Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted December 17, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 17, 2022 32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted December 23, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 23, 2022 Rubbed a big one out today The Pacer 4:1 primer was cheap as, and it sands fucking beautifully! Everything but the boot and rear panel is flatted to 400grit Yesterday I sprayed the roof, not perfect, not bad, but not doing it again! It’s just a visual stop-gap until the vinyl shows up and a good excuse to use up some end-of-life 2K that clogs the paper up. Also sprayed the parcel tray panel and boot/cabin dividers I made from cover sheet yonks ago Spotted another numpty trying to scam people using old photos of my car as a ‘part-out’. The 26/27th looked like the hottest day in the near future so I’m going to top coat it then! 20 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted December 24, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 24, 2022 All set to Wipe everything down and apply paint! Front valence, rear endcaps and boot lid will go on the other side giving plenty of room to move. 35 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted December 26, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 26, 2022 Phew, that colour has a big range! Can’t wait to whack satin black on top. All in all it went well, got lots of crap in some parts and a water drip on last coat of last door..you always hope it comes out perfect but there’s a flat and buff in the future! 50 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted December 27, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 27, 2022 Another few hours in the garage today, doors are assembled and hung properly. Almost forgot to spray underbody deadener in the guards! Smashed some more cavity wax in the doors and guard structure and my face. The guts of the fittings for the tail lights and rear panel are a bit flogged out so I’ll have to get a kit, half of them holding for now. 70 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted January 3, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 3, 2023 In typical Josh fashion, I’m doing it all again.. I was 10 minutes into wet-sand and chill when I spotted something I haven’t encountered before. It would seem there was a slight colour variance between the last two pots of paint I mixed up, because I rubbed through on some decent peel and found this motherfucker! The amount of peel and the specs of crap in it meant there was no way around it so I tore the car apart and started again.. pretty close to the end of my rope but have pushed through and I’ll spray again tomorrow with thin paint, small tip and higher pressure.. paying much attention to panel distance and being a robot! Prior to all this I was ahead of schedule so thought I’d have a crack and install headliner myself. Came out well, took ages but they are supposed to. Don’t chirp me for the wrinkles, I haven’t gone back to tighten the sides yet! the only part I’ve lost in this whole journey is the interior lamp base, pissoff cause it would look great in the middle there right now! gave all the tyres a scrub and got the manky old blue off. test fit all the window surrounds and clips with reasonable success. Spray day again tomorrow. The ideal situation is it lays out beautifully and I don’t have to have it buffed on Saturday by a mate I arranged last year 28 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted January 4, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 4, 2023 Ideal it was not. Yes it sprayed out much nicer but still a bit of peel, then I ran out of paint so the shell only had one coat and the rest two.. putting me back in the position of not enough meat to flat and buff any of it safely. I walked away for a few hours while it cooked and went over several scenarios. The upholstery guy rang and said the dash was ready so I swung down and grabbed that, looks fucking ACE! Have fitted it, rapt Back to thinking.. About the only way of not losing any ground was either not buff it & deal with it looking back-yard for ever, or to go get some clear coat and just bury the cunt then flat and buff the clear which makes peel and dry-spray magically disappear, with the added bonus of giving the paint some ‘depth’. Didnt want to, but spent a couple hundred and went to it. The wind had kicked up fierce since this morning and all manner of new shit entered the chat from somewhere but I don’t care. Will only notice 10% once it’s finished. Also that wind coming past the door seals almost laid the plastic drop sheet onto the rear of the car several times which would have been a major. So yeah, dream result - literally never, but a result nonetheless! Will give it a few days and see how it sits then whizz over it with 1200 or 1500 and hope the polisher man is still on for the weekend! 