What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

I did my first brake job today! (As a die-hard computer geek this is a pretty big deal for me.)

The Roady has been squealing up a storm when I come to a stop. I picked up new drums, shoes, rotors, pads, calipers, and a drum spring kit the other day. I sprayed the drums and calipers with black caliper paint. It's been bugging me for some time that the drums and calipers are rusty and show through my new alloys.



I tackled the rear brakes this afternoon. I ran into a few snags, mostly because I didn't know what I was doing but overall it went pretty well. It's sure nice to stop quietly! The parking brake is a little loose now but I think I may take that in to be serviced. We're doing some renovations at the moment and I can't get the car into the garage far enough for it to be on a flat surface. I'm not keen on lifting the rear end of the car again with the grade in our driveway. Despite the heat I had a pretty good day!!

 

Congratulations, Wiz....and I mean that. You told me long ago that you were not a car guy but, rather, a puter guy (and I can attest that you are good at that). The things you have been doing to your car by yourself have not been easy things and I am quite proud of you for going in head first on your mods and repairs. It won't be long before you CAN say that you are a car guy! Seriously...nice going.

 

Nice work Cyber-Wizard----------You are a car guy. All car guys can't or don't have time or skills to work on their cars. As long as you love old cars and station wagons that makes you a car guy. The fact you do attempt to learn and work on yours is proof.
I don't know anything about computers and I'm a computer guy! Just don't let me repair yours or add programs.

 

Haven't been on much this summer because I've been working on the GTO, but I finally got it running (just in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise!), so I've been able to show the wagon a little love...

For the past two weeks I've been working on the roof of the Bonneville. When I bought the car, the paint on the roof was pealing and flaking all around the roof rails and the roof rack stanchions. Recently, when jimbeau and buickestate visited, they noticed the two depressions in the roof above the liftgate hinges. I had always thought those were part of the roof stamping, but they correctly informed me that those two depressions were actually dents from the hinge arms somehow being pushed into the roof.


Here are a couple of pics of what I found when I removed the stainless steel ribs:



And I decided to push out the dents as best I could, then use a little filler to smooth things out...





Once I got everything sanded down and sprayed some primer on the roof, we decided that the car looked better without the roof rack....




SO, being the occasionally impulsive project type, I pulled out the headliner and set to work welding up all the attaching holes. I made small patch panels for the large stanchion mounting holes and filled the small screw holes with weld:




A few days of filling, sanding and painting and it looks like this:






It's painted now, but not yet cut & polished. More pics when it's done!

 

A lot of work and a lot of love in that car....nice job, jmt!

 

Looks like your doing an excellent job on that roof. What would we do if newspapers ever stopped being printed. Looking forward to your finished pics.

 

Fannie,
Right you are!!
I keep a box full of old newspapers for masking.

 

It won't be much longer....newspapers WILL become obsolete.

 

I just got my wagon on the road last week.
So-had car inspected today-no issues there.
Did an oil/filter change,Balanced and rotated the tires,Adjusted my rear brakes.
New wiper blades front and rear.Just a general look over.

 

I bet you're right Fox, but somehow I can't start my day without coffee, newspaper and a smoke. First half hour is all Dewey time...

 

Our original 96 roadmaster (the dk cherry one) is in need of some love and it is getting some. It was fitted with two flowmaster 40's and new exhaust pipes from the cats to the mufflers. then it was tied into the old exhaust that was still in great shape. next will be two new front tires some rear shocks and a new fan clutch. Then it should be go to go for my son for the coming winter. Now @ 152,000 miles we will see if the 16 year old boy will Love it or take it out.

 

New rims showed up today for the new wagon. UPS will be droppin the new tires on Friday. I will be on the road by 11am Friday for the 12 hour road trip to get the new wagon. Heading straight down and straight back so should be home by 12am Saturday morning. My son has golf on Sat til 3pm then I will get the new wheels and tires on and get pictures of the new unit posted on here

 

ready for towing

Today the trailer wiring was installed, and a brake controller added. Next week an Airstream rally is less than 15 miles from my house, the T&C will be pulling the Airstream to the campground!! I'll try and get pics. MPJ

 

Well picked up the 73 chevy tonight. Drove 6 hours one way to get it. We are in Franklin Indiana waiting out a severe thunderstorm at the hotel. Gretna was an awesome elderly lady and took meticulios care of this car. I have the original sales order, invoice, warranty card and on and on. I can't wait to get it home and install the new wheels and tires. We will be home late tomorrow with it and I will have to clean it before getting pictures of it and posting on here

 

What have I done to my wagon? Nothing. I am ashamed to show these pics...

This was the car two years ago...



Here is the car as it was this evening...



The car will still clean up and the woodgrain will darken and gleam with pledge or black magic for a long while until it gets wet. Someone needs to come and help me get this thing running!

At least the interior is still like new though.

Dad has still offered to have the car restored for me when the big retirement comes in... its been a slow go, still waiting on it. Hope it comes in before car is completely ruined. If thats the case, guess he can find me another one that is already running and in nice shape, lol.