Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Misplacing a part is only half the story. The thing that really gets me is how I can drop a small piece of hardware and it just vanishes into thin air. It may or may not reappear at a later date, but at that moment it's gone as if it never existed as soon as it leaves my fingers - no matter how far out I extend the search radius.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

One of the design elements I'm planning to use is a knockoff of the Project X 57 Chevy grille bar. When the guys on HotRod Garage removed it to make way for a stock bar, I got a closer look at how it was made and realized I'd never be able to duplicate it, since it was CNC'd from a single block of aluminum as I'd suspected. I don't possess the programming skills, machining capability or the bankroll to make it happen. So I'm taking the poor boy way out...

I decided to use the grille bar that came with the car as my starting point. The chrome on it was blistered and it would have to be replaced anyway. So the plan was to cut away the round turn signal portion of the bar and replace it with a couple of pieces of flat stock formed to follow the curve of the bar.

I've had some Muggy Weld zinc rod for a long time and never used it so I figured it would be perfect for working with the pot metal. My first attempt was with 1/8" thick 5052 and was a spectacular fail. Called the guys at MW for advice and they said my flux was way too old to work. So I ordered a new bottle and when it arrived, I tried again, but with no luck. So I switched gears to something I knew would work - ultra formable 260 brass. The zinc rod took to it as easily as it did the pot metal.

I cut out the lower half on one side of the parking light bulge and fit the .094 brass stock I'd formed into the opening. Soldered both sides then cut away the top half and repeated the process. Took it slowly in steps and used a wet washcloth clipped to the previously soldered areas to sink away the heat. The last thing I wanted was to have the whole mess get too hot and fall off.

Once all the seams were soldered inside and out, I used a small air grinder, a bastard file and a D/A with 80 grit to prep it for All Metal. The picture with the yellow tape shows the cut line for the final width. Now I just need to repeat on the other side. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

that turned out good Vic..!!!!!,,,are you gonna chrome plate it?

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Greg. According to the folks at Muggy Weld, the Super Alloy 1 can be chrome plated, but it requires a slow copper charge before the nickel and chrome. Right now, I'm leaning towards wrapping it or painting it body color. The lower half of the bar will need some work to correct the profile. I have limited options to do that. Lead or Lab Metal would require heating the part beyond what the SA1 can stand. So I'll probably use All Metal filler to get the shape I want, then decide.

There's a guy in KS I talked to a few years ago that does spray chrome. Don't know if he's still doing it, but I remember he wanted to do 100% of the filler and prep work himself to guarantee the job. IIRC, he wanted around $750 to do a bumper, not including the prep work. Irrespective of cost, I have a hard time handing off a half finished part to someone and trusting they can complete it the way I see it in my head.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

The grille bar is ready for epoxy primer and filler. I sent a text with some pictures of it to the sandblast guy not too far from me. He wanted $250 to blast the remaining chrome off it. Took a pass. Instead, I used the DA to remove most of the chrome/nickel and then stuck it in the glass bead cabinet to rough up what was left. It hung out the end of the cabinet, but I draped a towel over the opening and it didn't make too much of a mess. Just some copper and pot metal left now. Epoxy will bond to it with no problem.

I did some research on spray chrome and I'm tempted to give it a try. The videos make it look easy (as you'd expect). They say the reflectivity is about 95% of actual chrome. For just the bar, which sits in the center of the grille all by its lonesome, it might just work.

I also got started on the bumper bullets. I used the plasma cutter to remove the centers and then a carbide burr in a die grinder to get up to the line that was stamped in them. I put one up in the mill and used a boring head to open it up the rest of the way to fit the light (Dakota/Durango lamp). Next up will be to figure out how to attach the bullets to the bumper.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

After carefully marking the new smoothie bumper, I took a deep breath and used a 3" hole saw to open up the necessary clearance for the new parking / turn signal lights. Normally, I hack away without regard to the consequences since I figure a Sawsall, welder and grinder will fix anything, but in this case I really didn't want to buy another bumper. 3" was probably overkill, but I had plenty of room and there wasn't any need to conserve the space. My current plan is to weld some threaded tabs to the bumper bullets (which will require chroming anyway) and drill holes into the bumper for the fasteners. Mulling over the best location for said tabs but the photo with the arrows shows a couple of potential spots.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Here's a look at how I fastened the bumper bullets to the smoothie bumper. I made some small threaded tabs and marked their location inside the bullets. Then I drilled two slightly oversized holes for the 1/4-20 fasteners that attach on either side. Mocked up the final location by threading the fasteners into the tabs and then set the bullet down in place. Used the MIG to tack the tabs to the bullets then removed the assembly and TiG welded the tabs more securely.

As you can see, the tabs draw the bullets down firmly in place and provide plenty of clearance for the backside of the lights. Found the correct pigtails for the 899 halogen lights on eBay and got them on the way. Still a long way to go before wiring, but that should give me more than enough time to misplace them. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looking good Vic! I've been gone too long and had a ton to catch up on. You've done quite a bit since the last time I checked in on your build. Nice work! Keep it up. :metal:

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Duane.

And Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I know I have a lot to be thankful for.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Happy Thanksgiving! I gotta come by and check on this!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

It's all looking great. I vote on the chrome paint on the grill bar. That way you can tell us how it works and your thoughts on the process.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Chip! You know you're always welcome whenever you're in the neighborhood. Reminds me, I need to give your ole dad a call.
Hey Dale, thanks for weighing in on the chrome paint. I think it will be better than body color. The combination of pot metal, brass and zinc weld ended up being impossible to chrome conventionally. So we'll see how this compares to the real thing.

Speaking of which, picked up the front bumper bullets yesterday from the plating company. This is the first chrome they've done for me. I've mainly had them do zinc plating previously. I thought they turned out really nice. Chrome can be a bit of a crapshoot so it's a relief they did a great job.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Been welding and grinding on the door edges to prep them for the filler I'll use to set the gaps. The patch panels I made for the bottom third of the doors didn't always end up where I planned, so a do-over is required. The gaps were pretty good from the factory on this old wagon, but there are always a few places that could be better.

I didn't like the way the dividers between the doors looked after moving the latch hardware around for the suicide rear doors. When the doors are open, you could see the recess from the stamping process on the backside. So I made a poster board template and transferred it to some flat sheet metal. With it welded in and ground smooth, it adds a ton of strength to the divider, plus it makes it look a lot nicer as well. The good news is, I'm running out of metal fab on the body shell and should transition to body filler in a week or so. I'll still need to do some fabrication work under the hood when I get the body on the frame and the front clip reassembled, but I can use the break.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looks great..!!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Greg. I'll be glad to finish up the metal fab. Just suiting up for all the noise and dust generated by welding and grinding is a pain. I've learned the hard way, though, that I'd better not skip the dust mask, safety goggles and hearing protection. Not that body work is much better. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

2 thumbs up!!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

MAAAN! I have some catching up to do. Looks incredible, Vic!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

The bullets came out nice. I like the divider work too. It's looking great!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Hello Vic, I'm Chris. And as of now, I have read all of your threads. Thank you for the effort you make to take pictures and tell us about your projects with all of the ups and downs. With regard to your post above, I now think about suiting up with PPE as a little like gearing up for combat. Not to make any comparison to actually going to war, as many of our members here have served, but to think of the appropriateness of suiting up with the proper items as vital to the process. A sort of uniform for the work. It helps push away the "I wonder if I look silly right now" thought and replaces it with "I'm set up to get the job done". Much of that has come out from my experience with communicating the need for self-preservation in construction.

And since I'm just getting caught up, I also wanted to say that I hope and pray for the best for you and your wife through your medical difficulties. I assume that your vision has stabilized, and it sounds like your wife is a trooper and working through the medical treatments well. A little awkward to say all that, but it's well-meant and I hope you guys are blessed through Christmas and the New Year. Thanks again for making the effort to share your projects.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Mike, hope the rat is staying out of the weather. Having lived in Woodinville, I know this time of year is the pits when you have limited space.
Thanks, John! Can't wait to see how your new shop gets set up.
Thanks, Dale, won't be long until I'm slingin' mud.
Hey Chris, thanks very much for your kind words, means a lot to me. 2019 is almost in the books and we're ready to turn the page. Kathy's most recent scan was 100% clear and she's already planning road trips for next year. So with all that in the rearview mirror, we can focus on getting the wagon done and ready for the road.

I'm trying to keep caught up on this thread without posting too much stuff that isn't newsworthy. The reason for the pictures is because I learn new stuff the best when I can see it. If someone tries to explain something to me verbally, it doesn't seem to sink in. But if you give me a demo, that's all I need to get started.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Great news about Kathy ...

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Vic, It’s good to read that Kathy’s doing great. The project is coming along nice!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Agreed, glad to hear!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Well said!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Great to hear about Kathy. This car is gonna be awesome!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone!

I started spreading Everglass over the welded areas today. Got sidetracked by the phone and lunch with Kathy and my niece or I'd have more done ...at least that's my excuse. The doors are all gapped and adjusted so that a small amount of filler along the edges should make them look nice and even. I drilled a couple of locating holes in each hinge so I can insert pins and not have to spend a bunch of time with adjustments when reassembling everything.

Hope to get the major areas worked smooth over the next few weeks. It's a tough time of year to be priming parts with 2K or other catalyzed products, but sometimes you get an unexpected warm day or two. Will have to make the most of what Mother Nature gives me, I reckon. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Vic, progress is looking good, great news on your wife, have a merry Christmas

Dwight

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looks great! Would like to know a bit more on how you're doweling the hinges. Small roll pin at assembly?

