1961 Impala 2 Door Sedan - Let's Get Started...

Dean's 61 bubble

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
Hey Ricky, there is a left and right for that quarter round trim...though they are shaped the same there is a open slot on the edge for water drainage???? on opposite sides.
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Hey Ricky, there is a left and right for that quarter round trim...though they are shaped the same there is a open slot on the edge for water drainage???? on opposite sides.

Both sides are the same, as far as the reproduction and original pieces go. Have both and just compared.
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Rainy day here, so to the garage I go. Needed to remove and teardown the steering column for paint. I was fortunate to have another column to disassemble first to take notes. While I’m at it, I needed to figure out why I never had turn signals. So I rebuilt the switch assembly and those work. Needed to figure out why I never had a horn and figured that out too ( bad ground). I was apprehensive about working on the steering column, but it was actually pretty straightforward. Now to get the painted parts of the column to the paint shop so I can finally have a correct gray interiors again. 81CD77D3-0ED8-4718-9040-F455D09905FE.jpegB7C64019-C10B-47D6-BCC8-40618D8F980A.jpeg19249EBF-CAAC-4A10-B4FD-CA0C9042AF7D.jpegA3C377B1-3DDF-4AB0-B9DF-C7FF2A019B75.jpegC6BA5592-345B-4971-9163-26D42F576444.jpeg
 
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tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Another thing I realized about this car.... I didn’t really inspect a lot of the undercarriage before I bought it (that was a stupid move on my part). It was the car I wanted to build, so if it needed undercarriage patches, so be it. But today, I finally had time to inspect it from stem to stern.

To say this is by far the most solid vintage car I ever owned, is an understatement. This car lived a lot of it’s life on gravel roads in rural Missouri. The inner rocker vents were still there and opened, amazing. There were pockets of red clay that had formed in the really rust prone areas of the under carriage. I got those areas cleaned out and they look perfect. All the little crevices that trap salt, were compacted with clay. I truly believe that same clay saved this car. I’ve seen it a few times where this has happened. I’ve also seen vehicles parked on limestone chips under cover for years are preserved as well. That moisture, once trapped under the car, has to either dissipate quick or cause rust. I was fortunate that the old gentleman who owned this Impala hit every mud hole full of clay in the state of Missouri...E82133A2-E194-4245-B60F-1CFB2C3F810E.jpeg
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Hey Doug, you can come over and help me reinstall my column when you get all that figured out :).

I cut the nubs off my column shift to make it appear as a four speed column (poor man's four speed column).

Also, I was gonna look out at the back lot where I have a bunch of parts stored, thought I might have a left front fender for that '61 of yours :).

Cheers! TomK
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Hey Doug, you can come over and help me reinstall my column when you get all that figured out :).

I cut the nubs off my column shift to make it appear as a four speed column (poor man's four speed column).

Also, I was gonna look out at the back lot where I have a bunch of parts stored, thought I might have a left front fender for that '61 of yours :).

Cheers! TomK

For you Tom, anything! I need to get over to cemo soon.

And I took a load of pics on my column teardown. I can help you with yours, no problem!
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
This pic is for Tom.

This is the only rust on the entire car. Why here and only one side, I’ll never know. I’m trying to find just this area to have grafted onto my existing fender because the rest of it is as solid as a rock! If anyone has a lead to a drivers side fender that is solid in the area detailed, I’ll buy the section. I want to save as much original metal and paint on this car as I can!!8E5C1024-70D7-4539-BACD-F0B849D798E9.jpeg
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Oh how I know, Phil! I've found 20-30 and all are toast in that area. As a mech. engineer, I have studied this fender and realize how complex the die had to have been to form all the idiosyncrasies of this part. No wonder why it's not reproduced. Oh well, the search will continue. I did find a complete solid fender in Phoenix, but it was 700. Ouch. But I guess you have to pay to play!!
 

303Radar

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Without making 5 - 6 or more individual pieces and stitch welding them in place, it'll be a long shot to find what you want.
If you don't pay in money, you pay in time. Sometimes, both.
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Pretty stoked about this. My ‘61 had a bad pull/tear/dent in the passenger side front fender. It just messed with the lines of the car too much to leave. Tanner’s Customs in KC massaged and color matched the surrounding lacquer. It’s absolutely perfect, and I’m as OCD as they come. Amazing work. Here’s a before and after pic:475A786F-AFAB-43D9-B1D8-0B12BEC62DC0.jpegBD6012C4-E2ED-4C08-8C5F-1D7AD21D2785.jpeg
 

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Pretty stoked about this. My ‘61 had a bad pull/tear/dent in the passenger side front fender. It just messed with the lines of the car too much to leave. Tanner’s Customs in KC massaged and color matched the surrounding lacquer. It’s absolutely perfect, and I’m as OCD as they come. Amazing work. Here’s a before and after pic:View attachment 65441View attachment 65442


Looks just the left front fender on Dads 65 Chevy Custom 1/2 ton pickup after the tire came off while I was driving it.

Mark
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Looks just the left front fender on Dads 65 Chevy Custom 1/2 ton pickup after the tire came off while I was driving it.

Mark


Yep, that could have been the cause. It was a pretty hard hit, so I’m thinking it was a tree stump. The owners daughter told me stories of her and her other relatives driving the car around the small town when they came to visit.
 

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Oh, I found out why I had no turn signals. Ya know, a flasher relay would really help out!

I rebuilt the turn switch and all seemed good until I tested it. Nothing.

Yesterday I was looking through under dash pics from a few unrestored cars I’ve seen, and noticed the turn signal flasher plugged directly into the fuse block. Well what do you know. Bought a $5 flasher relay and viola!!!

Little victories make me happy obviously.
 
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