Separation

I wanted to take the front suspension apart this weekend.  I had Friday off, so #1 son and I drove to Uncle Packard's to start dis-assembly.  I spent a great day with my son, but we couldn't separate the ball joints.

Here's what we started with on the right side front...

Getting the shocks out was easy...

Quick trip to Harbor Freight to buy a "pickle fork" to separate the tie rod ends...

Those springs store a lot of energy... best to be safe.  That strap is pretty strong! 

The spring compressor is necessary in order to get the spring out without damaging something.

Now, to release the lower arm...

The shop manual said that I needed a special tool to disassemble the suspension, but I'd read on a y-block forum that I should carefully loosen the two bolts holding the lower ball joint to the lower A-arm, and then I could remove the spring.  That sounded much easier.

After several hours, we found out that it was just wishful thinking!  The ball joint flange fits into a channel in the A-arm, and the bolts go clear through.  I couldn't remove them, because the radius arm was in the way.  I couldn't remove the radius arm without removing the ball joint... catch 22!  OK, another idea was to separate the lower balljoint.  Just take the nut off the top of the lower ball joint, insert a slightly larger "pickle fork on the air hammer... and.... and... nuthin!

We were able to remove some parts, but not as many as I had hoped.  Just the same, we were both glad to have spent time together.  Here is the fruit of our labor on Friday...

As my Dad used to say, "when all else fails, follow directions".  What did the shop manual say?  Take a look:

I thought about this Friday night, and on Saturday morning, I had an inspiration.  I could easily make a tool like that from parts at my local industrial hardware store!  I picked up the parts on the way back to Uncle Packard's.

5 minutes after applying this tool, with a loud "bang"...  viola!

Here's what it looked like after removing the strap.  Note the spring compressor is still in the spring.

After that, the other side was easy.

Spindles out

Spindles (with brakes) and springs

Lower A-arms removed

The ball joints are held in with 3 bolts, not two!

The ball joints are at the bottom of the picture... Uppers are smaller than lowers.

I suspect that I can re-use the ball joints... they are substantially over-sized for a car this light, and the Chinese replacement parts have a bad reputation.  I'll have Mr. Mechanic look them over, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use them as is.

My son wasn't able to help me on Saturday, but Uncle Packard was in the garage working on his '36 convertible sedan.

I had the joy of helping Uncle put the hood back on the car.  Kind of scary, but very rewarding.  The car looks more complete with the hood on!  Plus, I don't have to worry about inadvertently stepping on the hood while I'm working on the t-bird!

Uncle and I had some deep conversations as we worked, and over a light lunch together.  He is a very calm, non-anxious presence, and he is good at instilling confidence.  We talked about Dad's disease, his recent weight loss, and his personality traits... both endearing and annoying.  We talked about growing up during the war, about being in the military, about personal liberty and politics.  We talked about ways to encourage my #2 son, who has faced some significant disappointments recently.  Once again, I'm reminded that Uncle Packard is a man who really cares about me.  He's a blessing, a surrogate father, at a time when I really need one!

What did I learn during the "lesson of the stubborn ball joints"?

- My attachments can be pretty darn strong. 

- Separating myself from my attachments can seem very difficult, if not impossible.

- Seeking the easy path is probably not going to work, and may lead to frustration.

- Informal folklore about self-improvement is likely to be wrong... sometimes dead wrong!

- There is a book that can help me understand how to do it... written by someone very wise.

- Success may involve changing my thinking, becoming just a little more humble, and submitting to the authority that wrote the book.

- I have company along the way, and that can be very, very encouraging!

I am blessed.

Dogleg Redemption

Remember the windshield doglegs?  These go on the outside of the windshield, next to the door.  They are supposed to be chrome... and, um, shiny.  Here's what they looked like when I took them off the car:

Pretty pathetic, huh?  I was convinced that these were unrecoverable.  At Uncle Packard's suggestion, I got out the dremel and ground off the rust.  Here's what remained of the left side dogleg:

Those aren't just pits, they are HOLES!  I took these to Chrome Guy with Uncle Cord.  Chrome Guy said "toss 'em. Be ready to spend $500 on replacement parts".  Uncle Cord didn't agree... he stared at them, and thought for a while, and said "I think I can save these".  Chrome Guy kind of rolls his eyes, then winks at me and says "your uncle needs a project.  If anyone can save these, he can!"

I didn't hold out much hope.  These are fairly rare parts, and good ones fetch a fortune on eBay.  I'm thinking that I'm stuck with these ugly things... right on the windshield, there in plain sight for everyone to see.  Regardless of the paint, with these installed, the car will look ugly.

Uncle Cord had Chrome Guy strip the doglegs, then took them to his welder friend.  $40 later, the holes were patched, and they went back to chrome guy.  3 layers of copper, beaucoup sanding, then nickel, then chrome... here's how the left one (the worst) turned out:

Closeup of the back side, showing the fine welding filling the holes

  

I would not have believed it!  Half the price of eBay, even if I could find a set, and absolutely gorgeous!  Uncle Cord had the insight, the drive, and yes, the faith that I lacked.  And through him I have been blessed.

