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My 1967 Belvedere Convertible Plans and Restoration (aka - Mad Scientist Build)

Had an old neighbor that lived in Raleigh, that has been fighting Pancreatic Cancer for over a year. He would host the "best" Kentucky Derby Party every year, and I would help out with the event - we made a great team. He lost his battle yesterday with his wife of 33 years, and their 2 kids by his side - at home. Their anniversary for 33 years was today . . .

RIP my dear friend - you will be missed. My heart goes out to his family on their loss.

Nobody deserves to deal with that miserable disease, sorry to here about your loss Larry. Keep your chin up.

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Just got a call from my oldest daughter, and her boyfriend proposed to her tonight . . . needless to say I've got a very happy little girl ! ! !

And a very proud dad too . . . ( smile )

Little strange posting these 2 replies in a row......... But congrats on the announcement, I hope he's a straight shooter and treats her with respect (I know what will happen if he doesn't haha).
 
Nice to hear some good news to follow that bad news

Always sucks losing a friend and condolences to you and his family but it's very happy news to hear your daughter is happy and and going into an exciting new life chapter!

All the best to you,
 
The good and the bad . . .and maybe the ugly too ? ? ?

Little strange posting these 2 replies in a row.........

Hey 747Mopar . . . yeah, I thought about that when I went to post it, but that's the story of my white-knuckle ride through this thing that we call life . . . get bad news in the morning about something, and hope that we might get some good news later . . . and that's what happened, got the call at 11:00 PM about the engagement. Can I say that she was "just a little" excited ? ! ? ! ?

Now the weather here . . . got home from work and it was scorching hot . . . well no wonder . . . look at my outdoor thermometer and the time . . . UGH ! ! !

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And I wonder why I've not been really motivated to get out in the shop and weld on the car ? ? ?
 
Now the weather here . . . got home from work and it was scorching hot . . . well no wonder . . . look at my outdoor thermometer and the time . . . UGH ! ! !

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And I wonder why I've not been really motivated to get out in the shop and weld on the car ? ? ?
No fun working in those temps for sure Larry. I just last week put A/C in my shop so I should be ready if it ever gets hot here this year.
 
We've hit 99 once so far so I guess we're lucky...... Except for the never ending rain that leads to a yard that always needs mowed haha. If ain't one thing it's another!
 
Trying to make some progress in this heatwave . . .

Got out to the shop and got a couple hours of "sweat equity" into the car today . . . trying to get out there and make some progress on the car as I'm so close to moving on to the bodywork ( now is that sadistic to "want" to go onto the bodywork ? ? )

I'm working on re-cycling the old metal from my driver quarter panel that was removed form the car and make a patch panel that will help me fill in all this swiss cheese metal in front of the passenger rear wheel . . . got the metal bent to wrap around the bottom of the car . . .

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And test fitting it into place, looks like this might just work - just a bit more fitment to get done . . .

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Had to a little hammer work on the bottom to the panel to make the drip drains that will help any water that collects in the panel to drip out and not rust up all the metal work that I've done to the car replacing metal . . . that rusted . . .
 
Sorry for your loss and glad to hear about your daughter. What a strange thing this life we lead.

Drink some water....that sweat equity stops if you stop sweating so who ever thought our water bill affected mopar progress?
 
Little cooler . . . making progress . . .

The temps have fallen down below 100 . . . so I'm out in the shop trying to make some progress.

Got some epoxy primer on the inside of the trunk on the driver side . . .

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And I'm getting the patch panel welded into the passenger quarter panel . . .

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Lookin good Khan!!! Im glad we don't have your high temp, on a side note i wish the rain would go away, yard work and garden is slipping here and ive not done any work on the 69 but i do enjoy right now seeing so much being done hear!!! March on your certainly closing the deal :)
 
MAG Method in progress . . . Mig and Grind, Mig and Grind, Mig and Grind . . .

Trying to make some progress on this patch and finish up this quarter panel, then I can move on to other things . . . and maybe, start to put this thing back together . . .

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Coming along quite nicely - but I've got one spot that is being a real PITA ! ! If I can finally get the stupid hole to weld up and stay solid, then I can work on the wheel lip section . . . should not take too much more to get this done . . . I'm hoping . . .
 
Happy 4th of July - I get to play (work) on my car ! ! ! YAY ! ! !

Taking advantage of the day off yesterday, and a 3 day weekend to tear into this passenger quarter panel that has been holding me up a bit . . . it's also amazing what 20 degrees ( less ) tempature can do for being able to get some work done too . . .

