Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

What, no pics of the Fish-n-Chips Run?

Actually did think of it.

Thought I would post up a pic of one of the speakers that was fitted to the car when we bought it.



Now of course replaced with new improved speakers.

Through mate Martin also found a slightly damaged hard top roof for the car. Price includes Frankenstein bolts, side clips and attachments.

Updates to follow as it unfolds.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

WOW !!
I have not heard anyone reference that album in decades!!
I got it as a teen, and still have it....as 2 LP vinyl.
"Forever Autumn" was my favorite song off that and my fave part was the sinking of the Thunderchilde.....

Heh the memories come a-flooding back !!

We had the privilege of going to the 25th year anniversary show at the O2 Arena.

Really was amazing, bought the tickets as Christmas presents to ourselves.

Nicola had booked us in the 4th row, so got to enjoy it up close and personal.

[Grizz1963]

Truck is taking a bit of a back seat at the moment......

Hopefully when I get the Mazda fully sorted out I will play with the truck again.


Well, after quite a lot of convincing I got Nicola to agree to me spending some money I should not...... Buying a used, slightly rough and damaged hard top for Merlin the MX5.

Mate Martin had negotiated a sensible price for the hard top and fitting hardware from a breaker near Ashford, so this afternoon we drove the car down there to fetch the hard top (the easiest way to get it home)

I also bought some extra plastics so that I can store the original tan plastics for when the car eventually moves on.

Got there and the parts were all ready for collection.



Got home after driving back, and have to say, the top makes a huge difference to both sound and also temperature.

Washed the car, and then T-Cut the roof followed by some serious polishing, getting the paint looking and feeling a lot better.

Nicola is still in two minds about the colour choice..... the roof will be repainted, so do we do it in Black like the rest of the car, or do I stick to the two tone Silver and Black with silver wheels, or change the roof to an anthracite/gun metal grey along with the wheels in the same colour?????









Opinions and viewpoints please.....

[Ta2Don]

Nice, go with the gunmetal color...

Jeremy says to tell Nicola Congrats on the Hard Top!

Great job with the T-cut and Polish!!!

Hope you two had a great time in London, American Football!!!

Here's a shot of Jeremy's Volvo with his newly installed "John Deere" front plate, the history behind the plate is that it belonged to his Grandfather who passed away about 10 years ago...


Cheers Mate!!!

[Grizz1963]

1000 Extra Bonus "Cool Points" for the John Deere plate.

We have a bit if a JD thing going on in our house, but it usually means I cannot wear my JD baseball cap. Don't even ask me to explain.

Just off to bed, 23.00 here.
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[Grizz1963]

The final (and only) vote was cast at about 09.00 this morning by Nicola and it was the colour of her old car, a Peugeot 1007 in Peugeot Cossack Grey (she has a silver one currently) for the roof and wheels.
As I said to her, if she does not like it, we can always just repaint it in black.
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[Ta2Don]

[Grizz1963]

Have started doing a resto on a Wood Rimmed Nardi Steering Wheel that I bought a while ago.

Had it fitted for her to try out to see if she really liked it...... Got a message from her along the lines of: "Love the feel and look of the steering wheel, but it snagged and ripped my tights getting into the car, may need a bit of work. "

Have sanded it back, epoxy resin filled the crack and started adding some of the 10 coats of Danish Oil that I am painting it with. Should give the same finish as the handbrake/parking brake handle.

Pics and update tonight.
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[Grizz1963]

Just a quick update and a few pics.

Firstly, the colour the roof and wheels will end up now that Nicola has chosen a colour.

The top can was in the sun, showing the colour with and without direct light.




Secondly, the Nardi Wood rimmed steering wheel I bought to retsore for her.

Started by sanding back some of the old varnish and to get beyond the ingrained grease from years of use.

Then filled the crack with epoxy resin and left overnight to harden and dry.



Then sanded the whole lot back.



After masking it all, I used Danish Oil to protect it.



After the first of 7 coats I plan on giving it.



I hope to have some decent weather over the weekend, and to be able to do the wheels and roof.

[Ta2Don]

Very Nice!

Glad she went with the GunMetal Colour!

Cheers

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Very Nice!

Glad she went with the GunMetal Colour!

Cheers

After dark, with the garage strip lights behind the truck and wheels on the floor..... this is what we have tonight.

Got home after 5pm tonight and quickly got on with prepping the wheels.

