I have been in hiding, but here are some updated pics 92 "Hotrod Hearse"

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to follow up with updated pics of my wagon. We had to do some work on the sides before the lettering was done, and it seems that the flex points on these bodies don't lend well to welding/filling the entire sides and doors. I have some more cracks re-appearing, but hey, I drive this every day and it is not meant to be perfect. We just did the rear main seal which had her down for a couple of weeks, so it is great to have it back on the road generating some exposure for my business.







I went out to the Cupcake meet yesterday at Ratama Park in Selma, TX. That meet was mainly for the import crowd, but there were some Mustangs here and there. I felt a little out of place at first, but as I was driving out of the general parking area and onto the road, I noticed that there wasn't a single person who saw this car and didn't stare. It was pretty neat to have people standing next to cars that are full blown show/race cars, worth 10 times as much as mine, and stop what they were doing to turn around and and stare. I think I just caught the car show bug...Here is a picture of a small portion of the meet and I have included a link to the album where the rest of the pics are if you are interested. I have to say that my favorite was the guy who fashioned a spoiler, hood scoop, and fender skirts out of metal pieces and masking tape. Pretty funny stuff.



https://s1126.photobucket.com/albums/l616/onlinepartbin/Cupcake%20Meet%202011%20Ratama%20Park%20in%20Selma%20TX/

Either way, good to be back on here again and the next steps on my car are as follows:

Lower profile tires
New shocks
Exhaust

Let me know what you guys think!
Adam

I like.

Not a fan of the hood, but that is just one opinion.


Have pics of the interior? I am curious on what you did with the doors...

Krzdimond wrote:

Not a fan of the hood, but that is just one opinion.


Have pics of the interior? I am curious on what you did with the doors...

The hood was louvered when I got the car and I wasn't sure about it at the time either, but it seems to have really grown on me and it does get a ton of comments and looks. I fully understand that though.

I need to get some pics of the interior. We just put some covered panels over the windows that match the blue interior so there is a little more of a finished look, but the rear door panels are still in tact and I am still somewhat lost as to what to really do as a finished product.

Was wonderin where that lourved hood black beauty was.Glad tou got the work finished and the
lettering done.Prepainted body parts makes a lot of sense in todays society.I just went thru a
minor accident with my dad.The single hardest part was getting the replacement parts painted
to match.It is also the most exspensive part of this ordeal too.Around here all the bodyshops
want a fortune to just paint new parts.I understand there a lot of work involved but I still felt
some of the shops I called were exorbitant.
Adam I wish you success in this business and the wagon looks great too!
Jim

That really looks great! I love it!

Maybe if you redid the seams with quarter panel adhesive and add more flex agent to the paint, you wouldn't have the cracking issues aymore?

And I like the retro feel of the hood.

Nice look!!! I love the car. A set of brushed aluminum or chrome wheels would really set her off. Do the front seats tip forward to accommodate the rear passengers?

Hey there is a weekly cruise-in at Cabela's on I-35 in Buda every Saturday evening. If you feel like a little trip let me know and I'll drive down in my Roady. Would love to have the wagons side-by-side.

Looks good!

-Mike

Flasheroo wrote:

I wish you success in this business and the wagon looks great too!
Jim

Thank you very much for the kind words Jim. This concept was one that two of us created back in 2003 and everyone said it wouldn't work. I have since split off on my own and we have really been blessed since then. It has been a tough road, but worth every second!

toomanytoyz wrote:

Maybe if you redid the seams with quarter panel adhesive and add more flex agent to the paint, you wouldn't have the cracking issues aymore?

I am going to do another one similar to this hopefully in the near future, so that is where I will really be able to run experiments and tests. This one gets to be driven every day and when it is in the shop, I am lost...I am going to keep the flex agent in mind for the next one, but I may not eliminate the rear doors which would pretty much cure the cracking issue...don't know.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Do the front seats tip forward to accommodate the rear passengers?

Hahaha...comfort and functionality don't mix with cool! If anyone sits in the back, they get to climb over the front seat. That is just the price they pay to ride along.

81X11 wrote:

Hey there is a weekly cruise-in at Cabela's on I-35 in Buda every Saturday evening. If you feel like a little trip let me know and I'll drive down in my Roady. Would love to have the wagons side-by-side.

Sounds like a plan. I know there is also one at Biff's burgers in San Antonio every Friday (I think). I am going to start getting out there more with this and having two wagons together would be awesome!!

Adam ,is the ad I see on occasionally on ebay yours?Prepainted bolt-on body parts make a lot
of sense and save a ton of time.I guess as long as the paint match is perfect or very close to
a match there should be no problems.I also wanted to know if whoever did the louvers removed
the underside hood supports?
Jim

Yes, we are on eBay under onlinepartbin, but we now have a web presence with our site. I actually am working on building our site up to the size and number of our eBay listings. There are other sellers on eBay doing the same thing as us, but my original partner and me (that user name is no longer in existence) spawned all of them. We were the first to offer the pre-painted parts and I have since gone out on my own to run a company the way I think it should be handled.

