Cool McCool's Garage

At the base of the sunken windshield the resulting gap had me in a quandary. Honestly I was kind of nervous that I wouldn’t able to make these precise pieces, but with new confidence in my sheet metal skills after doing my son’s wagon, I set to it.

I made some fancy cardboard patterns from a handy Amazon shipping box…

Cut some 20 gauge pieces, clamped them to the wood stove, bent the flange…

…and welded them to the existing valance panels.

A skim coat of reinforced filler over the welds is waitto be blocked down and a final coat of light filler will finish the job.

Having that two inch gap filled visually extends the hood, the windshield moved back shortens the cockpit and helps balance out the tonneau cover and deck lid.

I like it.

Back in January, on a day when the ground was snow free and frozen, I decided to pull our son’s ’65 Ford Wagon out of the ShelterLogic tent and into the shop to start the bodywork. I’d be able to leisurely get it ready for paint and ready by mid May.

Good thing I started early.

It’s finally done, although some of the things I thought I’d have time to do, like replace the too long squealing alternator belt didn’t get done.

It looks great, we didn’t paint the roof to safe on material and time, the color match is good. I’m happy to have gotten it done for them, they’ve got a summer of camping fun booked using it.

I had repaired and lubed the front power window motors a couple of months ago, an easy job, but neither of the rear windows worked. I had hoped it was just the switches, but it was more than that.

Both of the rear motors turned out to be completely seized up. Getting the motors and regulators out was a real challenge, as the regulator should be run up and down to access the screws that connect the arm to the window channel. I eventually got the right one out and replaced the seized motor with one of a pair from some mid ’60’s Cadillac regulators I’d saved for 35 years. I didn’t realize until I’d spent almost an hour unsuccessfully trying to reinstall it that the motors are right and left hand. I’d put the left motor on the right and it wouldn’t go back in.

So, I started over. Once I had the correct side motor on the regulator, it went easier. Aligning the glass was easier than I thought, that part of the job went smoothly.

The drivers side was a piece of cake after the right side. After it was done and aligned, I found the switch on the drivers door didn’t operate the passenger door window. It would lower, but wouldn’t raise, and the switch felt “loose”.

Turned out the points for that switch were literally welded together, the plastic wire housing was melted, and the contacts (little metal pegs that plugged into contact sleeves in the housing) were rusty. I was able to repair that, and after reassembling the switch, all the windows work from the drivers door and their individual switches.

Another big task completed, next up, fuel and brake lines. One thing at a time.

Wow. I struggled with where and how to mount parking lights and turn signals after I moved the headlights. My first thought was to cut out the blanked out area behind the fins in the lower part of the bezels, but I thought it’d be too difficult to do well.

I was wrong.

I drilled a hole at each end of the blanked area. And sliced it out with a diamond cut off wheel in the grinder. A little touch up of the finish and polish, they’ll look perfect.

After that I made mounting brackets for the rear seat and set the original speaker grill in the armrest.

One step at a time.

I see that it’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted here, but it’s not like I’ve not been busy. Our late summer/early fall time was busy with vacation and family fun around Michigan, so the Thunderbird still isn’t painted, but I’m not worried about it.

It’s supposed to be fun, right?

Since it’s been getting cool, and I’m not painting the T’bird, I cleaned the shop and uncovered the ’63 Riviera. I’d wanted to put disk brakes on the front, and while cleaning found a set of what I think are ’93 Chevy van spindles and brakes. With a little modification of the lower ball joint boss they bolt on. Convenient because, a) I had them, and b) I had swiped one the aluminum drums for the roadster.

This should work very well, I’ve also got a disk/drum master cylinder and proportioning valve, so everything is on hand. I had a brief panic moment when I opened the Buick’s trunk and the air conditioning kit pieces I thought were in there weren’t, but found all those on the storage shelf. Not working on something for a year leads to confusion. Happily I hadn’t lost or tossed out any important new parts.

So, I guess I’m ready for winter. I’d still like to get the T’bird dash painted, so it can be installed. The rest can wait.