Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The "Glendora Garage"

[PugetDude]

The front of the house really looks good, Dan.
Welcome back, yet again...

 

[larry4406]

Welcome back!

 

[jimmie jam]

Dan, just went through this entire thread....WOW, WOW and WOW!!! You have done a beautiful job of finishing the "grand design" of this project. You will never regret doing this next level addition. Looks like you got the same memo that my dad taught me as a kid..."Quality does not cost more........it lasts longer" and that's the key to this outstanding project. Your home is beautiful...I know that you will get many years of enjoyment from you hard work and very well spend money. Thanks for posting!

 

[jimmie jam]

Thanks!

It's this. $18.50 for a 160z. bottle. At ambient temperature it's semi solid. I soak the bottle in hot water and it become liquid. Wipes on easily and you put it on VERY thin or it's harder to buff off. I hadn't used it on this truck before now because I hadn't done the paint correction it needed. It was done recently so the paint was as good as it could be.

Shine is fantastic and supposed to last a long time. I use it on my '55 but it is never outside, never "hose & bucket" washed so no way to tell how long it lasts on it.

I have used IW845 since 1973 and still do. Yes, 73 no miss print. As mentioned, the key is to have the paint corrected as this is strictly a coating and is not a "cleaner" wax. VERY sparse application - like you are almost not covering. This product is really detergent proof and lasts a LONG time in extreme conditions. It was originally developed for coating the glass insulators on power lines back in the day. It is used in the aviation and marine industries today. That's why it's called "insulator wax"....

 

[Jayman17]

Dan, wow the front of your place looks so nice. Great curb appeal, those gates look real nice, almost as nice as your truck!
Oh, and welcome back...

Jay

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. We’ve been extremely blessed. Gratitude is my attitude these days.

 

[53PontiacSD]

Glad you're back

Billy

 

[kaymccampbell]

Dan, good to see you back. I was worried.
The house looks great.

 

[don long]

Sure curious why you keep getting sent to your room but "O"well
Hey buddy the place looks great I like the pvc gates, didn't know they were available.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Billy, thanks Kay! I don't know either but I'm not commenting on any of it.

Don, the gate frame is 2x2 steel then the PVC panels are are attached via self drilling, rubber gasketed galvanized screws. It's stout. The only thing I didn't anticipate is the diagonal reinforcement that shows through the lattice. I think I'll eventually paint them with black paint.

 

[53PontiacSD]

Great looking fence and gate. Things are looking up!!

Billy

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks 53PSD. Yes, things are looking up.

In the front yard we have some ugly ice plant I've been wanting to remove since we moved in. I thought it would at least bloom pretty but when it finally did you could barely tell. Ugly little flowers, no bright colors like a lot of ice plant usually has. And while the rest of the country is freezing it may reach almost 80* this week in L.A. so I'd like to start taking that out. It weighs a ton though with its water retention until it dries out. I may start some of that today if my legs/back allow.

Spent yesterday buying/planting herbs and vegetables in pots in the backyard. My girlfriend wanted me to move around a few huge pots and of course I strained my legs and back a little but I have a few more to move today. Pictures coming if it happens.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Today's project: Light refinish of an 8 person teak patio table. Was our son's. He's moving soon to a smaller place so we brought it when we went for the boat.

BEFORE: You can see the finish is mildly weathered. There were a couple cracks in the structure I easily glued and clamped.


IN PROCESS: Half way through buzzing the whole thing with 120 grit:



AFTER: Only took about an hour to do it. Unfortunately I also need to do all eight chairs. Another project for another day!



This table has a tabletop leaf that folds inward and stays attached when not in use:

 

[53PontiacSD]

So...did you spray that? Or use a real good brush? Not any brush marks if you brushed. Looks nice.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I brushed it. Thanks for the kind words. I just took my time with a 2" brush. The perimeter wood goes one way and the slats go another. I didn't want to see strokes going the wrong way so I had to be careful. It's Behr Cordova Brown solid color stain.

It's the EIGHT chairs I still have to do that will really take time. I might just do 1 or 2 chairs a day so I don't get lazy and do a bad job.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Back to more garage related stuff. I have this metal cart/table I bought years ago off Craigslist and it's finally time to clean it up.

It's very thick sheet metal over plywood on top with an angle iron frame and metal casters. Basically, it'll be my persuasion/welding table.

BEFORE: Rusted, dented and scratched. I wanted to clean up the top. Sanded it and it got some off but I switched to Home Depot's store brand phosphoric acid. It got better but I'm gonna go over it with a flap disc on my grinder tomorrow. I'll strip the lousy peeling paint on the frame too. It's been green, I'll likely switch to red or black.




IN PROCESS:

 

[kaymccampbell]

Dan, I had a welding table like that. Lit it on fire one day, making some heavy truck part. Traded the plywood for 1/2" steel.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Dan, I had a welding table like that. Lit it on fire one day, making some heavy truck part. Traded the plywood for 1/2" steel.

Yikes! This one is heavy as hell already. I can imagine how heavy it would be with a 1/2" plate top!

