Sandblasting Cabinet
After painting the sub-frame and getting it ready to put onto the Nova, I realized that more work needed to be done before doing so. I have all these relatively small, rusty parts that could either be replaced ($$$) or cleaned up and re-installed ($). I decided that many of the parts could be cleaned up and re-used. Enter the sandblasting cabinet.
I came across plans online to build one. The guy ended up being an engineer, so I knew the plans were going to be reliable. I called my uncle to let him know about my plans to build one and he subsequently offered to help me build it.
I purchased most of the supplies in the next few days and I cut out the easy pieces with my circular saw. Since he has more carpentry experience, I left the harder pieces to him. I believe it took a few days to complete and a few more days before I had all of the supplies to get it fully functional. I needed to buy a Spot Blaster Kit, sandblasting gloves, and few other things from Harbor Freight. I bought a few items from Sears Hardware to complete the tubing. I also bought a small Plexiglass sheet for the window, a lighting fixture, and the electrical switch from Home Depot.
The "machine" works great and I have cleaned up a few parts including my coil springs and drum brakes. The only complaint I have is that the sand is only good for 2-3 usages, then it breaks down and it basically turns to dust. It could use a few improvements, however, such as some kind of removable and inexpensive Plexiglass protector which can be removed and replaced when vision decreases. Also, I realized later that I should have bought a switch and plug combination so that I could plug in the vacuum.
Note: For those of you wondering, it took me almost a full year to write this post. The cabinet has be done since the end of November 2009. 
My Compressor Will be the End of Me
My air compressor has caused me many nuisances and many hours of fixes since the day I brought it home. It was inherited when my uncle passed, so I guess I have no right to complain. But then again, I'm not complaining, but only documenting my troubles.
Before I could get the compressor running, I had to take the existing 220 volt line to the garage and figure out what the inexperienced person did when connecting the line to the house. They had 2 220 volt lines and was only using 1 1/2 of them, but only 110 volts! In a couple phone calls to my dad, a few trips to Home Depot for breakers and such and numerous trips into the basement to the breaker box and back out to the garage, I finally got the 220 line hooked up correctly and used 1/2 of the other 220 line for my 110 needs in the garage.
After a few weeks of running the compressor, I was having a problem with moisture in the line. It was suggested by my uncles to buy an "Automatic Compressor Drain Kit" from Harbor Freight for 10 bucks. I looked at the instructions and it seemed easy enough. In an attempt to install it, I tightened it too hard and split the cheap metal, rendering it useless. A few cuss words later, I installed the original drain plug.
The next day, I bought a new drain kit. While installing the kit, I realized that I needed different parts to fit onto the pressure switch. While removing the old parts and installing the new, again, I tightened the part too tight and rendered an irreplaceable part on the pressure switch useless. I spent a few more days researching prices for a new pressure switch and I believe I ended up buying one from Ace Hardware or Home Depot. After purchasing the switch, I realized that installing it will be a little tricky, because it is larger than the original. I ended up having to install it on a tilt. It works, but it is not aesthetically pleasing.
I also noticed that the drain plug needed more clearance on the bottom where the drain kit is installed. That was the easiest fix of all of them. I got some cinder blocks and set the compressor on those.
Great!!! Now I have a working compressor...NOT!!! After 5 minutes of using the compressor, the air coming out of the cylinders blew a hole in the poly-whatever (plastic/rubber) tubing needed for the auto-drain kit. It turns out that the air coming out of the cylinders was too hot and melted the tubing.
I then came up the ingenious idea to create some kind of metal coil to allow the air to cool before bringing it over to the rubber tubing. After a few trips to AutoZone and Sears Hardware, I did just that with some break line and compression unions and fittings and such. The air was still hot towards the end of the coil, but it was enough not to melt the rubber tubing.
Part of the reason for the overheating was because it was running longer than it needed to, to get back up to pressure. This was due to the fact that the first day that I started messing with the compressor, I changed the oil and removed the cylinder head to see if the cylinders needed cleaning. I subsequently ripped the head gasket that was melded to the head. So, since day one, the compressor has only been about, if I had to guess, 60% efficient. This made the compressor run longer in order to pressurize. I had purchased gasket material from a swap meet and replaced the gasket by cutting my own.
So, it turns out that a free inheritance may have cost me more to fix it than it wold have cost me to buy a new one. But, I learned a lot in the process and I'm satisfied with the work I put into it.
Painting the Front Sub-frame
Alas! I have finally painted the frame I disassembled in July. I haven't been too busy with the Nova since my last post as I have been busy with many other things. But I have accomplished a big step in the restoration of my Nova.
I prepared the garage and frame awhile ago for painting it. I put cardboard down and then a plastic drop cloth on the floor of my wife's side of the garage. I walked the frame over to that side of the garage and stood the frame up vertically, just under one of the rafters. I had Andrew hold the frame upright while I rigged the rope around the rafters to hold the frame from tipping over. After doing this, the frame sat for about a week-and-a-half.
I had intended on painting the frame standing vertically like it was. Then I realized that the application of POR-15 (the rust preventative) is a three-step process and the frame would need to be moved outside several times. For the life of me, I could not figure out how I was going to carry out the application without sacrificing time, energy, and quality. I took my dad's suggestion from the last post and used my ratchet straps to hold the frame upright.
On a sunny Saturday in September, I decided, that I was finally going to paint the frame. As I mentioned before, the application is a three-step process. The first step is the application of Marine Clean, which is a de-greaser that removes any oil, grease, and grime off the metal. After spraying this on, I took a small paintbrush and made sure I reached all of the visible and not-so-visible areas. After drying, I moved the frame outside to better dry in the sun and to see if I missed any areas. The control arms were hanging by the ropes in the garage and I applied the Marine Clean to them as well. After completely drying, I hosed off the entire frame (in the directions) and let it dry again. I used my air compressor hose to blow out any moisture that hadn't dried completely.
