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 Turquoise '58 Fireflite CoupeJump to page : 1 2 3 4 5 Now viewing page 4 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
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Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654      Location: So. Cal | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I was going to do some rust repair on the roof yesterday and today, but it was raining all day yesterday, and I woke up to snow on the car this morning. I really need to move to a better place with a bigger garage. (Driveway Snow.jpg) Attachments ----------------  Driveway Snow.jpg (151KB - 67 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| 58coupe |
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Expert Posts: 1740  Location: Alaska | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | It has snowed here 3 times in 24 years, but always just a light dusting like this time. 58coupe, my neighbors are pretty reasonable so I don't get any trouble from them. But if I did, there would be nothing they can say about the Fireflite. And with a large amount of effort, the New Yorker could be made to comply if necessary. Practically every city has these stupid rules about stuff, but the trick is to immediately comply, and then just do what you were doing before, once they leave you alone. I'll never sign an HOA. People that do, deserve to live under the communist dictatorship that they signed up for. I had a spare 300D roof that I decided to cut up and patch the roof on this '58 Fireflite & one of my '57 New Yorkers. The curve here isn't particularly hard to obtain, but these patches make it more of a no-brainer to get done. I was originally going to patch it with 2 parts per side, but decided to be more safe and patch it in 3 parts instead. This way the roof retains it's structure better during the welding. I've got it all cut and ready to weld in now, but just waiting for spare time with no rain to get it done. I've painted the inside of the panel and will paint the inside of the roof as well, after I clean it up and dry it off well. I may have to use a propane torch to dry it with as wet as it has been lately. (58FF Roof Patch.jpg) (58FF 300D Spare Roof.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Roof Patch.jpg (148KB - 71 downloads) 58FF 300D Spare Roof.jpg (134KB - 67 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | These are already formed because I cut them from another roof. Welding it in sections keeps the roof reasonably locked in place without worrying about it moving around. Of course, you still have to check for flatness before & after tack welding, but it works out well. Rust likes to eat away at the bottom of the lip, so it's tempting to cut it down very low, but you need to keep enough of the lower lip to ensure you get the patch welded to the proper position, unless you are willing to drill out spot welds and fix it that way. I got the first patch welded in place and all looks great so far. I had a small amount of lead in my patch that I had to grind off for some reason. I guess the factory partially filled the track with lead on the 300D to make it look better. I also found a little spot of rust at the front section, above the windshield that I filled in. Always make sure to protect your windows when welding & grinding next to them. I had forgotten why I always dampen the rags on them, only to have them catch fire twice to remind me.  Only 5 more patches to go.(58FF First Roof Patch Welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF First Roof Patch Welded.jpg (199KB - 74 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I was able to get the other two patches done yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't think to paint the area before it rained on it last night. At least it's well sealed now. I'll dry it off well and paint it before grinding the welds. These super strong magnets come in handy for work like this. I could use more of them. I'm using the really big ones to hold down the tarp on my convertible and they work perfectly for that. Even strong wind is unable to move them. (58FF 3rd Patch Set.jpg) (58FF Left Roof Welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF 3rd Patch Set.jpg (222KB - 72 downloads) 58FF Left Roof Welded.jpg (204KB - 81 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| jwheath68 |
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Regular Posts: 76 Location: Okielahoma | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | |||
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| ToMopar |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1157 Location: D-70199 Heslach | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Thanks Tom. I ground the welds down and welded the pinholes back up. I did it in between the rain so I had to paint it right afterward. I had a high spot at the first intersection of the patches that a body spoon took down very easily. But I also have a low spot closer to the c-pillar that I'm going to need to address before I paint it. It's shallow enough that I could just fill it, but I don't like to take those kinds of shortcuts, so I'll fix it when it's the right time to do it. There was also a small rust section in the drip rail that I didn't notice before. So I ground it out and welded it back in. The roof looks much better with the rust replaced and I'm happy to make progress on it. (58FF Roof Ground.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Roof Ground.jpg (210KB - 64 downloads) | ||
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| Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Great work, Nathan! Very impressive - that Firedome is going to be done right!
