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Re: 72 T/A progess
I put some gas in her today and she started right up. The Gardner exhaust sounds very nice. Kinda rumbly. Now I have to figure out why the temp gauge isnt working. It worked last Fall when I ran it. Everything on the engine and frame is grounded and the gauge moves to zero when the key is turned on but doesn't read when the engine heats up. Anyone know how to test these guages and/or the sender? The gauges use a printed circuit in the back.
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Re: 72 T/A progess
I fixed the gauge problem. An old-time mechanic buddy of mine gave me this secret: if you want to verify if the guage is working disconnect the temp sensor wire from the sensor at the engine and connect a test light between the sensor wire and engine ground. Turn on the ignition switch. The test light should glow dimly. If it glows, the gauge is working and is grounded properly and the sensor itself is bad. That was the case here. I went to the local NAPA store and they actually had the correct gauge sensor in stock with the correct slip-on style terminal end for early GM vehicles. This makes me happy as I did not want to pull the dash out for exploratory surgery.
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Just so you don't all think I've been slacking. Here's what she looks like at the moment. Everything starts up and runs as designed, even the shaker flapper (they use two of the same hood solenoids as the 69 Camaro). I am waiting for the body shop to get the front sheet metal done before I bring the rest of the car down. Don't mind the damaged shaker, That is the original one the previous owner drove over when he was putting the fire out. I have a mint replacment waiting for paint.
I just dropped off the original honeycomb wheels at the media blaster today to get the several layers of incorrect silver paint off of them. I'll update when they come back. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../aug06eng2.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../aug06eng3.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Yep...Darren's right. It looks great.
This is like having a continuing magazine article...I can't wait to see the finished product. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif |
Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
Looks great slacker. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ins/tongue.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif [/ QUOTE ] I wish I could restore as well as you slack... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Wow you are doing a heck of a job on that T/A... it looks very https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif
Do you hire out? |
Re: 72 T/A progess
I sent out the original honeycomb wheels to be media blasted to get them ready for refinishing. The Honeycomb wheel was a rather innovative design for the time: they used a molded urethane face on a stamped steel wheel.
I ended up using the same media blasting facility as in this article. They were actually pretty close to me here in Jersey. http://www.goatsgarage.com/huny1.html They had them done in three days. Awesome job. They stripped off about four or five layers of crappy silver paint and this was the result. Now I can refinish them with that $40 a can OEM honeycomb paint. Ouch! Here they are sitting out in the 103 degree New Jersey heat. I washed them off and the water literally turned to steam as I watched. Gotta love that global warming. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycomb1.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycomb3.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycomb5.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here is a honeycomb wheel after priming with the OEM flexible primer. I sprayed the rest of the rim (sides and back) with a Rustoleum grey that was very close to the original. I searched various auto parts stores and eventually found the correct flexible bumper repair kit. I found this at a Napa store. They pulled it off of a back shelf and blew the dust off the box. It looks like 1980s vintage packaging but it worked fine. A couple of the rims had factory moding flaws and air pockets that needed to be filled. Also three of the rims had edges that were not fully molded to the rim from the factory. I ended up just gooping it on my finger and spreading it by hand on the edges, kinda like doing bathtub caulking.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycomba.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here's the finished product. The OEM Honeycomb wheel paint actually goes a long way. I painted all five wheels with one can! I bought three. I ended up using a second can just to get a heavy coat on the wheels but the finish didnt change much with the extra paint. Good stuff, if you follow the directions and spray it from 8 to 10 inches away, it leaves a dry textured finish with lots of metallic sparkles. After painting them in the driveway I walked inside and the wife asks me "Where the heck have you been, the disco?" I was covered in the sparkly overspray, looking like I just came back from a hard night at Studio 54, circa 1977.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/P8040001.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
OK, something went schizo with my photo account, so here's the finished wheel photo, again. I had to reload it:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycombb.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here are the 2 of the 5 finished wheels. I indexed the tires so the letters are all in the same spot on all four road wheels. Since the 72 Honeycombs don't use a trim ring, which would cover the wheel weights, I decided to balance the wheels on the backside only. As much as I have harped on the price of the very expensive OEM line of spraypaints, I do have to admit they are the exact, correct finsh, they make the wheels look great, and each can goes a long way.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...honeycombd.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
SWEET!
