My 83 Wagon

[mikester]

After being on here for quite a few years I think Ive finally figured out how to post a photo of my project. Ive posted on quite a few G body groupe on FB so some of you folks will already know all the details of this fiasco. LOL

This is my wagon when it was still down in TN before I purchased it. It had one repaint and it was a pretty clean, almost rust free car.

 

[O. D. Showtime]

Looks good!

 

[mikester]

I took the car apart a couple of years ago to redo the front end. I also sold the SB that was in it and bought a new GM crate motor for it. Nothing crazy. 350/330 with the serpentine set up. I had a bunch of extra parts from the 81 Malibu coupe that I have so I figured Id use them in the wagon.
I was making good progress on the car until July '15 when I had a little health glitch that laid me up until this spring and the car sat on stands out in my driveway.
I really wanted the wagon to look good so I hunted around for a body shop that could do it over for what I had in my budget. I dropped it off at the place the Friday before Easter this year and just got it back about 3 weeks ago.

Im sure some folks have read about the fiasco on FB but for those not on there I'll give you all the quick version. The car was painted with PPG waterborne paint in July. One week later the car had to be totally stripped back to bare metal because the paint failed. It was coming off in sheets.
The second time it was sprayed they did it with Glasurit solvent based paint. This time theres no issues at all. I have no bad feeling towards the body shop and to be honest I think the owner did the right thing. The cars laser straight.

These are pictures of the car in the booth, being put back together and the following week. I was pretty disappointed.

 

[mikester]

The second time around. Sikens polyester, Sikens epoxy primer, both blocked and then the finished job.

They had all the doors off, rear glass out, they welded the roof rack holes shut, welded in the correct brackets for the split bench seat, fixed a ding on the right quarter and put in a 1x4 patch on the bottom of the drivers door which was the only rust on the whole car. The jambs look as good as the outside of the car.

 

[Longroof79]

Hey Mich,
Glad you were able to post a thread about the car, and discussed what you endured during the "re-do" period. Fortunately the worst of it is behind you.
Good luck on the reassembly process. Keep us up to date on your progress.
The car looks amazing.

 

[mikester]

I still have a long road ahead of me. I resprayed almost everything in the interior as far as plastic. I also have a clean dash waiting to go into it. Its all down in my basement wrapped up.

Im sure its going to be a busy Winter. LOL

I found a set of real flexible window runs in a Cutlass sedan at a local yard. I has to repair the fronts at the top rear corner but they came out pretty good so theyre already installed. I also finished the rear doors already. I was able to use part of the Olds rear door runs and ordered the piece for the vent window frame fro Danno Enterprises. I followed Ribbedroof and used AS1264. I also bought the channel Scott used in his build but for me the other one seemed to fit a little easier.

 

[mikester]

Hey Mich,
Glad you were able to post a thread about the car, and discussed what you endured during the "re-do" period. Fortunately the worst of it is behind you.
Good luck on the reassembly process. Keep us up to date on your progress.
The car looks amazing.

Thanks Jack ! I had all intentions of mentioning you and all the help youve been but you beat me to it as far as posting ! My sincere thanks !!! I see youve been quite busy yourself !!

 

[mikester]

You cant really see much detail in the pictures but the repair on the front channel doesnt really look that bad. The only thing thats bad is some of the flocking on the outside is worn off. I can live with this.
The old runs were as stiff as a board and broke in multiple places when they were trying to remove them in the shop.
I cut the rear channels on a little angle so they butted up to the pieces in the vent window. Then I took 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive and ran small beads on the contact points with a syringe before I put them together. I spoke to a woman at Fairchild and she said that adhesive works well with EPDM rubber.
I also ordered a piece of EPDM rubber sheet from McMaster Carr and thats what I used to repair the small breaks in the front channels. Basically I just covered the break with the adhesive and used a strip of the rubber to reinforce it. Im sure its going to hold up since the cars going to be kept inside.

 

[Gozer442]

That is an amazing job that body shop did! And to own up to the paint problem!

IMO, Sikkens paint is the best. Their whole product line amazing...from their epoxy primers to their clears. I've never seen a clear hold a shine more then Sikkens.

Well done!

 

[Longroof79]

Mich,
I'm glad I was able to help out a little, even if it was just for moral support. I could see that you pay extreme detail to a project. Everything looks so pristine...even more so than a new car. Nice work, my friend.