This is completely the wrong way to paint a chassis but I said the heck with it and went for it. Id painted this a few years ago but the off brand chassis paint I used scratched easy plus I had to hack off my original steering setup and start over. So really it needed a lot of touch up. I'm sold on the look and toughness of POR-15 but it pretty well puts an end to the life of a paint gun because you'll never get it clean and I didn't want to brush it on. I went to Harbor Freight and found a regular suction paint gun for $12. Mostly plastic, made in Indonesia (where all quality tools are made). I loaded it up with straight paint, no reducer, cranked the air pressure to 80psi, opened the feed wide open, kept it moving as fast as I could, and laid it all on in one coat. When I was done, I threw the gun away. It really came out nice; good gloss, no runs, plus this stuff is as tough as nails.
After selling my last project this weekend, it sure is nice to see some open space in the garage again. I started putting the shocks on, running brake lines, and going through several boxes of parts to see what I'm going to need. I had all the boxes from the 47 I took apart plus several from this car that had already been mostly apart when I got it. I spent a while tonight cleaning up different body mount brackets and painting them. Also ordered a body mount kit, power window kit, and a kit to eliminate the vent windows. Should be test fitting the body to the frame on Memorial Day.
I definitely want A/C in this but I wanted to save a few $$ and find something other than an aftermarket unit. I went scouring the boneyard today and found this; a rear air unit from a full size conversion van. It has an evaporator with the expansion valve, a heating coil, a three speed fan, and two air outlets. I think it'll work; seems to fit under the dash pretty well. I just need to find or make a grill for the front.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I hope you all got to spend time with your loved ones and working on your projects which is what I've been doing all weekend. I did some more brake line plumbing and mounted the proportioning valve and worked on the brake pedal assembly. I didn't want the GM pedal pad so I cut it off and welded on a bracket to mount the 48 pad. Next thing was to work on the doors. I decided to go with bear claw latches and found a step by step how to on Rod & Custom's website with some good pictures. Started by cutting some access panels so I could get to the back of the latch and the strike. I basically duplicated exactly what they did in the article.
Once I clean up the welds it should look good. The door closes nice and solid. Tonight when we do our Memorial Day BBQ we're going to set the body on the frame for a test fit.
Here's the test fit on the body; I had to do a little firewall surgery now that the motor is relocated. Not too bad, though. i should just be able to build a small recessed section and it'll be good to go.
Thanks! I hope to have it moving under it's own power by the end of the year, hopefully with just chrome and interior left. Well see but it's nice to make some progress again after a long hiatus.
Today I worked on the firewall and floor; I had to do something as the firewall angled out and back in and was hitting the engine. I decided to slice it where it angled out, drill out the spot welds that held the sides, and try to make it flat. Once I got both sides done, I moved inside to work on the floor and tunnel. I sliced up the removable tunnel section and used it to make a tunnel.Once I get the location right on the brake pedal and the steering column, it'll come back off the frame to finish weld the firewall.
Here's what I'm going to use for a steering column; it came from a 66 Chevy 2 ton truck. First order of business was to shorten it by 18" down to 32".The angle for the shaft u-joints looks pretty good but it looks like some header work is going to be in order to maneuver the steering shaft through.
I finished welding up the tunnel and floorboards today, plus did a trial fit on the Chevy truck brake pedal. After I did some trimming on the bracket it looks like it'll work out fine. Body work on the shell is done as soon as we smooth out the welds on the firewall; should be some primer in the near future. The plan is to primer the shell, paint the firewall and wheel wells, and then mount it permanently to the frame to start on the doors, deck lid, fenders, etc.
Just got back yesterday from a weeks vacation at Lake of the Ozarks. Very relaxing, just a week of fishing and reading. No email, internet, TV, or work; I feel like a new man. I spent today on the car before I have to go back to work tomorrow. Just did a couple small things but it took most of the day. I built a drop and a floor mount for the steering column along with figuring out the mount for the master cylinder and finished modifying the brake pedal bracket.
After 4+ years of working on this, we're finally ready to shoot some primer on it. I'm cleaning up half the garage to hang plastic and we're going to shoot it over the holiday weekend. I went and bought all the paint, primer, etc to do the whole car today. Going with a 95 Porsche color; Grand Prix White. Also got my Lokar shifter mounted so I can measure where to cut the whole in the floor.
Man I can't wait to see this thing in color! I like your steering column set up I'll have to be making one my self soon and thats a clean set up! Keep up the good work! Did you ever decide what you were gonna do with that AC grill? My car has a heater mounted in the same place I'll try to get you a picture. If you can find one It would make a good cover up for that AC unit (with some modification of course)!
Just caught your thread. Nice Mopar coupe. Very nice story. Heehee...I think Mike and his wife are gonna be so amazed when it's done. And they're gonna have a ball riding in it. You're "doing it justice" just fine.
Thanks, guys. I cant wait to see it painted, either. As far as the A/C grill, I built a small sheet metal cover that is offset about 1 1/2". It covers the evaporator coil from view but allows airflow to it. The column drop was really easy; built it in about 2 hours from stuff out of my scrap metal pile. I'm going to have Mike drop by for a picture with the car once it's primered and back on the frame.
Free is good; some of the free cars I've got over the years turned out to be better than some I paid for! A guy gave me a Toyota van several years ago that had been sitting because it kept draining the battery. After bypassing a blown fusible link in the alternator wire I drove it for a few years without doing another thing to it and sold it for a decent price. Some people just dont want to mess with any car problems, they just want them out of their way.
Yeah, it's coming along. Still a ways to go but it's starting to feel like there's more behind me than ahead of me. Today I made a bracket for the A/C/heater unit that will stay bolted in but allow me to slip the unit in and out with just removing a few screws. Here's where the A/C lines and heater hoses will exit the firewall.
Thanks, Sarge. I wish it could be that soon. Realistically i'm hoping for sometime next summer. If I can have it painted, wired, and moving under it's own power by the end of the year, i'll be happy. That'll leave chrome, glass, and interior for next year.
The Jalopy Journal
