1966 Hillman Husky Wagon

I've been enjoying this thread so far and I am excited to see how the project shapes up!

When I was in high school, my family had one of these for a while. It was our backup backup car (fifth car or something like that) and in rough driver shape at that time, so we got rid of it after just a few years. Every once in a while since I have wondered what one with a little judicious resto-mod would be like.

Good luck with the bodywork. It looks ambitious, but it could be an opportunity to learn a lot and end up with a great sense of satisfaction!

I am just going to assume you are aware of this car...

Cars this old were often given a model year of when they were sold, not built.

Really?

914Driver wrote: Really?

Yep. Or actually when they were titled, depending on the state. European cars, in particular, were not as "model year" specific as US cars. That was really an American marketing invention, anyway, to get people to think about getting the new next thing, rather than whether they really needed a new car.

I have an import car that was ostensibly a '61. It was ordered in May 1961, manufactured in September, and delivered to the new owner in November. It was January before the State of New Jersey got around to titling it, so the title says it is a 1962 car. However, if you talk to any enthusiast of this particular car they would say it is a '61, no question.

NOHOME wrote: I am just going to assume you are aware of this car...

Just read through that entire article... Such a great result from so many oddball parts, just like I'm hoping my Hillman will turn out! Thanks for the awesome inspiration! I'm going to have to contact the owner and see if he has any Husky-specific wisdom for me...

Well Saruken...

I have another proposition for you.

What if I told you there is a great way to get your project done and avoid a ton of rust repair?

In case you like reading..

http://www.build-threads.com/build-threads/datsun-411-mx5/#more-7559

And just to show that crazy comes in many flavours, here is the same trick into a Saab.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=449226&page=4

I would give Linden a call at:

www.importautoberdoo.com/

If you ever fond your self in Southern California you should make it a point to stop by this very old school parts store.

Just be warned, you could be there for hours. She has an inventory that you will not believe. What she does not have she can find.

In reply to NOHOME:

Huh. Now that is crazy.

I would need 3x the shop space, 10x the tools, and 100x the experience/skill to pull off something like that. Nevertheless, cutting big sections of floor pan out of another car looks like a good idea right now. I'll pretty much need to replace 80% of my floor as it is.

Thanks for the inspirational links though. Stuff like this makes me feel like I'll be able to finish the project, plus it helps pass the time while I'm stuck in cubicle land.

In reply to jr02518:

Thanks for the link! There are a ton of Hillman parts up there already. I will definitely be giving them a call when I start putting stuff back together.

saruken wrote: In reply to NOHOME: Huh. Now that is crazy. I would need 3x the shop space, 10x the tools, and 100x the experience/skill to pull off something like that.

FYI, that how you GET the experience!

Did I miss it, or has no one mentioned the wonderful (and insane) '66 Sunbeam Minx / S2000 hybrid?

"Frizzle Fry" does some amazing things with metal.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=332026

Inspiration at least, maybe some ideas too. Good luck!

Got a pic about a recent sale of a Hillman Husky at auction from Sports Car Market magazine. I don't have a photo hosting service that I can access here, so I'd be glad to email it to you (or someone in this thread) to post it. PM me if you want it.

Looks like a nice beginning, especially considering what we start with here in New England. This is what I started with for my MGA project: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/rt309.htm And I never once thought that I might be taking on a bit more than I could handle.

If you run into any trouble with the engine conversion that you have planned, an L4 Ford engine and four speed out of a Ranger is near drop-in, perfect fit, like it was born there. We're in the midst of resurrecting a '55 Hillman Husky Wagon and began with a very similar vehicle to yours, it's nearly ready for a coat of primer sealer, welding all done, body work almost completed.

We used a different order of tasks than you're planning, deciding on tackling the uni-body, drive train, and major body welding first before taking on the actual body work. We wanted to be sure that the wagon was strong enough, and would accept the planned drive train before committing to anything that was going to cost real money.

A suggestion . . . save the coin that it will cost you for blasting and instead, scrape/hammer/heat/wire brush all of the trouble spots yourself. You'll know if there's a problem pretty early on. Look at the worst places at the beginning, hit everything that looks rusty with a hammer as hard as you can. At the end, you'll know the car intimately and still have the $1,000 plus in your pocket to spend on what you need for the build or buy a decent used MIG welder.

I could post some before/after/progress pics if you'd like some inspiration. We've been where you are right now and it's gonna be worth it. The resulting car will be just terrific ! ! !

Luck,

TC

TeamEvil wrote: I could post some before/after/progress pics if you'd like some inspiration. We've been where you are right now and it's gonna be worth it. The resulting car will be just terrific ! ! ! Luck, TC

Please do!

What a great, simple solution! I would spend months on rust repair and then hack & whack some driveline never meant to be in there! That's wonderful.

TeamEvil wrote: I could post some before/after/progress pics if you'd like some inspiration. We've been where you are right now and it's gonna be worth it. The resulting car will be just terrific ! ! !

Seriously, please post 'em! I've had so little time to work on it lately my frustration is piling up... Would love to see one saved and done well.

I'm going to be over Bruce's this Friday (if we get the enclosure shoveled out.) I'll try to remember to bring the camera for some recent shots and get him to email me some of the earlier shots as well.

Here are just a few pics of the Austin and Hillman, as shot through the splitty bus window. We're resurrecting both cars with stock looking bodies and Ford drive trains, real "Q-ships."

