A long time ago in a Galaxie far, far away (and other shit)

[danthecapriman]

Just caught up with the Galaxie progress.

FUCK. ME. That’s some amazing work gone into that, really top notch. I didn’t think it was that rusty before tbh.

The blue is absolutely the right colour choice too, looks age perfect to me on a car like this.

[juular]

This is indeed top notch work and an absolute beauty. Bravo.

I like the idea of bright blue on the outside, deep blue interior.

[PhilA]

Yup. Anywhere from a mid sky blue all the way to navy would work.

Whatever pleases your eyes and happens to be the cheapest sounds good.

Or, two-tone it. Door cards light blue with darker blue panel. Dark blue seats with light blue piping. Breaks up a sea of darkness and outlines the shapes inside the car nicely. There's plenty of shiny pieces inside to accent against also.

 

Phil

[sdkrc]

I was convinced that the shell was 75% fine but every week without fail @GingerNuttz would send me photos 'here's more rust, this is how I fixed it, here are photos of the process'. Some parts had had 4 coats of paint in different shades.

The scary part is that I spent hours looking and didn't find most of it. I'd be very cautious buying a big classic that's on the expensive side, I don't think I'd be able to spot a bad shell in a 1hr viewing. If it's cheap-averagely priced I'd just assume it's crusty. The whole resto has been a bit of an eye opener, I imagine the journey was much the same as @captain_70s Acclaim where the sheer volume of crust and replacement was a surprise.

I think if I tried to patch the floors myself shoddily and then I continued driving in Scotland around winter it would have deteriorated quickly.

Doors:

 

Boot lid

 

Bolts holding in all of the doors

 

A pillars all the way through to the bulkhead

[Split_Pin]

If that was a garage the message would have stopped at "here's more rust" (we are incapable of fixing it even if you paid us lots for it).

I love how @GingerNuttz has not only gone ahead and fixed it but he's explained to you how.

[loserone]

And, now @sdkrc has fewer children to boot!

[PhilA]

Don't forget too, these cars are getting into the recession, in terms of when they were built. 

If you look at my Fury, you see the same thing. There's a couple panels that aren't lined up well but still welded. Inside the car isn't painted. At all. Nowhere. 

Cars were still a major manual labor force item, and to change annually the look the underneath jig parts need to remain the same so that doesn't have to be changed. Result is a lot of sandwiched metal, with little thought to how it would trap water. Most states still didn't have inspection at this time, so eh. Rusty cars was a common sight. Go buy a new one.

Northern cars suffer worse- harsh winters and roads that suffer as a result. Potholes, dirt, sand, gravel, salt. A lot of fine particulates that get in places and rot them out. 

So yes. Buying a 50 year old car will always be fraught with issues, especially as "structural repair" in a lot of places still extends to duct tape and body filler.

Phil

[juular]

Does @GingerNuttz do restos for a living? Because it all looks so professional.

[captain_70s]

10 minutes ago, PhilA said:

So yes. Buying a 50 year old car will always be fraught with issues, especially as "structural repair" in a lot of places still extends to duct tape and body filler.

This one was an East coast car before being laid up in Arizona IIRC. I seem to recall Jay Leno saying about his Dad buying one brand new in 65/66 and it having rusted it's front wings through within 4 years of New England weather...

The Galaxie had also had substantial prior bodywork repairs. i,e, replacement skins fitted over the originals and the whole car buried in a quarter inch of wob.

[PhilA]

7 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

This one was an East coast car before being laid up in Arizona IIRC. I seem to recall Jay Leno saying about his Dad buying one brand new in 65/66 and it having rusted it's front wings through within 4 years of New England weather...

The Galaxie had also had substantial prior bodywork repairs. i,e, replacement skins fitted over the originals and the whole car buried in a quarter inch of wob.

America in general is brutal on anything left outside.

There's not many places where the climate is conducive to the long term use and/or storage of vehicles where they won't deteriorate.

Plus, as you say, there are some bodyshops who seem to be sponsored by Bondo. Probably the easiest method outside taking a magnet along is to bring a tape measure. If the car is wider/longer/taller than factory spec due to thickness of filler, walk away...

