1968 Coronet 500 Project

[jason79]

She's coming along now!

 

[BAFRAID]

May 14 2016
25 gallons more of Aircraft Stripper and it was down to its naked original form.

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I'm new to this and wondered, why not just media blast to remove all the old paint?

 

[JimKueneman]

I'm new to this and wondered, why not just media blast to remove all the old paint?

Cost and I hate the mess blasting makes. You will be having sand out of every nook and cranny for months. If you dustless sand you get the sludge in every nook and cranny. Blasting would've cost at least twice that based on my estimates that I got. Plus I would've had to transport the body to the blasting booth. Just use my little harbor freight blaster in the places that I needed to.

 

[BAFRAID]

Cost and I hate the mess blasting makes. You will be having sand out of every nook and cranny for months. If you dustless sand you get the sludge in every nook and cranny. Blasting would've cost at least twice that based on my estimates that I got. Plus I would've had to transport the body to the blasting booth. Just use my little harbor freight blaster in the places that I needed to.

Thank you for the feedback. Does the stripper have a bad smell or toxic? I assume if it's eating paint it must have a heavy odor.

 

[JimKueneman]

Thank you for the feedback. Does the stripper have a bad smell or toxic? I assume if it's eating paint it must have a heavy odor.

It is NASTY, NASTY stuff. Shocking it is still available in this day and age.

 

[JimKueneman]

Busy day... Did not seem like I got much accomplished but now that I think back and post it I got a lot done....

Bead blasted all window regulators and channels. Before...

After...

Then I installed the roller rebuild kit from Resto Rick (yes Jason my rollers were the right size). I did not replace all of them only the ones I needed. I also disassembled the roller block assemblies on the long track on the rear regulators. I bent the spring steal with pliers to get the rod that holds the pair of rollers out. I then smoothed the bore with a file and sanded the sides of the rollers so they would roll freely when the track was slid up and down in them.

I also replaced the front window track felt with new... (can't recall where I got this, need to dig through my receipts if anyone wants to know).

Lastly I sprayed all the parts with clear to give them some rust protection yet leave them in a "natural" state.

I may assemble some of them in the doors and quarter panel tomorrow....

 

[JimKueneman]

I also got my black epoxy primer from SPI while I was riding motorcycle in Colorado. I cleaned and painted the inner fender panels and K-frame black. I then installed the new Detroit Muscle Technology fender rubber seal kit parts. It looks like it just came from the factory!

Headlight splash shield...

K-frame...

 

[jason79]

Here's your taillight pic jim, looks as if there is no finish.

I think we are on the same page today.

 

[JimKueneman]

The factory 318 is at that machine shop getting an overhaul..... by one of the members here who has a Super Bee

https://www.facebook.com/precisionmachineserviceaz/

 

[JimKueneman]

Cleaned, polished and detailed the wing window frames ready for install today. Started to assemble the front suspension on the newly painted K-frame.

 

[JimKueneman]

Bad news from the Hospital today....

Stress crack in the 318.... likely there from day one when the head was installed... I want to keep the factory block so Dave started drilling...

Final decking and good as new.... we hope....

 

[JimKueneman]

Spent Saturday touching up the paint under the hood and in the inner fender wells. I have found that it is a bad idea to paint the inside, inner fender wells and under the hood first. The overspray from priming and painting the exterior will find its way in to and onto all the hard work you did in these areas. Shoot a base coat layer when spraying the exterior on these areas then go back at the end and touchup and shoot the clear after the exterior is done. I shot a coat of base over what was there to get a consistent color and then shot 2 coat of clear to make it nice and slick again.

Next I assembled the front suspension and new steering components. I used Energy Suspension bushing and OEM Moog ball joints, idler arm and tie rod ends.

New front wheel bearings installed and the brake components are painted OEM and ready for a new set of pads.

 

[JimKueneman]

Also yesterday morning a spent some time wet sanding with 1000 on a block and 1500 with a soft block the left front fender and door. Next I used some Presta buffing pads and some Chemical Guys diamond foam pads with the Presta 2 step cutting and polishing product. Looks fairly good... Looking forward to getting it outside to see what it really looks like. I have a bit of Urethane Wave in it but I am not going to get too upset and do something rash that I will regret...

I also bought some quality chrome polish and started to polish up the wing window frames getting ready to start assembling the doors.

 

[JimKueneman]

More parts are moving from the clutter of the garage and are back on the 500! The brake lines and proportioning valve are restored and reinstalled. I only have a couple of parts left over that I can't figure out where they go... I took photos of everything except what I needed to take a picture of

 

[JimKueneman]

The parking brake mechanism is also blasted, restored and reinstalled..

 

[JimKueneman]

Getting close

Original 318 Head

Machined out for hardened seats

New seats installed

Clean up the throat to match the seat.

Clean up some sharp edges

Valve job done, ready to mill

Block ready for final clean

Excellent work at Precision Machine Service in Whetstone Arizona!

 

[JimKueneman]

Restoring inner fender panel bolts, wing window frame mounting hardware and door strikers...

 

[JimKueneman]

Rut-ro Shaggy..... what happened here....

 

[jason79]

I knew you had my door handle, you clearly have the rare 1 bolt option.

 

[gdrill]

Seen that before! Most recently last weekend.