goldtang
Well-known member
Greetings from the other side of Australia
bit of footage shot buy the guys from Armadale Auto Parts - Hot Rod Shop
on you tube I have only watched about half so far
Above 1200 Sq/FT Swanny's Garage Expansion Project
- Thread starter Swanny1953
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
bit of footage shot buy the guys from Armadale Auto Parts - Hot Rod Shop
on you tube I have only watched about half so far
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks for sharing. Haven’t watched it yet, but will.
There are some great builds. The right hand drive Aussie ‘58 Corvette competing for the Slonaker is pretty awesome.
Have you bumped into Lucky Costa at the show? Big fan of Hot Rod Garage.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Yes, thanks for sharing, just watched it all the way through. Some mouth watering cars.
goldtang
Well-known member
goldtang
Well-known member
Saw a bit more footage of the Aussie ‘58 Corvette agree
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
WOW! What a fiasco Gary.
But the car looks amazing at the display.
But the car looks amazing at the display.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yeah, we overcame!! Good Lord was watching over us - none of all that was more than a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things.WOW! What a fiasco Gary.
But the car looks amazing at the display.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Well, we’re just about out of CA on our way home. Thank God, as the speed limit for trailers is 55, whereas we have been trucking along at 80 everywhere else!
All in all, we had a great time. The GNRS was what I expected it to be, lots of top notch builds and “eye candy”. Neither of my choices for the AMBR or the Slonaker won, but they were both stunning builds.
The ‘33 was built by the same shop that did my ‘40 Chev. It had a Boss 520 and a **** ton of neat touches. For instance, you pull on the rear view mirror stalk to open the doors!!
The ‘57 had a Nelson Racing Engines 1,400 hp twin turbo setup and the rest of the fit and finish was stellar.
I’m disappointed these 2 don’t rise to the top of the heap!! Don’t get me wrong, the winners were worthy and carried the day in the eyes of the judging panel, just not what I would have chosen.
All in all, we had a great time. The GNRS was what I expected it to be, lots of top notch builds and “eye candy”. Neither of my choices for the AMBR or the Slonaker won, but they were both stunning builds.
The ‘33 was built by the same shop that did my ‘40 Chev. It had a Boss 520 and a **** ton of neat touches. For instance, you pull on the rear view mirror stalk to open the doors!!
The ‘57 had a Nelson Racing Engines 1,400 hp twin turbo setup and the rest of the fit and finish was stellar.
I’m disappointed these 2 don’t rise to the top of the heap!! Don’t get me wrong, the winners were worthy and carried the day in the eyes of the judging panel, just not what I would have chosen.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Friday. We spent all day at the show. My car was in the “Fat Attack” exhibit in building 9. All the cars were there by invitation only. The exhibit was anchored by Chip Foose’s Impression ‘37 Ford Convertible. What a stunning car all these years later! 
My car was at the other end of the exhibit. In between, they had both the Stone Woods Cook and John Mazmanian Willys gassers.
This ‘37 was built by Foose and his dad - lots of slicing and dicing going on here!
Some other favorites from the Fat Attack exhibit.
My car was at the other end of the exhibit. In between, they had both the Stone Woods Cook and John Mazmanian Willys gassers.
This ‘37 was built by Foose and his dad - lots of slicing and dicing going on here!
Some other favorites from the Fat Attack exhibit.
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
While we were in LA for GNRS, a local car show promoter called to ask me if I was planning to attend either of his shows this past weekend. I told him which one I would be at as he wanted to use my ‘49 Caddy on the awards.
The show was yesterday at Ford’s Garage in Plano. Every participant got a business card sized tin -
And the first place and class winners got one of these -
Pretty cool!! I did win best of show for pre-79 cars!
The show was yesterday at Ford’s Garage in Plano. Every participant got a business card sized tin -
And the first place and class winners got one of these -
Pretty cool!! I did win best of show for pre-79 cars!
Pretty cool???While we were in LA for GNRS, a local car show promoter called to ask me if I was planning to attend either of his shows this past weekend. I told him which one I would be at as he wanted to use my ‘49 Caddy on the awards.
The show was yesterday at Ford’s Garage in Plano. Every participant got a business card sized tin -
And the first place and class winners got one of these -
Pretty cool!! I did win best of show for pre-79 cars!
