Winter project

[DetMatt1]

Good progress Matt. While you are this far, are you going to drop the suspension are replace the bushings? (maybe you already told us that). Then you will have more parts to clean up and paint. Seems like projects always have a tendancy to grow!

I'm going to try to leave the front suspension alone this year. It will be enough with the engine, trans, Rallye cluster conversion and new top this year. I also have a couple of small improvements going on the Imperial and hope to get moving on the RR soon too.
I was thinking mostly original paint under the hood but since I don't really know what parts were on the car as it was painted in the factory I guess I can't be sure. Seems like it though. The proportioning valve and that one brake line are in fact painted, is that not right?? At one point the car was sprayed red but I can find no signs of that red under the hood like I can in one or two other places on the car so I've been thinking that it was left butterscotch there. It was hard to say that the engine had ever been out before either. I wish the car could talk...

 

[challenger6pak]

Are you going to respray under the hood?

 

[DetMatt1]

Yes and I'd like to try to be as correct with it as I can.

 

[challenger6pak]

Let me know if you need help with what gets what colors. Think of how the car was put together on the assembly line. If it is bolted on, most likely it wasn't body color, with the exception of body parts, like the hinges.

 

[DetMatt1]

Thanks, I'll take you up on that for sure.

 

[Adam]

I'm going to try to leave the front suspension alone this year.

It is a lot , but now is the time to pull the K-frame... with everything out of the way. You will not regret it.

 

[DetMatt1]

I'm sure you're right Adam but there's just not enough time before the driving season and I vowed to keep this car on the road as much as possible.

 

[challenger6pak]

It takes around an hour or less to drop it with the use of air tools. How long will it take to tape everything off? Are you going to remove the steering box? Painting the inner fender around the box is tough on spray patterns. You should save time in the long run by dropping the K-frame, painting everything and mounting the engine, trans and K-frame back in as a unit. It will look nicer done this way also. And you don't need a lift. The lift just makes it easier.

 

[DetMatt1]

You know, I may do that Tod. The deeper I get into this project the deeper the project gets.
I still have a few things to dismantle and get out of the way but I started cleaning and it is making me even more excited about how it'll look when done.

 

[challenger6pak]

That is the way it always is. You'll have to rename the thread 2015 project.

 

[mmissile]

One rolling snowball...coming up. LOL. The only way to do it. You'll always wish you'd have done it if ya don't.....and it's all pretty easy. Rebuild and paint/coat the whole front end. It's really not that big of a job. We're kinda close....we should meet up to talk.

 

[DetMatt1]

I'm not surprised the project is getting deeper because actually the car needs to be restored but I need to set some limits. The paint is over 20 years old and there are some bubbles down low in front of the rear wheel openings. The stripes are wrong on the fenders and that drives me nuts but one fender had some paint touch up done and was resprayed up to the stripe, etc..
The bottom of the car is almost perfect though so thankfully it's really just cosmetic.

 

[DetMatt1]

Lol!, it's a good thing I didn't specify how many winters I was going to take. The good news is that the engine is all but finished.

 

[mmissile]

Looking good.

 

[challenger6pak]

I agree. Looking nice.

 

[gdrill]

I started cleaning and it is making me even more excited about how it'll look when done.

It does look good. I will be watching too, you know, motivational thread therapy stuff!

 

[mmissile]

Rebuild the frontend?

 

[DetMatt1]

Not yet but since this project will now span the next winter I'm likely going to give it anything it needs up front and may just put discs on while I'm at it.

 

[moparlee]

Nothing like a clean fresh engine Matt. It always takes 2-3 times longer to do a project than what we think. Take your time.

 

[DetMatt1]

Transmission is next, it was as loose as they get by the end of last season.