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    Page 43 of 44 FirstFirst ... 33 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 LastLast
    Results 841 to 860 of 862
    1. #841
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Thanks Wayne! It's getting there!
      In case anyone was wondering... I did see that, in my rush to get the rear rubber bolted up, I totally missed the directional thing and bolted them on the wrong sides. I fixed that as soon as I saw it!


      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    2. #842
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      I thought I had posted something about this...
      Anyway, the build came to a screeching halt after I got the front wheels bolted on. After I spun them one time I remembered a bit of a problem. These wheels have "hidden" valve stems, which means the stems are behind the spokes. When you spin the wheel the valve stem is HARD into the brake caliper... Show stopper.
      Anyway, to make a long story short I had the "old" Michelins dismounted so I could work with the bare wheels trying to figure out a valve stem that would work. That turned out to be a no go so my only option was to weld up the old valve stem holes and drill new ones...
      All of this trial and error and ordering different valves stems and finally coming up with a solution took a bout a month... At which point in time I was driving the '56 to a show in Flint and got hit by a deer...
      That has had me busy rebuilding rusty fenders, inner cowls, drain channels and will see me doing the floors and rockers as well.
      Which brings me to the point of this post, getting the Astro rims welded up, drilled and the "old" tires remounted. You've seen the "old" thing a couple times now. Being the tires are BRAND NEW, never seen the road or light of day but they are "out of date" so Discount or Belle will not re-mount them... I taking them to a shop in Flint tonight to have them mounted and balanced. All of this so I can roll the BadAst frame out of the heated side and get the wagon in there to finish the rust repairs... Have I been having fun? Yes Sir, you bet'cha!
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    3. #843
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Here are a few pics for your enjoyment.
      Old hole location, front of wheel is to the left...

      Old hole location welded up and smoothed a bit.

      New stem location outboard of the spokes (and out of the way of the caliper...)

      The old stem hole was back and to the left, behind the spoke. I will do some polishing on these to bring the shine back.
      These are the stems I am using. They push in from the inside. This keeps the profile low so the tire can slip past it easier.

      I have found the only way to get these things to seal up AND keep a seal is to coat all of the mating surfaces with Permatex Non-Harding Gasket Maker.
      I clean all of the surfaces with degreaser and then use a small paint brush to apply the Permatex.

      On the outside I coat the stem with Permatex and then slide two O-Rings over it to help seal up the hole.

      The chrome washer goes on next and it compresses the O-Rings enough to plug the hole and seal the threads on the stem. The Permatex really helps get the threads sealed up.
      This is the washer just starting to compress the O-Rings.

      Here the nut is tightened up and everything is pretty well compressed.

      The inside gasket compressed.

      The last thing I do is paint the Permatex around the gasket on the inside.

      If these things leak I will be very disappointed... :( We will find out today!
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    4. #844
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Well, they are holding air! Got them remounted tonight and bolted back on.



      Now to get the shop cleaned up and the wagon rolled over here.
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    5. #845
      Join Date
      Aug 2002
      Location
      Waleska Ga.
      Posts
      2,710
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice !
      Hope to be working on my soon !
      David Sloan

      If you’re suggesting sending men with weapons of war to take my weapons of war,then I’m fairly certain that’s what’s called an act of war… and the definition of tyranny.which coincidentally is the reason for the second amendment to begin with!


      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ght=fun+camaro

      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...lcamino-build!

    6. #846
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Yea, wish I was doing this so I COULD work on it. All I am doing is getting the chassis mobile so I can move it out of the way.
      I am rebuilding the inner and outer cowls, floors and rockers on my '56 wagon and have to get it on the heated side so I can sling paint...
      Here are a few pics of what I am doing on the wagon right now.
      Rusted out drain channels caused a lot of rot in the inner cowls.
      I have the left and right side panels all ready to weld in. All of the pieces are primed, I just need to get the firewall prepped and primed so I can weld this stuff in.














      Thanks for watching!
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/


    7. #847
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Ma.
      Posts
      5,567
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice work fitting the patch panels . I’ve never tried bending sheet metal but I’ve been watching some video’s on you tube, Trev’s blog he does a good job explains it. I’m looking forward to some updates on the wagon too.
      Wayne
      Car FINALLY home !!!!!! lol
      Project FNQUIK https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ghlight=FNQUIK

    8. #848
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Thanks! I am documenting the wagon resurrection here:
      https://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209540
      I can post more of it here if you want. Rust repair is a universal must do for most us so I guess it would be pertinent.

      As far as the sheet metal working goes I have used a wood block, a dead blow hammer and a heavy steel table top to shape most of these parts. The shrinker/stretcher came in handy but it was not a necessity.

      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    9. #849
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Did a lot of cleaning and vehicle shuffling today. The wagon and Astro chassis have swapped places so I can get to work finishing the cowl tomorrow.
      These pics are off my phone, sorry for their largosity...


      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    10. #850
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Posts
      435
      Country Flag: United States
      I popped over to the Wagon Resurrection thread, and was surprised to see what was hiding under there. Glad to see you bringing it back.
      Also, I really like the wheels on the Astro chassis.

