it's a restoration...it's not going to be smooth sailing

so, in my last post, i revealed my first really big step towards getting the car back together. that is, my first really big step without adult supervision. I removed the differential cover on the rear axle so i could replace the gasket. (here's that post, if you missed it)
well, not that i've abandoned that project, but i've hit a bit of a snag. the snag being my own stupidity and procrastination. basically, i went out early yesterday morning to get what i needed to move ahead, but got the wrong kind of adhesive. well, i got a silicone RTV adhesive, which i can use when i get to the window seal part of this undertaking, but i'm pretty sure it's the wrong stuff for the differential.
not a big deal, really, since i have many other things i can occupy my time with these days.
the floor has been kind of on the back burner, because i just couldn't figure out how to get the seats out, with this car stuck in the car port. well, i unbolted the seats and just moved them to the back seat, basically. of course, that made getting the carpet out, a real pain in the ass. (full disclosure: the job of getting the carpet out was done a few days ago. it took me 2 hours of struggling and repositioning the seats and eventually just pulling really hard because i could not get the seat belts un-bolted, and 2 screws on the drivers side door rail were stuck from all the corrosion.)

this is how it stayed for a long time...as i struggled to figure out how to get the bench seat out

after the carpet came out. i was able to asses the rust situation

you can see the majority of the rust is concentrated on the driver's side. where the window leaked a lot. the car sat for years without a cover

the driver's side door rail...those last 2 screws wouldn't budge.
though you can see the corrosion was so bad, i was able to just pull the carpet out from underneath

yesterday was the day i was planning on really spending time on the car. i wasn't thinking about all the time spent brushing the rust...sweeping and vacuuming...then the prepping and dry time to apply the POR-15. but that wasn't the half of it! i can find things to do while i wait for stuff to dry. the problem was the degree of rust that was going on under the gas pedal. 

a tiny hole turned into a slightly bigger hole and then i found more...which also got bigger when i applied a little more pressure and elbow grease. sadly, welding a new floor panel has become a necessity. i already have major damage inside the trunk and a little issue with the chassis...i was hoping to avoid something like this.

but i am not discouraged! set backs are inevitable with projects like this. i have a good support system in place, so i have faith.

so what did i do while waiting for cleaning products to dry?

i moved back to the rear axle. though i didn't have the sealant to get the gasket in just yet, i do have all my new brake lines, so i figured 'why not tackle that!?'

once again...a little snag. i couldn't get the brake line disconnected from the wheel cylinder. so i cut the line. and then went through all manner of pliers and wrenches and maneuvering to try the get that little bastard out...i finally managed. after the day i was having, it felt like a major victory!

I replaced the new wheel cylinders and tee and screwed in my pre-bent rear axle brake lines! again...what a victory to actually be putting things back together!

the old and the new

but then...another 'uh-oh' moment. something just doesn't match up and i think it means i need to remove axle shafts and replace the gaskets! which i was so hoping i wouldn't have to do...

unfortunately...

driver's side

passenger's side

...neither of these gaskets seem quite right...

and that's where we're left. with me looking at renting a slide hammer to remove the axle shafts. at least the axle is already off the car. 

there's my silver lining.

there's my silver lining.

one more time...

silver lining.

OIL!

what strange weather we've been having! one day it seems as if spring is early, then the next day we wake up to either snow or the threat of it. yesterday was sunny but cold, to start, after days of just the most intense wind. i bundled up to go get some stuff done on the axle, which is stored in my shed, since i have no where else to work. well, i do have a table set up in the basement, but i'll be damned if i'm lugging that axle down to the basement!
as i've mentioned, parts have been coming in, with the last of my packages arriving just a couple days ago. my plan was to try to reuse as much as possible, to stretch the ol' budget, but the thought of trying to get the old bushings out of the original shackle hangers was giving me nightmares.

