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  • Retired and ready to work new project

    My first car was a Studebaker. 1969 (high school sophomore) 800 bucks for the 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk. That day, started my love affair with automobiles and I have been working on them since. Not professionally, always had another job that took most of my time and never stayed in one place long enough to create a working shop. Always making space in the garage to build an engine, pull the rear end, weld a floor pan slowly collecting tools and equipment and trying to find space to keep them and move to the next job.

    AND NOW, my time has come! Retired, settled in one place for the rest of my life and just finished my shop.
    Time to work the bucket list. Top of the list; a total car restoration. And did I mention I still own the 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk? Have several other oldies, but sooo many memories in that car. Drove that dude through high school and several collage years. Mid '70s, how can you drive a car that gets 10 mpg when your trying to get through school and gas prices are skyrocketing? 70 cents a gallon; where will it end? So the Hawk got parked and a 40 mpg B210 Datsun (remember those?) took me through the lean years. Enough reminiscing; but isn't that what old cars is all about? Is to me.

    Been a member of this forum and the SDC for many years. Received a ton of great information, given a little.

    Ready to start the first shop project; GT Hawk full restoration.
    If there's an interest, I plan to chronicle trials and tribulations on the forum. I'm sure it's been done before, but I got nothing better to do and I know the knowledge on this site is valuable.

    Next step is to add some photos; any starting advice would be great.
    Dell
    59 Silver Hawk
    62 GT Hawk

  • #2
    Congrats on your retirement Dell.

    For starters, before disassembly, I recommend taking tons of pictures of the car top to bottom particularly the detailed areas to record wire connections, hose routing, bolt patterns, brackets, etc. This will save a lot of time when you put it back together. Then, upon disassembly, mark and label everything. Good luck and have fun. Jeff

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    • #3
      Love builds on the forum.

      Best advice is take the job in steps so that you can see results occasionally. Makes it easier than just ripping it apart into a pile of parts that look like there will never be an end.

      Bob

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      • #4
        Good advice already!
        I'm in final stage of getting shop ready; any ideas on racks I should build to store body parts?
        2x4's and plywood should do the trick, but a plan from someone who has done it would be most appreciated.
        Dell
        59 Silver Hawk
        62 GT Hawk

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        • #5
          cut 5/8th's plywood in half, assemble brackets, and go with segregated areas for system storage...

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          • #6
            I used angle iron and scrap wood (fences and pallets)

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            • #7
              Do your best to keep it off the floor , Floor space is always premium in my shop , Try a loft system but don't forget your own lifting capabilities, And enjoy your retirement , I retired 19 months ago and cant believe how fast time goes , Ed

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              • #8
                Think about just driving it and working on. Slowly making it better. Much more enjoyable.

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                • #9
                  Being as how my shop doesn't have a lot of square footage, I've taken to hanging large parts (hoods, fenders, etc) from the ceiling. Climbed a ladder and bolted small pulleys to the rafters, and ran rope through them. Used Boat Cleats on the wall, so I can raise or lower them and then just "tie them off".
                  Got large plastic bins at Walmart and labeled them ("Dashboard". "Wiring". "Steering". etc.)
                  And when you disassemble: BAG IT AND TAG IT!
                  1950 Commander Land Cruiser
                  1951 Champion Business Coupe
                  1951 Commander Starlight
                  1952 Champion 2Dr. Sedan
                  1953 Champion Starlight
                  1953 Commander Starliner
                  1953 2R5
                  1956 Golden Hawk Jet Streak
                  1957 Silver Hawk
                  1957 3E5 Pick-Up
                  1959 Silver Hawk
                  1961 Hawk
                  1962 Cruiser 4 speed
                  1963 Daytona Convertible
                  1964 Daytona R2 4 speed
                  1965 Cruiser
                  1970 Avanti

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                  • #10
                    I like to tackle all the small jobs and keep the car drivable, such as restore the generator and put it back on, then do the carb and put it back on. This way if you finally want to do a frame off, all the small things are done, and the frame can be sandblasted, painted, and reassembled in much less time. Don't store parts in cardboard boxes, as mice love to make nests in them.

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                    • #11
                      Dell Enjoy your retirement. Retirement is where it takes you all day to do what you use to do after work. Good luck on the restore. Hope you have plenty of money as it seems everything take three times as long and four times as much money as you think it will. We have almost the same situation. I have a 64 hawk I've been trying to get restored and have a 58 sliver hawk waiting in the wings to hot rod. This is about as far as I have gotten.
                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        I have found that commercial racks from costco or home depot are much more cost effective and easier to build. I have over 20 that I purchased over the years and am very pleased with the result. I even made my work bench from them.
                        78 Avanti RQB 2792
                        64 Avanti R1 R5408
                        63 Avanti R1 R4551
                        63 Avanti R1 R2281
                        62 GT Hawk V15949
                        56 GH 6032504
                        56 GH 6032588
                        55 Speedster 7160047
                        55 Speedster 7165279

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                        • #13
                          I have been working on my 57 Silver Hawk for 25 years. It's my driver. The GT has been in storage for over 25 years and it's going for the full tear down; just because a want too. you can do that when you retire, right?

                          More good ideas; I'm making a list!
                          Dell
                          59 Silver Hawk
                          62 GT Hawk

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                          • #14
                            I like those little ziplock plastic bags with the frosted area you can write on for keeping small parts or mounting hardware identified. They are available in a multitude of sizes. (ULINE is one source.)

                            In addition to shelving ideas already offered, I think at least one storage cabinet with shelves comes in handy for storing small parts already rebuilt or repainted and awaiting the re-assemble. It keeps them out of the way, and clean until you are ready for them. Large Rubbermaid bins do this as well, but then you are always moving the top bins to get to the bottom ones; and a tall cabinet makes things immediately visible. Items on the shelves should be wrapped or put in to smaller containers.
                            If this is going to be a body off frame restoration you are going to need at least four times the space the car usually occupies.

                            Looking forward to progress reports.
                            Brad Johnson,
                            SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
                            Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                            '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
                            '56 Sky Hawk in process

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                            • #15
                              When you’re finished with the hawk I want to follow the B210 restoration.

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