PROJECT " LAID BACK 2 " - 1978 SALON 2 DOOR AEROBACK

[JAMCAR223]

Received a NOS Oldsmobile trunk emblem today. 69hurstolds donated this item for the project! I am very thankful. It will look great with new paint, wheels, lenses, and weatherstripping. There really are great people on this Forum.

I'm back at it tomorrow...

 

[JAMCAR223]

So yesterday was a challenge here in the Houston area. We had 11.5" of rain in my neighborhood. The entrance into my neighborhood was flooded and impassable. I tried to leave to go to the shop, and called my wife and said I have to turn around and come back. I then thought I would look at the back entrance... I made it. It took twice as long to get there, but I was not going to let a little rain keep from getting work done. I figured I'd rather be in the shop working, than sit at home with the satellite TV going out all day... This morning they said that Tropical Storm Imelda was the 7th worst rain event, and some calling it worse than Hurricane Harvey. Anyway I had work to do...
I hung all (4) of the shop lights.

It made a huge difference. I'm not done with lighting. I have (2) more LED "high bay" corn bulbs coming tomorrow. They will be my overhead lights. I'll show them later, after the install. I removed the front bumper shocks, inner fenderwells, B-pillar chrome trim, door jamb vents, rear seat, rear window plastic, all seat belts. I left the headliner in place for the time being. It's just too big to be laying around the shop. It's also super rare, and I have never seen one for sale anywhere. So for now, it stays safe in the car held up by the dome light, and sun visors.

I was very happy to see no rust in the quarter window channel. This is a notorious rust prone area in this body style.

I'm getting tired of looking at that old dirty, leaking engine & transmission... I wanted to keep it moving under it's own power for as long as possible, but I really want to get the firewall stripped, cleaned, and ready for paint. I'm going back today. I will update tonight.

 

[81cutlass]

With all that vertical room in that storage room, you should put a 4 post lift and fill it with another aero-back or something

 

[JAMCAR223]

That's the long term plan. BUT my lifelong friend has a lift just (2) units down from mine. That lift used to be 1/2 mine. We went in together to buy it when I had a much larger shop about 5 years ago. I sold my half to him when I lost that shop space due to a road construction project. So, I still have access to that lift. I also have a Quick Jack mini lift at the shop now, and as you already know... I have the Buick Aeroback.

Anyway, I left out a couple things from yesterday...
This is the rustiest part on the car, so far. The parts Place has a repop battery tray for $40.

And the Build Sheet has been found. It was behind the Dr. side lower rear sail panel. I was happy to see the car was born in Texas ( just like me ), and was sold at Broadway Motors of Seminole, Oklahoma, ( now Seminole Chevy / Buick / GMC ) where it apparently spent it's whole life before I rescued it.

I'll eventually make/have a reproduction made with the option codes of the items I have added to the car. Just for fun.

 

[pontiacgp]

So yesterday was a challenge here in the Houston area. We had 11.5" of rain in my neighborhood. The entrance into my neighborhood was flooded and impassable. I tried to leave to go to the shop, and called my wife and said I have to turn around and come back. I then thought I would look at the back entrance... I made it. It took twice as long to get there, but I was not going to let a little rain keep from getting work done. I figured I'd rather be in the shop working, than sit at home with the satellite TV going out all day... This morning they said that Tropical Storm Imelda was the 7th worst rain event, and some calling it worse than Hurricane Harvey. Anyway I had work to do...
I hung all (4) of the shop lights.

View attachment 123936

It made a huge difference. I'm not done with lighting. I have (2) more LED "high bay" corn bulbs coming tomorrow. They will be my overhead lights. I'll show them later, after the install. I removed the front bumper shocks, inner fenderwells, B-pillar chrome trim, door jamb vents, rear seat, rear window plastic, all seat belts. I left the headliner in place for the time being. It's just too big to be laying around the shop. It's also super rare, and I have never seen one for sale anywhere. So for now, it stays safe in the car held up by the dome light, and sun visors.

View attachment 123937 View attachment 123938

I was very happy to see no rust in the quarter window channel. This is a notorious rust prone area in this body style.
View attachment 123939

I'm getting tired of looking at that old dirty, leaking engine & transmission... I wanted to keep it moving under it's own power for as long as possible, but I really want to get the firewall stripped, cleaned, and ready for paint. I'm going back today. I will update tonight.

I saw some of the flooding that happened in Texas, glad you make it out ok with all the rain from the tropical storm...

 

[Longroof79]

James, I was thinking about you and Jared. Mother nature has not been too kind to your part of the country.. 4 ft of flood water is nothing to take lightly.
Good luck my friend, I hope the water finally gets to dissipate soon. I see that I-10 turned into a river once again. People still think they're driving amphibious vehicles. Wtf! Be safe out there.

 

[JAMCAR223]

I saw some of the flooding that happened in Texas, glad you make it out ok with all the rain from the tropical storm...

Thank you, much appreciated.

James, I was thinking about you and Jared. Mother nature has not been too kind to your part of the country.. 4 ft of flood water is nothing to take lightly.
Good luck my friend, I hope the water finally gets to dissipate soon. I see that I-10 turned into a river once again. People still think they're driving amphibious vehicles. Wtf! Be safe out there.

Yeah, Jared is just up the road 10-12 minutes, and I know he had it rough, too. I still got over 2" of rain here today. Arrggh! To add insult to injury... (9) barges broke loose last night, and (2) of them hit the I-10 bridge over the San Jacinto River. The bridge is damaged badly, and I-10 is shut down at that location. Luckily I don't travel that part of town very often, so It won't affect me directly.

I still went to the shop today, but barely touched the car. I rearranged some things. Set up a 12' ladder to get ready for the overhead light installation tomorrow afternoon ( That's IF I get the delivery... ). I pulled the windshield trim.I removed the rear trim, and center "spear" trim from the original hood. I'll use the best pieces on the aluminum hood.

I bought a "Salon specific" header panel, and a pair of front fenders from a Forum Member. Can't wait to receive those. It may be 10-12 days before I get them. He has to palletize the parts, and ship through Fastenal. Fingers crossed!!

 

[fleming442]

Didn't realize that this was a full-on restomod! Everything bigger in Tejas, I guess. I'm more slap-it-together-and-send-it most times. Should be sweet when done!

 

[JAMCAR223]

Didn't realize that this was a full-on restomod! Everything bigger in Tejas, I guess. I'm more slap-it-together-and-send-it most times. Should be sweet when done!

I do like my cars... As usual I end up spending more money than I say I will, but hopefully it will meet my expectations. I said it would not be a show car, and it's not. It would never stand a chance in the 70's class around here. Nice restomod cruiser that will garner enough interest to have people appreciate it. I hope you GBody guys will too.

 

[JAMCAR223]

Bye Bye 260...

Aw look at him... he's in " time out " over there in the corner... RIP with the other motors around here. 41 years, it's time for a break.

I did this job by myself. It took about 5 hours. I started yesterday afternoon, and finished this morning. Core support, radiator, fan shroud, A/C lines, wiring harness, trans mount, crossmember, exhaust & crossover tube, driveshaft, throttle linkage, oil filter, motor mounts, transmission lines, etc. The hardest part was the crossover tube. The bolts did not want to cooperate, so I got out the Sawzall and solved that problem. Another hurdle... conquered! I can start body work soon.

A lady a few units down from me makes these... Just thought it was cool.