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Re: 72 T/A progess
I took a ride over to ENOCH's place today to see the progress on the Trans Am's body parts. We have to replace one door skin (I found a correct NOS one on ebay pretty cheap - a miracle since it is impossible to find the 70 to 73 style with the correct longer door handle opening) Anyway, here are some shots of the door. He had already prepped the edges for the new skin by beadblasting the mounting areas (the shiny silver areas). I guess this settles the question of whether the doors were loaded (minus glass and sliders) when they went into the primer dip.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/door1.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/door2.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
And here's the door skin. Heavily infested with the dreaded "Bondo Worms." Gotta love 1970's dent repair. Drill a few hundred holes, use the dent puller and then smear the Bondo on til it squeezes through the holes.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/door3.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/door4.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Ok, since it's been raining cats and dogs outside for the past four days and it looks like I'm not loading up to go to Musclepalooza in a hurricane I thought I'd reupholster the front seats. I took over the dining room table, laid out some carpet on top and made myself a workbench. (It sure helps when the wife is visiting her relatives for the week and I have the house to myself). I ordered the PUI seat cover set last week and spent the past few days tugging and pulling and hog ringing til my hands were numb.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/seat1.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
I found the best way to get the covers on with the least amount of wrinkles was to asemble them onto the foam backing and hog ring them on. After that's done you can slide the metal frame into the seat cover (this works for the seat back far easier than for the seat bottoms) Here's a shot of the hinge assembly: those chrome push-on retainers are bear to get off. You have to pry them into oblivian before they release. Amazingly, Home Depot had the exact ones in their hardware aisle for 45 cents each. (Note to self: when you do the other side don't try to hold the cap in place while hitting it with the large wooden mallet pictured in the previous photo. OUCH! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/seat4.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here are the finished products. The seat on the right has the original upper material (this was originally the passenger seat back cover. I was able to pull the upper cover and foam off of the passenger side frame and switch it to the driver's side frame since the cover was nearly perfect. Both seat bottoms and the left seat back are the PUI pieces. They still need some heat gun time to smooth out the pull marks and wrinkles but they look pretty decent. Here's a close up of the material differences in the 1972 Tetra grain inserts used on the 1972 deluxe seats. You can see that the PUI cover on the left has slightly larger perforations than the pin-sized holes on the original material on the right.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/seat5.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...5268/seat6.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
It's finally sunny out so I have the seats cooking in the mid-day sun on the driveway. Had some spare time (family still away) so I bolted up the nose brackets. I am definitely learning something about Pontiacs. -They must have had some Rube-Goldberg type engineer thinking this stuff up: if one bracket would work on on a Chevy, Pontiac had to use three or four. If you have ever seen how Pontiac designed the a/c compressor brackets you'll know what I mean. There are support brackets bracing other support brackets that hold other brackets in place...Well anyway the front bumper/grill brackets also brace the radiator support, each with its own adjustment, hence the masking tape to protect the paint for the time being. Oh, and the horns now work, too! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../radsuppt2.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../radsuppt3.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
This is without question my favorite thread from any site that I've visited in the years that I have been searching the web. I love to see the progress on a car that I admire and also to see the outstanding results that can be had by a car owner working out of his garage.
This restoration and all of its documentation via photographs should be made into a book. I know I'd love to read about the methods used to create such great results. Keep up the good work; I look forward to each and every update. I think I'll be a bit disappointed when it's finally complete; you'll have to find another car and start again (only kidding) |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Glad to be of service. I like to do things with my own hands. I can never understand the guys that want to buy a complete finished car: Where is the satifaction in having something that is yours simply through purchase power alone? Anyone can buy a finished car but doing it yourself (or as much as you can do yourself) is where the enjoyment is. My theory is "It's not mine until I've either broken something on it or I've bled on it somewhere, while trying to fix it."
Now where is that bottle of Advil. My thumb is throbbing from hitting it with a mallet. My forearms feel like Popeye's and I need a tetanus shot from crimping too many of those damn hog-rings onto my fingers. Oh and I still have to hook up the new VCR/DVD in the living room after the five year old thought the DVD disc would play better with butter on it to fill in all the scratches. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Steve, I did the seat covers on my 70 SS396 a month ago. They are the black/white houndstooth seats that are a one year only design so I was happy to even find a set of PUI covers. They are a close match to the originals but definitely not 100%, probably closer to 90% match. And they didn't have as many places to hog ring as the originals but it doesn't look like that was a problem for me. The TA is looking good. You need to bring it down to Jackson Outlets so we can park them together!