I also gave the steering wheel coat number 3, four more to go.

Worked back all the kerbing (not a lot fortunately)and got the wheels sanded and prepped with 400 wet n dry paper.

Then masked the tyres off and starting from the outside, I painted the two right hand wheels.

Leaving them to dry overnight, I will do the clear coat tomorrow morning early by 06.00 before work and refit the two wheels after work and then paint the other side.



Before and after together.

[Ta2Don]

Looking Very Good! I really like the color!!!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Looking Very Good! I really like the color!!!

Hi Don,

I do like the colour as well, but it needs good sunlight to really make it "pop"


Been at it today was well.

This will be another shortish report with the pics speaking.

Nicola has always loved skulls and I recently nearly nicked her one.

Anyway, when I started to work on prepping and getting this hard top sorted for her, I decided to give making a roof liner for her a go.

I ordered a piece of "nice" skull fabric off Ebay.

Cut a piece of thin hard board to size after drawing a template on an old Zambia map I had found in a cabinet Mickey brought here a few months ago.

I also had some mortuary sheets which I was going to cut to size and then glue down with contact adhesive to create a bit of a padded feel, finally covering and wrapping the hard board in the skull fabric. The last step would be to fix it to the roof once the painting is completed.





Mortuary sheets cut up and glued down 4 deep.



Eventually the skull fabric.






Sanded and prepped.



Masked and primer started.



Also had to grind out and repair the damage to the roof.



Thinnest of skims of filler afterward, and some fresh primer over it all.



Once the weather warms up a bit tomorrow I will spray the first of several coats of the paint, followed on Monday night by some clear lacquer to protect it all.

Mate Martin will be over tomorrow afternoon with his template for cutting the spare set of side panels I bought for the roofs side clips to attach through.

[Ta2Don]

Looking Good Grizz!!!

If you haven't discarded the Zambia map, keep me in mind...
Got a young man here who grew up in Zambia...

Talk to ya soon...

Cheers Mate!

[Grizz1963]

Mate Martin and his wife came over this afternoon.

Martin took one look at what I had done so far, nodded his head and asked for some 1200 wet/dry paper and a bucket of the water.
2 hours later, a fine dusting of paint later and a chat about my tools, it was decided that in spite of the investment I had made in paint so far, I would go and buy some mixed paint and use my gravity fed gun later this week and repaint the roof.
The rattle cans only give a fan of about 40-50mm while a gun will give 150mm or more.

So this was all I saw today.....



Mickey from next door checking up on us and Amanda, Martin's wife watching us me at play.



I am gutted as I had hoped to be done with the job by Monday night, but I guess it will be good now.

[Grizz1963]

Well, the Nardi wooden steering wheel I restored turned out really nice after six coats of varnish.

Fitted to the car and a happy Nicola = Happy me.




After a major let down with the finish of the rattle cans for the roof, I went out and bought some pre-mixed metalic and used my compressor and gravity fed gun...... MUCH BETTER







I do love the colour, and it should contrast the black as I imagined.


Tonight after work, I used the rattle can clear in the hope it would work..... FAIL !!!

I will go back and see if I can get some clear that will work with the clear already down and the metalic under it, as I really do not want to start all over again.

Fingers crossed I can sort out the Zebra finish the rattle can clear has given me with minimal fuss.

Update to follow.

[Ta2Don]

You will sort it out, I'm sure of that...

Glad she likes the wheel, it looks Awesome!!!

[markeb01]

I'm away for a few minutes and miss a ton of progress! Love the color, the wheels look great. Too bad about the problems with the roof, but if the color is down even the clear should be relatively easy to fix. Good luck with the respray. The steering wheel looks like new. Like you said - her happy = you happy! Love seeing the team support.

Also my wife’s earliest friend Linda and her guy Steve stopped by for a visit. The girls met in grade school and haven’t seen each other since 1977. They recently moved from Thirsk to Scarborough. Both of the girls very happy to see each other again, and it was fun for us guys trying to understand each other using a common language!

[Grizz1963]

After three attempts of which two were with rattle cans and all failures due to the rattle cans, I got two coats of base and two coats of clear on the roof yesterday.
Still not perfect but perfectly good for a toy and occasional daily driver and grocery getter.

Pics later. .