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| jwheath68 |
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Regular Posts: 76 Location: Okielahoma | |||
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| ToMopar |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1157 Location: D-70199 Heslach | Powerflite - 2023-03-12 8:35 PM ............ The roof looks much better with the rust replaced ........................ Thats the reason to working on  | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I decided to be a little more conservative and do the right side in four parts instead of three. Unfortunately, that puts the cut right in the middle of a large rust out area. So I welded a brace to the roof before I cut it. This made it much more rigid than it would have been otherwise. The first patch went in without a hitch so far. (58FF Right Roof Support Spotted.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Roof Support Spotted.jpg (241KB - 79 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I got it all done before the rain hit again. You have to remember to blow off all the metal dust before it rains too, or else it will cause little rust pits everywhere they sit - including on your glass. Unfortunately, I forgot to protect my side view mirror glass on the driver's side. I had quite a few tiny metal blobs stuck to it. But they came off quite easily and didn't seem to affect the clarity, so that was nice. This has been an unusually wet year. (58FF Right Roof Welded n Watered.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Roof Welded n Watered.jpg (241KB - 66 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| Myke |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 1110 Location: Tulare Ca | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Mike, I used a good epoxy primer from Rustoleum. It comes in the extra-large can & says "Professional" on it. They sell a bunch of different ones that look very similar so you need to get this exact one. You can buy it at Home Depot. It's dumb that they don't say that it's an epoxy primer anywhere on the can and make no distinction between any of the many others that they sell. I had to figure it out, partially through trial and error. (rustoleum-professional-red-primer.jpg) Attachments ---------------- rustoleum-professional-red-primer.jpg (47KB - 64 downloads) | ||
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| JoeyAlvin58 |
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Veteran Posts: 164 Location: Alvin, Texas | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I cleaned up all the welds and found two small spots that require panel beating. To finish the job properly and paint the roof for real, I need to remove both windshields and weld some areas around the gasket interfaces, and remove the headliner to be able to straighten these areas that require it. I don't want to tear the car down that far, so I just painted over the area with off-white from a cheap spray can to make it look a little better in the mean time. The final body work will have to wait until later. I might install the wide roof trim over this, just to get the clips & positions finalized, but it's a low priority so I'll work on other stuff first. (58FF Right Roof Sprayed.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Roof Sprayed.jpg (199KB - 71 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Thanks Ralf.  It does look a lot better than it did. I decided to convert the '58 Chrysler trunk lid that I got from Gary Grossich to look like a '58 DeSoto lid. I can't put the DeSoto emblem on there for good though because the pins are really small and I don't have the nuts that small to put onto it. Hopefully I can get them on Ebay. (58FF Trunk Lid Holes Welded.jpg) (58FF Trunk Lid Holes Painted.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Trunk Lid Holes Welded.jpg (175KB - 68 downloads) 58FF Trunk Lid Holes Painted.jpg (173KB - 68 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I took the car for a test drive around the block and noticed that I was smelling a lot of gasoline in the car. So I popped the hood and found the fuel pump spewing gas out from it's seams.  That new style pump is only about 2yrs old and has very little miles on it to be doing that. Not only that, but this is the 3rd new style big block pump to do this while still working. What the heck? Such shoddy quality parts! I'm not going to play that game anymore so I installed an NOS Carter pump that I can rebuild if it ever goes bad on me. That's all I'll use on a big block from now on, and maybe on other engines too, if I start to get similar results from the others. But the smells in the car reminded me that I have 3 large holes cut into the floor from an aftermarket A/C unit that was installed at one time, that need to be plugged up. I also have a couple of rust holes that need to be repaired as well, so that's what I'll work on next. Edit: I just noticed from this picture, what looks like the rubber insulator coming out from my harmonic balancer!  