So I got the peak moulding on my quarters and doors today. Also put the pinchweld trim on. My studs for trim on the doors were replaced with those tiny screws...Not much bite (shallow phillips head) in them, ended up having to cut a groove to screw them in on a couple. I assumed the plastic clips go curved side to the door? They have some little tabs that are slightly visibile between the door and peak moulding...does that look right to you guys?
Tom
68 442 (won't put itself together)
70 F85
95 Aurora (new A/C compressor & everything..just in time for winter!)

 

What your doing will work fine. Put a little bit of 3M strip caulking under each fastener as I assume you've drilled a hole for the screw in the new paint. That will seal it & prevent rust around each one.

The little tabs are just to protect the paint. The factory clips that I've seen didn't have those. You can just clip them off if they bother you

You may find it easier to installed the convertible top with the pinch weld moulding off. It's easy to install later with the top down (assuming you're using the factory clips) and you don't risk dinging it. If yours is screwed in (that's the way they did the 70-72's) then you've done it right because you can't get the screws in with the top on. I can't quite tell from your pics but the outside rear window sweeps have to go in before the pinch weld moulding as the pinch weld moulding clips over them. I had to open up the pinch weld moulding ends because the repro window sweep stainless bead is a little too big for the factory pinch weld moulding

 

Thanks Mike, My pinchweld moulding had the clips (6) and three screws. I can pop it off come time to install the top if needed. I will probably leave those little tabs on the door moulding....So I got my dash (instrument cluster and pad with harness installed today...dang...little sharp points EVERYWHERE behind there. Now to get all the vacuum lines and harness all plugged in. Making progress.

Tom
68 442 convt (still plugging away)
70 F85
95 Aurora

 

I wonder how these cars could go down the assembly line quickly with as much fun as I had putting my dash back together...

 

Beautiful Car! Always happy to see another 68! You don't see too many of those around!

 

Thanks Logan, I can't wait to drive it again...10 years is way too long.

Tom

 

Well slowly but surely. Slow and steady win the race? Got my door latches in, received new taillight to body gaskets today and got the taillights in. Lower windshield trim...OH question, rear hood bump stop nut...clips go in so the clip part horizontally or vertically? AND..what kind of glue will work on kick panels? My drivers side has a split right on the edge????

Thanks for all of your support!

Tom
68 442 (gotta get it fired up!)
70 F85
95 Aurora
moped

 

And I have to show you pics of the taillights! I powdered coated them and they look good...a couple of bubbles appeared after cooking them though...I think either impurities in the pot metal or maybe some moisture in the metal? I may do a spare set I have...this time I will blast clean and sand any flaws, then bake them without coating them and see if those bubbles appear..they are minor though and the finish came out nice.

THANKS!

 

Lookin good Tom. Can't wait to see it together.

 

Tom,

I'm guessing the nut will only go horizontally or it will hit the rounded edge and not sit flush.

I think you may be stuck bying new kick panels, I don't think you're going to fix those.

You're car looks great. You're taking a lot more time than I did. I had a few scratches on my dash after I painted the whole thing (pretty sure the place that painted the car did it). Rather than pull the whole dash again to paint it I left it & said I'll do it in the spring. I never put the dash stripe on either.

 

Looks good Tom.

 

I put my fender peak moulding on the passenger fender along with the little chrome 68 end piece (anyone have a nice extra?) that needs to be replaced. Also got all the wheel opening trim out, did some dent repair...man that is tedious work, only got that passenger fender done. Got the mrs. out there helping clean the stuff up...real trooper..just after i told her to be careful that if she slips the scotch brite pad on the die grinder would burn her leg...jinxed her and she did it..she will survive!

Tom
68 442
70 F85
95 Aurora

 

Very nice looking car you got going together there. Very well detailed and love the color you picked. It's going to be a beauty!! Keep up the good work.

 

I've got a new one from Fusick but I can't remember which side. Which side do you need?

Let me know if you need anything else. I had two of just about everything.

 

Hey Mike, I could use the passenger side 68 chrome peak piece if you have a good one. How are you for quarter side marker lights? I have what I think are a nice set of repops. BUT the original red lens of the housing does not fit all the way in flush into the repop bezel. This weekend I got the body mounts all torqued. Blasted, primed and painted the silver fender filler piece. blasted and painted all the little threaded clips for the filler and plastic inner fender and their bolts. Put a ground wire on my heater blower motor (fiberglass a/c delete plate) It sure seems like it is taking so long to get things back together...wish I wasn't so ADD, i get distracted easily...