These pics don't show a lot, but you can at least see the body on the Hillman. It was a wreck when we began; rusted, rotted, even had deep axe blows and cuts in the tops of the fenders . . .

Be careful. I heard that if you put several rusty cars in the same garage they all start to get on the same cycle.

Bryce

Just began a "build" thread for the TINY, TUBBY & TUFF.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/tiny-tubby-tuff/78093/page1/

More photographs of the '55 Hillman posted there.

So, I finally have an update! Even if it's not much...

Got some minor work done removing more trim pieces and fighting with rusty screws. It's crazy how many simple screws are in this thing.. You could probably take it completely apart with 2 screwdrivers and some WD-40.

Shifter and tunnel carpet out:

That plastic accelerator pedal is held on with a generous amount of duct tape which is so old and entrenched I think I will have to grind it off. And all around the interior there are these black, hard plastic boards over everything. I don't think they're original and they look terrible.

Removed a few:

I can't figure out how to get the ones on the doors off though. All the screws are out but the window cranks and door handles are still holding them on, and whoever installed the wood dash also put blocks of wood behind each of these metal parts on the doors that make it almost impossible to access the backsides of them. On top of that, those plastic sheets are super tough. I tried to just break one by bending it, then hitting it with a hammer, but it wasn't even fazed. Not sure how to proceed there.

But other progress was made anyway.

Got the seatbelts, speakers, a couple plastic panels, speaker wires, tail lights, shifter assembly, and part of the dash out today. Once the rest of the trim bits are off it'll be time to start on the engine....

Also, I heard about this rust solution from someone on JapaneseNostalgicCar forum: rustbusters.com. Anyone have any experience using them? There's a location in my city and their claims sound pretty fantastic, but I can't find much in the way of reviews.

More progress!

Yes, that's all the trashy wood out of the dashboard. It was all nailed together in there with little sharp-ass nails. Pain in the neck to remove without getting tetanus. I also got the door handles and window cranks out, and figured out why they were being so difficult:

All of them were held on with these little homemade wooden cylinders, and behind/underneath the wood...

2 metal pins, 1 twisted steel cable, and most of a fishing hook. I almost start to resent the previous owners at times like these, but then I realize that wtf moments like this are what make fixing up old cars fun. That and the 37 dirt dobber nests behind the dashboard. Those have been a blast to clean out.

Anyway the door cards are out now, and the metal behind them is very solid.

Got most of the dash out too except for some pieces with rusted screws that will need to be drilled.

Stay tuned for more Hillman wackiness.

Depending on how original you're trying to say, I'll throw out the suggestion of a full fiberglass floor. My GT6 (many years ago) sat in a field for 4 years and pretty much everything south of the door sills rotted away. My dad (with me helping as a young'un) basically overlaid the old floor in fiberglass, let it set, took it out, cut the entire original floor out (I mean EVERYTHING except for the transmission/driveshaft tunnel, which hadn't rusted out and provided some structure). Then basicall bonded the floor, new (repro) fiberglass rockers, and some reinforcing chassis pieces.....long story short, the car has been driven for 15 years since that work, feels probably stiffer than new, and of course it can never rust again.

Just a thought from someone else who hates rust repair and is having to do a good bit myself right now on another project...

Of course if you're going for something more "show" that's all obviously not gonna cut it.

irish44j wrote: Depending on how original you're trying to say, I'll throw out the suggestion of a full fiberglass floor. My GT6 (many years ago) sat in a field for 4 years and pretty much everything south of the door sills rotted away. My dad (with me helping as a young'un) basically overlaid the old floor in fiberglass, let it set, took it out, cut the entire original floor out (I mean EVERYTHING except for the transmission/driveshaft tunnel, which hadn't rusted out and provided some structure). Then basicall bonded the floor, new (repro) fiberglass rockers, and some reinforcing chassis pieces.....long story short, the car has been driven for 15 years since that work, feels probably stiffer than new, and of course it can never rust again. Just a thought from someone else who hates rust repair and is having to do a good bit myself right now on another project... Of course if you're going for something more "show" that's all obviously not gonna cut it.

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into fiberglass. Definitely not worried about show quality or trying to stay original here! I hadn't even considered fiberglass, but I will definitely be needing to replace the floor wholesale with something.

...which is a good segue into my next update anyway. Got myself a shop vac and finally cleaned out all the loose bits of rust, bug nests, rusted hardware, decomposing fabric, etc. that were laying like 1/2" deep everywhere.

Before:

After:

Not really a big update, but it looks a lot better now. Well, actually, how bad it looks is actually a lot clearer. The metal generally gets better as you move toward the back of the car. The front is a complete mess due to holes like this around the hood/windshield/fender (that vertical divide is not supposed to be there):

...which have caused rust around the moulding, through the dash, door sills, and down through the floor. Bleh.

I also got down and really examined the undercarriage for the first time last night, and discovered another wtf: some type of straps around the rear axle?

They're not taut so I don't think it's some kind of jerry-rigged weight bearing strap. But then.. what else could it be? It was too late last night to dig into it, but I will definitely be investigating tonight.

The rest of the undercarriage actually looks alright.

For now, I think this picture of the broken grille badge pretty well sums it all up.

Be patient, busted Husky! I will save you!

つづく

Those straps are to limit droop. The Volvo Amazon had them too.

tuna55 wrote: Those straps are to limit droop. The Volvo Amazon had them too.

Huh. Well thanks! Glad to know they're factory after all.