Table Of Content

Old Cars Auto Restoration Guide Vol. II Advice and How-To Projects for Your Collector Car CONTENTS FOREWORD SECTION ONE: EXTERIORS Fender Fitment Ford Hinges Fitment Fix Patch Panels 101 Hanging Doors: How the Pros Do It 1962 Impala SS Revival: Part 1 1962 Impala SS Revival: Part 2 Pinstriping Made Easy SECTION TWO: INTERIORS Carpet Cutting Upholstery 101: Recovering an Armrest SECTION THREE: MECHANICAL Wheel Bearing Hubs in a Daimler Bleeding Brakes the Right Way Crate Engine Advice Engine Restoration Ford GAA Engine Restoration Brake Booster Replacement Finicky Fuel Gauges Air Conditioning System Basics SECTION FOUR: GENERAL Shop Stop: Motion Performance Shop Stop: Ken’s Klassics Shop Stop: Catching Up With ‘The Boss’ Man: Bob Perkins Salvage Yard Stop: CTC Auto Ranch Salvage Yard Stop: Woller Auto Parts Restoring Vintage License Plates New Products For the Restorer Tips for Trailering a Vehicle Barn Find Advice Blasting Cabinet Basics Octane By The Numbers COPYRIGHT FOREWORD It is for all the old car hobbyists out there turning their own wrenches and bloodying their own knuckles that we offer the second volume of “Old Cars Weekly’s Auto Restoration Guide.” Inside we offer restoration advice and how- to information from a variety of professional sources, as well as from regular Joes who just happen to know a lot about fixing and restoring vintage cars. We get inspired hearing all the stories from car owners about their struggles and triumphs with their antique vehicles. Hopefully, this book supplies a little inspiration in return. — From the staff at Old Cars Weekly and Old Cars Report Price Guide SECTION ONE EXTERIORS FITTING FENDERS Saved by shims: How little things can make big differences Story and photos by Rotten “Rodney” Bauman It was a long haul, but this long-ongoing ’31 Cadillac V-12 convertible coupe project was a runner by the time we were ready to paint and complete the final installation of the fenders. The body was resplendent in green with black reveals. The fenders and aprons would soon be black as well. We had a trimmer working on the car and the painter in me was pretty protective at times like these. However, as it turned out, our trimmer of choice was actually quite conscientious and he did a bitching job while I was painting little pieces and working the fenders. Before I put the fenders in color, I wanted to verify that they were going to fit as well as the rest of the car. We worked hard to fit the gaps on this old wood- framed body. The fenders had been fit to the car before, but that was in the early stages of the restoration and they had been hammered a lot since then. So, a double-check for fender fitment was good insurance while they were still in first- round primer-surfacer. Before any serious scrutinizing took place, and before any measurements were recorded, we checked for even tire inflation all the way around. A measuring stick confirmed that the passenger’s side frame horn was a little closer to the shop floor than the left. A weak spring could have been the culprit, but that could be addressed at a later date. For this fender fitment inspection, we needed the frame level, which we temporarily accomplished with a little help from a level, a measuring stick and a small hydraulic bottle jack. In the beginning, it was business as usual. With the car’s weight on its suspension and even tire inflation, a bottle jack was positioned under the sagging passenger’s side frame horn. Then a long level was laid across the shanks of the upper bumper studs.