my new project car... give me some ideas...

teo · 12-03-03, 10:37

OK I have a 1965 Chevy Belaire and it is in really bad condition.. the interior is taken out and the car is REALLY rusty... the engine is going to be pulled out this week... I was wondering what should I do??? engine first or body...??? and what should I do with the body where do I start?? my group want to start with the body and they want to sand it and put primer...??

please help also links to stuff that will be good for use will really help me I am looking at about $1000 spending on the body to get it clean and ready for paint

Jimmy Buffit · 12-04-03, 04:48

POR 15 Website

This product (and Marine Clean) will leave the surfaces ready for an automotive primer and finish. The POR 15 paints are great, also. But, prolly not what you're looking for.

Good Luck

Jim

bretfraz · 12-04-03, 07:48

Well, if the car is as rusty as you say it is, and you can do all the bodywork except for paint for $1000, I will stand and salute you.

http://www.oldcarnetwork.com/Merchan...de=Impala_Body

Scroll down towards the bottom of the page for 1965 parts.

http://www.rustrepair.com/index.htm
http://www.impalas.com/product_list....t=139&last=132

Happy Welding!!!

HellrotCi · 12-04-03, 08:21

Short answer, do the body first.

Long response:

Take plenty of pictures. If you don't have a camera, go buy a couple of disposables. Pictures can come in handy when it's time to reassemble the car. If you're not sure if you need to take a picture of something, do it anyway. It's better to waste a few pictures than try and figure out how something goes back together.

Also go buy some ziplock plastic storage bags, some cardboard tags with string and a permanent black marker so you can keep your parts and pieces organized during disassembly. Save everything, even those pieces you're going to replace. This includes rusted bolts and stripped screws. You can compare the old pieces with your replacements to make sure you've bought the right stuff.

If you're going to be removing any of the wiring harnesses, make sure you properly identify every connection with its corresponding wire. There's nothing more frustrating that trying to chase down electrical problems. Also if any of your wiring harnesses have cracked connectors or the wiring cover is cracked and brittle you'll want to think seriously about replacing the whole works.

kgb · 12-04-03, 09:41

Do the body with the engine out and paint the engine bay nice. Then add air ride suspension and some nice 20" wheels and make it a cruiser.

scottabir · 12-04-03, 11:23

Quote:

Do the body with the engine out and paint the engine bay nice. Then add air ride suspension and some nice 20" wheels and make it a cruiser

what he said

Mike Phillips · 12-04-03, 01:00

Quote:

Originally posted by HellrotCi
Short answer, do the body first.

I would do just the opposite.

Doe the brakes first, make the car safe.

Then do engine and tranny, either restore or hotrod. Then you can drive it while you work on it. If you do the body first, you might end up with a car that sits in your garage for years without ever enjoying it.

Both approaches work, I just like getting some enjoyment out of my car each day I own it.

For example, below is a picture of my wife's 1959 Cadillac right after we intalled the big block chevy engine in it. After that, we put the front clip back on, the doors, trunklid, seats ect. and started driving it. It still needs paint today, but we've been driving a hotrodded 1959 Cadillac as a daily driver in Irvine, CA for over a year now and enjoying every minute of it. (We are the only ones in Irvine with a 1959 Cadillac daily driver, not to mention the only ones in Irvine, CA that drives a primered car)

In the background you can see my old Milk Truck, and another 1959 Cadillac we owned as well as the gigantic bumpers laying in the gravel ready for dismantling, cleaning, polishing and rewiring.

Mike

Mike Phillips · 12-04-03, 01:04

Oh yeah, the steel poles you see in the shape of an upside down
"V", was my 16' tall A-Frame engine puller which I miss sorely.

I sold it when I took this job and moved from a small town in Oregon to the big city lights of Orange County.

I could completely pick a 1959 Cadillac off the ground with that thing, and best of all, it would break down so I could throw it in the back of the Milk Truck and take to where ever I wanted to pull and engine or lift up a car.

Pretty neat, also had a 3 Ton chain hoist on I-Beam that connected the two A-Frame's.

Mike

teo · 12-04-03, 10:40

thanks alot everyone.. I will take some pictures tomorow or some day soon... I will post them as soon as posible....

teo · 12-04-03, 10:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
I would do just the opposite.

Doe the brakes first, make the car safe.

Then do engine and tranny, either restore or hotrod. Then you can drive it while you work on it. If you do the body first, you might end up with a car that sits in your garage for years without ever enjoying it.

Both approaches work, I just like getting some enjoyment out of my car each day I own it.

For example, below is a picture of my wife's 1959 Cadillac right after we intalled the big block chevy engine in it. After that, we put the front clip back on, the doors, trunklid, seats ect. and started driving it. It still needs paint today, but we've been driving a hotrodded 1959 Cadillac as a daily driver in Irvine, CA for over a year now and enjoying every minute of it. (We are the only ones in Irvine with a 1959 Cadillac daily driver, not to mention the only ones in Irvine, CA that drives a primered car)

In the background you can see my old Milk Truck, and another 1959 Cadillac we owned as well as the gigantic bumpers laying in the gravel ready for dismantling, cleaning, polishing and rewiring.

Mike

brakes are a heavy duty truck brakes (disk brakes) in good condition.... my instructor told me that he drove the car last year but the caburator made some problems and they just parked it in the back yard and no one every touched it...
tranny is in good condition too

now I am not shure about the engine, I meen it havent been started for over a year now...