Jack's '67 Safari 22'

[Jack McAllis]

Originally Posted by 68 TWind

Jack,
Fine job on the AC cover. Glad you like the rivet gun, I knew you would.

I've installed all new window seals and caulked the windows with Trempro 635. Seems much more waterproof thus far. She's stripped of all lights and other protruding things in prep for polishing. I've ordered and received the recommended items from VTS that meet their polishing instructions (including a Cyclo). I had a little time today and tried the first polishing step on the front street side corner. I did use a quality paint stripper and actually applied stripper to the section twice but pressure washed the stripper off instead of scraping with a plastic scraper. I did this today with the #7 Nuvite (as recommended in the instructions). While it is exciting to see the old aluminum start to shine, I have some some small spotting visible and wonder if I may not have gotten all of the clear coat off. I've included a close-up photo of the condition. Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations? I stopped so I can get a handle on this before wasting Nuvite.
Thanks,
Jack




New 110v power panel is installed but not yet wired in.





Marker lights and porch light removed in preparation for polishing.





All windows caulked with Trempro 635.





Front street side corner polished with Nuvite 7 to try to get a feel for this part of the project. Looks decent from a distance but the up close shot does not. it is exciting though to see the shine start to come through.





I applied stripper to the section twice but maybe I did not get all the clear coat off...will try that step again and see.

[Jack McAllis]

Getting the technique down now. The front section is done with the the first two polishing steps (swirl marks not yet polished out). It's an amazing transformation. Well worth the effort.

[BIGED52]

Jack, That is beginning to look really Sharp! Did you need to strip again or just polish? Seems like the old girl is gonna get her "glow" back real soon now! Ed

[Jack McAllis]

Ed, thanks for the compliments. I was really just testing the water with buffing. As I expanded the effort from panel to panel, I could tell I was gaining a feel for what the Nuvite 7 was doing on the pad. What I thought was leftover clear coat is probably some micro oxidation. I tested some areas with the Nuvite grade C and it looks like the skin will polish on up to mirror (or near) luster. I'm stripping as I go and pressure washing the residue off. A few areas have been stubborn and I reapplied stripper as needed. That also becomes more evident as I gain more experience. I can now see the clear coat that doesn't dissolve with the first application of stripper as the pressure washing is being done. Now that I have a feel for the polishing, I had a little more panel issues to take care of so I could polish the entire body. Got those done over past few days. Photos of those issues are below. I think the polishing can now be done in earnest. It is more effort than I had imagined but the results are great and make it worthwhile. That said, I don't know how many of these I want to do but this one will most likely not be the last one.

Jack





Street side rear corner had a patch when I acquired her. Was screwed on and the screws were rusted. The area also had a dent near the backup light.



I cut a new panel for the street side rear. Here it is pre-attached with Clekos.




Notice on the left inside area of the panel a aluminum reinforcement piece is installed. This helped pull the rest of the dent out of the surrounding area.




Street side panel completed. No more dent...




This is the curb side area aft of the wheel. It had a patch too but was out of a textured piece of aluminum and also was attached with rusty screws.





This is with the panel removed. A PO had cut this all the way to the bottom of the upper skin. Also looks (near top edge) there had been a fire sometime. This is the area where my hot water heater was and will probably go back in here later.





A new lower piece of aluminum is installed so the new repair panel can be attached just above the new belt line trim (not yet shown).





New panel with inspection port attached with Clekos.





Panel installation complete (other than caulking...waiting until the buffing is done to caulk the panels). I salvaged a section (that had good louvers) of the old and damaged Dometic louvered fridge vent cover and installed it with stainless sheet metal screws so I can service / inspect the HW heater later. I like using the old parts when they can work. I can tell you that stripping the white coating off of the piece was a job. Must have stripped it 10 times and had to rub it with 0000 steel wool but it cleaned up and looks the part I guess. No more excuses to not get on the polishing now...