      Jay

    11. #851
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Thanks Jay! I like the wheels too, other then the hidden valve stem thing, that was a pain in the arse...
      I knew the rust was there. From working on the wiring and putting in the new Vintage Air box last winter I knew it was bad. Just had no desire to bust the car open until the deer hit me. That opened the door for a repaint and a lot of rust repair.
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    12. #852
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Posts
      435
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by astroracer View Post
      Thanks Jay! I like the wheels too, other then the hidden valve stem thing, that was a pain in the arse...
      I knew the rust was there. From working on the wiring and putting in the new Vintage Air box last winter I knew it was bad. Just had no desire to bust the car open until the deer hit me. That opened the door for a repaint and a lot of rust repair.
      Mark
      There was a '57 coupe over next to the Wal-Mart on Corruna. It had been on a rotisserie since I moved up here in '08.
      It was for sale for $3200 on FB Marketplace a while back. Supposedly just needed a full floorpan. I thought about getting it to build for my dad when my S-10
      is done, but didn't have anyplace to keep it and someone else got it. Makes me wonder what was hidden on that one.

      Jay

    13. #853
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Yea, that was a pretty rough piece. The cowls were rotted out on that one as well. Mine are bad but at least there is some of the lower hinge pillar left. Most of what is rotted out is right where the drain channels "were". They get loaded up with junk and that's what rots out the inner cowls.
      I'll be hitting it pretty hard this week. I want to get the hood hinges swapped out before I weld the cowl patches in. With the inner cowls wide open it is free range access to the hinge bolts on the firewall so I want to take advantage of that. I'll start doing that tonight.
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    14. #854
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Anyone interested in a Rusty Wagon update?
      I've gotten a lot done in the last few weeks. Both cowl sides are done and I will be welding in the passenger side floor in the next day or two. It's been an adventure that's for sure. The hardest part I've found is taking my time to cut out the bad panels the correct way rather then just hacking and whacking... It takes longer to do it right BUT it makes the fixing part of it so much easier...
      Here are a few pics of where I'm at right now...
      With the rebuilt cowls and new drain channels in primer.







      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    15. #855
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      I didn't weld the new drain channels in. I buttered everything with seam sealer and then used short sheet metal screws to attach them.

      If you have never worked with seam sealer you need to know this stuff makes an amazing glue as well. To get these parts off I would have to use a chisel to cut them off.

      I let the sealer set up for an hour or so and then buried everything in primer.


      With that done I finished prepping the outer covers. I got the final fit-ups done and all of the plug welding holes punched and sanded the E-coat down. I usually take parts like this down to bare metal but the E-coat was on there very well so I did a heavy scuff and primed the inside of each piece.

      Both pieces primed and ready to weld on.
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    16. #856
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      I buried everything in gloss black and they are ready to get closed up!

      These things should never leak again!

      I also sprayed the insides of the outer covers.




      Everything is welded up, I got a coat of primer on all of the seams and it will all get seam sealer slathered on.
      Now I can start on the floors and rockers... :(


      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    17. #857
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Lots of rust in the floor (which I knew was there).
      The passenger side is worse in back, the drivers side is worse in front. Both have issues front to back...
      Drivers footwell, this was all covered with a sheet of thin aluminum...

      Drivers rear foot well and seat riser. The dogleg back to the wheel house is still very solid.
      This a "patch" that was screwed to the seat riser...

      This was under the patch.


      The passenger side front, not as bad as the other side but VERY thin.

      The area under the seat is also full of holes...

      The rear foot well and seat riser are totally separated...




      Making a plan to replace the passenger side floor as a unit. The tunnel is fine and the foot boards are usable. I will probably use the seat riser top as is. If I trim off the rust and leave the rolled edge I can fit the new floor over that and get it all plug welded together. I will put the car on stands tomorrow to start cleaning up the rockers.
      The drivers side I will make the call to replace the whole thing as I get the old stuff removed.
      Lots of stuff to do...
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    18. #858
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Anyone interested in a Rusty Wagon update?
      Lots of fab work, had to make a new floor channel as the original was to far gone to try to save. The new floor and inner rocker fit like a glove as well as the new braces under the seat.


      The old floor is trimmed, cleaned and prepped for welding.


      As of Saturday the new floor is "just about" ready to weld in. All of the plug welding holes are punched or drilled and I am working on getting the seat braces installed.


      I have a bit of work to do on the inner rocker but that won't take long at all, I should be welding this thing in shortly!
      Thanks for watching!
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

    19. #859
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Ma.
      Posts
      5,567
      Country Flag: United States
      It looks good!
      Wayne
      Car FINALLY home !!!!!! lol
      Project FNQUIK https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ghlight=FNQUIK

    20. #860
      Join Date
      Mar 2004
      Location
      Mid-Michigan
      Posts
      2,764
      Country Flag: United States
      Thanks Wayne. I am very pleased with the fit of all of the replacement panels and braces. Made this a fairly easy job!
      As of yesterday the floor is in, the rockers are in and the door still opens and closes!

      The outer rocker is welded on. It's not pretty but it will do the job with a little bit of filler. Trying to weld to the old thin fender was a real B*tch...

      The floor is so solid now it's like a new car!


      I will knock down the welds a bit and get some primer on them. The rear fender patch and front floor brace still need to go in but these are cake now that the big piece is permanent.

      NOW... On to the driver side...
      Mark
      Mark:
      "Bad Ast" Astro Van. Just because I did it... Doesn't mean it's possible...
      This my Bad Ast thread...
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...roject-Faze-II
      This is my Fotki album...
      http://astroracer.fotki.com/

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