Resto: After Sundays repairs there was drive time..

8.20am this Sunday morning and Ray appears in the resto shed way ahead of me, but he was greeted by "Bella" the dog and given a warm reception as always, I was running late as I had slept in due to a sick daughter feeling unwell throughout the nigth, so I woofed down my breakfast and run out the door with my cup of coffee and headed straight for the shed....

We work well together and seem to know what the other needs with both of us always looking ahead to help each other out and we soon once again had a fair bit of work completed in very little time and was well on track with our days plan..."Lunch Ray, I'll go and get cooking mate"...

Front end rolled back in and bolted up, steering all adjusted and set, front brake bands also adjusted and sanded back a little to free up the wheel movement, fuel tank installed and a new copper fuel line running along the chassis and now bolted in place.
Then we attached some timbers to the frame to temparary hold up the fuel vacuum tank and once that was secure Ray quickly weaved his magic and had wires running here and there so we could start Monty and get it running again.
It wasn't long before we were both sitting on the rough sawn plank of timber across the chassis rails and flying up the street with the wind in our hair and basically everywhere else, I had the steering wheel to hang onto but poor bloody Ray was not looking real confident with my driving style and lack of "jesus bars" in front of him, but we got a good chance to jump on the brakes to see what happens and old Monty didn't let us down after the makeover, he pulled up quick and straight with no pulling to either side, the brakes worked wonderful, just fantastic and Ray said that they still have to "bed in", but we were both very impressed with them considering how shitty they worked before hand.

Many thanks Ray for your time spent working on this old car, it has been a fun time and a blast and I cannot thank you enough mate, you are an unbelieveable wealth of 28' Chevy information with your skills and knowledge just priceless to a novice like myself who is simply fumbling his way along blindly on a misson that has to be completed but by saying that I can feel my confidence growing each time I get out in the shed and wave the sidchromes around for a few hours... Cheers Ray.

Well now I am looking to begin the timber frame and bodywork soon, I have to purchase the 2 x lower repair panel sections for the front cowl as it has rusted out on both sides although from photos you cannot tell but it need new sections welding in place which basically holds the front dash/part of the car down onto the 2 x main timber rails...

Small steps, its all about the small steps - with a few big steps thrown in for good measure!! 

Resto: And out rolled the front end

This Sunday sees Ray drive back out from Melbourne again to the "Gippsland Health Retreat" as he calls it for some more quality resto time on the Chev, so when I got home tonight I went into the shed, jacked up the front end, undone the pitman arm nut plus a couple a brake linkages and then the 4 spring hanger bolts, raised the chassis a little more and then pushed out the front end, total time 16minutes.... just to get a head start.

BTW I was missing one of the nuts from the spring hanger bolts so I wonder just how long it had been driving around like that for in it's more active days on the bumpy dirt roads out around "Hill End".

Why the front end removal you ask?, well the "pitman arm" and the main steering rod which, you guessed it control the steering of the vehicle are both bent slightly so they both need fixing and a good wack with the hammer, also the left hand side spring has been put on the car back to front which offsets the front axle about 50mm and this was noticeable with all the body panels removed and I guess this would date back to when dad retrieved it from the farm and had to put the front end back under to drive it up on the truck to cart it home to the workshop and if I now dad he would of been in one hell of a hurry to get it all together, make it roll and get out of there quick smart, he was fantastic on the tools but little time to explain anything, I can just picture him.

Also the front brakes need to be fine tuned and tickled a little as the new brake bands are rubbing, but thats an easy fixer.

Hopefully the fuel tank and new copper fuel line can go in and then we can start and go for a drive, well thats the plan for this Sunday...

Saturday morning:

Both springs now removed from axle, shackles look really good with very little wear that I can see, I have cleaned up with the wire brush wheel the inside edge of the springs which were hard to reach when they were set up on the car also the mounting plates for the springs on the axle got a good cleaning.
Shackles, nuts and spring washers are now all soaking in turps before getting a good buffing up as are the 4 x main spring bolts with the grease nipples also soaking then will be undone, soaked some more and cleaned right out like new.

