working...but not on the car, really

Boy this project has its ebbs and flows. Years of not doing anything seems to turn to days of work...then back to bad weather/busy schedules/waiting on parts...then stuff starts to get done again...and now, back to the back burner it goes.
I do remember a time when my list consisted of: homework, wash dishes, baby sit, read/play with Barbies/catch frogs and lady bugs.
Now, if I want to catch frogs, I have to hope I see them during my skate dates! Okay, you caught me. I still find time for fun. (and i did have to coax a frog across the bike path after almost squishing him under my skate, a couple days ago.)
But the car has dropped on the list again, sadly. It's crunch time for me and my Relay for Life team. In just about a week, we're taking the track to camp out and walk for 24 hours, all in the name of raising money for cancer research and patients. All year long we've been raising money, but this last week before the event means making posters, airing out tents, making lists and getting the new teammates prepared, making cupcakes, lining up last minute events, and this year we got shirts printed. We all help out, but man this last week is exhausting! I'm actually looking forward to just walking! (last year, i stayed up the full 24 hours and ended up walking 30 miles!!!)

Anyway...there's that...
plus, my very best friends and i have our 'girl gang' and we hang and skate and just have fun whenever we can get away from work all at the same time. Since it's a rare scene these days, i never pass that up!!

Jen, Susie, and Me...post skate date

Last year, around this time, my sister and I took a quick trip to Detroit to visit mom...did it again this year and had a blast..again...of course.

I saw, and was told about this cool bar/restaurant, Vinsetta Garage, last time and just HAD to go this year. A.Maze.Ing! It's an actual old garage. The old wooden door opens in nice weather, which it was when we got in, and it's just a cool venue. The burgers were to die for.
We also hit up the zoo, which was fun...I love penguins. We took my mom to see some kick ass roller derby, as the Detroit Derby Girls had their league championships that weekend. So fun.
We also went to the local brewery, near mom's apartment: B. Nektar Meadery

And so after the relay event, a week from saturday, my sister, a friend and I are going to see Heart at the local concert venue, Cape Cod Melody Tent.

But after all of that....my free time goes into this car. I had hoped to get it done to drive to the concert, but I knew that was quick a lofty goal. I'd be happy just to have the main systems i'm working on now, done.
I've been struggling, still, with the dreaded torsion bar. I finally got the bushings and I'm pretty sure I have what i need to get that suspension/brake conversion done, but ...well, I have mixed emotions.
I have people warning me that if something goes wrong there, it goes really wrong and it could mean bodily harm. Now, i'm totally into scars and don't care if i cut myself and am fine getting a little of my blood on this car (KISS ARMY style!), but I'm not into losing important things like fingers or eyes or arms.
But there's a part of me that just wants so badly to do it. Get it done and say, 'there. it's done. what's next?'
That's the part that I think will win out. That's the part that has been pouring over my Haynes manual, scouring Cuda forums, and googling the shit out of 'adjusting torsion bars' and 'A-body suspension' and 'how to release the tension on the torsion bar of a '67 Plymouth Barracuda A-body without losing a limb'...
Today I was forwarded a video that made my day. It clearly showed where to jack up the car and what the adjuster screw looks like when the load is off the T-bar and you're safe to start work. It made my heart sing.
So, my plan has been adjusted a little, since I won't be attempting to finish the car by June 25. Now, the floor weld is non-essential. However...not sure how I'm going to mount the fuel tank with the rusted trunk and ...I'm pretty sure the patch my friend did on the frame rail is where the J-bolt for the mounting strap may have rusted out. So there's that.
But, I'm not discouraged! And I still love it when parts get delivered!!!

As I told my friend, I am amazed every day that I remind myself that I'm working on this car. The fact that parts are going back on brings me utter joy.
It's a restoration project that I started blogging about in 2010!!! That's 6 years ago, folks!! W.T.F?

Next post will be about actual work...I promise hope.

a good day

start of the day

Well, more than a month later, i'm ready to share some more of my journey.
My car guru and friend, Pat, had set aside a full day in May, to help me get stuff done.
After puttering around and doing a little here and a little there, to the best of my ability, that day finally came and we got some major things tackled.
Now, don't for one minute think that I'm in any way making light of the work that I have done on my own. With guidance and a little determination, I have managed to actually start this project...take a leap of faith in myself and order parts...put a few things together...and, toughest of all, accept help!
Yes, accepting help is really where it began, and something i struggle with daily. But there is no way I could've gotten as far as I have, nor could I ever even dream of finishing this, without help.

