Here's the orphan car that patiently waits. It's my '64. It is also the first real all-around project I've ever started. And no, it isn't done...but I can finally say that it's getting close. The picture to the left shows the exciting progress milestone-I finally got the back of the car put together! It has been a long wait, but the rear lights, taillight housings, trim pieces, gas door and rear bumper are on! And no, this car is not even close to perfect. But taking this long on a first time car "restoration" is many lessons learned. It is also an irritating cause of wanting to do every prior step over again. As time passes and experience increases, my ability to detect shoddy workmanship (my own shoddy workmanship) increases. I just have to remind myself this is part of the journey, and that I'm not the pro I often think I am.The '64 is looking great for a careful budget project. Heck, it's definitely worth the "20 footer" status, and maybe even ten feet on a cloudy day! Jokes aside, it is still a cool old clunker and I enjoy working on it again.
The car has, again, been many lessons learned. I made the floor pans and trunk pan from scratch, and welded in 1/4 panel repairs as well as fender patches. Fitting the car together has been a big obstacle, and I realize more and more how much this car has been wrecked, bent, rusted, twisted or replaced.
But I have the back of the car looking like it should for the first time in almost five years! And that was rewarding to be able to do, given my injuries and the junky-ness of this car. The bumper is a re-chromed one from back east, and wasn't exactly straightened like it should be. Also, the rear frame extension showed visible damage from a wreck, but the mounting holes looked right. Well, they weren't right! Here is what I had to do to get the bumper to fit...
As you see, I had to cut the bracket in order for the holes to line up, as well as cause the bumper to twist into proper shape. I tacked the new position of the bracket, put everything together for test fit, then removed and fully welded the bracket, including patch pieces to strengthen the new setup. Again, this shows that the car is just one problem after another. But it also allows me to learn! Besides, I like old cars.