No way Gary
That’s flat out AWESOME
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks, Cam. I have to agree, pretty awesome!Pretty cool???
No way Gary
That’s flat out AWESOME
The pics don’t do the Foose car justice! It’s just stunning in person, even all these years after its completion.
That Foose car has always been one of my favorites.....it's just so perfect, timeless even!
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Couldn’t agree more!! Can’t remember when it was built, but could have been yesterday. There’s nothing to date the build!!
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Next up, the Lone Star Corvette Club asked me to put my '60 Corvette restomod in this weekend's Dallas Autorama. The last time I showed this car at this event 3 years ago, I got comments about the undercarriage being dirty. So, off to cleaning I went. End result -
I wasn't able to remove a couple of the stains on the most visible frame rails. This is right below the battery tray, and I think some battery acid did a little etching work.
One of the show requirements is to disconnect the battery. Given its placement and how the wires are routed, I can barely get to it from the engine compartment side, and once disconnected I'd have lots of trouble getting it hooked back up. I found a side post battery disconnect switch on Amazon, which arrived earlier today. I had to enlarge one of the mounting holes for the bolt to pass through before connecting to the negative terminal of the battery.
All mounted up. I can't really get to it from the engine compartment, but it's pretty easy to reach laying on the ground!
I wasn't able to remove a couple of the stains on the most visible frame rails. This is right below the battery tray, and I think some battery acid did a little etching work.
One of the show requirements is to disconnect the battery. Given its placement and how the wires are routed, I can barely get to it from the engine compartment side, and once disconnected I'd have lots of trouble getting it hooked back up. I found a side post battery disconnect switch on Amazon, which arrived earlier today. I had to enlarge one of the mounting holes for the bolt to pass through before connecting to the negative terminal of the battery.
All mounted up. I can't really get to it from the engine compartment, but it's pretty easy to reach laying on the ground!
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
It’s move in day for the Dallas Autorama. All ready to load up.
Tied down and ready to go.
Before we could move in, we had to put down our black & gray flooring. I didn’t get a shot of the club display before I left, but will grab one tomorrow.
Tied down and ready to go.
Before we could move in, we had to put down our black & gray flooring. I didn’t get a shot of the club display before I left, but will grab one tomorrow.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
While at the GNRS, we had another SNAFU in addition to the key saga. Once we got the car positioned, I was opening the trunk (it opens electrically) when I hear a snap and the trunk slams shut!! My show board and detailing supplies were in the trunk and I needed access. I was able to manually raise the trunk, although really heavy, to access my supplies and several other times during the remainder of the weekend.
Now that we’re home, it’s time to tear **** apart to see what the problem is. The system uses an electric linear actuator which drives a rod mounted with bearing races on both sides just in front of the gas tank, which then uses a chain drive to rotate the trunk lifting rods and opens and closes the trunk. Given the snap, I assumed something major had broken.
First order of business is to tear the trunk apart. After supporting the trunk with a hood prop and disconnecting the lift arms, the trunk panels are ready to come out. Here’s the view once that’s done.
Battery and CD changer on one side, all the air ride stuff on the other. At the top of both pics you can see a chain driven spline - this is where the trunk lifting arms attach.
Here’s a close up of the right side. You can see the linear actuator behind the bulkhead support.
Since I thought I heard something snap, I decided to take the back seat out to be able to see the mechanism in front of the gas tank. This is the back seat cushion - it’s pretty heavy with two big subwoofers mounted on the seat back
One good thing about removing the seat back is I discovered neither of the subwoofers were connected. Going forward I should have some much improved bass response.
Upon taking the seat cushion out, I found the lift mechanism was pretty much hidden behind the amplifier rack, so rather than tear more interior panels apart, I went down another course of action. You can see one of the chain drive sprockets to the right of the amplifiers.
My initial assumption was that one of the chain drives had snapped. Given they were both intact, I decided to put a paint mark on the drive spline shaft inside the trunk and cycle the actuator. Everything worked as designed, so the power side of the equation is all good. Next I started looking at the main lift arms.