Tom

 

Tom,

I sold the passenger side peak trim piece a month or so ago
The one I have left is the drivers side which is a new repro. I'll check the marker lights. Chances are you may have a 69 repop which isn't side specific. 68 is slightly different with a LH & RH on them. I've got a bunch of them but they usually are pitted & the claret color will be faded. I had a Goodmark 1/4 that the hole for the marker light didn't match the bezel size & had to grind it bigger after the car was painted

Mike

Make sure you run a bolt through the inner fender clips before you mount them to chase the threads.

 

So I tried to hang the passenger fender this weekend. I have never done this before (virgin fender hanger?) My painter put the fenders and hood on the body and has shims and bolts bagged and tagged as he blew it apart to paint everything. So I get the fender hung and the radiator core support needed to be pushed waay forward (tilted even) to get the bolts into the fender. I loosened the support bushing bolts and got it to go a little forward...not enough...thinking maybe the body needs to move rearward a bit? The mounting point on the firewall to the fender is like 3/8 to 1/2 and inch away from each other..doesnt look right and not crap for door to fender gap. Is there any specific alignment points or anything on the body to frame mounting??? Thinking about it...moving the body rearward would NOT effect the firewall to fender mounting point..only where the fender and rad core support mounting points are...duh
Thanks for any input!
Tom
68 442 convt (causing me to lose hair)
70 F85 Old reliable
95 Aurora

 

Tom,

Were the body panels lined when you took it off? When you had the body off the frame did you check the cross dimensions on the frame? If that checked out OK I would check the core support to see if it's tweaked. What's the gap like at the back of the door? Maybe the door needs to be moved rearward. The firewall to fender bolt mount has a LOT of play in it. It doesn't do much to mount the fender. It mostly reinforces the fender to take to load from the hinges. How well does the fender meet the firewall at the upper cowl side mount (just in front of the door)? If it's off as much as you say you wouldn't be able to get that bolt in.

With all the body mounts that there are I doubt you'll get more than 1/4" by trying to move the body. Did you replace the floor and or trunk braces? Those are what determine where the body falls on the frame. I had a trunk brace out of position almost 1/2" & I ended up moving the hole in the frame to line up with the cage nut in the brace.

Take your time. It took me three weeks (about 45 hours) to get the front end lined

Mike

 

Hey Mike,
I did check the frame dimensions before having it powdercoated. I replaced some of the trunk floor but not the braces and mounting points. My painter put it together and fit stuff..in retrospect I should have been there to see gaps etc. THe door to quarter gap is tight but I am going to bring it a tad tighter. Saturday, I was able to shift the body rearward on the frame about 3/16 of an inch. I will move the door rearward and then see how the fender is hanging.
Thanks for the help,
Tom

 

UPS man just delivered my rebuilt Quadrajet from Sparky! Gives me a little incentive to get this thing fired up! It isnt the right one for my year but all it needs to do is run! I also had him put an electric choke to go with the performer.

Tom
68 442 (wants to burn rubba!)
70 F85
95 Aurora

 

Tom,

What are you going to run for an air cleaner? I've got a performer with a stock air cleaner & it hits the hood (just barely). I've got to change it to a drop base design but haven't gotten around to finding anything yet.

 

Hey Mike,
I am putting the under bumper scoops on my car so I have fabbed up my own dual snorkel air cleaner. I have that feeling they are sitting too high. I am going to trim a little bit off the bottom ring that sits on the carb and then see if it will sit right on the top of the QJ. Probably going to have to do a little more cutting and welding to get it to drop down over the protrusions on the top of the carb. Spectre makes a sweet drop base dual snorkel but I am too cheap to spend the money right now....maybe after I spend about 40 hours working on my home made one and decide it won;t work.

Tom

 

I think you're going to have the same problems I had trying to get the base to fit without conflicting with the choke and throttle linkage. I started with a Toronado base and found that it conflicted with the throttle linkage (My linkage is slightly different because I'm running a Holley Spreadbore). I pretty much gave up & used the stock base for now

 

SO today I got the passenger side fender hung.I got a decent door to fender gap. My core support still seems low as the front two bolts through rad core suport to the fenders is low. I see in the assembly manual they show a shim on top of the square bushing..just a part number. It looks like it will need a 1/4" to 3/8" shim to get the radiator support to the right height. Has anyone done this? Shouldn't be a problem right? I will hang the drivers side this week and see how it lines up.