Good thing I noticed it. That can't be good when it comes out completely.Edited by Powerflite 2023-06-02 8:46 PM (New-Old Big Block Fuel Pump.jpg) Attachments ---------------- New-Old Big Block Fuel Pump.jpg (158KB - 55 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I cut a large circular disc to fill the hole in the floor and used 2 washers to fill the other 2 holes. It was difficult welding that far behind the pedals, and I may postpone cleaning them up until it's more convenient to work on them up there. Hopefully, this will keep some of the smells from getting into the cabin of the car. I've also cut out a small section of rust in the passenger side to fix that area. I'm going to be fixing and sealing up the floor as much as possible. Edited by Powerflite 2023-06-11 10:09 AM (58FF Floor holes welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Floor holes welded.jpg (163KB - 51 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | My son is working away from home for the summer so my lovely daughter helped me remove the seats and held a dolly against the body to remove the long horizontal dent in the right quarter panel. I was able to get reasonable access to the backside of the panel from inside the car. That part came out nearly perfectly, so it's ready to start more rust repair in that section. I also removed 2 sections of bondo at the top of the fin and at the lower end, just behind the door. Fortunately, the lower one was very thin, and it didn't need any repair work there. But there was a sizeable dent in the fin that needed to be addressed properly instead of just filling it with a gob of bondo. I was able to pound out the majority of it using a long piece of hardwood from inside the quarter, but it needs a little more work in two small spots, that I will continue to work on. Next, I began to repair the first section of floor rust on the passenger side. I first welded in an 1/8" thick patch to the inner floor structure that was rusted out and will weld a new panel over the top of that. I also fixed the fuel gauge and mounted it back onto the dash. I think the main problem that it had was a lack of a good ground connection to the dash. That's good to keep in mind, to possibly save me some trouble if it stops working again in the future. (58FF RQuarter Dents Fixed.jpg) (58FF RFloor Inner Structure Weld.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF RQuarter Dents Fixed.jpg (134KB - 53 downloads) 58FF RFloor Inner Structure Weld.jpg (104KB - 49 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9900 Location: Lower Mainland BC | Powerflite - 2023-04-01 10:52 PM. I can't put the DeSoto emblem on there for good though because the pins are really small and I don't have the nuts that small to put onto it. Hopefully I can get them on Ebay. Nathan: Don't forget about Auveco. They have the type of thread cutting nut that you need for the DESOTO letter studs. Pg. 155 in their current digital catalog. https://onlinecatalog.auveco.com/Auveco-Catalog/155/# Up here in Canuckistan we can get smaller quantities through GENO Industries (I think they just repackage Auveco products): https://www.geno-inc.org/img/tiroir.pdf Edited by 56D500boy 2023-06-18 2:11 PM | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Funny that you mention that. Yesterday, I noticed that my weak old clips weren't holding the emblems on very well. So I took it off and tried to use a #8 thread cutting nut on it, but it was too big. So I tried a #6 nut and it was too small to go on. I tried bending the tangs on the nut but it went too far and wouldn't hold. I tried tapping with an 8-32 die, then with a 6-32 die at the end. That worked to get the nut started, but the die broke one of the studs because of how tight it was and how weak the stud was from corrosion.  I may go for a standard push-on clip from now on, as much as I don't like those. My plan to fix those broken studs is to drill & tap a hole in it for a stainless 2-56 stud and epoxy it in, using a tiny 2-56 nut to hold it on. | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I noticed in the post above that the harmonic dampener is coming apart. So I purchased a new, wider one from 440source that is SFI approved. They call this the hemi style. I'm hoping that it will be very effective and last. It's not clear if this needs a coating of paint on it or not. I think it may be covered with a clear-coat. I'm going to try leaving it as-is so that I can read the numbers off of it easily. I also purchased an 1/8" pulley spacer, just in case I needed it. I'm hoping I can install this without removing the radiator, and I going to try to replace the fan with a thermal clutch version, if I can fit it in there. (Big Block Dampener.jpg) Attachments ---------------- Big Block Dampener.jpg (105KB - 49 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I had hoped to get more done than I did, but