Here's the kicker: my friend sets aside a full day to help me. I clear my schedule and make sure we have a clear list and (almost) everything we need to just keep on trucking until the list is complete or the sun goes down,whichever came first.
But when have you ever had a day that goes totally as planned? For me, that day does not exist.
We were offered a free, private plane ride around the Cape for a friend's birthday, so my day was cut short...and Pat stayed behind to finish up.
It was a great day, but boy did i feel like a jerk. (He, of course, was fine...)

Regardless of my personality flaws, we got a lot done. I have days, during this project, that I look forward to:
1. the day parts started coming in,
2. the day I fixed something or put something together on my own,
3. the day the rear end finally starts going back on,
4. the day the disc conversion is finally done,
5. the day the fuel and exhaust systems are squared away,
6. the day the engine (hopefully) turns over, and ...of course...
7. the day i back it out of the driveway and go for my first drive.

Well, 1 and 2 happened months ago...and it was thrilling for a person like me. I have always had a love of old muscle cars, simply because of my dad's love of them. As I got older and had my own thoughts and feelings, I just couldn't deny the beauty of old cars...especially growing up with such plain and uninspired cars. I've really come to love the simplicity of the older engines, and the idea that anyone can figure out what's going on in there, if you just think about how it all works together.
But, let's be honest! I know absolutely nothing about cars and how they work! So running brake lines or disassembling something that I'll eventually have to put back together is a really big for me.

And yesterday, we accomplished #3. All i've been able to think about is getting that rear end back together. I've just been thinking, 'if i can just get some parts back on the car, then it'll be real. It'll be progress and a move forward, instead of just standing still and sitting on parts.'
The feeling I got when i stepped back and looked at the tail end of the car was pure joy. Finally, instead of just seeing a car seemingly hovering, as it sat on those jack stands for it's 3rd year in a row, I saw a car with a rear axle and new leaf springs. I knew that the driveshaft, with its shiny new U-joints, would be going back on soon. I knew that I could finally finish attaching the new brake lines and e-brake cable. I knew, up front, was a brand new master cylinder waiting to be part of the new braking system.
Luckily, when asked to recall how the parts came out, so we could put them back in properly, I was instead able to consult my repair manual.

I still have a long way to go before i'm at #7, when i drive to A&W for a root beer float, but progress is progress. This is a huge project that I felt like abandoning dozens of times, but did not. I'm lucky for my support system, for sure! It's a lovely feeling to have people who believe in you!

As i head into a long vacation, I have my lists started. A trip to see my mom in Detroit means i give up a saturday to work on the car again with Pat, but it'll get done, and being in detroit with my mom has a strange effect on my determination. It's the Motor City! It's where my parents grew up in the 60's....it's like going back to where my car was born!! (almost...if you've been here from the beginning, you may remember our car was built in Hamtramck, MI...at the plant where our great-grandfather worked!)

anyway...words, words, words...here are some pics. I cleaned a lot of parts and am kicking myself for my lack of documentation of before and afters. One track mind, i guess...so i stole a few from Pat!

old master cylinder

new master cylinder (Pat's pic)

cleaning the driveshaft

frame rail hole :(

fixing the hole! :)

end of the day

let's talk about frustration

what do we know?
well, i have my conversion kit. parts in boxes just waiting to be put on the car. those boxes are slowly being emptied. and i do mean S.L.O.W.L.Y.
that's okay...i mean, who ever restored a car, one that had been sitting for 10 or so years, in a weekend?! nobody, that's who! and after years of sitting...3 of those years, in my own yard!...who am i to think it would go any faster?
honestly, i'm already impressed with what i've been able to do. it may not seem like much to a car person, but to me, it's something.
consider this: 2 days ago, i couldn't get anything to work out. literally wanted to just smash the thing into bits so i could at least get the pleasure of hearing glass break.
but i just stepped away and decided to just try again the next day...maybe something would come to me in a dream.
not a dream, exactly but i did have some time to think things through a little...you know, without actually also trying to do stuff, and i came up with a way to simplify one of my problems!

(i think i've strayed a little from my original thought, here...)
back to the beginning...we know i have parts and that some parts are getting back on the car. we know i have run the brake lines but not very well. we know i have the old master cylinder out, but that there is a slight problem with the new master cylinder and the adapter fitting into the old slot. (this is where my little daydream comes in...more on that later.) we know (i think i mentioned it? maybe not) that the e-brake cables were giving me some trouble. in fact, i tried to finish getting them out yesterday (when i had my meltdown) and had to do more wire cutting in order to finally get the cable out. what a pain!! again, after walking away from a project i knew i would not finish, being as frustrated as i was, i went back out today and managed to move a little further with that task. the main cable is in, but i had reached my breaking point again, and left it to be re-connected to the handle and secondary brake lines later.

yes, there is a pattern of frustration. i am a person who can not figure out why i can't do something. what makes some tasks just seem so impossible? other people do it...where am i lacking? what am i missing?
stepping back gives me some time to think...
think, 'yes, it's true. other people CAN do this. and so can you...it will just take you a little longer to figure it out...you'll have to ask more questions...you'll have to make more mistakes...you'll have accept that you don't know the shortcuts or tricks that will allow you to get brake lines run in a few hours.'

and so after i talk myself down off the ledge, i give it another go...
here's what i've been working on, and continue to struggle with, at the moment:
1. brake lines: finessing and getting them to lay smoothly and get back in their retainer clips
2. master cylinder: figuring out the best way to get the new one in so i can finish the damn brake lines
3. rear axle: getting the differential cover back on (yes! i finally found a new one!) and changing out the axle flange gaskets so i can finish the damn brake lines and get the rear axle back on the car
4. freaking leaf springs: ugh...i don't want to talk about those right now...

here's what i'm talking about with the master cylinder issue....making this template, to have a better view of what needed to be done, was what my 'dream' was about:

as you can see, the dark black line is the shape that should fit into the hole where the old master cylinder came out. however, the actual hole where the MC came out is the more faint 'rust' outline. i'm thinking i could just get some snips and cut out the bits to open the hole to fit the adapter in. but then the upper and lower bits would still be open, but COVERED by the adapter, once the whole thing is installed. would that matter? would a couple little gaps make any difference...maybe in the stabilization of the MC...but, wouldn't those four bolts hold it tight and in place? (these are the things i just wish i knew...or could figure out...)

and, i really did have more trouble with the brake lines! specifically the e-brake cable. after my friend cut the secondary lines off, i went to work getting the main cable out. sure...just unbolt it from the lever...pull it out and through, and put the new one in! well, great...if the back connection isn't practically welded to the frame!

i ended up cutting that line...oh, so much work! and, of course, after the struggle, all the little wires were all spread out, making pulling the cable through the housing pretty difficult. once i had that stuck bit exposed...i hit it with a hammer. sheer joy washed over me when that thing popped out the other end! the struggle wasn't over there, but eventually i got the whole thing out...and the new line in, but not at all connected to anything.

the rear differential cover is on it's way from the other coast. in the meantime, it is my plan to rent the slide hammer from AutoZone tomorrow and get the rest of the axle work wrapped up so i can just put the new cover on and be ready to put it back on the car.
which leads me to the leaf springs. pretty sure i finally have everything i need for that, but i really need to get one thing finished before i open that can of worms...but by the end of the week i should be getting that set up and ready.
and the weather is still not all that great, yet! we haven't really hit 50 degrees yet and the wind makes working outside the carport pretty awful.

oh...but maybe i should getting my fuel lines and system ready to work on!? time to get the credit card out again, i guess.

weekend recap

my plan for easter? well, since i don't celebrate...and had to work, anyway...i thought i'd take it easy. 

i got out a little early and thought i'd get my workout in early and just veg out for the rest of the day. 

but when your car buddy calls and asks if you have time to get together and work on the car, you say 'yes'!! 

if you've been following along, you know i had some trouble getting the old master cylinder out.

wait...did i blog about that or simply post it to my facebook page? 

well, regardless, you know i had trouble getting the master cylinder out.

my friend, Pat, and his lovely wife said they'd stop by and take a look at what i've been up to with the car and try to get those rusted bolts unstuck.

and he did.

now, before he got here, i had already undone the bolt to get the push rod out, because it was the least i could do. i also felt nervous about revealing the unfortunate realization that the old MC had 4 bolts, while the new one only had 2.
we discussed our options, once we got the old unit out and saw the space would not be filled by the new unit. and we had a busted bolt to deal with since, as i said...10 years worth of rust had built up on those things! not to mention the ridiculously tight space you need to get into to loosen the bolts!

but, in my usual anxious fashion, i couldn't stop thinking about how i got a part that didn't fit, when it was supposed to be made to retrofit these old cars. 

had i given wrong information and gotten a part for a different car? 

so i went to the source...first i checked my invoice: '4 bolt master cylinder...' Nope, that's what i was replacing.
so i went back to the website. the parts they make are all 2 bolt units....and they make an adapter to go onto the 4 bolt space.
so my mind goes back to the kit i got...i did vaguely remember a plate that i was curious about.
now, all this is happening late at night and then as i woke up for work at 3:30 this morning. which meant it was not the appropriate time to be rifling through boxes of car parts. once i got home from work, i did find it.
so now we just have to deal with the broken bolt and then misalignment of the adapter and the old space...

the space that diamond 'bump out' has to fit into is actually slanted, in the car. there will be a little adjusting before this gets put in

 in other embarrassing news:

those  emergency brake lines i was so worried about getting out turned out to be another simple clamp removal. maybe by the end of this project i'll be able to think 'oh, maybe it's just a clamp' when something seems to be stuck forever.

also this weekend, i ordered the bolts for the front hanger bracket for the leaf springs, which i will pick up tomorrow.
and my flange gaskets and oil seals came in...as did the brake cable equalizer.

all of that means i should (should) be able to get some work done on my day off this week.
but, as i've been learning every single time i go out to work on the car, there are no 'quick' jobs. it is my hope that i can fix the mess of brake lines i put in on saturday and move on to a little more work on the rear end.

and, as always...i'll be studying my favorite youtube videos!

and just so you're not all worried that i didn't get to relax on Easter sunday...not only did this amazing couple come over and help me out, they brought along some smoked maple bourbon that i've been wanting to try.

in the end, it was a lovely day.

a productive day (for me)

i am pretty darn pleased with what i did today.

sure, i didn't really accomplish anything that allowed me to actually cross something off my to-do list for the day, but i spent several hours working on the car and i did get stuff done.

i've had to abandon the rear axle project due to some stuck parts, as i await the arrival of some other parts, so i've moved back to the brakes.

after cutting the line, since i couldn't get the connections to budge, i went back to get this bit unhooked...and it just popped out of the bracket. of course, as you can probably guess based on the amount of rust everywhere else, the clips were all rusted and difficult to open up and get the lines out, but i did it. more than one time i was really happy to have my safety glasses on!

 in order to get the proportioning valve out, i had to cut pretty much every line and pull it out through the engine bay. the plug that leads to the electrical unit was pretty stuck on, so i couldn't get a good grip on that until i pulled the prop valve out. basically, the old brake lines came out in no less than 5 pieces. i'd like to take this opportunity to voice my appreciation for the line cutters i happened to find in a box of tools from dad's house.

i was about to get the old master cylinder out, too, when i thought i might need a second set of hands to do something inside the car (remembering from a video i watched), so i wanted to be sure before tackling that one today

i'm still struggling to figure out how to get the parking brake lines out. mostly because i did this...

why on earth did i paint that POR15 over this line and connection? how in the world will i get that off? a struggle for another day...i didn't have it in me today.

so i moved onto the front suspension/brake conversion. i wanted to get all the unnecessary bits off so i could replace it with the new parts i have for the conversion, but i need to take a look at my reference videos and correspondence again, first. 

i'm embarrassed to admit how long i struggled with this next bit. i tried unscrewing the line. i tried cutting the line, thinking i could get the impact wrench out once the line was gone. at that point i noticed how the line was spinning and realized i just needed to remove a clip. i've never had more 'doh' moments than with this project. really. most days i'm glad i'm working alone, so no one sees my stupid moments...though, i could save a lot of time having someone there to say...'hey, dummy. just pull the clip out.' 

every day's an adventure, though, and i'm actually enjoying it!!

once i got the last lines disconnected from the backing plates, i was able to grab my favorite tool, the impact wrench. and this is where i thank my big brother for the electric wrench he gave me. when i first started this project (3 years ago?!) i thought i was so cool. and i went to Harbor Freight Tools to get my first tools. i had been taking a basic auto repair class and we used those impact wrenches all the time. so i bought my very own. and brought it home, ready to get the rims off the car. and realized i don't have compressed air, like i do when i'm in class!! i borrowed an air compressor from a friend, but that wasn't really practical. Dan came over after that and gave me his wrench. i have been super grateful for that. sure i could've bought my own, but this way i save money and i have a nice story to tell.

getting back to today's work....

this was the last of the tasks i was able to finish today. i am not 100% sure how much more of these bits need to come off. and i'm still nervous about the torsion bar and how the removal of the ball joints and control arms will affect that. 

more videos and research and i'll get to that in the next couple days, though.

now that the brake lines are out, i can start putting the new ones in.

i need to get the old master cylinder out, so i can put the new one in.

i need to get that foolish parking brake issue taken care of so i can put in the new lines when the equalizer shows up in the mail next week.

i need to figure out the drain/fill plug on the differential cover. 'plan B' plug showed up today, so if i have to i can drill the old plug out.

the axle shaft flange gaskets will be here next week, too, so i can rent a slide hammer and swap those gaskets out. 

i still need to get my lazy butt to the hardware store for bolts so i can get the leaf springs in.

it always seems like just a bunch of little loose ends, but the snags i hit along the way tend to turn it into more time consuming tasks. but it is nice to finally feel like i'm making some progress on my own here. my safety net of car guys is giving me more confidence, of course. 

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