38 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2023 The clear came right the other day so wet sanded it in 1200 and the polisher started on Sunday! Dash in and all hooked up. Found the interior light base! <3 Strapped the seat covers on and slapped the rear seat in. Ive given it a very partial one-man brake bleed and only one fitting weeped/could have dripped fluid from above too as it was right under the master..I’ll keep a tab on that. GC Damon at Let’s get graphic made me some new super bee decals.. had to use my sample then flip for the opposite side so the bee flys forward on both sides. Look awesome and very very reasonable price! since I need the body colour to show through the decal, I had to come up with a way to mask it. I had a stroke of genius instead of just a stroke like usual lay out 2 layers of masking tape onto clean glass. Put it on the revolving wheelie piece from the microwave. Find a plate the right diameter and run around it with a new razor while spinning on the wheelie doofer then pick off the edges and peel the disc. Worked awesome! Also printed this period Dodge decal, traced it to some cheap satin black vinyl/duraseal type shit I had and cut out. Loosely planning on placing them on the front guards or something like nascar, but will see how it looks once the blackouts are done. I was going to start masking the side panel tonight but I need a roll of 16mm tape to make my life easier for a pretty daunting task. I’d been trying to get the bastard to start for a week. So many factors against me such as it’s been apart for 2 years, everything’s been painted so earths could be shit, bent dizzy, timing, sad battery. Was getting a bit paranoid I’d run a bearing as it wasn’t getting a chance to oil properly before I had to give up and swap/ charge batteries.. it seemed to be getting tighter. Well whatever combination I tried tonight fucking worked and it fired into a reasonable fast idle!!! Huge relief, the car show I’m trying to get it complete for is 10 days away. I was kinda keen to bail if I had to push it in but now I’ve got a second wind! 47 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted January 26, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2023 Well, I made the fucking deadline! I didn’t have time to tune it properly, the rear tyres rub and the brakes need bedded in but those arefuture problems 76 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted January 30, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 30, 2023 Better fill in a gap I didn’t have spare time to post earlier.. The package from USA with the vinyl top arrived on Wednesday! Bit hilarious the day after doing screens but just no time to slap it on nicely. That package had the glovebox liner and rear C pillar trims too. Now the billboard bit. These are not standard in any way. It’s my home-brew concoction with inspiration from Plymouth cuda. I’ve never attempted anything that permanent and with bugger all time left it was too high risk to get it looking perfect and paint in 2K. I decided to rip down to the warehouse and get a few rolls of 2000x45 black duraseal. unfortunately the space needed was like 2600x47 so a join and a compromise was in the pipelines. Baking paper taped to the car and a marker pen roughed out using a finger as an anchor point running down the swages. Slap some cellotape around the perimeter for added stiffness and cut it out. I then laid it backwards into the backing of the duraseal and traced around it carefully, then cut that out too. Happy with the fit, and after sliding cardboard down behind it to trace and cut the bee circle, I started taking backing paper off in sections and smooshing it down in an arch motion to get rid of bubbles. It went to tits when I got to the side scoop as it wouldn’t heat and conform so I made some wee slits and pushed it down. Then it was onto the 440 call-outs. I faffed around on the work computer printing and editing them in block style In the different sizes and cut tapers into the top and bottom edges to accentuate the angle and sorta match the door part. I considered using the templates to mask it up and paint pink, or getting pink duraseal and hoping it stuck onto the wrinkly area already durasealed.. so both those weren’t going to look good. I went the danger route and traced it all out and cut the film with a razorblade. End of the day any wee scratches I can puff clear over them again and polish out, it I get this sign-written properly, their design will cover the scratches too. They came up mint, bare in mind it was a bold number, had to measure 14mm in and outboard of all lines and slice those too, to give the outline/doubled effect. For the wrinkled portion in the crease of the scoop, I managed to cut much of the wrinkle out, or replaced the whole part so it worked out well. onto the other side, flip the template and do it all again. polisher finished up so I could dig into the front paint now + hood. Once that paint hardened I attempted the screen. High stress! These are pretty whack and it was a first doing this style + short stock and mad expense if it cracked. Took it slow with plastic trim removal tools + aerosol glass cleaner for lube and it bloody went in! I didn’t seal it as it was a trial and it has to come out again for the vinyl roof application. The rear screen sits on a sausage strip of non-setting butyl so I cleaned everything up, stuck it to the screen the dropped the screen into the car.. was pretty straight forward and it sealed all the way around. Picture a 10mm bead of the sticky shit that holds the plastic sheet to the inside of your door panel 42 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted February 15, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 