 

At least they're put together in a fairly simple fashion. It's good to see one being done right. It'll easily last another 50 years now- mainly because there's a chance it'll be looked after, not just driven as a daily hack until worn out.

[GingerNuttz]

45 minutes ago, juular said:

Does @GingerNuttz do restos for a living? Because it all looks so professional.

I'm currently just doing a bit of bodywork part time at a mates place.

I'm actually a spray painter by trade and done accident damaged stuff at home but then the Dolly happened and somehow I now do restorations 😂

[GingerNuttz]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

If that was a garage the message would have stopped at "here's more rust" (we are incapable of fixing it even if you paid us lots for it).

I love how @GingerNuttz has not only gone ahead and fixed it but he's explained to you how.

I'd rather he knew and saw every bit of the work that had been done than just take my word for it, time and time again you see a car that the owner spent x amount restoring and the resto is a pile of wob and pigeon shit welds. 

Every resto or welding place should be like that but too many seam sealer and underseal cowboys these days 😂

[GingerNuttz]

I've got some more pics of how bad it was 

Give you an idea of how much was replaced just under the back seats 

 

[PhilA]

All just plugged space with no real way for a leaky door to drain to outside.

That's about right.

[captain_70s]

53 minutes ago, PhilA said:

All just plugged space with no real way for a leaky door to drain to outside.

That's about right.

Hey, the '67 will be out in 4 months and they'll be looking to trade up, who cares about what the floors will be like in 2 years!

[sdkrc]

Best case scenario if I'd taken it to a fancy, reputable restoration place would've been a colossal bill at >£50p/h, constant chasing for updates and the same level of work/attention to detail as here.

A more realistic scenario would've been a cheaper place, a medium bill with just the floorpans done and the rest bodged/ignored without me knowing.

@GingerNuttz, next resto you do buy some white sheets/lighting and have some professional shots done of all the work. Set up a limited company, an Instagram, have a simple but fancy looking website made and charge top £££ for your work. 

[sdkrc]

I've left out a fair few photos but there are many inconsequential areas with minor crust which collectively formed a lot of work

Tail light

 

The boot structure

 

[GingerNuttz]

Inner wings too including a battery tray that was non existant 😂

Other one was just as bad 

 

[anonymous user]

1 hour ago, sdkrc said:

 

@GingerNuttz, next resto you do buy some white sheets/lighting and have some professional shots done of all the work. Set up a limited company, an Instagram, have a simple but fancy looking website made and charge top £££ for your work. 

But don't do it before you have settled up with him 

[GingerNuttz]

Basecoat achieved. 

Should be cleared very soon 

Bloody love this colour, might paint a guitar in it 😂

[cobblers]

This is magnificent work! 

[Split_Pin]

The fabrication on those floors is marvellous man. I think I've mentioned before, I love seeing that sort of stuff.

[sdkrc]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324783740596

 

Quote

THE OUTER BODY

ONLY HAS WIPABLE DUSTY SURFACE RUST WITH NO RUST THROUGH ANYWHERE BUUUT ! THE BOOT FLOOR IS RUSTED AWAY AND NOT THERE  ALSO DRIVERS FLOOR NEEDS WORK AND THERE MAY BE MORE WHEN YOU GET INTO IT

 

Quote

...WIPABLE DUSTY SURFACE RUST...

I guess the key here is to avoid getting into it...

 

[sdkrc]

Bonus shot here from @GingerNuttz's basecoat with hot, pillarless action

[Minimad5]

Blimey some top notch work here.

This place is full of chod bothering lately 😎

Well done to all involved with the graft gone into this.

[GingerNuttz]

That Ebay one doesn't look that bad plus it has the exact same condition interior as your blue one 😂

 

[sdkrc]

3 minutes ago, Minimad5 said:

Well done to all involved with the graft gone into this.

My involvement was panic buying the car on eBay and getting it transported to @GingerNuttz. 

My future involvement will be driving it everywhere, all the time

[Liggle]

Wow, really impressive work 

[captain_70s]

41 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

My future involvement will be driving it everywhere, all the time

You're not going to be able to park it in the hedge any more...

[somewhatfoolish]

What kind of fuckwit imports from a sunshine state to the UK then leaves it outside to rot?