Got some bad spots around the wheel well - so it's been cut out and fabbed pieces welded back in . . .

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Cut, yet another piece of metal for it into this jigsaw puzzle . . .

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Test fit it, mark some cut lines to help make it fit better . . .

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Get it cut, tack the piece into place, beat it with a hammer and "make" it fit . . . it will fit ! ! !

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Grind, and weld, and grind, and weld , and grind, and weld . . . and grind, and grind ( see a theme here with this process ) and try and fill in all the pin holes . . . ARGH !

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Then get it all cleaned up, sanded with 80 grit, and shoot it with some epoxy primer . . .

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While I was at it, I got the passenger side wheel well epoxy primed too . . .

GUESS WHAT . . . I think the passenger side quarter is done now ! ! Next, got a small patch of rust between the convertible top and the trunk that will need to be fixed ( should be much less difficult then this work on the quarter panel was . . . )

And then . . . excluding the tunnel hump . . . metal work is DONE ? ? ? ? ?
 
Remind me not to open my mouth and piss off Murphy . . . ARGH ! !

Moved on to the "small little patch" that will need to be done in the area between the top and the trunk . . . it looked like such a little area . . .

Couple tiny holes - cut out a section and weld in new metal . . . how easy could it be ? ?

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Until you cut out the back area and find out that everything underneath is rotted too . . .

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Then I look down at the "convertible top drainage trough . . .rusted too . . .

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The entire way around the trough of the car the bottom is pretty pitted - with some holes . . .

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So much for "almost done with the metal work" statement . . . I didn't mean it Murphy ! !
 
Yea ya gotta love Murphy, but at least you found it at this stage of the game and not when you're ready for paint.
 
Shoebox progress . . .

Finally dragged the welder back to the garage from the shop and decided a week of not driving the shoebox was enough . . . so it's time to get the broken off studs out of the block - the plan, weld a washer to the stud and "just" unscrew the thing . . .

After an hour last night, I had enough . . . back in the garage today after work and . . .

Success . . .

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Now I've got to get a new pulley for the crankshaft, the one I had was damaged when 1/2 my fan blade decided it wanted to exit out the bottom of the car at 45 mph . . . that was very interesting . . .

Time to get this put all back together again . . .

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Yea ya gotta love Murphy, but at least you found it at this stage of the game and not when you're ready for paint.

So very true BigBlock61 . . . better now than later . . .

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That sucks, doesn't seem to ever end!

I'm hoping it's got to stop someday 747Mopar . . . I'm running out of anything rusty that needs to be replaced ! ! !

At least I can hope that . . . that's my story and I'm sticking to it ! ! !
 
repairing another rusty spot . . . progress . . .

Made some very good progress on the repair of the area between the convertible top and the trunk . . . and I'm well on the way to getting it wrapped up . . .

Here's the progress . . . cut out all the bad stuff . . .

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make a patch that will fit into the hole . . .

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tack the patch into the hole . . . hopefully it'll work . . .

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Fully weld the patch into the hole . . .

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Start the process of making the replacement panel for the outside metal . . .

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Had a visitor today . . . kinda . . .

Oh - look who I ran into sneaking into the wood pile today . . . note to self, in the winter when you're pulling wood for the fireplace . . . remember this . . .

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Big ole Black Snake . . . but I let them be, and they kill rodents and ward off the poisonous copper heads . . . how, I don't know . . . but I leave them alone . . . ( they are a good snake - if that is at all possible )

My estimate . . . probably 6' at least . . .
 
Sorry I haven't posted on your thread in a while brother. Been lurking a little here and there.

You have some amazing fab skills !!!!! and I'm sorry to hear about your neighbor. I lost a Vietnam Vet friend to that awful disease a few years ago. He sprayed "agent orange" from a helicopter. Go figure...........

Not a big fan of any snake, but that's a good one to have around...................... Just remind yourself from time to time and hopefully it won't startle you too bad next time.

Years ago I had one similar in size get into my old job's work shop. I had a Massey Ferguson 353 tractor split in half installing a new clutch. (not much fun...............BTW)

As I walked past the upper cowling / fuel tank section, I thought I saw something move from the corner of my eye right at eye level.

Yep................. A BIG 6 footer or so laying up there pretty as you please. It's tongue was flickering out and that's what caught my eye.

Needless to say my shop assistant caught it, (NOT ME !!!!!) and we took it out in the woods away from the golf course and let it go.
 
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