Carpet prep

     Dan and I made the trip to LA Trim on Thursday and met Dale Dawson the owner.  Dale looked at the worn out front carpet and discolored rear piece and offered his advice on the best way to proceed.  It was looking like I would be making multiple trips between my home in Jenison and his shop in Lowell and I'd still be trusting my own measurement and marking abilities.  Each trip would be 27 miles one way and with gas prices climbing like they have been, that expense would start to add up.  I had been reluctant to consider taking the car to Dale's shop because I didn't have a way to get it there.  Dan had solved that problem for me on the way out to Lowell.  He had sold his trailer to another club member and Dan was sure he'd be able to borrow it for a couple days.  So, once I realized how much easier it would be for Dale to do the job and create a professional fit, it was a simple decision to take the car to him.  He's squeezing the '41 in for a 1-2 day turn around on Mar 7th.  Weather conditions are always a consideration this time of year so we'll have to see how things work out.
     The wife and I got back this morning from our relaxing get away on Saturday and once my chores were completed and the Daytona 500 was postponed, I headed out to the garage to get a few things done on the car.  I installed the steering linkage and had my wife lend a hand to install the steering column.  Those parts are now installed to stay.

 This way Dale can make a proper sized opening for the steering column in the new carpet.  He also suggested I install the front seat adjuster as the carpet has to tuck around the framework for the adjuster.  Several items on the adjuster needed straightening and realigning and when that was done, it was bolted to the floor.  The transmission/bell housing cover is bolted in also to provide the full contour for the floor. 
     The flange gaskets for the rear axle bearings won't be here until Tuesday but I scraped off the old gaskets from the brake backing plates so the axle install should only take a few minutes.  I'm glad I decided to change center sections in the rear end.  The lube was gray indicating the side gear was continuing to wear on the inside of the case and grinding metal out of the cast iron case.  Good thing I didn't take any long trips. 
     When I bought all the new parts for the updates on the car, I had purchased a new radio from Retro Sound.  The speakers were already installed so tonight I spent some time fitting the radio to the dashboard.  The T and C pull cables (Throttle and Choke) were no longer being used and the excess cable was getting in the way under the dash so I had previously cut off the cables and used only the knobs to insert thru the dash.  The stock appearance is maintained without the extra cables hanging under the dash.  The cable knobs also hold the radio trim pieces to the front of the dash so all that had to be considered when fitting the radio.  Once the parts were assembled and the radio was in place, the wife and I both agreed that the radio panel needed to be painted to match the steering column.  The color is close to the radio trim pieces that attach to the front of the dash.  So, out came the spray can and the faceplate as well as the inner part of the radio knobs got a fresh coat of the custom beige paint.  Once the paint is dry and I've completed the radio install, I'll post pics. 
     My goal for the coming week is to complete the brake line installation and set the engine in place long enough to allow the front coil springs to be installed.  I'll need the engine weight to overcome the spring tension as the lower control arm is raised and the ball joint is reattached.  The front shocks can be installed then too.  Once those tasks are completed, Tom from Maksim's is planning to come over to help me bleed the brakes and do a preliminary front end alignment before the front sheet metal is reinstalled.  The final alignment adjustments will be completed when I can drive it to Maksims.
     I had to laugh when I went to Auto Zone to order the flange gaskets on Friday.  Parts guys today always want to know what year and brand of car you have so they can look up parts in their computer.  In my case, the year of the CAR has nothing to do with many of the parts.  The kid looked at me a bit funny when I told him I needed flange gaskets for a 1957 Chevy rearend.  He pulled up the 57 Chevy page and then asked "What engine?"  I smiled and told him the 57 rear end was in a 41 Chevy so the engine didn't mean anything - "just pick one, they're all the same", I told him.  Once he figured out the flange gaskets, I told him I also needed a clutch alignment tool for a 1986 S-10 Pickup.  "This for the same car?" the kid says.  "Yup", says me.  "The transmission and clutch disk are from an S-10 and the flywheel and pressure plate are originals for the '41."  Now his curiosity was getting the better of him.  "What kind of engine are you running?" he asked.  "Well, it's a '53 Chevy inline 6 with a '61 cylinder head for more compression.  It's running a custom camshaft and aftermarket 4 bbl intake along with cast iron headers and dual exhaust."  His eyes got real big after that explanation.  And when I asked about the brake line sizes they stock, he invited me behind the counter to check out their inventory.  I think I made a friend.  Lol.