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Well, finally got off my @#$ and have started on the Lemans
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, things may finally be looking better. A new friend from another site (same one who loaned the air compressor to me) is buying a body for his car, and he is going to let me have his old one, which is almost completely done with repro(his new body is all orginal metal, and that matters to him) on a payment plan. Hoping to get it this Sunday if all goes well.

I have to travel to the Knoxville TN area and back on Saturday, so that will be over 20 hours on the road with my wife and our now 2 dogs, we lost one last week. sigh. So I need to get my act together Friday (vacation day) and get ready for the new to me body.

I pretty much haven't done anything lately. Got the aluminum water crossover separated from the rest of the intake but haven't made it presentable yet. Had to use a drill and a hack saw. Works, but leaves a lot of stuff to file/grind off.
Also got started a little with the serpentine belt conversion. Got the new crank pulley drilled to mount to the Pontiac engine, still need to enlarge the center opening just a tad. Its close enough to fitting as is that in my younger days I might have tapped it on with a mallet. But I is smarter than that now. I think. Laughing

Been feeling worse than usual physically, found out today officially that I have COPD. Not enough to panic about, but it does explain some of my symptoms. Hoping that the meds will kick in soon and I will start feeling a bit more energetic.

Thanks,
Russ
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Larry
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Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4768




PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:52 am    Post subject: New Body Reply with quote

Boy, don't we wish we all had "new bodies"?! Getting old isn't for sissys.

The new Lemans body sounds like a good deal. You may have some things you can canabalize from the old one, so don't toss it out too quickly. Will you get the new one up on your rotating stand?

Speaking of crank pulleys... My brother had an old Comet that the pulley/harmonic balancer slipped on the crank. How? Who can guess... he had some weird things going on most the time. So he figured out his correct "new" timing and welded the pulley to the crank. I still wonder if it wasn't actually the outer ring part that had slipped, and he really didn't "fix" anything. Well, he never kept a car more than abput 3-6 months anyway...

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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, I could use a newer body myself. This one is WAY past the warrantee period. Laughing

I don't know if I will put the new body on the tilter. The floor was done (supposedly) by a pro before this guy bought the car, and coated in silver zinc or something, I forget. He had told me this way before this deal was even being thought about, so I am pretty sure it is at least what the seller told him when he bought it, and he has been under it quite a bit.

Won't know for sure until I get it home and can look at it. If not, I will have to build a body dolly to put it on. Need something to roll it around on and that the frame can slide under with tires and suspension on. After building the tilter I am pretty confident I can do a wooden dolly without any problems. Cool

But the way my life usually goes, I will believe I am getting a body once it is in the garage at home. One change in plans already is that now he is planning on keeping his title/vin, so that means I am still stuck with the salvage one and all that goes with that. Going from Lemans to Lemans, so I don't feel bad about swapping the vins, I just didn't want to have to deal with it.

Thanks,
Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I have the body! Very Happy
Now I just need to get a new body for me.
Of course now my garage door is not working. It isn't the opener, there are some mechanical issues with the door itself. So the new body is under a tarp on the driveway for right now.
No pictures yet, was too busy getting a tarp and putting it on. Hopefully this weekend.
Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 3:55 pm    Post subject: new body pictures part 1 Reply with quote

Very Happy
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 3:59 pm    Post subject: and part last Reply with quote

Now to get to work on this again.
Thanks,
Russ
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Larry
Site Admin


Joined: 01 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 7:48 am    Post subject: New Body Reply with quote

WOW! What a difference.

This will save you a ton of money and labor alone.

I would ask your DMV about the title situation. Perhaps they have a new build sort of title instead of a salvage one.

Thanks for sharing.

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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, there is no way I could have gotten the other body fixed for $1000.

I'm not going to worry about the title right now. I was going to have to deal with the salvage issue with the other one any, so nothing has really changed there, other than my brief hope of not having to do that.

Thanks,
Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been doing a bit of work. Got maybe 1/3 of the frame done. Can't do it the way I wanted to, so just using a wire wheel and a flapper disc (60 grit) and then spraying some Rustoleum Rust Reformer on. After it dries (24 hours) I am rolling on some Semi-gloss Rustoleum enamel. Going to do that to what I got reformed Saturday today if the weather cooperates. Pretty good chance of storms. If I can paint, then I plan on taking some pictures of what I have gotten done. The body is in the garage, but the frame is on jackstands in the driveway.

I did some sand blasting, but I ran out of media. The budget is kaput right now, so I pretty much have to use what is around the house. This way works, and it is a lot faster than the sand blasting with the little borrowed compressor I have to use. It will be a "10 footer" when done. I am going to try to take more time and get the front section as good as I can since I have the tilt front end and that part of the frame will be very visible. I really wanted to finish the bottom today, but ran out of the rust reformer. So it will be another 2 weeks at least.

I found the part number on the driver's rear side after grinding/wire wheeling, and now I am anxious to get it flipped over to see if I can find the vin number. Plus I just want to start getting it back together. I have some newer used coils, and some cleaned up control arms with newer bushings already installed. Plus mostly newer disk brakes for the front, so I have a good portion of the suspension ready to go as soon as I get the frame painting finished. The only thing I don't have is new rear upper control arm bushings for the axle housing mounts. And I also need new nuts/bolts, but if I have to I can clean up and reuse the old stuff for now. I don't want to have to do that, but it might be the only way at this time.