Looking at this one, the drift pin for aligning the arm properly on the splined shaft is severely bent. On the other side the drift pin appears to have sheared between the lifting arm and the sprocket. Also, the splines are pretty well “hogged out”, to the point they won’t really engage the splines shaft properly. I think what happened is that this arm slipped off the splined shaft resulting in the bend seen above, and the weight of the trunk snapped the other drift pin as that arms splines were hogged out as well. Then when I manually opened and closed the trunk, I was exacerbating the hogged out condition of the lifting arms, as the arms are aluminum and the lifting mechanism splined shaft is steel.
So, I now have to replace the main lifting arms - I don’t think I can rehab what I have. I reached out to the builder, who didn’t have any notes on what was used. I found a company with a similar product and reached out to them only to be told their arms wouldn’t work as their spline diameter is much thicker to handle all the torque. That company thought the system may have come from Downs Manufacturing, but they sold off all their street rod business a decade or so ago. So now I’m in search mode to find replacement arms. The builder has offered to help with that search, but no love so far. Stay tuned. . . . .
Now that we’re home, it’s time to tear **** apart to see what the problem is. The system uses an electric linear actuator which drives a rod mounted with bearing races on both sides just in front of the gas tank, which then uses a chain drive to rotate the trunk lifting rods and opens and closes the trunk. Given the snap, I assumed something major had broken.
First order of business is to tear the trunk apart. After supporting the trunk with a hood prop and disconnecting the lift arms, the trunk panels are ready to come out. Here’s the view once that’s done.
Battery and CD changer on one side, all the air ride stuff on the other. At the top of both pics you can see a chain driven spline - this is where the trunk lifting arms attach.
Here’s a close up of the right side. You can see the linear actuator behind the bulkhead support.
Since I thought I heard something snap, I decided to take the back seat out to be able to see the mechanism in front of the gas tank. This is the back seat cushion - it’s pretty heavy with two big subwoofers mounted on the seat back
One good thing about removing the seat back is I discovered neither of the subwoofers were connected. Going forward I should have some much improved bass response.
Upon taking the seat cushion out, I found the lift mechanism was pretty much hidden behind the amplifier rack, so rather than tear more interior panels apart, I went down another course of action. You can see one of the chain drive sprockets to the right of the amplifiers.
My initial assumption was that one of the chain drives had snapped. Given they were both intact, I decided to put a paint mark on the drive spline shaft inside the trunk and cycle the actuator. Everything worked as designed, so the power side of the equation is all good. Next I started looking at the main lift arms.
Looking at this one, the drift pin for aligning the arm properly on the splined shaft is severely bent. On the other side the drift pin appears to have sheared between the lifting arm and the sprocket. Also, the splines are pretty well “hogged out”, to the point they won’t really engage the splines shaft properly. I think what happened is that this arm slipped off the splined shaft resulting in the bend seen above, and the weight of the trunk snapped the other drift pin as that arms splines were hogged out as well. Then when I manually opened and closed the trunk, I was exacerbating the hogged out condition of the lifting arms, as the arms are aluminum and the lifting mechanism splined shaft is steel.
So, I now have to replace the main lifting arms - I don’t think I can rehab what I have. I reached out to the builder, who didn’t have any notes on what was used. I found a company with a similar product and reached out to them only to be told their arms wouldn’t work as their spline diameter is much thicker to handle all the torque. That company thought the system may have come from Downs Manufacturing, but they sold off all their street rod business a decade or so ago. So now I’m in search mode to find replacement arms. The builder has offered to help with that search, but no love so far. Stay tuned. . . . .
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Lone Star Corvette Club display at Dallas Autorama.
We have my C1, 2 C2’s, 2 C4’s a C3 and a C8 E-Ray. The C3 is a stunning 5-year build that was featured in the latest issue of Modern Rodding. It has LT5 (ZR1) power on a Street Shop chassis and all the body panels are are custom wide body. They worked on one side, got it perfect, then made molds to replicate on the other side. The Sebring Orange paint (also ZR1) is stunning with just enough pearl to set it off!!
We have my C1, 2 C2’s, 2 C4’s a C3 and a C8 E-Ray. The C3 is a stunning 5-year build that was featured in the latest issue of Modern Rodding. It has LT5 (ZR1) power on a Street Shop chassis and all the body panels are are custom wide body. They worked on one side, got it perfect, then made molds to replicate on the other side. The Sebring Orange paint (also ZR1) is stunning with just enough pearl to set it off!!
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Need to get a little caught up here.
When Sunday morning at Autorama came around, I found a 1st place in my class plaque next to my car.
