1968 Coronet 500 Project

[Paul Boucher]

Man Jim, every time I look at your car I get all warm and fuzzy. This is one gorgeous car!

Who cares it's a small block! You car is so stunning to look at and blends so well together you almost don't even notice it's a small block.

And for the quality of the restoration and your love of it, who cares what it's worth! And I am sure to you, it is priceless and that's what matters! I would say for $25k you smoked other restorations and your total investment is not that bad. I think sometime the restoration costs go up just because the car says R/T on it or was a big block. Heck, I wish I could have mine look as good as yours for only $25K total!

I would drive the every loving mess out of it...and enjoy the A/C while I was at it!

 

[JimKueneman]

Man Jim, every time I look at your car I get all warm and fuzzy. This is one gorgeous car!

Who cares it's a small block! You car is so stunning to look at and blends so well together you almost don't even notice it's a small block.

And for the quality of the restoration and your love of it, who cares what it's worth! And I am sure to you, it is priceless and that's what matters! I would say for $25k you smoked other restorations and your total investment is not that bad. I think sometime the restoration costs go up just because the car says R/T on it or was a big block. Heck, I wish I could have mine look as good as yours for only $25K total!

I would drive the every loving mess out of it...and enjoy the A/C while I was at it!

Thanks Paul,

That is one reason I was glad it was "just" a 500. People at the shows say "that must be worth what $50k?" and they are stunned when I say I would likely be lucky to get mid twenties. I explain if it said R/T on it the price goes up $10k and if it says Superbee on it the price goes up $20k. I would not want to even drive it if it was worth more than it currently is. I still want my '69 B5 Blue Sport Satellite Convertible but this is my first (restoration) and I get SO many compliments/honking/hooting/hollering at me when I drive it that she is has found a place in my garage

 

[Mopartisus]

I still want my '69 B5 Blue Sport Satellite Convertible but this is my first (restoration) and I get SO many compliments/honking/hooting/hollering at me when I drive it that she is has found a place in my garage

I'll go look at this one for you if you buy me a bowl of chowda-
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/1969-plymouth-satellite/6249348048.html

 

[JimKueneman]

I still want my '69 B5 Blue Sport Satellite Convertible but this is my first (restoration) and I get SO many compliments/honking/hooting/hollering at me when I drive it that she is has found a place in my garage

I'll go look at this one for you if you buy me a bowl of chowda-
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/1969-plymouth-satellite/6249348048.html

Haha, I need to bank account to recover for a while first! Mine is in Denver. When he is ready to sell it I have first dibs on it. 1969 Sport Satellite Convertible white interior (buddy seat instead of the console) with 32k original rust free miles. Small block but that is ok.

 

[JimKueneman]

Amazing... one year ago today I was here in the restoration... I've come a long way baby!

 

[JimKueneman]

After a bit of confusion I finally have my seats from Baca Upholstery. What a work of art. They look EXACTLY like the original only the vinyl is soft and not ripped! I questioned if I should have had the entire seats redone but it is nice to be able to say most of the interior is original. There is a slight difference as you can see the crinkle in the old seat back clearly where the new is not so pronounced. After it was back in the car it was almost unnoticeable.

Also got the first batch of decals. I took a guess on the tire pressure ones and after comparing them to the blurry partial photo I have its clear this late '68 has a number of 1969 model year stickers. The tire pressure sticker is one of these. I found the right one at Year One so I have to order it. Of course I ordered something from there yesterday... oh well..... The Hot Weather Thermostate decal is on order and will be here before the end of the week so I left a place for it.

Looks like a new car

Also got my Coronet grill restoration kit so it now has the correct plastic stand offs and the clips and chrome screw visible when the hood is open. I also did a quick restore on the headlight chrome plates with some SEM Satin Black paint. It likely won't last long but I will hit it with the SPI black epoxy primer someday and make it more durable than the factory coating.

 

[snakeyes]

very nice

 

[JimKueneman]

BTW here it the best source for the decal if you can't find them at Classic or Year One (this is probably their source anyway)

http://www.performancecargraphics.com/index.html

I found the tire pressure sticker and they list it as mid to late 1968 for 318's and 383-2's. They make 7 different ones for 1968 alone. If you know the large 2 digit number in the corner you can find it here!

 

[threewood]

I agree with everyone else, simply stunning. That is every bit of a show car you can drive, every detail has been addressed. Sweet car to say the least!

Have you had it out in the rain yet? lol

 

[JimKueneman]

I agree with everyone else, simply stunning. That is every bit of a show car you can drive, every detail has been addressed. Sweet car to say the least!

Have you had it out in the rain yet? lol

Got caught in a small shower yesterday.... only 1 mile around monsoon in a 200 square mile area was exactly where I was driving on I10

 

[JimKueneman]

And that is the beauty it is not 100% perfect. There are flaws here and there if you look closely. It one of those Hollywood tricks where if you take it in as a whole it is awesome but if you look close it is not really perfect. That I way I am not afraid to drive it and get a rock chip here or there on it.

 

[JimKueneman]

A few detail parts arrived over the last few days:

Trunk seal: If you use the technique that Steel has in a YouTube video no clamps needed. Put a bead of adhesive on the trunk lip and one one the seal. Spread it with a scrap of cardboard, much like contact cement. Wait 5 minutes, put down a bead about 1/3 of the way around and start putting in the seal. The fresh bead reactivates the first smeared adhesive (which will dry to the touch) and it will stick but not enough that you can't slide it for about 5 minutes. Quickly move to the next 1/3 then the final 1/3 and get it adjusted quickly because in about 15 min you can't move it anymore. Clean up with some Acetone and done! The Steel part is 2x but it fits perfectly and seems to be 100% correct with the different tails for the back of the trunk bonded to the full extrusion for the rest of the opening.

Hope it crushes a bit now the front corners of the trunk stick up past the quarters/dutchman panel.

Warm Climate decal came.

Received my headrest chrome strips but that will be for another day.

And lastly I am tired of people asking me the year!

Does not having the radiator frame black bother anyone? I don't notice it but in photos and if I am looking dead on the front.

 

[Glenwood]

Nice 68! That charger got a 350 in it?

 

[JimKueneman]

Nice 68! That charger got a 350 in it?

And a Dixie Horn.

 

[Super Rob]

Does not having the radiator frame black bother anyone?

Yes, me! I think the factory did it for a reason and the front view looks a lot more homogenous with the black out.

 

[JimKueneman]

Yes, me! I think the factory did it for a reason and the front view looks a lot more homogenous with the black out.

Probably more like their painting robots could not get in that area very well and a stoned human of the time could not get a nice enough body paint job by hand. Slapping black goop on there was cheap, easy and no one would complain about the paint job . Some how it boiled down to saving a few dollars!

 

[JimKueneman]

Couple more decals tonight. Was/Is. The air cleaner is not quite right but the closest I could find for the 318. Only one left is the tire pressure decal and that should be here next week.

 

[JimKueneman]

YES! The dye in the AC oil paid for itself. I have had to put 2 cans of R134a in since starting to drive her. I could not figure it out. I found the Schrader valve on the low side was loose and had oil on it. Tightened all the Schraders, they were all loose! Recharge tomorrow and hopefully the last time for a long while!

 

[JimKueneman]

Should I take the pressure gauge out of there? Kinda ruins the original look now.....

 

[oldbee]

Sure why not.. also I don't believe all decals were straight "in the day " lol. Here's my original trunk.