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Location: Hickory, NC | I figured I'd post some progress on my '59 Belvedere. I got this car a little over a year ago. The previous owner had started trying to restore the car...I started off with the idea of just having a driver...and it has snowballed quite a ways from there..
Car has a little over 26,000 miles on the odometer. Those are the actual miles. I have the original dealer invoice, paperwork, etc.
The photo of the car on the rollback is how the previous owner received it. The next photo shows what she looked like when I bought her.
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Location: Hickory, NC | The car had a miss...I was hopin for an easy fix. I found a severely bent pushrod and some of the others were a bit bent. My guess is that the car had been run on some old gas and the valves stuck. The engine was full of sludge..I decided I better just pull the thing and go through it.
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Location: Hickory, NC | I pulled the engine and decided to just go ahead and rebuild the whole thing and be done with it. You can see the sludge that was in the oil pan.
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Location: Hickory, NC | And Done!
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Location: Hickory, NC | Just kiddin... I got the block back from the machine shop and began putting it back together.
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Location: Hickory, NC | I also took the time to detail the frame and floors. It was a messy job wire wheeling all the rust and grease off. I painted the floors (top and bottom) and frame with POR-15 paint.
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Location: Hickory, NC | I wanted to paint the firewall before putting the engine and front clip back on. I removed the windshield and dashboard since the dash needed repainting and to see if there was any rust issues underneath the windshield gasket.
I cleaned up and prepped the firewall. Treated the rusty areas with acid. Primer and then paint. Its hard to make out in the photos but the final coat is the correct Powder Blue.
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Location: The Bat Cave, Fairborn, OH | It looks to me that you had some of the nicest floor pans of any FL car of this vintage. It must have been a southrn car surely? |
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Location: Hickory, NC | 58 DESOTOS RULE - 2014-04-07 12:09 PM
It looks to me that you had some of the nicest floor pans of any FL car of this vintage. It must have been a southrn car surely?
Car spent its whole life in TN. The car is amazingly solid. But the decklid, trunk floor, and trunk weatherstrip channel have rot. I'm guessing the rear of the car always sat outside as if parked in a carport. |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Williams California | You've come a long way, Austin!! Lookin good!! |
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Location: little rock, AR | Not another trailer queen. LOL. Are you going to paint the whole car now? I really like what you have done. Great job a on a 4dr sedan. |
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Location: Hickory, NC | oldwood - 2014-04-07 4:30 PM
Not another trailer queen. LOL. Are you going to paint the whole car now? I really like what you have done. Great job a on a 4dr sedan.
I don't believe in trailer queens. You know what else comes to and from car shows on a trailer? The porta-johns!! I drive my cars!
Eventually the car will be repainted. As well as all interior pieces. New interior, bias ply tires, etc. She'll be the nicest car I've ever owned.
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Walter passed away on Jul 29, 2014. We will miss you, Walt!
Posts: 5358
Location: Heaven Above (Formerly Oklahoma City,OK) | Don't stop now, keep on going. You got the good start made, and it's lookin' good. . . . . |
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Location: Hickory, NC | Today I finished trimmin out the door jambs and whatnot.
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Upper Hunter NSW Australia | ..........
Good progress shots there.
Gee that engine was sludged up, looks like it had done a lot of short length trips to sludge up like that, and/or someones taken the thermostat out.
Did you rebore,new pistons,rings ?
Looks like quite a ring ridge in the before shots, can't seem to see any ring ridge remains in the after shots, can see the hone marks from the machine shop.
........ |
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Location: NE Ohio | What Terry said |
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Location: Hickory, NC | VAN HELSING - 2014-04-08 8:48 PM
..........
Good progress shots there.
Gee that engine was sludged up, looks like it had done a lot of short length trips to sludge up like that, and/or someones taken the thermostat out.
Did you rebore,new pistons,rings ?
Looks like quite a ring ridge in the before shots, can't seem to see any ring ridge remains in the after shots, can see the hone marks from the machine shop.
........
