In an effort to document our Cortez overhaul progress, here is a breakdown of work we have completed per month and what is to come in the months ahead.
↠ WORK WE HAVE ACHIEVED THUS FAR ↞
JULY 2019
- Cortez arrived—it was towed on the back of a flatbed semi across America!
- First inspection—there is much more to be done than advertised …
- What will be a mammoth mechanical restoration kicked off.
- Starter motor replaced—we hear our V8 run for the first time in this video!
- Oil changed.
- Clutch fluid bled.
AUGUST 2019
- Brake overhaul (shoes and brake cylinders replaced, brake parts cleaned, brake drums painted, and brake fluid bled)—we have working brakes!
- Door locks repaired—we can enter, exit, and lock all doors.
- Engine choke adjusted—our V8 starts without starter fluid!
SEPTEMBER 2019
- Alternator replaced—this should help our struggling V8 fire up each time!
- Fuel filler neck fabricated.
OCTOBER 2019
DECEMBER 2019
- Battery replaced.
- Interior restoration started after several serious leaks were discovered.
- Interior removed—major water damage was so severe that it rusted all the way through our Cortez’s metal!
JANUARY 2020
- Carburetor fuel hose replaced—no more brittle and cracked line!
- Anti-roll bar bushings replaced.
- Suspension bushings re-greased.
FEBRUARY 2020
- Transmission oil changed—a much needed job because we dropped black sludge!
MARCH 2020
- Insulation removed.
- Plumbing, heating, and electrical systems removed.
- Cork flooring removed—we have beautiful wood floors!
- Wood floor pulled (first attempt).
APRIL 2020
- Interior underseal and rust removed.
- Black tank (human waste tank) dropped—we have a different toilet in mind so won’t need this!
- Roof bathroom fan removed.
MAY 2020
- Roof air conditioning condenser removed—Andy muscled off this 100-pound condenser!
JULY 2020
- Tachometer installed—here’s a modern touch that helps us get better fuel economy!
AUGUST 2020
- Mechanical fuel pump replaced (and two extra unneeded electronic fuel pumps) removed.
- Fuel filter installed.
- Roof stripped—let’s get this baby prepped for welding!
SEPTEMBER 2020
- Welder hired—Our first professional help arrives to tackle multiple jobs!
- New roof supports welded—six had rusted so severely they did not hold up our roof!
- Rear storage compartment floor to be welded.
- Front end welded.
- Roof holes cut out and new metal panels welded in.
- Roof rust treated and roof sealed (first attempt).
OCTOBER 2020
- Fuel tank painted and treated (first attempt)—this tank was rusted inside and out so it gets a full rust-oration!
- Mudflaps created and installed.
NOVEMBER 2020
- Carburetor rebuilt—Andy did this on his own and bossed it!
- Intake manifold and valve cover cleaned; new gaskets installed.
- Thermostat changed.
DECEMBER 2020
- Clutch primary and secondary cylinders replaced.
- Clutch lines replaced and clutch fluid bled—this overhaul infuriated Andy and made him announce he was done with our Cortez!
FEBRUARY 2021
- Fuel tank welded.
- Fuel tank treated (again) and reinstalled—our fuel tank is finally cleaned, prepped, sealed, and back in place!
APRIL 2021
- Wet and dry engine compression test completed.
- Spark plugs replaced—we find a long snake inside our Cortez (Here’s our YouTube video reaction)!
MAY 2021
- Front shock absorbers replaced—goodbye, squeaks! Hello, soft ride!
- Drop links replaced.
- Bump stops replaced.
JUNE 2021
- Engine auxiliary belts (air conditioning, alternator, and power steering) replaced.
- Our steel beast is deep cleaned—decades of grease, oil, dirt, and grime is finally washed off!
JULY 2021
- Engine oil, pump, pick-up pipe, filter, and gasket replaced.
- Oil pan cleaned and painted—this was one of our dirtiest jobs!
- Fuel hose line removed and fuel hose replaced.
- Speedometer cable installed.
AUGUST 2021
- Passenger’s side upper ball joint replaced—this was an absolute mission!
SEPTEMBER 2021
- Driver’s side lower ball joint replaced.
- Snake Number Two found under our dashboard!