I carried the frame back into the garage and attached the hooks again for the application of the second step–Metal Ready. This product provides a better adhesion surface for any paint that will be applied to metal. It also leaves a zinc phosphate coating that "insure[s] chemical bonding of paint and steel". I sprayed it on, brushed it into the cracks, and let it dry. I brought the frame out into the sun to dry and hosed it off after awhile. Again, I brought it back inside the garage and attached the hooks. The hooks I'm sure were a lot easier than having to fiddle around with the rope that I originally used.
We had company coming over that day, so I wasn't able to apply the paint the same day. I did, however, find times during the weekday evenings to apply the paint to the frame in a few coats. This paint is very powerful and the bond is very strong to almost anything. With that being known, I wore long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and rubber dish washing gloves. It is also recommended, that if you are not going to use the entire can of paint, to drill a hole in the side of the can and pour into a container only the amount that you will need and to put a screw into the hole when you are done. The reason for this, is that if you get any paint in the rim of the paint can, the bond will permanently seal the can shut anyway.
Anyway, I started painting the frame with the paint in a plastic cup; like the ones you use at picnics. After about 20 minutes, the cup started deteriorating and I realized that I need to be using something a little thicker and more durable. As I was painting, I was hearing the paint drip off the underside of the frame part onto the drop cloth.
It was late before I finished painting the frame, so I decided to paint the second coat on a different night. The next night, I bought 320 grit sandpaper, as recommended, and I roughened up the entire frame. I also noticed a few drip spots where I applied too much paint in some areas. A few days later, I actually hung my frame horizontally for a couple reasons: 1) I wanted the drips, if I had any, to drip down and be on the underside of the frame and 2) I would have a different angle of light, so I could see if I missed any spots.
Anyway, to make an already long story short, in the 4 painting sessions (2 for the frame and 2 for the control arms) I got paint in my hair, on my arms, hands, knees, and the back of my legs when I was sitting down. I scrubbed all parts with a hard bristle brush and it didn't seem to work. It took about 2 1/2 weeks before all the paint wore off.
The second coat didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I used a horse hair brush for the second coat and I could see the brush stokes. I talk to Uncle Kurt about it and he recommended using 220 grit sandpaper and a sponge brush for the second coat. I used the foam brush for the control arms and they turned out a lot better than the frame. I have a little bit of the paint left, so I might scuff up the surface again in the bad areas and apply a 3rd coat.
This concludes the story. Sorry for the wait people. I should have another post and some more pictures shortly.
Front End Rebuild Kit
I'm gonna start off by saying that I have been a slacker for the past month, because of the lack of blog postings. I haven't been too busy with the Nova, but I do have something to write about. I'm doing my best to keep up on my progress.
After we had removed the ball joints and the control arm bushings, I had ordered the Front End Rebuild Kit, which included 2 ball joints and boots, 8 control arm bushings, 2 tie rod ends, a sway bar bushing kit, bumpers for the control arms, and an idler arm found here. The entire kit is polyurethane and is recommended over rubber by 3 out of 4 uncles. Uncle Kurt, his father-in-law, and I spent an entire evening pressing 4 out of 8 bushings and both ball joints into the control arms with a ball joint removal kit and an impact wrench. We we unable to use this method on the upper control arms, because they both have a bar that needs to be inside the bushings when pressing them in. The ball joint removal kit didn't provide the clearance needed for their removal.
After a short discussion, we determined that a shop press needed to be used to carry out this ordeal. This tool/equipment has been on Uncle Kurt's list for 20-some years now and he said that now would be a good time to purchase one. We went online and found that Harbor Freight had the size we needed for $200. We agreed to split the cost and then I left for the evening. A few days later, I received a text message from him stating that he had just purchased a slightly used shop press (the same one at Harbor Freight) for $120 from a guy that was selling it on Craig's List. Again, I express my infatuation of Craig's List.
A few days later, I scheduled an appointment for the use of the shop press in his facilities. Wouldn't you know it, we installed four bushings in less than 45 minutes. That including cutting a spacer from a piece of exhaust pipe. I wish/he wishes he would have bought the press earlier in the game. I do want to note that I did give him my share of the purchase.
In the mix of the bushing installation, at home, I moved my frame over to the other side of the garage and stood it upright. With the help of Andrew, I tied rope through a few holes on the frame to keep it balanced. I did not want to hang the frame from the garage rafters, but only to balance it. Remembering that painting the frame is a 3-step process, including hosing it off and getting it bone-dry again before the next step, I realized that the rope idea wasn't going to work as planned.
My dad called me the other day and in our discussion about my progress, he suggested using hooks. After our call, I rigged up my ratchet straps, with hooks, to the rafters and frame. I think this method will work a lot better, because the hooks will be a lot easier to remove from the holes, as opposed to rope.
Another thing I do want to mention before I finish, is that the wireless signal from the basement of the house to the garage was very weak and slow, especially with the garage door down. Last night, I moved the wireless router and DSL modem to the first floor of my house. After getting it all connected again, I went out to the garage to recheck the connection. I got a steady 2 out of 5 bars at 11Mbps with the garage door down. Now I am able to listen to my networked music, uninterrupted, in a rainstorm, in the garage, while working on my Nova. Woo hoo!!!
And one more thing...while I was writing this post on my lunch break, UPS delivered the polyurethane body mount bushing kit that I had ordered last week. This may be needed in the next step of the restoration after the frame is painted.