The New Project: Part Deux!

[njsteve]

Sure is. I have been hunting for one for a year now. There are hundreds of hits on ebay for the 1101015 part number but they are all for modern cross-referenced, superceded alternators that cover that application. This was the first one I have seen in a year of searching, and luckily it had the right date code as a bonus.

[njsteve]

I got some more of the welding done at the Votech class last week. I finished up the bodywork on the passenger side trunk drop off and the large rust hole in the outer wheel tub. Luckily the rocker panel rail end was fine. As I mentioned before, anywhere that there was a large concentration of body seam sealer/caulking is where the rust occurred. Once that stuff gets old, it acts just like a sponge and holds the water next to the metal until the metal rusts away.

Here's the finished trunk drop off on the pass side:



And here is the before shot of the rust hole in the front of the passenger side wheel well:



And after I surgically removed the rusty portions and welded in a section of the reproduction outer wheel tub, and finished the body work, seam sealer, and partially undercoated it:



And for comparison's sake, here is the wheel well from Gramma's 75 Firebird in all its sloppily applied seam sealer glory:

[69 Post Sedan]

Nice work......as usual. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Kurt

[Xplantdad]

Great stuff Steve!

[njsteve]

Thanks! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

All that detail work to make the metal seams look correct, and I then have to cover it in slathered-on goop to make it look sloppy on purpose! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/no.gif[/img]

[njsteve]

I put the alternator back together after some parts cleaning. I soaked the case in the Purplestuff for a couple days and scrubbed it with a brass wire scrub brush (something softer than the cast metal case). I then used some 0000 steel wool and Orangestuff hand cleaner and gently scrubbed the outside of the case under really hot water. It turned out great, it has that just tumbled look out of the casting mold.

As for the pulley and fan blade, they turned out to be just dirty. The original silver cad plating on the pully cleaned up nicely. The finish on the back half of the pulley was perfect, the front half, not as nice due to being out in the elements all these years. The fan blade still retained its original grey phosphate finish and just needed some soaking in the Purplestuff degreaser and scrubbing with a plastic scrub brush. After seeing the original finish on the pulley and fan blade, and all the cobwebs inside, it looks like this alternator had never been apart in 42 years, so it retained all its factory hardware after all this time. The only repair needed was a new front bearing and to heli-coil the upper mounting bolt hole which is always stripped out on these cases.





And you can even see the part number and date code on it now! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

[njsteve]

I just noticed on the calendar: This is the one year anniversary of me buying this car. Wow what a difference in progress versus the prior project! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

[K code Mustang]

And you know the work was done to your satisfaction. Great work as always.

[njsteve]

Thanks, John. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Now I have to find someone to do the topside. (A man's got to know his limitations...and painting a black car is well beyond mine at the moment). [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

[Dave Rifkin]

Are you sure it needs to be repainted? Some detailers do what is referred to as &quot;paint correction&quot; and it is a much more involved detailing process that can, in some cases, produce excellent results on the existing paint. It's not cheap but, much cheaper than a respray.