VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Starting a Restoration

A lot of things were done to my car since I last posted. You just do not realize how many parts, both large and small make up a car until you hold them in your hands or try to find them. One thing I have learned that everyone should be aware of - reproduction parts are not as good as the real thing. With that said, the car is at the body shop and is being primed for the last time as I type this post. Several parts had to "adjusted" and refit because they were just a little off. All and all, I am very happy with the body work being done to it. Hope to get the car back at the end of October - just in time for a weather change.

Wow nice job!

Looking good!! Are you planning on removing the chrome trim strip at the drip edge?

If I had a second set of drip caps, I might try it. But from what I have learned, DO NOT MESS with it. It looks straight and it is solid to the roof. I might try to polish it later, but right now I am going to leave it where it is.

I think that's a good idea as it looks like it could be a real nightmare.

Going to be one cool car...I want one, too..! lol

Saw my car today and have some new improvements to show. The door openings and sills have been painted.



The lower dash was also painted.



The inside of the trunk lid is now painted as well.



The biggest improvement is the roof - now sports a new coat of Mayland Black.



But the biggest set back is the dash and garnish moldings. The paint supplier scanned the original piece and mixed the color. He got close but not close enough. He kept the original molding so he could adjust the color closer. My body guy picked up the new "improved" color and painted all 13 pieces as well as the dash. Look at the picture and see if you can find the original molding. Because we wanted to flatten the dash gloss so it would not be a reflective problem, the paint mixer added too much flattener which I'm told changed the color.



The color was corrected by using a different paint source. One that was tested by another 1950 owner with much better success. THANKS Andy for your help. The new and much closer color will be sprayed hopefully this weekend.

Here is the photo for the posting above.



Another large step foward this past week, the body was painted Mist Green. Hopefully, will have the car back in my garage in two weeks.

Looks great! Don't forget to paint those rims!

The rims will be the last items to be painted. When I get the car home, the plan is to install all the sheet metal under the hood first. The wire harness will be next. After that, I plan on taking the old tires off of the rims and have the rims sand blasted and then painted. Hopefully by then, Mr. Piggy Bank will have enough stuffing to purchase tires. Brewster, how did you paint your rims? Same color on both sides? Also, how long did it take you to run your wire harness? I also have a Y & Z harness.

Yes, my rims are the same colour on both sides. A retired guy should be able to run the harness in 2-3 days... leaving time for a couple of cold beers, and nosey neighbors that want to check things out while the garage door is up. It took me a little while longer because of the two year old that runs my life now, and the full time job I have to hold down! Also, I euchred myself with the whole headliner issue that took a couple of days to sort out.

Thanks, Brewster.

I did the body half on one day, then the front end on a different day. Also, a couple days were devoted to the turn signals, as they required soldering and I had never even opened one of them up before to see what I was dealing with. Turned out I needed a third and forth hand to hold the soldering iron, solder, wires and the signal body. I got Kaygee to come over and help me finish up. We did it wrong (the wiring diagram Y'nZ's supplies leaves a lot to be desired) and ended up doing it all over again on another day.

When you have the kit in front of you, it looks like the front end harness is going to be the hardest part to do, but it was certainly the easiest! Don't take the stickers off until everything works!

I didn't have any significant problems with the instructions for the YnZ I used on my 48. But I didn't have the turn signal wires added.

The problem with the turn signals is that there are many aftermarket and dealer installed options instead of one factory offering. Both 5 wire and 7 wire versions were available. After you pic which hand drawn diagrams of the 3 pictured you are going to follow, you have to decide which way the diagram is pictured... top& bottom, front and back are not clear. Certainly a spot where a picture would be worth 1000 words...

In my parts box and on my cars I have a total of 4 different switches, and every one of them is different!

In the US there is only one correct directional switch. It is Guide brand and has the chrome round handle and rubber wheel that contacts the steering wheel hub when in use, for self canceling. Being a dealer installed accessory only the wiring harness came with the switch. The 1950 version is painted the dark gray color that the steering column is painted on sedan models.

The weather is still too cold to enjoy working on a car in an un-heated garage. The temp got up to a balmy 42 degrees today so I did a few things to the car. No real progress to show - just looking for small items and information so I can hit the ground running when the temp matches the car -50's. Thanks to Andy, Chevgene and Brewster for their help.

Looking great!!

Are you planning on wiring that speedo, then shoving it through the hole??!! Does it work that way?!

I placed the speedo cluster there so I could check on oil pressure and engine temperature from a convenient place. The car did not run for about 15 months and the oil pressure line was replaced. I wanted to see if everything was were it should be. PLUS, I only want to put the speedo cluster in a freshly painted dash ONCE!

BRUCE,
Thinking about your rims, how did you handle .... or did you handle the pin striping on the rims?

My original idea was to get Kerry to paint the rims, then take them to the pin striper (I found him through a Kijiji ad), and then take the striped rims back to Kerry for clear coating. However, my plan was wrong, since the striper said the clear coat would ruin the paint. I then took the unpainted rims pack to Kerry, got them cleared and revisited the striper. They turned out really good. I was lucky that my spare had never been blasted or sanded. It seemed to have one coat of paint over the factory paint and stripe, so I could see the slightly raised stripe under the paint for location and width.

We had great weather this weekend so I made some progress in the garage. I installed the heater duct assembly on the passenger side and the fresh air duct on the drivers side.



I made weather strips for the trunk floor to quarter panel. I used 1/16" neoprene, glued and stapled it together. I attached it to the floor using weatherstrip adhesive but will be drilling holes for staples next time I get a chance. I feel the staples will hold the weather strip just a little better than glue alone. After all, thats what GM did in 1950. I held a LED trouble light under the floor and I just have a small opening in the front of both strips. Will use some type of caulk of seam sealer when the next opportunity comes along.



1949 version


1950 version


2017 version



Passenger side trunk floor


Drivers side between tail light and gas filler assembly


Drivers side between gas filler housing and wheel housing

A lot of work has been done since my last post, just not photo worthy. After talking with the man who will be doing the interior, I installed a heat and sound deadening material. Not that I will need it for heat or sound, it just provides a better surface for the carpet and padding to go on. Instead of using what looked like roofing material in all the beads, I did a modern update. I asked several auto repair garages that I deliver to to save me old serpentine belts. They are an exact thickness to what was used originally. Some belts were a little wider but they were trimmed to fit. I used a clear RTV to stick them to the floor. After that I took a sheet of sound deadening material and laid it down making sure it got into all the nooks and grannies with a roller and the handle of a small putty knife. After all eight sheets were in place, I used Duct tape (not duck tape) to seal all the seams. I am real happy with how it turned out. Now I can start installing the wire harness and then the glass.

Hawkeye... Any updates? Is it on the road yet?

Brewster, just too many distractions of late to get involved with old cars. All the drama that took place with this chat site really stopped any interest, the Photobucket fiasco, and now I am working on a new project. Restoring a low mileage 1913 three floor colonial - mainly the kitchen. So in about 6 to 8 weeks, my wife will be happy in her new kitchen and so I can get frustrated in my old garage. I have posted some photos, some you have seen and some new ones.

Nov 17, 2017 paint being rubbed out by Rob my body guy - note the balmy temp of 38 degrees




Restoring S/S trim for a friend - practice make perfect



Outside sun visor on an unrestored 1951 Pontiac hardtop - note the differences between hardtop and all others
Also notice the very cool factory traffic light viewer


Distraction # 237 - blimp fling overhead covering a high school football game two blocks over for ESPN