My 504 Daily Driver Project

[lionheart]

504 bits

I've got a few additions to the wishlist!

- Backlit heater and ventilation control panel
- Late model windscreen wiper/washer switch with intermittent position, preferably with the plug and a bit of wiring. The delay unit, plug and wiring would be awesome as well!
- Chrome windscreen washer jets in good condition
- Late model interior rear view mirrow
- Sunvisors, prefer late model, good condition.

Ummm, more as it comes to mind![/QUOTE]

Hi Scotty,

I've got a pair of good sunvisors if you're still looking. Give them to you when you get to Brissie.

Neil

 

[Demannu]

I am a trimmer getn started back into trimming after being badly burned by the state (can't say which one or they'll burn me at the stake) Ed dept.

I have a 504 dash which I can recover to to a good, if not truly original, standard. I could also do the same to the separate black molded sections - I may be able to find some around here. I'm going to SA at Xmas. Could bring 'em then.

I don't if that helps. let me know anyway.

Keith

Hi Keith, I'm whipping a PM your direction right now, I think I've sourced a dashboard but I'm VERY interested in your door trims!

 

[Demannu]

Well I've had a chance to get stuck into it a bit further, I've pulled off the doors, sill trims and the front clip. Of course, I've found more rust. The left hand sill panel is virtually completely rotted away underneath the stainless steel trim, and the right hand one is bad around the B pillar. I've also had a poke around with a screwdriver and found rust at the bottom of the rear windscreen, and the left hand A pillar is cracked at the base and rusted around part of the crack.

I have a lot of welding ahead of me!

It's true what they say, it's always worse than it looks. I'm inclined to think that there is no such thing as a rust-free 504, as the most common places are usually hidden. Give me a few weeks and I'll have the first rust-free 504 getting around in a long time!

I'll add some photos later.

 

[max_wedge]

Great project, can't wait to see the pics as it evolves.

 

[Erska]

Ikenna, I forgot to say thank you! I read your story with great interest! Thanks!

And Scott:
"nice" to see that 504's actually rot even in there!

 

[Demannu]

Photos as promised.

The A-pillars could be tricky to weld up, but the rust is not nearly as extensive as the outer sill panels. At least they should be fairly straightforward though, it's mostly straight sections with a fold in it.

I'll get stuck into them all this week with the wire wheel and see how far it actually goes.

 

[bean]

Fantastic thread - I've got a 76' 504 with similar rust issues and I hope to do the very same as you with rust repairs and a repaint. Getting this preview of things to come is absolute invaluable - so thank you VERY much for sharing the process!

Rabin

 

[robmac]

Photos as promised.

The A-pillars could be tricky to weld up, but the rust is not nearly as extensive as the outer sill panels. At least they should be fairly straightforward though, it's mostly straight sections with a fold in it.

I'll get stuck into them all this week with the wire wheel and see how far it actually goes.

Scott,

FWIW I plated behind/inside windscreen frame and pillar stuff. I held the plates in place by drilling the frames and plug welding into the plates.

I then finished with phosphor bronze and the oxy and filled up the voids and gaps.

After that a fine dished cut off wheel was used to to reshape the repairs.

EDIT: I had extreme difficultly mig welding to the original screen frame. I found bronze welding is far more forgiving with rusty and thin steel, and earier to shape.

PS: The pre-fluxed rods are far better than the earlier un-fluxed rods and separate powder flux.

 

[max_wedge]

that's some nice neat work there.

 

[dieselnutjob]

My 604 has rusted in exactly the same places
What causes the A posts in particular to go?
Mine has sunroof drain tubes that run down inside the A post and I am wondering if the rubber has perished and is allowing water into the post.

Also I don't like the mudguard thing as it means that you get a closed section which I think allows mud and salt to collect on top of the front of the sill behind the wing and you can't clean it out easily.

I am thinking of cutting them off and replacing with a sheet of thick rubber held on with screws so that I can remove them every spring and hose out, allow to dry and then spray with waxoyl. I suppose a compromise might be a big round hole with rubber bung

 

[Uffee]

Also I don't like the mudguard thing as it means that you get a closed section which I think allows mud and salt to collect on top of the front of the sill behind the wing and you can't clean it out easily.

I am thinking of cutting them off and replacing with a sheet of thick rubber held on with screws so that I can remove them every spring and hose out, allow to dry and then spray with waxoyl. I suppose a compromise might be a big round hole with rubber bung

I'm with you, I can't believe the design of the mudguard persisted that way the entire model run. I was thinking of drilling a hole at the bottom where the mudguard meets the door post triangle to allow drainage and then welding a tube in the hole that faces downwards and away from the wheels to prevent the hole filling with road spray.

 

[Demannu]

Hmm. Perhaps the early 504s are different, but in this one, the mudguard section is open at the rear, you could easily stick a hose in there between the guard and the kick panel where it meets the front doors.

Apparently that's not something that previous owners have done on this particular car though.....

 

[peujohn]

Paris told me that you can undo the two (?) bolts at the bottom rear of the guards, and there is enough flex to allow you to pull the bottom of the guard away and clean out the cavity.

 

[Uffee]

Paris told me that you can undo the two (?) bolts at the bottom rear of the guards, and there is enough flex to allow you to pull the bottom of the guard away and clean out the cavity.

In my limited experience (sample size 2) the bottom of the mudguard is spotwelded and brazed, just above and to the side of the hole in the sill/door pillar triangle in Scott's 3rd photo. I've not seen bolts which makes me think we're not talking about the same thing.

 

[Demannu]

Again, it could be a difference in year models, but mine has two philips-head screws holding the bottom rear of the guard to the body, just above the sill panel, and yes, by removing them it provides heaps of flex in the guard. But, the tabs which they screw onto have the guard sitting out about 5mm, so there is a slot there anyway to drain any rubbish from back there.

Perhaps they changed this on later models, but there is NO rust at all in the guards on mine, the insides of them look like new.

 

[dieselnutjob]

by "mudguard" I mean the piece drawn around in red in this pic

 

[Uffee]

Hmm, might be a later model thing, 'cause we're talking about the same piece of bodywork. The 2 that I've intimatly dealt with were an '80 and '83.

 

[Demannu]

New direction.....

I've just changed my mind about this car.... and yesterday I picked up my new 504 project. It has a lot less rust in it, so will require a lot less fabrication and welding to complete it. It's also got a lot of the pieces that I'm looking for on my list, so I'll update that very shortly.

The desired outcome hasn't changed, so I'll still be making a car that looks like an early 504 with an edge!

Anyhow, the new car is an 11/1980 GLD, very little rust (couldn't find any at all until I pulled the sill panels covers off) and in a stylish shade of silver. It's been a country car, so it's rather dusty, but I took it for a good drive and apart from some slow synchros on 1st and 3rd (still perfectly driveable though), there's nothing wrong with it. Steering, suspension, brakes, lights, drivetrain including diesel engine all work perfectly! Obviously a fairly well maintained 504 through it's life.

Of course being a later model, i'm going to retrofit the early push-button doors to it, as well as the early seats. Still debating whether or not to fill the C-pillar vents, I know they perform a function very well, but they just look so out of place. I'll also be fitting the aluminium sill covers, chrome wipers and trapezoidal headlights, so it will certainly look like an early model.

Photos to come soon!

 

[PugMonkey]

Hey

....Thats cheating! :nownow:

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

I've just changed my mind about this car.... and yesterday I picked up my new 504 project. It has a lot less rust in it, so will require a lot less fabrication and welding to complete it. It's also got a lot of the pieces that I'm looking for on my list, so I'll update that very shortly.

The desired outcome hasn't changed, so I'll still be making a car that looks like an early 504 with an edge!

Anyhow, the new car is an 11/1980 GLD, very little rust (couldn't find any at all until I pulled the sill panels covers off) and in a stylish shade of silver. It's been a country car, so it's rather dusty, but I took it for a good drive and apart from some slow synchros on 1st and 3rd (still perfectly driveable though), there's nothing wrong with it. Steering, suspension, brakes, lights, drivetrain including diesel engine all work perfectly! Obviously a fairly well maintained 504 through it's life.

Of course being a later model, i'm going to retrofit the early push-button doors to it, as well as the early seats. Still debating whether or not to fill the C-pillar vents, I know they perform a function very well, but they just look so out of place. I'll also be fitting the aluminium sill covers, chrome wipers and trapezoidal headlights, so it will certainly look like an early model.

Photos to come soon!

You will have to do some welding to fit the early door catches to the late shell.
Graham