C1 My plans for this week end and any advice you can give me

[67HEAVEN]

Larry,

Man, I get tired just listening to your progress. Amazing!

 

[IH2LOSE]

Larry,
The car looks great. Your rate of progress is tremendous. I don't know if this will be a consideration for you or not but if they did body work around the front grille area I would test fit the old chrome mouldings holding them in place to be sure you are happy with the fit. Just a thought.

Thank you for the suggestion.The body shop has all of my new finishing trim except for the bumpers for any test fitment thats needed.Unfortunately they left the upper grill trim in the car when they sprayed the slick sand and its covered with over spray.I hope I can clean it up. They are done with the majority of the body work so when I return the car to him on Monday I will pick up all of the trim parts so nothing else gets damaged .

 

[Mrmike]

looks like your making great progress, Congratulations

 

[JohnZ]

Just to bring a little humor to your day - here's another "shirt story":

When I was a production foreman at Willow Run in 1965, I was working with a repairman in Final Process one day, and the car's battery exploded, spattering both of us with battery acid; no injuries (safety glasses), but shirts with hundreds of little holes burned through them.

Foremen had Chevrolet-issued white dress shirts (shirt and tie in those days) with your name and the bowtie logo embroidered over the pocket; you turned them in every day, and got five clean ones every Monday. I put the "holed" shirt in the dirty-shirt bin that afternoon with a note to replace it.

The following Monday when I got my pack of clean shirts for the week, one of them (the one that got "holed") was about the size of a shirt for a "G.I. Joe" action figure; some lady at the laundry had spent hours on a sewing machine, sewing up every single little hole (which "puckered" the shirt down to doll-size), and they had washed, starched, and ironed it just like the rest.

I hung it on the bulletin board in the Production Office, and everyone got a big charge out of it; then I left it on the Controller's desk with a note asking if Chevrolet really thought they were saving the cost of a replacement shirt by repairing it and giving me back a "doll shirt" . He didn't think it was very funny, but he authorized a genuine full-size replacement shirt

 

[67HEAVEN]

John,

Great story.

I not sure why, but it brings to mind a saying I used to hear a lot. "How did we ever win the War?" (referring to WWII)

 

[studiog]

Hey Larry,
I'm sure your body guys probably have this covered already but just in case... Be sure your body colored headlight trim rings fit good to the body. I've seen some off so far you could almost stick your finger in the gap.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Hey Larry,
I'm sure your body guys probably have this covered already but just in case... Be sure your body colored headlight trim rings fit good to the body. I've seen some off so far you could almost stick your finger in the gap.

Thank you again for thinking of us (me and my car)

I chose to use the pre 62 headlamp trim,the chrome plated ones verse the painted ones. I also purchased new head lamp buckets and I am actually putting them all together now. I test fit them on the car and they seem perfect.


I was at the shop again today and they were touching up my plastic work on the fire wall.

 

[IH2LOSE]

So today Wensday I get a call from the shop,

All the body work is done.and they want it mounted back on the rotisery and in there shop on Friday morning for painting of the engine bay and the bottom of the car, apparently they will prime the engine bay and bottom of the car.Then they will paint the engine bay with single stage paint,Mask off the engine bay and the rest of the car.Then they will paint the underside of the car and wheel wells with a material that goes on thick with a ripply texture that is tinted with my paint color to act like a chip resistant finish with a high gloss that will match my final paint color excactly,We also purchased all of the painting material pre mixed from the same supplier to assure a perfect color match.The painter did all of the leg work on sourcing this material,I had to purchase a special spray gun for the shop to put on this material.(not like the disposable one I got for them to put on the slick sand)

So tomorow night I will have a real busy night,Beside getting the car back on the rotisery I have to blow out and vacum out every nook and cranny again.I have done this several times but the media from when the car was blasted seems to grow back after a few days.

With this change in the schedule I will not be able to finish my frame to keep with the apointment I had with the other shop to paint the frame This friday.Wow this week is going fast.I wish there were more hours in the night to have completed the frame but its just impossible scheduling,

I just cant wait to see that yellow on the car.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Meeting yourself in corners yet, Larry?

Busy, busy, busy.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Meeting yourself in corners yet, Larry?

Busy, busy, busy.

Yea

I got tagged on this one for sure,But its only because the body shop got a head of me. I see it as minor set back but I guess its good for the body shop to be ahead of schedule.

Seems crazy but this is how I love to live UNDER THE GUN,It makes days exciting and fly by.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Well a slight change was made in the material that was used but here are the results

 

[IH2LOSE]

This is from the back veiw

The lighting in the spray booth make the color look funny,Its definatley Millenium Yellow

 

[67HEAVEN]

Looking good, Larry.

Brings back memories.......

Like I said, I've gotta get a rotisserie.

 

[IH2LOSE]

You Know I have spent a couple of years under my 66 vette,I know every bump,riple and mounting plate.

Now that I have been working so many hours under the 62,and I see the photo of the bottom of your car.The bottom of the C2 looks so unfamilur to me now.

I think I can work on the frame this week end,I think they want the car up on the rotisery to finalize the body for paint for next week .

When they do paint it I have to remove it from the rotisery,(for the last time hurray) but leave it on the body dolly,cut off the mounting tabs that connect the body dolly to the rotiserry and then they are going to set the car on the body dolly on these real high jack stands in the paint booth.