I have been told that this is a good opportunity to completely soak the springs in engine oil of some sort,  lay them on their side and let it drip and work its way right in between the leafs for a few hours, will let you know the outcome :)

Saturday Afternoon:

Front springs now all rubbed back and dripping with motor oil which I will keep rotating throughout the day to get the oil in amoungst the steel leafs.
Shackles, nuts and bolts all buffed up nice waiting for their installation tomorrow, also the 4 x grease nipples on the shackle bolts opened up, cleaned with turps and then had compressed air blown through them, it's good to be a little fussy with a lovely old peice of motoring history...

Late Saturday Afternoon:

Pitman arm and steering rod both removed with the rod being disassembled on each end and the internals being the end nut, spring and cups all getting a good soak and scrub also once again you cannot forget to clean up the tiny grease nipples.

Resto: I cleaned up the fuel tank, Nice!!

After finishing the normal Saturday morning and then afternoon drive around with the kids sports activites I finally got out into the resto shed at 5.00pm and got straight into cleaning up the 2 x fuel tank straps that hold the tank in place when it hangs up under the rear of the car and then the fuel tank itself with the wire brush wheel attachment on the small 100mm angle grinder and after about 30minutes work this was the end result, I sure was pretty bloody happy as this started to take shape and what a shame as I am going to have to etch prime it all and paint it chassis black to match the rest of the chassis.

Someone gave it a good patch up many years ago by the look of this here and yes it looks a little messy but the tank does not leak and the inside of the tank is rust free and spotless with the fuel gauge still operating and everything intact, so all is good..

And I thought Monty had square tyres!!

Check out this ole 25' Dodge still drivable but for just how much longer.. Love It!!

How not to hand crank the engine

I was shown how to hand crank Monty once by a gentleman just around the corner from our house who has a lovely old 1930's restored truck but only when the motor was already warmed up have I since pulled the hand cranked over which it starts and fires into life quite easily.

Not like this bloke in the video below but I do think about this happening to me just when I am about to pull it over.... Not Fun!!

Resto: Laid on some paint today!

With a good weeks work completed and under my belt as it was fast approaching Friday lunchtime plus the shed being all warm & cosy which was perfect for painting I made the decision to put down the signwriting brushes early and start masking up the Chev for the chassis to be sprayed with etched primer and then chassis black paint.
I was also able to get the use of my cousins fork lift from around the corner which made the job of getting underneath a lot easier and quicker to paint....
With five cheap $1.90 disposable drop sheets from the paint shop purchased, I used one on each wheel and completely wrapped it all around the tyre, poked it down around the timber spokes and then got a piece of fine string and looped it between the brake housing and the inside of the timber spokes and tired it off tight, worked a treat and no over spray anywhere.
Then I just wrapped and taped up the radiator and engine back to the clutch housing so that when the bonnet is lifted up the engine will still have that old original look to it, well that's the plan anyway, also the steering wheel & column, pedals and gear lever were taped.

And the end result after about 2 hours of painting, I'm happy!!!

Well next on the cards I guess will be the timber work on the inside of the body and also the main timber rails  which is all totally new to me, so some much thought out home work and study will be required.

Resto: In our signshop ready to paint

With new brake bands fitted all round I had a chance to tow Monty over and into our warm signshop on the other side of town so that I can throw some paint on it this weekend hopefully so it was on with the warm head wear and thick coat, placed the thick short plank across the chassis for me to place my bum on so I could reach the pedals and the steering wheel then I was off like a rocket out past the letter box, down the street and around the corner towards the main traffic lights and the busy Princes Hwy.
Trev, driving the tow vehicle was a little keen you could say, we were cruising along at a lovely pace and got the dream run towards the traffic lights as they flashed green so straight  through we sailed and once again up over the bumpy railway crossing, around the bend and with another 800m to go we headed directly to the signshop and I can say that the brakes work so much better now, well there wasn't much left of the old brake bands really and we haven't even adjusted them up or bed them in yet but I jumped on the brake pedal whilst in tow a good few times to see what would happen and it pulled back on the tow vehicle nicely, which is a good sign....