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Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
Steve, I did the seat covers on my 70 SS396 a month ago. They are the black/white houndstooth seats that are a one year only design so I was happy to even find a set of PUI covers. They are a close match to the originals but definitely not 100%, probably closer to 90% match. And they didn't have as many places to hog ring as the originals but it doesn't look like that was a problem for me. The TA is looking good. You need to bring it down to Jackson Outlets so we can park them together! [/ QUOTE ] When is the Jackson outlets gathering; I have heard good things about that show. |
Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
When is the Jackson outlets gathering; I have heard good things about that show. [/ QUOTE ] It's the last Friday of every month during the summer. I think Sep is the last one this year. It's a nice mix of restored cars, street rods and customs. |
Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
This is without question my favorite thread from any site that I've visited in the years that I have been searching the web. I love to see the progress on a car that I admire and also to see the outstanding results that can be had by a car owner working out of his garage. This restoration and all of its documentation via photographs should be made into a book. I know I'd love to read about the methods used to create such great results. Keep up the good work; I look forward to each and every update. I think I'll be a bit disappointed when it's finally complete; you'll have to find another car and start again (only kidding) [/ QUOTE ]I agree! |
Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
This is without question my favorite thread from any site that I've visited in the years that I have been searching the web. I love to see the progress on a car that I admire and also to see the outstanding results that can be had by a car owner working out of his garage. This restoration and all of its documentation via photographs should be made into a book. I know I'd love to read about the methods used to create such great results. Keep up the good work; I look forward to each and every update. I think I'll be a bit disappointed when it's finally complete; you'll have to find another car and start again (only kidding) [/ QUOTE ] I also agree.. Nice Work Steve https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Todays' question: I am looking at using some of the modern plastic panel repair adhesives to repair the cracks in the lower front valance for this car and was wondering if anyone knows exactly what type of plastic these valances were made of? Is it ABS plastic or something else more prehistoric than that?
Any recommendations on adhesives? This was a very rare piece used on late 72 and early 73 Firebirds. The problem was that they were easily broken. As a result the factory replaced them all under warranty with the steel valance used in 70 to 72. The steel valance makes the front end of the car look quite different, not nearly as streamlined looking as the plastic valance version. Here's a couple shots of the one I am working on at the moment. It arrived a little more broken in shipping that I expected but I have had it in my extremely expensive ACME Plastic Valance Repair Fixture, as you can see. It took years of development and millions of dollars to perfect and cannot be duplicated at any price. It actually is working great. In about three weeks it has completely pulled the edges of the main center crack back together. Now if I only had the right adhesive to keep it there, it would be wonderful (P.S. I am still looking for whole plastic valances or even parts to repair the plastic valance that I have for my 72 T/A if anyone out there has one for sale.) Here's the before photos: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...Valance004.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...Valance002.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here's the ACME repair fixture in all its glory:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../PB120001a.jpg And here's the "after" photo showing the edges of the crack completely rejoined together through the magic of gravity and professionally applied industrial counterweights: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB120003.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Steve, I saw this stuff demonstrated at Carlise. It was really amazing what they could do with it. I have not puchased any because I am not there with what I have to repair yet. I'm still working with metal! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif
http://plastex.home.att.net/ |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Steve your best bet would be to find a similar type of thin rubber and urethane it behind the crack, If you just try to
butt weld the crack together the part will break. I have refurbished more then my share of Z/28 and TA covers. The aftermarket covers did not even come close to OEM. |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Through testing I determined material is polyurethane, the same thing they make ATV body panels, motorcycle fenders and water tanks out of. I dealt with this place over the past few days: http://www.urethanesupply.com/index.html and they were an amazing help. I have one of their airless welders on its way along with the welding rods for the polyurethane material. (there is no adhesive known to man that will bond polyurethane -you must weld it to repair it) Another problem is that it is very difficult to get paint to adhere to polyurethane. They even had a step by step on how to do that! http://www.urethanesupply.com/atvpainting.html Great website. Now we know the reason these valances were molded in color: because there were no paints or additives to make the paint stick to them back then.
