69 Impala SS convertible

[JustJohn]

When you finally get tired of the other kids stupid attention to detail.

[FLYNAVY53]

yea....the old saying still holds true most of the time....

[JustJohn]

Part of this whole process is learning to think ahead and catch unintended consequences before they happen.

Took me 6 hours to get this one piece of the exhaust together. I think the other side will go faster. Speaking of, I started on the passenger side this morning and thought "Hey, I can pull this exhaust up another 2 inches." So I wheeled back to the driver side to have another look and thought, yep, i sure can. About that time, one of the other voices in my head spoke up and said "Real nice oil filter you got there, be a shame to drop the exhaust when you change it." Kind of a close call but I still have room to change the filter and I've got the exhaust slightly above the oil pan/crossmember. Just paranoid I guess.

[andrewb70]

I like the print that you made. Very clever!

Andrew

[Vimes]

Hmmmm... tuck the exhaust and still change the oil without dropping the exhaust... how to solve the problem...

https://www.summitracing.com/search/...er%20relocator

GM used something similar to this as a factory part on the 1st gen S10 4x4 stuff. My wife's 89 S10 Blazer 4x4 had one. While I didn't like the filter being on the driver side fender where changing the oil made a mess right in front o f the front driver's tire, it beat dropping the front driveshaft to get to it. I just had to be very careful changing it. Given a choice I'd have mounted it to the frame and used a short, fat filter instead, but that's GM for you.

[JustJohn]

Yeah, I know about those. Taking a "simpler is better" approach on this one.

Bet I'm the only other person who knows that's One Punch Man.

Hmmmm... tuck the exhaust and still change the oil without dropping the exhaust... how to solve the problem...

https://www.summitracing.com/search/...er%20relocator

GM used something similar to this as a factory part on the 1st gen S10 4x4 stuff. My wife's 89 S10 Blazer 4x4 had one. While I didn't like the filter being on the driver side fender where changing the oil made a mess right in front o f the front driver's tire, it beat dropping the front driveshaft to get to it. I just had to be very careful changing it. Given a choice I'd have mounted it to the frame and used a short, fat filter instead, but that's GM for you.

[Vimes]

Yeah, I know about those. Taking a "simpler is better" approach on this one.

Bet I'm the only other person who knows that's One Punch Man.

No worries on the remote mount thing.

YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

One of the funniest cartoons out there. If anyone wants to watch it, watch it in Japanese with the subtitles. It's funnier.

[JustJohn]

Waiting on the paint shop... It's starting to be a little agonizing. Working on the top frame and exhaust, both of which I can do without the body. The top is the most complicated job I've done in a while. It really is a complex linkage, all designed without the benefit of a CAD program. I overspent on the linkage rebuild kit only to realize I could buy the bronze bushings from McMaster Carr and reuse the existing bolts. Still hard to order a fairly extensive pile of fasteners. Took apart one side at a time for painting and about to be done with that task. Header was kind of trashed from rust so I ordered a new one. Freaked out a little when I saw the front tack channel wasn't quite parallel to the front bow, then I finally look at the same relationship on the factory part. It's almost like they copied the misalignment, ~ 3/16" crooked so I guess it's "authentic."

[Peanut1959]

That's pretty funny! Smart move to keep one side assembled while you refinish the other.

[JustJohn]

This was an ordeal. Still have to paint the top bows to paint but have replaced all the bushings and hardware. Had to cut down a few bronze bushings to length but it's finally ready to drop back in the car. Big McMaster-Carr order.

[andrewb70]

Looking good, John!

Andrew

[JustJohn]

Turns out you can outgrow a vise. Was bending SS exhaust hangers with mapp gas and *snap*. We were done.

[JustJohn]

Solved part of the mystery of the massive water leak into the trunk. Noticed during the 2019 Power Tour because the trunk was so full, it was a monsoon the first half of the tour, and things kept getting soaked. Someone along the way thought it was a good idea to drill 3 holes in the convertible top channel for something that's now gone. It's hard to spot here because I've already started the repair but one less leak in the old 60's convertible.

[JustJohn]

Had a little time to kill waiting for more parts. Going to have the rear seat upholstered to match the front Corbeaus.

[JustJohn]

It has to be said, the exhaust tubing from Ace Race comes finished and ready to weld. Ends are dressed and square. It just needs a wipe down with acetone if you don’t have to cut it. Also less expensive than Summit, which took me about an extra hour of cleaning to get the packing tape off last time I ordered from them. I’m not a pro by any stretch and the Ace finished ends are clean and square enough that I can fuse them with no filler or one of my cuts and one of theirs. If both ends are my cuts....grinding.

[JustJohn]

Interesting side project while I was waiting on more parts. I'm installing a Newport Engineering wiper motor and delay switch but need some changes on the instrument pod to accommodate the new switch. The factory had a 3 post mount, one of which was already broken, but otherwise worked. The new switch will need a panel with four screw posts to support it. My bottle of ABS/acetone slurry was already out from the top channel repair so I tried a new thing.



The broken post (right) was about half the needed height so I cut a piece of silicone vacuum hose, slipped it over, and just filled it with my ABS soup over a few days as the acetone flashed off and it shrank into place. The new post (left), I just set the hose piece where I needed it and followed the same process. I'll follow up with sanding down to height with my Dremel and drill for new screw holes.



The mounting panel for the new switch will get the same treatment as the other, previously woodgrain, stuff and be brushed stainless.

[grease]

What is the ABS/acetone slurry recipe? I’ve got a couple posts/things to repair and it looks like that might work for me.

[JustJohn]

What is the ABS/acetone slurry recipe? I’ve got a couple posts/things to repair and it looks like that might work for me.

Literally what it sounds like. Mix some ABS chunks and acetone in a sealed glass jar until it turns into goop.

[andrewb70]

Interesting side project while I was waiting on more parts. I'm installing a Newport Engineering wiper motor and delay switch but need some changes on the instrument pod to accommodate the new switch. The factory had a 3 post mount, one of which was already broken, but otherwise worked. The new switch will need a panel with four screw posts to support it. My bottle of ABS/acetone slurry was already out from the top channel repair so I tried a new thing.



The broken post (right) was about half the needed height so I cut a piece of silicone vacuum hose, slipped it over, and just filled it with my ABS soup over a few days as the acetone flashed off and it shrank into place. The new post (left), I just set the hose piece where I needed it and followed the same process. I'll follow up with sanding down to height with my Dremel and drill for new screw holes.



The mounting panel for the new switch will get the same treatment as the other, previously woodgrain, stuff and be brushed stainless.

That's a nifty trick!

Andrew

[JustJohn]

Moving along with exhaust. This will be an H-pipe layout as I never really liked how the x was laid out under the car. Finished up welding on the left side branch and got everything leveled. Maybe a last minor adjustment on one hanger but I think I'm there. Trying to figure a way around buying a $200 tube notching tool for probably the only 2 I'll ever need. Probably buy the tool because, well, it's a tool.