Local Hero

When my wife was in high school she drove a 74 Vert, maroon with a white top and interior. Her dad was a professional mechanic but only a rank amateur bodyman. So the car ran great but the body was pretty hacked. Add in multiple Cleveland winters afterward and the car started getting really rough again. Eventually they parked it in the barn where it sat until the late 1990s.


When I met my wife she still had the car. I started tinkering with it a little bit hoping to get it going again. But it was too far gone. It needed rear quarters, both bumpers and the rear frame rails behind the rear axle were swiss cheese. I told her we should look for a better starting point. But she wasn't all that interesting seeing as how I JUST completed an 18 month re-resto on my first car. She didn't want to become a shop-widow so soon again.


While I wasn't actively searching, I was keeping my eyes and ears open. My brother's best buddy scored a 75 Vert off the grandson of the original owner. The car spent its entire life 'til that point in Alabama. I know that brother's friend doesn't keep his cars very long and told him that I wanted first crack at this one when he was ready to let it go.


That took two years of patience.


He lost his job and needed the cash. But the problem for me was I didn't have the cash at the time either. Plus, my wife was due with our second child and the LAST thing we needed was another project. But knowing how clean this car was and knowing we'd have regrets if we passed on it, my dad bought it just so it wouldn't go to someone else. We eventually bought it off of him.


Coincidentally, with the exception of the red interior, it's the same color combo as her original car. It had 95,000 miles on it. ZERO rust. Yeah, the paint was a little faded. The interior needed some cleaning. The rear window was broken, and the only body damage were the usual assortment of shopping cart dings. But it was complete and better yet, my father in law had a complete top and replacement rear window already purchased for her old car. Here is how it looked when we got it.

Local Hero

I was in no real hurry to tear into it too deeply. Plus with two small kids, I really didn't have the time either. But I spent the following winter going through the mechanicals: Changed all the fluids, timing chain, water pump, fuel pump, fixed some broken exhaust manifold bolts, and went through the brakes etc. Wanting the car a little lower, I cut a coil out of each spring to give it a "gentleman drop."


The following winter Dad and I started on the body. He's an old school bodyman. Signature to our style, we shaved all the emblems and trunk lock. Dad made up a pair of factory appearing skirts to give the car a much longer and lower look. We got all of the bodywork done and in primer but had to wait on paint because once the car was painted, I had no place to store the finished piece.


So we took a two year break and built a new shop at my house. The shop was built in stages which is why it took so long.


But here are some of the body pics.

Local Hero

My wife was coming up on her 40th birthday. While the car project wasn't a surprise, I had a goal to get it finished in time to give to her for her birthday. Her birthday was in July and this was the previous October.

Since I was going to paint it at my dad's shop (no spray booth) we really had to get it done before the weather got too cold. This way I could spend the winter on reassembly.

We wanted something with a little more "pop" than the factory color. She chose Dupont Hot Hues "Razzling Red" after seeing it on a 32 Ford Coupe at a GoodGuys event. The problem with that paint though is that it only comes in pints. I bought 10 pints of just color. Sheesh!!! That stuff was expensive!!

I sealed the car in black first, then shot the color. This color is full of metallic and my fear of "tiger striping" caused me to walk the sides of the car all the way in each direction in order to avoid it. I was absolutely wasted when I finished the clear that day.

Local Hero

I've had better luck waiting longer for urethane paints to dry. Rather than cut and buff right away, we started reassembly instead. Later once the car was all back together, I took it to the trim shop to have the top and rear window installed. This way if something happened to the paint there, I could fix it before the final detailing. Luckily, it didn't come to that.

Following the trim shop, I brought the car to my home shop and spent about a week on the scuff and buff process. I also added some butyl type insulation under the original carpet that I only had to clean up, redye, and put back in. The rest of the interior is all original.

I neglected to mention that I also parted out my wife's 74 and used the woodgrain dash pieces in this car since hers weren't faded. I also used her power top motor and cruise control set-up from the old car. I also have a complete spare set of glass and a host of other spares.

Some of the last details included getting the bumpers rechromed while eliminating the honking HUGE front license plate bracket and purchasing a new set of Diamondback inch and a half whitewalls.

Here are some assembly shots.

Local Hero

I am happy to say, I met my deadline and was able to give my wife her car in time for her birthday. We enjoy taking family cruises in it. And it's a good compliment to the other cars we have.

oldcutlass

Thanks for sharing, bet she is very happy.

droldsmorland

The shirts are kewl!

don71

That is a good story and told well. You guys put a lot of thought into that. Thanks for sharing the surprise with us.

That car will be a lot of fun, nice job.

nsnarsk65cutlass

Nice work,is that a 1974?The 74 delta 88 Royale i'm parting has 1 pc headlight bezels different grilles and tail lights.Anyway again nice work.

Local Hero

Thank you! Her original car was a 74. This one is a 75.