old and new

especially after the struggle to break that last U-bolt off the rear shock plate!
so, getting back to my point...i went out to work in the cold shed...
but with the sun beating down and the wind finally ending, it turned out to be a beautiful day to work outside. unfortunately, i was not fully prepared for what i was about to do, so i was in and out of the house. up and down the basement stairs. and scurrying around the yard. all for the things i should have had ready to go. i had my tool bag, but my screwdrivers were still on the table in the house. i was lucky enough to find an old developer tray in a stack of stuff by the garden beds, to catch the gear oil i was not expecting, but now had to deal with. but once in the pan...where do i put it? back down to the basement to find something...ANYTHING...to store the old oil. i found an old (empty) laundry soap bottle. i had just made a trip to the recycling center, but this didn't make the trip, thankfully! and, while i was downstairs, i remembered that my funnel was in a bag of stuff i cleaned out of my car when i traded it in for my new car...3 years ago.
it was quite a party. there was a mess of oil...i went through many double layers of gloves.
once i figured out the issue with the oil, i started removing the old seal. it was pretty embedded around the bolt holes. after a lot of scrubbing, i'm going to have to get back out there with a razor blade to get the last bits of debris off. then i'll clean out the sludge and get to putting it back together.

today's weather included some crazy snow squalls while i was at work, but just periods of grey clouds and lovely sun, by the time i got home. unfortunately, after work and lunch and working out, i have little time (or motivation) to get outside, this time of year. but i have a list of things to keep me busy the next couple of days.

i'm terrible at remembering my after pictures (probably due to my dirty hands), but here's a few pics from yesterdays adventure:

inside of differential cover

sludge

one long sentence about nothing in particular

well, it's raining.
i guess i'm glad it's not snowing, since i have parts piled waist high, just waiting to get outside.
I had to cancel my last car date, due to lack of preparedness. my friend is so kind to want to try to do as much as possible while he's here, but it is difficult to make plans work sometimes. i have been busy with some charity stuff, dealing with the crazy snow storms and below freezing temps. Stuck bolts and need for new tools. tap class on saturdays, now. i finally got all the parts i ordered, but forgot to order everything (as i knew would happen)...still haven't made it out to the shed to clean the axle or change the gasket on the differential cover (no electricity out there means running an extension cord...which i'm not keen to do in the rain). i'd love to POR-15 the shock plates, now that i finally broke that last bolt off. i'd put my rear brakes back together while i'm waiting to get the leaf springs and rear axle back on but that would add so much weight to the axle that putting it back on the car would be even harder, i think.
for now, i'll just do what i can. luckily the carport is still holding up, so since the temperature has gone up, i can deal with the rain. it's my day off from work, i've fought my 36 hour cold like a boss, and i finally feel like i'm moving forward again, so maybe i'll get some stuff done today...between the usual household nonsense, getting my workout in, taking the dog to the vet, making rice crispie treats for saturday's fundraiser, practicing tap for class on saturday, and maybe getting to stop for lunch at some point.

(this blog has become a stream of consciousness....doesn't make for a very good read, i'm afraid.)

 this was the hardest thing i've had to deal with, yet! a metal cutting blade, 3 different clamps, and a sledgehammer to get that damn bold out!!

can't get to work today

well, it hasn't been a full month since my last post, but it's been awhile.
why? you ask...(or, probably you didn't)
anxiety, i guess. i throw around the word 'lazy' a lot, when i talk about myself. not lazy, like i don't do a lot; but, lazy in the sense that it takes a lot for me to really get going with something. i mean, i've had this car for nearly 4 years now. originally i was simply waiting for the cash to come in (my tiny $3000 budget came from a court case my dad was involved in before he passed away, and i had that money ...not actually knowing how much was coming in...earmarked for this project), and that check arrived just this past year. so no more excuses. except, well, winter and anxiety.
and when winter came in like a lamb, with all the warm 45-50 degree days and snow not starting until late January/early February, i had no more excuses to not get the project going again.
but, oh my, is it overwhelming spending the kind of dough it takes to restore a car. I mean, if i was handed a car that just needed new brakes, or just needed some engine work, or just needed some body work...all of those things are projects, but put them all together and it's a huge deal for someone who has never done more than change a tire, do an oil change, and replace her brake pads!

and here i sit, home from work, because my daily driver has a battery that has decided it will not start on this -4 degree morning. i'm thinking a portable battery charger should be on my next shopping list.

