1968 Coronet RT

[Mike Szadaj]

Finished putting in the rubber tubing connecting the tank to the lines. Here is a tip for everyone. I keep some pieces of carpet to lay on when working under or alongside the car. The floor in my car is bare metal right now, so while working on the headliner I have them inside the car.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Worked on the headliner today.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

The trans bellhousing had gotten a bit rusty since I got it, so I put it in the Evaporust I have left over from

doing the block.

 

[The Rebel]

Coming along nicely! I've got the same 68 MI plate on my car.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Are you from MI? I won't have the plate on the back of my car, only the front. In Michigan if you register an old plate to put on your car it puts your car in the Historic Vehicle category. Cars in that category are severely restricted as to when they can be driven. We only have plates on the back of our cars, so you can put anything you want on the front. In a past thread I talked about how I made my own DAV mini plate to match my plates.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Bought a couple new motor mount bushings and attached them to the motor mount brackets.
Tweaked the headliner. Did a test fitting of the rear seat and package tray. Can't drive in it, but I can screw in it. Put a skunk stripe down the middle of the roof in preparation for vinyl top install. Put in the parking brake intermediate bracket. Laid out the locations of the four rear rocker molding bracket holes, which are missing because of quarter replacement. Now I just need to figure out what I did with the brackets -the black hole strikes again.

 

[tracy]

Worked on the headliner today.

View attachment 773332 View attachment 773333

how far around the sides does the headliner go ? under the weather strip trim ?

 

[Mike Szadaj]

under the weather strip trim ?

You will have to clarify what you are referring to. The 2 looooong metal pieces that run from windshield to the back of the rear windows? The 2 plastic pieces that go around the top and sides of the rear window?

 

[Don selleck]

nice looking coronet, the color looks great with the black vinyl top.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Thanks. Came from the factory triple black, but I didn't want to go that route. Bronze Metallic was an available color on Coronets in 1968. The plan is to have it done for The Cruise.

 

[The Rebel]

Nope I'm in CT but I bought my car out of Livonia, MI.

Are you from MI? I won't have the plate on the back of my car, only the front. In Michigan if you register an old plate to put on your car it puts your car in the Historic Vehicle category. Cars in that category are severely restricted as to when they can be driven. We only have plates on the back of our cars, so you can put anything you want on the front. In a past thread I talked about how I made my own DAV mini plate to match my plates.View attachment 773687

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Another rainy day. Weather broke late, just enough time to get on the rocker moldings. Drilled the holes for the four rear clips, but when I tried to put on the moldings it looks like the front 2 metal clips are wrong for my car (addressing the problem in another thread). So they are on, but missing the front clip on each side.

 

[tracy]

You will have to clarify what you are referring to. The 2 looooong metal pieces that run from windshield to the back of the rear windows? The 2 plastic pieces that go around the top and sides of the rear window?

yes the two long pieces front to back. and do you know if vinly top goes under it also

 

[Mike Szadaj]

The headliner should go around the channel that the clips that hold up those long pieces go into. The liner goes towards the ground and then does a 180 with the help of the small clips. It should then do another 180 in that channel. Then when those long pieces are put into place, the clips that hold them up help to keep the headliner taut. This is going to be my first vinyl top install, so I still need to study up on it, but the top has nothing to do with those long pieces, because that would entail it going into the car. I think the top ends under the roof gutter stainless trim pieces.

 

[tracy]

Thank you

 

[Mike Szadaj]

On and off rain all day. I must have pushed the car in and out of the garage a half dozen times. Got the steering column and wheel in. Found one of the original correct front rocker molding clips. Made a second one and put them on.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Here is something of a miracle. I found that even though remote trunk openers were not an option on 68 B Bodies, the mechanism will fit with almost no alteration ( just a little grinding on the opener). With the opener being controlled by a keychain remote, it is almost undetectable. So the question was how to get the power wire to the opener while still being stealthy. I took a one in a million chance and stuck an electrical fish tape in the hole near the opener, and I was amazed that it made two 90' turns and ended up right by a hole near the hinge! Sometimes, but it doesn't seem very often, the Car Gods give you one.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

After cutting the opener wire to the proper length, I was able to snake the wire through the trunk hinge hole, and I will run it behind the hinge to hide it. I ran the wire for the opener, one for the trunk light, the new fuel sender wire I made, and two sets of speaker wire from the trunk to the front of the car. I will put a terminal for the trunk light in the unused slot in the kick panel connector. The speaker wires and opener wire will run uncut. I cut into the headliner, which is always a nail biter, to mount the dome light.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Fiddled with the trunk opener wiring, spliced in new rear side marker light sockets. Started on the vinyl top. Glued it down the middle, using the two lines to keep it right down the center.
I think this little roller is for hanging wall paper, but it works good to press down the top. Worked one side, then the other until I got to both of the seams. So, in other words I am done with the easy part.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Finished the vinyl top. I had another one of those wallpaper rollers, this one with a wooden roller. I cut the roller down to a size that would fit in the drip rails. I then used it to push the top down into the rail. Worked pretty good. I cut a hole in the dash and mounted the reverse warning light.