes, scratches, etc. to better seal the thermostat housing.
6/10/06--I ended up making a new gasket with a little thicker material, since I could not get it to stop leaking. Finally, I figured that I needed to use RTV to get it to seal. Fixed it up and no more leak.
I bought the other blue fender from Ed Winegar for $75. It has one small dent near the headlight, but should be easy to fix. I also bought a metal rock guard from him for $20. It is mildly rusty, but solid. I will blast it and use POR-15, and it will be better than new.
I went to the Daley Salvage yard in Columbus and dug around a bit. The only thing I could find that was useable was the chrome trim for around the windshield, so I bought 2 complete sets for $50. I have them in the attic until after I paint, then I will need new clips and I will have straight trim all around.
6/13/06--While taking off the driver fender for replacement, I noticed that the fuel filter under the driver door (a clear glass one with a replaceable screen) had a distorted screen. When I put pressure on the filter, it leaked. It appears that the screw that holds the whole thing together is bent or the threads are cut wrong, so it fits together at a slight angle. Rather than mess with it, I just replaced it with a small metal canister type filter. Safer in that area under the car. Current miles are 59,400.
6/18/06--Went to Harbor Freight with Duncan (brother-in-law) shopping for solar-powered tiki lamps for the back yard. Ended up buying an off-brand 90AMP flux core MIG welder. $115, plus 4 lbs of wire, and replacement tips. I figure that since I paid $40 for 24 hours of renting the last one (see shock tower cuts), if I get to use this one 3 times before I burn it up, it will have paid itself off. Take into account fuel costs to pick up and drop it off, 2 uses and it is paid off.
The car is still sitting in the garage with the left front quarter removed. It will likely stay that way until late July when I get some time off work to POR-15 everything, work on those doors, and get it all reassembled.
6/27/06--I finished with the POR-15 inside the left front quarter frame and suspension and reassembled so the car is now driveable again. Also, bought two sheets of blue Styrofoam insulation and got half the garage door insulated. It already keeps the garage much cooler even without the A/C running in there. The fender is still off, and I have just a little more hammer-and-dolly work to pound out that one dent. The dent was quite deep, but only about as big around as a silver dollar. I have never done hammer-and-dolly, and I decided to try in a very tight and difficult spot for my first time. It is almost straight in the picture, and I want it to be as straight as possible so I don't need to use much, if any, filler. Then it gets the full POR-15 treatment and ready to install. The primered area is not the dent...just the small half-moon shaped part in the center of the picture, right on the front edge where it intersects with the centerline ridge. The red area is actually just a scratch through the paint that one of the previous owners just painted over with primer. The rest of the metal is straight and rust free, and is the match to the other fender, from the same car. I don't want any Bondo on my car, if I can help it. I will experiment with metal fillers, maybe even fiberglass, since I have experience with that and am pretty good with it. Bondo, in my past experience, tends to crack or absorb moisture, and will inevitably show through the paint over time.
Total (rounded) = 5575