I have also chromed the door window pillars, the bumper guards, and the bumpers.  Chrome Guy has earned my money, and my respect... but Uncle Cord has earned my love.

Uncle Cord is a source of enduring optimism, and he has been spending a lot of time with my Dad.  This is not particularly pleasant for him, but it is working wonders for Dad.  He is keeping Dad's spirits up, and keeping him moving through his chemotherapy and iron infusions.  He is also keeping Dad working on cleaning up his cluttered apartment, and taking care of himself.  I am more than grateful... I am truly blessed!

If these ugly doglegs can be redeemed through the vision and tenacity of one optimistic, tenacious man... then just think of the possibilities God has in store for me!

Wheel Color

I put the car on jackstands and took the wheels off last Saturday.  I took the wheels down to Uncle Packard's friend who owns a tire store.  "Tire guy" cheerfully dismounted the tires for free - he knows I will be buying new whitewalls from him once the wheels are refinished.  He also indicated that finding another wheel to use for the spare should be no problem.  I asked about sandblasting and powdercoating services, and he recommended a local shop owned by a friend of his.  I heard back from "Powdercoating Guy" today... he charges very reasonable prices, and has a variety of colors.

I now need to decide between painting the wheels the body color, or having them powdercoated a different color.  Powdercoating is a environmentally friendly process of applying a thick, shiny layer of tough colored plastic over metal parts, using heat and electrostatic charge.  The finish is significantly more durable than paint.

I'd like the wheels to be either body color, or a close match to one of the interior colors... like the blue-green of the dashboard.  Here are some of my options.

RAL 6000 matches the current dash color, but is has faded in 57 years!

RAL 6004 is a better match to the replacement dash/garnish rail color

This shows the original garnish rail.  The original color can be seen where I removed the chrome strip over the door lock button.  The '57 seat colors are in the middle, and a masking strip with body color on the right.

The RAL numbers are used when mixing powdercoat and varnish.  RAL 6000 seems to be a close match to the current dash, but RAL 6004 is a better match if I recover the dash with new vinyl.   There is no good match for the body color, at least photographically.  The closest I can come is RAL 5018 or 5012.  In any case, I will need to check the samples at Powdercoat Guy's shop to validate the color.

Friday, #1 Son and I plan on disassembling the front suspension.  This will be difficult to do with the engine out of the car, since the weight of the engine helps compress the springs prior to taking the front suspension apart.  I would prefer to do this without the engine in, so I have more room to paint the front chassis and work on the steering.  I talked to Mr. Mechanic about how to do this, and subsequently purchased a special spring compressor tool.

After taking the front end apart, I may find more parts I will want to powdercoat.  I'll either take the wheels to Powdercoat Guy then, or wait until Tire Guy finds me a 5th wheel and have them all done together.

I should also mention that Chrome Guy has been busy, too.  I'll have a separate post on that... but I can tell you that he has more of my money and my bumpers.  There is a special story about the windshield doglegs...

Update 3/26:  I just took the 4 wheels to Powdercoat Guy.  I'm still looking for a 5th, for the spare tire. Powdercoat guy showed me samples for the various colors, and RAL 5051 is a very close match to the body color.  I figure this is a much safer bet than trying to match the dash, so I'm going ahead with body color on the wheels.  This also gives me some flexibility if I ever want to change the color of the dash later.

Consolation and Conviction (back from the body shop, part 1)

Well, Body Guy is done painting the top and the engine compartment.  The top is white, but the engine compartment is body color.  The paint is very, very good!

Number 2 son was home on spring break, so he helped out and took these pictures.  It was really good to share the experience with him, even though we had a lot of waiting.  Paint guy wasn't in the shop when we arrived, but he had taped a card from his recommended tow company to the windshield.  I needed to move the car to Uncle Packard's garage, just a few miles away, and the other guys at the shop encouraged me to arrange for the tow, even though I hadn't paid for the work!

Well, Tow Guy arrived and we loaded the car.  He is a pretty cool guy who knows Uncle Packard pretty well, since old Packards tend to break down.  If you drive them much, it pays to have a relationship with the local towing company!  Of course he knew the address, and asked how Uncle was doing.  By the way, Uncle Packard turns 80 next month.  He doesn't want a party, but we will have one anyway.

Just before we pulled out, Paint Guy came back to the shop. I was able to pay for the last bit of work he had done, and have a pleasant chat.  Paint guy's Dad, "Body Guy", is doing better since his heart valve replacement, but he's still not 100%.  I have to say that "paint and body" is, for them, a passion rather than a business.  They don't seem concerned about finances or schedules, even though I would be in their position.  They both clearly love working on old cars, and making them look beautiful.  They seem very happy just continuing to be able to do that.  Their shop seems run down, but is very productive.  It is cluttered with maybe 50 cars in various stages of repair, some of which have been there for years.  As I said, it's a passion not a business!  There is a lesson in this for me.

