Jesus I need a beer.

[dusty]

Three weeks of worry on the clips for the ugly strips and I got the drivers side on... I LOVE EM!



Wait till you see what I have planned to replace them with....

[dusty]

Hadn't planned it anlauto's post got me looking at priorities and since I don't want to half ass this... I'm tearing the dash  down and sending it for the treatment.

It only has one small tear but it will probably only get worse with time so I spoke to a company and feel confident they can recover it.

Then the gauges... Going to performance car graphics.. They are really nice there and I trust 'em.


Almost pulled the trigger on an SRT 8 today but think it's wise to finish this project, give it to wifey, and buy one.

Cleaned and etch primed the bumper brackets (rear)... Cleaned up well.

Rear SE  window reveal should be here tomorrow....

Later guys.. You are my inspiration.

[dusty]

Boiled rear bumper brackets in phospho...

Etch is drying..

Whadidowrong?

They were corroded.. but gonna use 'em and the OEM bolts and washers..

[dusty]

Trouble in paradise... The rear SE chrome I purchased was sent on Tuesday by the seller via the USPS and he sent it to the correct address (me) but after it didn't come yesterday or today I got concerned and it turns out the USPS has shipped it from one side of Detroit to other and it's now stuck at a Post Office in the wrong county, the wrong city, the wrong state and ain't that grand.

For the record the seller has been stand up about it and hasn't shirked my calls and I've obtained a case # from the Postal Service, and also gotten the number of the facility that has my chrome.

Paranoid as always, what would stop someone from receiving a notice they have a package to pick up and then going down and getting *my* package.. *shudder*...

Anyway.... I hope this works out because I really need the chrome and I'm worried because I wish I could fly up there tonight and get the piece.


Jeez. Hope they answer when I call tomorry mornin... 

[johns cuda shop]

Trouble in paradise... The rear SE chrome I purchased was sent on Tuesday by the seller via the USPS and he sent it to the correct address (me) but after it didn't come yesterday or today I got concerned and it turns out the USPS has shipped it from one side of Detroit to other and it's now stuck at a Post Office in the wrong county, the wrong city, the wrong state and ain't that grand.

For the record the seller has been stand up about it and hasn't shirked my calls and I've obtained a case # from the Postal Service, and also gotten the number of the facility that has my chrome.

Paranoid as always, what would stop someone from receiving a notice they have a package to pick up and then going down and getting *my* package.. *shudder*...

Anyway.... I hope this works out because I really need the chrome and I'm worried because I wish I could fly up there tonight and get the piece.


Jeez. Hope they answer when I call tomorry mornin... 

I hate when that happens   

[dusty]

I hate when that happens   

It ended up working out amazingly actually! Can't believe how good customer support from the USPS is.. had never used it. They found the package last night, put it on next day and somehow it got here today!

So the SE chrome is here. THANK GOD.

As a side note for the community here. If you need one or two pieces of the rear window SE trim, I now have one complete set and one set just missing one corner...

I'd be more than happy to send the set I don't need to someone that is trying to put one together for their car...

I paid a lot for it, but would be willing to give what I don't need to someone that does.

The chrome ain't going anywhere so if you know someone that needs a piece keep it in mind.

[dusty]

So the trim in the window channel is the original piece to the car.. as you can see the bottom left corner is AWOL..

Maybe someone you know needs a piece.. I sure don't want them to go through what I did. I'd love to help.


I'm happy and feel lucky to have a whole set..

[gunslinger]

Great reading through your Thread,
New member here and I have been spending the last few weeks looking at threads and getting inspiration,
Car has been sitting FAR to long and a good friend kicked me in my rear to start doing Something even if it is
a little here and a little there.

Money is the big object these days so..., just tryin to get things going with the biggest bang for the buck plan,
 
Carry on!!....Car looks good!!

[dusty]

Great reading through your Thread,
New member here and I have been spending the last few weeks looking at threads and getting inspiration,
Car has been sitting FAR to long and a good friend kicked me in my rear to start doing Something even if it is
a little here and a little there.

Money is the big object these days so..., just tryin to get things going with the biggest bang for the buck plan,
 
Carry on!!....Car looks good!!

Exactly bro. Money is tight and a lot of these things we can do ourselves. I've probably already made a lot of mistakes but fixing them is easier than shelling out tens of thousands to someone to do the same thing. Plus it's fun to work on our cars.