From my understanding the lady who owned this car only drove it short trips to and from town. Hence the low miles. She drove the car until her license was taken away. Car still had the original pivot type thermostat in it. I'm guessing lack of oil changes in the later years and the short drives is what added to all the sludge!
There was a noticeable ridge in the cylinders. Not severe...but enough that I did have the block bored. |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: California | Did you ever pick up that cleaveland steam roller you were looking at Austin? |
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Location: Hickory, NC | Paul Hettick - 2014-04-11 1:03 AM
Did you ever pick up that cleaveland steam roller you were looking at Austin?
Yea I found one the other day. I'm still lookin for that glass bottom boat you are dying to find! |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: California | The progress shots look great! Glad to hear you got the cleaveland steam roller. I heard they can be pretty messy. No glass bottom boat yet but still looking. So when are we going to Boston again for pancakes? |
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Location: Hickory, NC | I've been waiting for you to fix your rusty trombone before getting your pancakes you like so much from Boston. |
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Location: Hickory, NC | With the help of a friend I got the 318 and Powerflite bolted together. Sure is a pain getting that torque converter lined up!
And then lowered the engine and trans into the car...finally! Bolted in the rear cross member and trans mount. Now I can move on to the rest of the body and hopefully get this car in paint before too long!
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Georgia | Very nice, A! That big V-8 looks right at home in there! Good work!
She's going to be an original betty, for sure!
Pete |
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Location: little rock, AR | I looked at 1 family owned '59 4dr sedan Savoy tonight. It has a flathead 6 and a 3 onda tree with 68k actual miles. However, they have let it sit outside and the trunk and floor pans are toast. The body is pretty good shape except for the missing front valence. I'll probably buy it and put it someones hands that's trying to get into the antique car hobby without selling their 1st born. |
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Posts: 4533
Location: Ripon, WI | My recommendation is to put new seals in that steering gear while you have easy access to it yet..... |
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Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Some more progress:
I took the dashboard apart and repainted it. I also took the time to take the gauge cluster apart to clean it up and repaint the needles.
I had the door panels recovered. I kept the original textured vinyl in the center.
Edited by PlymouthFury 2014-10-29 3:37 PM
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Location: Hickory, NC | The trunk weather strip lip was practically non existent. All that was left was some jagged metal just waiting to give someone tetanus!
I removed what was left. I had a rear license panel that I bought from a junkyard with a decent trunk weatherstrip channel. I drilled out the spotwelds and then welded it in place.
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Williams California | Mucho De Goodo, Senor! |
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Expert
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Location: little rock, AR | Looks like that one will be ready for Forward Look Ambush on Carlisle for 2015. Loooookin good!!! |
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Location: North Australia | PF, the block freeze plug installation on your engine block is critical. I see brass plugs and they look to still be too convex. Please know I have only one engine worth of experience with this type, but I have had 1 blow out and I did a lot of research. Others on here will know what I am talking about. Keep a keen eye out when re-commissioning your engine.
I like your car, 59 Plymouth was the first FL car I ever saw, a Sport Fury.
Steve. |
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Location: Hickory, NC | oldwood - 2014-11-19 8:48 PM
Looks like that one will be ready for Forward Look Ambush on Carlisle for 2015. Loooookin good!!!
I'm hopin she'll be ready!!
60 Imp - 2014-11-20 7:48 AM
PF, the block freeze plug installation on your engine block is critical. I see brass plugs and they look to still be too convex. Please know I have only one engine worth of experience with this type, but I have had 1 blow out and I did a lot of research. Others on here will know what I am talking about. Keep a keen eye out when re-commissioning your engine.
The freeze plugs on this particular block were installed by the machine shop. I've built several engines but the plugs I'm used to installing are the bowl type that were hammered in instead of the center punched variety. Not sure what the official names are...these plugs seemed to be in the block pretty tight however.
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Location: Hickory, NC | The trunk floor was covered in fiberglass and resin when I got the car. After ripping up all that garbage I found this pop riveted patch upon patch trunk floor "fix" underneath. I tore that out to reveal the extent of the rust.