The 'bird between '29 and '36 Packards!

Once in Uncle Packard's garage, "Aunt Packard" came over to take a look.  She remembers driving this car when it was my Grandma's, and her first words on seeing the engine compartment were "it's the wrong color"!  I patiently explained that yes, it's not going to be the original color.  After some dialog and at least one "it will knock you eye out", she asked if I thought that the original Turquoise was too effeminate.  I had to respond "yes, Madam, I do!". I love my Aunt, but she is the source of some interesting conversation!

With this body color now clearly established, I can more effectively evaluate interior color options.

This is an upholstery sample of the original turquoise color

This is a sample of the original dark blue-green, laid on the original dash.  The dash may have faded, but I suspect that the original dye formula was lost.  Key question is: am I willing to recover the dash? 

Here are the green, turquoise, and Dresden blue samples.  I won't use turquoise in the interior, and I'm committed to Dresden blue for the seats.  I think the dark green will work for the dash and trim.

Seeing the car in this condition, well on the road to recovery, has caused me to rethink the next steps.  I'm focused on getting the car running, and to avoid the extra work of disassembling the dashboard for repainting and recovering.  I'm starting to feel convicted that I'm not digging deep enough, not willing to take the effort to really do the job well.  The excellent paint and engine work is setting a rather high standard, and I feel a little awkward about not applying the same standard to the dashboard, which is still a mess:

God has empowered me on my own journey of recovery.  The work already done in me has set a standard... when I look at how my life has changed, it is a high standard!
- He has done extensive work in my heart, just as I have done with the t-bird, and I now feel that my heart is right, my intention is pure, and that is a very strong foundation.
- He is doing extensive work on my external relationships, how I appear and interact with others, just as I am doing with this with body and paint work on the t-bird.  I am being drawn more deeply into a community of faith and recovery, and have started some serious repair work with my family.
- He is preparing me for more effective work in the world though things like building houses in Mexico and leadership in recovery,  just as I have invested in repairing and upgrading the brakes and suspension for the t-bird.

So, how do I feel convicted?  The dashboard is the car's primary interface to the driver.  I have been neglecting this, frankly... unwilling to take the considerable effort  necessary to disconnect all the wiring and remove the dashboard.  I'm afraid of what I will find under there!

Maybe, today's lesson for me has to do with my willingness to restore my interface with my personal driver, Jesus Christ!  Maybe my spiritual dashboard is as ugly as this car's... in some ways functional, but definitely not fun for the driver.  Maybe I need to be bold, let go of my fear, recognize the need for deeper work on this, and devote myself to it without reservation.

God has been with me through this so far.  He is worthy of my trust.  All I need to do is take the step.

Closer to Final Colors

The new seat cover arrived this week.  It's blue on blue, medium (Dresden) blue surrounding light (Starmist) blue center panels.  I discussed my color options in a previous post, and I figured that this is the best color option available for '57 style upholstery... short of buying an all-white cover and dying it myself, or paying much more for a custom upholstery job. I've been eager to see if this color combination will work with my choice of body color, especially leaving the dash and garnish rails the stock '55 deep blue-green color.  Here's what it looks like.  Recognize that the color of the model is actually lighter than the real peacock blue color that is going on the car.  The two vinyl samples are the stock '55 interior colors.

Indoors, near a window, using a flash. The turquoise of the original '55 seats/armrests definitely doesn't belong!

Outdoors, in shade, natural light.  The turquoise still clashes, but the body, seat cover, and green seem to compliment each other.

Here's an updated Kuler panel, adjusted for these colors.  I took turquoise off the color chart.

I've annotated my tentative choice of colors for various areas of the cockpit. 

The steering wheel will either Dresden Blue, like the seat edges and armrests, or deep blue-green like the dash.  Uncle Cord is waiting for my decision so he can paint the steering wheel.  I'm still a little concerned that the Dresden Blue won't go well with the Peacock body.  The blue-green dash and garnish will separate them, but I won't commit to upholstering the seat until I get the car back from the paint shop.  The body won't be painted, but the engine compartment will be.  I also asked Paint Guy to paint the gas filler door, which will be a convenient piece to check colors.

The exhaust system also arrived this week, along with some "dog dish" hubcaps.  While I have a few more items to pick up in order to re-install the engine, I think I'm almost ready to get the car back.

I've been wondering where God is taking me on this journey.  I continue to meet really interesting, supportive, and friendly people as a result of this endeavor.  The membership chair of the local T-bird club kind of took me under his arm at the last club meeting.   Uncle Packard's gardener and house sitter each were very enthused about the project, and had their own stories to relate about my family.  Because I expect to drive the car fairly soon, I wanted to get it registered.  I called my insurance company today to put the 'bird on my auto policy, and even the representative I talked to was enthusiastic about the car!  Perhaps there is a lesson here for me, perhaps God is telling me to always remain open to new relationships, and to remain optimistic even when facing the unexpected.

I'm sure that the colors will turn out fine.  It will be a beautiful car.