As far as paint goes I shot the whole car with a 1mm tip touch up gun and for the metallics it really works well, (that 1mm tip).. plus a lot of guys from what I've seen have way too much gun for the application. YMMV. The smaller gun makes it really hard to have runs and sags and you can dial it in well.

I just returned from two beaches, N. Myrtle and then down to Gulf Shores and I'm excited to be home and had a pile of parts here this morning.

It's still expensive but doing it ourselves sure lowers the cost, and in a way builds WAY more equity than paying a shop to do it..

If you spend 50k and sell it for 48K you are losing money. The restorer just got all your money.

If you spend 15K and sell it for 48K you just made out like a bandit.

However I'm giving this car to my wife. (If your married that's a good way to make her happy and spend the $$ so she isn't complaining
 all the time)....

 

[gunslinger]

Thanks for the Inspiration, Reading about all the adversity you have faced and believing in your family first, Man, I had to give you props on that!!
I'm a tarheel by birth and, we had a property in the family in Surfside, Surfside drive, on the road that leads straight to the pier.
Many in our family honeymooned there, spent some summers there myself, small world.

Right now I've just been giving the girl a very overdue scrubbing, getting 8 years of dust and dirt of her and taking stock of where to go next,
I do have a few rust areas that need addressed but, nothing compared to what some of these guys have been through.

I did order some interior dye so I can dye interior panels while I'm waiting for other things to happen, Nothing gets you going like color!!
Keep keeping on man, I'll be checking in!!

[dusty]

Thanks for the Inspiration, Reading about all the adversity you have faced and believing in your family first, Man, I had to give you props on that!!
I'm a tarheel by birth and, we had a property in the family in Surfside, Surfside drive, on the road that leads straight to the pier.
Many in our family honeymooned there, spent some summers there myself, small world.

Right now I've just been giving the girl a very overdue scrubbing, getting 8 years of dust and dirt of her and taking stock of where to go next,
I do have a few rust areas that need addressed but, nothing compared to what some of these guys have been through.

I did order some interior dye so I can dye interior panels while I'm waiting for other things to happen, Nothing gets you going like color!!
Keep keeping on man, I'll be checking in!!

Right on. That area is fabulous, and that museum in Myrlte is awesome! I passed a driveway in Monks Corner called Mopar Lane. Almost took a picture.

[dusty]

Back in action putting lipstick on this pig....

Painted rear bumper brackets...
Worked on passenger glass.. (Ordered new things from R/T Specialties)..
Put the Votage Reg on...
Drank a beer.
Mowed the yard.

Took a pile of money and burned.

[dusty]

So put the sending unit in the gas tank..
Worked on the window rollers from R/T Specialties. Man that was a PAIN.

And now drilling the holes for the front windshield chrome.. Not as bad as I thought.. Really gonna have to overcome my fear of metal...

Had purchased a set of J-Bolts for the tank from Rocpar, and they had ignored every email and call and message through paypal..

Opened a case against them, and then sent them another message and shipped my bolts today. Stuff happens, they said they had a family emergency. If I'd known that I wouldn't have worried about a 20 set of J bolts.... In any case they seem nice... Ready to get this tank hung back there and getting the fuel lines in..

The new valence panel came... I'm keeping the factory one, but these early N Code Se cars couldn't be ordered with bright tips. They came with dual TURN DOWN exhaust... so I'm putting the bright tips on anyway...

The AMD valence looks great. Gonna get some supplies and try to get color on it this week if it ever cools down.. It's too hot and humid to paint right now..

Hung the rear bumper brackets.. Since I'm going to go broke on the AAR Project... the rear bumper isn't bad.. I polished it.. it's passable for the time.. Will need a new front bumper though.

Ordered a new hood latch bracket today. Mine was chromed at some point and looks craptacular.
Also ordered a body plug kit.

Installed the splash flap things from Detroit Muscle.. Man they do great work. The fit and appearance is 100%. You know the ones that are in the front wheel wells for keeping the ol' engine bay dry and clean.. (not). LOL..

In any case they look good.

Sanded and painted the driveshaft last night and today. I etch primed it, and laquered it.. It'll probably look crappy in 10 years, but hopefully I'll be getting a lift soon to work on these cars from the bottom up..

Oh yeah I now officially hate working with glass..

[dusty]

 

[dusty]

Just about ready for da vinyl now...