[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by 1971/455/HO/4-SPD

A little jealous I guess! I will be knee deep on my project for the next few years............................

I thought maybe it was because this is your old car, Paul.

What the heck is that car on the rotisserie, anyway? It's at such an odd angle it's hard to tell?

[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

i am amazed at how nice those floors are. i would just clean it up and keep it original.

Uh-huh!

[Loffen]

Ok, that is a deal, I will clean up the floors and keep them original

No but seriously, It has been a really hard dessicion to start the restauration, Yes it could be on the road for a year or ten in it's current state as a survivor.

And it does look good on pictures, BUT when you learn to know it close up everyday you will notice the rust on top of the driver side door and on the right side of the panel below the the convertible to, you will also know that there is rust under the same panel on the left side, I promise that the rust will grow on you..

Then you have all the dents after 40 years on the road, I can show you over 20 of them...

And of course the missing paint on the trunk lid, it does not make it better that it has had a partial re paint, so much for a survivor..

And the beaten interior and the wrong color of the top and the rotten weatherstrips.

Then you have the engine leaking oil all over the place, the incorrct aftermarket radiator and the cut fan shroud...

I could go on for quite a while but I will not, in my mind it is time for a restauration now, 40 years is enough, the result will be better if I do it now instead of waiting until it will be a rustbucket.

I will put my pride in keeping it as original as possible as long as it is sensible, I will not pay 250 USD for a Nos weather strip if you see what I mean..

So that is how it is going to be, end of discussion.

But I would really like all inputs in the future and answers to my sometimes silly questions, pictures will come when there is some progress either you like it or not

[Lloyd-TX]

I have no doubt that we WILL like your progress pics, Loffen.

Looking forward to them.

[1971/455/HO/4-SPD]

Originally Posted by Loffen

Ok, that is a deal, I will clean up the floors and keep them original

No but seriously, It has been a really hard dessicion to start the restauration, Yes it could be on the road for a year or ten in it's current state as a survivor.

And it does look good on pictures, BUT when you learn to know it close up everyday you will notice the rust on top of the driver side door and on the right side of the panel below the the convertible to, you will also know that there is rust under the same panel on the left side, I promise that the rust will grow on you..

Then you have all the dents after 40 years on the road, I can show you over 20 of them...

And of course the missing paint on the trunk lid, it does not make it better that it has had a partial re paint, so much for a survivor..

And the beaten interior and the wrong color of the top and the rotten weatherstrips.

Then you have the engine leaking oil all over the place, the incorrct aftermarket radiator and the cut fan shroud...

I could go on for quite a while but I will not, in my mind it is time for a restauration now, 40 years is enough, the result will be better if I do it now instead of waiting until it will be a rustbucket.

I will put my pride in keeping it as original as possible as long as it is sensible, I will not pay 250 USD for a Nos weather strip if you see what I mean..

So that is how it is going to be, end of discussion.

But I would really like all inputs in the future and answers to my sometimes silly questions, pictures will come when there is some progress either you like it or not

This is the one of the main reasons I sold the car. I am FAR to anal to drive the car the way it was. I wanted to do the same thing, but at the same time wanted to leave it original. There is enough touch up's on the car to justify a re-spray, but the rest of it is so clean, it wouldn't take much more than that. The second owner in Cananda covered the car in some sort of oil as to inhibit any further rust issues, and that sure did the trick! I say go for it!

[1971/455/HO/4-SPD]

Originally Posted by Lloyd-TX

I thought maybe it was because this is your old car, Paul.

What the heck is that car on the rotisserie, anyway? It's at such an odd angle it's hard to tell?

It's just a boring ole '70 Cuda 440-6 4-spd Shaker Hood car with a super track pack.....................

[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by 1971/455/HO/4-SPD

It's just a boring ole '70 Cuda 440-6 4-spd Shaker Hood car with a super track pack.....................

WHOA!

That's a LOAD, Paul!

[Loffen]

Yeah the -70 Pontiac Cuda was one heck of a car !

But really, I do not think anyone would say no to that car, what a great project !

And Paul do you remember the story behind the AC on the vert ?

I got it working, but I am thinking of removing it, would maybe keep it if it was dealer installed or something like that..

[Forrest]

Wow! great pictures! I look forward to the progress on the car... What a great survivor !!

