Re: Richter's '53 Caribbean
Posted by Richter12x2 On 2015/3/20 16:47:09
And finally, about 2 weekends ago, bit the bullet and lifted the body off the frame. Although I was nervous the entire time, lifting the body off the frame went absolutely beautifully. Using an engine hoist, I lifted the front onto a pair of 2x4's across a set of sawhorses, then lifted the rear just long enough to roll the frame out from under it.
Set it all back down on a set of mover's dollys and back into the garage while I plan out the next phase.
As we discussed before, the outrigger supports are different between the Caribbean and the Clipper 4 door, because the convertibles have an extra box steel under the body, so I ground off the rivets and popped them off the Caribbean frame. There's also one additional one compared to the Clipper, so I get to drill a few holes.
Having both frames off and side-by-side, there is no extra bracing on the side rails, but if you look at the area where the X joins up to the side rails, right at the front fenders, I can see how it looks that way, but it's just the overlapping steel sections, not added plating from hardtop to convertible. The only additional metal is the top and bottom of the X brace, which has already been welded on and taken care of.
I'm thinking my next step is going to be to rebuild the suspension, front and back, so that I can move the frame around easier, which will make the rest of the restoration much easier as well - dollying the thing in and out of the garage on jacks is getting old, fast. Especially after dropping it on my foot last time.
Unfortunately, thanks to new laws in Texas, the Packard is back on hold while I get the Triumph ready to pass inspection again. Starting this year, they won't allow us to renew the registration without passing inspection each time, (the car has been parked for 2-3 years.) The reason THAT'S a problem, is that according to the law, if we lapse on registration, then we lose the ability to ever use the current Year of Manufacture plates on the car ever AGAIN. (We have a set of original 5 digit plates from 1967.)
Also because of their prior law (which we just barely beat the deadline on THAT one, too!) we won't be able to use Year of Manufacture plates at all as a Classic Car, we'd have to register as an Antique Car, which then limits your use to only to and from exhibitions, shows, and shops.
So I'll have to get the car out, clean it up, get it running again, check out all the safety inspection stuff and drive it to the nearest inspection station and back.
It's not that I won't enjoy doing it, I just resent being forced to do it.
Attach file:
(75.64 KB)
(68.28 KB)
(84.88 KB)
(50.78 KB)
Set it all back down on a set of mover's dollys and back into the garage while I plan out the next phase.
As we discussed before, the outrigger supports are different between the Caribbean and the Clipper 4 door, because the convertibles have an extra box steel under the body, so I ground off the rivets and popped them off the Caribbean frame. There's also one additional one compared to the Clipper, so I get to drill a few holes.
Having both frames off and side-by-side, there is no extra bracing on the side rails, but if you look at the area where the X joins up to the side rails, right at the front fenders, I can see how it looks that way, but it's just the overlapping steel sections, not added plating from hardtop to convertible. The only additional metal is the top and bottom of the X brace, which has already been welded on and taken care of.
I'm thinking my next step is going to be to rebuild the suspension, front and back, so that I can move the frame around easier, which will make the rest of the restoration much easier as well - dollying the thing in and out of the garage on jacks is getting old, fast. Especially after dropping it on my foot last time.
Unfortunately, thanks to new laws in Texas, the Packard is back on hold while I get the Triumph ready to pass inspection again. Starting this year, they won't allow us to renew the registration without passing inspection each time, (the car has been parked for 2-3 years.) The reason THAT'S a problem, is that according to the law, if we lapse on registration, then we lose the ability to ever use the current Year of Manufacture plates on the car ever AGAIN. (We have a set of original 5 digit plates from 1967.)
Also because of their prior law (which we just barely beat the deadline on THAT one, too!) we won't be able to use Year of Manufacture plates at all as a Classic Car, we'd have to register as an Antique Car, which then limits your use to only to and from exhibitions, shows, and shops.
So I'll have to get the car out, clean it up, get it running again, check out all the safety inspection stuff and drive it to the nearest inspection station and back.
It's not that I won't enjoy doing it, I just resent being forced to do it.
Attach file:
(75.64 KB)
(68.28 KB)
(84.88 KB)
(50.78 KB)
This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=159196