71 Road Runner Restoration Started

[71airgrabberRR]

Hello everyone. I'm getting a little better each day.

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The doctor had me remove the shoulder sling as soon as the nerve block wore off. He has also been very aggressive with therapy. They sent a machine called a "passive range of motion" machine to my house, along with a compressive shoulder ice machine and battery operated tens unit.

The range of motion machine has a wrap that secures my right hand to a hand grip. The hand grip is connected to a small tether, and it in turn connects to a pulley that is electrically powered with a motor.

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The motor / pulley are at the top of a small "A" frame that is about 6 feet tall. I have to use it to raise and lower my arm 6 - 8 hours a day.

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After 30 minutes I get a break and use either the ice or tens unit to help with the pain.

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Then back at it again. I have to or else my shoulder will start to heal in position, and I will end right back where I started.

In addition to my original injuries, the doctor said that I had a frozen shoulder because I was not able to move it due to my injuries. So the early movement and additional therapy that I go to 3 times a week keep me limbered up pretty good.

I have been able to hoist my arm all the way up using the motor / pulley machine. It hurts like hell, I'm not going to lie to you about that. But it beats the alternative. I made a deal with the doctor. I told him if he fixed my arm I would follow through with my part and do whatever therapy he deemed necessary.

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Here are a few pictures that the doc took while using the scope inside my shoulder.


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He told me these were torn / frayed tendons and adhesions that were growing to lock my shoulder down in place. He was able to clean everything up and as soon as I finish healing I will be good to go.

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I know it looks kind of gross, but I think it's totally amazing what they can do now with todays technology. Simply amazing.

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Here are the after photos. Everything is cleaned up pretty good now.

So with a little more time I can get the left side done, and then GET BACK TO WORK !!!!!

That is my goal.

Take care everyone, and keep in touch.

 

[snakeyes]

good luck

 

[mopar4don]

WOW simply amazing!
Praying for your full recovery!

 

[roadrunnerman]

Glad everything is working out good for you. That ice machine works pretty slick. had to use it myself. They were going to get me the range/motion machine, but when they brought it into the rooms at the clinic and showed me how high they wanted me to shoot for a goal and I raised my arm about 6 inches higher, they said I didn't need it. LOL!!
I'm surprised they started PT on you as soon as they did. I had to wait 3 months before they started mine. Just keep doing the PT. Hard to believe the simple movements they have you do seems difficult after surgery.

 

[Ron 73]

X 2 I do hope things go smooth for ya bud, its been a headache id bet and now your on the down slope to good! Good luck and go slow bro......

 

[747mopar]

Boy does being down do to injury really stink, your just itching to get back to work but the pain keeps you idle. Good luck and I hope you have a quick speedy recovery.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Progress Made

It's been a LONG while since I have been able to do anything with the cars. My wife asked me yesterday if there were any small parts that SHE could clean up / paint for me. I immediately jumped on the proposition. I took a break from the range of motion machine and walked out to the shop. It looked just as I remembered it......... LOL

The misses opened the trunk of the "New" 71 RR and pulled out the windshield wiper linkage...............

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If you look close, you will notice that one wiper pivot is on backwards.

So I instructed her on how to remove the clips that held the pivots onto the arms. Then I had her clean off all of the old grease with brake cleaner. Into the glass bead cabinet the went.

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So I went inside and got back at using the range of motion machine.....................

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A little over an hour later the misses came back inside the house and asked me to come look at the parts now, since they had been glass beaded very nicely.

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They were just as good as I could have done. So I had her paint them with various shades of metallic paint that I had. Cast aluminum on the pivots, and metallic nickel on the linkages and area that the wiper arm attaches to.

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Once the parts were dried, I talked her along with the reassembly.

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[Basket case]

boy can you milk this out!! great gal wanting to help.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Extremely impressed with the results, I told her she could sand blast any of the parts that needed to be cleaned in that manner.

So out came an upper door hinge, and inner grille brackets...........

A few hours later, she came back in the house to show me her handy work.

I had her paint them. Here are the end results.

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A fellow could get used to this.........................

She is definitely a keeper.

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boy can you milk this out!! great gal wanting to help.

I consider myself quite fortunate on this marriage. Going on 20 years now. She helps me from time to time out in the shop as needed. The yard work has been her job now that I can't do it any more. I hate to say this but the yard looks it's best that it ever has !!!!!!

I was married to my first wife for 7 years and it seemed like an eternity..............................

 

[usaroadrunner]

VERY NICE WORK MRS. 71AIRGRABBERRR....very IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!

 

[Basket case]

kinda expensive work bench though......:icon_biggrin:

 

[71airgrabberRR]

kinda expensive work bench though......:icon_biggrin:

I agree !!!! It gave the cleaned parts a nice color contrast.

