SURVIVOR vs. GROUND-UP RESTORATION!

[resq302]

Not a lot of progress today but was able to fill the pits where the painted areas are and get the tail light bezels masked off so they can be painted after we got them back from the platers.  Not really happy with the results that the platers did but supposedly they did these 3 times and had problems with it blistering in areas where there weren't blisters before.  We have another set on the car now so hopefully we can get them out or find better cores to be redone.

Platers were nice enough to grind down the bubble areas for us in the areas to be painted.



taped and ready to have the pits filled in before sanding and painting.

[usraptr]

What did you use to clean up the headlight buckets?  They came out nice. 

[resq302]

They are actually the tail light bezels.  Specific for Sport Satelite and GTX only.  We had them rechromed as they are made out of pot metal.  The repros that had been out fit poorly from what I have been told which is why we tried to get originals rechromed.  The inner area was painted with a dark textured argent color and the outer "ring" was painted a smooth satin black.

[anlauto]

I think he's asking about the headlight buckets you posted earlier....but hey, that's just my opinion.

[resq302]

I think he's asking about the headlight buckets you posted earlier....but hey, that's just my opinion.

Considering the last pic I posted was of the tail light buckets / bezels, I thought he was referring to them.  The headlight buckets were posted a few pics ago.

As for what I used on the headlight buckets, first was Simple Green and then for the more stubborn stuff, brake cleaner spray with a soft bristle brush.

[resq302]

Well, got some more work done on the car yesterday and today.  Very excited with the progress!  Made some interesting discoveries with the car.  Found out that the blacked out area was indeed repainted at one point and they never removed the residue from the old stripe that was installed.  While sanding it down, I came across a couple pieces of white pin stripe on the edges in between the door and fender and also under where the bumper covers. 










So apparently, the third owner of the car must have been mistaken that the red stripe was on the car since day one as he knew the second and first owners.  Anyway, here are some pics of the progress.  It seems there was a red oxide primer, then dark gray primer, and then the exterior color coat.









Factory run in the black lower panels.



Rad support black out treatment reapplied and the lower black out "organisol" area on the panels painted.

[resq302]

Here are some more updates!  Front (headlight) wire harness has been cleaned up with lacquer thinner and re-wrapped in the dry wrap tape (no adhesive).  There was one small area where the harness branched off in a T shape to go to either side of the headlights.  That place had the cloth wrap tape on it which was also replaced.  One thing I have noticed when I was cleaning this up...... the plastic / rubber insulation on the wiring is a duller color than the more vibrant colored reproduction harness'.  Possibly due to composition of the material back then compared to todays plastics. 





If you remember from  a previous pic, my Dad had the pot metal tail light bezels rechromed and I had started masking them off for the prep.  Well, today I got the black and the textured dark argent painted and I think they turned out fantastic.  Certainly not for the faint of heart!  Talk about a major pain in the butt!  Well worth the hard work in prep though!  (what do you think?)

[sadil340]

 

Pot metal is so tough to work with. I think they came out great!

[resq302]

thanks!

[resq302]

Since my daughter is most likely not going to school tomorrow (presently has a sore throat and 101 fever) I doubt I will be able to get over to my Dad's house to install the headlight hardware and wiring harness like I had planned.   The good thing though is I brought the grille and headlight surrounds home to my house so while my daughter is resting, I can be working on that.  Here are some pics I took tonight before I started sanding and repainting the grille.  These pics helped me understand how the technique in which the different colors were applied.  I'll say this.... my 69 charger grille was a piece of cake compared to what this is going to be and the charger grille was no fun project!  Pay no attention to the blue vinyl masking tape.  I put that over the red insert after I cleaned up the old paint.  As it is, the tape started peeling up so it will have to be redone.

























So far, it seems the order was:

Satin black painted first, red insert, then the textured dark argent, and then the non textured light argent silver.

[resq302]

Well, haven't been able to get some work on the car done at Dad's house since my kids, wife, and myself have all been either fighting the flu or strep throat.  Fortunately, I had brought home some parts to my house to work on so at least I am making some progress.  Up first is the hood latch assembly (primary latch and release mechanism) which was done in brown zinc.



