hemigeno's Daytona restoration - a few more tweaks... again!

[41husk]

I can't be sure either is original to my car but the first pic was what has always been on my 70 Challengera nd the 2nd is on my Daytona clone 69 RT/SE.

[hemigeno]

Hey Allen, thanks for the input.

BTW, there's some wall art here in the shop now for you - give me a call sometime when you can cruise by and pick it up.

[paul jacobs]

Hey Geno,
FWIW,
Of the 100 or so Mopars I have parted out, VERY fewl had the round post mirror in 69. The chrome ones where destined for converts. In fact, I have even come across a few 70 B bodies with the tapered style.
Paul

[hemigeno]

Hey Geno,
FWIW,
Of the 100 or so Mopars I have parted out, VERY fewl had the round post mirror in 69. The chrome ones where destined for converts. In fact, I have even come across a few 70 B bodies with the tapered style.
Paul

Hi Paul, thanks for the input/feedback!

That seems to be the general consensus, and it'll dictate the way we go.  I have the nice original from my R/T to throw in the Daytona, and I won't lose too much sleep over whether I find another correct one or not.

This is yet another example of where "NOS" (even vintage/old stuff) doesn't necessarily mean it's correct...   

[Richard Cranium]

While I won'rt be going through that amount of detail work on my car, I do thank you, and others, who have documented the process & posted pictures here. 

[41husk]

Thanks Geno, I will get up there soon.  I will PM before I come to insure it is convenient for you.  Car is looking great, I can't wait to see in in person.

[Mopar John]

Geno,
Thanks for the update on your restoration project! I have attached pictures of the inside rear view mirrors from our Daytonas. They are the same as the second picture you posted. I know that the wait on the glass must be painfull but it will be well worth the wait! Not many Daytonas have original glass with correct logos, date codes and are defect free!
Mopar John

[moparstuart]

looks like my 70 convert ,infact mines loose so i need to get an allen wrench and snug it up .

[69hemidaytona]

Hi Gene: I stumbled across this thread a couple of days ago and read the whole thing since then. Pretty much all I did for 2 days! Boy you really are going all out on it. On the latest issue about the rear view mirror, I can confirm that both Daytonas I own/owned have that squared shaft version. I was able to find an NOS shaft and mirror in that style for my current project. I was wondering what you did for rear shocks on your car? I am still trying to figure that out on mine. Also I was wondering if you are using the tires that are on the car in the latest photos or are those temporary? I see that they are firestones and I thought the cars came with goodyears. Or am I wrong on that? The last time we talked you told me about your source in Tennessee that might have an NOS nose to hood seal. Were you ever able to ask if he was willing to sell or trade one of them?...Thanks....Tony

[nascarxx29]

Not sure who the source is who sent a CD loaded with nos parts .But I heard sometime ago these 2 sources had complete daytona nos front clips.Never saw any pictures so seeing is believing
Re: hemigeno's Daytona restoration with July-Oct '09 pics (dial-up beware)
« Reply #1253 on: November 12, 2009, 06:53:13 PM » Quote Modify 

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Ok Jim I didnt know if it was Delbert stringers parts or Great lakes you dont find everyday NOS daytona clips

[hemigeno]

Hi Tony - sorry you've had to suffer through all my ramblings over the past couple of days.  Every now and then I've gone back through certain portions of the thread for one reason or another, and will occasionally notice things that we started out in one direction only to do something different or make corrections based on information, processes or parts that became available later.  It's been a learning process for me the whole way, but I do hope it's of some use to you in your project.  I know you're making every effort to get your car back in its original condition, and the finished product will be awesome I'm sure.

Thanks for the confirmation on the rear view mirror stalks.  That's been the consensus pretty much, and next week I'm sending the mirror stalk from my R/T up to Vance (along with a couple of other items I've been working on).  Way-back-when, I had found only the mirror head new and didn't pay attention to the rest of the assembly... yet another example of something I had to learn about as things have progressed.  

For rear shocks, I found a new set with a 1968 model year part number on them.  The date code is a bit early (I think they're from mid 1968, towards the tail end of the model year), but everything is all B-body HD.  You already know how difficult it is to find the late '69 part number without any seal seepage and with readable stampings.  It's always plausible that such a set of shocks were leftover in the parts bin or on the pallet, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it... lol

The tires on the car in some of the later pictures are indeed "incorrect" Firestone bias-ply reproductions, which are mounted on 14x6.0 reproduction rims from Stockton Wheel.  The tires & wheels I'll have on the car at most any non-driving or judged event (e.g. Carlisle, more details on this a bit later, hint hint) are a set of restored road wheels with May 22, 1969 date codes on the 14x5.5 rims.  It took nearly 9 months to get the flash chrome process on the center sections perfected through Stockton Wheel, and they did a fabulous job of replicating the original wheel center's not-really-very-nice look.  These particular wheels have new assembly-line Goodyear tires (just ink stamps on the treads, no stickers, which only came on dealer-mounted or tire-store tires), with date codes ranging from March or April to June '69.  I also have new '69-only trim rings, chrome lugs and shorty center caps (and correct plastic valve stem caps too!) to complete the set.  These tires & wheels won't be used for much more than putting the car in & out of the trailer, considering all that rubber is at least 42 years old this month.  I had the second fully-reproduction set made up for any cruising or driving we do.

