69 Coronet 440 project
- Thread starter BigBlock61
- Start date
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Thanks Devin I can actually sit underneath it now and scrape off the rest of the undercoating that I couldn't get to before. Hopefully now I'll be able to remeasure the frame rails and trunk floor to see if I did screw something up.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
I got the trans back in my boys Dakota, and take it for a test drive. It won't shift so i jack it back up in the air and start doing pressure checks to find out what went wrong. I have no governor pressure, so I pull the tail shaft and the lines to the governor support are broke. Now I know why the tail shaft went back together so hard. I get a new support from the local trans shop and put it all back together, making sure the lines go into the holes they are meant to be in. I start the truck to check to see if I have pressure now but guess what? It won't shift out of park. :sFun_doh2: Back under the truck I crawl, remove the tail shaft again, straighten out the now bent park rod. I line it up re line up the governor lines and put it all back together, again. While I'm under there I adjust the shift linkage because it was binding. As I'm doing that I notice for the first time that the frame on the drivers side is rusted through, and not a small hole but about a 10 inch tear in the side of the frame. I start picking at the frame with my pick hammer to see the strength of the frame. Guess what, it's swiss cheese. 
The trans now runs great but we made the decision to junk the truck because of the frame. I think I'm going to try and part it out to see if I can get some of my money back.
On the lighter side of things I can now get back to working on the Coronet again. :hello2: Today I got the rest of the door support fixed and now I want to get the rockers paint stripped off so I can see what condition they are in. Hopefully more Coronet work to come.
The trans now runs great but we made the decision to junk the truck because of the frame. I think I'm going to try and part it out to see if I can get some of my money back. On the lighter side of things I can now get back to working on the Coronet again. :hello2: Today I got the rest of the door support fixed and now I want to get the rockers paint stripped off so I can see what condition they are in. Hopefully more Coronet work to come.
Ron 73
Deceased, But not forgotton
That sucks with the truck John but getting back to work on the Coronet will pick you up some! Best of luck with it!!!
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Thanks Ron, I guess that’s what happens when you buy a truck with 2 feet of snow on the ground. Yea, it's time to get back to the Coronet and make some progress.
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This is true, back to priorities.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Happy 4th of July my friends. ccasion16:
Been working on the Coronet and figured I'd share some of the progress. Today I removed a rust hole from the driver side a-pillar. bent up a new piece from scrap and got it fit in place. Maybe after dinner I'll go drill for spot welds and tack it in place. Right now it's on to the barbecue.
ccasion16:Been working on the Coronet and figured I'd share some of the progress. Today I removed a rust hole from the driver side a-pillar. bent up a new piece from scrap and got it fit in place. Maybe after dinner I'll go drill for spot welds and tack it in place. Right now it's on to the barbecue.
moparjohnny
Well-Known Member
john you are still the man.smooth looking work.enjoy the bbq.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Thanks Johnny, the BBQ was just what I needed. I'm still full lol.
I ended up welding that patch in today. I think it looks good and at least it will once the body work gets started.
Once I was done with the a-pillar I figured that I would continue removing undercoating because that's always a fun job to do haha. The needle scaler got a workout today. 40+ year old undercoating and it was still soft. It may have just been oil soaked but it seemed too high up under the fender to be soft from oil. Not that it matters cause it's gone now :headbang:
roadrunnerman
Well-Known Member
looking good John. if I didn't see the picture where you cut the A pillar, I would've never known you did anything.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Hell yea I'll take no rust all day long, At this point I found that I have more good metal than rusty metal. The front of the outer passenger rocker has a hole, the kick panel on the passenger side has a hole, and the fresh air duct in the cowl has a rust hole. Knock on wood I believe that is the end of my major rust problems.
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Yea Devin, I'm sort of amazed at how it turned out as well. I ended up forming it over the old a-pillar before I cut it out.
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Thanks Roger, That was one of those patches that I thought was going to be harder than it turned out to be. When I saw how Mopar4Don sectioned in his a-pillar on his Charger, figuring out the patch on mine came into focus.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Wow my thread dropped down to page 5. I guess it's been awhile since I posted anything about the Coronet. Not too much to say about it, just been doing a lot of sand blasting. My garage and driveway looks like a sand dune most of the time but the front end is looking better with every blast. No major rust to report just pitting. The pits are gone and replaced with new metal and the blasting continues. On a happier note I'm employed again, finally. It's a contract position with HP as a Network Engineer. The pay is excellent and it should last the better part of a year so I should be posting pic's of new metal within the next few weeks.
smyythe68
Well-Known Member
Congrats John, glad to hear clearer sky for you now that a long Michigan winter is fast approaching. Even small progress is progress. Glad to see a familiar avatar around here. Keep up the good work. I know you, and Halloween is approaching so she's gonna be on simmer come late October. I'm the same way though, best time of the year. Cheers!
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
Oh yea big plans for Halloween. It is the best holiday!
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You and me both brutha, it's been too long since I've seen new metal.
daniel_depetro
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Awesome to see another 1969 Coronet com8ng back on the road in the Metro area!
One of these days, I'll spend some time and read through all 45 pages of this build.
One of these days, I'll spend some time and read through all 45 pages of this build.
BigBlock61
Well-Known Member
You're building one too? Very cool, I originally bought mine from your neck of the woods. As for my build, if you read the first page then jump to the last you pretty much get the gist of it LOL. It's a work in progress.
daniel_depetro
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 6:27 AM
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 245
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- Sterling Heights, MI 48310
I have been piecing the '69 Bee in my signature together since I bought it in the summer of 2008.
Back then I lived in the Northcentral U.P. and got the car out of the Columbus, OH region.
Was basically a stripped out body someone started on. I have since gathered just about everything for the car, except for the interior (I have the glass, some old panels, a complete rallye dash, the original bench seat, a rear seat, some arm rests, but need everything else....along with nicer door panels and new seat covers).
When the car will ever actually be a single unit again is anybody's guess...
Back then I lived in the Northcentral U.P. and got the car out of the Columbus, OH region.
Was basically a stripped out body someone started on. I have since gathered just about everything for the car, except for the interior (I have the glass, some old panels, a complete rallye dash, the original bench seat, a rear seat, some arm rests, but need everything else....along with nicer door panels and new seat covers).
When the car will ever actually be a single unit again is anybody's guess...
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