Great thread! I have been reading it for the last 40 minutes! Can't wait to see the finished car.

 

I second that as am I

 

It has been a few months since I last updaed this post. I took some pics of the car today and it is finally, finally, finally starting to come together. We have been mocking up everything for final fit. We are not 100% there yet, but we are close. This car has fought us hard since day one. The quarters, deck lid, rear outer wheel wells, doors, fenders, hood....everything has not wanted to go back together. My body man;s joke has been, "the old girl, she just doesn't want to leave." Every piece of sheet metal has been original or gm nos, thought being maybe it would make it go a little easier (and I thought the car was worthy of nos everything), but it has made no difference. It just hasn't wanted to go back together. However, now it seems to be on the right track!!!
In the next week or so, the car will get sprayed with Nasom (body color) for the final round of block sanding. Then it will be time to start shooting cromo base!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also pictured, I finally put the evaporator box back together. I used Classic Auto Air for the restoration of all AC components. So far it looks like they did a great job!

 

Hi Benny, sorry I havent been around for a while I have been under the weather but I am getting back to my old car also. So happy to see yours coming together it wont be long now since you got all the pieces fitted together and all the hard work now comes the fun of putting it together for the final time!!! Cant wait to see it!!!

 

Does anybody know the correct p/n for the stainless right rear wheel well molding for my 70 convertible? in search of one and cannot find the p/n in my assembly manual.

Thanks,
-ben

 

block sanding is basically finished and so now its time to pull everything apart and begin trimming everything and then painting for final time. So things are about to get exciting!!! I'm in need of some info: First and foremost the p/n for:
1. Right Rear wheel molding.
2. Expansion Valve for A/C
3. A/C resistor (red in color, bolts up to the evaporator box

Also in need of suggestions for restoration services for my original alternator. I have the original alternator, but it is in rough shape. In the back case the aluminum is cracked where the binding bolts are. Does anybody know who takes on this type of project? Finally, Power Steering pump rebuild specialist, any suggestions?

Thanks everyone!!!!!
-ben
-ben

 

Your right rear wheel opening molding is 8702872.
I believe your resistor is 588916 and the expansion valve is 5910749.




Are the numbers unique to your alternator on the front half of the case (as they are for the non-open frame styles)? If that's true I'd look for another alternator to provide an undamaged back half and mate to your front.


Good Luck--Brian

 

Jerry MacNeish for the aluminum repair http://z28camaro.com/wp/

John Pirkle Jr. for the alternator rebuild http://www.johnpirkle.com/

Chip Woyner for the power steering pump rebuild http://www.powersteering.com/

Also, could you please share the brand/ system and paint code of the code 73 Rallye Red paint you used? It appears to be a very good match!!!

 

To get the correct color we went through several steps. My painter has used Dupont products for the past 46 years and so that is the only thing he will shoot. I had solicited advice from some other members of this site and a certain W-31 award winning Ralley Red owner gave me the phone number of his body man. I called him up and off the top of his head he gave me the Sherman Williams p/n 34683. So we mixed up a sample transfering the Sherman Williams paint into Dupont. The only portion of the car that still had its original paint was the underside of the trunk lid. So we then compared against the trunk lid. We then scanned the trunk lid and used the computer to come up with its version of a match. Then Corey the paint guy went to work changing the formulas ever so slightly until we had what I would consider a perfect match. I have attached the label that we made when it was finished. This label is with the paint mixed in Dupont Nason, which is what we used for a majority of the guide coat for block sanding. The industry price for a gallon of Nason is $243.00 a gallon. The last set of pictures are the car shot in Dupont Chromabase for block sanding purposes. He only did 2 guide coats in Chromabase because price moves up to $746 a gallon industry price / $930 retail. If somebody wants a clearer image of the label, PM and I will scan over a copy. Or if somebody wants the Chromabase label and can go get a copy off the paint can.
Thanks for the p/n's and the suggestions for restoration services!

 

Can you post pics of the cracked/damaged area on the alternator?? I may be able to deal with all of it here...crack/damage repair, rebuild and resto.

Or PM me for my email address to send pics there.

Thanks

 

Here is the alternator and the cracks I was talking about. I really want to save it because it is original to the car.
It reads: 1100 890 55A 0A18 12V NEG

 

Hi Bennie looks like your making good progress and your not rushing it and I know when it starts coming together I get impatient but I know its not long and you will have the final touches. Good luck with the alternator and the power steering rebuilds. Sorry I havent been around for a long time I have been sick but getting back on my feet now! By the way the color looks great even sanded!

 

I stopped by the body shop today, to my surprise the deck lid and fenders were trimmed out and back on the car. It is awesome seeing some clear on the paint so I can finally see what my car is going to look like when it is finished!!!! For the most part the block sanding is finished and we are getting so very close to painting this car.
I would like to solicit advice about the stripes. I have the factory blueprints, the assembly manual, pictures and measurements from original cars. I also have a nice document from Steve G. that explains the placement as well. Would you guys also buy the "Stencil and Stripes" kit in addition for a rough idea? What worked for other people?
Thanks,
-ben

 

Ben,

Color looks great.

