dougjenkinsgarage.com

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Ok, so there are Ansens.  They were the thing then, now they are all that and then some.  And these are seasoned wheels, right off of a buddy’s mothballed high school cruiser.  This is a lot better use of them than letting them slowly biodegrade.  Ya, the axle looks too far forward in the hole, doesn’t it?  It’s a little bit of the camera angle, a little bit of the style of these pickups.

Semi-gloss paint kind of semi-glossing in this photo, too.

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Engine install is about complete.  Lots of power, it fits nicely, and is really great looking, too.  There is no engine appearance upgrades on this job, but how can you make all this cool stuff look bad, really.

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A close-up of the other side here shows the headers that aren’t going to be used.  Sanderson sold them as a fit, but besides being ugly, they don’t.  After more digging a set of gorgeous cast headers were found that fix both of those problems.

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A few things you’re supposed to notice: custom wiring harness built at Doug Jenkins Garage has all the wires exactly the right lenth; nothing pinched, nothing wound around to use up the extra length.  Also, solder fittings with shrink-fit insulation, correct wire gauges, and high quality materials.  It’s a thing of rare beauty when you see the work of a guy who really loves what he’s doing and he’s good at it.

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Cool custom crossmember, new driveshaft, awesome custom hot rod.

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This photo shows the good old, dependable, cost-effective mechanical fuel pump.  An alternative is a more costly, noisy, needs-a-circuit-run-to-it, more-apt-to-fail electric job.  So Doug Jenkins Garage loves mechanical fuel pumps!

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And a look at the port side rear Ansen just ’cause it’s so cool.

Robin and Holly and The Blind Boys Of Alabama

Jeff and I have been sending each other delightfully irrelevant photos during the course of the build.  This one is of my daughters last night after the concert, hanging out backstage with some of the coolest guys in history.  Robin and Holly are classical  musicians with a ton of class.

Custom Mazda RX-7 Fabrication

I think this will work better.  After roughing in the custom fiberglass fender fattening, it became apparent that to get the right look we’d have to use the steel fenders.  A more graceful line can be done this way, a look that’s truer to the original shape, and a perfect match to the rear.

Hot Rod Mazda RX-7

By opening up the original fender we can fatten up just the part that matters most, accentuating the original shape of the car and allowing for a super fat front tire.

Hot Rod Mazda RX-7 Fat Fender Project

The rear of the fender gets relived vertically so that the original shape of the fender is maintained while allowing the flare to begin as subtly as possible.

Chevy Truck Restoration New Shifter

Now that the heavy pieces are happily in their new homes it’s time for the controls, brackets, wiring, that kind of stuff.  Here’s the new shifter from Lokar.  This truck is going for the mild rat look, so the 8 ball handle seems appropriate.  But Jeff, let me know if you don’t like it, I can change it pretty easily!

Chevy Truck Restoration Engine Dressed Up

Last post showed the engine in place, now it’s got pumps and brackets and pulleys and carburetor…

Chevy Truck Restoration Starter

High torque awesome new starter fits in nicely.

Classic Truck Restoration Throttle Valve Cable

A picture is worth a thousand words, but let me add a few here to clarify: throttle valve cable is installed…it handles gear change info from your right foot.  Neutral safety switch is up there on the top left.  Coated cooler lines are in place to allow circulation of transmission fluid to the radiator for cooling.

And this week the body got assembled but the photos are trapped, so that update will have to wait a day or two…

Heater Control Valve

This classic Lincoln has two heaters, one at each side of the dash.  Each heater is controlled by a separate control valve.  This one had a leak, apparently, and someone saw fit to goop it up with silicone.  It’s an internal leak, however, that’s preventing it from doing its job.  A new one has been located and will be installed.

Also visible in this photo is one other earlier desperate attempt at repairing the flexible duct work that couples the heat exchange box to the duct system…aluminum foil and silicone.  A rubber membrane will be fabricated and installed here.

New Heater Control Valve

The other side, however, has a new heater control valve that was installed before the vehicle got to Doug Jenkins Garage.  Box got painted, too, but there’s still a messy silicone repair to the boot that will be corrected while the car is here.

Vacuum Line Junction Classic Car Restoration

We find all kinds of things when we restore a classic car.  This photo shows vacuum lines from different eras connected to a junction, and one line just left flapping in the breeze.  This ruins control of the climate control system and makes the car run poorly.  So it’ll get fixed while it’s at Doug Jenkins Garage.

