Post
by rbryce1 » Mar 29th, 2011 6:22 am
Had a few delays for installing the steering column. When I went to purchase the "Rag Joint", I discovered there were 2 different joints available. They were very much the same, but slightly different. The most notable difference was one had a full circle where it slid over the steering box shaft while the other had about 1/4 of the circle flat and the rest was round. I bought the one that was a full circle, as I was 99.9% sure it was the one that was correct, and took it home to match it up to the 1968 steering box and the 1975 steering column shaft. I was correct, but it was then I realized the new steering column did not have the bottom flange on it, just a cleanliness cap to cover the end shaft. Went to my parts manual and all steering flanges from '63 to '82 were the same. Ordered the flange and it matched perfectly, however, it was unpainted bare steel. So over to the powder coating shop it went.
In the mean time, With the help of a few friends and my new enclosed car trailer, we went to my storage unit and brought the tilt nose portion home. We set it on the frame, bolted the mounts and (yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) it fit fine, with only the need for slight realignment due to the higher rubber body mounts. I found the new gas springs I needed from McMaster-Carr and they should be here today.
I spent the rest of Saturday sanding the nose portion, and boy was I glad I was delayed on installing the new steering column. It would have been so full of sanding dust, it would have probably taken out all the bearings in the column. But now that is behind me and the flange should be back from the powder coating shop Thursday. Yesterday and today they were doing White, Orange and Blue. Tomorrow through Friday they do Black.
Getting real close to the transport to Charleston for the additional custom body work I want to do. After that, the engine and wiring go back in, and enough of the old interior gets installed so I can DRIVE IT AGAIN (in primer).