I am still hoping to get the engine/trans installed and the body back on the frame by the end of the summer. I need new body mounts though. I have been thinking about trying to make some solid ones out of some spacers I dug out of the trash a few years ago at a place I used to work. These are a little over 3 inches tall, and about 2 inches in diameter, with about a half inch or so hole in the middle. I actually took them since they looked like body mounts, although at the time I didn't even have a car that would use any.Trying to find out the dimensions of the stock mounts to see if these are workable. I wouldn't mind having to cut them a little shorter if needed, but not much I can do about the diameter. Odds are these won't work out, but it is worth a shot. I want a 6 point roll cage sooner or later, and solid mounts have been recommened with that. So it is either these or wait and get some poly ones.

Also have started on the electrical harness. Right now I am working on the panel that will have the power distribution system, fuse box, ford starter solenoid, and the battery cutoff switch mounted to it. I got the fuse box basically mounted. Need to cut the hole for the power distribution box next. Having to use a drill and a jig saw. Can't affor to replace the broken blades on the electric metal shears from Eastwood now either.

Also started fitting the Explorer bucket seats, at least the passenger side. I am using the Explorer's seat tracks, the rear fit fine, just had to drill new holes. The front mounts are angled and I will have to use something like angle steel (which I do have lots of from a previous unfinished project) that I will have to bend one side to match. And then I will have to reinforce the floor from the bottom, which isn't a big deal.

Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:56 am    Post subject: some pictures Reply with quote

Here are a few pictures. I had taken some of the intake manifold also, but they didn't come out very well.

Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Man, I must be getting really old. This weather we are having in Ohio lately is just draining me.

All I have gotten done is to get the trunk lid temporarily mounted. Fiberglass. I used two of the holes it already had and a pair of hood pins I had bought years ago. It doesn't look bad. the pins need some adjustments, and they are too tall.
I want to mount the lid to the hinges (without the torsion bars), but the trick is going to be getting inside the trunk to mark where I need to drill holes and put threaded inserts in. This lid was bought used so I am not sure, but it seems sturdy enough to mount this way. If not then I will just get another pair of hood pins, or am also thinking about dzus fasteners. Or just the other style of hood pins, the ones that mount flat and have a key. At this point it might end up being duct tape. Embarassed

Russ
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Larry
Site Admin


Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4768




PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:57 pm    Post subject: Lemans Project Reply with quote

You're making better progress than some of us (me included!).

If you have any concerns about the frame prep, or areas you're not sure the Rust-O-leum will get to, brush, spray, pour some OSPHO on/in the area. It will arrest any rust and prep the surface for the paint. The paint you're using is very good for rust prevention too.

Hey "dzus" fasteners. I haven't seen them in ages. I was a fighter jet mechanic in the Air Force (F-100s and F-4s)... had actually hoped to never see another dzus fastner again! 95% of an airplane is screws and fastners... all which have to be removed to see anything!

Keep up the good work, but watch out for that heat up your way. You Northeners need to come down here to Florida to cool off.

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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks.

I am still trying to get the frame re-assembled before labor day. Although I realised the other day that while I have about all the parts I need, I don't have any ofl the hardware. Oh, well. Something else to buy with no money. Embarassed I have relisted some of my junk on Craigslist and have gotten a couple of replies. Hoping that if I can sell any of it I can buy a few things like control arm nuts/bolts (front and rear) and new body bushings. Have to wait and see if anyone is serious about buying this stuff. I would actually give it away, but am trying not to have to do that. But ultimately I need the stuff out of the garage and out of my way.

I seriously need to go back to Phoenix to cool off. Or at least dry out. Laughing

Russ
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russosborne



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Warren Ohio USA

1970 Lemans

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:00 pm    Post subject: kind of a sad day Reply with quote

finally found someone who wanted the original body and the Lemans stuff I won't be using. I got a whole fifty dollars for it all. At this point I was ready to give it away, so the money really didn't matter. Although it was just enough to pay to renew my registration on my daily driver.

I was hoping to spend some of the sale money on the Lemans. Although I did get to spend one hundred on it. Birthday money. Yes, I will be 53 on Sunday, and still get money from my parents. Embarassed So instead of doing the smart thing and buying the nuts and bolts I need to put the chassis back together, I bought a used 16 gal fuel cell from someone on another Pontiac site. I am probably being stupid, but I always have wanted a car with one, I wanted to do a pro street car before that name was invented. I was going to sump the new tank, and saw this cell for sale and realised I couldn't sump the tank properly for less.

I have a clearanced wheel tub kit I bought quite a while ago at Summit, I am thinking about using half of it to replace the inner wheel wells, to have the trunk look like it has been tubbed, without all the hassle of actually doing the whole thing.

Still way too hot and humid, especially humid, for me to get anything done. This summer is the worst one I have had since moving to Ohio health wise at least.

Thanks,
Russ
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Larry
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Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4768




PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:51 pm    Post subject: Lemans Progress Reply with quote

Don't be embarrassed about the birthday money. I'm 62 and still lok forward to my B'day card money. However when you figure we spend the same on parents' birthdays (or gift cards), we are just trading the same money back and forth. Well, it's the thought that counts.

Ditto on the weather. Florida is probably cooler than you now, but still too hot. At least our winters are good for working on cars (without indoors and heat).

When you install the fuel cell, be sure to make sure you "bulkhead" the back seat area. I get so scared seeing fuel cells in trunks with just the seat back cardboard between it and the passenger compartment.

Wheel tub kit sounds cool. It would make a neat look without actually doing a full tub. Nice custom touch.

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