Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Back to the body adjustments.

I spent the evening heating and molding the fender flares and front spoiler with the heat gun. It actually worked very well. My original repairs from over the winter were very close to the actual body lines without ever having touched the car during the repair process. I lucked out on that one!

Though the flares and front spoiler use a rubberized welting to mask the seam where they meet the body panels, there were still large gaps in some areas.

The front spoiler was the worst. Before I started there was a 3/4" gap between the spoiler and the valance. This was due in part to the factory misalignment when they glued the rear support section to the front spoiler section. I used the heat gun and softened the rear portion and moved it forward, which then reduced the gap to 3/8 inch. After that, it was heat the edge, push with a wooden paint stirrer and then hold til the plastic cooled, then repeat along the entire edge of the part.

Here is the spoiler after I fixed the rear support and started on the driver's side, reducing the gap. You can still see that the gap is larger on the left side of the photo.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001352.jpg

Here is the heat gun in action:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001357.jpg

And the patented wooden paint stirrer tool holding the hot plastic til it cools:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001362.jpg

Here is the finished front spoiler:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001369.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001376.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Here's the left and right front flares. It took a bit of massaging to get them to flow properly into the spoiler. The factory transition leaves a lot to be desired, aestheticly.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001373.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001378.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

And the rear flares. Suprisingly, the majority of the screw holes in the flares actually lined up with the existing screw holes in the fenders and quarters. I only had to move and refill a couple, just so the flares wouldn't be under stress when they were bolted up.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001372.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001381.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

And the finished flares installed for final fitting:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001382.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001385.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Nice Steve... your detail really shows the amount of trial fitting is neccesary to get the perfect look... most guys get in a hurry at this point and end up disappointed in the final result.

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Spent the afternoon tuning. I changed the plugs from the black soot-covered Autolites, to a set of NGKs. I set the dwell to 30 degrees and the timing to factory spec of 10 degrees BTDC with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged

I had a nice pleasant time setting the idle mixture the old-fashioned way with a vacuum gauge and the low rpm range tach on the Sun machine.

I pulled and plugged the vacuum lines, unscrewed the mixture screws out 2-1/2 turns (that was actually the existing setting on the carb) and set the idle to 850 rpm. I checked the vacuum reading - it was about 17 inches. After turning in the screws a half turn at a time trying to get the highest vacuum reading (and readjusting the idle speed back to 850 after each sequence) I finally got to 21 inches of vacuum before the lean stumble would appear. That ended up being about 1-1/4 turns out on each. It really made a difference in the eye-burning atmosphere in the garage. She starts right up at the first turn of the key now. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...h_S7001389.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I got the front end aligned today. Since the car is still minus its interior and glass, etc. I had to find all the iron weights and barbells in the house and loaded them into the car. I tossed a couple floor jacks and my 3/4 drive set in there too. I also filled the gas tank up to the top. All that was probably good for about 300 pounds of ballast.

I trailered it to an old timer in the area who retired about 30 years ago and now drives a school bus as a daily job. He works out of a local garage in his spare time.

It's amazing to watch an old skilled craftsman at work. He uses a set of bubble gauges that mount on the wheel hub that are from the late 1930s, art deco labeling and all! I had him do the alignment on my Camaro years ago and he did an awesome job.

No one today at the chain store, tire shops has any idea how to align "old" cars with the upper A-arm shims, let alone have the extra shims in stock. If it doesn't involve a computer, "laser beams" and a cam to turn, they have no clue whatsoever.

This guy even had all the specs memorized. When I told him I was going to be using bias ply tires instead of radials he told me he would adjust the specs accordingly since the bias plies need a little different tweak to the aligment to prevent the twitchy-ness that people associate with those repro tires.

This guy was a pleasure to deal with. And he charged $50 for 2 hours work!

While I was there, the owner of the old garage wanted to know if I could use a few old car books. Look what he gave me! Original 1960s, 70's and 80's Chilton hourly rate books with all the OEM part numbers and prices.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../S7001431a.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/page1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/page2.jpg

After I got the T/A home, I took her out for a little drive up and down the block just to blow out all the body work dust in the ventilation system. I felt like a WW1 Flying Ace - I should have worn goggles, though! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Nice score Mac! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

------Steve,,,Im guessing he just knows a good guy when he sees one, and knows the books will actually get used. Im also guessing that he is thinking that he got lucky finding someone who could appreciate what he was offering. It probably good for all concerned........Bill S

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Thanks. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

If anyone needs any tuning specs, part numbers or prices out of these books, feel free to ask.

