69442C

Eddie, if you don't mind a suggestion, I would recommend that if you want to butt weld the new panel in place that you keep the seam and welding directly under the molding. Sometimes, mig welding can leave a ghost line when the temperature changes so if you put the seam under the molding it won't be an issue for you. If it happens, you'll never see it. I didn't have too much shrinking to do but some. Make sure when you weld the seam that you move from back to front or visa versa. If you start at both ends and work your way to the middle, the problem will be much greater and you'll have a lot more work to do. Also, take some time and look at the back corner of the new skin and compare that to how the original panel is installed, that is if you plan to take the new skin all the way back to that corner. The new skin is fully curved going from above the light all the way down to the bottom. The original panel has an offset which is there for the bumper. I hope this makes sense. You'll see it when you look at it. I had to do some cutting and bending on the new skin to duplicate the original installation. Here's a few pictires that will hopefully let you see what I mean. They are not the best.
Glad you like the color. When I saw the car originally had this color as a special order, I was hoping the owner would agree to paint it back to original and he did.
Brian

Eddie Hansen

for the great tips, I was going to get as close as possible to the molding, the rear portion is actually perfect and I was thinking to leave that factory seam around the rear tail lights, as well as the front seam in the door jam. I will cut the panel the same as you did by the rockers, and will go from there... I am sure i will be asking you a dozen more questions when the time arises I hope you don't mind


the gold looks like a corvette color from back in the day, I had a 68 Camaro RS that was the usual "gold" back in the day, but that nugget gold Pops!!!

I know i am repeating what everyone has said but really you have some mad skills sir.....

69442C

[QUOTE=Eddie Hansen;435075]for the great tips, I was going to get as close as possible to the molding, the rear portion is actually perfect and I was thinking to leave that factory seam around the rear tail lights, as well as the front seam in the door jam. I will cut the panel the same as you did by the rockers, and will go from there... I am sure i will be asking you a dozen more questions when the time arises I hope you don't mind
QUOTE]

Eddie, no problem with the questions. Also, keep in mind that I removed the quarter panel where it attached to the rocker. Some of my photos show a little of the quarter panel still there but I did go back and removed it so there was nothing on top of the rocker except for the small section toward the door which I left in place. I left the new skin a little long during fitting and then put a 90 degree bend on the piece so it gave me a 1 1/2" flange that sat on top of the rocker. There were 4 holes in that flange and I plug welded the flange to the top of the rocker from inside the panel...which was a little tough to reach. It took quite a bit of fitting of the skin so I could run a line of tape across the new skin to show where that bend needed to go. Not something you want to bend in the wrong place and then have to straighten it back out.

Thanks again for the compliments.

69442C

After the paint was wet sanded and buffed, I installed the polished SS pinch weld moldings. It's nice to start to install items on the exterior.

69442C

I took a little time and refinished the headlight assemblies. The base and buckets were glass beaded and painted. The lights are Repop T3's and the retainers were polished. I also got the gas tank ready. It's a new unit and includes a new sending unit. My assistant was of little help. I also installed the original style stamp using a reproduction stencil and paint.

allyolds68

Did you have any problem with the repro rear 1/4 matching the body lines? The repro 1/4's I had (Goodmarks) didn't follow the body particularily well at the peak trim line over wheels and I ended up butt welding above the wheel wells breaks on the second side I did.

The repro 68-69 1/4's are stamped for hardtops, not convertibles

classicjoe

Very nice!

69442C

No, I didn't have any issues with the body lines on the panels I used. I do not remember who made them but they were not Goodmarks. My thread mentions the little bit of extra work involved to make these repro panels work on a convertible since they are stamped as HT/coupe panels.

69442C

Thank you.