[Jack McAllis]

Well, because I've been quiet for a few weeks doesn't mean I've been idle. Been hustling and some progress is still being made. Some photos are below. The highlights:
- A good friend is an auto painter/specialist. He's done a good bit of Corvette work and helped me with the refinishing of my bathroom fixtures.
- I've roughed in the heat pump /AC ducting.
- Have begun the installation of new lower insulation and some wall re-installs.
- Have the first Nuvite polishing cut complete about 75%. I have a goal to have that step complete on her first anniversary of my ownership by 07/03/12. Should make it.

I'll post a more thorough update of the first year's progress on July 3.

Jack





Original bath fixtures as removed from the Safari.





Bath fixtures after restoration by Jeff Brooks.





AC/heat ductwork roughed in.





New insulation installation under way. I'm reusing the original walls (but they've been diligently cleaned).





As she looked upon arrival in GA July 3, 2011.





As she looks today (June 27, 2012). This is with the first Nuvite cut...2 more passes will be done. I had no idea what I was getting into with the polishing but the end result is amazing.

[BIGED52]

Jack, NEVER park near me if we ever go to a rally together! I mean it! LOL! The trailer is looking soooo good on the polishing. I like what your friend did to freshen up your bathroom fixtures. Lots of great work you are doing to make it a new '67. I am envious! Ed

[68 TWind]

Jack, it looks great.

[DakotaWind]

Jack, fantastic work! Did you share your AC/hearing solution with us?

[Jack McAllis]

Thanks everyone for the comments. This forum is great and I've learned a lot about Airstreams from being a member. I found myself between jobs (economy related) a few weeks ago and have had the most time on my hands that I've experienced since my teen years (and I'll be 60 in December). This will pass and I expect to be back in action by mid-August so the Safari has been a great conduit to keep my mind working and motivation up. My routine for the past few weeks is to work on the exterior polishing for 2 hours a day...early in the mornings as it gets too hot by 10:00AM in north Georgia after that unless you have the luxury of being in an air conditioned shop, and I don't have that luxury. So, I have 3 twisted wool pads for my 7" buffer and in about 2 hours, they're fully loaded up so I know it's time to quit buffing (thank goodness-2 hours is about all I can stand at a time). After that (including cleaning the pads for the next day), I work on other elements of the restoration. I want the Safari to be very period correct and am taking the steps to reuse the interior walls and bath components. All of these items cleaned up very nicely. My ceiling and walls looked pretty bad and at a point much earlier in the project I planned to discard those items and install new walls, etc. I did try scrubbing down the ceiling and upper wall panels with industrial cleaner which contained bleach. Turns out that what I thought was hopelessly ruined from age was just mildewed. The bleach cleaner removed ALL of the crud and the linen textured aluminum panels look like new. the side wall panels cleaned up nicely too but have some discoloration in the areas where the 12 volt battery was (street side) and some smoke damage where the HW heater was (curbside). Above those areas on these panels I plan to strike a line with Frog tape and mask the upper areas and spray the lower part of the panels with Zolatone in a complimentary color. I'll post photos when that's done. I'll also spray the new wheel wells with the same Zolatone. Zolatone is textured paint (used in GM trunks in the 60's) and extremely durable.

With regard to the question on the AC solution, I will be installing a Soleus 14,000 BTU heat pump / AC unit where the original Dometic fridge was. It's about the same size as the old Dometic fridge and will breathe through the louvered vent I had made that is in the street side wall. There is a photo in the previous thread of the ducts as they were roughed in. I still need to do some insulating around the ducts to be sure the exhaust and intake do not cross pollinate when the unit is running. I ran a test on the concept earlier this week and I think it will work fine. The AC unit will be built into a cabinet with a counter top and I plan to install a dorm-size fridge above the AC unit on that counter. I found a small thermostatically controlled 12 volt fan to install behind the fridge in the fiberglass vent (that vents out the roof) and will install it behind the fridge in the fiberglass vent to move the heat generated by the fridge out. These two elements may be the most significant departure in my trailer from Airstream's original Safari concept for 1967. I made this choice largely because I wanted the aero benefit with a clean top of the trailer...after all, it's an Airstream. I like the clean look of the top now but that's just a matter of personal taste.

