1990 country squire resto/lowrider in UK

[andyfanshawe]

just found this tread, and WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!! that one HELL of a job you have done!!!!! I cant wait to see the end results of your work, keep us all updated on your progress!!!!!!! YOU ARE TRULY AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL!!!!!!

Hi grandwagon.
Thanks for your comments
I'll tell you what....it may be hard work at times, but it is a lot of fun I can tell ya.
Loads more work to be done though. I'll keep you updated.

Andy.

[grandwagon]

I know, I have the same thing you are doing to a few different cars and trucks!!!!I also may be starting on another one soon witch is going to be the most detailed yet!!It is a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker that my great grandfather bought brand new in Dec. of 1959!!!!

[1987cp]

Hey, look! It's Jeremy Clarkson weilding a spot welder!

[andyfanshawe]

Thats the first time I have been mistaken as Jeremy Clarkson!! Hope my bank account will be mistaken for his also then!

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Anyway, onwards, upwards and backwards!

Couldn't get the lower repair panel flat with a skim of bondo, so after a bit of investigational work, I found out that the wheel arch lip I welded in was slightly out of shape (not curved enough), so I had to cut the lip out agai, reprofile the panel and then weld a new lip in.....

Heres the lip cut out.



After loads of bondo skimming, panel beating sanding and priming, we come to this



Because I am working outside in the autumn, I need some protection. So here is my gazebo and a tarpaulin!!





Heres a couple of views of the inner wheelarch structure cut out and new flanges bent ready for the new inner section. Notice the accidentally cut upper panel that my air saw went through by mistake!! Welded back together though. Don't tell anyone.





Andy.

[1987cp]

Thats the first time I have been mistaken as Jeremy Clarkson!! Hope my bank account will be mistaken for his also then!

Andy.

:lol: We don't see many pics of tall Englishey chaps around here, can you tell?

[andyfanshawe]

After mucho thoughto of a name for this vehicle, I have been introduced to its name (no, almost a slogan) by accident.

My eldest son (almost a teenager at the ripe old age of 12 years and 11 months) is undergoing diving lessons (swimming pool, diving board ones, not the underwater scuba type!) and he was finding it difficult to dive off the 3 meter board. I know how he felt, because I have been through all this when I was a mere pup. I said "trust me, just do it. Call it a leap of faith, it will open up new dives to you".

He wasn't quite sure what I meant about a leap of faith, so I tried to explain it. Something along the lines of, just step forward and trust in what will happen......

This sums up the wagon. So many people have said it is ugly, too big and a modern day dinosaur!! Don't forget us Brits are not used to such size and ..almost..., dare I say it.....arrogance in a car!

But I don't see it like that. It will look different, it will look lower, it will look a LOT better...TRUST ME...

So, there we go, LEAP OF FAITH. Now got to decide where to airbrush/signwrite the name on the finished car.
I quite like that. Not quite sure that my Wife does though - or even that I am still sane!

Andy.

[1987cp]

Don't forget us Brits are not used to such size and ..almost..., dare I say it.....arrogance in a car!

Yeah, I distinctly recall chatting online with an English chick a number of years ago who told about her mom's 1.3L Fiat Cinquenturo (?) Sporting, and declared that the 1.8L in a Miata was very large. I think she about fell over when I told her my Colony Park came with a 5.0L and related models got a 5.8L!

[87gtVIC]

I like the name!

[grandwagon]

the name fits very well, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GoodSamaritan]

Andy, have you found anything in particular that seems to work well at removing the glue left behind when removing the fake wood?

[1987cp]

Not quite sure that my Wife does though

Remember, boys - if it's not housework or shoe shopping, it's "playing"!

[andyfanshawe]

Andy, have you found anything in particular that seems to work well at removing the glue left behind when removing the fake wood?

Hi.
Nothing works well. Somethings work a bit!
I was under the impression that I could spray it with something and then just wipe it off in one go! Err,......no....

I tried loads of things from citrus cleaner to petrol. All that most do is to soften it to make it a bit easier to smear across the panel!
A plastic scraper had quite a good effect to remove 80% ish when it was soft, but it was hard work.

Any solvents (lacquer thinner, panel wipe) even petrol or lighter fluid softens the adhesive. But I never actually knew what to do with it when it was soft.

Since I had to flat all the panel back anyway, I flat bed sanded it off, after spraying it with panel wipe. Clogged the paper up (120 grit) a bit so I wire brushed it after about every 5 minutes. It rolled off the surface like tumbleweed under the sander.

So, to answer your question, "was there anything good?". No there wasn't.

Are you thinking of doing it?

Andy.

[mrltd]

What a project! I like it. Wish I had the time and skill to do all that!

I have the identical car, and most people think it's a 70's car.

[GoodSamaritan]

Hi.
Nothing works well. Somethings work a bit!
I was under the impression that I could spray it with something and then just wipe it off in one go! Err,......no....

I tried loads of things from citrus cleaner to petrol. All that most do is to soften it to make it a bit easier to smear across the panel!
A plastic scraper had quite a good effect to remove 80% ish when it was soft, but it was hard work.

Any solvents (lacquer thinner, panel wipe) even petrol or lighter fluid softens the adhesive. But I never actually knew what to do with it when it was soft.

Since I had to flat all the panel back anyway, I flat bed sanded it off, after spraying it with panel wipe. Clogged the paper up (120 grit) a bit so I wire brushed it after about every 5 minutes. It rolled off the surface like tumbleweed under the sander.

So, to answer your question, "was there anything good?". No there wasn't.

Are you thinking of doing it?

Andy.

I've been itching to remove mine for quite some time, but it's so *&^%$ time consuming! At this point, I've decided to either swap the front fenders, and all 4 doors off my parts wagon that came without it, or replace it with more vinyl, so I don't have to worry about the adhesive.

I've also toyed with buying some thin diamond tread aluminum, and just covering it up. That gets expen$ive though.