Lincoln Classic Car Restoration, Close Up Of Poorly Repaired Valve

Lincoln Restoration, Poorly Done Duct Repair

A couple of photos of old repairs that will be corrected during this restoration project.

Thermostat

This photo and the one below show the routing of the vacuum control lines to the thermostat for each side of the car.  This classic car has dual control climate systems that rely on these thermostats to vary the temperature in the car.

Heater Control Thermostat

More Dead Vacuum Lines

This photo shows vacuum lines that are just ending in outer space.  An original shop manual is being used to restore this car’s line routing.

Vacuum Control Classic Lincoln Restoration

This photo shows just one of the many very busy vacuum controls that are part of this car’s climate system.  All controls have been tested and are being replaced as needed while this car is at Doug Jenkins Garage for minor restoration.

One Of Four Fans In The Climate Control System

One fan for each heater, and a pair of them for the AC.  Complicated, high luxury car!

AC Fans Lincoln

Classic Lincoln Restoration AC Evaporator Freshened Up

OK, lots of tough work here getting the climate control system perfect for this ’62 Lincoln Continental….more to come tomorrow.

Classic Ford Auto Restoration Frame Complete

It’s exciting when any auto restoration begins to really take shape.  Seems a 20′ deep hole needs to be dug in the shop floor before we get back up to level, and now the frame is complete and ready to set a body on.  Well, after the fuel lines and stuff are finished…

Classic Ford Auto Restoration Frame Complete Rear View

When restoring this antique car the rear springs were completely disassembled, cleaned, painted, and reassembled with new bushings and straps.

Classic Ford Auto Restoration Frame Complete Top View

Every bit of the auto restoration work on this Ford Retractable is thorough, clean, accurate, and really good-looking!

Classic Ford Auto Restoration Frame Complete Back View

Classic Ford Auto Restoration Frame Complete Middle View

1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Frame Removed

The original hope was to do a partial restoration of this classic Ford.  But as the work got under way a frame-off restoration was discussed with the customer and the job moved into that mode.  It’s always satisfying to take a car car all the way and make sure everything is just right.

1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Chassis Parts complete

Each suspension component has been blasted to bare steel and treated with Eastwood chassis coatings during the restoration.  The leaf springs were disassembled, blasted, re-banded and re-bushed.

1959 Vintage Ford Retractable Restoration Control Arm Completed

A lot of work goes into restoring a classic car that you can’t really cover in photos and text like this.  For instance, the best parts supplier in the industry provided ball joints for this job.  The ball joints are top quality, and they almost fit.  The holes had to be modified, though, as did the outside dimensions of the ball joint housing in order to fit perfectly.  I suppose Ford made slightly different ball joints to fit things, and they evolved over the years, and it’s now not economically feasible for suppliers to carry all the possible variations.  So for the last few decades I’ve been buying parts that almost fit and modifying them to suit!

1959 Vintage Ford Retractable Restoration Spindle Completed

1959 Vintage Ford Retractable Restoration Third Member Completed

The ’59 Ford axle housing was completely restored as shown in the last post.  The third member was completely restored as well with new bearings, gears, and seal.  The ring and pinion were as badly pitted as I’ve ever seen just from years of sitting and allowing water to condense on the exposed gear areas.

1959 Vintage Ford Retractable Restoration Third Member Painted

Classic 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Axles Completed

The old bearing were removed from the Ford’s axles, and new bearings and seals installed as part of the frame-off restoration.

Classic 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Suspension Components Blasted

Each suspension component of the Ford Skyliner is completely sand blasted and repaired before treating with the correct Eastwood chassis coatings during the restoration.

Classic 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Frame Blasted

The frame is first cleaned with harsh chemicals and any remaining undercoating, grease, tar, or other goop is removed by hand.  Sand blasting isn’t efficient at removing soft stuff, so that all gets cleaned up beforehand so that the frame is ready for coating when the blasting is finished.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Frame Repairs

There are a few rough spots on the frame that need to be corrected before coating.  This bracket was damaged at some point in the car’s history and the time to correct it is during the frame-off restoration being done here.  This guy has some nasty welding that we’ll clean up.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Bracket Repairs

There was some material missing from the bracket.  A pattern was made, left, and a new piece cut, right.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Frame Mount Repairs

Finally the pieces are welded up and the bracket is restored.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Damaged Front Crossmember

The front crossmember is removable on this frame.  You can see that there is damaged caused by the front of the car contacting the ground.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Repaired Front Crossmember

Some heat, some persuasion, some filling and some grinding and the front crossmember is restored.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Damaged Rear Crossmember

