A Decade of Primer is Coming to an End

This past weekend was probley one of the most exciting in Big Olds's life. As a few GMB have hinted at over the past few days, Big Olds was taken on a journey out of Michigan. It began on Wednesday nite during an ice storm when we loaded him on a trailer.


Thursday, after a Thanksgiving dinner with family, and instead of having pie and taking a nap, we hit the highway southbound. Stopped for the nite in Florence, KY then headed out again in the morning knowing that if we arrived before dark we were promised a tour of a cool old junkyard.

Well we thought we knew where we were headed but shortly after crossing into Tennessee we were stopped by bandits wearing masks and carrying camshafts over their shoulders. They blindfolded us and threw us in the back, taking control of the SUV pulling Big Olds.

After what seemed like a couple of hours of twisty, turny roads we came to a stop. The bandits hopped out and quickly went to work unloading Big Olds from the trailer shouting all the while something about boys being poor, or something like that. Anyway they lead us inside where they finally let us take off the blindfolds.



What an awesome site lay before us. Tools, welder, plasma cutter, paint booth, frame rack, anything and everything you could think of that you'd need was there. Didn't take long before the head honcho was writing and marking all over Big Olds. If I didn't know better I think I saw Big Olds start to grin.

I didn't know where we were but when I looked out the window I did see cows....... Wisconsin perhaps???

Like promised our captives took us to a hidden away in the hills junkyard, where they "allowed" me to search for a super comfy front seat for Big Olds. Didn't find exactly what I had in mind BUT there were some very promising second choices there. Headed back to Big Olds to ponder alittle more then called it a nite.

That evening we were taken to dinner "intown", whereever that was, and shown, what I could only refer to, as awesome southern hospitality. After a few beers and a good nites sleep, we were once again blindfolded and taken back to the supersecret(TM)location where cutting, welding and grinding on Big Olds began.



FINALLY! Big Olds is on the road to having shiney paint and I'm so happy I could just cry, which I did, but that's another story. Had another awesome dinner with a bunch of cool folks, dessert, conversation and some stick then back to our hosts place for another good nites sleep. Up in the morning, blindfolded, then driven to the boarder and turned loose WITHOUT BIG OLDS! Yep, they made me leave him THERE!

Now, for some of the newbies, or for those that really don't know the "story" regarding "Project Big Olds", I'll give the readers digest condensed version as best as I can remember.

Big Olds is a'47 Olds convert that was purchased by Steve Hendrickson, one of the Editors of the "original" Rodders Digest, back in the early 90's, Big Olds was in really rough shape. First thing Steve did in the summer of '92 was to replace the entire floor.

The next big step in the summer of '93 was the installation of the Cutl*** subframe. Besides the installation, the subframe was rebuilt. This took place in the summer of '98.

In late summer '93, Big Olds got his 455 dropped in on top of custom motor mounts. In the fall of the same year, the sheetmetal got rehung.

During the winter months of '93 the column and brake pedal were installed and in the spring of '94 the master cylinder was installed. As at this time the very cool looking aircleaner top was made.

The summer of '96 a new rear pan was installed and in the fall of '98 the plummbing was done. In the winter of '99 the wiring and gauges were installed. The mag was sold shortly after this and the Olds was put in the corner of the garage.

In Dec of 2001 I purchased Project Big Odls from Steve (Just Steve here on the HAMB) after hearing about the car from a friend in FL who had been following along with the build while he was doing his own '47 Olds convert. That in a nutshell is the timeline of "Project Big Olds"

Since then I basicly have just kept the car running but in the early spring of this year a Big Olds thrash was called and he got his door handles filled, alittle rust replaced with metal, his hood peeked, alot of sanding done and a new coat of primer and now he's on his way to having the rest of his mild customizing done and shiney paint applied.

Stay turned for more details regarding Big Olds's makeover

 

WOW! good news. good for you, and Mr Big

 

You are a special lady!!

Much deserved

 

You mean to tell me Big Olds is going to look like a youngster? No more drab old man look --- Gray?

Good for you, can't wait to see the transformation...

