Latest on the '62 Olds Dynamic 88 wagon

You scored with your Iona sills! Going to have to have mine repainted/restored. Same with the rear window switch bezel. All the black paint is gone within the circles.

Pulling off the panels on the tailgate I can see it's going to be a major pain to get in there and fix that switch, tight & window tracks are in the way. It works fine from the dash switch, up & down no problem. It only goes down when the key is in the tailgate, not up. I'll post in the tech and see if anyone knows a trick.

Thanks again.

 

There is a trick to painting that recessed area black; I would tape off the keyhole, and around the perimeter of the bezel, and shoot some black paint over its entirety; then, there's a fine art and touch to getting a cloth of some sort, dampened with some thinner, and gently wiping around the elevated circular areas, and the Fiesta lettering, but only so as to not touch the lower surface that you want to remain black. Not easy, but it can be done! You need a steady pointer finger!

 

Ha! Easy for you to say! I can't even paint by numbers!

 

Ok, after a long spring, summer, and fall, during which I racked up 4700 miles going far and wide to places like Auburn, Indiana, the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, and Fall Carlisle (PA), my friend "Impala Jim" Fuller and I are back at work on my '62 Olds Dynamic 88 Fiesta Wagon, as the "vinoleum" material that we had ordered from SMS Auto Fabrics in Canby, Oregon has finally arrived, and glad to say that it is just what I needed. So, I'll be posting some pictures of the first part of the project in applying the "vinoleum", which is what the Olds Shop Manual from that year refers to the material as, and will be keeping everyone updated on the progress of getting the rest of the cargo area completed.

 

New "Vinoleum" on the Olds Wagon Tailgate!

The linoleum (or, as the shop manual refers to it, "vinoleum") for the cargo area of my '62 Olds Dynamic 88 wagon has finally arrived, and my friend "Impala Jim" Fuller didn't waste any time getting the new material onto the tailgate.

The first picture offers an initial look of the finished product, which Jim placed onto the original backing panel, cut one of the sheets into the proper dimensions using the old "vinoleum" as a pattern, and the trim pieces fit neatly back into place.

To contrast, the second picture is the old vinoleum that was removed from the interior tailgate panel, folded in half. Jim is utilizing the old material whenever possible as a template to obtain the exact dimensions for the replacement material, which is more durable while retaining the original stock look.

As mentioned, The new material was obtained from SMS Auto Fabrics in Canby, Oregon, which specializes in leather, vinyl, and other materials for classic cars. Though it took some time to manufacture, it is exactly what was expected in terms of appearance and quality/

After the material arrived at Jim's house late last week, he went to work right away in measuring, then cutting the tailgate vinoleum to the proper dimensions, including making holes in the proper locations from the backing panel, for the screws to hold down the trim pieces, as well as around the perimeter of the panel for re-attachment to the interior of the tailgate.

Taking advantage of the 60+ degree temperatures in Northeast Ohio early this afternoon, it presented a timely opportunity to run the wagon to Jim's not only to apply the new tailgate panel, but to also remove the remaining floor panels of the cargo area, so that they may be prepared for the new vinoleum to be applied as well.

The final picture, showing the metal cargo strips, illustrated the practical usage of which is to slide any large parcels into and out from the car.

More to come!

 

That looks fantastic!

 

Looking good! Nice to hear from you.

 

I've been wondering where you ran off to, elvis!
WOW...that stuff looks original....very, very nice!
Glad to see you back here with that gorgeous car!

 

Removal of cargo area panels in the wagon...

...On Sunday, Impala Jim removed the various parts from the cargo area, so that they may be cleaned, painted, and refurbished with the new "vinoleum" to be applied--a process that thankfully went quite smoothly...

The first picture shows all of the various deck pieces removed, exposing the floorboards for the wagon, which were thankfully quite solid. They built 'em like tanks, for sure! The six pieces removed included the narrow flap between the tailgate and the interior cargo area (still attached at the bottom of the picture here), the lid to the spare tire well, two panels on each side of the lid, the middle cargo area, and the back of the rear seat, which serves as the front of the cargo area when the seat is folded down...

How did we get there? First, the spare tire lid was removed by Jim, who is shown here inspecting the lid; the spare tire on a two-seat wagon was stored below; on a three-seat wagon, the spare was stored to the passenger side behind the rear wheel well, in lieu of the rear-facing seat.

Then, the floor sides to each side of the spare tire lid, behind the wheel wells, were removed. As was the case with the spare tire well lid in the previous picture, the old covering was previously removed and saved by Jim, who will use them as pattern to cut the new "vinoleum" from...

This was followed by the removal of the middle deck area, above the floorboard that is above where the 20-gallon gas tank is located. This area has a vinyl flap attached to it, which provides flexibility and protection from the floorboard when the back seat is folded between the up and down positions.

The back of the rear seat serves as the front of the cargo area when folded down; this of course is made possible by the hinge panel, which is lifted when the back seat is once again desired. As is the case with the previous picture of the middle deck, the old covering was left on, as it was still adhering to the panels, unlike the previous pair of pictures, where the vinoleum had already started peeling away.

More pictures of progress to come...

 

Olds Wagon Rear Cargo Area in progress...

