[fyrffytr1]

As I get closer to my 74th birthday next month I am facing some decisions, My 67 needs a little work and I could probably do it, but I am not sure how to do one thing.
When I tore the car apart I bagged and labeled all the small parts. They went with the body when it was mated back to the frame. Somehow the radiator core support shims got lost so they didn't get installed. I knew there were 2 or 3 on each side, I think, So the front end was all tightened down and the hood fender alignment at the front of the hood is about 1/4" off with the hood sticking up. And the gap across the front of the hood narrows t the center to almost touching the header.
I also think this is responsible for my tires rubbing the outer top edge of the wheel well. While fixing this it won't be a problem t replace the radiator
So that is one problem and probably the biggest but there are more smaller ones. The convertible top switch was installed on the far right edge of the gauge panel when it should have been put on the left. As a result the switch broke apart from the stress of the wiring harness. I now run the top with a heavy duty toggle switch bolted through the bottom of the dash.
Anther gremlin is the heater fan speed switch. I had two burn up before I found the loose connection further down the wiring harness.
But, physical limitations won't allow me to crawl up under the dash to get to the switch, which is held on by two quarter inch screws that disappear as soon as you loosen them.I know because there are 6 of them somewhere in my dash.
I can and do drive the car as is being careful when I turn a corner, but I would love to know how to figure out how many shims I need. I no longer have anyone locally to give me that help. All my car buddies have passed on.
Which brings me to car number two, my 1950 Pontiac Streamliner.
It is a project car that I work on when I get the desire. I can legally drive the car but I don't for safety reasons. Brakes are new and bled, but the pedal is soft. Engine runs with all new accessory parts and trans works good.
It needs front floor pans and a few dents knocked out.
Then there is the boat! I bought it as incentive for my son to quit smoking , but he says he can't. I figure another $500-$750 will get everything I need to finish it so I am putting what time and energy I have in it,
The last 6-8 weeks have been hard on me physically and I am beginning to wonder if I have what it takes to get any of them done.
I think it would be a lot different if there was one old guy around that shared my interest , but there aren't.
well, now that I have got that off my chest I will go to bed , I have to make a 2.5 hour drive one way to pick up a piece for the boat!

[nas t eh]

Is there a car club around? It’s hard to make new friends, but bringing your car to a meeting or a show and shine would be a place to start.

[nas t eh]

I’m no body man, hopefully someone who is stops by with a better answer, but I think the shim issue is a trial and error problem at this point. Buy more shims than you need.(since you don’t have the old ones) and install two or 3 per side for a starting point. It will either be good or you will have to add or subtract 1 or 2.

[Andre]

Just keep enjoying the car as a it is. Work on the 50 as time, strength and inclination allows. I have guys here that are 10 years older than you still working on these cars... a little bit at a time.

[b-man]

I doubt that a few shims under the core support are what’s bringing the fenders down enough to cause rubbing.

Going one tire size smaller is probably the easiest way to solve this issue.

Putting shims under the core support now means realigning the front sheetmetal. While it would be a nice thing to do it’s opening a can of worms and you may end up chipping the paint during the process.

[bdk1976]

Originally Posted by b-man

Putting shims under the core support now means realigning the front sheetmetal. While it would be a nice thing to do it’s opening a can of worms and you may end up chipping the paint during the process.

x2 - BTDT and have the paint chips to prove it (and I'm still not totally satisfied with the alignment)!

[b-man]

Never give up as long as you have the will and the interest.

I’m sure there’s a shop somewhere not too far away that can troubleshoot and fix the soft brake pedal.

A hot rod shop that has experience replacing sheet metal body panels should be able to handle replacing the floor pans without costing you a fortune. Shops like these usually don’t shy away from doing brake work on ancient automobiles so maybe they could knock out this one too.

At a certain age it’s a good idea to budget and farm out a few of these more difficult projects that you can no longer handle physically. I realize most retirees are on a fixed income and affordability can be difficult.

Sell the boat without hesitation if you’re not really into it, even if you have to take a loss. Use your energy and money for the things that truly interest you and forget about the rest. Boats are money pits even worse than old cars.