Mabel's home!

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To help others, I couldn't get a broken wheel stud out on driver's rear. Drilled through, stepped up and drilled again, then a heat gun and hammered out with a punch. Found the suggestions using the search...this site is awesome...thanks!
 
As you can see, I have a 65 Signet I've pretty much updated over the last 30 years. If you ever run into a jam, I may have some suggestions. Nice car, by the way.
 
Driver's rear, not a posi, so couldn't get enough torque to pull the studs in (using the spacer and tighten the lug tip I found here). Cut a scrap 2x4 and pry bar through the hub access hole, wedged to backing plate...working well, hope I'm not doing something stupid!

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Driver's rear done! MC almost out, and inventoried all my lines...far as I got today, but still progress...whoo!

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Update off the brake thread! I put the shoes on backwards, short goes to the front. Thank goodness drum brakes are just held on with about 5-6 springs and cables under various opposing tensions, so super-easy to do again and again!
 
Driver's side corrected, passenger side, they gave me the wrong adjuster (both were driver's side), so waiting for the other to come in tomorrow to put it back together.
 
Both rear brakes corrected, buttoned back up! Back on track to start running new lines, dual MC, and start on the disk conversion/front end rebuild this weekend!
 
Removed exhaust to have room for brake line work, since it's ragged out, anyway. Old MC out, brake line front to rear out.

New lines on rear, new line to front ran, and cleaned the rims, put them back on, so I set the back down, move jackstands to the front and start blowing it apart!

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Moved to the front! Taking off the old front for DrDiff kit, discovered rust on the upper A arm mounts. Bought a new 220V MiG welder a few months back, hadn't used it yet...need to get an extension cord for it to reach this! Have some 1/8" thick, I think I can make something L-shaped to sit in there.

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Ran needle scaler over it, then finished blowing apart passenger side and ran scaler over it. Driver side worse than I thought, passenger side looks like it was eat up and a bubble gum weld repair done at some point in the past.

Advice on frame forum is a clean front clip, and that's the best route, to be sure. But, I'm going to try to avoid that, at least over the next year or two. I *think* a sister across the top and replace the upper control arm mounts in place, then put it back together and enjoy it for a year or two while I look for a whole clip.

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Arg! So aggravated! Can't drive Mabel till the front frame rust is repaired, so made an appointment for title/VIN check to come out at 11 today. My wife and I are both home, I accidentally had my ringer off, I check at 11, the lady called at 10:45, 10:47, 10:48, left a VM that 'I am at your residence, and this is my third attempt to reach you'. No doorbell ring, my dogs (inside) didn't bark, and nothing on my driveway camera or doorbell camera. Called her back, straight to VM, and her office hours are '8-10am T and W'. It's going to be a hassle, but I can't tell her how she should be more conscientious doing her job, THAT would turn into some 'title concerns' bureaucratic black hole...
 
kinda similar situation here with my boat. I can't weld aluminum and the shop I've made a deal with (told by other shops they are the best TIG outfit for thin material in quite a large area) keeps telling me that they are working on a mill air system. "mill is on shut down for two weeks, we'll call you when that project is over. Every two weeks since May, I check back in. I get the same story. Same two week shutdown. Meanwhile fishing season is ticking away. Very frustrated too. Good luck with your welding project and flakey people!
 
like_A_pike said:
kinda similar situation here with my boat. I can't weld aluminum and the shop I've made a deal with (told by other shops they are the best TIG outfit for thin material in quite a large area) keeps telling me that they are working on a mill air system. "mill is on shut down for two weeks, we'll call you when that project is over. Every two weeks since May, I check back in. I get the same story. Same two week shutdown. Meanwhile fishing season is ticking away. Very frustrated too. Good luck with your welding project and flakey people!
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Hate that kind of crap.....but every now and then, the shoe gets on the other foot and then it's their turn to sit and spin especially if I have something of theirs I'm working on.
 
Aw, man, hate to hear that for you! I'm not losing driving season, too hot to drive a no AC car, even top down we'd cook. Parts are coming in from a member, but taking time and it's in AZ, it's probably like trying to take apart a stove while it's on. It's just the hoops on the title, and if it's not done within a year of sale, you have to do a bond. I went the next day (Wednesday) at 8am, talked to her, and she came straight out a little after 10. Did her stuff and Mabel's semi-legal, should be set on that within a month!
 
Latest...still waiting on frame pieces. On the title, they came back because the VIN has been riveted on, so suspicious. We got those and the frame numbers, not good enough. Just got Stellantis Historical card PDF this afternoon, will forward it to DMV Monday...hopefully, that'll get THAT situated!
 
Super excited! Got the frame rails today, thanks to 65 Dartman!
Pictures of the new pieces tomorrow. Too dark right now, you wouldn't see anything!
 
A lot of the folks that are NCDMV Inspectors now have parents who weren't even born when some of our old cars were new....lol. The young man who came to do VIN verification on my 65 Barracuda asked why there were no rivets holding the VIN tag to the door jamb. I told him it was because it was spot welded to the door frame from the factory. I told him the 2 holes were line up holes for the fixture to hold the tag in place to be welded. He kinda gave me the side eye.....pecked on his laptop for a bit, then smiled. He said "Damn if you ain't right!......I learned something today." It seems like the inspectors are like everybody else that gets out and works in this day and age. They have more to do in the amount of time they have to do it, than they can get done. Then, the bureaucrat's in Raleigh complicate things even more for them. Hopefully, you will get your title soon.

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Thanks, appreciate it! I'll give it another week, then ping them on it.
Meanwhile, got the new frame rails, including a support, crossmember, and an extra I needed...trunk wheelwell! Unloading, soon as I make room in the garage...I want so bad to just start working on it, but other stuff I've got to get done first, today. Thanks again, Don (65 Dartman)!

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The waiting is the hardest part! Finding the parts is the second hardest part!!
 
Progress! Cleaned the garage a bit to make room to work, and started in earnest on getting sheet metal off the new frame rails. I had one piece almost done, spotweld bit broke. Took a photo, because I was going to call it a day, then decided to just take a break, went and reversed the cutting head, and I'm thinking, "it's so close, just must be one or two more welds I'm not seeing!". Sat down on the frame to look closer (see in the first pic how I had it on its side, with sheet metal under it as 'legs'), and that finished breaking it! I was almost through the last weld, and I just didn't realize I wasn't all the way through, and that it was the last one! Fell on my a** and started laughing, because I'm an idiot, and I accomplished today's goal!

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So, bought Mabel last October, title transfer at the DMV (turned in title with transfer info completed on back, how NC does it). Needed to do a inspection before a year is up to finalize. I started that process in August (wanted to drive it in, gave up when I discovered frame rust). Inspector came out a few times, took pictures, they questioned because the VIN was riveted, so went through Stellantis historical, got the information sent in. New title came in yesterday afternoon, still in the name of the guy I bought it from.

One day this week will be a trip to DMV, I dread what all I'll have to do to get this straightened out.
 
DMV lady got me straightened out, all the title stuff was to get clean in-state title in previous owner's name, and I had a power of attorney in the paperwork to sign over to me. Should have title in my name in a few weeks! Whoo!!!
 
You were fortunate to have good luck with you DMV, here in Texas make plans for multiple trips and hope you get the same person each time.
 
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