The truth is I will mostly use it for a combination belt/disc sander and bench grinder table. I hardly ever weld anymore though I will make the tools removable so I CAN use it to weld when needed.

 

[SRU1436]

Nice big window Chevy, is it yours?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Nice big window Chevy, is it yours?

Yup. Thanks for the kind words. Pardon me everyone else but I enjoy having a reason to talk about it.

It's a 1955. I bought it as a derelict in 2011. It hadn't been registered or driven from 1999 until 2010 - the original 1955 buyer got too old to drive it! A guy bought it from him and got it running (barely) then gave up on it. I bought it in early 2011 looking like the picture below. Spent too much on getting it to how it looked when it was a green shop truck look, then tore it all down to the frame again and spent too much AGAIN lying to myself it would be my post-retirement daily driver. Now it's too nice to drive anywhere I have to park in an ordinary parking spot or I can't see it.





Now it has a mildly cammed LQ4 with 4l85e trans, 8.8 limited slip rearend, four wheel discs, PS, AC, C4 Corvette IFS.

 

[SRU1436]

Yup. Thanks for the kind words. Pardon me everyone else but I enjoy having a reason to talk about it.

It's a 1955. I bought it as a derelict in 2011. It hadn't been registered driven from 1999 until 2010 - the original owner got too old to drive it. A guy bought it from him and got it running (barely) then gave up on it. I bought it in early 2011 looking like the picture below. Spent too much on getting it to how it looked when it was a green shop truck look, then tore it all down to the frame again and spent too much AGAIN lying to myself it would be my post-retirement daily driver. Now it's too nice to drive anywhere I have to park in an ordinary parking spot or I can't see it.





Now it has a mildly cammed LQ4 with 4l85e trans, 8.8 limited slip rearend, four wheel discs, PS, AC, C4 Corvette IFS.

That’s a really awesome, beautiful truck. The LS based engines are so reliable you can go anywhere, and AC to boot. New vehicles are nice, but old cars and trucks have more character. Thanks for sharing.

Matt

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks so much Matt.

 

[Jayman17]

I've always loved that year chevy. Probably because my dad had one for a short while when I was a young kid, always loved that truck.
The body just looks good to my eye. Yours, however is over the top nice! That color looks incredible, so jealous Dan

 

[Bob Heine]

Dan, in 1955 I was a 10 year old kid freaking out about the new Chevies. I thought the Bel Air hardtop was cool and because it was a two-door I even loved the Nomad. On a trip out west I saw a brand new Cameo and decided I was in heaven. Even though yours isn't a Cameo, it is so beautiful I'm in love with 1955 all over again.

I had a '55 Bel Air hardtop in 1965 and planned to put a 283 with a 4-speed manual in it. After my accident I figured a manual on the floor would be behind me. I learned Chevy trucks had an optional Hydramatic (dual range 4-speed automatic) transmission that bolted right up to a small block. I was in the process of swapping out the Powerglide when IBM offered me a transfer and had to sell the project.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Bob!

My dad bought a black 1955 two door hardtop to bring home his new son (me) in December 1954 (month of my birth). He bought it with the 235 six cylinder and three speed with overdrive because he didn’t think the new V8 would work out, lol.

He polished it so much he went through the paint to the primer in places and by the time I was 15 he was tired of taking care of black so he painted it a truly ugly beige (YUCK). I got it when I turned 16 and got my license and of course being a brainless idiot I didn’t want it. I wanted a van. Ugh. I got a ‘66 Chevy van in 1971 and fixed it up. Huge Goodyear Bluestreak slicks in back on 12” deep slot mags, whip antenna, the whole nightmare.

By the time I realized what a gigantic mistake I’d made he’s sold it via the local throwaway newspaper for $450. It KILLS me to this day I didn't keep it for my lifetime. I even tried to find it via the DMV in my 30's because I remembered the old license plate. They couldn't find it.

When I started my truck I looked for one and a 2 door hardtop that was complete was $10,000 and had significant rust. Hence, I built the truck.

 

[ODIS]

Yup. Thanks for the kind words. Pardon me everyone else but I enjoy having a reason to talk about it.

It's a 1955. I bought it as a derelict in 2011. It hadn't been registered driven from 1999 until 2010 - the original owner got too old to drive it. A guy bought it from him and got it running (barely) then gave up on it. I bought it in early 2011 looking like the picture below. Spent too much on getting it to how it looked when it was a green shop truck look, then tore it all down to the frame again and spent too much AGAIN lying to myself it would be my post-retirement daily driver. Now it's too nice to drive anywhere I have to park in an ordinary parking spot or I can't see it.





Now it has a mildly cammed LQ4 with 4l85e trans, 8.8 limited slip rearend, four wheel discs, PS, AC, C4 Corvette IFS.

Wonderful work on your rig! You made me laugh about having a car too nice to drive anywhere you can't find good parking or to keep an eye on it! Know that feeling all too well!

Again, great job!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

...You made me laugh about having a car too nice to drive anywhere you can't find good parking or to keep an eye on it! Know that feeling all too well!