so why post today?
well, i've pulled the trigger on ordering parts.
i have pages of notes and measurements and price comparisons and lists of websites.
i've had several websites with saved carts and wish lists, just wondering 'is this the right part for this car? will it match up with these other parts from this other store?'
in the end, i think i spent a little extra just to get full systems from one place, to ensure (hopefully) that everything fits together with little fuss.

packages have started arriving. i got 3 boxes from rockauto on Friday and 2 of my packages from doctor diff arrived yesterday. poor mailman...'this one's heavy' ...they're all heavy! it's rotors and control arms. and there's more coming next week.

and it's not all shopping, i've been up to. (for the record, i hate shopping, in general, so this is just torture, not really knowing what i'm doing)
as i said, we've had some nice warm-ish weather, before this -4 craziness that seemed to come out of nowhere. even the snow days we've had have been nice and quick and followed by sunshine and melting.

lots of snow all at once, but this was mostly gone by the next day.

so on those warmer days, i've been trying to get the car ready to have stuff put back on.
i spent some time struggling to get the leaf spring shackles off the car. don't you love it when you can get 3 of 4 bolts out and then everything just comes to a halt while you wait for the WD40 to do it's trick? or when you get 7 of 8 broken U-bolts out of the rear shock plates and have to go buy a new tool to cut the last one off because last time you had to cut metal you had to borrow your friend's dad's sawzall and didn't want to bother for just one bolt? no? that's just me? hhhmmm....
at any rate, i'm making some progress: getting parts off, cleaning re-usable parts up, ordering new parts...
specifically, i finally tackled the front brake removal, in anticipation of finally ordering that front drum to disc conversion kit (yep, i did it...i spent a third of my budget on the brakes and some suspension parts...good thing i already decided the body will just stay as it is, because i just got news that there is some engine work to be done, in the form of new cams...lord help me)

happily just popped of the dust cap on the drivers side...passengers side was a struggle

started removing the bearings and bits...everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly....

 okay! let's get those drums off! i knew they would not just slide off, so i immediately got to work loosening the shoes, by way of the adjuster. (let me just say right now, the youtube channel 'AutoRestoMod' has been a huge help! my friend Pat and my brother are always quick to help, but when i can see it done, and then just try to follow a video...it calms my nerves a little more)
then, i thought...'um, which way am i actually supposed to be moving this thing?'
back on the internet, i realize i've been spinning the adjuster the wrong way. oops. back out to the brakes, i get back to work on the passenger's side, and suddenly, the drum spins! success!! off come all the bits and i'm ready to move onto the driver's side.

passenger's side. easy-peasy

now, the driver's side just wouldn't cooperate. because, as usual, this car gives me a false sense of hope, by allowing me to breeze through the beginning of a project, only to seize up, when i move onto the next stage. but, come on...i've never heard of an easy and quick restoration project.

so, onto the driver's side, where i spin that adjuster wheel until it just won't move any more. yet, neither will the drum. so i sit. staring at the drum. asking 'why won't you just come off!!!???' on the verge of tears, because, well, let's not forget, i'm still a girl trying to do something i've never done before...and a very impatient girl, at that!

well, i'll just have to get the hammer out. eventually, after some knocking, it finally budged...ever so slightly. i'd say 15 minutes of banging on the drum (delicately, of course), and using all my might to wiggle and pull, it finally came off! full of old spider houses.

the shoes looked, except for the rust, brand new. i just found out, when my brother asked why i bought new drums, that the brakes were all done new just before dad bought the car...10 years ago?

after the struggle with the brakes, i was too nervous to put much more time into getting more parts off the front suspension. not to mention daylight was running out and i still had other things to do.

i still need to get out and clean up that rear axle, and open it up to put the new differential gasket on.
i have all new brake lines coming in...probably more than i need, but i'd rather have extra parts than not enough. I was ready to order a new gas tank, strap, sending unit, lines, and all that jazz (to have it when i'm ready for that step), but once again, they want to know what size and i have no idea. so back out to measure, at some point, to make sure i get the right size fuel lines. so i decided that could wait. i'll concentrate on the brake conversion and suspension for now. that's about all i can think about.
well...i'm thinking about this now, too...

this is a massive hole in the chassis...right behind the rear axle

 this is what fell out, when i dug around with the end of the screwdriver...

