'83 Cutlass Cruiser Build Thread

[Longroof79]

I'm glad to hear that the weather has been working in your favor. Thank goodness.
Yeah, the northeast has been getting slammed big time...glad I'm no longer up there dealing with that insanity.
You Minnesotans are a hardy bunch. 40 degrees and I'm sure there's people out in their shorts and T-shirts.

Nothing like having a good solid body to work with. My car has seen it's share of northern winters and such, that's why I had to replace the doors and fenders with southern parts, besides cutting out a few rusty areas.
Your car is going to look smokin' when it's in color. I'm anxious to see how it turns out...I'm sure you are, too.

 

[HAFROD]

I'm more excited to see paint on yours than I am of mine. I'm really excited to see the woodgrain. Are you going to use the same woodgrain vinyl on your dash panels for a match? Hurry up already!

 

[Blake442]

Thanks guys! I can't wait to get some color on it!
Got a ways to go still, but I hope to have it back together this summer!

I got the gate opening and tailgate seam sealed yesterday.
I'll have to mix up a little more primer and shoot the hinges before I can put the gate back on.
I would've shot them before, but I set them inside the car before I masked it all up...

As always, I had the best intentions of making it look nice and even all around.
It never quite turns out that way for me though, but my mess actually duplicates the messy factory stuff that I dug out of there very nicely! lol...



I'll start on the 1/4 window areas tomorrow...

 

[Blake442]

Yesterday I got some surfacer shot on the doors and tailgate.
Now I don't have to keep sanding rusty nose prints off the bare metal from our four-legged helper!
Once I clean up the gate hinges I can throw that back on the car.



Did some more cleaning up around the 1/4 windows as well, but I've still got a ways to go.
I used some extra moldings to mark around the 1/4 window frames where I will need to weld the studs for the trim clips.
I was able to tell where the clips went because the plastic slip in liners were deformed around where each one was positioned.

 

[Blake442]

I cleaned up the hardware and hinges for the tailgate with a wire wheel this morning and got it back on the car.
I'll blast some primer on the hinges and spring arm next time I have some mixed up...

 

[Blake442]

Finished cleaning up the 1/4 window areas yesterday.
All the old urethane has been dug out, and my few little rust spots ground out.
I smeared some Duraglass on the pitted areas and I'll get that sanded down next time along with welding on the studs for the window trim.
Once the studs are in place I can shoot some primer and get some seam sealer around the spots that need it.

 

[Longroof79]

Blake,
Are you going to use the bead strips that fit under the lower 1/4 mouldings? I ended up leaving mine out. I'm considering finding plastic or rubber bead strips that duplicate the same bead as on the window sweeps. I have a few original type strips, but they're beat.

 

[Blake442]

I hope to be able to use them.
I have a pair off my old Malibu that are pretty rough... not worth using
I grabbed another pair off a Cutlass at the yard that I hope will clean up well, but it's been a while since I looked at them so...
I'll have to go thru all my pieces and pick the best ones to use on the car.

 

[Longroof79]

Yeah, it's not uncommon that they corrode where they lay between the sill and moulding. Also the plastic profile strip becomes brittle and breaks apart in chunks. If it wasn't for the plastic stripping being compromised, I would have just cleaned up the corrosion,... Plasti-coated and reused them.

 

[Blake442]

Got my studs for the trim clips all welded in place yesterday.
Went pretty smooth except for me burning thru the metal in a few spots from the ground ring on the uni-spotter... 😱
Given their locations, a quick little wipe of duraglass will make them go away.



I'll probably pull the passenger side doors off tomorrow...