'66 Malibu N/SA

Dave Muller · 06-10-2016, 03:28 PM

Yeah, I wish it was only 100 degrees!

I hope that stuff helps some, Rob. And thanks for not looking too critically at the paint! I still have to re-do a few small areas on the paint tomorrow, then I'll break to head out to Wild Horse with the Camaro. On Sunday I hope to apply the polymer sealer and start putting on the moldings and emblems.

Dave Muller · 06-21-2016, 06:19 PM

Progress is really slow at this point. Mostly my accomplishments in the garage are inversely proportional to the temperature.

I did manage to do another round of sanding and buffing, and now waxing the paint as well. So having that completed now I'm adding emblems and moldings. The trunk also opens via the key now, although that wound up being more of an adventure than it should have. Seems like nothing fits easily on this car.

This Sunday I tried installing the front bumper. I was having some trouble getting things to line up (of course!) but the thermometer had no trouble at all getting to 114 degrees about the time I gave up. I must confess I could also sense All Access calling me! Now that I know how to get that on the wife's Roku I can see that nothing is going to get done around here on Labor Day weekend!

Anyway I'll try again this coming weekend. I may have to do some hacksaw and welder work on the brackets to make up for earlier damage from a mild collision.

Dave Gantz · 06-21-2016, 10:41 PM

Don't beat yourself up, Dave. I am pretty sure that most people would not see any progress in the kind of heat that has been out your way lately.
"It's not just a hobby, it's an adventure!"

Ed Carpenter · 06-23-2016, 07:09 PM

Great build. I really like that year.

Dave Muller · 06-23-2016, 10:43 PM

Thanks, guys. The encouragement helps keep me going forward.

Dave Muller · 06-26-2016, 06:36 PM

I'm sure slow progress will be the theme for the next couple of months.

This weekend I got the rear bumper installed. That was easier than the front. I only had to cut, bend and re-weld one cross brace. The front brackets, I decided, just weren't worth the trouble. They are twisted and pushed almost an inch to the left side. I ordered new ones.

The taillight bezels are only in here for a test fitting. I have to remove the corner pieces to get access to their mounting screws. But I did also get the trunk weatherstrip installed.

The challenge with those taillight bezels is they use weird captured nuts that, as far as I can tell, are only available if I buy new bezels. But I think I can fabricate some using sheet metal, tin snips, a drill and self-tapping screws. I do have two of the eight nuts so I have an idea what they're supposed to be like.

Meanwhile I found that I have three door handles. Unfortunately only one fit properly, the other two have much longer actuating rods. It does seem like the one that I need will fit after cutting the rod down. I ordered the rubber gaskets for those, they should go in when those and the bumper brackets come in. I'm hoping by the holiday weekend, but probably not. Restoration suppliers aren't all that fast.

Pinballer · 06-26-2016, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Muller

Thanks, guys. The encouragement helps keep me going forward.

Sometimes I think my build is slow going, there are a hundred little details I haven't even gotten to yet, but at least my car was mostly assembled other than a powertrain when I started so I had the benefit of seeing how everything fit together. Yours, being a basket case when you got it, has got to be twice the headaches. The taillight fastener and bumper bracket snafus are about typical of what you run into when you get it in pieces.

But it's looking real good Dave, just keep hammering away at it a little at a time. It will get there.
Behind you all the way!

Dave Muller · 06-28-2016, 01:00 PM

Thanks, Pinballer.

I am very fortunate to live just two miles from Space Age Paint, where they have all sorts of specialized hardware for old cars. They didn't have the nuts I needed to mount the taillight bezels, but they did have others that were usable after applying pliers and tin snips. So now the rear trim and taillights are done.

06-10-2016, 03:28 PM	#1
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Yeah, I wish it was only 100 degrees! I hope that stuff helps some, Rob. And thanks for not looking too critically at the paint! I still have to re-do a few small areas on the paint tomorrow, then I'll break to head out to Wild Horse with the Camaro. On Sunday I hope to apply the polymer sealer and start putting on the moldings and emblems.

06-21-2016, 06:19 PM	#2
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Progress is really slow at this point. Mostly my accomplishments in the garage are inversely proportional to the temperature. I did manage to do another round of sanding and buffing, and now waxing the paint as well. So having that completed now I'm adding emblems and moldings. The trunk also opens via the key now, although that wound up being more of an adventure than it should have. Seems like nothing fits easily on this car. This Sunday I tried installing the front bumper. I was having some trouble getting things to line up (of course!) but the thermometer had no trouble at all getting to 114 degrees about the time I gave up. I must confess I could also sense All Access calling me! Now that I know how to get that on the wife's Roku I can see that nothing is going to get done around here on Labor Day weekend! Anyway I'll try again this coming weekend. I may have to do some hacksaw and welder work on the brackets to make up for earlier damage from a mild collision. Last edited by Dave Muller; 07-08-2017 at 01:11 PM.

06-21-2016, 10:41 PM	#3
Dave Gantz Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Verrry South Jersey Posts: 537 Likes: 134 Liked 251 Times in 125 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Don't beat yourself up, Dave. I am pretty sure that most people would not see any progress in the kind of heat that has been out your way lately. "It's not just a hobby, it's an adventure!"

06-23-2016, 07:09 PM	#4
Ed Carpenter Live Reporter Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dripping Springs, Tx Posts: 2,709 Likes: 186 Liked 520 Times in 132 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Great build. I really like that year. __________________ Ed Carpenter 2005 Chevy Cobalt A/SM Race Engine Development

06-23-2016, 10:43 PM	#5
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Thanks, guys. The encouragement helps keep me going forward.

06-26-2016, 06:36 PM	#6
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA I'm sure slow progress will be the theme for the next couple of months. This weekend I got the rear bumper installed. That was easier than the front. I only had to cut, bend and re-weld one cross brace. The front brackets, I decided, just weren't worth the trouble. They are twisted and pushed almost an inch to the left side. I ordered new ones. The taillight bezels are only in here for a test fitting. I have to remove the corner pieces to get access to their mounting screws. But I did also get the trunk weatherstrip installed. The challenge with those taillight bezels is they use weird captured nuts that, as far as I can tell, are only available if I buy new bezels. But I think I can fabricate some using sheet metal, tin snips, a drill and self-tapping screws. I do have two of the eight nuts so I have an idea what they're supposed to be like. Meanwhile I found that I have three door handles. Unfortunately only one fit properly, the other two have much longer actuating rods. It does seem like the one that I need will fit after cutting the rod down. I ordered the rubber gaskets for those, they should go in when those and the bumper brackets come in. I'm hoping by the holiday weekend, but probably not. Restoration suppliers aren't all that fast. Last edited by Dave Muller; 07-08-2017 at 01:13 PM.

06-28-2016, 01:00 PM	#8
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: '66 Malibu N/SA Thanks, Pinballer. I am very fortunate to live just two miles from Space Age Paint, where they have all sorts of specialized hardware for old cars. They didn't have the nuts I needed to mount the taillight bezels, but they did have others that were usable after applying pliers and tin snips. So now the rear trim and taillights are done. Last edited by Dave Muller; 07-08-2017 at 01:14 PM.