My first car

Hardtail · Addicted!

RE: My first car

Hardtail · Addicted!

Hi guys. Can someone advise me on this rag joint? The front body mounts are original and lined up square. The new rag joint locating pins don't seem to fit right. Any suggestions? Thx.

RonchoPoncho · Addicted!

Great job!! Love all the pics!!

koolconvertible · Poncho Master!

Hardtail wrote:
Hi guys. Can someone advise me on this rag joint? The front body mounts are original and lined up square. The new rag joint locating pins don't seem to fit right. Any suggestions? Thx.

Might be the steering column is not positioned correctly. Needs to come down further?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I took a couple of shots of mine.

I am thinking it has to be your column. Was it out of the car? Did you get it mounted back in the same way?

If it's not that, the only other thing is if the body mounts could be loosened and the whole body could slide forward 1/4" or so that you need there.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I had the opposite problem when I installed my tilt from a US car. The bottom flange on my column, right at the rag joint, was too far forward but on mine that flange slides, your's is rigid. I just loosened the bolt you can see in the picture and slid the flange up the column about 1/2" to effectively shorten up the column.

Hardtail · Addicted!

Carl, here are the pics for you. Thanks for taking the time to take some of yours! I never took the steering wheel out of the console, BUT, I was not the person who first separated the body from the frame...perhaps when I first got the car a few years ago at my friends shop they might have moved the column?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Are your body mounts all tightened down? I think if it was me I'd be tempted to try pulling the body forward. I suspect there might be that much give in the mounting?

I'd just be scared to run the bolts through the rag joint to column flange the way it is in your pictures because it would put a lot of stress on the rubber part of the rag joint. If you look at my pictures, you can see the rag joint is actually being pushed down slightly by the column, your's would be pulling up on the rag joint.

Hardtail · Addicted!

Carl,

We got it to work as you know already. Here are the pics.

To everyone else, the steering column must of been jammed upward so we were unable to loosen a few bolts inside the car and slide it back out!

I stopped blasting the inside of the front clip, it's a real pain in the ass on cornered metal, the water then splashes back at you....not fun at 140 psi...lol

So I have a few hours of welding ahead of me to clean up the exterior surface of the front clip and then fabricate some new mounts.

Hum...The mounts will be fun to make. Hey friends, I can smell the paint already...can you? =)

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I wish I had half your ambition! Keep it up.

And one thing you HAVE to do, while you have the front clip off, buy a new antenna that doesn't have a spring on it! Maybe even move the antenna to the back, since now would be the perfect time. These cars look excellent with a rear antenna.

koolconvertible · Poncho Master!

Carl Stevenson wrote:
I wish I had half your ambition! Keep it up.

And one thing you HAVE to do, while you have the front clip off, buy a new antenna that doesn't have a spring on it! Maybe even move the antenna to the back, since now would be the perfect time. These cars look excellent with a rear antenna.

Agreed! I have 2 1960 antennas for mine...have always installed rear antennas!

koolconvertible · Poncho Master!

Thats some interesting front panel repairs there!

Hardtail · Addicted!

Carl Stevenson wrote:
I wish I had half your ambition! Keep it up.

And one thing you HAVE to do, while you have the front clip off, buy a new antenna that doesn't have a spring on it! Maybe even move the antenna to the back, since now would be the perfect time. These cars look excellent with a rear antenna.

Hmm, I like this idea of placing it on the back. Where does it go usually? Passenger side?

my little cutout for the sides

lots of adjustments to do here as you can see...it is weird...I haven't seen the front end on this car in I guess 2 and a half years...lol it's weird not looking at it in pieces

-- Edited by Hardtail on Thursday 15th of October 2015 08:48:56 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Man you got motivation.....

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Hardtail wrote:

Carl Stevenson wrote:
I wish I had half your ambition! Keep it up.

And one thing you HAVE to do, while you have the front clip off, buy a new antenna that doesn't have a spring on it! Maybe even move the antenna to the back, since now would be the perfect time. These cars look excellent with a rear antenna.
Hmm, I like this idea of placing it on the back. Where does it go usually? Passenger side?

Yes, passenger side part way back.

I can show you where I mounted mine, not that it's in the "correct" spot or anything but I think I placed it in a location where it looks good. I'll look for a picture.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I hope you can see it ok in these shots, the car is tucked away in my shed for a bit.

