Call me crazy - Ranchero's (again)

[Luva65wagon]

Update:

Got the wagon to the storage garage yesterday and played musical trucks and got the Ranchero into the garage Saturday about 5PM. Then spent a couple hours and pulled the windshield, back window, head liner, and the grille and front bumper.

This morning Gene came over and spent the day helping me out (THANK YOU GENE). We got the hood, fenders, doors (stripped and removed), the seat and the rear-end out.

I am beginning to see a history of this car unfold. Some wacky "so called" repairs were done to it. You see below the cowl was opened up and they did something in there. They only did this on the passenger side and the driver side is chocked full of stuff. So I may do something similar over on the drivers side. There's holes, but since I'm stripping the entire interior and wiring and steering box, etc., I'll look at it from inside before I drill out 200 spot welds.

So, here are some pics, since we know you all love pics.

[Luva65wagon]

More pics...

[redfalken]

Wow! You're really digging into that beast. I thought you were just gonna weld in some floorpans, fix a few things, new headliner, spit shine it and drive.

But it looks like it's a good thing you're addressing the cowl! I may cut some access holes into mine one day but they look pretty clean and solid so I'm not in a hurry. It looks like a lot of work!

It will be a nice ride when you're done though. Keep up the good work!

[doghows]

Talk about no messing around... She will be a great little car/truck when you are done. I am glad to see her getting some freshening up. I didn't get a chance to cut up the parts car anymore this weekend. I stabbed the engine and transmission in the delivery for the last fit and to make a cross member for the AOD. Let me know when you need the cowl and so forth and I will get it off for you. Keep the pics coming I want to see this one...

[Luva65wagon]

Wow! You're really digging into that beast. I thought you were just gonna weld in some floorpans, fix a few things, new headliner, spit shine it and drive.

That "is" all I'm doing. But if I spit on it now, it would just rust more.

There was just way more needing to be done than I had hoped, but it's sooooo muchhhh easier to just get it down to base level and build it up then to try and work in and around things. But boy, I sure feel like a truck hit me today! Two years of doing nothing but computer work has made me soft. Hope Gene is feeling OK. I put him on the floor reefing on fused shackle bolts. Once the gas tank is out - I can start using some flame on the thing.

Also, on a side note. The car was a deep hunter green and the head liner, which we always though was non-factory, may have been the factory head liner. It was wrapped up and around the very old window rubber and there was no sign of it ever having another in there. So I don't know if they had this combo... like a sportsman's Ranchero, or something.

The roof, as well, I see now why there was Bondo spots up there. The inside of the roof was very wavy from inside.

[Luva65wagon]

Gene again stopped by this evening and helped me pull the Dagenham 4-speed. Gracias senor' Gene.

I then fought more rusted captured nuts that decided to rip the cage apart rather than loosen. But I eventually stripped the dash down to nothing and can do most of the repair to the cowl from inside. And some from the outside.

I was also looking at some stuff at Eastwood that coats the inside of frame rails, which I may use for some of this. Looks kind of ugly, but could then coat it black. Have a look:

http://www.eastwood.com/internal-fra...ay-nozzle.html

Don't know yet what I will do. I'm waiting for an epiphany.

Here's a few more pics to clog the server with.

[Luva65wagon]

Does anybody know what the single stage enamel PPG number is for this color red? I think that's the color I want to paint the interior with.

[doghows]

Go Roger Go... and Gene too!!

[falcon cobra]

Rangoon red PPG # is DAR-17243

[Luva65wagon]

Go Roger Go... and Gene too!!

If I go too fast it will ... just disappear...

Rangoon red PPG # is DAR-17243

Gracias. There goes another $100 per quart, I'm sure.

[Luva65wagon]

Not much progress today - only removed the brake and gas lines, drained the gas tank, pulled the gas tank, pulled the back bumper, pulled the leaf springs, and pulled the exhaust out. It is now totally clear underneath and ready to start hacking away the old to put in the new. But I'll probably pull all the front-end parts off next so the steering shaft is out of the way - and then maybe pull the engine out.............

[Luva65wagon]

I spent a few hours today and yesterday getting all the rest of the bits off the Ranchero. So there is really nothing left on it except the tailgate outer skin and the engine mounts. I pulled the engine out today in about 5 minutes, though it was the first time I ever did something like this over the passenger side fender apron. With no way to move it fore or aft, I had to come in at it from the side and over the edge. Great fun.

So the sheet metal work begins tomorrow or Thursday. I ordered cowl parts and a passenger side front fender apron from a 65 Mustang, so this should be an interesting patch-work to do. All the floor metal is here already.

I was bummed to find a hole in the gas tank. It's not a big one, so should be an easy fix.

I also bought this two-part panel glue and gun to apply it - if at some point anyone needs to borrow the gun, I will make it available to club members -- as long as they give it back -- I still have out there my engine leveler and my windshield polishing kit if anyone knows who has them.

I forgot to bring out the camera today, but will post some today picture tomorrow and some yesterday pictures today.

[Luva65wagon]

A few more pics...

[Jeff W]

I still have out there my engine leveler and my windshield polishing kit if anyone knows who has them.

.

Kenny returned my engine hoist with your leveler still attached. I will get it to you at a future meeting.

[Luva65wagon]

OK - Thanks-