Eddie Hansen

Brian I went back and reread the whole procedure, I see where you spot welded the top of the quarter to the piece you left, how was the seam treated after the quarter was fit? did you trim the quarter and then butt weld into the old quarter, or did you leave the little bit of overlap ( sort of like a flange) and then grind, and fill on the inside? it looks like it's butt welded but want to be sure...

oldsguybry

Wow , this is one of the best restorations I have ever seen !

69442C

I left a little bit of the original panel along the top, maybe a half inch below the original holes for the molding clips. A little more was left above the wheel so I could use the original panel to help lock down the new skin to keep that area as flat as possible since convertibles are somewhat flat above that wheel flair. The new skin was completely spot welded along the cut edge of the new skin which fell about 1/8" below the top body line. I used a few tack welds with my mig on the vertical seam by the door which was also spot welded to an offset flange applied to the original piece of quarter that I left in place but if I did it again, I wouldn't do it that way. Instead, I would have left about a 1" section of the original panel at the door opening edge and I would have spot welded the new skin along that forward most edge of the quarter, again about 1/8" off the exact edge. Less finishing would have been the result. On the inside of the trunk, I used a large body clamp I borrowed to hold the old skin tight to the new one along the bottom edge where it was cut. I placed several welds with my mig along there as far up as I could get to. With that done, the inside seam was ground down and a skim coat of filler was used to hide most of it. It's not visible at all unless someone were to really get their head in there and look up over the wheel where I could not access the panels from inside the trunk. I didn't finish the seam under the quarter glass but instead applied seam sealer over it and the vertical seam. Seam sealer was also applied to the flange lip on the quarter that was welded to the top of the rocker. Just be careful as there are drain holes down there and you don't want to cover them. Everything inside the quarter window area was undercoated several days after the seam sealer dried. Hope this helps.

69442C

Thanks.

Eddie Hansen

Thank you yes it does explain much better I am chomping at the bit to get going on mine :-)

pitfield1

pitfield1

Thank's for the info. This will help

PIT 69 442 convert

69442C

When it came time for a new AC condenser, I ran into a little trouble. I suspect this problem may be limited to the 68/69 models as it seemed to catch the condenser supplier by surprise. The issue has to do with the tube that connects the condenser to the receiver/drier. The length of the tube is critical as it determines the location of the receiver/drier. The new condensers had a tube that extended upward higher than the original and this caused the receiver/drier to be too high up which then caused it to not allow the lower clamp for the receiver/drier to be used since it missed the mounting hole. The new consenser also caused the receiver/drier to sit too far to the right. Here are a few pictures that showed the problem.

69442C

I ended up returning the first condenser and bought another unit from the shop that recored the radiator. He does Troy Thornton's radiators and also supplied him with condensers. So I though this would be the way to go. It was much better but was still off a little. I was able to bend the tube a little to make the receiver/drier fit as best as I could. The next issue that came up was the replacement receiver/drier was slightly smaller in diameter than the original. When the clamps were tightened down, they didn't grab the receiver/drier very well. I solved that problem by using the thin foam double sided tape used to attach body side moldings. I put 2 layers on the inside of the clamps, sprayed the receiver/drier with water so it wouldn't stick to the foam inside the clamps during assembly and got it positioned correctly. With the clamps tightened down, it worked very well and it's very hard to tell what was done. Being picky, I removed the side brackets from the new condenser and installed original ones to make it look more original. It turned out pretty well.

truck5513

Where did you get the rear quarters? I have been waiting for tabco to make these for 5mos. They keep putting me on hold and say they will get back to me. Great job by the way!!! Thanks jim

69442C

Jim,
I ordered them through Brothers Auto Parts but they were shipped to me from The Parts Place. Had I known that, I would have gone directly to TPP. TPP doesn't have the best customer service and I have had a couple of issues with them. But I was pleased with the quarters I received. Other suppliers probably carry the same parts I bought but since I don't remember the name on the sticker, it would be hard for you to deterine that. I'm 99% certain they were stamped overseas and it may have been Taiwan. Make sure you inspect the quarters when they arrive and before you sign for them. If they are damaged, it needs to be documented before the trucker leaves. Mine arrived just fine.
Brian

Allan R

Brian
I would love to know if you polished all the stainless yourself or if you farmed it out. If you did it, can you tell me the steps you took to get that amazing shine and flawless finish?