[Ta2Don]

Thanks for the sneak Peek!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by markeb01

I'm away for a few minutes and miss a ton of progress! Love the color, the wheels look great. Too bad about the problems with the roof, but if the color is down even the clear should be relatively easy to fix. Good luck with the respray. The steering wheel looks like new. Like you said - her happy = you happy! Love seeing the team support.

Also my wife’s earliest friend Linda and her guy Steve stopped by for a visit. The girls met in grade school and haven’t seen each other since 1977. They recently moved from Thirsk to Scarborough. Both of the girls very happy to see each other again, and it was fun for us guys trying to understand each other using a common language!

Hi Mark, and Don.

Yes, I know what you mean about stuff happening when you look the other way.

I always like reunions, as they do remind you of good stuff.

Common language indeed....

[Grizz1963]

So, just to put things into perspective.....

I got a cheap, damaged hard top, repaired the damage and attempted to respray it in a metalic gunmetal grey colour (In rattle can finish as the rust repair worked so well)

So after repair, primer and prep, I broke out the rattle cans..... FAIL !! (due to stiped narrow fanning)

Rubbed that back, bought proper spray paint, used my small ALDI compressor and gravity fed gun..... WIN !!!

Then back to Rattle can clear lacquer after two days...... OOOPPSS FAIL !!! (Again, stripes)

So one more trip to the paint suppliers and bought more of the grey, and a litre of clear lacquer (Total cost now nearing £100 where a body shop would have come in)

A few days of rain and drop in temperature this week, followed by intermittently clearing skies on Saturday morning.... I wet sanded the roof back again early Saturday, first coat down by 10.00 and a second coat by 11.00 followed by two coats of clear by 16.00 and back on the car by 17.00

I will wait a few weeks for the paint to harden and cure, then hit it with some serious hand buffing to deepen the gloss.






Nicola had been on Ebay again recently and added a dead Kitty sticker to make the car go faster....



Lastly, I guess I can add that today was Tom, Nicola's baby's 18th birthday.

Typical teenager, he did not want to get up for breakfast, but eventually chose McDonalds.

When we got back he went into his grotto and into hibernation for another 3 hours..... KIDS ?? !!





I think (WELL, WE CAN ALL LIVE IN HOPE) this concludes the work on the MX5 for now.

I am happy doing stuff to make her happy and "look good on the road" but it is time to start giving the Chevy some love again.

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

I am happy doing stuff to make her happy and "look good on the road" but it is time to start giving the Chevy some love again.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Been a while, but the MX5 kept me busy when I did have free time after work and with the nights drawing in and day starting later, it just seems there is less light to work by.

Which brings me to this lot below.....



About 7 months ago I got a PM via an American Van site offering me some 6 foot strip lights from a school, by a retired school teacher who is into cars, and campers.

So with a £40 courier cost to deliver the 10 lights from the middle of nowhere in Wales, they were delivered in April while I was in Africa on the Bike tour of a lifetime with my brother.

When I came back from Africa, life in general, a new contract job and an MX5/Miata all got in the way of fitting the lights to the garage, where I actually only have two 4 foot lights and a variety of odd lights plonked about the rafters.

So now we have winter, early darkness coming in, and with the Mazda finished, I can get back onto the truck.
Plans for the truck over winter includes preparing the bodywork for fresh paint, making up the load body floor with the oak strips I rescued and still have to clean up and prepare for fitting.

So today I started by pushing out the truck which has been stood the last month or so, as I did not need to use it and measuring and planning where the lights will be going.
I plan on fitting four strip lights per side of the garage, making for 8 of them on a 10X10 meter garage, should be reasonably light along with the white I painted the walls earlier this year.

First job was to cut some sections of wood that will be screwed into the sides of the rafters so that I can fit the lights behind and under my numberplate collection without losing any of the brilliance.

Typically though, the wind and pouring rain broke up my fun after cutting the wood to size, so I started up and reversed the truck.



When I started the truck there was some smoke.... oooppss.

I also noted that there was a small puddle of oil on the trucks dribble spot. In the past it used to drop a few drops of oil per week after a good run..... this was not good for me.

So the plan is to have the engine, and mechanics seen to by a proper American V8 mechanic (cue cash register draining noises) after which I will start the body work. (Ohh, and no, I will not be attempting the engine work, I suspect valve stem seals, possibly rings and header gaskets)



Anyone know a decent, reliable, affordable V8 mechanic ??

PM me please.

[Ta2Don]

I'd love to help, but travel expenses would probably negate the affordable part...