I guess that's always the case. I finished popping out the dent from the upper fin. I was able to feel the dent from the outside with my left had and hit it with a body hammer with a shortened head on the inside. That way I could feel exactly where I was hitting. People with even longer arms have some great advantages! I then cut the rusted areas from the right side floor, made patch panels, and welded them in. The lower patch was more difficult because it includes a depressed area that I had to form to match. I also cut out the rusted panel on top of the left seat mount to replace it as well. This car is odd in the way it has rusted. Almost no rust in the common areas, and gobs of rust in other areas. It seems that the rockers were filled with dirt from riding on dirt roads at one point in its life. At least that's what I attribute this rust to. The inner rockers look good on it, but the outers have been covered with a new panel. Once I remove that panel, I"m sure to see a whole new world of rust to attack.  (58FF Right Floor Welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Floor Welded.jpg (160KB - 51 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | If that happens we'll all look like apes! I made a little more progress. I cut the rusted sections above the seat mounts out and welded a new patch, cut from a 300D roof, over the right side. I started the weld cleanup, but it has more work to go on it. The middle patch needs a second round of welding before it will be done. I also made a patch for the left side seat mount, welded a small triangular patch above the floor brace that was packed with dirt, cut out the main section of rust and made a patch for it as well. I also welded a lone rust hole that formed below the accelerator pedal and cleaned it up. Since the chance of rain here is zero right now, I can afford to do these all at once and take my time before spraying with epoxy primer. But I want to get this done soon so I can put the seats back into the car. Edited by Powerflite 2023-07-06 8:56 PM (58FF Right Floor Patched.jpg) (58FF Left Floor Cut n Welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Floor Patched.jpg (220KB - 47 downloads) 58FF Left Floor Cut n Welded.jpg (244KB - 46 downloads) | ||
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| Shep |
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Expert Posts: 3393 Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | |||
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| Shep |
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Expert Posts: 3393 Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I finished welding the small holes I had missed on the right side, cleaned it all up and painted it. The step above the seat mount came out OK, so that makes me happy. I didn't notice the oval dent above it before I got it in paint, and I have no idea how it could have been made like that. But it was good clean metal there, so I'm not touching it. It might have been made there at the factory with how pronounced it looks, but who knows. I also welded in the floor mount area on the left side, finished cleaning up the triangular middle section, and spot welded in the upper large repair section. I had to weld the under-structure on the large section before I spot welded it in because I had accidentally cut into it when I was cutting the section out. But it was pretty straightforward and easily finished. Hopefully I can get the left side finished this week. Edited by Powerflite 2023-07-09 12:05 PM (58FF Right Floor Primed.jpg) (58FF Left Floor Repair Welded.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Right Floor Primed.jpg (211KB - 48 downloads) 58FF Left Floor Repair Welded.jpg (227KB - 48 downloads) | ||
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| Crusader |
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Regular Posts: 60 Location: Canada | Impressive work. Congratulations. I will have to do similar floor patching on mine, so it is helpful to look at your pictures | ||
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| Crusader |
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Regular Posts: 60 Location: Canada | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Thanks. Yeah, that puller makes removing the drums a breeze. I did a second round of welding on the left side to fill the holes and got the lower part in primer. Then I went for a third round of welding on the upper part. Hopefully, I can finish it up tomorrow morning so I can put the seats back in and get going on other things. The floor cover under the steering column isn't in great shape at the left-most edge, but I'm inclined to leave it for the time being. I may just purchase a replacement, but not sure if I would be better off fixing this one. But I want a break from floor repairs so I won't do anything with it for a while. (58FF Upper Left Floor 2nd Weld.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Upper Left Floor 2nd Weld.jpg (129KB - 48 downloads) | ||