Again, great job!

Thanks ODIS, but let's see yours, please!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Back to our regularly scheduled program:

I've been wanting to remove this ugly ice plant since we moved in. Usually, ice plant at least blooms bright and pretty. Not this stuff. When it bloomed the "flowers" were tiny and looked like weeds coming up through it. Sweaty hard work but I was determined to get it all out today as trash gets picked up tomorrow. Hopefully they'll take the 10 or 12 heavy duty trash bags. Yup, I have to repair one of the irrigation lines. I didn't cut it but a T fitting broke from me pulling on them.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Staying busy with lots of assorted house things. Good thing or the quarantine would drive me crazy.

Tomorrow the boat trailer gets new "shoes". Actually just tires. The ones on it were date coded September 2005!! Plenty of tread still but one had tread break loose and start to come off on the 250 mile ride home from our son's. Then I'll finish tarping it til we use it again in summer.

 

[don long]

Dan
I've always enjoyed watching you build that truck. Its a real winner.
Your comment about new tires for the boat trailer makes me think it may be time to look at the tires on my boat trailer I bought it with the boat new in 1999 and never given them another thought til tonight.

"Friends help friends spend money" isn't that how the saying goes??

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Yikes your tires are even older than mine were. BUT, yours are likely trailer tires. Turns out mine are car tires and the sidewalls are two ply. Real trailer tires are 4 or 6 ply, not sure. These shoulda failed before now. Dodged a bullet.

Thanks for the kind words about the truck. It still needs headliner and carpet. Possibly door panels if I decide to upholsterer the metal ones. "All in due time, all in due time"

 

[ODIS]

Thanks ODIS, but let's see yours, please!

1955 to 2012:

Again, great work on your truck!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Those are ALL yours? Yikes but congrats. VERY VERY nice.

 

[ODIS]

Those are ALL yours? Yikes but congrats. VERY VERY nice.

Thank you, Dan. All in our collection and have been collecting since 1970.

Take care!

 

[kaymccampbell]

Dan, nice truck. I think I preferred it green. I'd drive it every day and not worry. What are you saving it for, a museum? Get some joy out of it.
Good job hacking out the ice plants. Why do they call them that? They can't actually survive where we get ice.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kay, in hindsight I kinda like it in green too. Not sure if I like it better but I do like it and it was Rustoleum Satin Sage Green. Not shiny but I didn't care and it was easy to touch up periodically!

As for the ice plant, no idea why it's called that. Most have small "leaves" if that's what they're called but at least they bloom almost day glow bright colors. This had big "leaves" and didn't bloom other than tiny white hairy things. Just plain ugly plant. But all the landscaping here was done for NO maintenance at all by the past owner. I LIKE maintaining my yard and flowers so some will change over time.

Picked up the trailer tires today and though they are 205's vs what I had they are a little taller and I'm concerned they may rub the trailer fenders. TBD.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I don't know if I've posted about these small projects yet:

I bought a set of '51-'52 Chevy car poverty caps from Craigslist years ago when I lost one on my '46 Chevy truck. I used the best and the other three sat unused for years. I'm considering swapping on some 17" steelies onto my truck with small caps & ribbed beauty rings. The caps were rusty as hell inside, soaked in Ospho overnight which removed nearly all the rust. Wire wheeled what remained, ultimately painted silver:

Before (UGH!)


After Ospho:




Painted (Wasn't really necessary):

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Another small thing. Made a plywood work surface for the top of my wide Harbor Freight tool box this afternoon. Just 3/4" ply and 1x2 Poplar as an edge. I'm not definitely NOT any kind of carpenter much less finish carpenter. It's just glued and brad nailed. I've got one coat of satin clear on it. I'll put several more.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I forgot to take a "Before" picture but this was a tool box my dad made when I was a kid. He kept his masonry tools in it and if I'm not a carpenter well, he was waay worse than I am.

He never owned a power tool in his life. Never knew what finish nails were and if he had he wouldn't have spent the money on them. This is box nailed out of leftover 1x8 board w/ plywood top & bottom. His fitment was poor but rather than disassemble, recut and re-nail I just caulked the inside perimeter.

Painting our house one year he dropped a gallon of dark chocolate brown on the lawn. Rather than waste it he painted everything in sight with the spilled paint. 2 wood ladders, this box, other stuff. Yes, even with some grass clippings in it! Still, this was dad's so I wanted to use it.

I stripped w/belt sander, set the nail heads best I could and puttied over them. Skimmed splitting plywood, sanded, primed, and finish coated. It could use more finish work but it reminds me of him as he had it in the bed of his '59 Fleetside. I'll use it in my '55. It's more refined than he did it but I just made the best of what was there. I'll put a script "Chevrolet" emblem on it.





I was going to wet sand and giver it another coat but I may just leave it as is. Being rougher reminds me of him. I plan to spray rattle can bed line inside and call it good.

 

[53PontiacSD]

Nice top there. So what do the other side of the hubcaps look like? Easy to polish up?