69442C

Hi Allan,
I sent all of the SS moldings for the body out to be straightened and polished. Most were straight but needed polishing to remove scratches and minor flaws. The exception was the headlight rings and I polished those myself. I had a few extra sets of those rings so I found the best ones I had. I also used an extra headlight bracket/bucket and junk headlamp and assembled one light at a time and attached it in place. I took my buffer with a wool pad and polishing compound and went around the ring carefully using the outer edge of the buffing pad. The pad was horizontal to the light so I just let the edge of the pad do the work being careful not to allow the backer material on the pad touch the ring. With the ring attached around the used headlamp, it supported the ring so it would deflect during buffing. I used the normal side of the wool pad to do the buffing down along the top edge.
Here's a few pictires of the polished trim around the windshield. Note how the air cleaner shows the correct shade of color in photo 1 but then looks orange in photo 4. Odd.

Eddie Hansen

Brian, the work you have done is outstanding I absolutely love this thread thank you

69442C

Thanks Eddie. How are you doing with your car? Any more progress? I've looked at your thread but I haven't had a chance to look at it the past few days.
Brian

lil_no

Just read thru your thread and things are looking really good. Keep of the excellent work.

Wish mine's was going as fast. Got driver side quarter, trunk drop-off, and inner and outer wheel housing done, now working on passenger side.

Will continue to watch your thread and progress.

69442C

Thanks. And I've been working on this car for 5 years so the thread may make it appear as if it went faster. I only get weekends to "play" and not full weekends at times. I hope to complete it before fall is over.

69442C

I've been slacking a little at posting more photos. And I'm getting close to being where I am now with the car. Current photos may start to pop up soon.
Here are a few photos that show the stripes I painted on the hood and trunk lid. The assembly manual gives the layout and the measurements so it was just a matter of following that format. 3 hours to layout and mask and only a few minutes to paint. Oh well. I used a single stage urethane paint for the stripes.

69442C

The rebuilt shifter and new convertible lift cylinders/pump/hoses were also installed.

69442C

I had ordered new glass for the car and I was a little surprised to see how the windshield was shipped. Very little padding on the bottom of the box and none on the top. The company just foams the bottom and sits the glass in it. They also wrap the edges of the glass with plastic that is foamed and conforms to the contour of the glass and box. It arrived just fine so they must know what they are doing. Still amazes me especially knowing how easily a windshield can break.

lil_no

I understand. I'm in year 4 of mines also and never get to spend as much time working on it as I would lilke. Guess we are evenings and weekends Car Warriors.

It's always good when you can see that tiny light at the end of the tunnel.

Eddie Hansen

Lil no, I would say 75% of us are n the same boat, either honey do's get in the way, we are waiting on our own decision on how we are going to proceed or we flat out don't have the loot to spend.. I waited a LONG time awaiting 69 vert quarters to be made, never happened, never found NOS ones that didn't require me selling my body parts to afford them. I think I see a light at the tunnel but it is most likely the MAW express I have just ordered some supplies to finish the underside, so I can lower the body back on, and proceed with the quarters repair...

Brian where did you order your glass from if I may ask...

69442C

That's my story, weekends and some evenings. That tiny light can be a bad thing at times, especially when it's a freight train bearing down on you!

69442C

Eddie, I think that sums it up fairly well. This project has been at my house since July 2006 and I've been working on it for 5 1/2 years. A lot has happened in those years too. My 3 kids all graduated college, my son got married and now has 2 little girls which means my wife and I have 2 grand daughters. Those kids are lots of fun. The older one, 3 next week, loves to spend time with her Pop Pop. Took everyone for ice cream 2 weeks ago and she saved a seat next to her for me. She told her mother to go sit somewhere else as that seat was for Pop Pop. She's a hoot. I'm also getting pretty good at coloring and staying inside the lines!