['ol Pinion head]

Time for owner supplied restoration! Sounds like the car is mainly complete, just needs the aftermarket a/c pulled, the two ac line holes metal finished, then take your time cleaning the face of the cowl. Any grease pencil marks need to be recreated under the layer of fresh black paint in order to bleed through properly.

I'll keep my eye out for nice Sienna non a/c kickpanels. someones got some. I bought some KILLER condition blue ones off a fellow in NJ parting an Olds few years back. Gave under $75 shipped. Thats after spending 4 hours in the snow fighting for a similar pair the winter before in MN. Had to pull the lh fender to get the emergency cable asm out, dum dum frozen on the 4 big shouldered nuts.. what a pain! The ones from the Olds were just a grade better. (ie, they look perfect). All because original owner dragged his pointed cowboy boots on the original kickpanels

[1971/455/HO/4-SPD]

Originally Posted by Loffen

Yeah the -70 Pontiac Cuda was one heck of a car !

But really, I do not think anyone would say no to that car, what a great project !

And Paul do you remember the story behind the AC on the vert ?

I got it working, but I am thinking of removing it, would maybe keep it if it was dealer installed or something like that..

Yes, supposedly dealer installed prior to picking up new. She blew cold for me, no longer? I liked it on those hot summer days, I would think twice before removing..................

['ol Pinion head]

I've always pulled those aftermarket underdash a/c units. Pulled a bunch of 'em out of my partscars. Ugly looking & even uglier is the early aftermarket compressor & the prehistoric looking bracketry. Loffen, if you lived at the Equator, I'd suggest keep it on there

BTW, the common gray supplemental a/c crank pulley makes a great hydraulic floor jack "extender" if you have one of the big cup Allied floor jacks.

[Loffen]

Ok the AC will go, with maybe 3-4 days with over 77f during the summer and with a vert there is really no reason to keep it, I will however keep everything in a box and store it for the future.

Yes please, good sienna kick panels would be great !!
I am looking for any sienna colored part that would be better than the ones I have, most of all the consol lid, armrest bases and all other plastic parts.

[2002Z4CSS]

I wished my floor pans were that clean. I have not seen an aftermarket a/c system in years.

[Loffen]

First for the newbees, the most important stuff for your renovation..



Take twice as much pictures as you think you will need, do one thing at the time and box or bag and label everything you take off the car.

I like to start with the interior and take one side at the time, then go left rear window, right rear window and so on.

And yes, I might be an oddball but I also like to keep it running for as long as I can, I never start with the front end, engine or steering, I guess I am just to lazy to push a heavy car...

[Loffen]

So for todays work session, the top is out.
It is going to get a new top in the right color,but that will not happend before the spring comes so I wanted to take it out as comlete as possible.

After taking away the rear wiring harness (it goes over the hydraulic lines) the right way ( by the right way I mean that you disconnect all the connectors, you do NOT cut any wires) there is not more to it than remove 3 bolts on each side after you have unbolted the driprail from the trunk.


Then you loosen the convertible pump


And attach it with some wires or strips to the third bow.


Then it is just to get help from a friend and lift the complete top out of the car starting with turning one of the sides toward the middle of the car.

[Loffen]

Then some of the bad stuff..



This is on top of the underside on the rear quarters, it left the factory with bare metal here..

I will try to use Eastwood's rust remower gel here, what do you guys think ?

[Loffen]

And here the not so bad stuff..


Look at the white stuff, original ??



Then the bottom of the right quarter



And right and left rear window

[Loffen]

Here is a small tip when it comes to spacers, this is the rear bumper bracket.


The other one had the original clips ( I will need some, please let me know if you know where to get them or have any for sale)


And this is what it looks like at the end of the day.


Nearly everything from the doors and back is out of the car now.

[iceman411]

I like the not so bad stuff and I also wished I had what you refer to as bad stuff. Wonderful car you have there. I'm currently doing the EXACT(well almost) same car and was going to wait a bit longer to post pics and a new thread. Mine will need new metal as is your's is sooo clean. Your in a good spot and should be a fun resto. I can't believe how much rust I've cut out and new metal welded in so far. I love the shot of the camera in the trunk facing forward capturing the inner/outer wheel houses and quarter come together... WOW! that's what it's supposed to look like...LOL. Very nice and all factory metal. Mike