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Location: Hickory, NC | Using a section of trunk floor out of a 57 Plymouth I went about the business of cutting out the thin, junky metal and welding in the patch panels. After the welds were smoothed up I coated the floor with POR15. Eventually the trunk area will be repainted gray and undercoated like factory.
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Location: Hickory, NC | Removing the back glass revealed the typical rot found on most of these cars.
I cut out the rusty areas and welded in small patch panels. After cleaning up the welds the whole back glass area was coated in POR15.
That should keep the rust away!
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Elite Veteran
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Location: California | Looking good! Hurry and get it done so u can get on that two tone green 57 savoy! |
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Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Paul Hettick - 2014-11-21 12:07 AM
Looking good! Hurry and get it done so u can get on that two tone green 57 savoy!
She does deserve a good restoration! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 982
Location: Upper Hunter NSW Australia | ...........
My 59 Dodge also had those same pop riveted patch upon patch upon patch upon patch upon patch upon patch panels on the trunk floor as well............
Lazy way of fixing up rust holes but I suppose it was better than having the groceries falling through the trunk floor........
Nice pics of your trunk floor repairs
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | VAN HELSING - 2014-11-21 2:32 AM
My 59 Dodge also had those same pop riveted patch upon patch upon patch upon patch upon patch upon patch panels on the trunk floor
If you're gonna pop rivet in a floor... I don't understand the need for using 10 pieces of metal. Why not just one? Kinda odd. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7809
Location: Williams California | Austin-
Years ago I had a '58 Ford retractable here that spent most of its time in Michigan, there were three replacement quarter panel skins pop riveted and metal screwed on top of one another on both sides, and several layers of rocker panels done the same way. I remember seeing that kind of thing often years ago, to get the last year or so out of an old car.
Nice work on the rust repairs too!!
---John |
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Expert
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Location: little rock, AR | Its refreshing to see a 4dr get the love that the skinny blondes receive. We are going to have a couple of warmer days than usual here in Little Rock. I'll be working on stripping out the swivel seat and carpet out of the '60 Plymouth to see what the pans look like. The drivers side was shot but I'm hoping to find better metal in the rest of the car. Austin, darn the torpedoes , full steam ahead!!!
Edited by oldwood 2014-11-28 7:37 AM
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Location: Hickory, NC | I prefer sedans over hardtops in many instances. I especially love strippo cars with no options. All cars deserve to be driven. Just because they aren't the car that most everyone considers "cool" or "hip" or whatever doesn't mean it automatically should be passed by as parts. Not everyone back in the day had one of none red and white D500 convertibles with every option known to man. Most people had the cheaper cars. It's nice to have something different at a carshow. |
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Location: little rock, AR | I always have an extra dollar for a STRIPPER!!! My 2 strippers '60 and '61 Plymouths know how to take care of me. |
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User has resigned from board
| no better feeling in the world than working on your own mopar, from the simplest to the most complexed, im always in aww of the men who can take theses neglected and forgotten mopars and bring life back to them , I think we all feel like that kid in the movie christine , when he drives by that house with the 58 Plymouth siting the yard and has to stop and save her, that's the best part of that movie , |
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Expert
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Location: Hickory, NC | Decided to tackle the rust issue on the driver's quarter. Removing the paint revealed the swiss cheese...
I cut out the bad portion as well as a part that was rusty on the inner quarter. I then welded in a patch I made from a license panel. Still needs some finish work...but I busted my drop light and it was near impossible to see with a welding helmet on!
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Location: little rock, AR | You need to head to Arkansas and give welding classes. Looking good!!! |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Williams California | Austin, were the inner panels OK? I find a lot of them are thin if the outside is showing rust bubbles, but definitely not always.
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Location: Hickory, NC | big m - 2014-12-01 2:34 PM
Austin, were the inner panels OK? I find a lot of them are thin if the outside is showing rust bubbles, but definitely not always.
The inner panel had some rust. I cut it out and welded in a patch. The passenger side is totally rust free. |
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Expert
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Location: Hickory, NC | Today was I the 70s so I figured I best take advantage of the warm day.
