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Posting an update to my current 66 442 rebuild. Just seems like every step forward = 2 steps backwards and just maybe in the year 2050, I'll be able to drive it . I was given this car by one of my uncle's and this is the car my dad drove to his senior prom. To have the chance of restoring is absolutely priceless and goes above all frustrations. Sharing my Google album, pictures are somewhat in order of progress.
Very good craftsmanship. Yep been there done that on my 64 Resto-mod. It was challenging at many times, patience taught me a lot of things...Please keep us updated, my thread has become old on my F-85 build you guys may have some great new ideas.....
Interesting that some of your rust areas are in the same locations as on my 66. Looking good.
some areas had the same defect at the factory,and were metal finished,making the metal thinner and in some cases, removing the protective finish. like galvanizing on the rocker panel. it wasn't unusual for 1 or more racks of the same part to have the same damage from shipment or fixture loading
The 1 step forward, 2 steps back SAGA continues... Cracked my brand new windshield installing it this past weekend.
Car is now base/clear with only two panels left to cut/buff. Brakes finished, exhaust completed, motor running and it doesn't need pushing around to get worked on!!
A few questions tho. What are my options for bumpers without breaking the bank? My bumpers are in bad shape, bent and rusted. I have seen one website that offers fiberglass bumpers for race cars, shipped $800, but not sure about the fitment. Can anyone offer experience with these type bumpers. Not really looking for all the work involved with my current bumpers. Was going to paint them body color anyway.
Bumpers and breaking the bank seem to go hand in hand. There are plenty of bad chrome places but if you want quality then you have to pay for it. I'll be using this outfit: https://advancedcustomchrome.com/. I've talked to him on the phone and it was a pleasure compared to other entities. Expect $1,000 - 1,200 per bumper if you want quality. There are plenty of cheap places but my experience is you get what you pay for and sometimes you pay far more than what you get. I think I got my last bumper from Desert Dog (?). Wasn't cheap and it also wasn't straight.
Hey Carl... I have enjoyed your story and amazed at the great work getting your 66' closer to completion... NICE WORK. I am also working on my 66' 442 convertible, and due to Covid pandemic I have had a great deal of time getting my project close to paint... hopefully this spring. As pointed out by @TripDeuces I have very similar rust "patterns" as you have identified. Just not as bad, probably because my car has not been in a winter in Michigan since 1975. One of your photos I noticed you must have struggled with getting your headlight bulbs into the "buckets" in the right orientation. I chuckled a little bit as I had the same issue. It appears that my replacement buckets from one of the restoration parts store only sell generic GM buckets and were unaware Oldsmobile was different from a Chevelle.. curious what you did to remedy that problem with yours? Not wanting to spend anymore money chasing wrong parts, I decided to blast and powder coat all my original grille parts.. and just finished reassembling this past weekend.... I would be happy to swap notes anytime. ~Dave
Nice work on your grille and a beautiful car you have. The headlight situation was caused by none other that ME. I wanted Clear lenses and didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for them. I originally bought some "retro fit" clear glass lens with the newer style H4 bulbs that "didn't fit". It would have involved way too much cutting in the headlight housing than I wanted to do. So I stumbled upon some more clear glass lens with bulbs that had the factory style connector that was "supposed to fit" as well. I ended up having to cut two small slits in the headlight bucket to make another notch that matched the location on the bulbs. Why in the world did OLDS have to be soooo different.
Working on the windows felts now, and OLDS is different in that area too! However, found a guy in GA (west GA classics) that has been great to work with. He makes that stuff for OPGI and other vendors. Actually sent him my rear window felts and channel and he is trying to REPO a set for me, maybe more to come in the future for this!
Carl
Last edited by angecarl; February 15th, 2021 at 07:51 AM.
It sure has been a love hate relationship for over the past 50 years of ownership. My restoration started because my frame was badly rusted at the driver side front wheel. It took me 6 years to find a southern convertible frame that was worth investing in (already was blasted and powder coated! Once I had it shipped to me and after pulling the body off my old frame, I decided to do a little more work... LOL Now almost 2 years into the restoration I see light at the end of the tunnel. Replaced the trunk and passenger side floors, trunk drop off panels on both quarter panels, front fender lower rusted areas, core support patched rust by the battery, and the A pillar driver side. My body man & long time friend says it should be ready for paint this spring. In the meantime leading up to today, I have spent almost every waking moment cleaning & restoring every part that I have taken off the car. Refinished to new condition or replaced if it didn't meet my standards. All new front end parts/suspension, reconditioned my rare floor shift tilt wheel & console. @Ron Roth redid my dash, and I rebuilt the M-20 4-speed & rear end.. replacing the 4.11 gears to a better street able 3.42... polished most of the stainless trim & windshield molding. I also had the entire upholstery done with legendary ... just waiting for the new top to go on after final paint... Are looking for factory chambered exhaust system, and an unbelievable price? ~Dave
July 2017 to current. I drove the car to my dad's house last weekend. It was awesome hearing him tell me again, "I drove your mom to our Senior prom in that car," and also seeing him drive the car himself. It's unfortunate that my mom is no longer with us and my Uncle that gifted me the car died last year as well. He was able to see it painted back to the factory color though.
All is left is chrome exhaust tips, an antenna to fill up the hole in the right front fender (let me know if you have one for sale!!), and maybe a new front windshield AGAIN.
Nice work on your grille and a beautiful car you have. The headlight situation was caused by none other that ME. I wanted Clear lenses and didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for them. I originally bought some "retro fit" clear glass lens with the newer style H4 bulbs that "didn't fit". It would have involved way too much cutting in the headlight housing than I wanted to do. So I stumbled upon some more clear glass lens with bulbs that had the factory style connector that was "supposed to fit" as well. I ended up having to cut two small slits in the headlight bucket to make another notch that matched the location on the bulbs. Why in the world did OLDS have to be soooo different.
Working on the windows felts now, and OLDS is different in that area too! However, found a guy in GA (west GA classics) that has been great to work with. He makes that stuff for OPGI and other vendors. Actually sent him my rear window felts and channel and he is trying to REPO a set for me, maybe more to come in the future for this!
January 8th, 2020, 07:04 AM
. I was given this car by one of my uncle's and this is the car my dad drove to his senior prom. To have the chance of restoring is absolutely priceless and goes above all frustrations. Sharing my Google album, pictures are somewhat in order of progress.
