Where do I start my 47 60s resto.

[Bob Richards #13906]

Ihave a 47 60s to restore,wiring,paint,some interior. I am not planning a body-off resto, I just want a clean driver.   To access the engine bay easier, I want to take off the hood, front clip(fenders,grill,etc.) in one piece if possible. As for the hood, I know that re-alignment can be tricky. What bolts should I remove? Any tpis will help.  Thanks, Bob

[Dave Leger CLC #19256]

Hi Bob,

    When we took the hood off my 47, we marked the outline of the bolts, so we could position it the same again when putting it back.  I used a washable marking pen, but a grease pen would work too.

    On my 47, Im also doing a tourer, not a high points car.  Heres some info. off the top of my head.  Id suggest the mechanical/electrical items first, to make the car reliable. Id start with the brakes - make sure you can stop reliably. Items done on mine so far:

Engine rebuild
Radiator re-core & new thermostat
Transmission rebuild & new u-joints
Wiring (dash forward so far, and fix ground issues on lights, all new bulbs in dash)
New plugs, and ignition wires
New horn relay and brake light switch
Complete brake system rebuild
New tires
New battery (Optima 6v in a fake tar-top box)
Reproduction hubcaps
New muffler and exhaust pipe
Fuel pump rebuild
Generator rebuild
Water pump rebuild
Carb. rebuild
All new hoses and vacuum lines
Radio rebuild (and new antenna until I rebuild the vacuum one)
Re-upholstered the seats and door panels (original headliner and visors)
New carpet
About 1/2 of the chrome and stainless done
New weatherstripping on doors and trunks

Things on my to-do list, but on hold as Im doing some home remodelling right now:

front end rebuild
rest of the chrome
Paint (old lacquer is cracking, but ok from 10 feet)
re-woodgrain dash and garnish trim
more weatherstripping (including window channels)
maybe re-upholster headliner and visors later on
rebuild vacuum antenna
reinstall windshield washers (with new jar and downpipe)
re-coat exhaust manifold
new parking brake cable

I also take the opportunity, when possible, to pick up spares when they appear on Ebay (things like water pump, generator, where you can only do rebuilds or core exchanges now).

Dave

[Bill Ingler CLC 7799]

Hi Bob- I hope you are one of the fortunate persons who owns a 47-60s that is still fairly original, has not had the hood removed or fenders off and still retains the original factory sheet metal clearences.If you are doing just a driver and your hood has about 1/8 inch clearence across the back of the hood to the cowl and then that same gap to the front of the door, then leave the hood hinge brackets bolted to the cowl. These hinge brackets are bolted on with I think three 7/16 bolts. The hood can be taken off and still leave the hood brackets attached to the cowl and you leave the brackets in place thus saving the hood clearences. If some one has already messed with the original alignment then you probably would want to take the hinge brackets off as well and do a complete alignment when you put the front sheet metal back on the car. To take the whole front clip off as one piece might be possible but it would require several persons and it could result in bending or springing the sheet metal.I have had my 47 completly apart and it was one piece at a time with plenty of pictures. It is too much for this response but email me and I will give you some ideas on taking the front clip off the car. When fitting back the front sheet metal on a 47, start first with fitting the hood to the cowl, trying to get the 1/8 inch rear gap, then install the fenders, adjusting them up to fit the bottom of the hood. By fitting the hood first then you are in a position to adjust the 3 hinge backet bolts to get a good fit without the fenders in the way.

[Brad Ipsen CLC#737]

I dont know if this will apply to a 47 specifically but it is a trick I learned from the hot rodders.  Drill a couple of 1/8 inch pilot holes when everything is aligned.  Either before disassemble or in primer before paint.  This can be used for hoods, doors or whatever.  You can put these in an inconspicuous place and nobody will ever see them when the car is done.  Use pins in the pilot holes to get everything back to the old alignment.  I used this on the door hinges on a 40-60S and it really helped.

[DJW#13918]

Any car you want to drive as you do a staged resto-repair as I like to call it, should start with the brakes! If the engine or trasmission fails you can always tow it home. If the brakes fail all you have is a parts car. This rebuild should include wheel bearings, seals, relined shoes, machined drums, hard and soft lines, master cylinder and wheel cylinders. Dont forget the emergency brake. You only have a single master cylinder and if that fails you are back to a parts car. By doing this work first, you can enjoy the car from time to time when it is not being worked on...while waiting for parts to arrive or...the bank account to catch up with your dreams. As far as taking the front clip off the car, I just crawl in under the hood. There is plenty of room to do almost anything.
Have fun with your new toy!