Our group of 7 cars earned 3 firsts, a 2nd, 2 3rd and a class award - something for everyone. I thought the Sebring Orange ‘68 got screwed - he ended up with a 3rd place. Judges will be judges!!
This was Best of Show - a ‘66 Hemi Charger that was nothing short of immaculate, top and bottom!! I only wish my ‘66 was this good!!
Some of my other favorites from the show -
This is a very cool Buick straight 8 - probably the best rendition of a straight 8 I’ve seen. It has Inglese side draft carbs on a custom intake and exhaust. The interior is beautiful and the fit and finish are first rate.
A cool Catalina wagon - nifty take on “Step Brothers”!
A very clean ‘58 Fleetwood “Double Custom”.
Overall, I found the Autorama a little disappointing this year. We had a really big rain event on Saturday which I think caused folks to stay home, there was plenty of empty exhibit space, and outside of a few vehicles, the quality of the builds was not what I was expecting. It was still fun and I would do it again, I just hope it can return to its former glory.
When Sunday morning at Autorama came around, I found a 1st place in my class plaque next to my car.
Our group of 7 cars earned 3 firsts, a 2nd, 2 3rd and a class award - something for everyone. I thought the Sebring Orange ‘68 got screwed - he ended up with a 3rd place. Judges will be judges!!
This was Best of Show - a ‘66 Hemi Charger that was nothing short of immaculate, top and bottom!! I only wish my ‘66 was this good!!
Some of my other favorites from the show -
This is a very cool Buick straight 8 - probably the best rendition of a straight 8 I’ve seen. It has Inglese side draft carbs on a custom intake and exhaust. The interior is beautiful and the fit and finish are first rate.
A cool Catalina wagon - nifty take on “Step Brothers”!
A very clean ‘58 Fleetwood “Double Custom”.
Overall, I found the Autorama a little disappointing this year. We had a really big rain event on Saturday which I think caused folks to stay home, there was plenty of empty exhibit space, and outside of a few vehicles, the quality of the builds was not what I was expecting. It was still fun and I would do it again, I just hope it can return to its former glory.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I completed a couple of projects on Lori’s ’55 Bel Air. The car came with a Dakota Digital dash and matching clock, but the clock didn’t work - it was stuck at noon/midnight. I was able to reach up under the dash and determine there was no wiring to the clock. It just takes a Cat5 cable and power cord, but they were both missing. I knew I needed to find the Dakota Digital central controller, but its location wasn’t immediately apparent. I finally determined I needed to remove the instrument cluster to access the main unit. That involved dropping the steering column to access everything. Once I got access, the fix was as simple as plugging in the Cat5 cable and sourcing the power.
One of the reasons Lori wanted a ‘55 in this color combo was her uncle had one when she was a young girl. The story is that they were riding around one day when the Rolling Stones “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” played on the radio. Her uncle convinced her he was the lead singer on the song. To this day she still calls him Uncle Mick. In honor of that, she just had to have custom plates -
One of the reasons Lori wanted a ‘55 in this color combo was her uncle had one when she was a young girl. The story is that they were riding around one day when the Rolling Stones “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” played on the radio. Her uncle convinced her he was the lead singer on the song. To this day she still calls him Uncle Mick. In honor of that, she just had to have custom plates -
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
On Sunday, I took the Cameo pickup to a local car show. It took home Best of Show for pre-‘79 truck.
I got lots of comments and had many extended conversations about the truck. With the custom chassis and all Corvette suspension, it’s a very fun truck to drive.
I got lots of comments and had many extended conversations about the truck. With the custom chassis and all Corvette suspension, it’s a very fun truck to drive.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Awesome update Gary. Thank you and congrats. Looks like some fun events.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks, guys!!
Brief update on the ‘40 Chev trunk lifting arms. While at Autorama I talked with a friend’s builder who invited me to send them the lifting arms, which he said they could scan and 3d model and send off to have replicated. On Monday after the Autorama, I reached out to my buddy who runs Legacy Classic Cars and ran over to his shop to discuss the issue. I talked with him and his lead fabricator. I left the arm for him to take to a local machinist, who said he could replicate it, but it would take some time. Once back at the shop, he and the fabricator came up with the idea of drilling all the way through both sides of the lifting arm and through the middle of the steel splined shaft. This eliminates the need to machine new arms, and will significantly strengthen the attachment between the lifting arms and the splined shaft.
