Thanksgiving Delays

Our Thanksgiving weekend company has gone home, but the heavy rains have returned. About 9" have fallen since last Wednesday, and at least one more day of bad weather to go. To top it off, my geothermal heating system quit on Friday. That's the fifth time it's failed in two years, and as usual, it happened on a weekend. One more thing to keep me away from working on the car.

My plans to roll the frame inside have now been delayed until I can get outside to work again. I also have to figure a better way to lift, support, and lower the body by myself. When I restored my '73 D100, I used jacks and blocks, but it was a slow process and I don't want to do that again. I have an electric winch mounted on the wall that will be used to pull the frame inside the shop, but the angle it's attached to the wall won't allow it to be used to hoist the body without a complicated pulley arrangement. I'll have to rig up an anchor point in another place so I can use a come-along to do the lifting.

Notice that Blogger has apparently fixed their photo posting software issue with Windows 10. I replaced a couple of pictures in previous posts so they are easier to see details.

And just for the curious...no, I won't be using that rope to lift the body, though the max rating is close to strong enough. I have a 1/4" cable to make sure it will do the job. The ceiling anchor is also more than adequate as it's a threaded shaft that is secured by a brace across the ceiling joists in the attic, and the eye-hook is rated at 2,000 lb. Since four of us carried the body without much difficulty, it probably weighs around 300 lb.

Pink and Dad

A better song than many that made the charts during the war, but since dad is wearing an Air Force cap, I might be a little bit prejudiced.

I often criticize modern singers for lack of real talent, but this young woman can sing with the best of them. Now if there were more songs written without the tasteless and violent themes and gutter language...

Let There be Color!

I finally got around to putting a coat of paint on the jams and fire wall. The color is definitely the correct match for '57 Fury Sand Dune white, and I like it. Yesterday I picked up another quart so I can do the trunk and other hard-to-reach areas. For the inside areas covered by trim panels I'll use up the pint of incorrect color so it won't go to waste.

The pushbutton and park lever linkage is beginning to take shape. The biggest problem has been designing it so the brackets can be attached to the shifter assembly after it and the housing are installed in the dash, and also to determine a method to adjust cable length after everything is hooked up.

With winter coming, I had better give some priority to mating the body and frame. Now that the rockers are painted, the rest of the areas that need paint can be reached with the body resting on the frame.

I talked to the upholstery shop and he thinks he can finish by Christmas, but didn't commit to it. I'd be perfectly happy if he can finish by sometime in February, but I didn't tell him that.

Transmission Linkage Mockup

It took a lot of trial an error , but I'm pleased with the operation of the transmission linkage mockup. This setup is nearly perfect for the ratio needed to transfer .82" of pushbutton cable travel to the 2.5" needed to operate the transmission shifter arm. Only minor hole relocation will be needed, so the next iteration will be the final design. I'm also pleased that the force needed to push the rod with one finger is not excessive, so things are looking brighter. Now I can proceed with the final design of the linkage at the pushbutton end.

Dash Project

The gauge mounting modifications are complete and the dash is painted. I received the artwork for the custom gauges from New Vintage and notified them to begin building. I had to eliminate the custom graphics that would have matched the OEM font and style, but their "69 Series" gauges are not too much different than the stock design. The only customization I ordered is the inclusion of LED turn signal and headlight indicators in the speedometer face.

Seats and Little Stuff

Seats and door panels went into the upholstery shop yesterday. I had a difficult time deciding what color vinyl to use, as there was nothing that perfectly matched the OEM exterior paint shade that I'm also using on the dash.  After considering dozens of samples, I decided to go with a medium tan that matches the fabric nicely and also the leather that will be used on the steering wheel wrap. It should also look good with the bright, stainless steel window frames and gold/brass trim.

The dash is ready for paint, and I'll try to accomplish that this weekend. If the weather improves, I might also push the car outside and paint the door jams and firewall, since they are all the same color.

Ordered windshield wiper blades and a few trim pieces for the interior.

I was lucky to run across a dealer script from Eastside Chrysler Plymouth in Aurora, CO. It was the dealer I used for repairs when I was stationed at Lowry AFB, and is the dealership where the main character in my novel would have bought his '56 Fury, since it was not far from the base. It seems appropriate to put it on my car...if it ever gets on the road.

The redesigned park lever and shifter cable arrangement is getting closer to reality. The cardboard mockup works okay, and now I only have to make a bell crank and a bracket to mount it to the transmission case so I can test the operation. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, as I'd really like to keep the pushbutton shifter!

Still haven't decided on the gauges. I really hate spending that much, but will have to decide soon.

Before the Rain

Heavy rains predicted for the next week, so with perfect temps the last few days  I concentrated on doing things that I prefer to work on outside. Solvent cleaned and wire brushed bolts, brackets, and misc small parts.

Finished rust removal and surface prep, repairing, and tack-welding one fender.


Added filler rings in all gauge mounting holes and eliminated the dash speaker grille since it matched the speedometer dimensions and now I'll be using a smaller gauge. Instead of going through the trouble of modifying the grille, I decided to get rid of it. I'm modifying the dash more than originally planned, but since duplicating the OEM gauge design is too expensive, I'll concentrate on making it more attractive and functional. However, though no longer symmetrical it should still look somewhat original.




Engine is ready to assemble, so I'll have an indoor job to work on until the weather clears again. Had to clean lots of rust and scale from the water jacket.


Everything scheduled for the upholstery shop is ready to go. Just waiting for word to take it in.

Photo Posting Problems Continue

I still can't post photos using the blog JPG download feature, but will try adding a couple by inserting a PDF file.

Got a quote from the gauge manufacturer, but it was a shock. Three years ago I bought a five-gauge set for just over $600, but this time they want nearly $1,900 for a set! There was to be more custom design to better match the OEM style, but just the standard gauges were double the previous price.

I'm about ready to begin assembling the engine, so I'm cleaning, prepping and painting all the little stuff. The pan had a sharp dent, so had to beat it out and weld to be sure there were no pinholes to leak.

A week to go before I'm scheduled to bring the seats in to be reupholstered, and I'm still debating a color change for some of the vinyl!

 A quick mockup to see if the button force will be excessive gives me hope. I'd really like to make that mod a success. Also redesigning the park lever hardware to see if I can better fit it behind the dash.

America Also has it's Talented Youngsters..Lennon and Maisy

Another Dutch Musical Wonder!-Amira Willighagen

Just another 9-year old with a bit of talent.