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She was very gentle when she sat the parts down on it.

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Today Misses Air Grabber was at it again. She told me that she likes to help out and clean stuff in the glass beading cabinet. So together we found the remaining grill bracket parts and the rest of the door hinges.

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The front bumper bolts were also found. Here is what they look like now that they have been blasted.

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A while ago I purchased a door hinge rebuild kit from Jeff at 521.

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I talked the misses through the door hinge disassembly process. She knocked out the 2 roll pins and then I cut her loose with the die grinder and a cut off wheel.

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This is what she started with.

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Once she cut off the main hinge pin, I had her glass bead the parts.

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Here is the finished project for the day.

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Hey Basket Case......... Here is a new back drop for the photo session. I agree the hood is too nice, so why take a chance with it ????

How do you like 'John Deere Yellow" ????

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Tomorrow AM when I get back from therapy I will have her spray on some black paint to keep these parts from rusting.

 

[roadrunnerman]

Louis, I think as far as her skills go, if you showed me a part you did and one that she did, i'd be hard pressed to tell who did what. She must've been lookin' over your shoulder watching you when you weren't looking. I tip my hat off to you Mrs. 71airgrabber.

 

[Ron 73]

Very cool! X 2

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Louis, I think as far as her skills go, if you showed me a part you did and one that she did, i'd be hard pressed to tell who did what. She must've been lookin' over your shoulder watching you when you weren't looking. I tip my hat off to you Mrs. 71airgrabber.

I think it's in her DNA. Years ago her father owned several "full service" gas stations where you could actually take your car and get mechanical work done. (something you would be hard pressed to find today)
her Dad was a hard core Mopar man too. Their family ride was a '66 Chrysler New Yorker.

Plus she has helped me out over the years with many different projects. She has helped me assemble many engines as well. I'm sure she has learned a thing or two while helping.

Yep............... She's a keeper.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

The misses has been enjoying tinkering around in the shop. Here are some pictures that I took of her latest accomplishments.

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These are the parts she cleaned an painted the other day.......... I meant to post them earlier.

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She asked me if there were any particular parts that I wanted removed from the car and taken down to bare metal. I mentioned the hood support / hood latch assembly from the 72 SSB.
Here is what she had done when she called me out to the shop several hours later.

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She painted them black to keep them from rusting.

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Hopefully after I have recovered from the shoulder injuries the misses will still want to help out in the shop. Together we could get some good progress made in a short time frame.

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I have a 1970 Challenger sitting in our garage that is attached to our home. It's an original "Lime Green" car that I plane on restoring later on down the road. I've been joking with her about finishing up my "other" projects so we can get busy on the 70 Challenger.

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I have to admit it. I really like the "B" body cars, but driving around in a resto-mod or "cloned 70 R/T Challenger wouldn't be too hard to take either.

Plans for the 70 Challenger are very similar to the original idea of this thread. 440 Six Pack or Hemi, pistol grip 4 speed with a Shaker hood and a "go-wing" spoiler. Lime green trimmed in black.

 

[mopar4don]

SWEET! pics, please!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Right now its a collector of extra / unnecessary items and it looks pretty sad. My 2 big dogs spend the night with it and their crates are right next to it. Stand by and I'll go take a few for photos you.

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The week before my surgery, my sister came down from Mississippi and took my mom back with her to live permanently. Mom's dementia / Alzheimer's started getting pretty bad, to the point to where she could no longer live by herself. We don't want her to go in a nursing home, and feel that as long as we can take care of her we will.

So most of the stuff you will see sitting on and around the Challenger came from Mom's home. We listed her house on the market for sale and had to put the stuff that didn't go back with her someplace.

Unfortunately a lot of it ended up on and around the car.

Several of my fellow workers from the Fire Department helped us to pack up and move the excess things over to our house.

I couldn't do any of it because of my shoulders.

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When it rains, it pours as the say.................

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Please excuse the mess...........

Our garage is normally in much better condition than this.

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On the bright side all of the boxes inside the car are all new / restored parts that I have collected over the years for this car. I have a pretty good start on items needed for the transformation with the Shaker hood and 4 speed.

 

[mopar4don]

Doesnt look like a mess to me, looks like a garage!
Nice looking car. And it's just waiting for you and the wife when you get to it!
By the way I think you guys make a pretty good team!
Sorry to here about your Mom, sounds like she is in good (loving) hands!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

If you look close at the top photo you can see the original lime green paint. It is under the spot where the roof drip rail chrome goes.

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Thanks Don. My sister will take very good care of Mom.

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I agree. Sandy and I work together very well.