I ordered the glass from PS Auto Glass (http://www.psautoglass.com/).
Brian

69442C

I finished the trunk and it turned out nicely. There must have been a shadow from the sun when I took the pictures. The color is uniform and not dark along the rear section. Remember when spraying these trunk paints to let them dry for a day or two and then put a coat or two of satin clear over them. It seals the spatter paint and makes it more durable. The clear was applied when these pictures were taken. You will also note that the conv hydraulic system was filled and bled. I used ATF as it won't eat paint like brake fluid if anything were to leak.

Allan R

That's interesting on the glass Brian. I also ordered glass from PS. It was tinted door and quarter (both sides). It arrived very well packed with lots of separation and support in the boxes. It arrived safe and sound in spite of how Fedex handled it.

BTW, don't know how the shipping is for USA, but in Canada? The post office outlet I use now has orders to inspect/open ANYTHING that says "FRAGILE - THIS SIDE UP". Apparently they think it will be a Dangerous Good or something. They are getting really retarded.

Eddie Hansen

What a great reward thx for the info my friend

69442C

Since the trunk was done, I installed the tail lights. I had the bezels re-chromed which required me to paint the black around the outside as was done originally. I also had to paint the inner section near the lens in silver. I wet sanded the chrome (after masking the areas) with 800 grit paper, applied a very thin coat of epoxy and then sprayed the colors on. They turned out great. I also had several items re-plated with silver cad of which included the surround for the trunk light and the trunk latch. Other items included the hood light (will show that in upcoming photos) as well as the covers for several relays under the hood.

Allan R

Yes it did. Now I have a question that's always bugged me about the splatter paint. Not about color - about whether it was 'proper' to have the overspray on the trunk latch and trunk torsion bars/spring seat areas. I notice you have some. So does my 72. I don't have any pics of factory cars, so I am reaching out for an answer. I had thought about re-painting the areas that had splatter overspray. Am I just over reacting?

69442C

I too got the side glass from them and it was also tinted. I also had them install the original logos and date codes which was an extra $100 or so IIR. Did your side glass arrive with all of the shredded stuff in the box? Took me a few trash cycles to get rid of that stuff but it worked very well for packing material.

BTW, done here in the states "they" tell us we are not supposed to use the word...retarded ...instead we are supposed to say... Intellectually Challenged. More political correctness crap. And my post office has quite a few Intellectually Challeneged people working there so I know what you mean. One guy thinks he's a comedian and asks every customer if they want fries with their order. One day I told him yes and to make it a super size. He turned around so quickly the rug almost fell off his head.

My glass was shipped motor freight and PS has a special agreement with a particular carrier (can't remember the name now). They did a great job and the box didn't have a mark on it.

The original spatter paint seemed like it was all over the place. So I just did something similar but a little neater. I don't think the assembly line people put much thought into it and I'm sure there was quite a bit of variation between the different workers. I would suggest you leave yours alone as what you have may be correct for that build shift and for that factory employee.

Allan R

I actually still have it in the shipping boxes. They're very stout box with the handles punched in near the top for lifting. But they double wrapped all the glass with that heavy duty bubble wrap. Bottom of the box has a foam insert.

I understand what you mean but sometimes you just have to call a spade an effin shovel! I'd like to meet that "they" group. I'll give em a piece of my mind for censoring the right to free speech. Too much mollycoddling and mass sensitivity. I get tired of worrying about what I can or can't say. Retarded is an apt word that means a lot of things to a lot of people. My car's timing is retarded - oohhhh I meant it's mechanically challenged. K end of rant... thx.

I restored this back in 86 so that's why I was questioning. Never thought to take pics of it 'before'. Back then I was more focused on working and having a good time.