I am fighting a rust monster. I haven’t seen it, but the signs of its voracious appetite are everywhere. The monster’s corrosive, salty venom has taken its toll on my 1966 Chrysler Windsor, even eating away structural components such as frame rails and body mounts.
My first article on my Windsor ended in a cliffhanger in the fall of 2011, just as I pulled the trigger on restoring the body. I removed the grille, bumper, radiator, underhood wiring harness, engine and transmission.
Then the entire front clip was removed and replaced with good parts from my parts cars. Just about the only original part ahead of the firewall to be reused is the hood. I farmed out this part of the work to a local restoration shop. Surgery to the unibody structure was required in the front drivers-side corner to repair one of the body mounts, and I also wanted to get the engine compartment epoxy-primered and painted in the new colour when everything went back together. This picture was taken in early 2012, at the restoration shop.
A replacement front subframe came from one of my parts cars. I had it chemically stripped and powder coated, then I reassembled it with all new suspension and steering components. Then I delivered it to the shop to use in reassembly.
Meanwhile, I was working on other things such as the grille. Here you can see the major components of the grille, many of which are both chrome plated and have painted accents. I used the best pieces from three grilles, including one that I had shipped up from Arizona, plus one NOS part that I bought because I didn’t have one in acceptable condition.
Grille center section masked to repaint black sections (bottom), and unmasked example (top).
I polished the chrome, then masked it off and resprayed the matte black and silver accents. I worked about 40 hours just on the grille. At least the masking was something I could do while sitting on my livingroom floor watching TV.
After having the rolling chassis towed back home on a flatbed, I reinstalled the drivetrain, etc. I made some improvements to the wiring, including a separate wiring harness for the electronic ignition, electric choke and headlight relays. The original inline fusible links have been replaced by a power distribution center with strip-fuses (on the driver’s fenderwell) originally from a Volkswagen. I also added the “heavy duty cooling” option by swapping the original 22″ radiator and rad support for a 26″ radiator, rad support and fan shroud. An aftermarket transmission cooler with custom bracket is mounted in the factory A/C condenser location. Heater hoses have been rerouted from the top of the passenger valve cover to the fenderwell for a cleaner look.
The front bumper has been rechromed, and the bumperettes were another factory option that I added. I drove the car to a couple of local car shows like this in the summer of 2013 before setting to work on it again in the fall. It was time to start disassembling the rest of the car, from the firewall back.
Some brave soul embarked on this quest before me, about 25 years ago. I can see from the well-formed floorpan patches that their intentions were noble. But the rust monster ground away at their resolve, resulting in increasingly shoddy repairs.
Holes in the trunk pan had been filled with tar-like sealer. Fenders were covered in riveted patches, then slathered in bondo. I discovered that rusted-out bumper brackets had been simply backed-up with pieces of sheetmetal behind them.
Whatever I set to work on, the damage was more extensive than anticipated. I had expected to be done with rust repairs a year ago, but still I trudged slowly onward. Here’s a patch I fabricated to repair a section of floorpan adjacent to the passenger-side rear wheelwell, including a seatbelt attachment point.
Under the rear seat, the passenger side had been patched previously but the same section on the drivers side had been deemed “good enough”. I found it to be paper-thin with pinholes and my awl readily pushed through sections. I cut out what I thought was enough, only to discover TWICE that there was more to be done when the MIG welder started to blow holes through the steel I was trying to weld to.
Here’s a before, during, and after collage of my progress on the rear of the car. In addition to repairing the bumper brackets, there is a boxed-in section behind the rear bumper, which is prone to rusting from the inside out. Moisture and road salt find their way in there, but apparently not rustproofing agents. My repair panels are made with galvanized steel, which should help in future.
I patched around the drivers side rear wheelwell, thinking that was the last of my troubles in the trunk. When the steel beside my patch started getting pinholes as I welded, I realized I needed to take a closer look. Ultimately I cut out a large section of trunk floorpan and replaced it with a good section I had saved from a parts car. (My car also inherited a US-style spare tire carrier in the process!) In retrospect, I wish I’d kept one of my parts cars around intact until I was done this stage, as I would’ve used even more from it, instead of fabricating other patches by hand.
Along the way, I also made some improvements to the chassis. Last winter (2014-15) I fabricated a set of subframe connectors to tie the front and rear subframes together to improve chassis stiffness. I made them from 1/8″ thick 2×2″ box.
Here is the driver’s side subframe connector welded in place. It just clears the parking brake cable, so no modifications were required there. For those not intimately familiar with the underside of a C-body Mopar, the front of the car is to the right in this photo.
Adjacent to driver’s rear fenderwell.
I worked assiduously through the winter in my unheated garage to complete the floorpan and structural repairs by the spring of 2015. I believe that is now done. My next steps are to remove the rest of the chrome trim, glass and window regulators, and any final prep for exterior bodywork and paint.
