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Thread: My Wife's '56

  1. #141
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    When we started this project years ago we planned to get all new interior. But after looking at the old interior, that was done in 1977, we decided it is good enough for this old driver quality refresh we are doing. So we did a thorough cleaning and put the interior back in the car.

    20220108_152547[3924].jpg

    Besides new carpet there was one other change I wanted to make. Here are the door panels that were done in 1977. They were not done as well as the rest of the interior and I didn't think they looked good when they were new.

    1956t.JPG

    Here are the ones my wife and I made. They fit the door better and closely resemble original door panels. The colors on the door panel line up with the colors on the rear side panels now,

    20220108_152605[3923].jpg

    So while we were at the upholstery supply shop we decided to buy enough vinyl to upholster the trunk. I also bought a yard of Daytona carpet and copper edging from automotiveinteriors.com. My step-daughter, who is a seamstress, sewed the edging on for us.

    20220121_163843.jpg

    We are now having second thoughts about not running a spare tire. So later we may have to make changes in the trunk.

    But right now our main concern is to get the car drive able and get the bugs worked out.

  2. #142
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    That 1977 interior work looks very good, and it must be durable (it certainly looks so).. If it were mine, I'd go with it..

  3. #143
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    Getting on the road is always a priority.

  4. #144
    Registered Member Belair-o's Avatar
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    Your door panel change worked out very well - those look great and fit the style a lot better!

  5. #145
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BamaNomad View Post
    That 1977 interior work looks very good, and it must be durable (it certainly looks so).. If it were mine, I'd go with it..
    We went to the upholstery supply with a sample from the car. The guy looked at everything close in the automotive vinyl but no match. Then he got and idea and went to the marine vinyl section and found almost a perfect match. I asked what the difference was. He said the marine vinyl was a little heavier and was more UV resistant. That explains why it held up so well.

  6. #146
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Marine vinyl is probably a good choice for a convertible... they had all-vinyl interiors from the factory!

  7. #147
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    I like the changes, what kid of arm rest/ handles are those?

  8. #148
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    They 57 Pontiac star chief arm rests.

  9. #149
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    A lot nicer looking than what is in my 55 150, but probably not easy to find today.

  10. #150
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    I sure was glad when I connected the battery the first time. No smoke and no flames. It is all new AAW Classic Update harness. We checked everything (except heat/ac and radio, we'll worry about those after it is running good). Everything worked.

    We primed the oil pump, replaced the distributor and set the initial timing. We put some gas in the fuel vents and turned on the key. It started right up. While messing with idle and timing it was running through open headers. I could hear a knocking noise. The exhaust was so noisy I couldn't tell where the noise was coming from. I was happy it started, but not happy about the knocking.

    After filing the transmission and power steering I checked for leaks. Then I found one transmission cooler line was leaking pretty good. I went under the car and couldn't get a wrench on the line. So it was off to Harbor Freight for a set of crowfoot flair wrenches. I got that fixed.

    Then we got it running just good enough to drive on the trailer and take it to the muffler shop. Before loading it back on the trailer I did some adjusting on the carb and it is idling well now.

    We took it home and put it back in the shop. I started it and moved my head all around trying for the source of the knocking sound. My wife got on the floor and told me the sound was coming from the bottom rear of the engine. I thought that maybe I forgot to tighten the torque convertor bolts. I took of the dust cover. The bolts were all tight. Then I started to reinstall the dust cover and noticed a section about 4 inches that had been chewed away. I left the cover off and started the engine. NO more noise!!! I called the transmission shop and asked what happened. He said "universal part, trim to fit."

    Moving forward.
    Last edited by Tabasco; 01-26-2022 at 03:37 PM.

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