sand and insulation and acorns and rust bits...

and that's just the stuff i could reach.

with any luck, i'll have a post with new stuff going on the car soon. my friend is hopefully coming over next weekend to help me out again, so we'll see what we can do!

rainy days and budgets

okay. as stated before, i'm still trying to get past the anxiety of placing my first order for parts. i mean, other than the weatherstripping, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to stuff i'm finally getting into now.
it's going to rain all day today, but since i've cleaned out my shed, i will attempt some work on the rear axle/differential today. cleaning. possible tear down to see if the insides seem okay, but...well, more anxiety there, of course.
i've decided, as a girl who makes TONS of lists, that i need to sit down and compare the impact on my budget between a rebuild using the original 14" wheel set up (with 5x4 bolt pattern) or upgrading to a 15" set up (and needing a set of adapters to change the bolt pattern). i'm definitely swapping the front drums to disc (as i know i've stated over and over again, and oh my god, just do it already! i can hear you all. i know.), which i can do with the 14" set up, it's just a matter of the rotors (probably) being too big to fit inside the 14" rims. a solution would be to just get extra rotors (and just maybe sell the bigger ones from the kit), so it's not an impossible scenario.
but does it just make sense to try to swap it all out and go bigger now? yes.
but let's remember that i REALLY want to keep the rim covers. i have the originals and i just think they make the car more authentic and cool.
and, my tiny budget needs to be worked out, so i've got to just sit down and price out all the parts.
what are rainy days for, anyway, right!?

looks pretty pitted and rusty...hoping i can salvage this thing with a good cleaning

taking lots of notes

today will be a day of measuring and making parts lists.
i keep pretending the snow won't come. but it will. and i need to be ready.
that means, i need to have all my measurements written down and ready to pull the trigger on some parts this spring.
i've done a little more research on my leaf springs and discovered that they should fit my car.

just not sure if sitting out in the trunk (which of course needs a new floor, since there's a gaping rusted hole near the back seat) has affected the effectiveness of the bushings...

but i'll also be needing other bits and pieces...since the U-bolts had been cut off...

...not really sure if the shackles and brackets and whatnot need to be replaced. i will say that, as overwhelming as all these parts can be for me, looking at pictures and attempting to wrap my brain around how it all goes back together does seem to be calming my nerves a little.
a little.
i think once i get over the initial fear of actually buying parts and putting something back on the car, instead of just taking more apart (yes, i know that's just how the process works), then i'll feel different. right now, i'm still in that 'i feel like a great big poser' phase and i'd love to move past that.
but i have forward momentum and i'm thrilled about that!
so today i am spending most of the day measuring and cleaning (more cleaning!) and preparing for winter. i will be ready to get moving once spring arrives. i'd set a goal, but i just don't have the experience to know what a reasonable goal would be. instead...we go with the flow.

the things nightmares are made of

front drum to disc conversion...easy as pie, right? just buy the kit and follow the instructions!
well, which kit will fit? just look up your specs and get the corresponding kit, right?
oops...that part may not quite fit. but it says 'fits your application' ...so it should fit, right?

maybe not. try another route...swap out another part to make that mismatched part fit.
ok...but now this other part won't fit, so you'll have to change that too.

farther and farther down the rabbit hole, i go.

i do have part of a broadcast sheet i found when i ripped out the headliner last year...

...but it doesn't offer much help when i look up a decoder...these codes just don't match the codes on any chart i find. you can see HERE that these codes mean nothing, when compared to those in the above photo. maybe i'm just dense...am i missing something?

i'm on forums for what seems like every waking hour...or messaging my car friend (or, poor guy, calling him after i've looked at so many numbers i can't even remember how numbers work any more). 

there has to be a simple solution, right? well, there is...but i'm not giving up!

oh...other than that, there's another way out, but i'm afraid that way is simply out of my budget.

so, with all this help, i think i've just decided to try to continue going forward with the drum to disc conversion, keeping the old 14" wheel and 5x4 bolt pattern, as long as i can get a kit with rotors that fit...or, possibly spending a little extra on an extra set of rotors, apart from the ones in the kit? that might work? 

time will tell.

lots and lots of time...