Project 85 Black 442 frame off restoration

[YGspider]

I envy your project. I cant wait to get started working on a project in the future. like your self I plan to save a beaten car and restore it to new. hopefully a GN

Best of luck with that 442.

Justin

 

[tobyp]

Thanks for the compliments Justin!

The past three days I have taken off some well needed time to get a solid 40 hrs+ done on the 442. I will say after this week I will be ready for a break and to get going to the SEMA show to share the buz about our projects with all the restoration companies at SEMA in the hot rod alley and restoration place. I hope to get peeps excited and show them these threads.

Today I had one hell of a time removing the windshield, I will never ever do another again, it was a huge PIA, probably because I did not know what the hell I was doing. Oh well, this is the reason I do most if not everything on my own just to learn what to do and what not to do.

After cussing alot and an hr of cleaning shards of glass everywhere I decided to clean up the wheel wells and the inner fenders and the fenders, ready them all for plastic coat paint, powder coating, and stripping the fenders to bare metal.

Time for a break. After dinner I was curious to see how bad my passenger quarter panel really is, since it will be a year till the 100% oe quarter will be ready. So I poked and prodded and much to my surprise the amount of rust that actually went all the way through was minimal and didnt warrant ripping the entire panel off for a couple spots that I will try my hand at making small patches for and fill them in with minimal filler. THis car has enough rust to keep me occupied and LEARNING for a couple months! Quite relaxing doing the work actually!

 

[tobyp]

removed rocker panels to see I have some more work ahead with the inners. Also started refinishing the inner fenders and epoxy primed and satin black finish coated.

Next steps will be tearing out the bad parts of the inner rockers and getting them welded back in and repaired. The passenger side is totally wiped out and needs a complete replacement.

 

[88hurstolds]

Those inner rockers would sell well if you guys make them, those always rot and they interchange on all Gbodies.
The outers as well but they are specific and interchange between Regal/Cutlass and Monte/Grand Prix.

 

[tobyp]

Those inner rockers would sell well if you guys make them, those always rot and they interchange on all Gbodies.
The outers as well but they are specific and interchange between Regal/Cutlass and Monte/Grand Prix.

yup, agreed. We have the inners in production as well as a die stamped 1st quality rocker panel

 

[pencero]

wtf I always thought there was no way to 'remove' the windshield except to smash it clean up and slide a new one in 😳
I guess it's a good thing I havent had to replace one yet. How did you get the damn thing out?!

 

[tobyp]

wtf I always thought there was no way to 'remove' the windshield except to smash it clean up and slide a new one in 😳
I guess it's a good thing I havent had to replace one yet. How did you get the damn thing out?!

I beat the living crap out of it!!

 

[tobyp]

Decided to take out the drivers inner rocker panel, with much to my dismay the body dropped and had to do some serious reinforcement and fixing quick to keep the body straight. I reconditioned another inner rocker I had and got it ready to be put in. Ill be welding in the inner rocker Monday after I get my argon tank filled back up

 

[YGspider]

Any progress man? cant wait to see whats going on.

 

[tobyp]

Any progress man? cant wait to see whats going on.

Well not alot since last week. I come across another 88 cutlass supreme that I bought for the back seat floor pans and the trunk pan to find out it was rotted. So I spent all weekend to cut it in pieces and take it to the scrap yard. There was some good used parts that were on the car like mint quarter glass and mint blue dash and quite a few other things. I spent some cash last week and bought a sand blaster, shop crane and this week will buy a larger compressor and a rotisorie. This will allow me to sandblast much better, remove my engine and rotate the car to get underneath. For the meantime while I wait for some items to come in I am sandblasting my suspension and getting it ready for paint.