More photos will follow soon... Stay tuned.
Jack

[Jack McAllis]

Today marks the first anniversary of my Safari following me home from Arkansas back to Georgia. I'm proud of the find and of the progress made thus far. I completed the entire first round of Nuvite polishing this morning at 10:30. While she looks good, I do plan to do another cut and final polish with rather Cyclo. I have started the process of reinstalling the interior and will post photos soon. Hope to do a trip in her this fall...finished or not.
Jack




This is Parker looking into the Safari mirror. She confirmed my hard work was worth it.





Not that I planned on it, but a bottom pan inspection in process.





The end for now...more to come.

[Jmcmike]

Jack, I am fascinated by your thread! On June 29 of this year my wife and I took possession of a 1967 Safari from a guy in NC. We live in Clemson. So I am about one year behind you on my project. I have gutted everything and the subfloor looks solid so I wasn't anticipating replacing it. But now that I have seen your thread, I am considering it, if for no other reason than to rewire the trailer. My wife is discouraging that option strenuously!

I will follow your thread religiously as I work through mine. Thanks for the great progress thread.


Mike McMichael

[Jack McAllis]

Mike,
Thank you for your comments. I was born in Anderson and the first college football game I ever attended (probably 1958 or so) was at the Clemson stadium. I miss the area and plan a visit back to Anderson to see some HS friends soon.

Regarding your subfloor, I went through the same reluctance and almost did a patch job in the obviously deteriorated area (toilet). Some really experienced and knowledgeable members of this forum counseled me wisely...if you've gutted the trailer, then I recommend replacing the subfloor (based on advice and what I found under the floor). My wiring under the floor had some rodent damage and was, of course, 45 years old. And, after thinking about it, I didn't want the new electric brakes to fail due to faulty wiring. Also, POs had punched holes (for who know what) through the bottom pan so I was able to cut patches and install them from the inside using metal-to-metal epoxy. It's not fun to get the old floor out but in the final analysis, I'm glad I did (thanks again to those that had been there before me) and if I had it to do over-I'd cut the old floor out again. I've been meaning to explain the subfloor photos in shown in my threads by the way...the pics probably look like the material is cheap particle board. It's not...it's actually 0.75" Advantek. Advantek is a particle board of sorts but is manufactured and treated to perform in potentially damp environments and /or areas that can be exposed to temporary wet conditions. My cousin (who is a professional contractor in the Gainesville area) recommended it. It's cheaper than marine grade plywood and seems to have the same basic properties. I have not re-caulked the roof seams (waiting to finish all the polishing) so I'm still taking on a little water here and there (not much though...the new window seals did their jobs for the most part) and the subfloor is holding up great.

Please keep us all posted on your progress. I'm less than 1.5 hours from you and you're welcome to come visit anytime.

Jack

[Jmcmike]

Thanks Jack. Well, since my last post I have discovered a couple other small areas that are rotten. One below the door jambon the left side and an area under the refrigerator around the vent. It also appears that a PO had replaced the water heater with a smaller type. The patch around the new heater was pretty bad on the outside and was apparently leaking as well.

How did you get the floor out? I'm an old carpenter but I do not know much about attaching a floor to a metal frame. I am a consultant to high production home builders for an insurance company so I've seen a lot of Advantec. It is good stuff. It does add more weight compared to plywood though.

I've spent a lot of time researching tools, riveting guns, shavers , etc. any advice?

[cozycan]

Jack, Congrats! The exterior looks great! I just acquired a '68 which I have started the reno. Actually at this point it's the demo! Have fun and it will be interesting to see your finished Airstream!

Shelley

[Jmcmike]

Good news jack and all. I have successfully removed the old subfloor. You gave me good advice as I have found some frame issues. The C channel is bent on the curb side and will have to be addressed. There are also some rusted areas that will have to be fixed. I may just have to remove the entire shell to get this done. The trailer is in worst shape than I thought but you know I doubt the PO was even aware of that. It is probably typical that most sellers really do not know the actual condition when they sell and think that their trailer is in better shape than it really is. You really never know until you take them apart.