I checked, and a 426 Hemi crankshaft was a whopping $48.25 in the 1968 edition. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I spent a few hours today ironing out the fold marks and creases in the new headliner I bought. My wife laughed, of course, since this was the first time in 15 years of marriage that she ever saw me put an iron to an ironing board.

When she finally stopped laughing, she was a tremendous help though, telling me I needed to set the iron to full steam and set it to the lowest heat setting, and then place a beach towel over the headliner and iron through it to prevent melting the material.

She really knows her home-tech, that woman of mine! She is the Ms.Gyver of Household Drudgery. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I found a pair of 15 inch rally rims on craigslist for $30 and was able to mount a pair of the 20 year-old Comp T/A/s on them. They are hard as rock but will work fine as bodyshop rollers. I need to find two more 15 inchers to replace the mismatched front 14 inch rims with 2 different 60's on them. At least I'm halfway there.

I have been starting her up and (allegedly) driving her around the cul-de-sac every few days just to warm the drivetrain up and to get all the dust out of the ductwork. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001469.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001472.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001471.jpg

The things on the doors are a couple of pieces of roll bar padding to protect nearby stuff from those 100 pound, wide-swingin' doors.

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

See MacGyver, all you had to do was post an update here and wa-la your stars are back!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I figured out a way to paint the new fender flare welting. Everybody who restores these cars tends to paint them the same color as the body which is incorrect. The welting material was originally supplied in bulk as a white latex-like material (on the white cars). They were installed at the factory that way, unpainted.

Since my old welting is petrified beyond useability, (that's them on the right, in the photos), and the new welting comes light grey, I ended up using white interior vinyl due. I cut the pieces to the correct lengtths, trial fitted them on the flairs, then removed them and over a period of several days I lightly misted the individual sections of welting until they were very thinly covered in white. They are now extremely flexible and should work out fine. The problem with painting the welting (other than being incorrect) is that even with flex agent, they will crack at the severe angles the welting has to conform to.

Here they are just temporarily press fit to the flares for storage purposes, and so they get a "set" for their final positioning.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001475.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001476.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

[ QUOTE ]
See MacGyver, all you had to do was post an update here and wa-la your stars are back!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

If only everything was that simple! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I also used up a four cans of Plastikote dark green/aqua trunk paint to get a preliminary coating on the primered trunk floor. On the sides, I was careful to cover the same areas, including the original undercoating/sound deadener that the original trunk paint was sprayed over.

I will probably end up using the Eastwood black/aqua stuff unless anyone has a better recomendation of something that comes in a spray can form.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001466.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001468.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7001467.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

[ QUOTE ]
I spent a few hours today ironing out the fold marks and creases in the new headliner I bought. My wife laughed, of course, since this was the first time in 15 years of marriage that she ever saw me put an iron to an ironing board..........

[/ QUOTE ]

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...g_bbc_body.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I don't know what I like more... the T/A in general or the fact that you are using the PIT VIPER's Hood as a Work Bench!!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Ye Olde Project Pit Viper is hibernating in my above-ground, New Jersey time capsule. It's 15 years old now (and so is my marriage) https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif.

I think the unveiling is in another 10 years or so, when it might be worth something as a historical former magazine project car. Then I can sell it to a crazy vintage Viper collector along with the 100 pounds of documentation cluttering up the house. With the sale revenue I could then afford a tank of year 2018 gasoline and take my wife out for our 25th wedding anniversary dinner at the Golden Arches Country Club!

At least I didn't store it under water in an Oklahoman time capsule. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/blush.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Well, I brought the car up to the bodyshop today to start the final body work and paint after sitting two months or so to settle, shrink and partially reassemble. We'll see how it progresses in the next month or so. Here it is getting dropped off:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001525.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/S7001524.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Hey Steve the car is looking great https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif. Try using a body shutz gun and order the black aqua trunk paint from a paint supply outlet. By shooting test areas and adjusting pressure on cardboard you can get the factory look in the trunk area. Give it a try, I think you will be very pleased with the results. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Unfortunately I do not have a compressor (or a body shutz gun) I do all my wrenching/painting the old-fashioned way - muscle and spray bombs.

Anyone out there have a traveling shutz-mobile with compressor?

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I have a Shutz gun I can loan but shipping is probably more than a new one costs.

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

This joke is so bad........I gotta get the "L" outta here...... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...id/563a_12.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

National Parts Depot carries the GM 105-1498 Grey/White (NPD # C-8800-1) and the GM 105-1499 Black/Aqua (NPD # C-8800-2) Spray cans or you can go down to your dealership and see if they have the GM numbers above. My GM dealer ordered me a case of the 1499 for me. http://npd.dirxion.com/Main.asp Page 28

You can also go to ebay and order if from the guy in the midwest who mixes it that MR70 mentioned earlier. I wanted to but the HAZMAT paperwork to ship it to me here in Hawaii was putting it way out of my price range.

