New West Equipment Site Launch

Hi Enthusiasts,

Very exciting news at my place of work today as everyone is celebrating our company site launch! I have been working here for just over a year and the reason I mention this is because without the help from my supervisors allowing me to store my Vanguard project inside their yard/shop, I would not have a hope in hell for completing my project. They give me access to all the tools and the space I need to make this restoration project possible. They also have taught me a lot about heavy equipment and automotive work.

So in respect for New West sponsoring my dreams, I believe it only right to promote the business however I can!

Check us out at:   http://www.newwestequipment.com/

The Work Ahead...

Good news everyone!

I have been bugging my father to help me take my primary Vanguard into the shop for quite some time now, to get professionally sandblasted by guys who know what their doing. Unfortunately due to the bad weather and the busy nature of our family business I have been forced to wait. Only until recently, business has slowed down considerably and we bought a trailer. With summer fast approaching (Its still snowing here) I am optimistic that we will be able to move onto the next stage of my project in good time.

With that on my mind, I decided to grab a small portable sandblaster that we have and do a little investigating of my own. I removed the rust and paint on the front right fender and found some interesting history! The fender had been brazed at the front fender nose and the fender also had some lead soldering work done on it.




Looking at this really opened my eyes because I removed the rust and paint from a very small area and I have seen a lot of work that has already been done on the truck. Imagine what the rest of the shell is hiding!?

That being said I have decided I want to keep the repair as "old school" as possible, but I don't like the idea of using lead solder; luckily they recently came out with a new type of body solder without lead! This solder is supposed to be easier to work with, stronger and generally better then lead solder, the only downside is the cost!

Looks like I have a lot of reading in my future...

New Tools!

Got some new tools in from Eastwood at the beginning of the month which I have been long awaiting! Needless to say the tools are pretty nice, but I had to put them to the test. I put them to work on the driver side door of my Vanguard which had an abundance of dings, ridges and other damages along the door flanges and they performed quite well! As I am sure you all know, there is no better feeling then getting that box at the door with your name on it, so I had to share it. These will help me on the long road to refurbishment, and it will be a bumpy one!



If you want to see the tools just check out Eastwood's site, there is a link at the bottom of my page.

The Project-Beginning

The three Vanguard pick up trucks seen in this blog are part of a large dream. Promoting classic vehicles and not letting them be forgotten. As a 17 year old Standard car enthusiast I hope to do everything I can to achieve this goal!

 I have a dream to restore these Vanguards beyond their former glory. Resurrection is not an easy task and requires the help of many. I plan on bringing the body of this phase 2 Vanguard to prime condition. However, due to the conditions of where I live, it would be very inconvenient to own a stock vehicle as the truck would not be able to handle the rough roads and heavy traffic. I want a retro look that drives like a modern vehicle. I am sure some enthusiasts would call my idea of a "retro-mod" blasphemy or butchery but rest assured. I am giving this vehicle a chance to see the wind again. That in itself is a miracle. All this being said, I hope to promote awareness of the Standard Motor Co. and it's vehicles in anyway I can. I also wish to help other owners of similar models with parts and advice if they need it!

Looking forward to the future!