On Monday, Jim tackled the rear tailgate flap, and the rear floor panels to the left and right of the spare tire lid, behind the rear wheel wells.

Here's a shot of the right rear floor panel complete, with the left one in progress, and a bit of the rear tailgate flap, which was also completed. In case you're wondering what Jim's secret to his restoration prowess, it is sitting in a glass to the right...

This picture shows more of the left rear floor panel, which was sanded and primed, along with the adhesive having been removed. The right panel shows the finished product, with the fawn paint topped off with a layer of clearcoat for added protection and lustre.


For a contrast, here is what the old "vinoleum" from those panels looked like. They did serve a purpose in providing a template for Jim to prepare cutting the new material.


Once the old vinoleum was taken off the panels, the remaining adhesive had to be removed from the panels. Here, Jim is shown removing the old glue from the top of the spare tire lid; he poured a small amount of lacquer thinner on the surface, and used a scraper to remove the old residue.


The finished tailgate "flap" that lowers over the area between the rear bumper and the body of the wagon, preventing anything from falling down into the channel, and in practical usage, allowing for items to be loaded more easily from the tailgate into the rear of the wagon. Any such activity will of course be limited, as I also have a tan layer of carpeting that has been cut to the appropriate dimensions, and will be utilized in offering protection when hauling any items, such as those when attending a swap meet!

 

Is that stuff in the glass a new kind of adhesive you are using?

 

Well, among old-car restorers of all levels of skill, it isn't an "ancient Chinese secret", as they said in the old Calgon commercials, but it seems to work well for Jim, so who's to argue?

Actually, to answer your question on a more literal level, Jim is an aficionado when it comes to things like home repair, etc., and he is using Liquid Nails Latex Adhesive, whis is designed for sheet flooring and vinyl tile, so this should do the trick quite nicely...

 

Rear cargo area panel progress

Impala Jim has been refurbishing the rear panels from the cargo area for the '62 Olds Dynamic 88 wagon this week...

This first picture shows the completed right and left (top to bottom) rear floor panels, which are located on each side of the spare tire lid. Jim cleaned the panels, spray painted the new fawn metallic paint, added clearcoat for added protection, and then layed down the "vinoleum" from SMS Auto Fabrics--the result being the way these appeared as they did back on the showroom floor in 1962.


To contrast, they way these panels appeared upon removal from the station wagon this past weekend...


Jim has applied the vinoleum to the left and right halves of the spare tire lid panel. There is a divider between each side, and to ensure the material adheres completely to the metal surface with the vinyl adhesive, he has clamped down some wooden boards for pressure until it has cured. And, for good measure, Jim has instituted his own "level"...


Again, for comparison and contrast, the spare tire lid upon removal from the wagon this past Sunday...

With the mid-March weather being more toward the last week of winter than the 80-plus degree tempereatures we enjoyed exactly one year ago this month, the next couple of weeks will lend itself to completing the rest of the application of the vinoleum to the cargo area, as we anxiously anticipate the breaking of spring temperatures, and install the new panels at the first available opportunity.

 

Spare Tire Lid complete, onto the middle cargo panels...

Jim has finished applying the new "vinoleum" to the spare tire lid; the new material was clamped down in several places to ensure that it had adhered properly.


The second picture shows that Jim has also painted the bottom side of the spare tire lid; while there are new reproduction Jack Instruction stickers available, the original one was still in good shape, and I decided to keep it as is, even though there's some "patina" to it.


For comparison, here's a "before" picture of the bottom of the spare tire lid, with some surface discoloration that occurred through the years.


Now that the back panels have pretty much been completed, Jim's next task is to restore the middle cargo panel, which sits ahead of the spare tire lid, and behind the second seat. This panel is located above where the gas tank would be located. Here, the old material from the panel has successfully been removed, and will be used as a template for the new vinoleum to be cut.


Finally, the bare panel itself, which will be cleaned and prepared for the usual fawn metallic paint to be sprayed around the perimeter and down the center of the panel, a layer of clearcoat on top of that, and ultimately, the new vinoleum material to be applied.

 

Wagon Cargo Panels Complete!

During this past week, Impala Jim was able to finish the middle cargo area panels, as well as the back of the rear seat and hinge (which serve as extended cargo area when the seat is folded down). Now, all we need is a warm day to put them back in the wagon...(don't laugh!)


This first picture shows the final result of the middle cargo panel, which sits between the back seat, and the spare tire lid. Jim also spray-painted the surrounding borders with a new coat of fawn metallic paint, topped off with clearcoat.


This picture shows the right (passenger) side of the middle cargo area; note the swatch that was cut out, sent to SMS Auto Fabrics in Oregon as a sample for what they needed to manufacture, in terms of color and texture...


Jim in his workshop working on the back seat area; to his front (to the upper left in the picture) you may note the old, discolored vinoleum that has been removed from this area.


The finished product, showing the new vinoleum that has been applied to the rear of the back seat, as well as to the hinge section that recesses when the back seat is raised.


Finally, this picture shows the back seat folded down as it appeared before being removed from the wagon. We have a month before leaving for Spring Carlisle (PA); not being too sarcastic in saying that we hope to have a few pleasant spring days to work with before then; just lucky we had the one (and only one) two weeks ago to removed all the panels from the wagon...