Winter draws on

We had a cold snap here in southern Virginia on Monday night and that rang alarm bells that I should have drained the Galaxie engine, oops. So Tuesday night I was at the shop discovering that in 1963 Ford did not put drain plugs on radiators. The alternative is to wrestle the bottom hose off which took all of 30 minutes. I probably should have checked first to see if the radiator was full of antifreeze or water because it was indeed full of antifreeze. Now I had to wash it all away to stop the shop cat drinking it. Poisoning Gene's cat would probably poison our working relationship as well. I tell you nothing is ever easy. As the French say "Tout a bloody lours"

In preparation for winter I started to install a wood burning stove and it looks like I should be nice and toasty all winter, the pictures will follow. Sadly I realize that the clocks go back this Sunday and that will curtail my two evening work a week. Of course we gain an hour in the morning but I am dreadfully not a morning person so that is not going to help at all.

What else did I do? Oh yes that's it I block sanded the driver's door! I think another five coats of filler and ten hours of sanding and we might be close. (To finishing the door, that is, the end of sanding the car seems like decades away).

Onwards and Upwards

Filling in Time

Well, there is not too much to report this week. No matter how hard you dress it up, block sanding is block sanding and although it is necessary, damn is it ever tedious. The good ol’ boys now joke that I walk around the shop glaring at the blocks like they are Copperheads. I spent all day sanding and at the end of it all (just when the car was, imho, looking sweet) Gene covered it all in a layer of, guess what?, more filler.

Talking of the boys, we had quite a delegation on Saturday. It seems to be the thing that if we are in the shop and the boys are passing by, they call in. It used to disturb me that a lot of talk and not much work got done but then I realized that this is a hobby not a business and I am in no heaving rush to get this job done. Such is life in the south and where good company is concerned I would rather be at a country wake than a Yankee wedding.

Miracle of miracles, the invisible man turned up on Saturday! Well at 6:00, so he hadn’t come to do any work. Still he said that he would show on Saturday and he did.

No pictures this time as I think that we are all sick of shots body panels and filler (I know that I am). So my day concluded with a quick thrash up and down the road. One of the boys did mention that it would go a lot quicker if I connected the vacuum advance but I might leave that until I have a drivers door and a seat that doesn’t skitter around the car like a hippo in an ice rink.

Finally one of the boys has the spotlight bracket that I need for the drivers light, he also knows where I can buy a new spotlight and that makes me happy. It seems like the spotlight option was only a southern thing as the boys needed to be able to turn their rear lights off in order to avoid the attention of the ATF bureau.

Way cool.

Onwards and Upwards

It is a strange paradox that as we make more progress the car looks crappier and crappier. It is now covered in dust from all the block sanding as well as masking tape and pieces of newspaper. Still it is clear that we are making astounding progress and that makes me happy. I decided that I definitely do not want the remote control mirror on the drivers fender as it will get in the way of the spotlight (if I ever find one). So Gene welded up the three holes and that took him all of two minutes. It is impressive what you can do with the right tools. My task is to block sand and as jobs go it isn't too hard. The tough part will be when we decide it is right, then the car gets primed and we wet and dry it with 320 grit. Apparently this will show all the imperfections and we start all over again, be still my beating heart.

On the (very) good news front, Gene found a bucket seat to replace my milk crate. This meant that it is now very much easier to drive the car, the end result being that I could not resist taking it down the lane. On reflection, considering that I had ;

no lights
hell, no front end
no exhaust system
no drivers door
a seat held on by gravity
no tags
4 bald tires with a combined pressure of 20 psi
newspaper flapping everywhere,

it probably wasn't my most sensible idea, but let me tell you it was so worth it. That 390 pulls like a freight train, 40 mph in first gear, way cool. Now I can't wait to get this thing onto a test track to see what she can do.

Plans for the next few weeks? I think I might do me some more block sanding.

Plugs and Points

Whilst Gene continued to block sand I offered to change the plugs on his 78 Mercury (anything to avoid the dreaded sanding). As usual I got the crap end of the deal. The Mercury was clearly designed by Ford's retard son as after they build the engine they discovered that they had forgotten the air filter, air conditioning and the vacuum advance device. As a result 5 out of the 8 plugs are very well hidden and my fingers still hurt, bastards. Now back in 1963 Ford knew to keep the plugs at the top and in clear view, in those days cars weren't choked with this emission control nonsense.

Still we made sterling progress on the Galaxie and I even had a go at sanding (under Gene's very watchful eye). Then (shock) Marco turned up! He even offered to refund my $20 but I thought that I would keep him on the hook as the engine is due to be pulled on Saturday week and I may need him. Of course I may never see him again, time will tell.

