elacruze '68 resto thread (Heavy photos)

[twodko]

I have the FirmFeel II in my 69.........you're going to really like it!

I had a frm feel stage II in my 69 satellite convert. It kinda felt like manual at really low rpm,Is this common or did mine have too big a pully or something? It was reall nice down the road though. I will say that.

[elacruze]

Just....one...day...aaaahhhhhh!!

I got my *2nd* set of calipers/brackets in the mail. The first set was for 10.8" disc despite my sincere efforts to convey an 11.75" requirement over the phone. This second set must be from a van or something, the caliper brackets are pin style and came with calipers, and looked great until...they don't bolt up to the spindle, the bolt spread is too wide.

<sigh>

I'm probably going to end up with Viper calipers after all, at this point it would have been no more expensive if I had just done that first.

Crap.

[elacruze]

Finally getting to the final finality...wetsanding before cutting/polishing. Should be finished by Wednesday!

[elacruze]

Finally got the buffer out!

We decided to stop short of plate-glass flat, to leave more material for the coming summer drives. Still...I thought this shot was pretty cool, even though the color doesn't come through.

[The70RT]

Looks like your really moving right along 

[Charger-Bodie]

Finally got the buffer out!

We decided to stop short of plate-glass flat, to leave more material for the coming summer drives. Still...I thought this shot was pretty cool, even though the color doesn't come through.

I would rather see a little texture in the finish myself. Thats how I buff all of mine. It would have to be a really dirty paint job to get sanded smooth as glass around here.

[elacruze]

Finally got the buffer out!

We decided to stop short of plate-glass flat, to leave more material for the coming summer drives. Still...I thought this shot was pretty cool, even though the color doesn't come through.

I would rather see a little texture in the finish myself. Thats how I buff all of mine. It would have to be a really dirty paint job to get sanded smooth as glass around here.

I have to say that the shop cares more about the finish than I do, since this will be their 'signature' car until something else comes along (like the Hemi '67) They've donated a lot of hours and materials in the paint job.
<edit>
Let me rephrase that, I think the shop wants it so much better than 'factory' that they've invested some of their own time and materials in it.

[elacruze]

Yow! First cut, final polish will come after the driveline is in and before external trim. I arrived too late to see it out in the sun.

[Charger-Bodie]

Looks really nice!!!!

[PocketThunder]

Looks really nice!!!!

  My eyes hurt looking at it in the shade, i cant imagine how nice it is out in the sun.. 

[drifter69]

Love the color brother! Is it just me , but Chargers are the most kick ass cars on the planet. When mine was all beat up and had 37 years of hard miles on it I still got more compliments than my friends restored 70 cougar. I can't wait till mine is back together. Love your car, it makes me want mine back even more.

[twodko]

What a beautiful car elacruze! The "light at tunnels end" really hit us when we saw our car cut and polished for the first time. Congrats. What a PITA about disc brake confusion, hope you get the correct parts soon. Cheers.

[elacruze]

I have the FirmFeel II in my 69.........you're going to really like it!

I had a frm feel stage II in my 69 satellite convert. It kinda felt like manual at really low rpm,Is this common or did mine have too big a pully or something? It was reall nice down the road though. I will say that.

I have the Federal pump...seems like I read somewhere that they have a higher pressure at low RPM and reduce at higher RPM, but I can't find anything to substantiate that at the moment.

[bakerhillpins]

Looks really nice!!!!

  My eyes hurt looking at it in the shade, i cant imagine how nice it is out in the sun.. 

It really does look stellar!  Personally I would be paranoid about doing anything with it looking that nice. 

[XS29L9B2]

very nice work this car is very nice

[elacruze]

Not the best day today. I was unhappy (2 years ago, now) that my freshly rebuilt D60 was taken apart to be powder coated. Even less happy that the 'rebuild' cost $850.
Back to today.
I was looking at the bill for that, and wondered out loud to the interior shop where the axle was done whether I bought any new parts other than a cover gasket in that 'rebuild'. They couldn't answer. I waited.
Today, the car went on the lift, so I got to finger the rear axle. As soon as I turned the pinion, I didn't like it-too tight, too much lash. So I opened the cover.
I found the same old (<1000 miles) 4.10 gears that had been installed in '92. They look nice. I started wishing it hadn't been apart.
It's obvious by merely moving a wheel and feeling the pinion, no new parts were used, and worse no new crush sleeve. The lash was apparent by eye and ear. The pattern had moved out considerably, too. This thing probably would have howled like a wounded bear. This could go badly for the axle guy.

To be continued Monday, when the shop that the work was sublet to opens up.

[The70RT]

  ...............

[daveco]

Too bad about the dana, the paint looks wonderful. You'll need to schedule extra time in everywhere you go for fielding complements

[elacruze]

Hm ok doing my homework I see that D60 doesn't use a crush sleeve, so the only other possibility is that the idiot left out some pinion spacers, or put them in the wrong place. I don't see any shims behind the carrier bearings, either.

[elacruze]

Soooooooo.....

The shop owner who did the work basically says, "We wouldn't have had the pinion races out unless something was wrong, it had to have come in that way".

After so long, who can argue with that? This guy is apparently a well-known butthead, but has done good work since 1982 for the Trim shop, who's refunding my expense and buying any parts I need to put it right.

And not doing business with him any more.

Shoot, I wanted my own case spreader anyway.

[elacruze]

Crikey!
I put all the photos in the engine thread...here they are again.

[Brass]

 

[Al]

pure beauty 

[XS29L9B2]

nice job right

[Back N Black]

Man! that things looks bad ass. Gonna suck to get dirt on those floor pans.