  (pay no attention to the white grease that is messy!)  lol



original / unrestored 44 year old headlight surrounds.  (soon to be repainted to get the chips out!)





stripped down one so I have one to compare while I restore the other one.

[resq302]

Still not feeling 100% but got a little more progress done today.

Red insert in the grille air brushed in.







Wiper motor is almost ready to get back together.  Just waiting on the barrel to come back from the platers. 

[resq302]

So after being sick for quite a few days (strep and virus getting bounced around between my kids and wife) I finally got a chance to get back to Dad's yesterday and get some work started back on the car.  I gotta say, its a great feeling to be doing some progress on the car!  I also got a surprise when I came home from my Dad's.  The stuff from the plater's arrived!  Great day all around!

Here are some finished pics of the grille!  I am glad this is done as this was probably the most difficult grille I have ever had to do.  LOTS of masking as there are 4 different colors to paint.









Headlight buckets and hardware installed also!










Hood latch and release reinstalled after being refinished/restored.







Horns were blasted and repainted. (flash seems to have washed out the shine on the paint, more glossy in real life)



Date coding on horns:  (faint stamping) 24th week of 1968 and 35th week of 1968  (vehicle SPO date of 10/3/68)





After the lower blacked out orgnaisol paint was nice and dry (worked out well with my illness for allowing a good dry), Dad and I applied the reflective pin stripe.  If you are wondering what the wet area under the car is, we washed the black area to make sure there was no dust or overspray residue left on the black so we got a good adhering of the pin stripe.









This seemed like a nice shot for a screen saver!




As I said earlier, we got the plated parts back yesterday so I reassembled the electrical parts back into their housings for the starter relay and horn relay.  From what my plater told me, he is 1 of about 6 people that he is aware of who can legally do Cadmium Cyanide, per EPA regulations.  This is the company who did our products and they turned out great!  http://www.oldschoolplating.com/plating-services 





Starter relay dated 37th week of 1968.





Horn relay dated 261st day of 1968.



Wiper motor restoration.  (I hope Jules the Wiperman would be proud!)  Wires cleaned up and re-wrapped in the dry wrap tape.  Armature and brushes cleaned up.  Barrel housing and screws that held the magnets to the barrel all replated in correct plating.  Red Glyptal sealant applied where it was originally.







Thats all for now till I at least get the carburetor reassembled and the brake booster assembled.

[resq302]

Got a little more work done last night with the parts at my house.  I got the power drum brake booster reassembled.  With any luck I will be able to get over to my Dad's house tomorrow and get the carburetor back on it (after I reassemble that tonight) and get the car mobile again!  I am also hoping to pull the front wheels on the car tomorrow as I found that the front brake drums are possibly the original ones to the car.  Date coding of H 16 8 which turns out to be Aug. 16, 1968 right in line with the rest of the stuff on the car date wise.  Now, with everything else that was original and on the car, I am really wondering if that 110,000 miles isn't only 10,000 miles as the car only has enough numbers for xx,xxx and people assumed it had rolled over 100,000 miles due to the age of the car.  My personal feeling would be that these drums would have been worn way past their min. thickness sometime during the mileage if the car indeed does have 110,000 miles.  Now it would be more likely to have 10,000 miles since they are still on there.  I guess I will know more tomorrow when I get to pull the wheels off the car and hopefully pull the brake drums off.  Really, really hoping that there are penta stars on the brake shoes!

Anyway, here are some more pics for your viewing pleasure of the original choke theromostat (made by Carter), the power drum brake booster, and the original (replated) date correct power steering pressure line.  I still have to try and reapply the yellow lettering and lines to it to make it exact to the original factory installed appearance.

Choke thermostat



Midland Ross style power drum brake booster







Original power steering pressure line - Dated 270th day of 1968

[73RallyeChallenger]

How did you replate the power steering hose? Does the whole assembly get put in the tank? I would think the replating process would damage the rubber?