At the end of the day we both sat back and just stared at the car. It could be that we were mesmerised by its intrinsic beauty or it could be that we were two worn out farts.

Giant Steps

Another milestone. I got the second rear shock on and then connected the fuel lines and the gas gauge sender unit. With the wheels back on I primed the carb and fired this bad boy up, and yes she started first time.

Sadly I discovered that my lightweight racing seat just didn't cut it. Ever resourceful I fashioned a new, and this time working, drivers seat. I think that you will agree it has a certain southern charm.

Anyhoo I reversed her out of the garage under her own power and parked her under the trees. As you can imagine after all the sandblasting that went on the garage was two inches deep in sand and all of that had to be swept out before I could reverse her back in so that we can work on the front end. I also took the opportunity to clean out the garage so that the car fits completely in.

Here is a shot of the now working gas gauge. I know that it is a small thing but I got such a buzz out of seeing something work that was previously crap. High five me.

I have always thought that I could never be a gardener or an interior decorator because I can't see the finished product in my mind's eye. However with this project how could anyone not see the potential? I can just see me cruising down the Rue de Elegance with Britney, Paris and Lindsay all telling me how big and blue it is.

By the way the real reason that I could never be a gardener or an interior decorator is that I am not a gayboy.

Finally, a gratuitous and pointless picture of the engine. 6.4 liters of Ford's finest, vrooom.

Swinging the Lead

So I arrived a little late to find sparks flying. As I mentioned some time ago Gene had decided that we he should remove the original lead seams and replace them with modern filler. This will ensure that the seams do not crack up and damage the new paint in 10 years time. The man really is a pro.

By the time I arrived he had already done one side and was working on the other. I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I am already looking for ways to get out of block sanding this stuff. Actually the point may be moot as Gene tells me that once we think it is perfect then we will prime it and spend hours using wet and dry paper to make it really perfect. Tout Alors!

There were also some nasty ulcers around the hood so Gene decided to grind them down. Whilst doing so he explained that for some reason people found the need to slam the hood with the palm of their hand and this could cause the hood to dent in. Sure enough as he ground away he found a patch exactly where he predicted. Although it was an invisible mend, he dug it all out so that he could replace it with our top quality filler. The man is nothing if not professional. While all this was happening I was underneath changing out the rear shocks. Not difficult, not exciting, just necessary. Sadly the twilight beat me and I have one more to do on Saturday.

I decided that as costs are ramping up I need to economize a tad. Behold the new drivers seat. Notice the correct color match and the auto recline feature (floor the car and you topple over backwards). The astute reader will also note the manual cruise control already installed and sitting on the floor.


On a less flippant note, I really am excited at where we are going with this project and the next one is taking shape, if only in my mind.

Paint paint and paint

Well we have good news, bad news and bad news. The good news is that I got a break from block sanding, and let me tell you that is good news. The bad news is that the invisible man failed to show once again. I tell you people, what ever happened to work ethic? Actually I don't care as there is nothing I need him for at the moment other that to do the jobs that are too grubby for my little pink ass. Which brings me to the second bad news, I had to get underneath and spray, and spray and spray. Still on the bright side there is nothing like doing it yourself to ensure that the quality control is performed properly. Now all the patches have been sealed and the underside primed, tarred up and painted black, as has the trunk floor.

The gas tank is back in and it is a nice feeling to be putting things back in as opposed to be pulling parts out.

Sadly time ran out as I was hoping to replace the rear shocks and get the fuel lines connect so I could get her back on her feet and turned around. After that the engine comes out and the inside and engine bay gets sandblasted and painted up.

For a while I had a fantasy of finding a 427 engine for the Galaxie. Then I discovered that it returns just 4 mpg! Of course you can burn rubber in any gear but it is a hell of a price to pay.

The Death Car?

For the want of something better to do I decided to disassemble the seat belts and clean the webbing and buckles. It seems like the buckle has rusted into the webbing as I can’t shift it. Something will have to be done, as this is the adjusting point. Anyhoo it is probably moot as these belts are simple lap straps like you find on aircraft. As far as I can see in the event of an accident the belt will hold your hips in position whilst inertia will pivot your body into the steering wheel or, in the case of the passenger, smash your face into the unpadded metal dashboard.

When one gets used to the safety that is now designed into modern cars it feels strange to be in a car designed in the 50’s. Still on the bright side this car is built like a tank. Should it hit a modern vehicle then I expect that it will fully utilize that vehicle’s crumple zone. So as long as we don’t hit Jimmy Juggernaut in his 18-wheeler, or horror of horrors, another Galaxie we should get away without denting a fender.

Beep beep.