- Our Cortez’s backfiring got worse—flames shot from the exhaust! (This is caught on video too!)
- Torsion bars adjusted.
DECEMBER 2021
- Engine valve stem seals are replaced—we take on our most mechanically-savvy challenge yet!
JANUARY 2022
- Heater removed
- Cooling system hoses removed
MARCH 2022
- Cooling system hoses replaced
- Coolant dropped–this is a huge step because we nearly done with our mechanical restoration!
APRIL 2022
- Engine bay restored
- Electrical overhaul began.
- Electronic fuel injection installed–our 57-year-old antique gets our most expensive, most serious upgrade! You’ve been waiting for this big decision!
AUGUST 2022
- Accelerator cable replaced–our restoration drags on (so is the story with classic vehicle restorations) as we continue EFI work and focus on getting our Cortez running more smoothly!
SEPTEMBER 2022
- Test drive
OCTOBER 2022
- Relay installed–we take a deeper dive into our electronics by increasing voltage to the EFI!
- Engine covers fabricated.
NOVEMBER 2022
- Alternator tensioner added–this will increase voltage output from our alternator to help prevent our engine from dying!
- Attempted test drive … and the start to sheer vehicle restoration hell.
- Brake primary cylinder removed.
DECEMBER 2022
- We make our most detrimental mistake that makes us question everything … and this is unfortunately not clickbait!
2023—CURRENT
(We are catching up on documentation, but expect these posts soon!)
- Start to electrical overhaul!
- Engine, exterior lights, and dash electrical systems to be rewired.
- Heat and air conditioning system to be designed and installed.
- Headlights, brake lights, tail lights, and reverse lights to be updated.
- Additional fog lights to be installed.
- State registration to be made—Yay!
- Interior living and solar electrical systems to be designed and installed.
↠ WORK WE HAVE PLANNED AHEAD ↞
SHORT HAUL/ANTIQUE RV RESTORATION
- Our Cortez needs a name—Leave us a comment to give us ideas!
- YouTube channel introduction video to be created—Stop by and subscribe to more progress on our steel beast!
- Chassis to be cleaned and painted.
- Finishing mechanical work:
- Investigate potential brakes binding.
- Exhaust system to be fabricated.
- Coolant hoses to be replaced.
- Radiator to be upgraded.
- Start bodywork restoration!
- Battery box area to be fabricated and welded.
- Exterior body damage to be welded—Areas around the grill, front passenger corner, rear passenger panel, and bumper are all damaged.
- Interior holes to be welded—Several wheel well and seat platform holes need to be covered!
- Window rust to be treated and new seals to be replaced.
- Windshield and driver’s side glass to be installed.
LONG HAUL/BODYWORK, ELECTRICAL, AND RV BUILD
- Continue bodywork restoration!
- Roof coating to be repaired.
- Exterior mirrors to be replaced.
- Chrome to be polished.
- New door seals to be fit.
- Exterior to be painted—Leave us a comment on what color you vote!
- Driver and passenger front seats cleaned and reinstalled.
- Start to RV build!
- Interior twin floors to be lifted—Who knows what awaits underneath!
- Floor to be insulated.
- Interior metal to be cleaned, rust treated, and painted.
- Interior to be soundproofed and insulated.
- Interior to be built—Finally we get to create our home!
- Lay-out to be designed.
- Water system to be designed and installed.
- Interior safe to be installed or welded in.
- State inspection to be done.
- Start to Cortez upgrades and modernizations!
- Solar brackets, roof-deck, and ladder supports to be welded.
- Rims and tires to be upgraded and cover for spare tire to be purchased.
- Roof-top deck to be installed.
- Exterior lockable storage to be installed—Tools, spare parts, and recreational equipment will have a home!
- Interior furnished—Finally our Cortez looks like home!
- RV build and upgrades finished—We are estimating to take five years to overhaul our RV, which would mean finishing our work in 2024. After that, we plan to save money for a year before starting RV life!
ADDITIONAL HOPEFUL PLANS
- New timing chain to be replaced.
- Brake hydrovac unit to be restored.
- Recovery winch to be purchased.
- Awning to be installed.
- Torsion bars to be upgraded.
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