Front End Is Nearly Done

[YellowRose]

I received two good but used Lower A Frame panels from Bird Nest this morning and ran them over to the auto shop. They are in very good condition. Don made sure he got me two good ones. Someone in the past had taken out the old lower ball joints without messing up the bolt holes, so all he had to do was put a power wrench to it and take out the old ones.

While there, I saw the results of them cleaning and bathing various front end parts of my Bird. I may have to change her name to Silver Bird by the time they get finished.

You can see pictures of the clean up and work they have been doing while waiting for parts to come in. Go here.

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh281/YellowBirdOfTexas/

[tbird430]

That is a very odd looking pwr.strg control valve, what year car is that off of anyways???

[dgs]

Wow, you painted everything silver? Shiny ...

That PS control valve doesn't look much different from mine, except for the adapters for the fittings. Does seem a little bigger on the bottom side.

[YellowRose]

Front End Is Nearly Done

Hi Ya'll!

The mechanics working on my Bird have taken a shine to her. Some of them have rebuilt old cars like this. One has a '49 Chevy (I think) he rebuilt from scratch. So one of them decided to paint everything silver under there that they could get off and get to, or was going to be replaced. The idea was to cut down on the possibility of rust. I did not get to see my lower A frames, as they were in the bath when I came back with my camera. But they were going to be painted to match the upper ones.

That control valve on her looks like the one in the '59 shop manual on Page 7-17 to me. Knowing the previous owner(s) as I am becoming to know them, for all I know it could be off a 2002 Cadillac! But to me, it does look like the one in the book. They might be finished with it tomorrow.

I wish I could do that kind of work myself. I could save a lot of money. I envy those of you who can. But my heart doctor would probably have her own heart attack if I was to tackle something like that! Besides, I do not have many tools, or a floor jack, or jack stands. Mainly, I do not have the knowledge to tackle something like that. In this Texas heat, (low to high '90's & low 100's) even in the garage, my neighbors would be likely to find me dead of heat exhaustion under the Bird! Also, I see that is really nice to have a hoist to raise the car on so you can stand underneath it and work standing up directly on the underside of the Bird..

Thanks for allll the help! I will get back to working on the Tech Resource Library....

[dgs]

A 4 post lift is on my wish list, but I'm afraid my current garage is too tight (not to mention my budget ). The 'Bird fits with only about 12"-18" to spare. Having it and the minivan in there is real tight, adding a lift in will only make it worse.

[YellowRose]

Front End Is Nearly Done

Hi Doug,

Rose has been sitting on a 4 post lift for the last week or so while they have been working on it, or waiting for parts. Luckily, they have been able to work around that lift being tied up. They have eight bays in that shop, I think there are five or six other lifts.

I see you have the same problem in your garage that I do. Mine is a one car garage. There is a longg set of drawers on the left side. I would like to get rid of it, but I dont know where I would put all the stuff on top of it, and in it! I have just enough room, if I keep the right side of the Bird really close to the right side of the garage to get the drivers side door open. There is no way I could get out of the passenger side. As it is, I have just enough room to walk down the drivers side of the Bird and close the overhead garage door! If I park it to far left, I would have to sleep in the Bird or back it out and try again! I have to be really careful about backing out and making sure I dont scrape the right side of the Bird in doing so. So far, soooo good!

[dgs]

Mine is a 2 car, but that's a tight 2 car unless they're a pair of Civics. The Honda Odyssey that the 'Bird shares the garage with is pretty similar in length & width and it makes things snug. I get the 'Bird up against the wall like you and it helps.

Had the 'Bird and my 18' long pop up camper in together a while back, that was fun too. Dad's got a '57 Eldorado that will be mine one day and it's a full 2' longer than the 'Bird. I'll have to move 'cause it won't fit in this garage!

[YellowRose]

Front End Is Nearly Done

I see we both need wider garages. I am out of luck because I cannot build on to mine. It is only a few feet away from my property line.

Originally, I was thinking about buying a '59 Caddy Coupe de Ville, after doing the power show for my friend in Florida, who restored a blue one for his wife. However, before I went looking for one, I looked up the specs on the width and length of one and found that the tail fins would be sticking about 2-3 feet out my garage door! So much for that idea.

A few weeks ago, I started looking at 64-66 Tbirds. I thought I might sell my '59 for a '66. I like the looks of them, especially the rear seats and the sequential tail lights, disk brakes, etc. I like the '66 because it has that nice looking Tbird emblem in the middle of the grille, that the '64 and '65 do not. I dont like the one with that scrolled S on the side of the roof though. I like the model with the nice looking Tbird there instead. However, I also checked the length and width of that car too. Same thing. To long for my garage, it seems and even maybe to wide! I guess I had better stop looking at other cars.

Yup, it looks like you will have to find a bigger garage for that '57 Eldorado, down the road!

[Guest]

I have both a 60 and 66 and they both fit in my circa 1934 garage. I just signed up to photobucket and have NO idea how to show a pic? I know i won't get this. Any help please?..............................Bill

[fomoco59]

I've got both in my garage also, 20x20' but I've got the luxury of a 18x22' shop behind it for all the tools and powdercoating stuff. I'd like to put a lift in the shop but the ceilings are only 8' due to the 2nd floor and the town ordinance allowing only 20' total height. Both 'Birds are stored "off-site" for the 5 long winter months so the Drivers can get in there out of the snow.

I know... too clean... but it never stays that way.

[Anders]

The big white box there, is it a owen?
( The place is Awesome!)

[fomoco59]

Electric oven for curing powdercoated parts (up to 18")

Hmmm....Maybe this should be a new thread...

[Dan Leavens]

Mike I am impressed with your layout of the garage and the clean floor. About the only our two garages have in common, is 20 X 20 as I am forever moving things around to accomodate the three cars, in a two car garage.

Dano Calgary,Alberta Canada

[Guest]

I have both a 60 and 66 and they both fit in my circa 1934 garage. I just signed up to photobucket and have NO idea how to show a pic? I know i won't get this. Any help please?..............................Bill

Under your pics.(on photobucket) is an IMG code..Click on it and right click copy.
Then right click paste to your thread.

[dgs]

I've got both in my garage also, 20x20' but I've got the luxury of a 18x22' shop behind it for all the tools and powdercoating stuff ...

Wow. I think my 2 car is 18' wide x maybe 20' deep. Might be only 19' deep. I've got a 8'x10' shed for the kids bikes, the mower and stuff so at least I don't have to shuffle that stuff around any more.

Dad's got maybe 24' or 25' wide and 20'-21' deep and get's his 2 daily drivers and the '56 T'bird in there. Makes me struggle. The Eldo is stored off site.