The paint match has come a long way since we started in 03. We can now pinpoint where and when the vehicle was painted, along with the actual batch it was painted in. This has helped us tremendously by limiting the number of variants available for the vehicle being repaired which has led to very few mismatches for our customers.

I just pulled the insulation down from the inside of the hood and the original supports are still in place. I also noticed that I have some paint flaking from one of the louvers, but I should be able to get that touched up today. It's always something with these darn custom cars!!!!

onlinepartbin wrote:

I am going to do another one similar to this hopefully in the near future, so that is where I will really be able to run experiments and tests. This one gets to be driven every day and when it is in the shop, I am lost...I am going to keep the flex agent in mind for the next one, but I may not eliminate the rear doors which would pretty much cure the cracking issue...don't know.

I've been toying with that idea in my head for a while now. I like the look yours has but in my line of work having to crawl in the back to access stuff that rolled up to the back of the front seats could become a PITA so I was thinking along the lines that GM took with the HHR panel with the functioning rear doors. I'm nowhere near ready to start this project this winter. I'm still in the planning stages and trying to visualize the completed project.

here is a photo shopped rough concept of what I'm thinking of doing with my 91, thanks to Ray for the photo shop work

That will look awesome. I think the fender skirts look cool on there too.

I am on the exact same page with you on the idea. My next one will have to have functional rear doors, but I still want the smoothed out look like my wagon has now. I have found it extremely difficult to manage without the rear doors. The HHR idea is where I was leaning, but I was going to figure out how to make panels out of sheetmetal and make the attachment points on the inside of the roof gutter and on the body line under the windows. I think you would have to fill and smooth the remainder of the line on the front doors and front fenders to match the same shape as the rear, but it would be a pretty neat look. The next trick is to hide the vertical door lines where they close and add poppers, but I am at a loss on the door lines. What were you thinking on that? Are you keeping the wood trim or switching to a solid color? Would love to see another sedan delivery long roof!!

looking good! There are a few others around you can find pics on cuSStom.com under the wagon section...

I like the louvers myself always have since I was a kid.

Glad you are back...and love the wagon. (like the hood too!) Keep us updated on your upcoming mods!

What kind of shocks are you thinking about? Amazon has the Monroe Severe Service (I like them, but some say they are too firm) shocks on sale for about $30 each shipped right now. I just bought a set yesterday.

Chris

WHAT? That's a better sale then when I got them... lol.

Oh well.

I still LOVE this car.

Pre Black Friday sale! Lol

Oooooohhhh...more amazon purchases to hide from the wife! Thanks for that heads up

I actually hadn't gotten that far yet. I just know I am in some serious need of new shocks and new front tires. They rub pretty good on any bumps at high or low speed.

I love Amazon to death. I have a store card with them.

*hides*





$30 a piece for those shocks is a great price. Many people call them the "poor man's Bilsteins", some say they're even firmer than that.

If you haul a lot of stuff (well, obviously, but you get my drift), see if you can find the 550052 Monroe shock for the rear. Same as the severe service/gas magnum 550013 but with a helper spring. I haven't been able to find them though - I fear they may be discontinued.

Here you go:

http://www.autopartstomorrow.com/part_numbers/267699-rear-heavy-duty-shock

Don't know anything about that company, but I usually spend a good portion of my day sourcing parts that aren't always available.

If anyone knows of anything like this, I am also looking for a 1/10 RC body of a long roof wagon...That car show last weekend sparked some ideas...

My bad, just saw the out of stock note. Sorry, I'll keep looking.

This shows in stock, but always call on hard to find parts:

http://www.wundercarparts.com/searchitem.epc?trackingid=AutoSupplyPlus.com-Monroe&lookfor=550052&mfr=MONROE%20SHOCKS/STRUTS

Yeah, if you found them I'd be pleased.

I've tried, lol. Everywhere says out of stock.

EDIT: Holy crap! I'm on live chat with a guy from WunderCarparts now. If they have them - you rock.

Aaaaaand confirmed. They've been discontinued.


I am sad again. Thanks for hunting though

http://www.wundercarparts.com/searchitem.epc?trackingid=AutoSupplyPlus.com-Monroe&lookfor=550052&mfr=MONROE%20SHOCKS/STRUTS


They say they have them in stock

EDIT: sorry, missed the above link....

google monroe 550052 and just run down the links. Autotruckparts has them also....

Yeah, just talked to someone there from on live chat, he said it's an error. They don't have any in stock and according to his records they've been discontinued, and nothing supersedes them.

buickestate wrote:

onlinepartbin wrote:

I am going to do another one similar to this hopefully in the near future, so that is where I will really be able to run experiments and tests. This one gets to be driven every day and when it is in the shop, I am lost...I am going to keep the flex agent in mind for the next one, but I may not eliminate the rear doors which would pretty much cure the cracking issue...don't know.

