Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars. |
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#1
06-25-2008, 06:11 PM
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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.
 Steve, how many total hours do you figure you have in this project? 
__________________
 COPO 9561/9737 M40 X11D80 13.37 @ 105.50 on pump gas,drove it to NATL TRAILS and back [email protected] SCR22 
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#2
06-26-2008, 03:06 AM
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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.
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#3
06-26-2008, 03:08 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
Steve, how many total hours do you figure you have in this project? [/ 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.  )
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#4
06-26-2008, 05:02 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Stopped by Home Depot today and replaced the crappy Craftsman Mini Mouse Sander with a Black&Decker model. It worked fine. Using 80 grit, I had all the paint off of the front of the valance in about 2 hours. I can't feel my hands though. Maybe the feeling with come back in a day or two, in time to do the back of the panel.
   
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#5
06-26-2008, 06:43 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
Using 80 grit, I had all the paint off of the front of the valance in about 2 hours. I can't feel my hands though. Maybe the feeling with come back in a day or two, in time to do the back of the panel. [/ QUOTE ] Ha, you removed your fingerprints and all the feeling that goes with them! You're in stealth mode now! -
__________________
69 Z28 JL8, #'s match - being restored
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#6
06-26-2008, 03:39 PM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Incredible work; until this thread about your TA restoration I would have never known about these valances. Now that I am aware of them I don't think I recall ever seeing another TA with one. I can't wait to see the car when it's finished but, in another way, it will be a sad day because that will mean no more posts like this.
I really look forward to seeing what has been done and how you use your "McGyver" skills to save / improve the original parts.
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#7
06-28-2008, 02:53 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Well, here's the finished product. It took a few days of sanding and remelting and reapplying more polyethylene rods but this will work on the car. I left the main mounting holes filled in so I can redrill them in the correct spots one the valance is trial fitted on the car.
     
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#8
06-28-2008, 02:58 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
Here are the most difficult repaired areas, the upper mounting points, the turn signal housing and the upper face bar.
  The yucky looking yellow stuff in the outer edge of the passenger side turn signal housing is extra welded in polethylene rod I added for reinforcement. It doesn't have to look pretty, it's just there for the added bracing.  
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#9
07-25-2008, 06:44 AM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Steve, how many total hours do you figure you have in this project? [/ 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. ) [/ QUOTE ] Too bad those aren't billable... 
__________________
~JAG~ NCRS#65120 68 GTO HO 4 spd Alpine Blue /Parchment 2 owner car #21783 71 Corvette LT1 45k miles Orig paint - Brandshatch Green - National Top Flight - last known 71 LT1 built. 71 Corvette LT1 42k miles Original paint - Black - black leather - only black LT1 known to exist. NUMEROUS Lemans blue Camaros, Monza Red and Daytona Yellow Corvettes & a Chevelle or two... Survivors, restored cars, & other photos https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos
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#10
08-09-2008, 06:52 PM
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Re: 72 T/A progess
I picked up an extra set of 15x7 honeycomb wheels for my BFG radials. (from earlier posts you know I will be using the Polyglas GT's for show). Found these on ebay reasonably cheap and only about 25 miles away.
The problem with these wheels is that the internal steel supporting cone that runs from the mounting flange of the wheel to the center cap mounting point is usually mangled from years of abuse from tire machines, pried off center caps, really high curbs, etc. The normally pentagon shaped flange is commonly trapazoidal from the years of bad treatment. There is no way to access and repair the cone if it is damaged...unless you get creative. Here is the set:  Here is the center cap area. Notice the ovaled out center holes:  
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