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Let me rephrase that, it's POLYETHYLENE not polyurethane. My spell checker went a little wild on me there. Damn computers. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif
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Re: 72 T/A progess
I purchased a plastic welder from www.urethanesupply.com and had some really good results fixing the original polyethylene front valance
Here is the process I went through which was remarkably easy. These valances are made out of polyethylene and once I figured that out, it was just boiled down to following the directions in the kit and using the right plastic welding rods. This contraption is basically a soldering iron with a special tip that you feed the polyurethane rods into. The first step of course is cleaning the area as best as possible and the using aluminum tape to hold the cracks together. (The aluminum tape is critical as it is very thick and wont stretch like masking tape will: it holds the crack together tightly) Once that is done you use the hot tool to melt a groove in the crack halfway into the plastic. You then apply the flat face of the iron onto the crack and while melting the base material, you feed the rod material into the melted area. You do about an inch at a time and them massage it in very well. Once you get the entire length done you take a strip of stainless steel mesh and apply it onto the repair and melt that into the repair for added strength (preferably on the back side of the panel). When that is done and cooled off (apply cold water to speed things up) you can turn the valance over and remove the aluminum tape, groove the other side's crack and do the same only without the mesh. The interesting thing about the welding rods is that they have a selection of colors available in this kit due to the fact that it is used mainly to repair kayaks and ATV fenders which are molded in color. Once it is cooled you can sand it down. The face bar portion was a little trickier since it was very hard to get into the rear part of the crack. I heated up the area quite a bit and placed the mesh and a bunch of extra polyethylene rod into the area for added strength. The process and the tool was amazingly easy and I just saved an irreplaceable part for about $90 in material and 3 hours of work. Here's the crack: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160002.jpg After taping and grooving: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...PB160003-1.jpg Applying the welding rod and melting the stainless steel mesh in to the backside of the repair: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160006.jpg The front side after valance was flipped over and the procedure was repeated: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160010.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
The hard part was the broken face bar:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...lance002-1.jpg After aluminum taping you can how hard it was to get in behind to affect the repair: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160011.jpg After welding and adding a bunch of extra material and mesh. This area wont be seen once the panel is installed: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160015.jpg After the repair: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160013.jpg And here's the final product. The inside joke about these polyethylene valance is that most T/A guys consider them made out of "unobtanium" since they were never offered as a service part and the only ones out there were the ones that were installed on the cars originally in early 1972 and early 1973. (There was no late 72 as the UAW-GM strike shut down the F-body plant in April 1972 until the 1973 model year) Once these valances broke (and they all did) the dealers replaced them under warranty with the steel version which did not have the upper face bars which really make the nose of these cars flow into the grill. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160017.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
I also used the welder to recreate the missing broken sections by gradually building up material until it replicated the original contours. This took about three hours today to get the rough shape of the broken sections.
Before: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...Valance003.jpg After: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/val004.jpg Before: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB160010.jpg After: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB180002.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
It's Thanksgiving so I'm hiding downstairs since my wife threw me out of the kitchen. Here are the reproduced sections after more welding, filing and sanding:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220009.jpg And the large crack after the same continued process of file, sand and reapply more melted polyethylene: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220013.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
And here's the last stage of the broken face bar's repair. The uneven area underneath is actually the factory clearance cut out for the mounting bolt:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220012.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Here are the two edge sections. Both were heavily cracked due to the fact that factory molding process injected very little plastic on the ends of the panel. The main area of the valance is about 3/8" thick while the outer edges are only about 1/16" thick. I had to reproduce a missing section from one end as evidenced by the different color of the polyurethane material in the lower photo. I also heavily back-filled the thin areas around the edge so now they're about 1/2" thick:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220002.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220010.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
As a final judge of the repair I trial-fitted the NOS front spoiler on the panel. (it's actually made of injection molded fiberglass -why they didn't also make the valance out of that is beyond me!) The spoiler just dropped in place and lined up perfectly. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220007.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PB220008.jpg |
Re: 72 T/A progess
Very nice Steve. I love it when a plan comes together. Nice treat for me on T-day. Thanks! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif
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