Tom
68 442 convt (geez just get it done already)
70 F85
95 Aurora

 

I had to shim mine on both sides at least 1/4". My drivers side was at least 3/4" too high (once everything was lined up at the door) & I had to draw it down to 1/4"

 

So Mike...what kind of shims did you use for the radiator support? Anything special? I see In-line has some but no specifications (#565950)and they don't have that answer when you call either, the mounting bolt is bigger than regular body shims of course...probably could just get some nice zinc washers at the hardware store i guess. You notice how on a lot of 68's the alignment of the front edge of the hood and the hockey sticks on the headlight housings are usually off? You think it might be the core supports were usually too low?? mmmmmhhh?

Tom
68 442 (driver fender going on tonight after un-denting and polishing wheel opening stainless)
70 F85
95 Aurora

 

I've got this theory that the driver's side fenders are poorly stamped.

I had a box of body shims from Year One that came with the car when I got it. I also bought a bag of them from NAPA that was a larger size. I can't remember which ones I used. I wasn't really concerned with everything being "correct".

Washers are a PIA. It's a lot easier to place a U-shaped shim than washers.

 

Good point on the U shape shims...gonna stop at NAPA on the way home! Thanks Mike

 

Spent the day working on the car. Adjusted the driver door a bit then hung the driver fender, sure goes easier after you struggle through the other side first. Put the little hood bumpers on the fenders, then the adjustable hood bumpers. Headlight metal buckets, assembled the headlight doors (hockey sticks, parking lights, blasted and painted bunches of nuts, screws and clips. put the new grill in. The bottom painted part of the new grill is more of an Argent Silver than the dull aluminum that I painted the headlight housings. might have to pull it off and mask it and shoot it to match....tired.

Tom
68 442 convt
70 f85
95 Aurora

 

Makin progress. Tom. Was thinkin about droppin by yesterday. Took the olds to a horseshow in parker yesterday. Lookin good.

 

CLINT! You Should have stopped by! Anytime you are in the hood feel free!

tom

 

Hi Tom,

Looking good, let me know if you need another look at the "Blue Print".

I also have an assembly manual, if you would like copies of any section LMK.

It was great meeting you and the misses a few weeks back!

Aloha,

Tony

 

Tom, You gonna have that ready for the cruise tomorrow? Last one of the season...

 

Getting the front end put together. Sure would be easier to buy the re-pop headlight trim rings. I spent about 8 hours this weekend sanding and polishing all the rock dings and stuff. Removing the old paint, masking them off then painting...same with the "442" on the grill, chrome was good just needed fresh paint. Getting the under bumper ducts fitted is fun too! It's all fun!

Clint...No..didnt make the last cruise wise guy!
Tony..you need to drive that beast over here on the weekend...gives me some inspiration.

 

I worked on the rear wheel opening stainless the last couple of weekends. Tapping out dents and filing them down. Kind of tricky on the inside curve of the trim. Sanding and sanding then more sanding...Then buffing with a buff on a drill...finally done. I had to drill holes on my new pass side quarter and the wheel opening on the drivers side because I grafted the opening in to my quarter from a Cutlass. Good to know they are done as that $#!+ is tedious. I couldn't help but put my painted wheel on it to get an idea of how it will look. I want new tires and not re-use the old ones so I am holding out.
Tom
68 442
70 F85

 

I had to drill a few of mine out in the new paint too. I used the 3M black strip caulking behind each one to try & seal it.

 

Has anyone ever seen these put on SS wheels? Seller says they are chrome...could be stainless..they are less expensive than the 15" full size, deep trim rings that are available. I am wondering If I would like it or not....input?

Tom
68 442
70 F85

 

I bought these. The ones you show aren't deep enough (I don't think).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110684916592...S:1123&vxp=mtr

They aren't "correct" but they are almost 3" deep & they fit my 15X7 SSIII's great. If you're looking for original brushed 68 trim rings I've heard the best match is the Ames Performance GTO trim rings part number T110F but those aren't available in 15"

 

Finally got my front bumper back from the plater and got it on. Also got the under bumper scoops all riveted together and installed. Still have to spring for the stainless trim and hope it fits these older scoops from the Parts Place. Anyone have an extra set laying around?

Tom
68 442
70 F85

 

Hi, I'm ready to do my floor boards on my 69 442 convertible, they were done once by the previous owner...but not correctly. Do you have cross measurements form the cowl .....or front jam...... to another point of the car that you could share to ensure I put mine together at the right specifications? thanks Bill