Projects 53 Chevy Bel Air mild custom daily driver

I used some kind of cold filler back in 1962 when I nosed and decked my 53 Bel Air hardtop. Didn't weld the hood seam, back then it was easy to get a 1 piece chrome or SS center strip to replace the stock center. Used the same filler to fill the antenna hole when I moved the antenna to the right back fender and electrified it. Had to spray the primer and paint with a vacuum cleaner. For an inexperienced 17 year old it looked fairly good. Can't paint any better today than I could then.

 

Yeah part of what kinda prompted me to nose and deck and weld and fill the hood was the cost and lack of availability of even a stock hood t strip. Not unaffordable but more than I wanted to pay for one. That and I had no luck finding a nice original chrome rear trunk emblem. So into the spare parts box it all goes lol. I plan on buying a hobo freight welder to weld and peak the hood though

 

Welding and peaking the 53/54 hood is no job for a rookie welder. The hood can get out of shape quickly.

 

Oh I'm going to go very slow. And it's going to be a very small peak. Likely bend 3/8" rod to fit and slowly tack weld in place. And cover welds with cat litter when I let a weld cool

 

While my welding skills are lacking I am good at controlling heat on sheet metal.....one of the few actual welding skills I have lol.

 

3/8 will be a big peak. I used 1/4 and thinking I should have used 1/8.

 

Will that hood be handy Monday?

 

I wanted the blackest black paint for when it came time for real paint. Got a wild hair and brought my gas door to work to strip off the rattle can and spray with the single stage nason black I bought last summer. It's definitely black lol. I may start pulling my doors off one at a time and doing the same thing to them so I have less hand sanding.

 

Nice

 

Now I just have the rest of the car below the belt line to do lol

 

And a fun wholesome Thursday evening. Goal is to have the roof in paint this weekend. So that means I'm going to try to have the roof blocked by tomorrow. Would really like the roof to be in primer tomorrow but we'll see how it works out

 

Goal was to get the roof in real paint this weekend but even before I found a spot where I didn't quite get the filler mixed the concept made me tired lol. Instead I switched to the trunk. Got the rattle can stripped off and am getting primer laid. Figure I'll wet sand the primer in the morning and get it in paint tomorrow afternoon

 

Well thanks to both the wind and a nearby tree getting excited as I laid the last coat a bunch of trash got in the paint. I'll try to fix without repainting again but worst case scenario I just wet sand it and put another couple coats on when I do the quarter panels. Am even more pleased with the paint choice though lol

 

Looks good from here!

 

The blackness of the black hides a lot lol

 

Preaching to the choir

 

And got the wobbly idler arm swapped out. Was definitely more of a pain engine installed not impossible. Steering wheel feels a whole lot different now lol. Also started sanding the quarter panels and stripping paint off rear doors for bodywork and paint. Not too bad for a lazy weekend where I had non jalopy obligations too lol

 

And had a set of nice original upholstery sunvisors given to me yesterday...but in the wrong color. No big deal as since I don't need perfect (but as I AM light sensitive i need visors lol) i went and grabbed a can of vinyl and upholstery paint. I've got the other one drying and have to dig up a mount for it but I'd say it's definitely good enough for the girls I run with lol. Seriously though these kinda made my night. Before I was running one sunvisor I'd recovered..... problem is that despite me having a high natural ability at upholstery visors are one of my weak areas. And without a visor at all my eyes get to hurting during the day. So not only a thing for looks but actually important function

 

I got the other visor in. I think the passenger side mount I used is a lil tweaked and I used the wrong screws but again good enough for the girls I run with lol

 

And i finally got matching size tires on the rear.... previously had one a lil smaller on passenger rear. Had been debating swapping from 3" to 2" blocks but after seeing with matching rear tires I think it'll be fine as is after I swap to smaller fronts..... thinking 195/65/15 on front in place of the current 215/70/15s

 

And because the screws on the bottom hinges were stuck solid I decided to try using panel bond to shave the rear doors handles too since I couldn't just take the rear doors to work to weld them up. Ill scuff and put another layer down tomorrow before sanding and hitting with glazing putty

 

Id hoped to be prepping for primer today but the weather this week went against what the weatherman said and my car lives outside lol. So I'm just now getting the last layer of panel bond over the holes. Threw some tape over it to help sort of keep it's shape as it was trying to run from the angle

 

And the first rear door handle shaved. Glazing putty is currently drying on the other side

 

And finally got a replacement 54 headlight bezel to replace the one I lost a year ago when I hauled the car to the shop so I could install the engine

 

Now that i got a replacement 54 headlight bezel on I feel a lil less self conscious above the front end. And thanks to buying a pair of them today and an oddball on eBay last week I have a spare set so I won't have this problem again. Soon I'll send and paint the grill with some nason bmw bright aluminum paint I have for now till I get replacement chrome stuff. Still need to get tue nice chrome bumper center piece on that I have

 

And two more panels ready to be cleaned and primed. May just prime and paint these two doors before hopping back on the quarters

 

And tonight's goal met. I'll let dry overnight and wet sand in the morning and paint tomorrow afternoon hopefully. Going to leave it masked aside from Bel Air insert to save time. Figure I'll start back in on prepping passenger doors for prime and paint Sunday. Then after all four doors are done I'll move back to the rear quarters and splash pan

 

And doors in paint. Only a couple pieces of trash in paint I can't live with but they'll be easy enough to polish out. I'll get the trim on tomorrow and start back in on the passenger doors. Figure I'll prime passenger doors Tuesday and paint Wednesday

 

Good progress!

 

Kinda surprised im actually meeting goals lol. Technically I met this goal early as I wasn't expecting to start laying color till about now lol. As it is the paint is nearly dry