Replacing rotted out section where trunk floorpan overlaps interior floorpan.
I plan to have a professional shop do the exterior bodywork and paint. I decided not to take the car back to the same shop that did the previous work for me. I’m now on the waiting list somewhere else, but he won’t be ready to get started on it until early 2016. This one’s a one-man operation, working out of a shop behind his house. I was initially leery of such an arrangement, but this person comes recommended from a trustworthy source. I was hoping the car would be “done” in time for the Moparfest car show in 2016. That’s looking doubtful, as I’ll still have a mountain of reassembly work to do when it comes back from the paint shop. Regardless of the timing, my next update on this project will hopefully be the conclusion.
Wow–that’s a significant amount of work! Congrats for seeing it through though, and it seems like you’ll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.
Judging by the engine compartment photo, I assume you’ll be going red on the respray?
Yes, I was tired of people calling it my “brown car”, and if I was going to go to this much trouble, I decided I’d rather have a colour that I really like versus one that is factory correct.
I went with an 80’s Cadillac colour called “Autumn Maple Firemist”. In person it’s more of a maroon, not fire engine red as it appears in the photo. It’s difficult to photograph the colour accurately. The amount of metalfleck and and pearl in the paint confuses the camera. It looks worse, like a bright orange, if you use a flash.
hehehe I love its original colour but this body looks great in any colour.
Nice work!
Nice work, I know the feeling of falling down the rabbit hole. I don’t know why, but I love the completed front subframe sitting on a tow dolly.
Impressive! I admire your perseverance.
It’s a very nice looking car and well worth the effort. Will the mods be confined to the engine bay?
Pretty much. To the untrained eye I want the car to appear stock, as long as the hood is closed. 🙂
A sleeper, I love it! It’s what I want to do with my old Ford.
I looked up Autumn Maple Firemist. That’s going to be a very attractive car. FWIW, this Ford guy approves! 🙂
Ah, rusted body mounts. I recall back while working at the local A&P in high school, early 70’s, that an older full-timer in the Meat Dept. had a ’62 Biscayne that also had hidden rot.
Until the day he made a right turn, and the body continued going straight while the rest of the car went a slightly different direction.
Us PT’ers used to bust on him by stealing the wipers off his arms, so that he’d (continue to) gouge out a lovely cut glass arc in his windshield.
The perseverance will pay dividends in the finished product, and in the pride which comes along with, “I did that.”
It’s looking good so far! It’s a beauty and all your hard work is already showing off. Can’t wait to see more progress!
I love these hands-on articles! I’ve done rust repair and there’s a point in the process where you ask yourself, how did I get myself into this? But you soldier on because if you do it right you know the repair will last a long time and you know you own something done right. Your craftsmanship looks top-notch, BIGOLDCHRYSLERS!
+1 on the rust repair. I know my limitations and dealing with rust (correctly) is beyond my level of expertise. I truly admire those who are willing and able to perform this type of craftsmanship. Looking forward to the finished product.
You sure get to a point if you wonder if you will ever know another day where you aren’t trimming, bending, and welding sheetmetal. As tedious as it is, the perverse among us get to like it. 🙂 Looking good!
I bow before the deity of sheetmetal! As I look at these photos, I am awestruck at the intensity of the work, not to mention the quality. You are going to have a beautiful car when you are finished. A car that will never again be driven in winter, I presume?
I have done rust repair before (71 Scamp, back about 1980 or 81), but I was that guy with riveted patches and bondo. Those guys in dry climates have no idea how good they have it.
As for the color change, I am sure that you agonized a long time over that. I have wrestled with that one myself before. I kept the same color on my 67 Ford convertible back in the late 70s, as much to keep cost down as for devotion to originality. I have to agree that the original shade on your Chrysler was never a fave of mine (I think everyone offered some variation of that color in the 60s, and I luckily avoided it). I can’t wait to see the final product!
Winter, heck no! The last time my Windsor saw any winter was 1999-2000, the year I bought it. I actually had the underside oil sprayed two or three times over the years to make sure any residual salt in the seams didn’t continue to do any more harm.
That made it very messy when I started working on the floorpan though. I spent hours laying under the car, attacking it with a paint scraper, then cans of brake parts cleaner, and finally an angle grinder with a wire wheel and occasionally a flap disk on it. Working in a confined area with an angle grinder is kinda scary.
Well done youve done a great job on that car, Ive been there I started with a rusty Hillman Minx and a 8×4 sheet of 1mm panel steel and ended up with a roadworthy Minx and no sheet metal left over all done in an open car port now I’m just playing with mechanical upgrades but like you from the outside I have a tidy though not immaculate stock standard car, I look forward to seeing the results.
