Springtime comes earlier to San Diego than many parts of the country. I got a late start because my yard was beginning to look like a jungle. Since my son and I went to the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals yesterday, today was yard work day and I didn't get to the car until after a late lunch - almost 3:30.
Since we've reached a compromise and I'm going to work on doing things right the first time, where budget allows, I've decided I'm going to paint the engine bay. By that time, I figured it was a little late to be pulling the car partially out of the garage so I could start stripping the paint, so I worked on one of the smaller restoration projects - the taillights. I'm going to work on these type of smaller projects whenever I can when time is short. Good weeknight projects.
I disassembled the right side housing and worked on the bezel, lens and housing. The bezel is pretty pitted and had had some black paint around the edges, which I took off with a soft wire brush and Scotchbrite pad. The chrome under the paint was still pretty shiny, so that got me to thinking that the rest of the bezel might shine up pretty good, so I worked at the rest of the surface with Scotchbrite and then some metal polish and it cleaned up pretty well. It may be pitted, but it'll be the best looking pitted bezel around. The left side bezel isn't as badly pitted. I also worked on the lens - they're both still in excellent shape, just a couple small cracks that are inside the plastic - not to the surface inside or out. You can hardly see them. I hit the housing with the abrasives, but it's not cleaning up so well, so it's time to get out the power tools and some spray cans. But, after spending 2.5 hours, it was time for shower, dinner and a little time with my buddies on C-C.com!
DB - I'm pretty happy about keeping the car too!
The block at the machine shop is a 440. Gotta call them tomorrow and see what I need to order from Summit.
Tom - I hope she understands - but it's the process (and the attendant noise and mess) that's the problem. One of the great things about this site is the support system. I agree, the smaller goals are good for progress - I'm working on breaking it all down into a series of small projects. I think one of the reasons it's taken me so long is I have a tendency to look at the entire build and get bogged down by the magnitude of the it, instead of seeing it as a series of smaller jobs. This site, your build especially, is helping me to change my thinking.
