BUILD THREAD 81 Buick/Olds Turbo Wagon 02/15/2024 More Parts!

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 8/3/11

Thanks guys, I am getting there, I hoped for more progress over the summer, but military and lack of money has held me back. I'll be getting to all the fiberglass stuff over the winter again. GP 2+2, I wish I ha one of those front clips in fiberglass, I would make it work on my wagon, hehe

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 8/3/11

Well, after the summer of doing other things, namely making money, I started to do some more work on the wagon. I filled the license plat pocked of the spare gate I had, and started fixing all the hidden rust on the right quarter panel. The previous owner's body man just hammered all the rust and rot and filled over it, I just love high volume hack shops. I pulled the quarter glass. The is rot on the top rear corner of the corner, the drip rail, the lower front and rear quarter, and on the post there is rot. So far I fixed half the post, the top rear corner, and some of the drip rail. Since Santa hooked me up with a TIG welded and plasma cutter, I am in heaven.

now the pics of the progress so far Glass in.

Glass out

Drip rail rot

new metal test fitted

New patch TIG welded in and ground smooth

Rear post rot, wraps all the way to the hatch glass channel

rear post rot

Cut out

another angle

TIG welded in and ground smooth

Another angle

Tailgate work: The tailgate wash smashed bad under the 1/2" of filler, so I hammer and dollied it pretty strait, the cut out the filler piece, and MIG welded it in. I didn't have my TIG yet, wish I did. MIG is a PITA for keeping the metal cool.

Patch test fitted

Most of the MIG welding

Slide hammer holes from before, they are welded up now.

Ground smooth ready for Metal to Metal filler

Some of the progress so far, I'll have more pics in a day or two of more work that is getting done. My Son is in a tech school for auto body, and his teacher has the welded for the trim rivets, so i can convert this car to the older style trim for the quarter glass, that glue on stuff is crap, and not available. I have all the aluminum trim from my Chevy wagon to use for this

 

[Peter]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

love the wheel choice, should match the touring theme well

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

Thanks, I plan on upgrading size when the build is done, 18x9.5in the rear, 18x8 in the front.

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

Well, I got out there today and finished the drivers side drip rail repair. i also had to fix the wheel well/door jamb area. If you look at the wagons, the rear door is wrapped around the front of the rear wheel well. Well, on this Buick, on the passenger side, the door jamb is out farther than the door is in that area. The pics will explain it better. What alot of people do, is just build up the door skin with filler to meet the jamb, which is ok I guess, but not right IMO. I cut a slice in the jamb, and pushed the skin in so it met the door. Now it is flat from the door skin to the quarter panel. Pictures tomorrow.

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

I got more done today. I fixed the rot hole right over the axle hump in the wheel well, then started fixing the rear most part of the wheel well, 4 layers of steel I had to cut away, starting big, then getting a bit smaller, this way all the rot is gone, and I have some metal to weld too on each layer. I have been coating all the steel with bloxide, the weld thru primer so it is protected. I'll redo all the seal sealer in the wheelwell area, and recoat it in undercoating.

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

Ok, the pics I promised. I had a few more rot areas to repair. One by the quarter panel to pillar seam, and 2 n the wheel well area. There is still the rear lower quarter to do, the the front lower quarter, but I'll get those soon. Every thing is the proper gauge, coated with Bloxide, the TIGed in where I could, MIGed where I couldn't get the TIG torch. After the welding and grinding was done, I put some coats of the Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. The wheelwell will get a few good coats of 3M undercoating when the car is done. Anyway, back to the pics. My Eastwood shrinker/stretcher s a great tool for the curves!

Since alot of the lead had to be removed to get to the rust, I'll be using the Evercoat Metal-to-Metal filler to finish it off.

Here is the wheel well area that had to be patched. Right above the rear hump, and n the bottom rear.

Don't mind the grinding marks.

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 11/22/1

Ok, so on the rear door/quarter panel seam, the wheelwell arch actually stuck out a bit farther than the door. All the adjusting in the world would not help it. When the door is flush with the upper and lower quarter, the arch was out farther, as if it had more of a convex shape than the door. So, I took my cutoff whee and made a slice in the jamb, so can push in the quarter to meed the door. The TIGed it back up. FYI, using a shape template, the doors had the same shape, the right quarter is in fact messed up for some reason.

Pics

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I didn't finish welding on the bottom since I have to cut out that too to fix the rust.

 

[Longroof79]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 1/13/12

Looks good, Jim!
I wonder if that quarter was replaced or shoddily straighten at one time. Good job, man.
Oops! I just missed the rest of the pics. I also had a rust issue need the rear hatch as well. I ended up melting most of the lead out so I can get in there and weld in a patch. Also an area between the roof and the pillar. Alot of lead in there as well. Good ol' Allmetal to the rescue... :lol:

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware! update 1/13/12

Yeah man. I was wondering the same thing, maybe it was hit or tweaked, I dunno. Doesn't really seem to be any structural damage. But, at least it is all flat now.