Now I’m just waiting for the shop to free up to get the fix done. Seems like it is always hurry up and wait, and my patience gene was apparently eliminated from the build sheet when I was born!!
Brief update on the ‘40 Chev trunk lifting arms. While at Autorama I talked with a friend’s builder who invited me to send them the lifting arms, which he said they could scan and 3d model and send off to have replicated. On Monday after the Autorama, I reached out to my buddy who runs Legacy Classic Cars and ran over to his shop to discuss the issue. I talked with him and his lead fabricator. I left the arm for him to take to a local machinist, who said he could replicate it, but it would take some time. Once back at the shop, he and the fabricator came up with the idea of drilling all the way through both sides of the lifting arm and through the middle of the steel splined shaft. This eliminates the need to machine new arms, and will significantly strengthen the attachment between the lifting arms and the splined shaft.
Now I’m just waiting for the shop to free up to get the fix done. Seems like it is always hurry up and wait, and my patience gene was apparently eliminated from the build sheet when I was born!!
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The BendPak parking lifts I ordered in late January finally made their way to my installer’s warehouse and we agreed to begin the install on Monday. As my installer has not had much experience with these new lifts, he brought along someone who has installed a number of them. There are a ton of bits and pieces to these lifts, and the install is much more complicated than a normal 4-post install.
They began by setting the first base and drilling the anchors.
At this point, I had to leave to take my sister and BIL to the airport to return home to Portland. We had a really nice 6-day visit.
When I got back, they had the second base anchored and the main lifting arms attached.
I put a lot of labor into this install, partly because I wanted to see how everything went together and partly because without my help, they would probably still be at it! My first inclination that not everything was going well was when I saw how the “experienced” guy set the wheel pan. This is a pan at back end of the lift where the car wheels rest when parked. One side is sloped, the other is 90 degrees. He insisted the sloped edge go to the back! I ultimately won that argument. We also had to take a bunch of bolts back out in order to set the parking base pieces.
By the end of the evening (after 9PM!!) we had everything assembled finger tight and the hydraulic fluid installed. That’s where we left off.
Much to the disappointment of my installer, his “experienced guy” announced he would not be returning the next day!
Since we went so long Monday, work didn’t start Tuesday until almost noon. We got everything tightened up other then drilling the anchors for the right most base, as we wanted to make sure what we had put together worked properly.
We hit a roadblock with the electrical hookup. My installer professes not to be an electrician and the wiring on this is more complicated than just hooking up power. Add to that, the instructions were not very clear, and extra wiring was supplied without any indication on where they were to be used. So, I scheduled an electrician for the next day.
Once the electrician digested the instructions and got everything hooked up on the first lift, we ran it through its full range of motion. That’s when our biggest problem manifested itself. The platform would not fully lower, and the leftmost pier was being pulled in. The “experienced guy” f’d up the measurements for the middle base, and forgot the mantra “measure 3 times, drill once!” This shows how far off the measurements were.
So, we drove the anchors into the concrete and attempted to move the pier and outrigger. It just wouldn’t move. Finally, after lots of head scratching and explicatives, I discovered one of the anchors was about 1/4” proud of the floor. Once we fixed that, we were able to get everything into position and anchored down. What a bunch of wasted time!
Here are the lifts in use.
It’s just about perfect for the ‘34 with the suicide doors, but the approach angle is too steep even for the ‘34 and I have to use some plywood ramps to avoid dragging the headers and oil pan. I don’t need the extra space right now, but the Charger will likely occupy the other lifted space.
While these are pretty complicated to install, overall I’m happy and they meet the need.
They began by setting the first base and drilling the anchors.
At this point, I had to leave to take my sister and BIL to the airport to return home to Portland. We had a really nice 6-day visit.
When I got back, they had the second base anchored and the main lifting arms attached.
I put a lot of labor into this install, partly because I wanted to see how everything went together and partly because without my help, they would probably still be at it! My first inclination that not everything was going well was when I saw how the “experienced” guy set the wheel pan. This is a pan at back end of the lift where the car wheels rest when parked. One side is sloped, the other is 90 degrees. He insisted the sloped edge go to the back! I ultimately won that argument. We also had to take a bunch of bolts back out in order to set the parking base pieces.
