Well, folks, I've gotta temper my grandiose projections and expectations in order to maintain a somewhat realistic outlook, but it seems it is time to get a bit excited. After 36 years of ownership and a couple decades of hunting and stashing a hoard of NOS parts (literally bumper to bumper) my '59 Lark Regal wagon has actually been sent off to my buddy's body shop to begin prep for body/paint work. He's almost as stoked as I am to see the project take off! In the '80s I did a lot of the disassembly/clean/scrape/sandblast/prime/curse, bleed, etc. we sometimes encounter in such an endeavor. Then, "life" got in the way and little has been done to it since. It's sat safely out of the elements the whole time (while the real, day-to-day cars languished out of doors!). The car is remarkably solid, without a hint of the typical see-through floorboards, although the "tin worms" did dine a bit on the quarters behind the fenderwells, and there's a tiny bit of the blistering on the trailing end of the fenders you're all familiar with. I do have NOS 1/4 panels for both sides, though.
I hope to return the wagon to very nearly as-sold-new condition as budget and such allow, although I'm mighty tempted to see how it would look with a set of Magnum 500s and redline tires. I actually have a set of redline "Port-a-walls" that may fall into service. Anyone had good results with those on radials? I'm figuring 15"x205s either stock or with the Magnums. I have a set of '78 Chrysler wheels to use if I go with the stock wheelcovers/wide whites. The original color was Campfire Red, and I intend to match that, and, redone with the red and black interior theme it came with, I think it should look pretty sharp. I have another, pretty sorry '59 wagon out back that I'll refer to occasionally so as to remember where things go... Unfortunately, it's a six w/OD and the project car is a 259/Flightomatic, so a surprising number of components weren't the same to begin with.
The original engine ran fine when I removed it, although it produced prodigious amount of smoke when given some foot, thus the car's name: "Locomotive Breath". I'm debating whether to use it or the zero-miles rebuilt full-flow 259 I have set aside. Sadly, that motor's not been as protected from "open air", so its current viability is somewhat in question. Perhaps I'll combine the best parts of the two. I'll be looking for a Stude-savvy party in SW Washington/NW Oregon to help me zero in on the best approach, there and do the appropriate work. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some encouraging updates as to the progress of the quest now and then. Until then, wish me luck...
JSC
p.s. I've gotta say, here, that none of this would be happening without the support and encouragement of my very patient wife!
I hope to return the wagon to very nearly as-sold-new condition as budget and such allow, although I'm mighty tempted to see how it would look with a set of Magnum 500s and redline tires. I actually have a set of redline "Port-a-walls" that may fall into service. Anyone had good results with those on radials? I'm figuring 15"x205s either stock or with the Magnums. I have a set of '78 Chrysler wheels to use if I go with the stock wheelcovers/wide whites. The original color was Campfire Red, and I intend to match that, and, redone with the red and black interior theme it came with, I think it should look pretty sharp. I have another, pretty sorry '59 wagon out back that I'll refer to occasionally so as to remember where things go... Unfortunately, it's a six w/OD and the project car is a 259/Flightomatic, so a surprising number of components weren't the same to begin with.
The original engine ran fine when I removed it, although it produced prodigious amount of smoke when given some foot, thus the car's name: "Locomotive Breath". I'm debating whether to use it or the zero-miles rebuilt full-flow 259 I have set aside. Sadly, that motor's not been as protected from "open air", so its current viability is somewhat in question. Perhaps I'll combine the best parts of the two. I'll be looking for a Stude-savvy party in SW Washington/NW Oregon to help me zero in on the best approach, there and do the appropriate work. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some encouraging updates as to the progress of the quest now and then. Until then, wish me luck...
JSC
p.s. I've gotta say, here, that none of this would be happening without the support and encouragement of my very patient wife!
'63 Avanti R-1384. sold 12/10.
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