I painted the backside of both front fenders gray and undercoated as done at the factory. It was originally done with the front clip on but it was much easier to get to with the fenders off! I'll trim out the fenders and add the blue overspray on the backside as well.
I also painted the inside trunk area and trunk seal channel gray. I then coated the floor and other areas with undercoating as done at the factory.
It won't be much longer and I'll be putting the front clip on!
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Georgia | I don't understand the part about the gold traders and karats, but the trunk and inner fenders look good!
Looks like you've got some spam on your Belvedere, A!
Great progress.
Pete |
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Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Just reported that Spam post...haha. |
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Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Its been cold and rainy here in North Carolina...its put a halt to any work on my '59 until it warms up... Most of what I need to do is body/paint.
Here's a few things I did some weeks back when it was still warm!
I stripped down the replacement decklid, welded up some small holes, and painted the backside gray. I think I'll use undercoating to replace the material that was originally sandwiched between the two pieces of the decklid. It was coming apart and tore up so I cut it out.
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Location: Hickory, NC | I also had painted the radiator support and inner fenders black.
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Today was warm and sunny in the high 70s... I finished sanding down the body, masked off some areas and shot some primer. I'm hoping for more warm days so I can get this car in color!
Tomorrow I hope to get the fenders, decklid, and hood in primer. We shall see!
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Georgia | Sehr gut! Mi-T-fine, Austin!!
Pete |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Some more updates...will I finish before Carlisle and be able to drive her there??? Times a tickin'!!!
The long process of sanding the body and blocking...I hate sanding dust...
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Location: Hickory, NC | After a few coats of primer...some filling of minor dings the body is done. I then applied seam sealer in all the places done at the factory.
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Location: Hickory, NC | I started working on the replacement decklid. My original was rusted out...this one didn't have the bad rust...but boy does it have alot of dents and dings! It's taking some time getting this thing done. Check out the dealer decal that was on it.
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Williams California | Looking good!!
Can't wait to see it in person this summer!!
---John |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Finally was able to lay some color down after many days of unfavorable weather. I need to finish up the bodywork on the front clip and decklid before painting. Originally I had planned on painting everything at once. But due to the time crunch and seeming lack of good days to paint I took the opportunity to spray the hardest part...the body. Also I now I can start putting the car back together. I can do that in any weather and at any time being indoors.
Carlisle or Bust???
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Perth Australia | Isnt it soooo much better when you finally get to colour it in?
How long did you stand and stare at it once you finished (looking like a proud father  )?
Good work
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Getting the color own really feels like I actually got something done. I've been looking at primer for months! Now she looks more like a car! When I finally get the front clip on then il really feel accomplished! |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Before I left for California I was able to get the final coat of paint on the body. Prior to that I painted the decklid and hood.
I then installed some emblems and the trunk weatherstrip to feel accomplished. When I get back to the east coast it'll be time for putting things together.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 854
| Nice job that color looks Great on that car .Look forward to seeing it complete. |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Thanks. Can't wait to get her back together and drive her! |
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Veteran
Posts: 188
| Exactly this model - 1959 Belvedere 4 door sedan made me love the late 50s American cars and especially Forward look cars. There was a white one in the early 80s sitting in front of my kindergarten. I was probably 3 or 4 years old by that time when I saw it for a first time. Keeping in mind my age at that time, this car was quite unusual for me especially since I live in Bulgaria (Eastern Europe). Now some 30+ years later I still know where the car is and I am still trying to buy its remains from the inheritors that just abandoned it in an old farm yard. I have written and posted pictures of the full story of this car in another thread.
I wonder whether I will buy this car some day at all and whether it will see some kind of restoration similar to the professional one in this nice thread.
Edited by Peter Panov 2015-09-25 2:26 AM
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Expert
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Location: Hickory, NC | I remember seein your posting about that car. I hope it gets saved! |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | More progress:
Windlace installed. Dashboard installed. Put the side glass, door handles, watershields and door panels. Back glass and windshield installed.
Today I got the front fenders back on the body for the first time in a few years...Still got some more work to do but definitely making progress.
