Projects 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday mild custom build

What is a good system? I see lots advertised at different price ranges with no idea which is actually good.

 

She needs skirts...

I would leave the door handles alone.

 

Shave it, just put in redundant systems. I have jumpers in the grille and a button in the gas door, and I can reach thru the vent window as well.

 

I've been trying to find skirts. I found a set in upstate NY, bizarrely though when I asked how he wanted me to pay so he could ship them he stopped replying.

 

I use "Ball's" gear reduction motors. I am not a big fan of solenoids, as I've seen some of them hang up , burn the wiring up, and sometimes start fires. Yes, a big fuse will prevent that, but those things take a big amp draw at first, and can blow fuses, even if they aren't shorted. Just not a fan. I've even used Ball's in 2 of my daily drivers, 3-4 years on the road, and no issues. Use them with remotes, magnetic switches, and just plain hidden buttons.
Using them on my current 56 Olds-Mad project, even though I had no issues with my "Billy buttons" on the 55.

 

I installed solenoids on my son's 56 Olds. Attaching the cable to the door latch was a bit of a challenge. Also having a manual way to enter gives a little peace of mind.

 

That car looks great

 

You're doing a great job so far. I will tell you though, that wet sanding on spots of bare metal gives me some pause. That is going to lead to some rust, and once that seed is planted, god help you if any of it gets trapped under the primer or paint. Jon Kosmoski has an incredible video on YouTube of an entire paint job from bare metal to finish buff. It's 80+ mins well spent.



You CAN do a professional paint job at home in your garage. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks for the encouragement. I edited it out, but once I'm done sanding I wipe the panel down with a shop towel, then wipe it again with a towel soaked in prep-all, then throw on a thin coat of etch primer.

I will definitely watch that video, I'm a complete newbie at all things bodywork.

 

Got the primer on the first repaired areas. Did ok, got some orange peel on the fender, but overall I'm happy.

 

Finally back on the Oldsmobile after an off-topic car took up a bunch of time.
I'm changing my plan for this year, and instead of going panel by panel I'm going to try and get all the paint off and the outside in primer so it looks better and I don't need to deal with pulling trim and stripping paint before I can start working on a panel.

 

More paint stripping on the Olds. Made a nasty discovery though. I thought my quarters were good, turns out there is a line of hidden rot holes at the front by the back door. I'm frustrated because i thought the quarters needed no work and now they need this.
More stripping planned for this weekend if the weather co operates.

 

Another weekend's worth of stripping. No new surprises, but still a long way to go...

 

Man I admire your tenacity with your project. I would have bit the bullet long ago and hired a blaster like this guy
Sharkey’s Mobile Blasting and Coating LLC - Home | Facebook
and would have had a stripped body in about an hour but I am 75 and don't have the fortitude you young guys have. HA!
Keep at it. Looking good.

 

That is probably the sensible route but a) I'm a cheapskate. And b) years ago I looked at a "parts car" that had been nice until a shitty sandblaster warped every single panel on it. So i have an irrational fear of sandblasting entire panels of sheet metal.
So I'll truck away at the stripping.

 

Know all about blasting panels and shrinkage but those new portable water blasters got there system nailed down. Never heard of any warpage using that system.

 

I've heard a lot of old wives tales about the heat generated through abrasive blasting warping the panels. I personally think that is a theory not rooted in fact or reality. All you'd have to do is put your hand on the hood of a car that has been sitting in the sun on a hot July day. You'd burn your hand touching it, yet the body panels don't warp to oblivion. Nowhere near that much heat is generated by abrasive blasting.

The warpage of the panel comes when the angle of the gun is too perpendicular to the surface being blasted, and instead of a glancing blow of material that removes the paint, it's hammered straight into the metal. The material coming out of the gun is traveling at like 150 mph, it has a significant amount of force behind it, so of course concentrating that pressure in one spot can dent a panel. The same would occur with a dustless blasting system as well. We see water jets cut straight through metal at high enough pressure, why wouldn't it dent it at a lower speed?

That said, I don't dislike the method use here, especially for large areas that are mainly flat. I had to strip a truck bed one time using the polycarbonate disc method, and it took FOREVER to strip the ribs in the bed, not to mention it also accelerated the wear on the pads. At this point in my life, I'd rather move the project along to keep progress going and keep my interest up, so I'll call the blaster and have it done in a day.

 

Love the Olds! My dad had a '54 Holiday 98 up till about 1969 or thereabouts. Red and white like in this picture. Man, I would sure like to have that car today! Mid 50s Oldsmobile are some of the most beautiful cars ever made...in my opinion of course!
It developed a problem that would kill the battery. My dad was no mechanic for certain. He bought another car, and traded the Olds away for a set of recapped tires to the owner of a local gas station. The guy came by the house, fiddled with it for a bit, clipped the wires going to the driver side power window, fired it up and drove off. My dads was so pissed!

 

lots of memories. i drove a 98 when i was 17. loved the radio; it had one part in the dash and the other included the speaker. also the "autronic eye," which automatically dimmed the high beams. there was a sensor on the dash and the works were under the hood--full of radio tubes.
the 98, of course only had the jetaway.
huge back seat with an ash tray & lighter mounted on the back of the front seat.

 

My garage continues to smell like a pickle factory, but I've got one door's rust dealt with.

 

There is some truth to this one, I have seen perfectly flat peices of flat metal go in the sand blast booth at work and come out warped to hell.

Most of these are large flat sheets being done by new, inexperienced hires who been never blasted before and move too slowly.

Now on a stamped part with a alot of details, beads, etc... with an experienced person warping is at a minium, but on a large flat panel like a hood or a roof with inexperienced person is where I think the potential for warping lies.

 

Finally back on the Oldsmobile after being distracted by a couple off-topic projects.

 

What you did with the trunk lock is clever. I will probably do that on my 54 trunk if score some dimple dies. Cant wait to see it smoothed out and painted.

 

Thanks. I strongly recommend the woodward fab dies as they cut & dimple in one go. If I didn't state the size in the video let me know and I'll figure it out so you can avoid buying 3 like I did.

 

I see we both have similar ideas for our cars; I'm going for a certain look, something mild kustom that I might have built back in high school out of a hand-me down and kept through the years. Sub'ed your YT channel as well.