15, 2023 I’m still here, still chipping away! Deep into the electrical gremlins now. Not much worked when I first got it other than headlights, amp gauge and interior lights.. now I’ve coaxed out of it: reverse lights, charging, heater blower, wipers, brake warning light functions with e-brake, horn, all lights go but not properly or reliably when it comes to hazards and indicators. Ive got no dash lights and that means a broken circuit so that’s the main killer.. I dare say things will start to improve when they come back on. Still need dash dimmer,temp,clock,gas and the rest of the back-lighting eg radio and ash tray. I also hooked up all the vac and PCV stuff roughly so I could give it more of a time up and set an idle 40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted March 21, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2023 I got Elite wheels to move the centres 30mm outward, bringing the tyre in and away from the wheel arch. We now have clearance and a much better stance! Always a shame to lose max dish, but still plenty there. I’ll risk tangling with the guard if I put lowering blocks in..will let everything settle and re-assess the situation. Have not achieved much else to be fair, the electrical shit has me beaten. I did get some rubber to go between the guards and engine bay (it was dum-dum paste originally but it would stick like buggery and cause damage if I need to take it apart in the future) I haven’t been lazy though, I built a lean-to for the Escort and then tore the Falcon down to finally do a quick panel & more importantly, paint! 26 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted April 10, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2023 Finally collected the guard marker lamps. Made new rubber gaskets, cleaned them up and fitted them..they even work! 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted June 19, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 19, 2023 3 days after the last update I whipped the screen out and trims off ready for the vinyl roof install. Yesterday I got the call to drop it off and just collected it. Looks awesome, can’t wait to button it up again! 47 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted July 16, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 16, 2023 Still here, toiling. Its taken me about 100 hours to work though the wiring and get things working again. It’s all dead standard but old and dirty and.. American. Electrical is not my strength. I can figure most things out eventually with a test light and a multimeter I barely understand, but fuck me, this was a big climb. I’ve cleaned every plug, pulled apart every switch and relay, added grounds, unwrapped most looms. Very slowly things came back to life but the dash illumination loom just wouldn’t work unless I cheated it from another power source. And all but the right front indicator would work. Very, very frustrating. Asking for help is a last resort for me, but last Sunday I called it and contacted a retro sparky..he said he’s about 6 weeks out. I can’t really let things be so kept plugging away, and bugger me now the only thing I don’t have is a temp gauge and the heater fan stays on!! I was testing the temp gauge with a random (new) sender I had and I hope it’s just wrong resistance or something but I haven’t been comfy firing up the car to op temp to check the proper one while the column is out and the dash spread everywhere. I got the same pulsing signal at the wire and the gauge so here’s hoping. Worst case she’s getting a capillary one and id add matching oil pressure gauge so I can see WTF’s goin on. I have a new Speedo cable (didn’t unplug it and it yanked the sheath when I pulled the dash down), flasher relay (there’s two, one for hazards and one for indicators.. same part number but when swapped they flash at different speeds so one must be half crook) and a wee bulb I dropped and broke due any day then I’ll put it back together!!! I replaced a weeping steering box seal too so that should solve the drip. A trip down to the folks resulted in dad giving me his brake flaring set as mine was shabby as and I broke it last flare I did which happened to be the long front-to-back brake line.. It was a real hammy flare but I tightened it down and kept going for the deadline knowing full well I had to re-do it later. The vinyl top guy didn’t cover the car so there is glue overspray jizz all over it, he tried to wipe the dash with wax&grease and fucked the paint. I’m really gutted, it’s such a simple thing to do and I figured a professional would do it second nature. Edit: those bits arrived from US of A and are installed 13 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted July 25, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 25, 2023 Woohoo, back together again like ass cheeks in high summer Wet paint, satin not gloss Also fixed that ham flare on the brake line so need to bleed again, then it’s onto the the wheel alignment to finish the structural repair stage and begin VIN and compliance. 