By the end of the evening (after 9PM!!) we had everything assembled finger tight and the hydraulic fluid installed. That’s where we left off.
Much to the disappointment of my installer, his “experienced guy” announced he would not be returning the next day!
Since we went so long Monday, work didn’t start Tuesday until almost noon. We got everything tightened up other then drilling the anchors for the right most base, as we wanted to make sure what we had put together worked properly.
We hit a roadblock with the electrical hookup. My installer professes not to be an electrician and the wiring on this is more complicated than just hooking up power. Add to that, the instructions were not very clear, and extra wiring was supplied without any indication on where they were to be used. So, I scheduled an electrician for the next day.
Once the electrician digested the instructions and got everything hooked up on the first lift, we ran it through its full range of motion. That’s when our biggest problem manifested itself. The platform would not fully lower, and the leftmost pier was being pulled in. The “experienced guy” f’d up the measurements for the middle base, and forgot the mantra “measure 3 times, drill once!” This shows how far off the measurements were.
So, we drove the anchors into the concrete and attempted to move the pier and outrigger. It just wouldn’t move. Finally, after lots of head scratching and explicatives, I discovered one of the anchors was about 1/4” proud of the floor. Once we fixed that, we were able to get everything into position and anchored down. What a bunch of wasted time!
Here are the lifts in use.
It’s just about perfect for the ‘34 with the suicide doors, but the approach angle is too steep even for the ‘34 and I have to use some plywood ramps to avoid dragging the headers and oil pan. I don’t need the extra space right now, but the Charger will likely occupy the other lifted space.
While these are pretty complicated to install, overall I’m happy and they meet the need.
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bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The cars look good on the finished project. Screwing up by the lead installer *****! Good thing you were available to pitch in and help or .......
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks, Joel - I wasn't expecting 3 days for the install, but we did get through it and all seems to be working as designed. My only recurring problem is that I hit my head on the control pods - just have to get some muscle memory that they are there and avoid them!!
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Cam, the main selling feature was that each platform moves independently. That way, I only have to move one car underneath to get one from the upper level. With the double wide 4-post I have, I have to move 2 cars outside to get one down. I also liked the solid pan surface, so any droppings will be contained on the parking surface, not dropping on to the car underneath. Finally, if needed, I can add another lift by installing another base and power unit.I hadn’t seen a double center lift before, just the four poster style. What made you decide on the style Gary?
The install hiccups **** but at least you got past them without a complete redo
The down side is the size and location of the center mechanism. It works well with the '34 because it has suicide doors. Waiting to see if the Charger sits so I can open the door to get out! I'm guessing the Cameo pickup would be easy peasy too. Lori's Audi SQ5 fit just fine, but that was a one night only experiment as we were expecting bad weather overnight and I didn't have time to put everything in its final resting space that night!
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Looks great Gary. Sorry to hear about the delays and confusion during the install. That always makes a project fun..... 
goldtang
Well-known member
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Guilty as charged!!your last line made me think of this
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Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I’m a bit behind here.
We finally got the ‘40 Chev trunk lift arm issue resolved. The solution was to drill all the way through the splined shaft. We used a junk 1/8” drill bit to make sure we had the lifting arm properly oriented on the splined shaft, then did the same with the other side. There was some minor difference side to side, and we discovered one of the set screws holding the splined shaft wasn’t working properly. So, off to the local hardware store to get some set screws. Once back and with everything in its proper place, the tech drilled through both sides of both lifting arms and the splined shaft. We thought about tapping the splined shaft, but decided to just use a through bolt with a nylock nut.
Once I got it home, I had to disassemble everything to get the trunk upholstery panels back in place. It’s all operational now and hopefully we won’t have any more shearing issues.
We finally got the ‘40 Chev trunk lift arm issue resolved. The solution was to drill all the way through the splined shaft. We used a junk 1/8” drill bit to make sure we had the lifting arm properly oriented on the splined shaft, then did the same with the other side. There was some minor difference side to side, and we discovered one of the set screws holding the splined shaft wasn’t working properly. So, off to the local hardware store to get some set screws. Once back and with everything in its proper place, the tech drilled through both sides of both lifting arms and the splined shaft. We thought about tapping the splined shaft, but decided to just use a through bolt with a nylock nut.