And don't mind all the dust on it......

This is a power antenna. They are real cheap and I like the idea of the antenna retracted for covering the car, as well as for parking it in areas where kids are tempted to bend them.

If you do buy a power antenna and want help with the wiring I can guide you through that. I have no idea if you are an electrical guy or not, lots of car guys are scared of electrical stuff!!!

1966-Grande-paris · Addicted!

Hi Hardtail,

This post is really amazing. Thank you for doing it.
Please keep it coming, it really interests me.

Cheers!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Power antenna on rear definitely the way to go, great illustration Carl.

Hardtail · Addicted!

Carl, you picked an awesome spot to place the antenna. This looks great. Now I have one more thing to do :P

1966-Grande-paris wrote:
Hi Hardtail,

This post is really amazing. Thank you for doing it.
Please keep it coming, it really interests me.

Cheers!

Thanks! More to come...only a few more tweaks to go for the front clip and it will be ready to go...

Is it better to paint the car with the trunk and hood off and do those separately?

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Hardtail wrote

Thanks! More to come...only a few more tweaks to go for the front clip and it will be ready to go...
Is it better to paint the car with the trunk and hood off and do those separately?

Not a pro by any means, but that is a BIG car and after painting 5-6 coats (base/clear) your arm/shoulder will be aching (unless your built like Arnold). Holding up the gun with 1/2 qt of paint and air lines gets heavy! Are you painting the underside of hood/trunk body colour? I would paint with hood off, the benefit to this is you don't have to worry about your airline or legs hitting the fender while trying to paint the middle of the hood. You can also get at the top of the fender edges with hood off. I would almost be tempted to paint with the whole nose off the car if you keep track of your shims for when you put it back on. This way you can get at front side of door jambs. If tumbler is out of trunk you can paint it mounted, just put a screwdriver in the hole so you can lift it to paint channel.

Hardtail · Addicted!

hawkeye5766 wrote:
Hardtail wrote

Thanks! More to come...only a few more tweaks to go for the front clip and it will be ready to go...
Is it better to paint the car with the trunk and hood off and do those separately?
Not a pro by any means, but that is a BIG car and after painting 5-6 coats (base/clear) your arm/shoulder will be aching (unless your built like Arnold). Holding up the gun with 1/2 qt of paint and air lines gets heavy! Are you painting the underside of hood/trunk body colour? I would paint with hood off, the benefit to this is you don't have to worry about your airline or legs hitting the fender while trying to paint the middle of the hood. You can also get at the top of the fender edges with hood off. I would almost be tempted to paint with the whole nose off the car if you keep track of your shims for when you put it back on. This way you can get at front side of door jambs. If tumbler is out of trunk you can paint it mounted, just put a screwdriver in the hole so you can lift it to paint channel.

Thanks for the advice. I think this is probably my best option. It wasn't bad painting the hot rod in my shop as it was very small compared to this car...I think it will be easier like this, for me anyhow.

I am planning on priming the hood like I did with the trunk but I think I am gonna use the sprayable undercoat on the underside....as you all know...this car was riddled with rust....I rather prevent it from rusting as best I can. As long as it runs and is safe that is all I care about at this point lol.

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

just booted through your whole thread and may i say most people would have caved after opening that car up im sure. BRAVO

Hardtail · Addicted!

timbuk wrote:
just booted through your whole thread and may i say most people would have caved after opening that car up im sure. BRAVO

Thanks man! It's been one hell of a journey, that's for sure.

So I had some help from my friends. They did the wiring for me, remanufactured the headers and bolted the body for me. I finally got my car back .My Smoothie rims should be in next week.

The 454 is all running now, just need to wire up the ignition once I get it back.

Gotta install the exhaust system next as well and paint the bumpers.

Here is how she is currently looking....

-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Friday 26th of February 2016 01:09:21 PM

Hardtail · Addicted!

Got the wheels on it today to take a look at it sitting. Can't wait to get the new tires and rims. Going to paint the trunk/hood, rear cones (is that what they are called?) and the section above the bumper tomorrow.

-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Saturday 27th of February 2016 05:08:15 PM

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Does that ever look nice, especially with that snow to make that colour pop.