No Restoration Updates at This Point...

On Thursday, November 4th, 2010, my father-in-law passed away. To say it has been hectic is an understatement. I'm assisting my wife with whatever I can to make sure the service goes as smoothly as possible. I am definitely going to miss him. He made me laugh and we would talk about "the old days" when he was growing up in Zacatecas, Jalisco, and in California. I would show him the vintage cars I was working on and often said to him, "You were X years old when this car was brand new". I would have liked to have my kids so he could meet them and have at least one car restored to cruise him around but that didn't happen. I think the last 5-8 years that I've known him were pretty good years for him. He got to travel a bit and enjoy what life had to offer.

I assume after things settle down around here, I can get back into wrapping up the garage and get back into the '47 Chevy. My brother-in-law has been a huge help with getting house projects completed as my low back pain hasn't made it easy to move around.

I'll post images in the next segment to show you all where the '47 Chevy is at and what next steps are.

'Til next time...

Almost there....

My wife, brother-in-law, and myself just completed the exterior painting of our home! It was quite an ordeal, especially because the summer heat was cooking the area! It easily reached passed 105º F!!! We would either get up early and tackle the painting for a few hours or wait until the early evening. It was well worth the effort because the house looks so much nicer! The colors look crisp and the white trim really make the house "pop". Thanks to my dad for letting me borrow his Wagner paint sprayer; it really made the work go so much easier and faster! I have one major house project left to finish before continuing with Project 47. The last major home project is building a shed in the backyard. This will help organize a lot of stuff and help open up some room in the garage. I did a poor job of keeping it organize and clean!

In the meantime, I've been asking questions regarding the '47 Chevy build to prepare myself for the restoration. Questions like:

• Rack and Pinion - Manual or Power?
• V8 or Inline 6?
• Front Hydraulic Cylinder Installation - Power balls? Coil over or under?
• Shocks for the front and rear?
• Audio system? Should I hook up the OG Chevy radio using drop down voltage resistors?
• PAINT COLOR!!! What to go with?

I hope within 2-3 weeks, I will be picking up where I left off on the project! I haven't worked on it since January of 2008. I'm looking forward to the day I can drive the '47 and take my wife Salsa dancing!

Organizing the Garage

Yeah, I know, sounds weird but I am the type of person to have a orderly work area! Currently, my garage is a mess. It's been a Ghost Town in there and as such, I have been throwing things in there and not putting things away. I currently have the Chevy on a body cart with the frame right under it and stuff piled next to it, making it hard to get anything done. So, for the last few weeks, I have committed to get the garage in order. I will know where the tools are!

The ball is starting to roll....

My short term goal is to keep this blog more updated and to detail what I have been up to with the Chevy Fleetline restoration. I've been hit with several setbacks that I hope will pan out soon to move forward with not only the restoration but with my life. Eddie and I continue to keep Chevybombs (www.chevybombs.com) as active as we can make it. There are a lot of great members there with talent, skills, and knowledge of car restoration. I have always believed everyone has something to contribute to the website, no matter how small or big.

I anticipate that the upcoming months will bring more updates on the restoration of the Chevy. I've been also dealing with low back pain issues that has turned chronic. I attempt to work with it and around it at the same time to keep my moods up.

2010!!!

Well, as you can see, I don't frequent this blog as I should. I am sure there are others who can maybe use my experience with building up an old Chevy Fleetline. I am in the process of re-organizing my garage to better suit the needs of the restoration - and to start and finish "Honey-Do" Projects!

For the past 22-months, I have been going through such an ordeal that I couldn't even make it up! Nevertheless, this car project was started and must be completed. I promised my wife a ride in it and plan to take her downtown San Diego for Salsa Dancing.

At this point, the primary work is in the suspension. I need to establish a good foundation for the car to receive the engine and hydraulics. I have been debating about going with the 350cui V-8 Chevy engine or sticking with the old school Inline 235 engine. At this point, I am going with the V-8 because I have already welded the motor mounts and the automatic transmission cross member.

In the future, I would like to use the Inline 6 and go with a stock look for a future car. I will be posting images soon describing what I started with and where I am at now. Until next time!