Once I got it home, I had to disassemble everything to get the trunk upholstery panels back in place. It’s all operational now and hopefully we won’t have any more shearing issues.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Later that same week, I took the ‘49 Caddy to the Vette DFW (www.thevettedfw.com). I met Sunny Aguirre, the owner, at the Dallas Autorama where we were both had cars in the Lone Star Corvette Club display. During one of our many conversations over the course of the weekend, he told me of a new product, Revivify, that he’s the exclusive applicator for in DFW. Revivify is a self-healing, liquid PPF that is applied like ceramic coating. I’m assured it works just like PPF film, without the edges! Given the custom paint on the ‘49 Cadillac, I had been contemplating having PPF applied to the front of the car (and also doing the same to the ‘40 Chevy). This seemed like the perfect solution, and Sunny’s quote was less than I had expected to spend for the PPF.
Sunny’s process was to first do a paint correction on the whole car, then apply one coat of Revivfy to the whole car and 2 additional coats to the hood, grille area and front fenders. I didn’t take any pics, but there are no swirl marks anywhere and the car looks great.
We did have a hiccup though, in that the car wouldn’t start. The battery was fine, just nothing happened when the key was turned. Sunny ran me home to get the wiring diagram for the car, and had a neighboring car electronics shop owner come to do some diagnosing. He was able to determine that power was getting to all the systems properly. At this point, I'm worried the issue is the ignition switch in the Ididit column, as there was no visible access to the switch and the Ididit website indicated that to repair/replace the switch, the column had to be shipped back to them.
Sunny remembered he had a spare LS3 starter on a shelf, not exact for this motor, but close enough to swap mine out to see if the replacement worked. After getting enough air in the front air bags to get a jack under the car, one of his guys swapped the starter out and, Voila!, the car started. Sunny then ran me to O’Reilly’s to get the proper starter and his guys again swapped it out. Sunny did all this running around and extra work without expecting any additional compensation, which I just couldn’t let stand. We don’t often see examples of exemplary customer service, so I wanted to call this experience out.
I’m going to take the ‘40 Chev to him
In the coming weeks to replicate the process on it.
Sunny’s process was to first do a paint correction on the whole car, then apply one coat of Revivfy to the whole car and 2 additional coats to the hood, grille area and front fenders. I didn’t take any pics, but there are no swirl marks anywhere and the car looks great.
We did have a hiccup though, in that the car wouldn’t start. The battery was fine, just nothing happened when the key was turned. Sunny ran me home to get the wiring diagram for the car, and had a neighboring car electronics shop owner come to do some diagnosing. He was able to determine that power was getting to all the systems properly. At this point, I'm worried the issue is the ignition switch in the Ididit column, as there was no visible access to the switch and the Ididit website indicated that to repair/replace the switch, the column had to be shipped back to them.
Sunny remembered he had a spare LS3 starter on a shelf, not exact for this motor, but close enough to swap mine out to see if the replacement worked. After getting enough air in the front air bags to get a jack under the car, one of his guys swapped the starter out and, Voila!, the car started. Sunny then ran me to O’Reilly’s to get the proper starter and his guys again swapped it out. Sunny did all this running around and extra work without expecting any additional compensation, which I just couldn’t let stand. We don’t often see examples of exemplary customer service, so I wanted to call this experience out.
I’m going to take the ‘40 Chev to him
In the coming weeks to replicate the process on it.
OP
Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I picked up some “Garage Journal inspiration” from the lift modifications thread and decided to implement it with a twist. I ordered a laser module from Amazon (OXLasers Adjustable 5V 650nm Red... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D77QY9MV?tag=atomicindus08-20) and after some careful measurements got it installed in the ceiling precisely centered on my 4-post service lift. I wired it using a Lutron switch so I can control it from anywhere (I did the same with another switch controlling w C1 Corvette neon sign). I also put a straight line on a piece of paper I can tape to the inside of the windshield - I find it easier to see the laser line than spotting it on the hood or interior components.
Prior to this, I had marked the left runway with blue tape for my various vehicles, which then required leaning out the drivers window/door to spot proper placement on the lift. This is so much easier!!!
Prior to this, I had marked the left runway with blue tape for my various vehicles, which then required leaning out the drivers window/door to spot proper placement on the lift. This is so much easier!!!