It is really a rabbit hole. My 67 LeSabre and I have spent much time together as I surgically remove rusty sheet metal and fab new pieces. You have a great deal of patience my friend.
My hat’s off to you. Living on the west coast, it’s a bit hard to relate to though. Sorry. 🙂
As a fellow sufferer of the predations of the dreaded Tinworm — including two victims of the Rusty Ford Years which went to tragically early graves at ages six and eleven — I well know the viciousness of the enemy you are up against. “Rust never sleeps” to quote some singer I don’t like. And yes, as you say, when you think you’ve got it all there can still be MORE car-cancer lurking beyond the obvious contamination. I admire your determination to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it right. Your fastidiousness will pay off in the final product. (Which reminds me, I still haven’t booked that appointment at the local Krown shop.)
But it’s been quite a l-o-n-g project, hasn’t it? Since 2011? With an estimated finish date of late summer 2016? That’s patience. Sure hope you have something else reasonably fun to drive in the meantime!
Nice work on a nice car. Keep the faith and you’ll have an awesome ride!
That will be one fine automobile when you’re done, drive it in good health.
I too am so lucky not to have to deal with rust issues in my climate. I don’t think I would have the determination and patience you have to make sure this extensive repair/restoration job is done right. Looks like the car is approaching the light at the end of the tunnel. I actually like the original color, but you have chosen what you like and that’s what matters in the end. Nice work and write up as well.
Glad to see that you didn’t give up on this car! The bodystyle on this sled is nothing short of gorgeous, and while the rust seems extensive the car is definitely worth saving. Hard work pays off, and that’s one sharp ride that’ll pay you back for years with ear to ear grins. Nice work, so far man!
A great automotive example of ‘labor of love’. Any sixties’ Chrysler Windsor, even one in absolutely pristine original condition (let alone one massively restored) will just about never be worth all that much. But to many, it’s still a fine automobile (particularly as much more of a regular driver), and the dedication and perseverance to see that extensive of a project through to its conclusion is admirable.
I admire anyone who has the patience and skills to carry such work. It’s a car worth preserving. I really enjoyed the features and the great variety of images documenting you’re work. Carry on!
That all looks way too familiar.
Eventually, I am either going to have to learn to weld myself, or give up on mine (or both).
Can’t wait to see it done. 🙂
Jolly Good ! .
I wish I had your skill set as both my Metropolitan and my Morris Minor have some rust issues .
Keep the GREAT up dates coming ! .
Beautiful car .
-Nate
First car I paid money for was 67 Chrysler 300 2 door hardtop, I can relate with the rust issues living in s.e. Michigan, I bought this car in 1977 and had no idea what this car was. In 1978 I took the 440 and the big torque flite and put it in a 1970 dodge polara that was much less rusty, was unable to keep drive shafts in the car because I did not switch the leaf springs and didn’t know what a pinion snubber was, I wish I had these cars back, but that was a long time ago, your metal smith work is beutiful, keep on the fight!
I quite like the current color as it is, but in *this* –
http://www.fleetofcads.com/prettyone/prettyone04.JPG
– it’s gonna look just gorgeous ! Would like a black vinyl top as well, like on this one –
http://www.classiccarcatalogue.com/C/chrysler%201965%20300l.jpg
– but I suppose that is not an option…
Nice work !..
The colour shows off the chrome really well. What you don’t see in that Caddy picture is the amount of flop it has. take a look at this GTO that the owner decided to paint Autumn Maple.
http://cloud9classics.com/1968-pontiac-gto-convertible-42500/
The colour has a lot of flop in direct sunlight versus diffused, and goes a beautiful maroon in the shade. I think this will play very well with the lines of my car, but the bodywork has to be perfect.
I wouldn’t go with vinyl, even though it looks very nice. At some time in the future I may get the roof repainted (gloss) black for a similar look. For now I’m going with a single colour though.
Can’t wait to see it.
Great work! Nice to see the effort put into saving a car that suffered fom so much rust. Your style of building a car that appears stock but has subtle upgrades is right up my alley. Keep us updated!
Fantastic work. I too have fought with the rust monster. I loved my old Mercedes 220D I swear I replaced about 1/4 of the bodywork. Seems like another 1/4 needed replacing just months later. Ugh. You are a better man than I as I just moved on.
Thank you everyone for the encouraging words! I haven’t made any progress over the summer, not surprisingly, but fall is coming. Once the summer driving season is over and my other big old Chrysler is away in storage, I’ll have room to work in the garage again.
Nice work, looks like it will be pretty impressive when finished. Had a friend who rebuilt an Alfetta GTV2000 in his final year of high school, he also went through a whole sheet of steel. Trouble was 5 years later it was rusting through right next to the joins where he had let in new steel, nearly broke his heart.
It certainly seems that your Windsor will be better than new when you finally have this job completed. Congratulations, and hang in there!