More pix to come soon when the chassis is painted black and if you are interested here is a quick video, thanks.

I have posted this video before at the beginning of the blog but it is a good comparison as to what I started with, funny that just a few good months ago Monty sat in the shed like this....Oh and I'm so sorry about my video voice, it's just such a shocker & embarrassment,  Cheers :)

Inside the little resto shed (man cave)

Sorry about the quality but I like this photo for some reason

Late Sunday afternoon after Ray left for his 1.5hr drive back to Melbourne and shortly after I finished cleaning up the shed and wiping down all the hand tools with turps to remove that sticky brown grease off everything so that they are all good to go and clean for the next time I use them, I quickly grabbed my little daggy camera with it's non working flash and sat it up on the fire extinguisher, flicked the auto timer on then ran back around behind the chev, adjusted the cap and gave it my best "happy man on a misson" pose.. well like I said its a little grainy but it's a keeper....Cheers

Resto: A very productive Sunday!

Well I knew we were going to have a big day in the shed today and I was right about that.
Like clock work and bang on 7.30am Ray pulls up and comes walking down the driveway carring a box of tricks so it was down on the kitchen bench with my cup of coffee, out to the resto shed, on with the lighs and our overalls and we were back into it again for another full day on the tools which I had been looking forward to for a couple of weeks now.
What Ray knows about these ole 28's is amazing and I know I am an extremely lucky man to be restoring Monty while having him show and guide me through it step by step, ya just such a great help mate and I cannot thank you enough for your time, effort and years of chevy knowledge that you are sharing with me, it is sinking in slowly.... cheers Ray

It wasn't long before we had the two axles out, both housings and diff all cleaned of the thick brown sticky oil, ole bearings removed, the new ones pressed back on the axels, gaskets & felt pads installed throughout, everything bolted back together again.

After a bbq lunch the new rear brake linings went back on each rear wheel and also after a bit more tweaking of this and that the rear wheels were also installed and bolted up nice and tight.

Here's Ray admiring the new brake linings, what a lovely work of art these are thanks to Kevin of Dapto.

 Next we were heads downs once again and making good progress with the front brake bands installed and also the front wheel bearings removed for a bloody good cleaning and repacked with new grease and it wasn't long before we had the front end all back together and looking like a rolling car chassis once more.

9 hours was spent in the shed today and it flew by very quickly, we worked constantly as there is just so much to do, clean and polish but we completed what we set out to do and as usually I have another list of jobs to complete before the next full day takes place in a few weeks time...

I will tow Monty back over to my signshop this week and park it up where I can wipe it all down, mask up and wrap what needs to be covered and get it all ready to paint the chassis on the weekend as I can heat the shed up nicely with the woodfire and also my big gas heaters, this will make for a better job on these cold days....

Thanks for stopping by for a look from time to time :)

Resto: This Sunday is on the tools

We have a big day planned on the tools this Sunday with my mate Ray driving out from Melbourne for an early start in the resto shed to give me a helping hand and show me what to do in regards to the dismantling of the rear diff and axles, cleaning all the internals, reinstalling new seals and bearings and then after that refitting new brake bands and linings back onto all four wheels which should give us a complete rolling chassis ready for some paint and then the bodywork resto can begin in a few weeks.....hopefully.
BTW it is not as straight forward as it sounds either because as you make your way from job to job you become aware of all these other little things that need attention also which can then slow up progress altogether but this restoration that I started was and is a big learning curve and also a very good life teacher of one's ability when thrown completely out of their comfort zone and it is doing that to me I must admit.....but I would be lost without the help and guidance of a few people and extremely helpful Chevrolet websites dotted around this globe.. Thanks again folks and I will add photos Sunday night.