 (1959-1.jpg)
 (1959-2.jpg)
 (1959-4.jpg)
 (1959-3.jpg)
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Attachments
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1959-1.jpg (54KB - 201 downloads)
1959-2.jpg (85KB - 187 downloads)
1959-4.jpg (63KB - 194 downloads)
1959-3.jpg (58KB - 192 downloads)
1959-5.jpg (83KB - 196 downloads)
1959-6.jpg (86KB - 193 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2905
Location: little rock, AR | Its nice seeing the love you are giving this sedan. Not every car has to be a 2dr HT and painted R and W. I'm trying to put my '59 Dodge 4dr sedan back on the road as a survivor. Love that color!!! What kind of tires are those???
Edited by oldwood 2016-03-24 10:41 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | oldwood - 2016-03-24 10:40 AM
Its nice seeing the love you are giving this sedan. Not every car has to be a 2dr HT and painted R and W. I'm trying to put my '59 Dodge 4dr sedan back on the road as a survivor. Love that color!!! What kind of tires are those???
I like them all. Just cause it isn't a hardtop or convertible doesn't mean it's automatically for parts! Only fools would think as such. In many cases I prefer sedans. I actually have to haul friends and family around and extra doors are a big help! Not to mention I use my cars as pickup trucks more often than not and the extra space and ability to easily get to the back is useful. Ha.
They are Goodyear Custom Super Cushions. The tires these cars had from the factory. Kelsey Tire sells the reproductions of them. |
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Expert
Posts: 2905
Location: little rock, AR | Those tires are more $$$ than I need to spend now. I have some 215/75/14 that I got off some totals at the local yard. I know there a little small but for $100 mounted and balanced I can deal with them for a while. Besides my '59 came from the factory with Black Walls!!! I guess your new '59 Trailer Queen will be finished soon. lol |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Never owned a trailer Queen and never will. How can you enjoy a car without driving it?
Radial tires just look wrong on these old cars. I pick up a lot of bias ply tires at swap meets for cheap. Usually brand new because someone "didn't like how the handled" or something similar. Keep takin em off! I'll keep buyin em! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1116
Location: CA | You're really doing a GREAT job on that car, it's really going to be a knockout! Truly an inspiring restoration! I REALLY love the colors, those door panels really set it off. SMS? |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Finsinthemirror - 2016-03-24 2:09 PM
You're really doing a GREAT job on that car, it's really going to be a knockout! Truly an inspiring restoration! I REALLY love the colors, those door panels really set it off. SMS?
Thanks. I really look forward to her being done!
The door panels were done by my local trim shop. I refuse to use SMS. The insert material was removed from the original and seen to the new door panel using vinyl that matched the original colors. Of course I don't have the embossings found on the original but I can definitely live with that! And it didn't take 3 years to get them done either! |
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Member
Posts: 21
| Wowww!! This is an AWESOME job in this car! You're doing an excellent restoration! I'm about to do the same with my '58 Plaza but i guess it'll be difficult to do it as good as you're doing in your one!!
Keep working this good with it, the final result will be amazing!
Greetings from Catalonia!!!
Pau |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Thanks! I don't know what I'm doing. But I hope to have a nice car at the end of it all! Ha
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9697
Location: So. Cal | That red air cleaner looks really sharp against the powder blue. Very nice. Were the inner fenders originally black on this car? My '58 New Yorker inner fenders are black, but I'm not sure if I should repaint them black or gray.
Edited by Powerflite 2016-03-29 11:25 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Powerflite - 2016-03-29 11:24 PM
That red air cleaner looks really sharp against the powder blue. Very nice. Were the inner fenders originally black on this car? My '58 New Yorker inner fenders are black, but I'm not sure if I should repaint them black or gray.
The inner fenders and radiator support were gloss black from the factory. I think it looks the best in my opinion. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 782
Location: Edmonton, Alberta | Nice job Austin..... your car is looking great!
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | sconut1 - 2016-04-03 12:55 AM
Nice job Austin..... your car is looking great!
Thank you! |
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