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| 57burb |
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Expert Posts: 3967 Location: DFW, TX | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | Thanks Danny. I'm itching to get this floor done so I can start working on the right quarter rust that's currently the biggest eyesore on the car. This floor pan from my chopped '57 Windsor parts car is slated to save the rusted pans in the red '58 Fireflite, but that car has a good outer quarter on the right side, so it doesn't need this outer section. This dog-leg section should come in handy for this car, as all the inner structure is really good on it as well. (58FF Windsor Repair Panel.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Windsor Repair Panel.jpg (222KB - 47 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | I got the floor work done after the 4th welding pass, but welding & grinding under the dash, behind the pedals in 100 degree weather was causing me to question my will to live. I'm glad it's done. After removing the bondo & paint on the repair panel, the metal underneath isn't as inspiring. Looks like it's going to require a repair section at the bottom to eliminate the rust, and I'll probably have to separate the outer panel in order to fully remove the multiple dents in the lip. The upper edges of this panel are all jagged with welding flag because he had welded the rear doors shut to the lower rockers and I had to cut it all apart to remove the doors. The good part is that I can do all this work to the panel before I weld it onto the car, which gives me access to the backside, and makes it so I can work on it in the shade. (58FF Left Floor Primed.jpg) (58FF Dog Leg Repair Panel Issues.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Left Floor Primed.jpg (196KB - 48 downloads) 58FF Dog Leg Repair Panel Issues.jpg (231KB - 50 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9900 Location: Lower Mainland BC | . I might have missed something but if your driver's side inspection panel is toast, and you don't want to make one, they are available: https://www.ebay.com/itm/144512362514  | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | |||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | My wife refuses to ride in the car without seatbelts. Someone had previously put holes into the floor for them, though I'm not thrilled with where they are located. But I haven't decided how I want to do it permanently either, so I'll just put them there without welding the mounts to the floor like I would usually do. I saved these brackets from an old washing machine or dryer and welded 7/16-20 nuts to them. I also separated the repair panel and took out the dents in the lip pretty well. The corner isn't as well defined as the original, so I will eventually lay a weld bead along it to bring it back. But it's obvious that these repair panels are going to require quite a bit of repair before I can use them. Still, it's much easier to do when it still has it's original structure, unlike what is currently on the car. Edited by Powerflite 2023-07-17 2:18 PM (58FF Seatbelt Mounts.jpg) (58FF RR Quarter Repair Panels.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF Seatbelt Mounts.jpg (114KB - 51 downloads) 58FF RR Quarter Repair Panels.jpg (183KB - 46 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9654 Location: So. Cal | The first step in fixing these is to strengthen them at the most critical point - the lip. So I cut out the rust in that section and cut & bent a repair strip to go into it. Making sure it is perfectly flush before welding is key to getting good results and these heavy duty magnets help to ensure that happens. It came out quite well and was good enough to move to the next step of replacing the wider section. Welding in sections is not only easier, but also ensures that the panel doesn't change shape as you go. I cut only the part out that was visibly pitted on the backside. Welding in smaller patches makes it easier to bend and get the right form on it. Having access to the backside is really nice too, as I was able to clean up the welds back there, and add to any locations that looked a little thin. After cleaning up the larger patch, it will be on to repair the inner panel. Edited by Powerflite 2023-07-18 5:56 PM (58FF RR Quarter First Repair Strip.jpg) (58FF RR Quarter First Repair Strip Finished.jpg) (58FF RR Quarter 2nd Repair Welded.jpg) (58FF RR Quarter 2nd Repair Finished.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 58FF RR Quarter First Repair Strip.jpg (161KB - 54 downloads) 58FF RR Quarter First Repair Strip Finished.jpg (119KB - 51 downloads) 58FF RR Quarter 2nd Repair Welded.jpg (167KB - 48 downloads) 58FF RR Quarter 2nd Repair Finished.jpg (209KB - 44 downloads) | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 650 Location: Finland | |||
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