Sean

 

Ben it looks great and once the final coats are applied and buffed then the fun begins to finish putting it together and what a wonderful car you will have!!! It may have taken some time but it will be worth every minute!

 

I took some random pictures the past week of the car getting its final mock up before paint. Wheel well moldings all went on beautifully, I guess there is something to be said for going with GM NOS. Although, they were about the only items on this restoration that have not fought us tooth and nail. The convertible top frame is back on the body. It should be painted rally red next week an then white stripes to follow. Now the fun really begins!!!! It has been a very long, challenging, and expensive road to get here, but now it feels like we are getting somewhere!!!

 

Hope its moving along Bennie now that summer is here I am dying to see a gopro video of that beautiful W30 cranking up and taking its maiden voyage down the street to the nearest high test pump!!!!

 

It has been some time since I made a post, so I thought I would catch up on picture uploading from the past few weeks. The car had its paint applied in these pictures and clear coat applied shortly after. We did about 4 coats of color in addition to the countless rounds of block sanding on the car. In the end it had about 2 gallons of epoxy primer and guide coat applied and basically sanded off. Then 2 gallons of color in Dupont Nasom applied and sanded off through block sanding and then a gallon of Dupont chroma-base applied and sanded off. Finally three coats of chroma-base were applied using 5 quarts of material. All statistics were given with out reducer applied. In a nutshell, a metric ton of material went into the prep work; however, now that we are close it seems to be paying off!!!!

 

We masked off the stripes for the car. We used a green 70 W-31 and a 72 W-30 car both with its original paint for the dimensions on the stripes. I supplemented those dimensions with a stencil kit from Stencil and stripes. Using all of those resources, I was able to come up with a product that I am proud of. Now we have to wait for the paint to be sprayed and make sure the masking keeps from bleeding through!!! I have all the photos from the original paint cars and will upload the pictures into a blog on this site in the body and paint section so that everyone has this resource available. In total it is about 65 pictures. The interesting thing is that no car, no panel, no point measured out the same on any of the original cars used.

 

The stencil kits are a good guide, but they need a lot of work at the radiuses and even more tweaking to ensure the correct stop and starting places. Even though they require a lot of work, they do make the job easier.

 

Looking good Bennie!! I know I will be seeing a video soon of your maiden voyage this summer!!! I am finally getting able to work on mine, pulling the body off the frame this week! Anyway I will be very happy to see yours finished this summer!

 

Clear goes on tomorrow, then it will sit for a few days. After that, it will be time to sand and buff!

 

Bennie it looks awesome!! when that clear hits that rally red its going to looks super with the strips!! Take your time wet sanding and buffing and it will come out like a diamond!! Then the real fun begins! I took the body off my 69 Sunday and I am going to post pics tonight!

 

wow really nice work on the stripes they look great

 

Drooling with anticipation...

 

Clear coat was shot on Friday, sanding and buffing will begin on Monday.

 

Beautiful job Bennie!!

 

I was so excited I had to take a picture or three and post. The car has been sanded completely with 1200 dry, 1500 wet, 2000 wet, and 3000 wet. The driver door and fender have been buffed still need to polish. However, to say I am ecstatic would be an understatement, the old girl is starting to look like a car again! Thank you for all the nice comments and helpful advice everyone!

 

Looking Super Bennie, it is going to be one mint restoration!! Taking your time and being patient has its rewards!!

 

That is an amazing paint job! Gives me and my painter something to shoot for. Good luck on the reassembly.

 

Very nice!

 

Assembly of the exterior trim pieces starts tomorrow, maybe in a few weeks it will get to go home???? It has only been at the body shop for 21 months!!!!
I need to buy a wiring harness for the car, what does everybody recommend? H&H? Please let me know your experiences with a reproduction harness.


Thanks for all the kind comments, really appreciated!!
-ben

 

here is two more pictures of the car all buffed and polished.

 

I had to buy the complete H&H wiring harness and its worked great with no problems and every piece looks original. I just had too many problems with the old harnesses and so I bought all of the harnesses.

 

I have used Lectric Ltd with great results.

 

Thank you for the suggestions on the wire harness companies. A little update...Next up on the list will be drilling the fenders and deck lid for the emblems....GASP!!!! The car is coming together nicely, though it likes to fight with absolutely everything as its being installed. Nothing likes to install easily.

 

Last picture....what bolt or is there a bolt that is supposed to hold the grills together? Any body have a pic of their car?

 

It takes time Bennie but your getting there and man does it look good!! Cant wait to see the tail lights in the bumper!

 

There is a bolt and its a 3/8 head if I remember right, but maybe someone has a pic!

 

Here's what I am going to be putting back in mine. It is the one on the left. 70Post confirmed this is the right fastener. I know It looks totally wrong.