[peeve]

Great effort DKG.Man u have it in u !!!.I read ur post in one breath.I think all of us who are madly in love with these old beauties share the same passion deep in side.Sadly this burning passion inside is mistaken as traits of insanity by all the folks around .A true blue vintage enthusiasists like DKG is oblivious to all that is happening around him .Folks at home feel threatened about their very existence when amount car and spares coming in to house kep on increasing .Its often treated as a hostile invasion attakcing the household !! They protest in very subtle ways.....hope it stays that way..Peaseeeee post some pics DKG.Keep it goin ......
Peeve

[DKG]

Getting started with the chassis



65 years of muck and grime was a lot of hard work to clean. Once the coarse stuff was off I had to use a lot of paint remover to scrape off whatever was left of the old factory finished chassis paint. At times I used a wire brush attached to a drill to clean stubborn patches.

Since no one believed I was upto anything worthwhile I didn't want to draw too much attention to the money being spent on this project. So I decided to do all the work myself, manually, at as low a cost as possible.

To anyone else attempting to start frame up, may I suggest its far more efficient to have the chassis sandblasted. Sandblasting is not that expensive. Just the logistics of trucking the chassis to and fro is what needs to be addressed.

Once all the grime and paint was off I washed the chassis with soap water and roughed up the surfaces with emery paper in preparation for the primer



I chose epoxy (hardner system) primer and paint for the job as they have anti corrosive and chip resistant properties. Spilt brake fluid usually damages paintwork.

Oh before I proceed there's a small story behind that chain block in the picture. Initially I was lifting the chassis on to its side and flipping it over for all the scraping manually all by myself. Now this was actually very irresponsible of me as I was risking having it crash onto my chest. Once my mother walked in while I was attempting to flip it over (she usually brought tea for me while I worked) and was horrified at the sight. I was promptly lectured on the lunacy of what I was attempting to do and had to assure her that from then on I'd spend money to ensure the project moves forward with no risk to me. Hence the chain block!!

Believe me its invaluable when you are working on these monsters.



The fabulous Packard Safe-T-Flex chassis (as they called their chassis tech then) was all primed and ready for a coat of paint.

I opted for matt finish chassis black epoxy paint as it looks so much better than the glossy stuff. The undersides of cars finished with this matt finish look like they've come off an assembly line. Personally I feel the glossy look on undersides is a bit of overkill and looks unnatural.




By the way all the painting was done by me too, as I would'nt miss the pleasure for anything. What a joy as you renew a component and give it that fresh look



The first step in this journey was over. The chassis had been scraped, cleaned, primed and painted. Ready to receive other components

[Stanher]

Excellent write-up and a very comprehensive guide on chassis restoration, DKG!

Btw, could you guide me as to the best place in Hyderabad where I could get the chassis sandblasted?

Also about the chassis paint- did you hand/brush paint it or spray it on?

[DKG]

Ganesh sandblasting works in Balanagar. They are located in a lane opposite the bus-stand ahead of HMT.

Do please note that for all external body panels its best to avoid sandblasting as they get warped badly and it'll be a nightmare to get the panel straight finished again. Ideally we need media blasting which can be set to take paint off in layers. I don't think anyone has it in Hyd, but we can explore.

Both primer and paint was sprayed on. Its worth the effort, end result looks awesome. You can buy these paints at Ranigunj at Ganji Venkanna. Please also ensure you pick up epoxy thinners as otherwise regular thinners won't work

When doing the painting at home please ensure the area is well ventilated and you use a mask with charcoal filters. Many a modern paint system have harmful chemicals that can damage your lungs. If I remember correctly the chemicals are a derivative of cyanide(??)

With basic safety precautions you will make the whole experience a real pleasure with no harm done to your health.

[S@~+#0$#]

OT. If anyone needs sand-blasting services in Bangalore PM me. A friend of mine in Peenya has a sand-blasting shop. Also, he is very passionionate about automobiles and has helped in many an automobile restoration.

[suren181]

Originally Posted by DKG

Do please note that for all external body panels its best to avoid sandblasting as they get warped badly and it'll be a nightmare to get the panel straight finished again. Ideally we need media blasting which can be set to take paint off in layers. I don't think anyone has it in Hyd, but we can explore.

DKG, Hats of to you for the DIY mode and for the hard work that you are putting into your project.

Would definitely be PMing you one of these days to drop by to take a look at your labor of love.

Given below is the pic of the paint remover that was used to strip my 1957 Fiat bare of it's paint. It was really effective, though quite a few bottles were used to complete the process. The metal came clean of the paint primer etc.

[JayD]

Suren, how's he fiat coming along? No updates?

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Hello Suren - please update me on your 1957 Fiat. You can give me a ring on 9820709513.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[suren181]

@ JayD: At the moment the tinkering (sheet work) is nearing completion and should be ready to go into paint the coming week. Shall post pics during that time and just before it goes in for primer.

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Hello Suren - please update me on your 1957 Fiat. You can give me a ring on 9820709513.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thank you Behram Sir, I will definitely yake you on this offer and take your advice which is much sought after by many in this forum. Thank you Sir, for this and am deeply honored.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by suren181

At the moment the tinkering (sheet work) is nearing completion

Please consider relating the whole project with pictures and text, from when you acquired the car and how you went about the work done so far. I'm sure it will be interesting reading for many viewers

[suren181]

Originally Posted by DKG

Please consider relating the whole project with pictures and text, from when you acquired the car and how you went about the work done so far. I'm sure it will be interesting reading for many viewers

@ DKG: Given hereunder is the link wherein I have made an attempt at the same. Your inputs will be most welcome. Please do take a look.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...lp-needed.html

[vintageman]

Hello DKG ,

Welcome aboard Team BHP , your passion regarding your restoration project shines through in your write up.

I also restore cars at home - as an amateur , we seem to be restoring similar cars and one of my ongoing projects is a 1934 Packard 120 B .

Regretably I am not very good at writing , so the photos will have to suffice.

I will join issue with you on the purity and the spirit in which restoration projects should be undertaken , but the place for that is in the appropriate thread.

Presently here are photographs of my Packard renovation , presently stalled in order to space out the ongoimg projects.

[vintageman]

[quote=vintageman;741795]Hello DKG ,

1934 Packard 120 B .


That should read as a 1936 Packard 120 B

[DKG]

[quote=vintageman;741816]

Originally Posted by vintageman

Hello DKG ,

1934 Packard 120 B .


That should read as a 1936 Packard 120 B

I'm so delighted to see this car was picked up by you. I had seen pictures of this lovely 36 convertible sedan a few years back and was later informed someone had bought the car. These cars are amongst the prettiest Junior Packards ever made, with very balanced proportions. You are very fortunate to have one.

Its wonderful this thread now has three projects being showcased, hopefully Suren will start posting pictures and narration of his project here too.

Looking forward to many more posts sharing your rich experiences here

[vintageman]

[quote=DKG;742051]

Originally Posted by vintageman

I had seen pictures of this lovely 36 convertible sedan a few years back and was later informed someone had bought the car.

Hello DKG ,

Could not have been this car , may be a similar one.