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

i have a compressor and a shutz gun. Maybe I can load it in the truck and loan them to you. Let me know https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

[ QUOTE ]
This joke is so bad........I gotta get the "L" outta here...... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...id/563a_12.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]


Hogaaaahn! I see nuss-ing! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

heh-heh, heh-heh, Schultzie's got the kung-fu grip... heh-heh!

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

So now that the body is back at the bodyshop and I have nothing left to do, I decided to tackle the destroyed, allegedly unrepairable, original white polyethylene valance from the car.

All of the mounting points were not only broken but completely blown out and missing. If that wasn't enough, the upper support bar was broken and the center section was cracked in half with only about two inches still connecting the two halves together. Oh, and the parts that weren't broken were melted and warped from catching fire during the previous owners carb fire/flambe/barbeque fest.

Here it is:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3.../valance1a.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270013.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270011.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270002.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270014.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Like a triage attempt on a car crash victim, I had to stabilize the patient before I could even move it out of the emergency room (the basement) to surgery (the garage).

I got out the trusty plastic welder and did a fast, rough melt to get to main fracture and the upper support bar stabilized. By the time I got the welding done there was only one inch of plastic still holding the two sides together:

By the way, most of the black area is not paint, but soot and fire damage from the original burning plastic! Only the upper portion had some flat black spraybomb paint on it.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270003.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270009.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270004.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P4270007.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Once the rough repair was done so that the valance could be moved without cracking further, I moved it to the garage and started the Franken-Valance process.

Here I used some white polyethylene welding rods to fill in the missing areas in the center fracture. I just kept melting and massaging in more polyethylene rods till the area was filled.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220003.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220004.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Here is the right mounting flange area. It was shattered completely. I had some of the parts so I used a Dremel tool and ground the edges clean and beveled them so I could get some good weld/heat penetration.



http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220006.jpg

And here it is after welding and filling in extra material to make a rough estimation of the second mounting lug. Later sanding and heating will get the shape more accurately finished.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220014.jpg

And here is the left side, during and after

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220009.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220012.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

After about four hours of melting and inhaling burnt plastic fumes, here is the current result:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220015.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220016.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6220017.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Steve MacGyver https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

great work !! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

I soaked the valance in the old Purple Stuff degreaser over the last couple days. I used a tall kitchen garbage can and was able to get one third of the panel covered, and then turned it over to get the other third. For the center I had to lay it flat and cover that area with a towel soaked in the Purple Stuff and let it sit overnight on the area. That purple stuff works wonders: it removed all the soot and the flat black spray paint. The heavy white paint and primer surfacer is another story.

I had to use a razor blade and shave the white paint off. In some areas the paint and primer layer flaked away together, in others, just the white paint, and in others, neither came off. So I had to use the mini sander, which promptly burned out so now I have to buy another one...


Here's the cleaned valance:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240001.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240002.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240003.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

And the front side. You can see the different areas of good and bad paint adhesion.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240006.jpg


Here's some of the filled in rough repairs:


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240007.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240008.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240009.jpg

And the preliminary rough sanding of the upper face bar repair:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/P6240005.jpg

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

So if Frankenstein returns from the dead what are you going to do with it? Put it back on your car or hang it on the wall for posterity's sake?

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Better hang it up. There must be about 20 or 30 hours in that thing, and all it takes is one rock. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif
Steve, how many total hours do you figure you have in this project? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

Actually it is going so well, I think I will use the white one on the car since it is the original one from the car. Then I'll hang up the blue one.

The reason these things were so fragile wasn't the material (polyethylene) that they were made of, it was the fact that the mounting holes were so far off, the assembly line guys had to muscle them into place to get the bolt holes to line up. The valances were under so much stress when bolted to the car, if you hit one good pothole, they shattered like glass. That is why you always see the center split up the middle and one of the upper bars broken. I fill in all of the lower mounting holes and redrill them in a new position, about 3/4" away from the original mounting holes. Also, you cant tighten the bolts with a wrench, you just finger tighten them with locktight on the bolts so the panel can expand and flex with the nose.

Re: 72 T/A progess
 

[ QUOTE ]

Steve, how many total hours do you figure you have in this project? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

All of them.

(Well there are 8,760 hours in a year, multiply that by 4 years and you have the answer...35,040 hours so far. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif)