RPU, bodywork underway.

You're welcome. These bodies are basically just a skin held in place with some sort of framework, sometimes steel, sometimes wood, or both together. When that framework either rusts or rots away the skin has nothing there to keep it's shape.

Like I said, I would carefully remove the body from the frame (it might even come off in a few pieces, like a front and a back section, depending on how much of the subframe on the floor is left) You might have to use things like clamps and ratchet straps and other things to hold it together while you remove it and mock it up on the floor, but once you do that you will be able to get a better picture of what it needs to make it a body again.

Keep us posted when you do start on this. One good thing, with the internet you will have a zillion sources of info, pictures, and dimensions to go by.


Not much to post on my own 29 project, although Dan and I worked on it all day yesterday. While Dan was welding up a special piece that is going to be the rear section of the tonneau cover, I worked on getting the outside door handles installed and hooking up the internal mechanism that pulls the latch to let the door open. I bought a cable type door latch mechanism from Rocky Hinge Company, and it is really trick and works like a charm.

I also spent the day cleaning the mess up in the shop that I have made, and also sorting through left over parts to see what I still need and what can go back into storage. My parts shelf is getting emptier as more and more parts go on the car for the last time.

Today Dan is working and I am going to clean the house, but tomorrow he is off for the holiday and we are going to hit on the tonneau cover some more.

Here is a picture of the door mechanism I bought and used, and it is really very high quality and installs in no time at all. I highly recommend it. The door handles themselves do not come with this kit, but they are available everywhere in various styles and shapes.

Today Dan was off work for the holiday, so we went to the shop and did some more work on the lid for the bed. We also aligned the doors a little more, and they now close with just a click and fit really well.

Then, George, my upholstery guy called and said he would be done with my seats at 7:30, and would be bringing them by. I was anxious to see how they came out because not every upholsterer understands traditional rolled and pleated interiors, but when I saw the job he did I was absolutely blown away !!

He exceeded my expectations by 20 fold, the color is perfect and there is not a stitch out of place. We bolted on the hardware that holds the back in place and it slipped into place perfectly and everything lined up right on the money.

I am thrilled with the outcome, and it looks so nice I am going to have him roll and pleat the door and side panels too. I am in for a penny, might as well get in for a pound ! It will take the level of the car up a few notches too, I feel. He is not done with the carpeting yet, but says he should have that done this week.

So, here are some pictures from tonight. Time for a cold Corona to celebrate !!

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Sweet job on the upholstery.

Torchie

Couldn't be better, Don.

Thanks guys. Best part is, I won't have to be sitting on folded up towels any more ! lol

Now we just have to make up the aluminum door panels so he can roll and pleat those to match.

MMMMMMMMMM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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That seat is beautiful Don.

George is really good
Great lookin job

I guess "they're" right... some things are worth waiting for. [cl

.

Very very nice Don, of course everything on your RPU is perfect[dr[dr

Beautimus!

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Today I had to run to the local steel supply house and pick up some steel for the tonneau cover framework. On the way home I stopped at the hardware store and picked up some washers of the correct size and some 1/4 inch bolts and nuts so I could make a temporary means to block off the 8 holes in each header plate to see if I could quiet this thing down a little.

When we built the headers, for some reason we drilled 8 holes that are about a half inch each in the ends of each header block off plate. I guess we figured it would breathe better. But this thing was LOUD ! After I plugged each hole with a bolt and two washers, I fired it up, and it is MUCH BETTER ! I can now hear myself think. Now the exhaust has to come through the baffles and that made a real difference.

Don stopped by the shop to see how the seat came out, and we went for a spin around the block, and we could actually talk and hear each other. So, I am going to make an inner block off plate to permanently plug those 16 holes and let the exhaust just come out through the center hole and the baffled tubes inside. That is how my 27 is done and it is similarly quiet enough to drive on the street.

I also set the float level a little higher in the center carb and bumped the fuel pressure up from 3 to 4 pounds, which made the car pull a lot better and it got rid of a lot of the bog I had been having. Now I will play with the ignition timing and see what that does.

Baby steps to get rid of some of those new car issues.

You can find top dead center on number one piston then, remark the balancer to work with the timing plate on the engine.
Set timing at 38 degrees total timing at 2,500 to 3,000.
Small block Chevy's like 40* total timing with 91 to 93 octane fuel.

Thanks for that info, OI. But what is weird is, we have done all the normal things, we pulled that valve cover, turned the engine over with no plugs in it with a rachet, watched the valves opening and closing, put our finger over the spark plug hole, felt the compression blow our finger away as the piston rose, and then checked to make sure both rocker arms were loose. At that point the pointer is right at TDC on the marks on the damper. So it looks normal at that point.

What changes is, when we start the engine and put the timing light on it, the timing mark is way off to the backside of the damper, nowhere near where it was before we fired it up. What is even more goofy is that the engine fires up after one or two revolutions and sounds great. It takes gas good, and acts as if it is timed perfectly.

I just got off the phone with the tech guy at Pro Products who make the Powerforce damper I have, he suggested that I get one of those screw in things that you put in the number one spark plug hole and rotate the engine until it stops to find true TDC and then go from there. I may do that, but his webpage also gives some instructions that I may try first.

Like I said, very odd, maybe my pointer is not the right one for this engine. But at least it runs good, so that is something.

Before i could afford a timing light, an old guy showed me how to do it by ear, the point being if it starts and run fine it fine. After getting the light i check it after starting and it's right 99% of the time. JMHO[S

soltz said:

Before i could afford a timing light, an old guy showed me how to do it by ear, the point being if it starts and run fine it fine. After getting the light i check it after starting and it's right 99% of the time. JMHO[S

Click to expand...

Me too, soltz. I have always been able to advance a distributor until the engine struggles to crank over, then I retard it a bit and listen to how it sounds, and then set it to stay there.

But this one is goofy because no matter how far you advance it, the thing cranks just as fast as it did in any position. Maybe it is the Mallory aftermarket distributor I am running , or whatever, but that is what this thing does.

When I get some other stuff out of the way, like building and painting the bed, I will be able to dig into the engine a little more and see what I can find.

Don, did you know an old guy that lived in Fullerton, Ca in 1960[S

Maybe you just got a really good starter

will be waiting for the results ++[P++

soltz said:

Don, did you know an old guy that lived in Fullerton, Ca in 1960[S

Maybe you just got a really good starter

will be waiting for the results ++[P++

Click to expand...

No, I was in Pa in 1960. Maybe my engine just has low compression and can be cranked regardless of the timing ! lol

Today Dan and I worked on the bed some more. We are down to making the framework for the lift up tonneau cover and we got a lot of it done today. We laid the louvered top cover on it to see how it fits, and it goes right on. When the framework is all done we are going to use panel adhesive and rivets to hold the louvered part to the framework.

So, here is where we ended up today. Once it is all done we are going to use two gas shocks to hold it open for things like putting gas in, etc.