34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted August 6, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 6, 2023 Since the last update she’s been for a few mile drive to the Sergio to fuel up and test fuel gauge which went well, the oil pressure sender changed from the gauge type can that was on the motor, to factory idiot light type - which works. Dropped it down the road for a wheel alignment as per the structural repair and compliance process - paperwork squires and dropped off to the guy in charge. Painted the exhaust manifolds - had planned for them to be only temporary and get some headers in the near future but the more I looked the harder it got. Wanted hooker headers but they dont suit P/S models, others run a pipe down under the drag link and compromise ground clearance etc etc. Rigged up a spare wheel and a wee tool kit, will pick up a scissor Jack too. And a thing I didn’t know I needed until I saw it last week 46 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted August 13, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 13, 2023 More tinkering this weekend. The kickdown linkage has never functioned in my ownership..they are pretty particular and mine was made up of different models. When I read it can fry the trans if not adjusted, I brought a cable conversion kit to do away with all the metal rods and shit. Makes quite a difference! Still some fine tuning to do while I get some miles on it but very easily adjusted. Did some more seam sealing and black paint touch ups while I was under it. More rear brake fettling, feeling pretty good but again, needs more travel miles. While it was jacked up in the sky I had the VIN guy round to have a wee pre-inspection and he was happy as. Reckons it might be through within a month! Ive always been paranoid about side swiping the garage so I dug out a pile of Valiant mirrors we got over the last few years to add to the passengers side. Being that it’s the Valiant driver side, it has the wee remote adjusting toggle! Turns out the base is different and the Val has a bow to it so I shaved down the base and made a new gasket, whacked some more holes in and we now have symmetry and safety in one! While I had the door card off I sprayed some more cavity wax in the door and installed the wee gaskets I brought for the door handle. The other side will get done next time I have door apart. Picked up that 2T scissor Jack I mentioned in previous post too 28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted August 26, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2023 Today I finally sprayed the trunk inner! Also more time spent on ignition timing and kickdown cable adjusting..trans works fine but nothing I do changes much so it must need adjustment elsewhere. Fine for now! New Timing makes it seem less prone to stalling and has unleashed a nice lope of unknown-spec cam. Just dotting i’s on a carpet set, seat upholstery kits and maybe wheel arch trim set in U.S.A. and Canada. no reply from repair certifier; week 2. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mr.Mk1 Posted October 1, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 1, 2023 Haven’t done a heap, still waiting on structural repair report then we’ll be very swiftly into compliance. My warrant guy has a Val and a Charger street stock so had lots of parts, he hooked me up with a sway bar to test fit. (A sway bar was a tick-the-box option for these) The main mount brackets suit the K member profile great but the length wasn’t quite there. I work at Mount Shop, so had endless possibilities. I ended up with a Mitsi Challenger drop-link that I used a universal whiteline saddle clamp and D bush to clamp on the Radius rods.. they are bushed at the front and rigid at rear so plenty of support. Will drill holes and attach after compliance. Has since been blasted and painted, ignore my bundy long mock-up bolts. The seat upholstery kit finally arrived from Canada on Tuesday so got straight into that this weekend. Everywhere in the states is backorder only and could be years, one place had a front set but no promise of me finding a matching rear so I found PG classics in Canada..they were the k my company to list a SET and only in one style. I just had to jump on it and I’m glad I did. It’s very well made with heavy vinyl and foam padded ‘inserts’. The rear seat base was real legit,the only one.. but green. Easy strip down.. dad was going to send his hog ring pliers up but hasnt so far, so I pulled all the originals out, straightened and re-used with a series of different pliers. Was a tiny bit baggy but I’ll live with it, can always re-visit down the line.. I also used up all my padding so.. The back was wasted, filled with vermin nests and wasn’t going to cut it. Ended up binning all the padding and making my own from foam sheet and a douvet cover folded in 3rds. The front covers slipped on great but the edges were baggy and the whole feel was off so I dug out a big chunk of Auto carpet underlay I was saving and went to it. Worked so well! The foam wasn’t too bad but I added material to some low spots, made some 80’s ‘shoulder pads’ and glued underlay over the whole surface. Then today the sun came out so reversed out the shed and wound the windows up and let ‘er cook so it can ease out creases and such, worked well but needs more time. I’m super stoked, they are comfy AF and look so much better as-is and I know it will improve after a few heat cycles and some use! 36 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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