'84 WH1 has set outside for 17 years.

[Mike Horak]

This might be helpful:
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1837&osCsid=644b5edde4ada0097a592d89773d692d
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1677&osCsid=644b5edde4ada0097a592d89773d692d

Thanks.

I saw these in my surfing and forgot where it was.

gbodyparts.com has quite a selection of replacement parts and deserves a huge thanks for their work. As well as all the other vendors and manufacturers that are coming up with new stuff.

With the photos I have accumulated I think I can duplicate the contours I need to replace. The center rail and top plates are in good conditions still. The front weatherstrip retainer strips will be replaced.

 

[RUDE DOG]

Thats good that you can come up wth a plan of attacking that rust. Dont give up on that car, save it. Get yourself a media blaster, it will help a lot.

 

[Mike Horak]

..... Get yourself a media blaster, it will help a lot.

I am a tool addict so the media blaster is not a problem. It's the best way I know of to sort out the good metal from the bad.

 

[Mike Horak]

Back in the shop. Dash is out. Started cutting sheet metal out and patching under the rear seat. Nice to get back to my own project after working on everyone else's.

 

[Kaine Beedenbender]

Hey mike, nice progress. I was out at gbodyparts today and met Brian and Michael. I got the grand tour and that place is pretty impressive. I was short on time so i want to go back and get some more parts and info. I rebuilt my replacement turbo today, did valve covers, and a few little items. Looks like you are going crazy over there, impressive! Keep us up to date. My TT will be running within a week hopefully. I wish you were closer to NC, would love to help out with the restore and learn.

 

[Mike Horak]

Hey mike, nice progress. I was out at gbodyparts today and met Brian and Michael. I got the grand tour and that place is pretty impressive. I was short on time so i want to go back and get some more parts and info. I rebuilt my replacement turbo today, did valve covers, and a few little items. Looks like you are going crazy over there, impressive! Keep us up to date. My TT will be running within a week hopefully. I wish you were closer to NC, would love to help out with the restore and learn.

Making progress but still have an endless list of repairs on this body. Everything I take off the car reveals a new list of issues. Cut the rust out of the drivers side A pillar Tuesday ended up with about a foot of material gone. Picked up some 16 gauge sheet metal at the steel supply place Wednesday and started fabbing. The lower pillar seems to be heavier steel than most of the body so it will take longer to fab and piece in. I am fascinated by the way a car is put together. My challenge is to duplicate it's original structural integrity and it's cosmetic appearance.

I travel quite often for work. If I am in your neck of the woods I'll have to look you up.

 

[Mike Horak]

Drivers side A pillar before and after. Still have some grinding to do on the welds but progress is being made.

Working on the T-Top front drivers side this afternoon. Appears to be broken as well as rusted out.

 

[RUDE DOG]

Mike thats looking good, im glad ive got that part of my build done. I wish I was living closer to you like Kaine said so that I could give you a hand also. I enjoy doing metal work. If you have some time check out my build here is a link http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/my-restoration-started.357958/

 

[Mike Horak]

Mike thats looking good, im glad ive got that part of my build done. I wish I was living closer to you like Kaine said so that I could give you a hand also. I enjoy doing metal work. If you have some time check out my build here is a link http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/my-restoration-started.357958/

You've come a long way. Looks great. I like how the floor pans turned out.

I'll be doing the same but will have to do some fabing on the sides. Tossing around the idea of running heavier material from the front body mount area to the rear cross brace to stiffen things up a bit. Opinions?

 

[Kaine Beedenbender]

I am dreading what i will find when i pull mine apart. For now i found a good deck lid for $40 local and going to paint that. I dont know how to do sheet metal, weld, or bodywork so i am up the creek. Lots of credit for you guys being able to do that.

 

[charlief1]

I can weld but had no idea of how to do body work. I tried it many years ago and it wasn't pretty at all. Do a bunch of searching on the net and start reading up on how to do it. My first rear quarter looks ugly, but the second one you can barely tell it was replaced except from the inside.

 

[Mike Horak]

My welding skills are fair to good. If I want a perfect job done I probably would not do it myself.

I found a long time ago that body work is a skill the involves a ton of patience. The more care you take in getting it right the better the paint will look (Escpecially with so many of these cars being black - you can't hide imperfections with shiny black paint)

The best way to learn is to dig in and get some practice.

 

[Kaine Beedenbender]

Lots of progress last night! Now i am at least able to pass inspection i think...

- Rewired / cleaned headlights (bad plug)
- Replaced wiper / cruise stalk (Took a bit of fishing through the column with a wire)
- Spark Plugs and 1/2 of the wires (Wicked thunder storm thwarted me!)
- Cleaned out 28 years worth of hardened gunk in each taillight bulb socket. (Lots of scraping and brake cleaner.)
- Replaced taillight bulbs and taillight i rebuilt. Had a broken clear lens.

 

[Mike Horak]

Havin a few after doin some fabricating and decided to get the stripper out. Looks like some body work

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[Mike Horak]

Bondo removal has uncovered considerable rust damage around the DS rear wheel well. After a fruitless search for new body panels (which I figured would be the case) I am willing to accept that I am going to need a donor car body before I am done with this project. In the coming few months I am officially in the market for a relatively solid and cheap Regal. The areas that need to be solid and straight are rear wheel wells, door thresholds (between rocker and floor pan), front body mount area. A complete base regal would be nice (could use some misc. interior pieces when the time comes).

Keep me in mind this fall if you run across anything. I am in Michigan but if the price is right you'd be surprised how far I would drive to pick one up.

 

[Anarchy]

omg... wow talk about your hands full.. man ill be watching this thread close. good luck man... you can do it....

 

[RUDE DOG]

Ill keep an eye out for you out here

 

[Mike Horak]

Couldn't sleep this morning. Decided to clean up some stuff. Right side t top seal retainer disintegrated so I figured I might as well do some fabbing. Hopefully I can weld it without warping the hell out of it.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[RUDE DOG]

Look up Toby_goodmk I believe he has a few parts you might need.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[Anarchy]

nice. man really nice glad to see you starting to make progress.