Block Sanding

I have come to the sad realization that I am just not cut out for this block sanding malarkey. I know, it’s dreadfully important and the finished job is only as good as the preparation but nevertheless what a performance it all is. I suppose the problem is that I am more suited to instant gratification, you know the sort of thing, hit the bong and hey presto, you’re there. Pop three bottles of Milwaukee’s finest down your neck on an empty stomach and woohoo. Block sanding, on the other hand, comprises of wrapping a sheet of 80 grade around a rubber former and bashing away for 30 minutes. At the end of it you have simply transferred the filler from the car to your eyes, nostrils and other assorted orifices. Then (and get this) you smear more filler into the area you have just sanded down and you start again. Jesus what a life. This is the sort of work clearly suited to Marco except for the fact that the invisible man is still doing his impersonation of the Scarlet Pimpernel, they seek him here, they seek him there and so on. As soon as the itinerant lead swinger turns up I shall be able to get back to scouring the four corners of Gene’s beer fridge, and that my friends is where I am a Viking.

On a more reverent note, there is a design issue with the Galaxie. Apparently there are six spot where the panels are lead soldered together and seamed with lead. Over the years this sets up problems with the lead cracking and damaging the paintwork. In addition the lead has some sort of acid effect on the paint. In fact you can clearly see on the top of the rear wing what can only be described as acne. According to my mentor we shall be running the torch over these areas and melting out the lead to replace it with modern filler. Did I mention how great this Galaxie is going to be?

Patches and Paint

Another day of big steps forward. During the week Gene had filled the many tiny dents in the rear quarters and I set to sanding them down. The more I work on this car the more I am convinced that it is going to look better than new. It is hard to see from the picture but those white areas of filler are feathered in like you can't believe.


I pulled the paint code from the door plate and although I suspected that the car was Viking blue it was good to get it confirmed. We bought a quart for the door jams and blew $67. Sooner or later I am going to have to buy 2 gallons, ouch.

I am going to leave the big fill to Gene. This requires more skill and a better eye for the line than I have but as you can see already it is coming together. The vertical edges are now straight and mainly metal. Another day of mainly filling and sanding and we will be looking real good.

The big patches are welded in and to improve the look I have now bondo-ed them in and covered them in tar. Here is a shot of the patch that I should have taken last week

This is under the rear seat and you can see the surface rust clearly here. There are no holes in there but as far as I can see the rust is caused by the fact that there was a sticky rubber padding in the floor. This must have trapped moisture and here is the result. Next week I shall tickle this with the sandblaster and once it is bare metal, prime, paint, tar and then put new sound deadening down. Did I mention how solid this car is going to be? Seriously, this is going to be a 100 year car, 2063 my great grandchildren will be riding this thing. OK back to the point.

Here is a shot of the front. Note the lack of a gear shifter, it's on the column which was one of the main reasons for buying this one, a bench front seat. Incidentally a four speed transmission is called "four on the floor". What we have here is known as "three on the tree". Just to the left of the air conditioner (yes we have air) is the overdrive lever. That should get us up to 17mpg on a long run using supreme grade fuel. BTW look at the dashboard to get an idea of what a great color Viking Blue is. It is hard to see from the body as the 46 year old paint is sun faded. Additionally I have almost decided to make it a two tone by painting the roof off white. The upside is that I am sure it will look cool. The downside is that the paint will then not match the ID plate which kinda devalues the car. Decisions decisions.

Talking of fuel, as we were, I got the gas gauge sender installed and the tank will go back in as soon as I have painted and undersealed the underside of the trunk floor. I was going to do the paint until Gene explained that he would cover me in baby oil so that the paint would clean off afterwards. This sounded a touch homo to me so I decided to leave that until my itinerant tinker decides to turn up, if ever.

Instead I ambled off to do something more manly like drink beer.

Money spent; $67 on Viking Blue metallic.

Money to Burn

Part I

You will recall that Marco didn't show last Saturday and I assumed that he was flush and didn't need my wedge. Well he turned up last Thursday, not to work but to negotiate an interest free payday loan. Promising to work down the debt on Saturday, he extracted $20 from me. Did he show Saturday? Did he buggery! Too busy blowing his my wad on shine and weed I'll be bound.

Part II

Several of the auto restoration companies ply their wares on Ebay and I like to keep an eye out for a bargain. Last week I managed to pick up two vent window winders for $20. During breakfast with Gene I let him know about my financial acumen when he asked how much I had paid. When I told him he gave me that knowing smile which prompts the retort "What!". "Well", he says "I picked up a box of those at the Carlisle show for $1 each. Let me know if you need any other parts"

Bon bloody jour as we say in German

Money spent; $20 on winders (bah humbug)