Now my biggest probem is,I dont have a hood. I have a press molded reproduction hood on order for about 3 weeks,I am told It may not be built for another 4 weeks then we still have to wait for the shipping time to get it to me.The shop wants no part of the custom 67 hood I have been working on.(more on this below)

So I have to find some one with a press molded reproduction hood in stock ,Or an original used hood in good shape. In looking for an original hood I have called some used parts dealers and it seems none can give a straight foward honest answer.

A phone call to them

Me "what is the condition of the hood"

them " Its used,its off of a 42 year old car what do you exspect"

Me "are there any cracks in it"

Them "its made of fiber glass,Fiberglass cracks have you ever owned a vette before You have to exspect cracksits not that hard to fix cracks you know"

Me " have there been any repair made to the hood

Them " look I cant stay on the phone all day are you buying the hood or not,I have to charge you a extra crating charge you know and shipping is going to cost you alot too"

Me "thanks for your time"

So it seems trying to get a used one from a dealer is not working out.I may have to just purchase one of the hand laid hoods for now so the body shop will paint my car.

The body shop I deal with is tough,
He will not paint the 67 hood I am building to go on the car even with the picture I have shown him of the car in the magazine with the 66 big block hood on it.

His feelings are the car should remain stock on the out side and any thing else I do will only cheapen the cars overall aperance,I know he is concerned with the overall look of the car and has questioned me several times How I am going to exchaust the car so it doesnt loo like a ricer with the big pipes sticking out the back.Yes I know its my car and I should do with it as I please,But I also respect the advice of people who I think have a greater knowledge then me.So I may be scrapping the 67 big block hood project.

So this is what I am up to now A slight road block untill I can get him a hood,He will not paint the car unless a hood is fitted to the front to confirm all the body repair are perfect.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Larry,

I think I'd be having a private conversation with the shop owner. During said conversation, I'd be smiling that thin rat-smile that Philadelphia lawyers use when getting ready to slice-and-dice their next victim.

Following our friendly conversation, he'd be getting ready to paint a bathtub if that's what I wanted for a hood.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Larry,

I think I'd be having a private conversation with the shop owner. During said conversation, I'd be smiling that thin rat-smile that Philadelphia lawyers use when getting ready to slice-and-dice their next victim.

Following our friendly conversation, he'd be getting ready to paint a bathtub if that's what I wanted for a hood.

You know you are 100% correct,Me personally am not one to not get what I want.But after having some email confersations with some of our forum members there was alot of suggestions to keep it classic looking from the outside.

So the shops persistants in saying NO may actually be doing the right thing for me.

If I was 100% commeted to having that hood if would be a different story.But deep down inside I am still not sure its the right thing.I will still finish it,I will have it painted and I will mount it on the car.But for now he wants a stock hood A.S.A.P. on the car

 

[John Mcgraw]

Larry,

A bit of advice on the hood. Make sure that you are getting a 61-62 hood when you buy one. Earlier model hoods will fit the car but will not clear the radiator support or the top clamp for the radiator. ^1-62 hoods are very easy to spot since they have about a 4" wide notch in the front ledge over the radiator to clear the clamp. The ledge is also shaped differently to clearthe wider support and radiator that was used on 61-62 cars. Nothing worse than getting a hood all painted and then finding out at final assembly that it is a 59 or 60 hood!

Regards, John McGraw

 

[Mrmike]

Larry,

Have you called Vettegal 858-451-1933 Mary Jo Rohners vettegal.com. She might be able to help. She has a unique collection of used parts and has been real helpful in having or finding what I have needed. Also paragon used parts department is pretty good on used fiberglass.

Just a thought. Good Luck.

P.S. I know it is NONE of my business but I would stick with your first instinct and go with your custom hood. Watching your project from a distance I am impressed with your judgement and decisions that brought you this far. Keep up the great work.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Larry,

Have you called Vettegal 858-451-1933 Mary Jo Rohners vettegal.com. She might be able to help. She has a unique collection of used parts and has been real helpful in having or finding what I have needed. Also paragon used parts department is pretty good on used fiberglass.

Just a thought. Good Luck.

P.S. I know it is NONE of my business but I would stick with your first instinct and go with your custom hood. Watching your project from a distance I am impressed with your judgement and decisions that brought you this far. Keep up the great work.

Thank You. The pressure is off me for this week because of the holidays,I am dropping off the hood that came with the car (it has a backwards tear drop scoop on it) He said he will use that to double check the corners and If I O.K. it they will paint the car with out the hood and just paint the hood latter. I may just bring the car home for a while untill I can get my hands on a reproduction hood. I can get a hand laid hood no problem but the press molded ones no one has them in stock and it seems the places that makes them are not building any till after the holidays

And thank you for the comments But I can not take credit.

Each and every decisions I have made on this project have been done with the advice of this forum,And as you may know I am following in the trail John McGraw has blazed before me with a tube frame convertion knowing where to get components from.And in aquiring some specialty tools,John McGraws shared what we needed and Rich L found the sources,I just called who Rich Ordered his tolls from and told them to duplicate the order for me. So for sure I know what ever I do on my car I know I have a full team of corvette exsperts with me from this forum on it.

 

[IH2LOSE]

I just wanted to also add.

I have been working on cars it seems for ever.Before I had my vette and found this forum,all of the information I needed to rebuild the cars I did prior was found in books or it was information I recived from a supplier,Unfortunately the information I received from the supplier was not always what was best for the car but what was best with for the supplier.

I would be lost on this project with out the support of the forum,and also the great people who frequent it. I dont think I have ever seen a disagreement on this board