Mike

[Jack McAllis]

Shelly, thank you and good luck with your '68. I'm still plugging along but it's been extremely hot in GA for the past couple of weeks so I have to start early and give it up when it gets well into the 90's.

Mike, nice going on getting your floor out. It's a project in itself But as you have discovered, it's a good thing you've taken this step. I was counseled the same way by members here and am glad I went that way also.

I'm completely done with the first polishing step and well enough into the second that I've started installing some of the exterior items. I can tell you I'll be celebrating when the final Cyclo polishing step is done (hopefully by the end of this week). For those of you who may decide to polish your Airstream, it does seem that the subsequent steps after the first pass go faster and are not as difficult...for what it's worth. It's not that I had great difficulty but I did have some heavy oxidation under the areas that still had clearcoat. The top and areas where the clearcoat had burned off polished fairly easily.

Some recent shots are below.
Jack





New exterior electrical receptical.





While I am not reusing my propane furnace, I did not want to put yet another patch on the trailer. So, I dummied up the furnace exhaust vents so they look functional but are simply closed off inside.





This is the original porch light. It has been polished on the bench grinder with Wenol and the old lens actually cleaned up nicely.





The original ceiling cleaned up nicely as well. The light fixtures are originals thar have been cleaned but with new diffusers from VTS.





The badge, new level, and most of the marker lights are back on her. As soon as the rest of the polishing is done the rest of the lights (tail, backup, and brake/turn signals) will be installed and we're going on a shakedown ride. I've tested the new brakes in the driveway and am looking forward to getting her out a little.

[c_lewis77]

Originally Posted by Jack McAllis

Shelly, thank you and good luck with your '68. I'm still plugging along but it's been extremely hot in GA for the past couple of weeks so I have to start early and give it up when it gets well into the 90's.

Mike, nice going on getting your floor out. It's a project in itself But as you have discovered, it's a good thing you've taken this step. I was counseled the same way by members here and am glad I went that way also.

I'm completely done with the first polishing step and well enough into the second that I've started installing some of the exterior items. I can tell you I'll be celebrating when the final Cyclo polishing step is done (hopefully by the end of this week). For those of you who may decide to polish your Airstream, it does seem that the subsequent steps after the first pass go faster and are not as difficult...for what it's worth. It's not that I had great difficulty but I did have some heavy oxidation under the areas that still had clearcoat. The top and areas where the clearcoat had burned off polished fairly easily.

Some recent shots are below.
Jack

New exterior electrical receptical.

While I am not reusing my propane furnace, I did not want to put yet another patch on the trailer. So, I dummied up the furnace exhaust vents so they look functional but are simply closed off inside.

This is the original porch light. It has been polished on the bench grinder with Wenol and the old lens actually cleaned up nicely.

The original ceiling cleaned up nicely as well. The light fixtures are originals thar have been cleaned but with new diffusers from VTS.

The badge, new level, and most of the marker lights are back on her. As soon as the rest of the polishing is done the rest of the lights (tail, backup, and brake/turn signals) will be installed and we're going on a shakedown ride. I've tested the new brakes in the driveway and am looking forward to getting her out a little.

Jack,
Fantastic work! Your AS is coming along really nice!
Looking at the picture of you exterior power receptacle, I have an aluminum flush-mount exterior duplex outlet (the entire box with working cover) from an early 70's AS sitting in my garage with no home. (I ended up not changing it out on my rig)
Pm me of you are interested. You can have it if you would like.

[Jack McAllis]

Well, 53 weeks after coming home with me, she's roadworthy and street legal again. Even though the interior isn't back in yet, we're going on s short ride tomorrow morning. I want to get a good feel for the new electric brakes before going further into the restoration. Will report on the shakedown ride tomorrow...
Jack




Hooked up and ready...




Legally registered again.

[Jmcmike]

Great stuff Jack! I'm only 52 weeks behind you but I plan to catch up! Lol! She looks spectacular.

Go Tigers!
Mike

[Jack McAllis]

Mike,
You'll catch me... I'm going to burn out from this heat soon.
Post some shots of your Safari when you can or do you have a thread running elsewhere that I've missed?
Jack