R-

 

Does this mean he finally may get annointed with a trusty Mack series 20?Are you going to keep us in suspense with the final hue(s)or what?What's the deal Denise?

 

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Are you going to keep us in suspense with the final hue(s)or what?What's the deal Denise?

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Till the paint is actually mixed, nothing is set in stone. Remember... I'm a girl

 

Grats Denise, he's gonna look awesome

Greg

 

Do it to it Denise!!!!
No one deserves it more than you.Can't wait to see him at the next get together.

Take care,
Dan

 

Hi Denise thats great news .I had a good look at big olds at the broken dream , real nice . Good luck can,t wait to see him painted.

 

Congraulations, Denise! Great story and pics. Can't wait for further updates.

Joel

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Does this mean he finally may get annointed with a trusty Mack series 20?

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee, Ray, live a little and step up to a Mack Series 10 why don'tcha! See ya in Canton.

 

congrats

 

Sounds great! Americans and the right stance, it'll always look good no matter what the color.

 

[ QUOTE ]
No more drab old man look --- Gray?

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I resemble that remark Good for you Denise. When will Big Olds be out of the clutches of those southerners and back up in the friendly (except for the occasional gunfire) confins of Detroit

 

Thats great Denise - you deserve it!

But we must get at least a hint of the color - please!!!!!!

 

If big Olds ends up as colorful as your personality and half as good looking he will have done well.

I'm curious to see what color combo you come up with.
I say combo cuz even if he gets a monotone paint job, with all the stripers you know I'm sure he'll get some lines laid on.

Big Olds is a familiar story to many of us and someone ought to pursue the rest of the story to completion.
Completion till the next rebuild anyway.

Are any magazine guys listening?
Here's a built in article with lots of appeal for many.

Who could resist reading about an Olds with some well known history and it sure doesn't hurt that the latter stages of Big Olds' buildup was completed by a member of the fair ***.

Big Olds . . .

 

Can't wait to see "The New and Improved" version sitting here in my home for Wayward Oldsmobiles!.

 

Will it be the copper/bronze you were liking? Maybe a blue-green? Are flames in his future? And what about a top?

 

Big Olds couldn't be in better hands.

And southern Hospitality is not a myth

Oh,and the part about the cows is true too.

 

Sweet... Congrats Denise.. please keep us updated! Hey who's that creep w/the blindfold? Did he follow you all the way down there?

 

What kinda Kidnapping School dropouts let ya get near enough a window ta see COWS???

Can't wait ta see the new & improved Big Olds!

 

Alright! I'm excited for ya! Tina is voting for pale blue primer, but thats just cause that's what she wants her 54 to be. Can't wait to see more

 

Cool stuff, Denise. Can't wait to see him finished.

..........by the way..........just how many gallons WILL it take???????

-slacker

 

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No more drab old man look --- Gray?

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Hey! Hey! Hey! Denise let's watch the comments about the Gray, some of us like to think that it's Snow White and a sign of aging gracefully.

Congrats Kid, you deserve it, can't wait to see the final product.

B B

 

Denise,
keep an eye on that character on your right,
or your Olds will wind up full of LOUVERS!

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/image_uploads/646682-d.jpg

Just noticed...
Either those Michigan folks are short, or the guys down to the south eat their veggies.

 

Denice, if thats who I think it is standing next to you then Big Olds is in good hands. Knock yourself out Mike!! Can't wait to see how Big Olds comes out!!! See y'all in the spring.

 

Shucks , no more sitting on the fenders for HAMB group pictures .

 

Denise --

I didn't just "park it in the garage . . .. " I did manage to put a couple thousand miles on the old boy!

For you newbies, one important thing that Denise forgot to mention is that in the course of two summers she put something like 13,000 miles on the Big Olds. With no top.

Looking forward to the updates Denise . . . and the Dagmars will be on the way in today's UPS!

Steve.

 

Very cool! Can't wait to see some pictures of the big 0 in color!

 

Congratulations Denise! You and Big Olds deserve it!

I hope you stepped up and ordered the $499 Earl Scheib deluxe paint job.

JH