68 R/T Restoration

[xs29bb1]

It's been a few days without new pics of the project Mike... call it withdrawal if you will! 

Jeff

I can recycle a few to keep you from having to look thru other pages.   

Looks a little better than last year this time...

[Bob T]

One thing you might want to have a look out for is the stainless tulip shifter out of an automatic VC, quite often the plastic chrome finishing on the stock tulip will flake and deteriorate.
Bob in NZ

Thanks for the heads up Bob.  Speaking of deteriorating chrome, one thing I'm trying to figure out is what to do w/ the chrome on the console.  It looks very good for an original piece being as old as it is, but quite frankly it doesn't look as good as the rest of the car.  I don't currently have a photo of it, unfortunately but the thinking is that it can't be restored to anything close to "like new" condition.  I'd hate to have that long console stick out like a sore thumb compared to most everything else.... I might need to either find a better piece or a re-popped piece if there is such a thing.

If they do make a great re-popped piece where can I find it?  Year One?  If it's not a dead ringer for an original piece, I'd probably try to find a top notch original one.  

http://www.pentastarparts.com.au/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2420

By VC, I was meaning an Australian VC Valiant, however, here is the link to the supplier, I have'nt been able to find them anywhere else in chrome plated cast alloy.
Keep up the good work. 

[xs29bb1]

I was looking thru the old photos of the car, and here are a few of the original door panels.  We went ahead and got the Legendary panels for the resto, however we kept those square pieces that the car originally came with as the Legendary interiors do not include them.  They were cleaned up and will be back on the car.

[MxRacer855]

Thanks Mike! Always a pleasure my man! 

Jeff

[xs29bb1]

By VC, I was meaning an Australian VC Valiant, however, here is the link to the supplier, I have'nt been able to find them anywhere else in chrome plated cast alloy.
Keep up the good work. 

Thanks a lot Bob!   

[xs29bb1]

Not exactly the most exciting stuff, but here's a before and after look at the restoration of the air vents.

[MxRacer855]

It's the major attention to small detail that will make this an amazingly beautiful car! 

[fy469rtse]

Mike PG classics make the new tops for the console, bonus is you don't have to mess around with broken studs to lid hinge etc

[xs29bb1]

Mike PG classics make the new tops for the console, bonus is you don't have to mess around with broken studs to lid hinge etc

Thanks.  I know Year One has them, but they want WAY too much.  I saw one on eBay that looks great for a better price, but as of right now, the guys started restoring the one I have and they now think it will look really good so we're going with that.  If that doesn't pan out, we'll look into PG Classics.... thanks again!   

[fy469rtse]

Love the attention to detail, you have to, anything you don't do properly will stand out on a car of this quality, great build 

[XS29L]

Looking good!!     

[xs29bb1]

Love the attention to detail, you have to, anything you don't do properly will stand out on a car of this quality, great build 

Thanks - yeah that's my thinking.  The counter to that though is if you get a re-popped part instead of a restored part and the re-popped one looks off or fake, or "too new" or whatever.  We're going almost part by part on interior pieces now and deciding what to do for/with each part. 

[Bob T]

Mike PG classics make the new tops for the console, bonus is you don't have to mess around with broken studs to lid hinge etc

My extremely patient and talented toolmaker buddy made my broken hinged console top live again. Because the acorn nuts are not a "true" thread, the pitch on them is garbage and the acorns do not grip with age and the clasp slowly opens out. JP drilled out the existing studs with a tiny drill and shortened them up and made a transition stud that screws into it with a 3/16 thread further up it. I just got some chrome 3/16 acorn nuts from the hardware supplier and it looks mint! Not Concours, but fully functional and looks stock.  
Might be worth a shot persevering with your original top if you can find someone to hotrod it.
I can put up a pic if you want.

[xs29bb1]

Mike PG classics make the new tops for the console, bonus is you don't have to mess around with broken studs to lid hinge etc

My extremely patient and talented toolmaker buddy made my broken hinged console top live again. Because the acorn nuts are not a "true" thread, the pitch on them is garbage and the acorns do not grip with age and the clasp slowly opens out. JP drilled out the existing studs with a tiny drill and shortened them up and made a transition stud that screws into it with a 3/16 thread further up it. I just got some chrome 3/16 acorn nuts from the hardware supplier and it looks mint! Not Concours, but fully functional and looks stock.  
Might be worth a shot persevering with your original top if you can find someone to hotrod it.
I can put up a pic if you want.

Sure if you have a pic, please post it.  My console top is OK except for cosmetic issues w/ some pitting.  It was basically a "good" original console top, just not up to snuff w/ the rest of the car (and obviously w/ the piece being so large it sticks out quite a bit)  It's being worked on now, and supposedly it's coming out really nice - I'll put up a pic when I get one. 

Thanks again!   

[MxRacer855]

Mike PG classics make the new tops for the console, bonus is you don't have to mess around with broken studs to lid hinge etc

Thanks.  I know Year One has them, but they want WAY too much.  I saw one on eBay that looks great for a better price, but as of right now, the guys started restoring the one I have and they now think it will look really good so we're going with that.  If that doesn't pan out, we'll look into PG Classics.... thanks again!   

I swear.. Year One charges retail plus 10% on EVERYTHING. And whenever there is a discount or sale for 20%, 25%, or 30%... the Mopar items you need are NEVER eligible!

[fy469rtse]

The trick to doing those paint black lines, is a paint pen, works great

[MxRacer855]

That's what I used to put the silver on my grille one time before I decided to do it all black. So much easier with a silver paint marker vs. masking everything off and painting years later.

[fy469rtse]

Yes Bob show a photo of that console lid repair , we all have that problem I'm sure,
Would be a great help, ?
What have others done with broken studs ?

[Ghoste]

Don't BE/A and Tony's Parts offer console tops?

[xs29bb1]

Here's a few pictures of the restored grill.  The headlamp covers are the original pieces.  For the center - the original grill was a mess, so we got a 2nd center piece which was better and used the original center as a "parts" grill to get one good center piece.  So the center is really a combo of two grills.

[MxRacer855]

Beautiful Mike! Do you by any chance know where you got the rear end "U" bolts on your car?

[xs29bb1]

Beautiful Mike! Do you by any chance know where you got the rear end "U" bolts on your car?

I think we got them from Year One when we took advantage of their Black Friday 30% off sale. 

[MxRacer855]

Good deal! 

[xs29bb1]

Here's another w/ it laid out on the floor

[fy469rtse]

Oohhh, that's better than new , great job on that , this car is going to be of a high quality build