Cutlass_stuff

The links should open slide shows in another tab or window. If you point the mouse in the top right corner click the 4-arrrow thing to make the pictures full screen.

Last updated October 5 2019

January 2015
Pulled the seats and carpet. Here's a slide show with some pictures - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_1_car_floor/

February 2015
Prep for getting the body off the frame. Here's another slide show - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_2/

Dropped the gas tank
Disconnected the parking brake cable. I used a hose clamp inside the car to collapse fingers while turning the outside with a wrench and pulling the cable.
Took out the brake pedal.
Pushed wiring from the trunk that goes to bumper mounted lights down. I used a heat gun to soften the rubber.
Disconnected the heater hose at the back of the engine and a ground strap.
Disconnected the carb link and the plug for the switch pitch transmission.
Emptied the master cylinder, disconnected brake lines and wrapped the ends.
Disconnected steering at the rag joint.
Disconnected column shift link.
Removed the master cylinder and brake booster.
Took a wrench to the body mounts.
- For the 4 in front the outer ones snapped and the inner ones came out intact.
- For the 2 in the trunk one came out and the other snapped.
- I didn't go after the ones inside the cabin. I'll be grinding whatever is left of the captured nuts for those.

More prep for getting the body off the frame. Here's another slide show - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_3/

I ground the driver side body mount bolt. What was left of the captured nut was thicker than I thought it would be.
For the passenge side mount bolt I took the TIG torch to heat it up. I cooked some PB Blaster and then mushroomed the bolt, so I had to grind it. Woo hoo, got that bolt out!
I ground the heads off the bolts behind the rear tires. With all the rot above those I don't think anything else could have een done there.
I got some angle iron from a welder in town. I plan to V from the striker to each hinge and run 1 piece across from 1 side to the other. 1 piece is a little short.
4 pieces of angle iron with some 1/8" tacked in.
I used the TIG as a very crude plasma cutter and blasted some holes for the hinge bolts. I don't have a drill press so this a lot easier than starting the holes with a drill.
I drew circles around the strikers with a crayon to get a starting point when they go back in later.
The PS striker was too stripped to come out. I welded a bolt to it. That will get it out!

Body off the frame part 1 - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_4_body_off_frame_part1/

Body off the frame - part 1. In part 2 I'll be getting the body higher. The theory behind how I did this:
Raise the frame
Disconnect frame from body
Lower frame supporting the body similar to how a lift raises the body
Theory meets reality - I've got about 4 inches between frame and body. I need to get the body higher.
Disconnected parking brake line from the frame
Braced each door. Note they needed a bend.
Welded a section of angle iron across
Raised the frame as high as possible on jack stands
Noticed enough rust under the trunk to build something to support it before lowering the frame
Attached wood to wheel ramps to support the body
Lowered the frame
The front tipped down as that was the heavier part. I had a big teeter totter!
I jacked up under the radiator support and added wood under the front crossmember, then the axle

March 2015
Trunk - Passenger side gas tank brace repair - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_5_gas_tank_brace_repair/

There's a patch like this on both sides of the trunk. Here's what I saw on the passenger side.
Pictures from the wheel wheel and underneath.
I started with a spot weld bit that's round with teeth, and cut through too far. I also cut too deep into the braces in a few places.
2 patches to go in.
I welded up holes and slots I accidentally cut in the gas tank brace.
There's a pic of what I cut out.
I ground down the welds when all done.

July 2015
Trunk Wheel well rust repair (driver side) - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_6_ds_trunk_repair/index.html

Warning - a lot of pictures in this one (54)
The first 4 pictures are before. The next 4 are after. The ones after that are most of the details in between.

September 2015
Passenger side trunk to quarter panel filler repair - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_7_trunk_filler_fab/index.html

The first few pictures are before, the next few after after, and then follows the work in between.
Drilled out spot welds, top and bottom.
Cut out most of the part.
Compared old to new. Significant differences.
Flattened out the top and re-bent to match the old part.
Created the rear section.
Cut some slots in the front and tried to match the front of the quarter panel. It didn't go well.
Since reforming the stamping on the new part didn't go well I fabricated the front part. There's lots of pictures covering those steps.