I haven't talked to my friend in TN recently, as things have been going crazy around here trying to get this whole project wrapped up.  Hopefully my tardiness isn't holding up your project.  If I haven't gotten back with you by late July, bounce me again - I'm more than capable of forgetting.


I'll also try to find some time to update this thread a bit on what's been happening in the last 1-2 months.  Things are rapidly progressing, as I thought they might at this stage.  There aren't a whole lot of photographs to document what's going on unfortunately, but I'll still try to describe some of the things in the works.  There are a whole lot of people who have been a GREAT deal of help in getting some of the last minute details (and I think some of these things might really be last minute details) worked out.  I'm also excited about one potential opportunity for the Chryslers at Carlisle show that hasn't been confirmed just yet.  Hopefully that "little" issue can be worked out & confirmed soon.

[69hemidaytona]

Sounds good. If your car is at Carlisle maybe I will make a point to be there. So are the numbers on your rear shocks 3400592 ? I think this is what came on them originally. Are they NOS or did you refurbish good used ones? I have had no luck in finding those shocks in NOS so I am hoping to find a good used pair. It looks like you found NOS side marker reflectors for the front and rear. I talked to Roger Gibson about this issue. He looked at my original ones and said that my fronts were the 2 segment style and that all of the Daytonas he has seen has come with those in the front. It looked like you have the 4 segment versions on the front of your car. Any thoughts on this? The rear ones on my car are the 4 segment style and Roger says that is what he has seen on all of the Daytonas he has worked on. I wonder what everybody else has seen?

[hemigeno]

2-panel vs. 4-panel reflectors is an issue I don't personally think can be pinned down one way or another.  I have seen multiple original cars with both styles front & back, and a mixture -- even from side to side in addition to the front/rear discrepancy Roger has already told you about.

How a car looked when it arrived at the dealership often varied from how it rolled out of Hamtramck, since the housings did get swapped around between cars.  In other words, if the cars that rolled out of Hamtramck later in the run all had 4-panel lenses, they might end up with 2-panel lenses from another earlier-built car.  Incidentally, front amber lenses & bezels could have been swapped between cars just like the rears (although it might be a little less likely to have happened).

In my opinion, there's no right or wrong answer on your car or anyone else's, unless there are pictures of the car before restoration (and there's still a little wiggle room there because of potential service replacements).  Mine had 4-panel lenses on it at all four corners when we took it apart, so that's what I went back with.

[69hemidaytona]

Well I guess like a lot on these cars there is no set rule on the reflectors either. So how about the rear shocks?

[maxwellwedge]

I'm trying to find my notes on the shocks. I have originals on 5 of them (cars). Thought I posted the info here....maybe it was Moparts   

[hemigeno]

Time for another update, and the "end" may be nearing soon.

I stopped by Vance's yesterday to deliver the seat assemblies, and the car is inching towards completion.  It's good to see all the little details coming together, and the guys are combing through every inch of the car yet again.  There are lots of little nuts and bolts that are being changed out to match what our collection of reference material indicates is "correct" - although that term should honestly be taken out of a Mopar car restorer's vernacular... Hardly ANYTHING is honestly-absolutely-positively-unequivocally "correct" due to the wide variances that are found between years, models, plants and even from car to car on the same assembly line.  An attempt is being made to go through everything yet again to eliminate as many causes for heartburn amongst any judges or onlookers who may eventually look at this car.

Speaking of which...

Assuming everything comes together as currently planned, my Daytona will make its official debut at this year's Chryslers at Carlisle show.  It's been included in the Building "T" Invitational Display, along with several other members of the DC.com forum (have no idea where everyone will be parked, of course).  I have been waiting to mention this in the hopes a deal would come through to display the car on a 4-post lift for the weekend.  Just last night the word came down that they don't have room for the lift.  I'm still very happy to be included in the display building of course, but I now have very little time to get things together for a "display".  Oh well.

I took some more pictures of progress being made (and some yet to come) on the underside, but posting these photos/descriptions will have to wait until later this week.  Somewhere in my office the top of my desk is crying out to be found.  That's what I get for playing hookey from work to go play with "old car stuff".  Hopefully everyone can see the finished product in a little over a week anyway.

[PocketThunder]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

[hemigeno]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

Thanks, PT.  Just a little longer than I had planned.  OK, a LOT longer. 

Oh, and my Dad uses a much different adjective than "patient" when referring to me and how long this project has taken. 

[moparstuart]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

[70Sbird]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

Congrats as well!, I can only imagine how great that would feel!

[maxwellwedge]

Hope I can make it this year Geno - Wanna see that Wingy-Thingy!

[learical1]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

If the finish date is correct, that's more like 18,004.5 years.

[hemi68charger]

Start:  November 27, 2006
Finish:       June 28, 20011

Congrats Geno!  The end is finally here, 4-1/2 years later.  You are a very patient man.   

If the finish date is correct, that's more like 18,004.5 years.

That IS a long time............. But worth it..... Right Geno?..............  Geno?....................... You there?........................  ah heck..............  He's too old to hear at 18,000 years of age...........

[hemigeno]

He's too old to hear at 18,000 years of age...........

That's just how much I've aged during this restoration.

[UFO]

but I now have very little time to get things together for a "display".  Oh well.

Always a good thing when the end is in sight.
Here's part of a display I was going to use when I get my cars done.
She's real quiet,doesn't eat much,but very rude to your friends.