It looks like the Ford’s frame took a little hit in the rear at some point in its life.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Repaired Rear Crossmember

A few cuts are made in the steel, some heat, a hydraulic jack intelligently employed and the rear crossmember is restored as well.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Rear Crossmember

This is an example of one of the cuts that was made to the rear crossmember to facilitate straightening it.  When steel gets badly bent it stretches so we make cuts to relieve the stress and give the excess steel a place to go to prevent buckling.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Access Panel Cut Into Frame

This classic Ford had a lot of dirt and rust inside the frame rails.  Chunks, gravel, that sort of thing.  It’s seems like somebody got good and stuck in a soft road at some point.  This car wasn’t in a flood, that gives you fine silt inside the frame.  This stuff was road mix, so we cut a couple of pieces out of the frame so we could completely clean it out the places we couldn’t reach through the factory holes during the frame restoration.

Vintage 1959 Ford Skyliner Restoration Access Panel Welded Up

After cleaning out the frame the hole is welded up and ground smooth.  It won’t show at all after the frame is coated.

Classic '59 Skyliner Carburetor Restoration

Carburetor is completely restored to original condition.

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Rear Axle Restoration

Done!  New brakes, hardware, cylinders, brake lines, hose, the works.  Now the car needs to be finished so it can have something to bolt up to.

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Rear Brake Restoration

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Rear Brake Restoration New Lines

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Rear Axle Restoration Rear View

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Front Spindle Restoration

The front spindles/backing plates/brakes got the same complete restoration as the rear: new brake hoses, cylinders, hardware, shoes.  Some of the fasteners were restored because new ones aren’t available.

Classic '59 Skyliner Completed Front Spindle Restoration Rear View

Big Horsepower Chevy Crate Engine Installed 1953 Chevrolet Pickup

Power rack and pinion steering, power disc brakes, 425 HP small block, ’53 Chevy Pickup…there is everything right about this photo and nothing wrong.  Ya, I want one too.

GM Performance Parts Chevy Crate Engine Installed 1953 Chevrolet Pickup

I like using the best parts in the industry, and this truck is just full of them.  GM Performance builds the engine based on the best American engine platform, the Chevrolet Small Block.  Best if you want the most durable, lightest, longest lasting, best value known.

This installation is all meat and potatoes, no dessert.  There is no effort being put into dress-up, this is simply a terrific looking truck with tons of power for the best price.

Transmission Crossmember '53 Chevrolet Pickup Hot Rod Restoration

Off-The-Shelf transmission crossmember.  There are lots of cool vehicles in the world and we’ve seen lots of them here at Doug Jenkins Garage, but nothing beats the smiles/dollar ratio of a classic Chevy.

Filling Torque Converter Chevy Truck Hot Rod

And yes, the torque converter was pre-filled before installation.  Man, we think of everything.

Trim Installation Complete 1966 Lincoln Continental Restoration

The final pieces of trim finally came in and are installed.  Weatherstrip, too, in complete.  Now it’s time for the Dayton Wheels to be installed on this custom Lincoln.

Rear Bumper Installation Complete 1966 Lincoln Continental Restoration

The rear bumper was about to just get installed without the final quarter panel to bumper trim piece that hadn’t arrived just so some photos could be taken, and the UPS guy showed up!  Since he brought the final piece the bumper was installed and now that part of the restoration is complete.

Rear Bumper Installed 66 Lincoln Restoration

Rear deck lock is still coming, and the paint is complete, but man, I’m so happy to see that bumper installed.  Waiting on rare trim and weatherstrip has been exhausting on this Lincoln restoration.

Lincoln Restoration Side View Trim Installed

This Lincoln is beautiful, and it was a beautiful day for pictures.

Lincoln Continental Climate Control Restoration

I suppose I should have more important questions on my mind than “Why are there mice?”  Bill Cosby answered the question about the existence of air by implying that it was for inflating volley balls.  So I guess mice exist in order to move seat stuffing into climate control boxes…

Lincoln Continental Climate Control Restoration Cowl Work

…and we have squirrels in order to fill cowl vents with nuts and stuff.  During the restoration of this Lincoln’s climate control we are going through the entire system from front to back, disassembling and cleaning all the ducting.

1962 Lincoln Climate Control Restoration Evaporator

The air conditioning evaporator is removed from the Lincoln during the climate control restoration and is being cleaned and tested.  This piece is large enough to cool a house, so I’m guessing it will do a fine job of keeping this car comfortable in the hottest weather.

1962 Lincoln Climate Control Restoration Under Dash