I've been toying with that idea in my head for a while now. I like the look yours has but in my line of work having to crawl in the back to access stuff that rolled up to the back of the front seats could become a PITA so I was thinking along the lines that GM took with the HHR panel with the functioning rear doors. I'm nowhere near ready to start this project this winter. I'm still in the planning stages and trying to visualize the completed project.

here is a photo shopped rough concept of what I'm thinking of doing with my 91, thanks to Ray for the photo shop work

I like the concept Pat, but you need to do something. Not sure what, maybe start by making the B pillar white. To many breaks in the color scheme.

I like it a lot and am very interested in doing the same to my 95 RMW.It would be great if
someone designed a cover that you could attach and detach at will to the side of your wagon.
Something like a 4 door sedan delivery with a removable cover painted to match your car.
If this sounds crazy,sorry but its been a long night!
Jim

Jim,

I have been trying to develop something along those lines for quite some time now. I also own a 99 S10 Blazer that I was trying to do the same thing with. Unfortunately, there is no way to make it removable (that I have figured out) without it looking like a clip on piece or straight window tint. I think it would have to be permanent from what I can figure. If anyone has any ideas, I have a sheet metal company I am in good with as well as the paint set up if we can come up with something. I am not an mechanical engineer, but my brother can run CAD, so any ideas would be welcome.

Adhesives might be an answer, but keep in mind that the wind force generated on the sides with a large piece will cause issues based off of prep work, cleanliness, and the fact it is not adhered to the front of the car receiving direct wind. Just some thoughts...

Adam,how about suction cups to attach the panel to the rear cargo glass.Put a rubber lip all
the way around the panel to seal it.Use the suction cup size to determine depth for a flush fit.
There are definitely suction cups that are more than strong enough.As long as the outer panel
is liteweight but rigid.Just a thought but it would definitely be easy to remove.This would give
a sedan delivery like appearance I think!
Jim

That could work, but I'm not sure how to keep the front rubber lip from flapping in the wind while in transit. I am still going to look into this and see what I can come up with. You may have to go as far as to remove the rubber trim around the window to allow the panel to sit in there and attach with the suction cups. It wouldn't be a pop on pop off situation, but it could be done easily in the garage in about 10 minutes with the right tools.

Jim and Adam, the idea of detachable panels isn't new. it was done for years on hearse ambulance combos.

Okay so it was not an original idea but it could still work.I still think if you could get the panels flush,it would take 4 panels and instant sedan delivery!
Jim

I will have to pick up another wagon this winter and see what I can do!!

Keep it simple, make it so it covers and fits tightly over the "D" pillar an up along the roof where the roof rack is is a deep grove that can be used by making a lip the top of the detachable panel that could slide into the grove on the roof edge to hold the top of the panel in place. That Lip can even carry on the full length of the panel down to the bottom of the "D" pillar and the lip could also carry on above the tail light. At the D pillar it would have a longer lip that could be screwed on to the pillar from inside the door jamb(where on a road master the "D" pillar's sail panel is screwed on)

By making it so it covers the full D pillar from the tail light and up along the roof up to the door it would look seamless and you can sink a few screws to the inside of the lip where the rear hatch glass is. Along the bottom it could be held in place with a strip of velcro or just have a rubber gasket bonded to the bottom edge of the panel since being fastened at the "C" pillar and the "D" pillar should keep the bottom of the panel taunt enough not to flap in the wind

Then do a similar cap cover for the top of the rear door and not just try to cover up the glass.

Such panels could be made of steel or fiber glass but making them out of steel would lend themselves to being welded on for those who want to make permanent sedan deliveries


Those are just my thoughts on one possible way of making detachable panels

Pat,I think there was a customizer in the 90s that was offering something exactly what you just
described.They really look good too.The cover covered everything up to the B pillar and used
the seam on top just the way you described too.Went out of business a long time ago I think.
Jim

We are working on a design but it will take some time to put together. I just talked my CNC operator and did a little brainstorming.

I'll follow up with what we can figure out...Now I know I need another wagon for fitment and building prototype pieces!!

If you simply make a piece that wraps around the front of the rear door just catching the front lip. Catch the lip on the top of the door and then use the roof rack channel with the factory hardware to bolt it to, have it lay inside the rear window channel and catch the screws tward the bottom of that. But rubber bumpers under it to keep it from rubbing the rear glass. if you really feel the need put a seal along the whole edge so it does not let water in.

Be sure not to accidentally open your rear doors.

Or remove upper trim on a woody door and rear quarter and attach it to the inside of the piece and re-install the trim. That would hold the bottom.

I'm running the Monroe SS all around on a couple of my wagons and love them. $30 each is an awesome price. My cousin works for Monroe and I still paid about that with his company discount.