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, Dwight, Merry Christmas to you too!
Hey John,

Nothing too exotic. After getting the doors adjusted up/down, forward/back, and in/out, I used a 1/8" aircraft drill to make two holes in the hinge and the mating surface on the door. Removed the door and then reinstalled it loosely with the bolts. I used a couple of long, 1/8" punches to line up the holes. Took me a few minutes of working the door around to get the punches in but after I had the first one, the second was no problem. I snugged up the bolts just enough to keep the hinge and door from moving around and then removed the punches and finished tightening it up. I found if I cranked down on the bolts before removing the punches they didn't want to come out. But if you go easy at first, then tighten, it works better.

Using this approach on both the upper and lower hinges, I ended up with a nearly perfect alignment when the door closed. I had to loosen the bolts on the lower hinge and pick it up very slightly to be exactly on the money. For me, the important part was to make sure when the final assembly takes place I don't scrape the door edges or the jamb. If I can get really close on the first try, I can fine tune it from there.

I'll have to do the other end of the hinge where it goes into the jamb to make sure the in/out alignment is maintained before I remove the hinges for blasting and paint. On the truck, there wasn't quite as much room in the hinge area, unless the fenders are off. IIRC, I only drilled the half of the hinge that bolted to the cowl, then winged it with the half that bolted to the door. I've never used roll pins, but I reckon they would work.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Makes sense, great tips, and thank you very much for taking the time, Vic! I'm plugging hard on the dirty old house but should be able to get my shop set up after the new year.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

The end of the year is upon us and I'm up to my ears in bodywork. Just incremental progress to report at this point. However, my goal is to be ready for paint by the first of February. This morning, I spoke with the guy I was hoping to use for final prep and paint. Unfortunately, he's behind with work he's promised and the changes he was planning for his shop haven't transpired either. I got the impression he may not be able to accommodate me so I'm starting a search for another painter. We'll see what the new year brings. Hope everyone is ready for the roaring 20's. ;)

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Looks great Vic. Happy New Year!!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Good luck on the search, and Happy New Year to you Vic!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks guys for all the Happy New Year wishes. So far - so good!

I spoke with the owner of a shop in Iowa about my "Paint Your Wagon" situation. Unlike the local shops that specialize in custom work, they'll take in a project at any stage of completion. I clicked on their FB page and their work looks nice. Only problem is, they're booked up until late spring. My first thought was, the time frame is a deal breaker, but upon further reflection, I decided there was no reason I couldn't modify my work flow to fit their schedule. So I called them back and have a place in line.

What I'll do is complete all the body work and then paint areas like the firewall, door jambs, inner fenders and dash. I can go ahead and build the exhaust system, hang the EFI gas tank and rear mounted battery box, run brake and fuel lines, build the console and a host of other tasks. I'll set the body on the chassis and take it to them when they're ready. That way, all they really need to finish out are the exterior panels. They said it would be no problem to mask the chassis and etc. If I do my part correctly, it should turn out okay.

I've been making progress on the body panels as you can see from the photos. The firewall is pretty well done as well as the outer door skins, the tailgate and the jamb areas on the driver side. Still a long way to go. I've already used up almost 3 gallons of filler. Most of it ends up as dust in the trash can. My arms and shoulders are getting a workout.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Sounds like a great plan! Love the work - that wagon is going to look great with paint!

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Solid progress, Vic! Did they estimate a turn-time for you?

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Thanks, John. No way for them to know exactly how long it will take since they don't have an accurate estimate of how much work it will be for them. I described what my plans were and the owner, Mike, sounded like it wouldn't be a big deal. That said, what I think is needed versus what he sees when he gets it in the shop may be two different things.

He has four guys working for him and is the type that won't schedule a vehicle in for work until he has the resources to work on it. So I'm hopeful that it won't land in paint jail. Right now they're working on a couple of fairly involved builds, which is why I think he was reluctant to give me a specific start date. Maybe in a couple of months he'll have a better idea of where he stands.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

I'm still banging away on the body work. Other than the roof, most of what's left are the nooks and crannies. I did spend a couple of days on other stuff like test fitting the A/C evaporator and reinstalling trim on the rear seats now that they're back from the upholstery shop.

The A/C kicked my butt a little. In my zeal to smooth out the firewall, I made a tactical error by closing up the area where the heater core originally sat. The A/C bracket that mounts the unit to the firewall has a tab on it that's meant to swing out thru the original large opening. With the opening blocked off, I was unable to fit the evaporator under the dash. So to fix the situation, I cut the tab off, welded in a couple of studs and then reinstalled the tab once the evaporator was in place. It's easiest to use the speaker opening in the dash to thread the nuts on, so I need to remember to get the evaporator in place early in the assembly process.

I plan to use the Vintage Air control panel instead of modifying the stock levers so I closed up the opening in the dash. I also modified the area where the radio sits to accept the center vents.

Re: 57 Chevy Wagon - Californa Dreamin'
 

Adapt and overcome. Seats look nice!