1928 Chevrolet startup - it's not Monty's

I think the fanbelt is a little loose on this old engine and also a few cans of W40 are in order to shine it up!!

Resto: Monty goes back home....Just for a few hours

This saturday morning I am up early and out in the shed to refit the wheels back onto the chev, (now brake less - new brake liners being fitted next week) then I lowered it off the blocks and pushed it out the driveway where we hooked it up to my ute so that Codi, my son and I can then slowly tow it around to dad factory where it was placed over the truck service pit so that I can get down underneath it and rub back all the underside ready for painting.

Codi ready for the 1/2 mile drive up the road, love the timber plank seat!

It was'nt long before we had it all ready in position over the pit for the neck breaking job of looking up, holding and working the grinder constantly for a good few hours.

I had a mate come around and weld up the top of the chassis right where the driver hops in and out as this was the only place under the 2 rotten timber rails that needed a good fix up, and I can say that a bloody fine job indeed was the end result.

So after another few hours of dirty work I climbed up from out of the pit covered from head to toe in crap and my arms felt like they were dragging along the ground but I can say that I am very happy with the end result and that I am ready for the chassis to be etched, primed and paint in another two weeks time.

I cleaned up and then rolled Monty back out the factory door and pointed him for home once again being towed behind my workute with Codi doing the steering, then we rolled him back down the drive and into the resto shed....I'm very happy with the days progress.

Thanks for looking in from time to time :)

Resto: Before & after picture of Chev Chassis

This was a few weeks ago before I started to rub back the chassis to get it ready to paint, love the difference!!

And now, it's so pretty!! but will be black soon.

And the chassis paint was added 22/07/2011

Resto: Chev Chassis nearly ready to paint

Well things have been rolling along nicely with the chassis resto as I nearly have it all rubbed back and ready to paint up, a quick visit to the local panelshop today to have a chat about etches, primers and top coats and I'm all focused and set with a mission in mind then if all goes to plan I'll hopefully have it painted and rolling out the door in a few weeks, chassis that is and not the whole car.

Won't it look a little groovy all painted up??

This pinstriping guy is amazing

The Royal Enfield Motorcycle Company is famous for its unique handcrafted built machines. Now watch this amazing craftsmen handpaint the petrol tank with clean strokes and no brush error, oh yes I am a little jealous as that takes years to learn, incredible.

Model T Ford Production Line Video - Interesting!

Yes I know it's a Ford and not a Chevrolet video but it' still very cool just the same, oh and wait until you see the wooden spoke wheels being put together.

http://youtu.be/S4KrIMZpwCY

Resto: Rustbuster on the rims - Good result

After another weekend of cleaning the chassis and also the 4 x brake housings the old parts are starting to shine nicely and nearly ready for a primer to be sprayed on, Just how far do you take it??
Late Sunday afternoon I finished off with brushing the rustbuster onto the rims and then I left them sit overnight to dry off, so this morning I was out into the shed at 6.15am to have a look and well I can tell you that they came up nice with a lot of the surface rust gone and more of the original black paint showing through which is what I wanted to achieve.

Resto: Rustbuster treatment - "Ranex" by Bondall

Brushed it on, let it dry and then hit it with the wire brush attachment in the angle grinder and bloody hell what a difference it made. Wonderful product and easy to use.

 From This:

To this:

And after the rustbuster

And here is a pic of the front housing which came up like new

Once I get the chassis all cleaned up and rub back, and then the new brake linings installed the chassis will be spraypainted with a metal primer and then a low gloss black paint will be applied as a top coat.
The only thing I will not paint is the motor and steering wheel coloumn, these will stay as they are untouched and original.