1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[PhilA]

This guy says he uses new neoprene seals. That's a similar material to the original and he's been doing this 30-odd years.

Internally it doesn't leak, it's just externally to the shaft where it widdles all over.

Phil

[PhilA]

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Buzz buzz buzz buzz

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Prep prep prep

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Paint



Half the heater clamshell all prettied up. Got too late to carry on tonight.

Phil

[LynehamHerc]

I think that this is the most impressive restoration that I've seen, not necessarily from a difficulty point of view but from a thoroughness one.

[PhilA]

I'm just fixing the broken and rusty bits.

Phil

[LynehamHerc]

But very thoroughly by what I see.

[PhilA]

I have learned that if you do a half-assed job, normally that results in having to go back and do it again in a much shorter time than you may have originally hoped.

In this instance, a lot of the parts are made in such a fashion that I can overhaul them myself... which has meant I have. The rest of the car is "acceptable" (kinda why I bought it), so between times where SWMBO says I can't spend any money on the car, I'm putting to use my GCSE metalwork and other skills*.

--Phil



* half-assed bodgery

[PhilA]

Just spoke with the heater valves guy. He says at this time, about a 2-week turnaround. Not bad at all. Just over a hundred bucks too, which is good for something with brand new seals in.


--Phil

[PhilA]

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Had a little time tonight (after work was taken up by garden) so drilled the spot welds off the horns, as the brackets are at totally the wrong angle to fit to this car.

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Filed the drilled sections flat with a bastard and dressed the edges back down smooth with a fine file.

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Repeat.

Now I gotta get some metal to make some brackets up. Still thinking on the "how" for that one, because I'm sure that top section holds some really important pieces of internal gubbins. I may actually pop the rivets and remove the lid so I can take account of the clearance. If it's good, I'll fix the brackets in the same place but use bolts (don't have a spot-welder).

Phil

[PhilA]

Found some pictures of these things all taken apart.
There's not much room inside so it looks like welding brackets on externally is the way forward.
One of my neighbors does mig/tig welding so I may ask him and see what he thinks.

Phil

[CLINT]

I have learned that if you do a half-assed job, normally that results in having to go back and do it again in a much shorter time than you may have originally hoped.



* half-assed bodgery

OI! I resent that remark