September 2015
Passenger side trunk rust repair - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015_8_ps_trunk_repair/index.html

The first few pictures are before, the next few after after, and then follows the work in between.
There was metal riveted in on the passenger side.
I removed what was riveted and fixed the gas tank brace earlier.
The patch was trimmed to fit.
Additional metal was added to the patch.
Drilled holes for plug welds.
Welded the patch in. Those little sheet metal clamps sure did come in handy!

October 2015 - February 2016
Frame repair - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2015-2016_frame/index.html

Frame rust repair.
Outer body to frame hole in front - driver and passenger sides.
Repaired a big mess under the driver side door, both sides. An extra layer was patched for more strength.
Middle body to frame mount holes repaired on both sides.
The rear frame to body bracket was replaced on the drivers side.
www.autorust.com sells this bracket. https://www.autorust.com/product/frame-mount-gm-a-body-art-063/

February - May 2016
Driver side kick panel & inner rocker panel repair- http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2016_1_hinge_pillar/index.html

BIG THANKS to Squid for posting pics of the same repair on a GTO!!! http://www.squidsfabshop.com/bodyw2/GTObody2.php
28 pics this time. 5 before, 3 after, and the rest are in between.
This is the driver side hinge pillar. There's a few layers sandwiched together in this section.
The grey paint is MasterCoat Permanent rust sealer.
I thought I would paint most of the parts and leave an area unpainted for the plug welds. That wasn't the best idea.

May - November 2016
Floor braces, inner rocker, driver side floor, & some frame painting - http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2016_2_floor_braces_and_ds_floor/index.html

I cut out some floor sections to assess the front and middle braces.
I thought only 1 side would need to be replaced on each brace and cut out the driver side floor.
As I removed more undercoating I determined the entire front and middle brace would need to be replaced.
The inner rocker rusted out where the braces are attached so that part got repaired.
All 4 sections where the front and middle floor braces are attached to the inner rocker needed repair.
While the braces were out it occurred it's easier to access some of the frame.
The frame got wire wheeled, some rust repair, and treated with MasterCoat.
The braces got put in.
The driver side floor was trimmed to fit, then added some back on when too much was trimmed.
Gaps were still too big in some places but I've got to get this thing in!
I painted the bottom and put undercoating on the floor before welding it in.
The floor edges got butt welded in and then plug welded to braces and the rockers.

December 2016
Teardown passenger side by the front of the inner & outer rocker panels http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2016_3_passenger_side_rocker_teardown/index.html

Cut out the inner rocker rust towards the front.
Cut out the cowl side hinge panel lower reinforcement.
Some pictures of rust on the outside lower hinge and outer rocker area.
Back inside cut out the next panel.
Rust in the door frame and more outside around the lower hinge with cut marks from a red Sharpie.
A bunch of rust was cut out.

December 2016 - April 2017
Rebuild of stuff - passenger side by the front of the inner & outer rocker panels http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2017_1_passnger_side_rocker_rebuild/

76 pictures in this one, a whole lot of breaking things into smaller parts and putting it all together.
Outer rocker where the fender attaches.
Support piece that goes between the rockers for convertibles. I cut off more so I would be able to weld in the repair.
Door frame rust repair.
Rust repair on the inside by the lower door hinge.

June - September 2019
Rebuild of of the driver side fender and brace http://www.mcewan.rocks/cutlass_stuff/2019_1_ds_fender_repair/

For this fender I had to rebuild a bunch of the inner brace out of 19 guage, patch the outside including pressing some indentations on the bottom, and create a piece in between out of 16 guage
This repair took a bunch of working some on the brace, work on the patch, put it on, see what doesn't work, and repeat.
The smaller brace was made out of 16 guage to match the original. For that I made it in 2 pieces, did the bends, and welded it together.
I tried to match new patches with the old but ended up extending the inner brace twice to get stuff to fit!
The slideshow has 51 pictures in total. It can be paused and set to full screen. I haven't figured out how to make it end after 1 run.
The first few are before and after, pictures of the "press" I made to build the bottom, then the brace, then the smaller brace, fitting the patch, and assembly