Floyds
12-17-2006, 06:32 PM
Heres my 1969 Wildcat Conv as it sits now. I'll be driving it this spring. Heres the story. I bought the original rot-bomb in 1994. It was a 52K mile car with a great drivetrain, but no floors, trunkfloor, quarters, etc. You get it, typical northern car. I drove it a little and eventually parked it cause it was just to bad to drive. Sometime' round 2001 I bought a 69 LeSabre four door that was a NC car for parts. Then, while roaming a northern junkyard in 2002 I found a freshly junked 69 Wildcat Conv that was from AZ!! Except for color, it was an identical car!! The AZ body and frame were like 85% solid, but it was smashed up badly, fulla mud, no glass top, etc. Big piece of crap, but the body and frame were miles better than mine. So I hastly half assemble the two Wildcats into one since I hadn't much garage space. Things looked bleak since now I had a big, non-running mess that need bigtime work.
The reality of a resto is lotsa $$$$ needed, but worse than the is the time needed. Well, I didn't have either, but an idea took hold last year. What about a classic rat look? BWF?!?! Why not!
So I dismantled the 69 LeSabre four door (sawzall baby) and started making tracks. I welded the four doors floorpan in place of the AZ donor bodys nasty floor pan. Junking a car with no roof will eat a floor quick lemme tell you. I replaced the left rear quarter from halfway through the wheelhouse back from the straight one off the four door. Shame of it was it was rust free, but plowed hard! Now I replaced the body and frame, but the original cars doors, trunklid, hood, engine, rear end, front end and linkage, interior, glass, ....well, you get it, are all in use.
By this point I got the 430 running after a several year hiatus. I added a 800 cfm Q jet and an HEI with a re-curve and vacuum stop. Duals to the mufflers was all a satch welder like me could make for now.
I contacted a local bodyman who is pretty darn good to take up after I finished all the metal work. He had me take it all down to bare metal before he'd touch it. Well....after nine solid hour work and several chemical burns, I did it! Unfortunatley it revealed the right qarter need lotsa welding. I cut three patches from the four door quarter and welded them in.
The bodyman took it in July. I couldn't realy afford absolute prefection, but with my metalwork done and primer for a color, some of the little dings just didn't matter.
After he got it in primer I layed out the flames (I wish I'da taken longer to lay the out, but for my first time I guess its OK) He turned the gun over to me to finish the orange and do all the red accents. Since the car use's like 80% of the rust buckets parts, I've registered it as the "Yellow car". So the yellow in the flames is the correct yellow. Neat touch?
During these times I've added a 70 Electra tilt, Posi unit to the stock 3.07 rear, dual power antennas, FM radio, cornering lights (dunno if I like those yet), Rallye wheels, and A/C equipment (although not functioning).
I got it back from the uphoulstery shop a few weeks ago for a new top, and have slowly begun assembly. Its hardly perfect, but the Metal is solid now. I coulda waited for the real resto...someday. But now, I'm gonna hit the road soon! My kids are young and they won't miss out on the fun. Scratches and dings? Who cares? Someday when I'm all old and loaded (yeah right) I'll have it restored right and pay zillions for rechoming. But for now, Its fun time! I hope youns like it. If you see me this summer, come over and say hey!!!!! :wave:
The reality of a resto is lotsa $$$$ needed, but worse than the is the time needed. Well, I didn't have either, but an idea took hold last year. What about a classic rat look? BWF?!?! Why not!
So I dismantled the 69 LeSabre four door (sawzall baby) and started making tracks. I welded the four doors floorpan in place of the AZ donor bodys nasty floor pan. Junking a car with no roof will eat a floor quick lemme tell you. I replaced the left rear quarter from halfway through the wheelhouse back from the straight one off the four door. Shame of it was it was rust free, but plowed hard! Now I replaced the body and frame, but the original cars doors, trunklid, hood, engine, rear end, front end and linkage, interior, glass, ....well, you get it, are all in use.
By this point I got the 430 running after a several year hiatus. I added a 800 cfm Q jet and an HEI with a re-curve and vacuum stop. Duals to the mufflers was all a satch welder like me could make for now.
I contacted a local bodyman who is pretty darn good to take up after I finished all the metal work. He had me take it all down to bare metal before he'd touch it. Well....after nine solid hour work and several chemical burns, I did it! Unfortunatley it revealed the right qarter need lotsa welding. I cut three patches from the four door quarter and welded them in.
The bodyman took it in July. I couldn't realy afford absolute prefection, but with my metalwork done and primer for a color, some of the little dings just didn't matter.
After he got it in primer I layed out the flames (I wish I'da taken longer to lay the out, but for my first time I guess its OK) He turned the gun over to me to finish the orange and do all the red accents. Since the car use's like 80% of the rust buckets parts, I've registered it as the "Yellow car". So the yellow in the flames is the correct yellow. Neat touch?
During these times I've added a 70 Electra tilt, Posi unit to the stock 3.07 rear, dual power antennas, FM radio, cornering lights (dunno if I like those yet), Rallye wheels, and A/C equipment (although not functioning).
I got it back from the uphoulstery shop a few weeks ago for a new top, and have slowly begun assembly. Its hardly perfect, but the Metal is solid now. I coulda waited for the real resto...someday. But now, I'm gonna hit the road soon! My kids are young and they won't miss out on the fun. Scratches and dings? Who cares? Someday when I'm all old and loaded (yeah right) I'll have it restored right and pay zillions for rechoming. But for now, Its fun time! I hope youns like it. If you see me this summer, come over and say hey!!!!! :wave: