Bringing it back to factory specs

[ECS]

No debate. ......Ours clearly had cosmoline still on it under all the grime.

It's a known fact that Chrysler did not paint them black and also cosmoline them. Your pictures are symbolic of many other photos posted on the internet. Different computer screens will show varying degrees of color and contrast. I can personally say that the same picture of your "Before" Lower Control Arms look different on my Work computer than the MAC-AIR I use at Home. Trying to interpret accurate colors and/or shadows from pictures posted over the Internet is a moving target at best. I'm sure that you knew the difference between "paint" and "grease" when you removed and documented their original condition.

Based on the "before" pictures of your Undercoating in the Wheel wells, someone might assume that the Undercoat was light brown (due to years of exposure to dirt) and not black. Maybe you should re-spray the light brown Undercoating that is shown in the pictures you posted? (lol)

Thanks for the pictures Brian! It reminded me that I need to call Roger Johnson to see if the Lower Control Arms on the REAL 4 Door Barracuda Concept Car was painted black or coated in cosmoline.

 

[resq302]

Dave,

Neither. One side was black, the other side as cosmoline due to it being a prototype they wanted to see which control arm held up better over time. lol.

In all seriousness, I would imagine it would have been the typical cosmoline.

 

[ECS]

Dave, One side was black, the other side as cosmoline due to it being a prototype they wanted to see which control arm held up better over time.

You might be onto something there Brian! I could do like some "parts suppliers" or "restoration shops" who come up with a grandiose story and then spin a story to facilitate their skewed agenda. Give me a few days and I'll see what kind of cockamamy story I can come up with. (lol)

Keep up the good work Brian and keep those pictures coming!

 

[resq302]

Should have some more pics coming tomorrow as I plan on finishing up the front end and doing some other small things to get the car all tidy'd up for the show on Sunday.

 

[jfreakofkorn]

informative thread ... thank you

 

[resq302]

Keep in mind that inspection marks varied car to car with some original cars I have found almost none to others having tons of them. Compared to our Challenger, I have found very few inspection marks on the GTX.

 

[resq302]

Well, the front end is officially finished! Dad had the car aligned yesterday and ran into a brake issue which ended up just being some air in the rear brake lines which I apparently did not bleed out enough with the pressure bleeder. Anyway, here are the finished pics. Also take special note of the zerk fittings. They are the factory correct break off style which I picked up from Frank Badalson. A nice touch for that OE look. (some pics do not have the sway bar installed, since those pics, it has been reinstalled.)

Also came across a nicer inspection cover which I installed.

Engine compartment all finished too!

Original condensor and new correct green letter ignition coil.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, we will have the GTX at the Slate Belt Mighty Mopar show tomorrow should anyone want to stop by and say hi! I'll also be bringing my charger to the show, too.

 

[RJS]

Brian you are to be commended!!!! Your workmanship is second to none.
That car found the right owner for sure.
Ron

 

[resq302]

Thanks Ron, but I don't own the car.(maybe some day!) Dad actually does I'm just the "family Mopar mechanic" lol

 

[Ron 73]

"family Mopar mechanic" That can be fun by itself! Looking good

 

[resq302]

lol. Yeh, all the fun of working on the cars and no bills to pay (except for my own car)

 

[satman72]

Wow! That is some great work you're doing. I just read through the whole thread, and I am impressed.

 

[resq302]

Glad you like it. We still have the rear axle and suspension to do and also noticed I need to repaint the lower part of the steering column as someone over the years had painted it black where it should be the interior tan color. Weird thing is they only painted it from the firewall out to the steering shaft. Easy enough to fix though.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Cosmoline Info requested

I have been watching your thread every since I have been laid up with my shoulder injuries. I have not been able to do anything with my cars. (other than spend money on them by purchasing some needed parts LOL).
(Spare time and internet access is a bad combination.......... a sure fire way to end up broke.........)

I am very impressed with how you have been documenting everything. I have a few quick questions for you...............

Where did you buy the cosmoline, and how much was it ??? Was it a spray on, brush on, or dip??? How much was needed to finish the pair of lower control arms ??? Do you still have the part number or item numbers for it???

Your car is a definite knock out for sure !!!!!

Keep on with the great work and thanks for posting the outstanding pictures.

Thanks in advance.

 

[resq302]

71airgrabberRR,

Believe it or not, the stuff I used for the Cosmoline (which is exactly the same stuff in a can) is the Eastwood Heavy Duty Anti-Rust in a spray can. I hung the control arms from the lower ball joint hole like they would have been from the factory and loosely put tape around the area where the "dip line" would have been. I then sprayed on the "Cosmoline" in heavy coats which would allow it to flow and in some instances run like the factory process would have allowed.

I purchased two cans but had plenty left over so you may be able to get away with one can. Two would definitely be enough though.

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-heavy-duty-anti-rust-in-amber.html

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Thanks for the info. I will be giving that a try on the next set I restore. I really like how yours turned out.

 

[747mopar]

I'm by no means a "factory correct kinda guy" but your doing one hell of a job, I can respect the time spent nailing down all of the little details to make them correct. Beautiful job

 

[Ron 73]

I'm by no means a "factory correct kinda guy" but your doing one hell of a job, I can respect the time spent nailing down all of the little details to make them correct. Beautiful job

X 2 There isint many that is showing very true to original as this one is, I too don't have a problem getting away and doing things the way i want them, but i too respect anyone that gos all out, to make one right!

 

[resq302]

Thank you everyone for the compliments. I must say that I do admire and respect everyone's cars no matter if they are custom from mild to wild or a car that is back to OE specs. Its all part of the love of the hobby. Even people that do all those crazy things to tuner cars, I still have a respect for that since its still part of the hobby. All of our previous cars (including the ones we still have) have never been this untouched or original so we never had a first hand experience at seeing / observing what the factory had done. We always had a partially restored car when we got it or had to bring it back to a way that we wanted. Heck, my Mom's 70 chally vert was restored before we got it and the person who did the resto left the fender bolts gold cad. He was a Ford guy so I guess he thought that was correct for Mopars too (NOT!) lol. End result is, its YOUR car so do what you feel is right. For us, this car is going to be the best, most factory correct car that we own. Again, if it was not as original as what it had been I more than likely would have persuaded Dad to go a different route to make it a nice driver or a nice show car but nothing to the level of what I have undertaken.

Looking back, I see that each car I have worked on has helped me build on the next car we get. I guess that is part of how things go as I can see how Dave Walden has done the same thing with his cars and his products he has come out with for his business. Lets face it, if it wasn't for a "lowly 4 door Valiant" as some people call it, the hobby wouldn't have the RPM product which is probably the biggest resto tool I have used on Dad's GTX. Absolutely amazing product. They say that "Necessity is the Mother of invention". Well, I must say that is certainly the case with me. I have had a lot of firsts from this hobby. My charger was the first vehicle that I attempted to rebuild the entire front end of a car. My 1985 Jeep CJ 7 was the first time I taught myself how to use a paint gun. My Mom's Challenger was the first time I ever used a Shutz under coating gun. (be sure to wear OLD clothes!!!!!) Now, the this current chapter in my life is about bringing a vehicle back to the way the factory had it. I've always considered my charger and Mom's challenger to be good "factory" examples. Now that I have worked on the GTX, I think I might need to redo the work on the Charger and the Chally. lol. Don't get me wrong, they are nicely done vehicles..... but nothing anywhere close to what the GTX is! lol

 

[Ron 73]

71airgrabberRR,

Believe it or not, the stuff I used for the Cosmoline (which is exactly the same stuff in a can) is the Eastwood Heavy Duty Anti-Rust in a spray can. I hung the control arms from the lower ball joint hole like they would have been from the factory and loosely put tape around the area where the "dip line" would have been. I then sprayed on the "Cosmoline" in heavy coats which would allow it to flow and in some instances run like the factory process would have allowed.

I purchased two cans but had plenty left over so you may be able to get away with one can. Two would definitely be enough though.

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-heavy-duty-anti-rust-in-amber.html

After seeing this and clicking on the link, i thought i should mention that the one product below, The Eastwoods rust encapsulator is a very good thing to have also, ive bought a quart of it to use for the inside of a frame rail, which i made a sprayer to do it but since then they came out with or i just noticed it that you can buy these spray cans of it and it comes with a hose that sprays in every direction at an agle it wont miss anything and fits on all the spray cans, It makes it easier to get into places that normally are harder to do, they claim its one great product!, Ive got a few cans of it and yes, it runs into the money but, it has to be right and its one way to make sure. Im not trying to persuade anyone but thought it should be mentioned!

http://www.eastwood.com/black-rust-encapsulator-kit.html?reltype=3